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I think if you’re selling a long term oil, you had better see some “long term results”. Marketing or not.
Walmart Super Tech Full Synthetic 0w-20 vs Advanced Full Synthetic VOA 0w-20
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Propflux01
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How can we have any long term results if no one has bothered to actually test it, sans the manufacturer, and they are not necessarily privy to mandate a public announcement. They sell their oil to Wal mart and Costco Exclusively. What's the need to? There isn't any UOA's I'm familiar with for 20K intervals on this oil. That is not to say that it wouldn't do it just fine.
I don’t see what the issue is, to be honest. both VOAs appear to be suitable to use. The VOA doesn’t give enough information to make any other assumptions.
I am curious how you came to this conclusion. If you could help me understand why it is a scam, that would be most helpful.
you pay more for the same oil
How would one determine it is the same oil?
Did you completely ignore the identical voa results OP posted?
And no, don't give me that nonsense about different base stocks. This is product for Walmart, you think they're above repackaging the same oil for a higher price?
Finally, somebody else with common sense in this thread.
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Well, why do you think no one has bothered to test it? Probably because no one dares run it for an extended interval, and THAT might be because the ”Advanced” formula looks IDENTICAL to their regular synthetic. And there are plenty of tests on THAT oil and if memory serves me, I’m not sure many of them appear like they would be a 20,000 mile oil.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t use Super Tech, I have, but I wouldn’t trust it to go 10,000 miles and beyond. And that’s why I wouldn’t trust Advanced Super Tech, because it looks just like regular Super Tech.
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Indeed!
And this is my thinking.
The API specification/regulations/requirements for motor oils is so stringent that if most of us only used store brands of motor oils such as SuperTech, AAP/CarQuest/AutoZone/ProLine(of course in the correct/required/recommended grade), we'd be using some of the best oils in lubrication history...I am not talking about any of those motor oils(that most of us never heard of) that fail the PQIA testing. Nor those few oils that may be at the very, very top of the charts(boutique) and unobtainable to many of us or grossly overpriced.
Keep in mind that I am only speaking about everyday motor vehicles, not that something special that enthusiasts have in their garage.
For your "something special vehicle", use that "special lube".
And I agree that the larger name brand oils typically come out ahead of the store brand motor oils in rigorous testing even if it's only by a small margin. And most engines with reasonable maintenance will never know the difference in everyday-ness.
Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
That's funny, as we didn't find that out 'till just now. And who is to say the manufacturer hasn't already done it? After all, truth in advertising has to be included as well. I can't just slap 20K on a bottle of oil and that's it. Fact is, you don't know what tests the manufacturer has done to adhere to, to allow that claim on the bottle. And just because you wouldn't trust it, does not mean it isn't capable of doing it.
Do VOAs tell us everything about a formulated motor oil? Is anyone here capable of determining a formulation based in a VOA?
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What's funny is that ST regular looks just like Advanced. And YOU can't slap a 20k mile sticker on oil, but can manufacturers? What's stopping them if they tell you not to go past the recommended manufacturer mileage? And that's' where I'd think testing, making testing public, providing some sort of assurance that you're getting SOMETHING/Anything MORE than the usual formula, would be necessary. Instead ST seems to have slapped a new label on their oil, raised the price and called in Advanced. Whereas a company like Mobil1, Amsoil, Castrol, Valvoline, at least appear to be different in formula from their other oils.
All we can go off of is what they provide us - like you said - and ST has provided us a new label and higher price tag. So far that's it. And until they provide more, or until someone takes it 20,000 miles with a UOA showing good results and the typical...this oil looks great! Next time try going another 3,000 miles more!! I don't think there's any evidence, or anything different from their regular synthetic.
Exactly! Finally, light shines on dim comments. Maybe lots of things that do not show up on the VOA are different and maybe not. Who knows? There's not enough information to say one way or the other yet, in true Bitog fashion, that doesn't stop others (not you) from illogically pontificating in absolute terms as if they have some divine clue that eludes the rest of us...lol.
BITOG is one of the greatest online social experiments - ignorance meets absolutism with a touch of OCD sprinkled in centered on a subject that 99.999999% of the world doesn't care about in any way.
A very close friend of mine worked for an oil and grease blender for about 15 years. He would constantly lecture me on the importance of the base in a grease or oil and said that it is the foundation of any product. He would laugh at me when I would tout other oils with high TBN's and/or... massive AdPacks. He said.... "Sometimes, massive AdPacks and high TBN's hide an average..... or even a poor base."
Twice he showed me that their commercial HDEO 15w40 with a TBN of 6.8 (but a very high end base oil).... would routinely out-perform all the Rotella lines. After 25-50k miles in OTR trucks, his oil would still have a TBN above 2 and Rotella would be at 1 or below. I could never get this oil, as the smallest quantity he sold was a 55 gallon drum, and most of his sales were in multiple 275 gallon totes to mining companies and commercial truck driving companies, etc.... He did sign every customer up for regular oil testing.... lab evidence that his product was better for engines and was saving the company in the long run.
Anyway, my point is..... the base is important! And unfortunately, Blackstone and others can never give us info to the level we all really want.
............
Maybe you should stick with Kirkland oil then.
You cannot tell much of anything from a analysis like that as to the base stocks.
Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
That’s kinda what I was trying to get at when I stated the manufacturer can’t just slap on bc a label and go. Gotta be some standing behind it.
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