Base Oil/Additive Packages/Cost/Finished Product

[LargeCarManX2]

I have been doing some research on prices of Redline and Amsoil online purchases of oil. The questions are around Base oil, Additive packages, and costs. I understand that Pao vs. Ester and how long an oil can be kept in service criteria. I also understand the price will be about the same to ship.

On-line you can buy Redline oils for a general price of $9.00

On-line you can buy Amsoil oils for a general price of $9.00

Now the questions for the experts are......

If you look at the two very high quality oils and the cost to produce their product....which cost more to produce? Amsoil or Redline?

 

[lewk]

The definitive answer to your er..., rhetorical question is; the answer is proprietorial!

 

[bruce381]

Esters cost more
bruce

 

[lewk]

bruce381, are all esters alike?

 

[bruce381]

yeah they cost 2 to 3 times base oil
and yeah there are cheap ones and high dollar ones
bruce

 

[bruce381]

if I gave you prices on all base oils and additives and percents used so you could figure out costs, I'd have to kill you, LOL
bruce

 

[lewk]

maybe you could give me the prices on the base oil and "FILTER" the death part!

 

[Loobed]

Originally Posted By: LargeCarManX2


Now the questions for the experts are......

....which cost more to produce? Amsoil or Redline?



I'm not an expert, but I would say Redline costs more to produce because:

1) Redline is a smaller company and makes less of their product than Amsoil, so the cost would be higher.

2) Redline is made in California where the cost of doing business is higher.

Neither of those 2 have anything to do with quality or how good the product is. But you asked "which costs more to produce"

 

[JAG]

Bruce,
I read a patent or something legit like that which stated that the cost of good antioxidants is very high relative to most additives. True in your opinion?

Also read that MoDTC is very expensive relatively. True?

 

[bruce381]

yes to both

 

[buster]

Ester selection is also very important, something an Amsoil guru told me. There are hundreds of different esters available with varying quality.

Redline uses an expensive base oil, but still uses ZDP as the primary wear additive where the others have moved on to other additives that are more expensive than ZDP...so I'm told.

 

[JAG]

Originally Posted By: buster
Ester selection is also very important, something an Amsoil guru told me. There are hundreds of different esters available with varying quality.

Yep!
Originally Posted By: buster
Redline uses an expensive base oil, but still uses ZDP as the primary wear additive where the others have moved on to other additives that are more expensive than ZDP...so I'm told.

Now Redline uses a very high amount of moly (probably MoDTC) which Bruce confirmed is very expensive. It still has a healthy amount of ZDDP too.

One big cost unknown between Redline and Amsoil are the types and quantities of antioxidants, which Bruce also confirmed are very expensive.

Another big cost unknown of Redline is what percentage of the base oil is polyolester, what type of polyolester it is, and what makes up the rest (we've been told it's PAO).

With the unknowns, I don't want to guess which costs more to produce: Redline or Amsoil's ASM & similar oils. They are both expensive to make and that's good enough for me.