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Is my math wrong on this?

#1

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

I was thinking about getting a 55 gallon drum of Stens 10w-40. My price shows $1,395.63. That's 220qts, right?
$1395.63 divided by 220 = $6.34 per quart. (+shipping)
But if you buy them by the case (32oz bottles), it's only $5.27 per quart.

If my math is right, you're losing money by buying the big drum.


#2

sgkent

sgkent

you get the drum. We used to buy a drum and then a truck would come by and charge us by the gallon only for the oil when they refilled it.


#3

B

bertsmobile1

PTmowerMech said:
I was thinking about getting a 55 gallon drum of Stens 10w-40. My price shows $1,395.63. That's 220qts, right?
$1395.63 divided by 220 = $6.34 per quart. (+shipping)
But if you buy them by the case (32oz bottles), it's only $5.27 per quart.

If my math is right, you're losing money by buying the big drum.
Click to expand...
I don't know how the marketing goes in the USA but at least once every 2 years Stens do an oil special , often down to 1/2 price so that is when I buy my oil .
I get SAE 30 mower oil directly from the refiner / blender in 44's ( 202 L or 222 quarts )
It is around 5% more expensive that way but I pay cash for it thus it does not appear on my inventory
Down here the tax department look at your oil use & consider every X litre of oil = Y number of services = $ Z dollars of income
So my inventory only shows the 10w40 honda oil
Mostly I buy in 5 gallon drums with a tap and use very long neck measuring jugs to fill the mowers which means I can avoid using funnels

As for the old drums, I get $20 to $ 40 at the gate for them .
Two are kept for dirty oil that I take to the recyclers every year or so and swap them for empties .


#4

I

ILENGINE

@PTmowerMech Actually what you are seeing is very common. It has been the norm to be able to purchase quart bottles cheaper than 5 gallon or 55 gallon drums for several years. Or at least for the common person. maybe different if you purchase a few thousand gallon a year like auto dealership and oil change places will.


#5

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

sgkent said:
you get the drum. We used to buy a drum and then a truck would come by and charge us by the gallon only for the oil when they refilled it.
Click to expand...

It's a dollar a quart cheaper to buy the case of quart bottles. You can get 18 cases, that's the 220 quarts (or 55 gallons) for $1160. That's $235 cheaper than the drum.
I guess I need to look into how much an oil company would refill my drums. I'm kind of sold on the zinc content in Stens.

And you don't have to dish out $1,400 at once.


#6

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

ILENGINE said:
@PTmowerMech Actually what you are seeing is very common. It has been the norm to be able to purchase quart bottles cheaper than 5 gallon or 55 gallon drums for several years. Or at least for the common person. maybe different if you purchase a few thousand gallon a year like auto dealership and oil change places will.
Click to expand...

Several years ago, I used to smoke Winston lights. The Murphy's USA was always the cheapest in town. So one day, I'm standing in line to by a carton, and I noticed the price of a carton was actually more than just buying 10 packs. So when I got to the counter, I asked for 10 packs. The lady says you mean a carton? So I explained it was $2 cheaper for 10 packs than by the carton. She seemed a little rattled that someone figured that out.


#7

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

I did the same thing. I just buy the 10w-30 by the case of quarts. Upside is it helps getting orders over the $150 for free shipping. I use well over 100 quarts a year so i am buying a case a month.
A local auto repair shop swithched to quarts because he can mail order cheaper than having the oil company truck deliver oil in bulk.


#8

StarTech

StarTech

PTmowerMech said:
I was thinking about getting a 55 gallon drum of Stens 10w-40. My price shows $1,395.63. That's 220qts, right?
$1395.63 divided by 220 = $6.34 per quart. (+shipping)
But if you buy them by the case (32oz bottles), it's only $5.27 per quart.

If my math is right, you're losing money by buying the big drum.
Click to expand...
First you probably looking at Stens 051-616 [55 gal] which Lucas Synthetic 10w30. Now the Stens 770-133 [55 gal] Conv 10-30 oil is much lower @ about $3.32 / qt.

Hmmm my Stens price on the case of oil [Stens 770-132] is only $3.88 / qt but I am probably on a better discount plan. But I don't use conventional oil any more for my customers mowers. I am paying around 5.40 / qt for Mobile One 15w50 synthetic.

Beside I have two problems if I got 55 gallon drum. One I have place to store them. Second I would need a pump to get the oil out. Those 5 qt jugs are easier to store on the shelf. I only purchase 40 qts so far this year. Beside shipping is probably a killer too.


#9

I

ILENGINE

StarTech said:
First you probably looking at Stens 051-616 [55 gal] which Lucas Synthetic 10w30. Now the Stens 770-133 [55 gal] Conv 10-30 oil is much lower @ about $3.32 / qt.

Hmmm my Stens price on the case of oil [Stens 770-132] is only $3.88 / qt but I am probably on a better discount plan. But I don't use conventional oil any more for my customers mowers. I am paying around 5.40 / qt for Mobile One 15w50 synthetic.

Beside I have two problems if I got 55 gallon drum. One I have place to store them. Second I would need a pump to get the oil out. Those 5 qt jugs are easier to store on the shelf. I only purchase 40 qts so far this year. Beside shipping is probably a killer too.
Click to expand...
Even when the front side price on the 55 gallon drum looks appealing you need or in this case @PTmowerMech also will need to consider what the LTL freight on the barrel of oil will cost. And being 55 gallon and not 54 falls under different hazmat requirements.


#10

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

StarTech said:
First you probably looking at Stens 051-616 [55 gal] which Lucas Synthetic 10w30. Now the Stens 770-133 [55 gal] Conv 10-30 oil is much lower @ about $3.32 / qt.

Hmmm my Stens price on the case of oil [Stens 770-132] is only $3.88 / qt but I am probably on a better discount plan. But I don't use conventional oil any more for my customers mowers. I am paying around 5.40 / qt for Mobile One 15w50 synthetic.

Beside I have two problems if I got 55 gallon drum. One I have place to store them. Second I would need a pump to get the oil out. Those 5 qt jugs are easier to store on the shelf. I only purchase 40 qts so far this year. Beside shipping is probably a killer too.
Click to expand...

You're right. While searching and scrolling, I got ahead of myself. Almost $4 per quart.
Space is definitely an issue with me too, now.


#11

S

slomo

$3.21 at wally's china mart.

1653756082545.png


#12

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

slomo said:
$3.21 at wally's china mart.

View attachment 60675
Click to expand...

Is that stuff even oil?


#13

B

bertsmobile1

1/3 to 3/4 the price of nearly everything is advertising and marketing ( or greedy mark ups )
All those TV adds + race sponsorships in every motor sport has to be paid for by YOU the end user.
Only one company blends SAE 30 mower oil down here
The brands that have no advertising are 1/3 cheaper than the ones that do advertise .
Rule of thumb is if you see an add for the same product twice in any show the product is way over priced .
A single brand add can be spread across an entire product range but a single product add comes out of that product .
Thus down here we get endless adds for overpriced SUV's but almost none for small economy vehicles .
A 15 sec add in prime time is $ 30,000 so you need to sell a lot of oil to cover those costs .


#14

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

Question: Using 10w-30 as an example.

Does the oil flow better at 10 or 30?

When it heats up, it flows better. Heated up oil's viscosity is 10 or 30?


#15

B

bertsmobile1

People get very confused with the multi grade ratings
the first number is the viscosity at room temperature ( 20 C )
The second is a COMPARATIVE flow rate at 100 C ( or there abouts )
So what 10W 30 does
at start up it flows the same as 10 oil at room temperature
So a 10 W 30 will flow faster & easier than a 30 oil at start up
At operating temperature they should flow exactly the same

Naturally at operating temperature the oil will be thinner & flow easier .

People got the advertising B S when multi grades first came out saying they get thicker as they get hotter
This is totally BS , unless it s full of egg whites .
What multi grades do is get thinner slower as the temperature rises

The flow rates are measured in centipoise / second
IF you troll around you will find viscosity GRAPHS that will make it a lot clearer


#16

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

bertsmobile1 said:
People get very confused with the multi grade ratings
the first number is the viscosity at room temperature ( 20 C )
The second is a COMPARATIVE flow rate at 100 C ( or there abouts )
So what 10W 30 does
at start up it flows the same as 10 oil at room temperature
So a 10 W 30 will flow faster & easier than a 30 oil at start up
At operating temperature they should flow exactly the same

Naturally at operating temperature the oil will be thinner & flow easier .

People got the advertising B S when multi grades first came out saying they get thicker as they get hotter
This is totally BS , unless it s full of egg whites .
What multi grades do is get thinner slower as the temperature rises

The flow rates are measured in centipoise / second
IF you troll around you will find viscosity GRAPHS that will make it a lot clearer
Click to expand...

Many years ago, I put a bottle of mobil1 10w-30 in the freezer over night. Trying to pour it out the next day, it was like molasses.


#17

StarTech

StarTech

And 5w30 Semi Synthetic is like water at operating temperature of my Briggs 330000 series engine. Pull dipstick after it has been running for awhile and you can't even see oil on the dipstick. That is why I am now running 15W50 Synthetic in it. At least I can check my oil on fuel refills with the engine hot using a black marker.

PT also about putting the oil in the freezer, many freezers are well below 32F. My chest freezer is between -20F and -10F and the frig freezer is around 10F.


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