4.73 L vs 5 L oils

[MolaKule]

If I remember correctly Walmart Canada uses 5L jugs for the major oil brands in most popular viscosities. Then there is another big box store called Canadian Tire and they sell in 4.4L jugs.
Like I mentioned above it’s done to avoid price matching.

All the other smaller automotive retailers, like Napa, Parts source etc. sell in the 4.73 or 5 quart volumes presumably because they don’t have access to their own container supply, so they use the US containers.

Well, I guess 5L jugs make sense for some OC's, but my vehicles require 5.5L (= 5.8 quarts) with a drain and filter change, so I always have to purchase a 4.73L (= 5.0 quarts) container and an extra quart or 6 individual quarts.

 

[dubber09]

It makes no diff to me, if I want the oil then I get it, always on sale thou. I never buy 1L or 1qt bottles, but always carry one 1L bottle of oil in the car for emergency top ups, e.g. an old lady at gas pump discovering she needs oil, hood open, and seemingly lost, I'd just help. I get empty 5L or similar jugs at Canadian Tire or so for recycling old oil when I need an extra empty jug.
I always have a jug with a mix of 2, 3 or 4 fresh (leftovers) oils in it, all of very similar viscosity but may be diff brands while all good synth oils. This jug is just for top ups.

 

[Gene K]

I noticed some oils come in 4.73 L (5 quart) jugs and some in 5 L jugs.

I assume this is because oils blended in Canada and Europe will use metric?

Is this a factor when you are buying oil? If it is the same price, you will get 0.27 L extra with the 5 L jug.

I sometimes see 4.4 L. Why do they make it that size? Is it shrinkflation?

US Gallon - HDEO still uses this size (originally in metal cans we repurposed for gasoline) . You really don't want to do 10+ gallons a quart at a time. Not to mention add mark is at 1 Gallon low.
4L - I think I remember seeing European Oil in metal cans this size years ago.
Imperial Gallon - Your 4.4 L.
5 US Qt - Walmart Innovation. They sold it for the price everyone else sold a US Gallon. It spread to others because it was typical passenger car capacity at the time.
5L - Typical Metric Size.

 

[Patman]

Well, I guess 5L jugs make sense for some OC's, but my vehicles require 5.5L (= 5.8 quarts) with a drain and filter change, so I always have to purchase a 4.73L (= 5.0 quarts) container and an extra quart or 6 individual quarts.

Canadian Tire will often run a sale where they have a 5qt jug with a 1L bottle shrink wrapped to it, but they only do that with the vanilla Mobil 1. I wish they would do that with ESP 5w30! My Corvette takes 6 quarts of oil.

 

[dubber09]

They wouldn't do it, 1L ESP is $20.

 

[Patman]

They wouldn't do it, 1L ESP is $20.

1L of vanilla M1 isn’t exactly cheap up here either. But 5qts of ESP isn’t that bad when on sale. Usually $42 or so. They could do it.

 

[dubber09]

1L of vanilla M1 isn’t exactly cheap up here either. But 5qts of ESP isn’t that bad when on sale. Usually $42 or so. They could do it.

There was a promo not long ago where M1 was sending $10 per jug back, if oil is bought on sale then total price is reasonable.