What are we paying for?

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As I stand here in the oil section at WM and I look at all the 5 quart jug options I have noticed that price wise they are all pretty close with a few $ separating the cheep jug to the most expensive. So the question is if all the oils for a car meet the same specifications what am I paying for? Advertising? The best looking jug? I guess I am a sceptic that spending the few $ more for that five quart jug will really make a hill of beans difference in say a 7,000 mile OCI over 200-300,000 miles?
 
That's what branding is all about. If it meets specs for your car, you're good to go. Even Supertech, Walmart's in house brand is a good oil.
 
I would by the Supertech...if it wasn't for the $10 per jug rebate by pennzoil which makes it cheaper.
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All you need is the specifications on the oil bottle that your engine calls for.

Everything else is marketing which includes pretty bottles, nice words, convincing claims. But never any proof that it is better then the specifications on the bottle.

Some very expensive oils may use a more expensive refined oil with many times more profit and markup added to the cost and again, only API specifications on the bottle matter.

Many decades ago, there was a large quality difference in some oils, many cases Castrol was king. These differences were even reported in Consumer Reports testing.

About a decade or more ago, Consumer reports has stated over and over again, today you might as well just pick by the API on the bottle, the oils protect just the same, oil has become a commodity, the additive packages are produced by a handful of companies and its a safe bet the bottle you buy meets the API rating. I am posting what I am just because of Consumer Reports, its just confirms what I already know.
Modern API standards are pretty much the deal now, pretty much an exact standard as most things in our world are.

I used to be a Castrol person because of testing, in the last decade and more so just the last couple years I now buy the lowest priced bottle that meets the API. Super Tech, Chevron, whatever.

I will admit, sometimes I am still "branded" to a brand name over Super Tech which is a FINE oil, for example, just ordered 3-5 quart jugs from Walmart on line, Chevron 5w30 @ $12.48 per container, free shipping too. I splurged and spent almost 50 cents more per 5 quart container over the Super Tech @ 11.98. :eek:)
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Iowegian
I would by the Supertech...if it wasn't for the $10 per jug rebate by pennzoil which makes it cheaper.
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You use your valuable time to fill out the form, buy a stamp (unless it's online), wait several weeks with a 50% chance you'll get a rebate. Once you get your check, you've got to take the effort to cash it....all for a few measly bucks. Of course, the rebate company sells your information to anybody who will buy it.
You really don't save as much money as you think you do.
 
Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Iowegian
I would by the Supertech...if it wasn't for the $10 per jug rebate by pennzoil which makes it cheaper.
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You use your valuable time to fill out the form, buy a stamp (unless it's online), wait several weeks with a 50% chance you'll get a rebate. Once you get your check, you've got to take the effort to cash it....all for a few measly bucks. Of course, the rebate company sells your information to anybody who will buy it.
You really don't save as much money as you think you do.


5 minutes to take picture, fill out form and upload picture.
Check comes... 5 minutes to sign check, take picture of check with my bank's app.

10 minutes for $10.
That's $60 an hour...

Time it took you to write your comment for no monetary return....priceless.
 
you are paying to sponsor a NASCAR team....

I choose oil by how the bottle color would look in my garage, or if it matches the color of my car. That criteria is more important than a brand name.
No difference in oils or cars.....it gets worn out, you dump it and buy another one.
 
Some oils say they meet the specification for your vehicle and some say meet or exceeded the spec and then some say just exceed the spec. I assume there is no max and oil can be?. Would not the oil that exceeded the spec be a better oil? fenixguy if we get rid of the oil forum what am I to do with my life
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Originally Posted By: Iowegian
Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Iowegian
I would by the Supertech...if it wasn't for the $10 per jug rebate by pennzoil which makes it cheaper.
21.gif



You use your valuable time to fill out the form, buy a stamp (unless it's online), wait several weeks with a 50% chance you'll get a rebate. Once you get your check, you've got to take the effort to cash it....all for a few measly bucks. Of course, the rebate company sells your information to anybody who will buy it.
You really don't save as much money as you think you do.


5 minutes to take picture, fill out form and upload picture.
Check comes... 5 minutes to sign check, take picture of check with my bank's app.

10 minutes for $10.
That's $60 an hour...

Time it took you to write your comment for no monetary return....priceless.



This!
 
My advise is use one brand of oil for 200K in the same engine for the same OCI and report back and let us know how it works out. It appears your mind was made up before you started this thread.
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My engines don't last on oil "meeting minimum specs" Specs aint good enough for engines over 1HP/cu-in running low octane fuel, why do you think they keep "improving" them?
 
I don't think brands like SuperTech can be considered "no name" oils anymore. WPP knows their stuff and Walmart doesn't advertise Supertech so you save a little that way.

I just wish there was more transparency in the consumer retail oil market. All of this "top secret" stuff gets old after a while.
What would be the harm in having a guaranteed VOA and ingredients list printed on every bottle of consumer engine oil? Are they afraid that BITOG people are going to go into the backyard oil blending business and hurt their bottom line? Do they think that their competitors are stupid and can't figure out what's in another competitor's oil?

All of this "proprietary secret" nonsense is kind of stupid when it's all just oil + or - a dollop of "this or that" additive.
 
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