Engine Oil choices at a Ukrainian version of American Lowe’s

[The Artillerist]

It's great how folks pursue their interests and passions while traveling.

I’m Ukrainian and an acting, combat officer of AFU.


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Glad to see so much curiosity for this tread. Here is a few more pics from the Epicenter store:

** this is South Korean brand:

** major battery brands are various series Bosch, Varta, and Exide:

 

[Pablo]

I’m Ukrainian and acting, combat officer of AFU.


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Glad to see so much curiosity for this tread. Here is a few more pics from the Epicenter store:

** this is South Korean brand:

View attachment 282930


** major battery brands are various series Bosch, Varta, and Exide:

View attachment 282931

Serious question. Do you see lots of people loading up on the oils? Any idea how much they actually sell?

 

[The Artillerist]

Was at Shell gas station between Kyiv and Chernihiv today. This is their selection of ATF, engine oils, brake fluids, etc.

Shell puts its brand on multiple automotive products here. From, obviously oil, to fabric cleaners, ATFs, clutch fluids, window cleaners, etc

 

[scrllock]

Was at Shell gas station between Kyiv and Chernihiv today. This is their selection of ATF, engine oils, brake fluids, etc.

Shell puts its brand on multiple automotive products here. From, obviously oil, to fabric cleaners, ATFs, clutch fluids, window cleaners, etc
View attachment 282933

How has this selection changed since the invasion? I wish we could get Wurth on the shelf, that stuff is magic (and very expensive here).

 

[The Artillerist]

Serious question. Do you see lots of people loading up on the oils? Any idea how much they actually sell?

I can’t tell. But the internet is doing its thing, as everywhere else.

 

[The_Sheriff]

How has this selection changed since the invasion? I wish we could get Wurth on the shelf, that stuff is magic (and very expensive here).

.
Magic? How so?
.

 

[scrllock]

.
Magic? How so?
.

Just works really well in my experience. At least their spray lubes for stuff like hinges, rubber trim. Stays in place forever. Going to try their brake lube once my sil-glyde runs out.

 

[pbm]

Best theory I have is that you have to get *something* for $40 billion or so of US taxpayer dollars, but who knows.

It’s even more than $40 billion.

 

[Hohn]

Not trying to make this political, but there is large swaths of Ukraine mainly in the Western half that you would not know there was a war going on. Plenty of military age males sipping coffee in outdoor cafes in cities with fully stocked stores with goods that rival any other European country.

Quite true. I know an independent American on the ground there and I’ve seen several updates.

 

[mark pruett]

How about Michelin tire dressing and washer fluid?)



View attachment 282767

But I have not seen Pennzoil or Valvoline

Nice!

I would imagine that you've got Shell, and we've got Pennzoil. Same company, different branding.

Like Scrllock has said, a lot of people in Eastern Europe work on their own cars. Way more than in the likes of the UK and the US. It's no surprise that there is a good range of choice for oil as it probably sells very well. There is also a much larger amount of old cars as well which are just not worth paying to get oil changes done on when someone can just spend £30 on some oil and chuck it in themselves. (Older European cars are really easy to work on meaning it's easy to just do it at home).

That's really dependent on where in the US you're talking about. Go find a working class neighborhood, and those guys all work on their own cars. It's the middle class in the US that doesn't do that much car maintenance anymore.

 

[The Artillerist]

Stopped by for fuel in Kyiv at one of the largest chain gas stations here, called OKKO.

There isn’t much choice for oil: some Mobil Super, Castro Magnatec and Edge, and OKKO branded stuff:

However, there is a dedicated corner for Fiskars (Finland) gear and few Karcher (Germany) items in between too:

Otherwise, you can have a rather decent (for a gas station) meal here:

Stock up on Whiskey and Champagne. I don’t drink, but Balvenie offering did catch my eye:

If you need a 4.5 liter (1 and one quarter gallon) bottle of whiskey, you can buy it here to:

 

[mark pruett]

I'm a bit disappointed that the best and only bourbon choice is white-label Jim Beam. Not that there's anything wrong with Beam, but it's pretty much the mass-market competition to Jack Daniels.

Monkey Shoulder is very solid as blended Scotch goes.

I assume the gin, vodka, rum, etc... is on the other side of the display?

 

[MrWideTires]

I love Ukraine, I was there in 2016, in Kiev and the western side.

Friendliest people, resilient, amazing food, good partying, the women are very approachable.
They took very good care of their cars, some of my taxis were 90s cars that were in good shape, not surprised to see that selection of oils, they care.

 

[DaveSwan]

Next Christmas time, I'll get a blue bottle from the 5th picture and put it on the mantle.
Call it the "Elf on the Shelf".

I bought some Elf oil probably 10 years ago or so. Saved one bottle and put it on my shelf with other semi collectibles. "Elf on the shelf"

 

[The Artillerist]

Yesterday, on my way to the city of Zaporizhzhya, which has close to a million population and is mere 18 miles from the front line, stopped at probably the most fancy gas station chain here called UPG.

With this one, I’ll start with food choice and then mention the oil


** 9 choices for a burger, including tuna and salmon options. They don’t sit pre-made. Prices are $5-14. Not cheap.

** Other, equally tasty choices that are on the menu, including salmon tartar made fresh:

**Some more choices:

** yet more choices: including a duck leg and a salmon steak— at a gas station!

** The oil choices: Canadian Hexol, German Aral and Venol, some Castrol, Mobil Super, Motul, and Ukrainian brand Yuko:

 

[The Artillerist]

I'm a bit disappointed that the best and only bourbon choice is white-label Jim Beam. Not that there's anything wrong with Beam, but it's pretty much the mass-market competition to Jack Daniels.

Monkey Shoulder is very solid as blended Scotch goes.

I assume the gin, vodka, rum, etc... is on the other side of the display?

Whiskey selection at UPG

And Bacardi-shmakardi stuff:

 

[mark pruett]

And Bacardi-shmakardi stuff:

That Magellan gin is supposedly quite good.

 

[Astro14]

Wurth makes good products. Not widely available here, and they won’t sell to individuals.

 

[edyvw]

I think as you go east in Europe, the number of people DIYing their car maintenance goes up. Tons of "breakers" (part out shops) in the Baltics, large aftermarket scene in Poland, etc. Contrast this with the experience friends have in Spain, Italy, etc. where almost no one seems to service their own cars and you'll never see shelves like this. Hard to discern what lies are being told based on a well-stocked home improvement store.

Huge selection. Personally sniffed around when I was visiting CAOC Torrejon in Madrid. Cannot remember the store that is similar to Wal Mart, but they had a better selection than any Auto Zone or AAP.

 

[edyvw]

I’m Ukrainian and an acting, combat officer of AFU.


=====

Glad to see so much curiosity for this tread. Here is a few more pics from the Epicenter store:

** this is South Korean brand:

View attachment 282930


** major battery brands are various series Bosch, Varta, and Exide:

View attachment 282931

How are things with counterfeits now? That was a big issue some time ago when I worked for an oil company in the Balkans. The amount of counterfeit stuff from the East was a huge problem. We actually did really well at that time because people were avoiding Castrol, Shell etc., because of counterfeit packaging.