Stocking Oil and Filters

Between myself and my father we have 18 engines to maintain between the trucks, tractors, mowers and cars. This spring we built a new shop and I am trying to organize things as much as possible. Most of the tractors and mowers just get an annual service in the spring at which point we have to make a trip to town to get oil and filters for each one, usually requiring multiple trips. I'm wanting to at least order the filters ahead of time instead of poking around multiple store racks for a couple hours: using Wix and Kubota filters. I'm also reducing the engine oil types down to 3: Rotella T6 5w-40, Rotella T4 10w-30 and Mobil 1 5w-30

How many filters and how much oil do you stock in your shop?

I'm thinking for every engine:
-oil filters - 2yr supply
-fuel filters - 2yr supply
-outer air filter - 1yr supply (1 minimum per engine)
-trans / hydraulic filter - 1yr supply (1 minimum per engine)

-enough engine oil for the year (27 gallons)
-enough trans / hydraulic fluid to fill the largest transmission, buy more as service is needed (every 4 years for most of the tractors, less than 200hrs use per year)
-lower use fluids, just keep a gallon of each to top off with as needed (some will only be changed every 10yrs or so)

Buy em on sale and get enough to at least last until the next sale right now Napa?s filters are half off and will be again in the spring

Same here - I usually get one or two for everything when Napa has their sale.
Other than my cars, most of my stuff doesn't get enough hours to need more than a once a year change. I run Syntech in my cars and Rotella in everything else
Pete

all good intentions I used to stock some too ,,,,,till mud daubers got into a brand new filter ..now on I keep one extra filter for car and truck and no extra for tractors until I need them

I cut my herd way back and don't use many of what I do have left. I try and keep at least 1 engine oil filter on the shelf for each and extra fuel filters for the diesel. I even have some spare belts for the lawn mower. I kept the old decent ones when I went through and put all new ones on.
I'm wondering if you could get them all down to only 1 oil too ? Aren't 2 of those synthetic ?

Yes, the Rotella T6 and Mobil 1 are both synthetics. The only reason i'm continuing to run the mobil 1 is to have 5W-30 in the two gas engines with variable valve timing. Both use oil pressure to manipulate cam position and don't want to potentially mess that up. I'm keeping the Rotella T4 non-synthetic around for the old gas engines, tractors and old truck since they are ultra low use.

Either do a lot of checking or get you a GOOD parts guy on the KUBOTA filters. Kubota CHANGES the part number of filters ever time they change vendors. What that means you may have 3 or 4 part numbers for a filter that is identical to the other except maybe paint color (blue ,grey or white). We have 34 engines here on the farm and we stock 1 oil, 2 fuel , and a few air filters. Sure makes it easier to reach and get it when you need it. Sometime something will get traded and we get stuck with one but for most part our filters have worked out good.

As a kid I remember that the IH tractors had the same filter, the blower another, the truck, car ect. all different. Dad bought a small stock box of a couple of filters. The tractors and the silage blower. Did the small shelf boxes come in six or eight filters? Worked out well. Always bought oil in a full size drum with a hand pump in it. I have gone to several car show flea markets and pick up a boat load of fuel filters for all of my lawn and garden machines. They usually go for $2 ea. or three for five bucks. There are two vedors that I talk to and if you buy around fifty of them they sell you them for a buck each. If I fix one of my machines or a neighbors and see the filter is dark...just change it. Must have over 50 just in the shop, more in another location. Just plain handy. Works for me.

I buy oil and filters when on sale.

I nearly always have at least one filter for everything and enough oil to last several years.

I use 15W40 diesel spec in all tractors, gasoline or diesel, and 10W30 full synthetic in air cooled engines. Car specifies 5W30 but dealer does that without charge.

Dean

I buy my oil from Rural king. 5w3o synthetic blend, $2 quart.
U go shopping on eBay or Amazon and buy 12 filters at a time at a huge savings. Some filters I have to buy at Napa. Always have spare filters.

The good thing about Deere is most of my tractors take one of 2 oil filters,fuel filters and hyd filters. The bad thing is they all have different air filters. I always stock up when Deere has their filter sale.

At one point my Dad had six tractors, couple of cars, couple of trucks, etc.
Some of the oil filters were pricey to him, so he got a few of the remote oil filter "holders" and installed them on everything he could.
All used a Chevy V8 oil filter so most ended up using a Wix filter all the same number.
Since they were for Chevys, they were in the "everyone makes them" price range vs the "we got you by the short and curlys" price range.
The brackets also eliminated the handfull of hot oil when you spun them off.

Didn't say what kind of storage space you have. For oil filters they need to be kept clean and moisture free. As mentioned below, a dirt dauber will ruin one and an engine if not careful. I helped a friend clean out his dad's garage and I bet there were 50 oil filters, several different kinds, not a single good one in the bunch. Either had rust or insects in them or both.

I'm really starting from scratch. I was planning to build a shelf. Ground level for 5 gal buckets. 1st shelf up for 1 gal jugs, lined with plastic. Next shelf for filters and repair parts with dividers for the different pieces of equipment. What suggestions do you have on the filter storage? Maybe put each one in a ziplock?

Buy my #30 oil in 30 gal exchange drum. Dealer delivers. I am only 2 miles from Caseih dealer so i run in and get filters as needed.

I pick up my WIX filters at my local independently owned auto parts store, usually when on sale, so I get the best of both worlds: good price and prompt service. I have also, a few months ago, started a "want list" on my 'phone so when I am planning something I can have whats needed on my list with me, cutting down on trips to town.

(quoted from post at 16:10:11 09/07/18) I'm really starting from scratch. I was planning to build a shelf. Ground level for 5 gal buckets. 1st shelf up for 1 gal jugs, lined with plastic. Next shelf for filters and repair parts with dividers for the different pieces of equipment. What suggestions do you have on the filter storage? Maybe put each one in a ziplock?

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An old non functioning upright freezer works good for storing stuff that needs to be kept dry and insects and critters away.
Welding rods, etc.

I buy 15w40 and tractor hyd/trans fluid in 55 gal drums. It takes quite a while to use it up, but the price is good, and I don't mind storing oil in a drum. It gets used in everything except the car and pickup. I keep a little 5w20 around for them. Gear oil in 5 gal pail.

I buy Wix filters from the local auto supply as needed. They are 6 miles away, and deliver free of charge. The only filters I keep around are a few supply pump filters, and some fuel filters for key pieces of equipment.

I stock one filter change ahead, make a note when I use one.