What brand did you first have loyalty to and why?
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Sony and Nike.
Its hard to be brand loyal.
For decades i was a dedicated Castrol user but in the US their products are poor in comparison and would be the last oil i would use.
Now i use Pennzoil Ultra and Mobil 0wxx oils in the US and Castrol Edge and Shell Helix Ultra in Germany.
SOPUS and Mobil 1 quality seems consistent in the US and Germany. It seems to me anyway its like Castrol went out of their way to ruin their product for the US market.
For decades i was a dedicated Castrol user but in the US their products are poor in comparison and would be the last oil i would use.
Now i use Pennzoil Ultra and Mobil 0wxx oils in the US and Castrol Edge and Shell Helix Ultra in Germany.
SOPUS and Mobil 1 quality seems consistent in the US and Germany. It seems to me anyway its like Castrol went out of their way to ruin their product for the US market.
Or they went out of their way to ruin the US market.
Quaker State at first. Then Pennzoil, then Valvoline, then Pennzoil and Formula Shell, I am known to stray off the SOPUS the path for a good deal.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Or they went out of their way to ruin the US market.
Indeed.
Or they went out of their way to ruin the US market.
Indeed.
For me I started with Mobil 1. I used to run it in my old modified Civic and used it in my GTO before I tried Castrol. Now I bounce between Mobil 1 and Castrol Edge. I have been itching to try QSUD. Between the Civic and GTO I had a Sentra Spec-V. I had the dealer do all the changes. One time a service advisor threw oil all over my polished aftermarket header trying to show me the exhaust level was correct. What was I thinking letting them service it? They always overfilled it! I do all my own service work on the GTO. I don't let anyone else touch the car.
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Indeed.
My first loyalty for fleet use was Quaker State, and in fairness to Castrol, I've used a LOT of their GTX in my private vehicles over the years. While I'm not one to dispute the value of a good Group III oil, I'm still sore at Castrol for how things turned out. They muddy the definition of synthetic in North America beyond recognition, yet they sell one of the only true synthetics that is readily available anywhere (GC). Go figure. Okay, I feel better now after that rant.
Ohh - first loyalty to HDEOs has been Imperial Oil products (Esso, now Mobil), along with some use of Rotella thanks to my uncle's Shell at the time.
Indeed.
My first loyalty for fleet use was Quaker State, and in fairness to Castrol, I've used a LOT of their GTX in my private vehicles over the years. While I'm not one to dispute the value of a good Group III oil, I'm still sore at Castrol for how things turned out. They muddy the definition of synthetic in North America beyond recognition, yet they sell one of the only true synthetics that is readily available anywhere (GC). Go figure. Okay, I feel better now after that rant.
Ohh - first loyalty to HDEOs has been Imperial Oil products (Esso, now Mobil), along with some use of Rotella thanks to my uncle's Shell at the time.
Mobil 1 until the age of e-commerce. I've purchased countless gallons of Mobil 1 10W-40. For the last several years, I've purchased the cheapest LL-01 oil I can find in the most convenient quantities.
Hi,
Lubricants Brand loyalty
As an Engineering Trainee with BMC in NZ in the 1950s I was educated on Castrol by Castrol for BMC cars and then on Caltex products by Caltex for use in a wider environment
We used Castrolite (20w-20), Castrol XL (20-30) and Castrol XXL (30-40) in all BMC applications – MG, Riley, Vanden-Plas, Austin, Morris, and Austin Healey etc.
Then along came the Austin-Morris 850-Mini! Duckhams developed the 20w-50 viscosity product especially for this application. I initially used Castrol XL and XXL in the export CKD prototype in NZ as 20w-50 was unavailable in advance of the car’s introduction and it simply leaked and burned it fiercely!! Permanent shear was the culprit as a number of internal components failed too on the lower viscosity lubricants and the high oil temperatures encountered.
I always saw 20w-50 as a “cure-all” lubricant for bad engine design!
A couple of years in Europe with BMC kept the Castrol and Duckhams flames burning bright!!!
On return to NZ from Europe I was quickly educated on the abilities of the Commercial HDEOs of the period – Shell, Caltex, Castrol and Mobil! Durability and engine cleanliness was the requirement and CAT specified lubricants performed best!
Castrol was the worst performer; the others were about on par
On return to Europe (early 1960s) and when working for Chevron-Caltex in Denmark I became very interested in the lubricant Standards of the era. CAT and Mercedes Benz did their homework – and so did VW & Porsche, HD oils (HDEOs) were the “trick”. Those formulated to CAT’s Supplement 3 standard worked best. So I rapidly became aware that the best HDEOs outperformed the PCMOs by a large margin, especially in cleanliness and durability during normal OCIs.
ML MM MS and DL DM DS were the API’s Standards then. The HDEO and PCMO standards were pretty much determined by the Oil Companies via the API and vehicle Manufacturers had very little say – except those noted above
I worked closely with Shell in the 1970s and used their synthetic gear oils. Later I used their synthetic engine oils, Shell makes excellent lubricants and they have a long and stable history. The first ever synthetic FF was Shell’s XMO 5w-40 in Porsche’s V8 928 in 1992! How the World has changed!
I used Castrol’s Formula R 15w-50 (German sourced) synthetic from about 1974-5 and over the next decade or so assisted in developing this lubricant (progressing to TWS 10w-60) in a wide variety of applications and engine types – both petrol and high speed diesels. It was and still is a great lubricant(s) now in two versions) in the correct application. At the Nurburgring 24Hr in 2011 I was informed by Castrol’s Engineers that the Engineering Staff who developed this product along with their excellent synthetic ATF (Transmax Z – for Voith, MB and ZF applications) have all passed on.
They certainly left an enduring legacy in these great products!!
Over the next few decades lubricants formed a huge part of my daily regime – mainly field testing.
I worked with Castrol and Mobil on advanced HDEOs – 15w-40 semi synthetics with Castrol and Delvac 1 5w-40 with Mobil. I used and tested a wide variety of Brands during this period and briefly used Ore-Lube’s synthetics at that time as well – about 1975!.
I used HD lubricants or early synthetics in all my petrol engines up until about 1995. From that point on I’ve used synthetics in everything I own. I always seek the longest economic OCI!
Castrol (and I) had a series of bad experiences with the original ester based (green) Castrol Formula SLX 0w-30 around 1997-8. It was quickly withdrawn from sale however later versions (SL>) were fine!
So, whilst I used many Brands over time my specific loyalty has lasted for some decades and Castrol, Mobil and Shell still live happily in my equipment – and most are available from the local discount suppliers too
Lubricants Brand loyalty
As an Engineering Trainee with BMC in NZ in the 1950s I was educated on Castrol by Castrol for BMC cars and then on Caltex products by Caltex for use in a wider environment
We used Castrolite (20w-20), Castrol XL (20-30) and Castrol XXL (30-40) in all BMC applications – MG, Riley, Vanden-Plas, Austin, Morris, and Austin Healey etc.
Then along came the Austin-Morris 850-Mini! Duckhams developed the 20w-50 viscosity product especially for this application. I initially used Castrol XL and XXL in the export CKD prototype in NZ as 20w-50 was unavailable in advance of the car’s introduction and it simply leaked and burned it fiercely!! Permanent shear was the culprit as a number of internal components failed too on the lower viscosity lubricants and the high oil temperatures encountered.
I always saw 20w-50 as a “cure-all” lubricant for bad engine design!
A couple of years in Europe with BMC kept the Castrol and Duckhams flames burning bright!!!
On return to NZ from Europe I was quickly educated on the abilities of the Commercial HDEOs of the period – Shell, Caltex, Castrol and Mobil! Durability and engine cleanliness was the requirement and CAT specified lubricants performed best!
Castrol was the worst performer; the others were about on par
On return to Europe (early 1960s) and when working for Chevron-Caltex in Denmark I became very interested in the lubricant Standards of the era. CAT and Mercedes Benz did their homework – and so did VW & Porsche, HD oils (HDEOs) were the “trick”. Those formulated to CAT’s Supplement 3 standard worked best. So I rapidly became aware that the best HDEOs outperformed the PCMOs by a large margin, especially in cleanliness and durability during normal OCIs.
ML MM MS and DL DM DS were the API’s Standards then. The HDEO and PCMO standards were pretty much determined by the Oil Companies via the API and vehicle Manufacturers had very little say – except those noted above
I worked closely with Shell in the 1970s and used their synthetic gear oils. Later I used their synthetic engine oils, Shell makes excellent lubricants and they have a long and stable history. The first ever synthetic FF was Shell’s XMO 5w-40 in Porsche’s V8 928 in 1992! How the World has changed!
I used Castrol’s Formula R 15w-50 (German sourced) synthetic from about 1974-5 and over the next decade or so assisted in developing this lubricant (progressing to TWS 10w-60) in a wide variety of applications and engine types – both petrol and high speed diesels. It was and still is a great lubricant(s) now in two versions) in the correct application. At the Nurburgring 24Hr in 2011 I was informed by Castrol’s Engineers that the Engineering Staff who developed this product along with their excellent synthetic ATF (Transmax Z – for Voith, MB and ZF applications) have all passed on.
They certainly left an enduring legacy in these great products!!
Over the next few decades lubricants formed a huge part of my daily regime – mainly field testing.
I worked with Castrol and Mobil on advanced HDEOs – 15w-40 semi synthetics with Castrol and Delvac 1 5w-40 with Mobil. I used and tested a wide variety of Brands during this period and briefly used Ore-Lube’s synthetics at that time as well – about 1975!.
I used HD lubricants or early synthetics in all my petrol engines up until about 1995. From that point on I’ve used synthetics in everything I own. I always seek the longest economic OCI!
Castrol (and I) had a series of bad experiences with the original ester based (green) Castrol Formula SLX 0w-30 around 1997-8. It was quickly withdrawn from sale however later versions (SL>) were fine!
So, whilst I used many Brands over time my specific loyalty has lasted for some decades and Castrol, Mobil and Shell still live happily in my equipment – and most are available from the local discount suppliers too
i liked pennzoil... now im whatever is the cheapest with the specs im looking for..
I've been using Mobil 1 since I bought my brand new 1989 Acura integra. Drove that car hard all the way out to 350,000 miles and when I sold it she still purred;7000 rpm redline everyday. Between my family members and I we've got well over 1,000,000 combined miles on mobil 1 and have yet to have a single oil related failure so I see no reason to change.
When I started changing my own motor oil in 1985 it was QUAKER STATE because of the iconic green color and brand name I had confidence in the product, I believe the first couple of changes were with the round cans for lack of a better description as that was when plastic bottles were just beginning to show up on the store shelves.
Toto.
Toto.
Doug,
I was an early adopter of Castrol RS 10w60 the red oil. What can you tell me about this oil.
Info on this oil remains somewhat elusive even after 20 yrs.
I know the TWS became the less expensive red headed stepchild to this oil in the early 90's IIRC.
To date i have not used any oil that caused less wear (proven by actual tear down and measurements) in a high HP/Ltr engine than RS. It was expensive but almost magical.
Is it true that TWS is now a Grp III? It is no longer listed in Germany as a full syntheic.
TIA
I was an early adopter of Castrol RS 10w60 the red oil. What can you tell me about this oil.
Info on this oil remains somewhat elusive even after 20 yrs.
I know the TWS became the less expensive red headed stepchild to this oil in the early 90's IIRC.
To date i have not used any oil that caused less wear (proven by actual tear down and measurements) in a high HP/Ltr engine than RS. It was expensive but almost magical.
Is it true that TWS is now a Grp III? It is no longer listed in Germany as a full syntheic.
TIA
Chevrolet/GM Vehicles... I guess its because my dad had a Monte Carlo when I was a kid. I still am loyal to them LOL I work on them every day and even though some of them are a POS I still drive GM vehicles. I don't want to buy a VW or something when I specialize in GM vehicles.
Hi,
Capa - thanks, Trav - this may be of interest:
Castrol 10w-60
This lubricant started off in the 1970s as Formula R Synthetic 15w-50. It was red and ester based. The exhaust odour was a special treat – just like the Castrol R 30, 40 etc. we had used in [censored] powered speedway bikes and Norton, AJS etc. racing motorbikes of the era
It was developed in Germany, most ester based lubricants can be traced back to the 1930’s and Germany. It was developed by a German term of people who gave us some wonderful Castrol products!! Over its life to date it has had designations such as RS, TWS and Edge. It has ended up as two formulations IIRC. Up until recently IIRC an ester based version was still being produced
I commenced using it early on in its development due to my contacts at Castrol and fired by my experience with the “R “range of race oils.
I then embarked on a serious field testing programme that covered several years and a staggering variety of engine types, both petrol and diesel, charged, including air cooled industrial versions. It was also tested in transmission applications too. Hundreds of UOAs were analysed, engines stripped down and engine Manufacturer’s Engineering staff consulted with from Europe to the US and Japan! It was tested in an extremely wide ambient temperature spread that included a high of around 50C and severe winter lows in high mountains
In one case 3000 hours were covered in a light high speed Japanese diesel engine without an OC. The oil could have stayed in place – it was still in good condition!!
It has an outstanding racing heritage and record. It was even used surreptitiously in engines/teams that other Oil Companies sponsored, in motorbikes and especially in endurance racing such as Le Mans and the Nurburgring
My last contact with Castrol Germany’s lubricant development specialists was at the 24hr race at the Nurburgring in 2010. They were involved there with field testing (with BMW Contractors) a range of low viscosity formulations in ultra-high performance engines. I was informed then, as mentioned earlier, that the last person of the original team that developed this lubricant had recently died.
Makes me feel old too!!!
Capa - thanks, Trav - this may be of interest:
Castrol 10w-60
This lubricant started off in the 1970s as Formula R Synthetic 15w-50. It was red and ester based. The exhaust odour was a special treat – just like the Castrol R 30, 40 etc. we had used in [censored] powered speedway bikes and Norton, AJS etc. racing motorbikes of the era
It was developed in Germany, most ester based lubricants can be traced back to the 1930’s and Germany. It was developed by a German term of people who gave us some wonderful Castrol products!! Over its life to date it has had designations such as RS, TWS and Edge. It has ended up as two formulations IIRC. Up until recently IIRC an ester based version was still being produced
I commenced using it early on in its development due to my contacts at Castrol and fired by my experience with the “R “range of race oils.
I then embarked on a serious field testing programme that covered several years and a staggering variety of engine types, both petrol and diesel, charged, including air cooled industrial versions. It was also tested in transmission applications too. Hundreds of UOAs were analysed, engines stripped down and engine Manufacturer’s Engineering staff consulted with from Europe to the US and Japan! It was tested in an extremely wide ambient temperature spread that included a high of around 50C and severe winter lows in high mountains
In one case 3000 hours were covered in a light high speed Japanese diesel engine without an OC. The oil could have stayed in place – it was still in good condition!!
It has an outstanding racing heritage and record. It was even used surreptitiously in engines/teams that other Oil Companies sponsored, in motorbikes and especially in endurance racing such as Le Mans and the Nurburgring
My last contact with Castrol Germany’s lubricant development specialists was at the 24hr race at the Nurburgring in 2010. They were involved there with field testing (with BMW Contractors) a range of low viscosity formulations in ultra-high performance engines. I was informed then, as mentioned earlier, that the last person of the original team that developed this lubricant had recently died.
Makes me feel old too!!!
Thanks Doug,
I remember when i got the bike and started using this oil from the first OC it was special.
After the initial valve adjustment they never needed adjusting again and the internals were spotless over the 12 yrs and over 200K i had that bike.
IIRC the last of my stash was still SG rated back in 05. The bike is now 20 yrs old and still running on this RS oil with the new owner with no problems ever.
Other bikes of this model run on OEM 10w30 never saw this kind of longevity on any oil including Honda's own brand. 100K was the accepted norm for a rebuild.
This engine was fresh at that mileage which IMO is totally attributable to running this red elixir.
The technology is there the oils are there so one has to wonder why are they not on the shelf in the US even at a top premium price?
I remember when i got the bike and started using this oil from the first OC it was special.
After the initial valve adjustment they never needed adjusting again and the internals were spotless over the 12 yrs and over 200K i had that bike.
IIRC the last of my stash was still SG rated back in 05. The bike is now 20 yrs old and still running on this RS oil with the new owner with no problems ever.
Other bikes of this model run on OEM 10w30 never saw this kind of longevity on any oil including Honda's own brand. 100K was the accepted norm for a rebuild.
This engine was fresh at that mileage which IMO is totally attributable to running this red elixir.
The technology is there the oils are there so one has to wonder why are they not on the shelf in the US even at a top premium price?
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