How Much SynPower Should I Buy?

[The Critic]

As some of you have may have heard, O'Reilly's Auto is selling SynPower for $14.99/gal. When you purchase two gallons and send in the form for the Valvoline $25 mail-in rebate, you pay about $8 for 8 quarts of oil after taxes and postage, which is a fantastic deal.

I bought 4 gallons (16 qts today), but I plan to go back tomorrow and buy another 4 gallons (32 qts).

Of course, I am tempted to buy out the store's stock if I can, but that's ridiculous. So how many quarts should I buy?

 

[willix]

Leaning towards junkie behavior. You'll end up with a dated supply;

 

[The Critic]

I'm thinking 40 quarts. After tomorrow's purchase, I'll just have my dad buy two more gallons.

 

[znode]

After rebate it's around $1.6/quart synpower depending on where you live ($1.49 + tax).

How are you getting 8 gallons of rebate? I'm pretty sure you can only get 2 gallons of rebate per car.

 

[willix]

He has three cars in his signature.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: znode
After rebate it's around $1.6/quart synpower depending on where you live ($1.49 + tax)


Two jugs @ $14.99/each = $29.98
Tax: $2.77
Total: $32.75
Postage: $0.44
Total: $33.19
Rebate: ($25.00)
New Total: $8.19 for 8 quarts


Originally Posted By: znode
How are you getting 8 gallons of rebate? I'm pretty sure you can only get 2 gallons of rebate per car.


I am sending in a rebate for six gallons. You can rebate two gallons per car.

 

[KrisZ]

If you can only rebate 6 gallons, then I would get 6 gallons and use on your cars, that's about 2 oil changes per car, so unless you rack up the miles really quickly, there probably will be another rebate by the time you have to buy oil.

 

[znode]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

Two jugs @ $14.99/each = $29.98
[...]
New Total: $8.19 for 8 quarts

Very nice. I was only able to get $3.99/quart -> $1.6 w/rebate. O'Reillys around here refuses to carry Synpower jugs.

And I also agree with stashing only as much as you can rebate, no more. SN is going to start in 4½ months after all. Can't wait to get myself some SN starburst!

 

[jeepman]

Call it hoarding, but even as a devoted dino user, I'm going out looking for 10 1-gallon jugs today. Already printed the rebates on 5 cars. Will only be using this in 1 car, so will give me an 8 change supply for that vehicle.

 

[addyguy]

Critic,

Just what vehicle are you going to run this in?

I know you put synpower in your fireds car, are you putting it in any of yours?

 

[Nick R]

Heck buy some for me and ship it, and I'll pay for it o_0 No oreillys around here.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: willix
Leaning towards junkie behavior. You'll end up with a dated supply;

Yup... personally I'd only buy enough for a 1 year supply, which would be about 16 quarts in my case.

There will always be something newer/better and some new sale luring you in, and if you buy too much today, you'll be kicking yourself later as you won't be able to buy the new stuff until you deplete the old stuff.

 

[The_Jeff]

Get as much as you can. I'm working down a stash from a couple years ago. A cold change/drain, the whole pan (5w30) dumped out in about a minute.

 

[jeepman]

SCORE!!! THE STASH JUST GREW!

10 1-Gallon jugs (rung up 2 per receipt) and I had 5 cars to register (2 of my own, 3 of my parents). Total after rebate including postage and tax of $.93 per quart. The wife's Saturn is covered for until then end of 2013.

Including the PureOne's I order from Amazon that's $9.78 per oil change.

Guess I'll have to refrain from my "synthetic isn't needed" rants in the future.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Is this only good for gallons,or can it be used towards quarts?

 

[jeepman]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Is this only good for gallons,or can it be used towards quarts?


The rebate sheet for SynPower shows 5 quarts/1 gallon for a $10 rebate, or 10 quarts/2 1-gallons for a $25 rebate.

 

[Norm Olt]

What possible harm exists in "dated" oil? I might be concerned about using some 1962-era SA (was it even called "SA") 30W oil in my new European W-12 powered Unobtanium Model LX (which calls for Unobtanium COMPLEX IV Oil 1.25W-70, BTW), but SM SynPower in gallon jugs that might end up being a couple of years old when used?

Not Hardly!

Cheers!

 

[Audi Junkie]

Under $2 synthetic and $1 name brand dino usually means grab all you can.

I wouldn't hoard too much dino now though. GF-5 will make the synthetic oil you have now suddenly become dino. Bear that in mind when buying.

 

[addyguy]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Under $2 synthetic and $1 name brand dino means grab all you can.


Gotta say I agree. This stuff ain'ty getting cheaper with API SN/GF-5 around the corner...

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Critic,

Just what vehicle are you going to run this in?

I know you put synpower in your fireds car, are you putting it in any of yours?

For now, probably the Altima. If I have enough leftover, I may use it in the Saturn.