Floating Drum Oil Skimmer
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- World-Class Efficiency: Recovers light or heavy oil fast, with only 2–3% water carryover—reducing separation and disposal costs.
- Built to Take a Beating: Withstands extreme temps, ice, debris, and industrial contaminants. Thousands of hours of runtime.
- Flexible Motor Options: Available with air, hydraulic, or custom motors for any power setup or plant spec.
- Ultra-Reliable Skim Control: Large exposed surface area targets oil layer efficiently. Self-adjusting scrapers reduce wear and upkeep.
- Rugged + Float-Ready: Runs in as little as 3” of water. Great for scale pits, sumps, tanks, basins, ditches, or open ponds.
IN STOCK. READY TO SHIP. PROBLEM SOLVED.
Got an oily water problem? We’ve got Floating Drum Oil Skimmer ready to go. While others make you wait 12-16 weeks, we try to keep these bad boys in stock. Because when you need to “get the oil off the water NOW,” waiting isn’t an option. Just ask.
Floating Drum Oil Skimmer (FDS) Features
World-Class Floating Drum Skimmer
SkimOIL®’s Floating Drum Skimmers (FDS) are engineered for speed, efficiency, and durability. Designed for industrial pits, sumps, tanks, and open water, the FDS rapidly removes floating oils—light or heavy—with minimal water carryover, making separation and disposal faster and easier.
01
PERFORMANCE
- Ultra-efficient oil recovery: 2–3% water carryover reduces separation costs and boosts oil recovery.
- Versatile application: Skims light oils like diesel or heavy oils like bunker C in ice, hot, or harsh industrial conditions.
- Flexible motor options: Air, hydraulic, or custom motors adapt to any facility or power setup.
- Large surface area: Exposed drums efficiently target floating oil, maximizing recovery.
- Minimal water depth required: Operates in as little as 3″ of water.
02
DESIGN & DURABILITY
- Rugged construction: Polyethylene HD, anodized aluminum, or stainless steel frames and drums for chemical, heat, or corrosion resistance.
- Self-adjusting scrapers: Reduce wear and maintenance while keeping oil recovery consistent.
- Float-ready: Sealed flotation ensures the skimmer remains unsinkable.
- Industrial-grade reliability: Thousands of hours of trouble-free operation under extreme temperatures, debris, and contaminants.
03
INSTALLATION & SUPPORT
- Quick deployment: Ready to use out of the box, with minimal setup required.
- Pump integration: Skimmed oil drains into sump for collection via your existing pump system.
- Field-proven design: Widely used in steel mills, refineries, and spill response operations.
- SkimOIL® expertise: Real-time support ensures the right skimmer and setup for your application.
STATE OF THE ART! The Floating Drum Skimmer
Takes heavy abuse—rugged & almost bullet proof—very reliable. Requires a pump to remove skimmed oil. Used extensively in the steel and refinery industries.
These drum skimmers are the most efficient and the most selective floating skimmers available anywhere, due to the large surface area at water level, that is exposed to the floating oil. Easy to install and operate. Drum skimmers need only 3″ of water to float in.
The World’s Most Efficient Floating Oil Skimmer!
These floating drum skimmers (FDS) float on the surface, and sealed flotation makes it unsinkable. The drums are motor driven (by air or hydraulics) and turn slowly attracting the oil to its surface and rotating around to the wiper blade which scrapes the floating oil off and it runs into the sump area, where it is picked up by pump suction and transferred to storage.
The FDS is known to be the most effective oil skimmer in the world! Great for heavy industrial or spill work and is the tool of choice for several spill contractors and facility owners since it is so fast and does not give you much water to deal with. Readily skims light or heavy floating oils, even works in ice or any weather.
Experience helps in this—call us. Let’s talk!
Watch the SteelMax from the show
Drum Skimmer Models & Specs
| MODEL NO. | RECOVERY RATE | WIDTH | LENGTH | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | CONSTRUCTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDS20RS | 20 GPM | 28" | 42" | 14" | 45 LBS | POLYPRO |
| FDS34RS | 34 GPM | 34" | 48" | 18" | 80 LBS | ANODIZED ALUM |
| FDS68RS | 77 GPM (smooth) / 170 GPM (grooved) | 37" | 92" | 18" | 100 LBS | ANODIZED ALUM |
FDS20RS-SteelMax Brochure / FDS34RS Brochure / FDS68RS Brochure
Oil Skimming Application Questionnaire
Floating Drum Skimmer in Action
Built to Perform in Industrial Abuse
The FDS Floating Drum Oil Skimmer is a robust and reliable drum skimmer designed with industrial applications in mind. The standard skimmer frame is manufactured in Polyethylene HD, making it resistant to many chemicals found in industrial pits, sumps, separators and tanks. The FDS is capable of recovering both light and heavy oils with very low water content typically around only 2 to 3%.
The motor, gearbox and drums are capable of thousands of hours of trouble free operations. The scrapers are self-adjusting to allow for wear. The FDS is supplied fitted with either an air or hydraulic motor. The Floating Drum Skimmer is also offered with a marine grade anodized aluminum frame and drums for hot environments. We can also deliver a stainless steel version for hot and corrosive applications such as palm oil skimming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Floating Drum Oil Skimmer (FDS)?
The FDS is an industrial-grade floating drum skimmer designed to recover light or heavy oils from water with minimal water carryover (2–3%). It floats on the surface, with motor-driven drums and self-adjusting wipers that scrape oil into a sump for pump collection.
Where can the FDS be used?
It is ideal for scale pits, sumps, tanks, basins, ditches, open ponds, and industrial spill sites. It performs reliably in ice, extreme temperatures, and harsh industrial environments, making it perfect for steel plants, refineries, and other demanding operations.
What motor options are available for the FDS?
The FDS can be equipped with air or hydraulic motors and is also available in custom configurations to meet specific plant power setups or operational requirements. Marine-grade anodized aluminum and stainless steel versions are available for hot or corrosive environments.
How much oil can it remove and how efficient is it?
Depending on the model, recovery rates range from 20 to 77 GPM (smooth) / 170 GPM (grooved). Its large exposed drum surface area efficiently targets the oil layer, and self-adjusting wipers reduce wear and maintenance while delivering fast, selective oil recovery.
What maintenance is required for the FDS?
Maintenance is minimal. The self-adjusting scrapers reduce wear, and the motor and drums are designed for thousands of hours of operation. Routine checks for debris and inspection of the skimmer frame and drums are recommended to maintain peak performance.
ROUGH, RUGGED, RELIABLE... READY TO GO TO WORK.
OIL SKIMMER THAT WILL NOT GIVE YOU A LOT OF WATER TO DEAL WITH...THE FLOATING DRUM SKIMMER (FDS) COULD BE THE ONE.
- Experience helps in this—call us. Let’s talk about your application