Oil skimmers for CNC machine shops
For one CNC sump, a Zebra belt skimmer (from $422) or Sidewinder tube skimmer (from $398) pulls the tramp oil off around the clock, ships from Ohio in 1 business day and carries a lifetime warranty. A Haas with the external 55- or 95-gallon tank takes the Haas-style unit ($482).
Why a CNC coolant tank needs an oil skimmer
Way lube, hydraulic oil and spindle oil leak into every sump and float on water-based coolant as tramp oil. The layer seals the surface, starves the coolant of oxygen and feeds the bacteria behind the Monday-morning smell, the dermatitis complaints and the sump you dump every six to eight weeks. Our ROI calculator, on conservative defaults (50-gallon sump, four changes a year), puts one sump's coolant changes at about $740 a year before tool life. A skimmer that runs continuously keeps the surface open: the root-cause fix.
Which oil skimmer for which CNC machine
All built in Solon, Ohio. Prices are today's 115 V list prices on the product pages; 220 V and 24 VDC versions are in each product's picker.
| Your machine or tank | Pick | Reach | Price | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haas VMC or lathe with the external 55- or 95-gallon tank | Haas-style tube skimmer (HAASZVA1) | 14 in | $482 | In stock |
| Mazak, Okuma, Doosan, DMG, Fadal and other VMCs or lathes: sump under the enclosure, access through a slot or hole | Sidewinder ZVA8 tube skimmer | 8 to 29 in (to 101 in) | from $398 | 1 business day (8 to 20 in) |
| Doosan with the factory skimmer mount | Doosan-style Sidewinder (8 in, no chute) | 8 in | $424 | In stock |
| Open-top sump or tank with a flat lip, light to medium oil | Tramp oil belt skimmer, 1 in poly belt (BPF1) | 8 to 24 in | from $422 | 1 business day |
| Heavy oil load, or a sump over 100 gallons | 2 in belt (BPF2): double the removal rate | 8 to 24 in | from $489 | 5 business days |
| Deep tank or under-floor sump, fluid more than 24 in down | Long-reach hanging belt skimmer | 36 to 300 in | from $479 | 5 business days, built to order |
| Hot coolant, grinding fines or harsh chemistry | Belt skimmer with stainless belt (BSF1) | 8 to 24 in (to 120 in) | from $469 | 1 business day |
| Large open tank, heavy oil, stable fluid level | LH Series disk skimmer (12 in disk, about 2 qt/h) or Smart Disk with built-in Diverter | 4.5 in (12 in disk), 7.5 in (18 in disk) | from $254 / $378 | In stock |
Every unit here fits a 2 in x 2 in opening or smaller, mounts with two screws, a magnetic base ($118) or a LockJaw clamp ($175), and keeps the motor outside the fluid. The Diverter ($149) returns the coolant the belt or tube carries up and uses 2 in of reach.
Oil skimmer for a coolant tank: how to measure reach
Reach is the distance from the surface the skimmer mounts on straight down to the coolant at its normal running level. It is not the tank depth; measure at the lowest level you run, not the fill line, and order the next reach up. A belt needs a straight drop and about half an inch of clearance each side; the Sidewinder tube bends around corners and feeds through any gap its 1/4 in tube passes, which is why it fits sumps nothing else reaches. The reach guide has the pictures; the skimmer sizer turns two photos into a model number, free.
CNC oil skimmer prices
List prices are on every product page: Sidewinder tube skimmer from $398, poly belt skimmer from $422, stainless-belt skimmer from $469, Haas-style skimmer $482, long-reach belt from $479, disk skimmer from $254. Replacement tubes (from $53) and belts (from $58) are stocked. Buying more than four, or through a distributor? Call 888-249-4855 for volume and distributor pricing.
Haas oil skimmer
The Zebra-style Haas coolant oil skimmer uses the same cartridge and 14 in tubing as the Sidewinder, with a 7 rpm motor, a clear oil container, a clamp kit and a 25 ft cord, and fits any Haas mill or lathe with the external 55- or 95-gallon tank. Normally in stock; the bundle with six extra tubes is $792.
Rancid coolant, odor and tramp oil
If the sump already smells: skim continuously (nights and weekends matter most), verify concentration with a refractometer, then decide whether to clean and recharge. New coolant in an oil-fed sump turns again in weeks. The symptom pages cover each case: rancid smell, oil floating on coolant, short coolant life, oil mist, hard particles. A central system feeding many machines is a filtration job, not a sump skimmer; the buying guide says where to look.
Common questions
What size oil skimmer do I need for my CNC machine?
Measure from where the skimmer will mount straight down to the coolant surface at its normal level and order the next reach up. That is the reach, not the tank depth. A belt needs a 2 in x 2 in opening; the Sidewinder tube passes any gap its 1/4 in tube fits. Unsure? Send two photos through the skimmer sizer.
Will a tube skimmer fit a Haas?
Yes. On a Haas with the external 55- or 95-gallon tank the Haas-style skimmer ($482, 14 in reach, 25 ft cord) clamps straight on. The Sidewinder ZVA8 is the same cartridge in a bracket-mount unit; 14 in is the usual Haas pick.
Belt or tube skimmer for a CNC coolant tank?
Belt when the sump has an open top or a slot and the oil load is heavy: about 1 gallon an hour on a 1 in belt, 2 on a 2 in belt. Tube (Sidewinder) when the only access is a small hole, the sump is shallow or the tank is deep: about 1 quart an hour, reaches from 8 to 101 in.
Can an oil skimmer run 24/7 on a CNC machine?
Yes. Every Zebra skimmer has a continuous-duty motor and most shops leave it on, especially over nights and weekends when the oil layer seals the sump. An external timer ($36) gives timed skimming if you prefer.
How fast does it ship and what is the warranty?
Standard belt (8 to 24 in) and Sidewinder (8 to 20 in) models ship in 1 business day from Solon, Ohio; 2 in belts, 44 in and longer tubes and long-reach belts in 5. Belt, tube and disk skimmers carry a free lifetime warranty on the unit (registration required); belts, tubes and wipers are wear parts.
Related: All tramp oil skimmers · How to choose an oil skimmer · How to determine reach · Oil skimmers for parts washers · Compressor condensate · Lifetime warranty
Written by the engineering team at Zebra Skimmers Corp, Solon, Ohio. Prices and lead times are the ones on our product pages on the date shown and can change; the product page is the source of truth. Last updated October 2026.