Who really worries about the price of motor oil?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
640
Location
Western Washington
This past weekend I purchased a 5-quart jug of Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30 at Walmart for $20.00 plus tax and a 5-quart jug of 5w-30 Valvoline Maxlife for $14.00 plus tax.

Obviously that's a 30% price difference, but assuming that the oil gets changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months the difference translates to under $0.07 per day or $0.20 per 100 miles. Considering that most people on the forum run their OCIs significantly longer, why do so many people talk about one oil being a better value than another, especially when it's conventional vs. conventional.

If you want to support the company with the best prices that one thing, but cost shouldn't be a factor in a choice that involves the oils quality. If you think one brand is better than another you'd be stupid to skimp over a nickel per day.

Take a few minutes on the way out of work and find some change on the ground, problem solved!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: blackdiamond
Take a few minutes on the way out of work and find some change on the ground, problem solved!

Or... skip the UOA and buy some high quality oil with the savings.
 
A lot of it is just the pride in knowing we found a better deal on the price of an oil, it's not like we absolutely need to save those extra few dollars on the oil in order to feed our family that week.

Another reason is that for a lot of people (like myself) it's just in our nature to try to find a bargain price on everything we buy, whether it's toilet paper or ketchup or Hamburger Helper. If I paid full price for everything I bought, I'd easily spend hundreds and hundreds more dollars per year than I do by searching out the best price on things. When I see something I use regularily that is on sale, I stock up on a lot of it so that hopefully I don't ever have to pay the full regular price.
 
Originally Posted By: Patman
A lot of it is just the pride in knowing we found a better deal on the price of an oil


I absolutely agree with you. It's almost just the fun of it sometimes. Like when the good folks on here post a deal, I'm like well of course I can use 3 more cases of motor oil. Even though I have to buy another car just to use it up in a timely fashion. Where did I put that Autozone flyer?
 
Originally Posted By: blackdiamond
This past weekend I purchased a 5-quart jug of Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30 at Walmart for $20.00 plus tax and a 5-quart jug of 5w-30 Valvoline Maxlife for $14.00 plus tax.

Obviously that's a 30% price difference, but assuming that the oil gets changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months the difference translates to under $0.07 per day or $0.20 per 100 miles. Considering that most people on the forum run their OCIs significantly longer, why do so many people talk about one oil being a better value than another, especially when it's conventional vs. conventional.

If you want to support the company with the best prices that one thing, but cost shouldn't be a factor in a choice that involves the oils quality. If you think one brand is better than another you'd be stupid to skimp over a nickel per day.

Take a few minutes on the way out of work and find some change on the ground, problem solved!


Shhhh... Or they will put up the price!
45.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Mark888
Originally Posted By: blackdiamond
Take a few minutes on the way out of work and find some change on the ground, problem solved!

Or... skip the UOA and buy some high quality oil with the savings.


+1
 
I never worry about motor oil prices here in NA. (cheep enuf to begin with).

Peronally, I think most brand name OTC motor oils in NA are of very high quality indeed so no need to nitpick over things (like: is Pennzoyl conventional gonna be waaaay betta than valoline, etc.)

So long as they meet/exceed most automotive imposed standards and are of API SM/ILSAC GF-4, I wouldn't hesitate to use them in a heartbeat.

Me cares about using something betta to make my car (*or better yet: my engine) goes beyond 300kmiles? Nah! By the time when that happens, my car will be out of parts/body rusted out or I already grew bored of it and move on (that usually takes at least 15 to 20yrs before i would consider changing cars).

Q.
 
Last edited:
I worry much more about the price of gas. Motor oil is still cheap.

$35 buys one week's worth of gas.

$35 buys one 1/yr or 15k mile oil change intervals.
 
Originally Posted By: buster
I worry much more about the price of gas. Motor oil is still cheap.

$35 gives me one week of gas.

$35 can give me 1/yr or 15k miles.



Exactly! Everyone wants a good deal, but the real cost of operating a vehicle is gas. Lately its been working its way back up just in time for summer, that just pizzes me off.
 
Finding oil on sale, like $2 or less a quart is like when my wife finds a pair of shoes on sale for 70% off.

It's the thrill of the hunt.
 
If you have an oil burning Saturn oil expense is more than other cars. I am using 1 quart per 800 miles. If doing highway trips only, 1 quart per 600 miles.

I am not worried about the price of oil, I have at least a three year supply in the garage.
LOL.gif
 
Last edited:
I got over the cost a long time ago. I look at value over the long run. It is like saying is $ 25.00 for high speed Internet really that much when you can use it 24/7 if you want? People spend $ 25.00 on a 2 hour movie or a 2 hr dinner out. Why should $ 10-15.00 every 4-6 months be a deal breaker?
 
Price of oil is pretty much irrelevant. Out of all of the things in life with which I need to be concerned, spending an extra 4-5 dollars twice a year isn't on the list.

That's about 3 minutes of billable work every 6 months.
 
Amsoil for long life value, I don't want to change the dang oil every three or four months for a bunch of family and friends.

Gas price is the one that will getcha......
 
Originally Posted By: Patman
A lot of it is just the pride in knowing we found a better deal on the price of an oil, it's not like we absolutely need to save those extra few dollars on the oil in order to feed our family that week.

Another reason is that for a lot of people (like myself) it's just in our nature to try to find a bargain price on everything we buy, whether it's toilet paper or ketchup or Hamburger Helper. If I paid full price for everything I bought, I'd easily spend hundreds and hundreds more dollars per year than I do by searching out the best price on things. When I see something I use regularily that is on sale, I stock up on a lot of it so that hopefully I don't ever have to pay the full regular price.


I can understand the joy in getting a good deal, it's when the stockpile greatly exceeds the need that I have difficulty understanding. I purchased three M1 filters on Sunday simply because I get tired of making a trip specifically for them since I get my oil at Walmart generally and they don't have M1 filters and this was pushing my stockpile limits.

When the grocery store clerk says, "You saved X," I generally reply, "Actually, I spent Y."
 
Last edited:
At Publix Supermarkets, they always have - Buy 1 get 1 free on certain items, I stock up when they have items we buy on a regular basis plus I use coupons for even more savings.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top