Originally Posted By: kschachn
That is a populist expression seen here on Bitog but I don't think it is the actual reality. To me at least, there are about as many rabid "Valvoline haters" and "Mobil 1 haters" as there are those that repeatedly post unsubstantiated rants about Amsoil.
The problem Amsoil has is a problem that every premium oil merchandiser has and that is market differentiation. Why should I buy one product over another? Why is one oil brand more better than another so I will pick that one instead of the other? Amsoil has a particular difficulty here in the US since
I can walk into any ubiquitous neighborhood Walmart and walk out with 2, 3 or more world-class oils for a very low price. Is an Amsoil product sufficiently better for me to track down my local representative or purchase it online and wait for delivery? No one can answer that question with any kind of test here on Bitog. I've gotten more than adequate vehicle longevity out of my vehicles using ExxonMobil or Castrol products, would things be "better" if I had used Amsoil? I would have paid more money yes, but what would I get for it in return? I'd challenge anyone to prove there would have been anything incrementally better had I done so. What does one look at to show it is better than anything else? You mention their extended drain intervals are well documented, but likewise so are the ones from ExxonMobil for their products.
I also think that in days past the mystique of a product which was only available from private dealers carried more significance than it does now. Some of their oils now carry standard certifications but many do not, and continue to have PDS that are worded to obfuscate that fact. Again - I can go to Walmart and walk out with 5 quarts of a certified LL-01 oil for about $25. How can anyone compete against that?
Originally Posted By: JustN89
Amsoil and it's reception on this forum would make for an interesting case study.
Those on here that use it seem to love it.
The majority on here seem to view it with nothing less than contempt (that may be a bit harsh, but oh well). Whether that's contempt for the oil, the claims that are made from people who use it or how it's marketed I'm not sure. I almost wish that they would drop the dealer strategy and put it on the shelves to see if perception around here would change, not that I dislike the dealer approach.
I wonder if it's also its price point, but I question that theory as there is much less bashing of Redline and no one on here seems to deride Shaeffers, which is at the same price point.
Regardless, Amsoil threads are always the same. Someone has a question regarding it, there are a few relevant posts followed by a gaggle of people who don't use it who come in to bash it, then the cycle starts back over. My question would be, why are we so convinced that we need to try to talk someone out of using it? I'm sure they know the price already. Obviously, outlandish claims should be put in its place, but it's effectiveness in extended drain uses are well documented.
I don't care either way as I don't use any of the aforementioned oils, but it is an interesting phenomenon.
Oh I understand the basis of why people don't use it, I'm more interested in why such a large majority of people who don't use it feel the need to bash it and/or try to convince others to not use it. If we are to be honest, Redline and Schaeffers, which are at the same price point, receive much less criticism than Amsoil which makes me think that it has to do with something other than price.
For example, I look at
this thread. This is one of the better threads that I've found on this forum, yet half of it seems to be people bashing his choice of oil and oci. I find it interesting that people feel the need to voice their opinion on the oil when that opinion was never sought after.
Another example can be found
here. This user ran Schaeffer 9000 at a similar OCI and received mostly praise for both the oil and results. There are more examples, but this is sufficient for my point.
The bolded statement is an interesting response, however. I say that because the prevailing opinion on here seems to be that most any properly rated oil can produce good results. If that is the case, are they really "world class"? If the oils are so good that wear results are pretty much the same regardless of brand, do we need to look at another factor to determine which oil(s) could be considered "world class" and which are just above average? Would drain interval be that factor? If so, Amsoil SS (as well as a few others) would be world class over other oils plucked off the shelf at Walmart.
I'm not trying to start a fight or anything, I'm just trying to have a discussion as to why Amsoil is received the way it is on here and other oils at the same price are not.
Anyways, thanks for the response!
