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Storing oil in plastic vs metal barrels?

fordguy

blah.
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Nov 24, 2022
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Need to change oil in 12 MDT trucks, that means a lot of used oil.

Would it be acceptable to store inside a plastic 55gal drum, or is metal the only way to go?

Would be stored temporarily until disposed of.
 
Plastic is fine IMO, at least around here plastic 55 gallon drums are free, steel drums cost $$.
 
Too bad you aren't closer, I'd about pay you you take steel drums. Just offloaded by hand 38 of them shits.
I've been battling some flu or something and I about needed to take a few mins to catch my wind.

Some with still 10+ gallons.
And just got a call for another 14
 

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Do they pick cotton where you live? If so go ask a farmer if he has any empty spindle fluid drums.
 
The metal ones even nicer other than have to dip them to check the level.
The plastic don't handle UV well.

Significantly more expensive too. These are all stored inside, so UV hasn't been an issue.

Bring the guys a tray of homemade cookies and they'd probably give half the warehouse away.

Baked goods, donuts, or a platter from the local sub shop goes a long way to "greasing the wheels" when you're looking for a favor. A sixpack or case does the same, although it can be more of an issue these days than it used to be.
 
Significantly more expensive too. These are all stored inside, so UV hasn't been an issue.



Baked goods, donuts, or a platter from the local sub shop goes a long way to "greasing the wheels" when you're looking for a favor. A sixpack or case does the same, although it can be more of an issue these days than it used to be.
The stainless ones are around $4k. Carbon steel about $2500

I got to hear about how we have roughly 600 of them "missing" by the new boss last week like it's my doing.
I'd bet most were sold or scrapped as non serviceable as some are 45+ yrs old.
For a while an outfit was buying them, fixing them and then selling them back.

🤯
 
Not a drum and not quite the capacity you need, but I've got a few of these. I've been storing used motor oil in them for years.

I had a bad experience with bulk cooking oil jugs, they lose a lot of structural integrity when the cardboard box gets saturated. :laughing:

The Blitz stuff is garbage, plastic is so thin the lid will pop off if you look at it funny.

So I went on the hunt for something beefier, that would actually seal, but still small enough I could haul it to the vatozone to dispose of easy enough.


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As far as your question, the plastic drums are fine for oil.

I use totes, have ~ 15 of them. Hopefully will have a chance to setup my waste oil boiler this year. Will be able to heat my place for almost free, will save ~$2500 a year.
 
Need to change oil in 12 MDT trucks, that means a lot of used oil.

Would it be acceptable to store inside a plastic 55gal drum, or is metal the only way to go?

Would be stored temporarily until disposed of.

We used to use empty totes for waste oil.
 
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