why isn't supertech dino oil cheaper?

[edwardh1]

Was in WM, cant remember the exact numbers but on the 5 qt jugs there was only like $1.50 difference between super tech and a "name brand oil like $10.50 to $12.00.
Thats like only 30 cents or so a quart, seems the "big" oil companies would have a lot more overhead than supertech.
why isnt st cheaper?
My main reason I avoid ST is concern about quality control.

 

[Steve S]

Walmart doesn't make the oil. Walmart buys it from an outside company.

 

[chubbs1]

Because Warren Unilube has to make up for all of the fines they get for improper labeling and out of spec products.

I'm sorry but for the few more cents/qt. you pay for a name brand major It isn't even a consideration for me to buy Supertech.

 

[dparm]

If it's too cheap, people will perceive it negatively.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: chubbs1
Because Warren Unilube has to make up for all of the fines they get for improper labeling and out of spec products.

I'm sorry but for the few more cents/qt. you pay for a name brand major It isn't even a consideration for me to buy Supertech.



Warren Performance Products (WPP) is not the same company as Warren-Unilube. WPP (and others) make ST oils while Warren-Unilube makes Coastal oils.

 

[tinmanSC]

Originally Posted By: chubbs1
Because Warren Unilube has to make up for all of the fines they get for improper labeling and out of spec products.

I'm sorry but for the few more cents/qt. you pay for a name brand major It isn't even a consideration for me to buy Supertech.

This isn't the same Warren that makes SuperTech. The SuperTech oils, to my knowledge, have been excellent as far as quality. Warren Performance Products that makes ST is a solid company.

 

[pottymouth]

The actual price matters little as long as it is the lowest priced among the pack. I doubt there are many people who buy ST for any other reason than it is the cheapest thing on the shelf. There is little advantage to lowering the price point any further. It already accomplishes its mission.

I would have no qualm using ST conventional oil, but I gereally buy oil only when it hits $1 a quart or less. I still have plenty of name brand synthetics and conventionals in my personal stock. For me, ST is a huge rip off.

 

[crazyoildude]

they are not so cheap anymore i stopped buying oil there i use the oil we have in the drums at the shop

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: dparm
If it's too cheap, people will perceive it negatively.


+1

 

[chubbs1]

Originally Posted By: pbm
Originally Posted By: chubbs1
Because Warren Unilube has to make up for all of the fines they get for improper labeling and out of spec products.

I'm sorry but for the few more cents/qt. you pay for a name brand major It isn't even a consideration for me to buy Supertech.



Warren Performance Products (WPP) is not the same company as Warren-Unilube. WPP (and others) make ST oils while Warren-Unilube makes Coastal oils.


Yes you are correct, I get them mixed up and I fully apologize.

 

[chet2]

right now it is 10.88 a jug and i know it is good oil considering mobil and wpp seem to blend most of it

 

[Paulson]

I guess I never thought about it and always wished it were cheaper.

I suppose as long as their conventional and synthetic are the cheapest (even if only by a dollar) their position is always to be the lowest priced.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: dparm
If it's too cheap, people will perceive it negatively.


+1



This!

Have a friend that owns a restaurant that use to sell a local made "house" branded wine for $15 a bottle that would not sell. He then had it relabeled and jacked the price to $100 a bottle and now can not keep it in stock on a daily basis.

 

[mechtech2]

Also, Supertech is not a horrible substandard oil.
It is good oil, at a minimum.

 

[goodtimes]

Originally Posted By: chubbs1
Because Warren Unilube has to make up for all of the fines they get for improper labeling and out of spec products.

I'm sorry but for the few more cents/qt. you pay for a name brand major It isn't even a consideration for me to buy Supertech.


That was for a batch of gear oil sold in one area of Calif for a short time, as I remember the story. It was quickly resolved. I have forgotten exactly, but it wasn't much of an issue even then, viscosity higher on the low range I believe.

Now all ST Warren oil for all time is mislabeled and out of spec. If anything, ST is even more closely watched now.

It's true though, I saw ST synthetic for $18.50 jug yesterday, while QS is $19. The QS area was bare. I would go for the QS also for 50 cents.

 

[mongo161]

IMO....SuperTech, Advance Auto, Coastal are all the same product. Warren Uni-lube and others buy the base oil stock from the major oil companies and producers and the Add Packs are made by a handful of manufacturers.

Advance Auto Full Synthetic is running for about $5 a quart and WM SuperTech is about $4 a quart. IMO....both are most likely the same quality oils with the same add packs as the name brand oils. I bet if you sent in a sample to one of the labs and mislabeled it as a name brand....the results would be the same as a name brand. So why should they sell a high quality oil, like AA Full Synthetic or WM SuperTech, at a loss?

Has anyone ever sent in an oil to a lab and put the name down as "Mysterious Blended Oil" to find out the results? Now that would be interesting!

 

[Silver_civic]

I was at both WAL MART and advance auto today. The advance oil had a WPP stamped into the plastic qt and 4 or 5qt jug. It is NOT WARREN UNILUBE. Get this out of your head. Anyhow; that tells me that currently advance auto parts oil is being made by WARREN PETROLEUM PRODUCTS not warren unilube as I think thats still autozones maker.


adam

 

[3311]

Originally Posted By: edwardh1
Was in WM, cant remember the exact numbers but on the 5 qt jugs there was only like $1.50 difference between super tech and a "name brand oil like $10.50 to $12.00.
Thats like only 30 cents or so a quart, seems the "big" oil companies would have a lot more overhead than supertech.
why isnt st cheaper?
My main reason I avoid ST is concern about quality control.

You have to remember that the name brand oil companies are selling to Wally's at absolute rock bottom prices/ultra low margin because of the volume involved. There is only so low that can ST realistically go and besides, you are still dealing with a 10-30+% price difference.

 

[fdcg27]

It costs "X" amount of dollars to make an API SM/SN oil.
The major blenders already blend to spec, so there probably isn't a whole lot of cost to be taken out of the finished product.
I've used ST oil in the past, although name brand oils are usually a better deal at closeout or promotional (MIR, OCI special) pricing.
The only thing cheaper about ST is the total lack of advertising and promotion, as well as the plain labels.
I doubt that ST is actually cheaper to make than the low line oils from the name brand blenders, and I don't think the average margins at Walmart on basic oils, name brand or ST, are very great for either Wally or the blender.