"Box of wine" oil change review

[Crunch]

Just did an oil change, and this time I mixed it up a bit. When I was at the Mart of Walls I saw that they had a box of Rotella, contained in a 3 gallon bag. It was a few bucks cheaper than the 3 1 gallon jugs I've always bought before, so decided to check it out.

First off, the box was convenient, not heavy or cumbersome and the bag of oil had a handy spigot that could be fed through a hole in the box. When it came time to add the new oil to the engine, I found that the box was too long to fit front to back on top of the engine. It had to be angles left or right, and the spigot had to be lined up just right. When I opened the valve, it opened easy but I had to be very careful to not let it slop over the fill hole and run all over the engine. It wasn't too much of a hassle, but it would have been a lot better if they included about 2" of hose that could fit down a bit in the fill hole. Because I'm a cheapskate, it was also a hassle to close the valve when most of the oil was gone, take the box down, remove the bag, force the remaining oil down to the valve, lift the bag back up to the engine and drain the remaining oil without spilling any.

On the plus side, the box was a good place to toss not only the bag, but the fuel filter I changed and the old oil filter. The biggest negative here was that there weren't the three familiar gallon jugs to put the used oil in. Fortunately, I had several gallon windshield washer fluid jugs lying around that I used for the old oil. Downside: Those gallon jugs weren't big enough for 3 gallons of oil, so I had to get another one for the last quart or so, which also contained the diesel fuel I drained when I changed the fuel filter.

Bottom line: Nice idea, but not ready for prime time yet. The lack of container for the old oil is probably the biggest negative, but I think I will stick to the gallon jugs in the future.

 

[johnmyster]

I used the delo 3 gallon box for the first time this weekend. Inside the big box is two, smaller 1.5 gallon boxes. Each has a 1.5 gallon bag. No valve like the Rotella, but a cap that slides into a slot in the cardboard, thus becoming a 1.5 gallon pourable jug.

I was able to pour my waste oil back into the box/bag for disposal, but used a funnel to do so. System worked out nicely.

I added a drain valve/plug to my truck at the same time, so future changes will drain the sump directly into some 2.5 gallon or 5-quart oil bottles I've accumulated.

 

[Grumpy8811]

I have not tried the 3 gallon unit yet, its main advantage seems to be it is the exact amount I need in one package.
I have tried 5 gallon pails, 2.5 gallon and 1 gallon containers and the 5 gallon pail has to be transferred to something else first before pouring in the engine because it is pretty awkward to dump straight into the engine.. the 2.5 Gallon jugs are a little better but it seems the standard 3 gallon jugs are the best all around choice.

not too mention I have zero brand loyalty when it comes to lube oil, so its just a matter of buying whatever is on sale and has a rebate in whatever size container gives the best deal.

its kind of neat how cheap lube oil can be, when one shops ahead.. I have 3 gallons of Delo synthetic I had for 9 bucks a gallon.. I have about 5 gallons of Delvac Extreme that cost 10 bucks a gallon after rebate and the last stuff I got was Costco selling off Kirkland 1540 for 3 dollars a gallon.. if it keep sup like this I'll probably never get a chance to even try the 3 gallon handi pack..

 

[CharlesinGA]

Apparently only the Rotella T4 is packaged in the 3 gal soft pack, I was unable to find any info on the internet about the T6 being packaged in the 3 gal box. I use 5W-40 T6 so I will have to stick with the gallon jugs. Oddly Home Depot has proven to be cheaper than Walmart or any of the parts stores around me for 5W-40 T6.

My used oil goes straight into the tank for my used oil fueled, forced air, shop furnace.

Charles

 

[Grumpy8811]

Apparently only the Rotella T4 is packaged in the 3 gal soft pack, I was unable to find any info on the internet about the T6 being packaged in the 3 gal box. I use 5W-40 T6 so I will have to stick with the gallon jugs. Oddly Home Depot has proven to be cheaper than Walmart or any of the parts stores around me for 5W-40 T6.

Charles

Home Depot surprises sometimes.. most of their stuff is overpriced yet some marginal sales item like motor oil
that the average Home Depot customer actually goes to the store looking for can be a pretty good deal.

 

[johnmyster]

$70 a case (3 gal) of T6 at home depot with a $40 rebate is a pretty slick deal.

 

[Grumpy8811]

$70 a case (3 gal) of T6 at home depot with a $40 rebate is a pretty slick deal.

it pays to shop and know the rebate system. Mobil Delvac has an annual spring and fall rebate.twice a year..
Rotella does too but Shell seems to have more limitations and fine print than Mobil does..
and once in awhile I run into this sort of deal..

 

[Crunch]

I liked the motivation behind the idea. Rotella just needs to refine it a bit, i.e. a taller, shorter box that fits on top of the engine and a better spigot that is easier to drain into the fill hole. Not sure how they could change it so it is easier to dispose of the old oil, though. That's probably my biggest complaint. The only thing I can think of would be a lined and sealed box that you could pour the oil back into. Interestingly, I've seen large barrels of Rotella at Sam's, though I forget what they cost. If you had a fleet of 10 trucks or so that might be the way to go as long as you could pump it out and meter it accurately. Still have the old oil disposal issue, though.

 

[Grumpy8811]

I liked the motivation behind the idea. Rotella just needs to refine it a bit, i.e. a taller, shorter box that fits on top of the engine and a better spigot that is easier to drain into the fill hole. Not sure how they could change it so it is easier to dispose of the old oil, though. That's probably my biggest complaint. The only thing I can think of would be a lined and sealed box that you could pour the oil back into. Interestingly, I've seen large barrels of Rotella at Sam's, though I forget what they cost. If you had a fleet of 10 trucks or so that might be the way to go as long as you could pump it out and meter it accurately. Still have the old oil disposal issue, though.

I have several 5 gallon plastic pails from motor oil that I use for dirty oil.. when both are full I take em to the recycle center and have them dump it and give me back the pails.

a barrel of oil is nice if you have enough use for it as you don't have all those empty plastic jugs to deal with, but you find that size only useful if you have either a couple big rigs to maintain or a bunch of farm equipment.. I worked at a large fleet, motor oil was in a 5000 gallon tank and the shop was plumbed with dispensers.. kinda neat to see a tanker truck drip off 40,000 lbs of oil.. as they purchase it in those quantities by weight..