Off Brand Gas

My uncle did it back in the 70"s. The county checks for the proper quantity being dispensed but they do not check octane.
They do here.
 

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Is it worth it to pay a little more for a brand name gas as opposed to "Sav On Gas"?
Do the Mobil/Shell etc. add extra additives that would make it worth the extra few cents?
My experience working at off brand gas station college is it a mix of all the branded gas delivered in small loads. Occasionally with premium mixed in. Fuel tankers did not want to drive back to Boston partially full so we bought their “ends”.
 
I use Kwik Star, Hy-Vee, Walmart or Sam’s club for gasoline. I shop at the cheapest one that isn’t out of the way unless I have fuel reward points to use.

For diesel I use Mudflap or Open Roads to find fuel discounts. I’ve been using Speedway recently because the diesel discounts are impressive. Pump price is $4.789 and Open Roads price is $3.384. That’s a huge discount.

Just my $0.02
 
Leads me to ask, just as oil analysis in undertaken to determine or verify type, quality and additive packages, and changes during use to further our knowledge and suitability, are there similar reports on gasoline?

Seems costs vary considerably among branded and also among the cheapo outlets. Have heard that Shell may be the "best", possibly due to their additive package, and BP also seems to be premium priced. My question is what are you getting for the extra dollars from these retailers? And similarly, is it beneficial or just marketing?

Generally, I fill-up based on the price, particularly as my families and my own vehicles use premium. Understand I have to remain with premium gasoline, but far from convinced I need to use premium brands too.
 
My wife and I go to stations are off brands. We have driven vehicles 200k + with not a single issue with fuel system , guessing does not matter .
 
just as oil analysis in undertaken to determine or verify type, quality and additive packages, and changes during use to further our knowledge and suitability, are there similar reports on gasoline?
It very likely will differ on a daily basis. Then again, if a station uses "stock" gasoline, one that simply meets EPA requirements for gasoline, it should be fairly consistent. I don't know if independent stations can buy a Shell blend or Sunoco blend or BP blend and so on. A member here (GoldStar ?) is a tanker driver and says when a BP station orders gasoline, it's blended per order in the tanker itself. Same with Marathon, Shell, etc.
 
I don’t see BP listed though Marathon is on the list.
At the BP I use, they have “Top Tier” stickers on the pumps.
BP seems to have dropped out of the program. There's no enforcement when it comes to stickers vs no stickers so no one from TT is going to check and tell them to remove the stickers. In the past, I looked at a dozen or so stations that are supposedly TT but had no stickers.
 
Interestingly not long ago I saw a disclaimer on one of the top tier pumps. It stated that it may not always be top tier gasoline being dispensed due to additive supply chain issues. I can't remember who that was.
 
The price spread is more here than it's ever been. I can get 87 for anywhere between $2.87 and $3.99 within a 10 mile radius. That's insane. And the cheapest fuel is at a Chinese food restaurant that has a couple pumps.

The stuff runs fine in my Prius. Since that car doesn't idle without a load nor have a direct connection between engine and tire I can't feel anything anyway. But it delivers fine mileage.
 
My wife and I go to stations are off brands. We have driven vehicles 200k + with not a single issue with fuel system , guessing does not matter .
I believe the most important factor is using medium to high-volume stations
 
I think it’s worth the few cents extra. But I wouldn’t lose sleep over no name gas either.

Ask someone who isn’t a car person if they’d pay more for TT fuel. They’ll probably look at you like you have two heads and say they buy what is cheapest or convenient. If those folks vehicles are working fine how much does it really matter.
 
I think it’s worth the few cents extra. But I wouldn’t lose sleep over no name gas either.

Ask someone who isn’t a car person if they’d pay more for TT fuel. They’ll probably look at you like you have two heads and say they buy what is cheapest or convenient. If those folks vehicles are working fine how much does it really matter.
Because someone doesn't think it matters doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. Degradation happens slowly and over long periods of time. An engine may be suffering some from dirty injectors but if the change has been gradual it might not even be recognized.
 
They do here.
Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin do as well.

The “no name” and name brand stations, as well as Top Tier vs non-Top Tier are generally within 5-10 cents of each other in my area, with the name brand top tier being the cheaper option.
 
Ask around your local small engine repair shop (chainsaws, lawnmowers...). A shop I know actively discourages getting gas from a major chain around here.

It's bad enough they won't warrant repairs if they sus out you've been getting gas there.
 
I try to stick with Top Tier. 95% Costco with QT a distant second. Both move a lot of gas and freshness is important, although I'd think most TT gas would have high sales. About twenty years ago QT was so dominant in St.L that they seemed to control prices, AG actually went after them, but nothing much came of it. Wonder if large scale shift to electric will make many c-stores Buccee's sized. Walking around a Costco for an hour would be tollerable but as nice as QT's are something that size would get boring.
 
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