Expensive Vs Cheap Oil

[Realtech214]

Before my life was taken over by Oil and other automotive fluids, I have always used whatever oil was around for a 3-4K mile OCI with a cheap filter. For the last 3 OCI's i have used PU the "old" stuff and Napa Golds. I feel like that is 200% OVERKILL for my vehicles.

As for me, the next OCI after the PU stash is up is Supertech Most likely, at least thats my "flavor" of the month.

How many of you BITOG feel the same way now, after bittoging. Oil is Oil, Filters are Filters.
Peace!

 

[dave1251]

It always come down to application. That being said I would not worry about using ST in either my F150 or wife's Focus.

If I could not find sales or very good Pennzoil prices via a local distributor I would go with supertech.

 

[SLATRON]

Bah, I've got a couple year stash of PU, QSUD, EDGE, NAPA SYN, HAVO SYN etc. That I got for $1+ more per quart than cheap Dino.
It's cheap insurance, makes feel better about my vehicles and others I maintain and great for our cold winters & the 3k mi per month i do of mostly city driving in summer.

To each his own, I do have 30+ quarts of sale Dino & syn-blends although too.

 

[EA82]

Years ago I when I started doing my own oil changes, I used ST dino and fram extra guards 3K OCIs, than I gave Castrol HM a shot based on a TV commercial I saw and seemed like engine ran smoother. If you get quality oil like PU on sale, I'd run it over supertech, theres no such thing as overkill.

 

[KCJeep]

Nope if you're here you're probably a little over the top on oil and filters, I know I am. So what, you need oil and filters anyway and comparably speaking it is a very cheap hobby.

I've had tremendous fun fiddling around with and dissecting different filters the last couple of years, most of them were around 3 bucks!

 

[Sam2000]

If I used a lot of oil, I might try to save money by going with quality dino but I don't use much, one of my vehicles requires synthetic anyway and rebates and deals make synthetic as cheap if not cheaper than dino.

If there is no extra cost, why wouldn't you go with the oil that potentially gives you a better result? Indeed, I am aiming to reduce time spent on oil changes so am seeing if I can go 10k instead of 5k on free after rebate synthetic.

Also, there are plenty of instances where an engine sludged up on dino when it wouldn't have on synthetic. I've seen a couple of cases myself where dino was in spec but caused sludge.

Lastly, the performance advantage now is less because modern dinos are excellent but note how the domestic and Japanese manufacturers either require at least semi syn or their own branded oil is semi synthetic.

 

[salv]

I keep it cheap too. Supertech synthetic is the most expensive oil I have used in about 4 years.
Right now I am working my way through 6 jugs of Peak 10w40 conventional that I got on clearance for $3/jug. That is an average of $0.57/qt.
My other vehicle is running my shop's bulk oil, Gulfpride Advanced Fuel Efficient 5w30 semi-synthetic at $2.08/qt.
Both oils have run great in my vehicles. I have some Defy 5w30 for my Trailblazer's next oil change that I picked up on special because of the $1/gallon Fuel Rewards discount.

 

[Nick1994]

Looking at the mileage on your cars it doesn't look like you drive much so I see no benefit to use synthetic. Use cheap conventional and change at a reasonable interval.

 

[tstep]

Over the last couple of years I've stocked up on free or nearly free oil so free it is. Also a while back purolator ran some sweet deals, so I grabbed a bunch. Running out of filters though. Need a good sale to come along.

I used to use ST synthetic, but drop in name brand, especially with sales, and price rise with ST (used to be $12/5qt when I stopped using it) make ST often more expensive.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Cheap is a relative term. Some oils are only expensive, not because of what constitutes the product, but the marketing expense to sell the stuff.

Just using Mobil as an example here, so no one should get their panties in a wad. Someone has to pay for that marketing stuff that they use about being the "official oil of Nascar". They can't slap that on their marketing stuff, billboard signs at the tracks, and oil containers without paying someone at Nascar off. And Mobil is one of the biggest money tills when it comes to commercial trucker events like the Walcott Truckers Jamboree held each August in Iowa. Top recording star music entertainment and other stuff is provided free of charge to truckers and their families. Now, you pay for all that every time to buy a quart of Mobil oil. True, it works out well for Mobil in the long run due to increased volume sales, because many are swayed by the "official oil of ......." marketing game.

Now, Warren Oil, which blends a lot of stuff for different labels, has no big money in that same marketing game. So, the stuff they blend and gets sold under various labels can be sold cheaper without any slacking off in quality. They get the same base stocks as anyone else and the same add pack suppliers. But without all the marketing nonsense, they can do it all cheaper.

 

[jorton]

I would call NAPA Synthetic with a NAPA filter for $19.99 a cheap oil change.

And Castrol Edge with a Bosch Distance filter for $34.99 an expensive oil change, and it is.

Synthetic is synthetic and conventional is not. It's a blend.

You may think the NAPA deal is high but after reading UOA with excessive make-up oil added, and other stories about coked up rings, the 19.99 deal feels cheap to me. Check for specials at NAPA and watch for oil coupons at walmart.com.

 

[supton]

My Jetta was spec'd for 505.01, now replaced by 507.00, both of which seems to run $9 or so per qt. I guess that would be expensive. Never batted an eye, I knew that when I bought the car, figured it was the price of a) diesel engine, b) turbocharger, c) high tech injection system, d) long OCI. I'm getting down to two oil changes per year on this car, so the fact that I'm paying about $50/oil change really doesn't bother me.

My Toyota's will stick with 10k OCI's and probably TGMO. Camry needs 5qt the truck 8; but it's 3 Camry changes to one truck, so 23qt per year, plus a couple filters. I forget what TGMO goes for but I'm at what, less than $120/year for those two? I don't have space to store stuff, so it's not worth it to me to buy in bulk to save a few bucks--I'll wind up tripping over the stuff, and I don't go through enough per year either.

I know I could got a bit cheaper on the TGMO but for some reason I think I don't want to change. Don't know why. I think after owning a VW for so long I just assume everything has to cost more! Reading up on cheap fluids/filters here has not changed me, I still plan to use the expensive stuff.

[Only reason I used Maxlife instead of WS in the truck was because reading here indicates Maxlife may be a better fluid, and it was significantly cheaper. WS is probably good enough but I was not convinced.]

 

[HangFire]

Oil is oil... if it all works the same.

Since I found out that one oil eliminated that annoying tick-tick-tick lifter noise in my old Dakota, I may try other oils in it, but I'll only stick with something that is quiet.

Likewise I know my Honda engine is subject to oil infiltration in the PCV and EGR systems, so I stick with low NOAK oils there.

BTW I love NASCAR branded products, they have provided me with some of the greatest close-out bargains ever. I don't think I ever bought anything NASCAR that wasn't close-out, though.

 

[jrustles]

Nothing terribly wrong with OPs logic, but I gotta say 3-4K has been a waste of the PU.