attention cheap oil users

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93cruiser

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So, why do you buy cheap oil?

Example, walmart supertech synthetic 5qt, 15.68.
Mobil 1 sythetic 5qt, 23.97
Price difference =8.29, or 1.65 a quart

1.65 a quart. 1.65 a quart savings for "ok" oil, certainly not great oil.

Say you run 5k mile interval.
15.68/5000=.003136 per mile cost
23.97/5000=.004794 per mile cost

Really? Why would you just not buy better oil? The savings is basically nothing, and works out to pennies a day.

I am all for saving. If I got oil daily, or weekly, maybe cheap oil makes sense. But not for 5k miles.

I know it all adds up, but if you buy a car to keep it, why use toned down oil for basically no measurable savings?

Ok, so let me have it, tell me how I am wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
Why would you just not buy better oil?


Because, who says it’s better?
 
First we have to determine what the meaning of “better” means. Price is not a deciding factor. A cheaper oil that meets the same specs as the more expensive one is a better value.

When you buy a major brand name you are also paying for ads, sponsorships, etc
 
Kmart often has Smitty's oil on sale for $7-8 a jug, well under $2/qt, which is a good price for a quality synthetic blend motor oil that meets SN standards. It is 10% group IV PAO.

You don't need anything more for most non-European cars for the factory OCI.

Plus, if you are burning or leaking oil, there is no reason not to save money with a less expensive oil
smile.gif


Some people do not like rebates and want the best price pre-rebate or no-rebate.
 
Scenario:

Just walk in the store, see what's less expensive than a name brand but meets the same specs needed, buy it and move on to other things.

1. They don't care what someone else tells them is "better". To each his own.
2. They care even less about rebates.
3. What they've used in the past continues to work just fine for their needs.
 
I put as much as 340,000 miles on vehicles using store brand oils(SuperTech, AAP, AZ, ProLine etc.)@ 5K mile OCI's. And over 200K miles on many other cars.
 
I am using TSC travelers motor oil and have for several years now, it has the starburst and it is good enough. No issues yet and usually less that $3.00 per quart. Leaves me with more $ to spend on other important household essential like beer and ammo.
 
Exactly,and rebates are a pain to deal with and most of the time when you get a rebate, if you get one it is many weeks later. I do not care for rebates at all. I have tried Menards rebates a time or 2 and either never got it or the rebate check came so many months later that I no longer cared about it. Rebates are a scam IMO. Stores should just discount the product and be done with it.
 
Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
...if you buy a car to keep it, why use toned down oil for basically no measurable savings?



Conversely, are you saying that store brand oils are not good enough to maintain a car someone wants to keep for a long time? I have yet to see any study bearing this out.
 
Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
So, why do you buy cheap oil?

Example, walmart supertech synthetic 5qt, 15.68.
Mobil 1 sythetic 5qt, 23.97
Price difference =8.29, or 1.65 a quart

1.65 a quart. 1.65 a quart savings for "ok" oil, certainly not great oil.

Say you run 5k mile interval.
15.68/5000=.003136 per mile cost
23.97/5000=.004794 per mile cost

Really? Why would you just not buy better oil? The savings is basically nothing, and works out to pennies a day.

I am all for saving. If I got oil daily, or weekly, maybe cheap oil makes sense. But not for 5k miles.

I know it all adds up, but if you buy a car to keep it, why use toned down oil for basically no measurable savings?

Ok, so let me have it, tell me how I am wrong.



You're wrong.

If it meets the spec, how is it cheap?

You just said you are all for saving so I think you answered your own question.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
Why would you just not buy better oil?


Because, who says it’s better?


Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I put as much as 340,000 miles on vehicles using store brand oils(SuperTech, AAP, AZ, ProLine etc.)@ 5K mile OCI's. And over 200K miles on many other cars.


Exactly! Just because it is more expensive doesn't necessarily mean its better. I use to use Mobil syn but read, UOA after terrible UOA, that it wasn't all it's cracked up to be.

I switched to Pennzoil syn, which received better UOAs and I haven't looked back since.

However, with that being said, I also question myself more and more, if I should even be purchasing the cheaper, but not cheapest, Pennzoil syn oil?
21.gif


Personally, I think if oils "Never" went on sale, I'd likely be using a cheaper ($$) store brand oil myself.

PYB non syn is all I likely need for my applications, but like others, I have been bitten by the sny bug believing they are superior. Many non syns nowadays are excellent oils, and a whole lot cheaper too.
 
Last edited:
Exactly, even the Blackstone lab guys tend to use regular oil in their own vehicles because it works just as well. They state that much right on the Blackstone website in the FAQ tab.
 
I alternate between synthetic for cold weather and conventional for warmer weather . The longer OCI for winter keeps me from doing outdoor oil changes in the cold . No issues with Synthetic Valvoline or Formula Shell .
 
As other have said, "better" is a relative term.

If I can get 150,000+ miles from $3/qt oil with no oil issues, why do I need to buy $5/qt oil?

Over 150,000 miles I would save $300 using the "cheap" oil (based on a 5k oil change, 5 qts of oil per change). That will buy me another set of tires.

If you want to justify buying Mobil 1 and only using it for 5000 miles, then fine.

I would ask the question as to why are you using Mobil 1 for only 5000 miles? You are buying a "better" oil, shouldn't it do more than the "cheap" oil?
 
You save $8.25 on the oil change. You can buy a lunch for that, so it's not nothing.
You shouldn't think of dumping M1 in only 5000 miles. Run it to 8000 miles, then it's cost-effective.
 
I buy "cheap oil" because my car is spec'd for it.

If I can pay $7-$16 per 5 qt jug of oil that is spec'd for my car which I change at 5k-7k miles , what do I have to gain by paying 2 to 3 times as much for the same usage/results ?
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad

You're wrong.
If it meets the spec, how is it cheap?


I agree.

Just BECAUSE it is "inexpensive" doesn't mean you won't get 200,000 miles from your engine while using it.

If it "meets specs" - it is by default, "good" oil.
Maybe not Mercedes/BMW/Porsche good....
but it's just fine for your daughter's "commuter" Ford Fusion.

My K3500 (454/7.4 liter) has run 291,000 miles on the cheapest 15W-40 tractor oil money can buy.
Maybe with Mobil 1 it would make it to 600,000?
I'll never know.
 
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