Re: Motor oil brands vs. quality
Just did a search and found this...There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to motor oil, to know the truth. There is so much detailed info to know that the oil companies know the average consumer would never put forth the effort to really understand oil, so they don't even try to sell it that way. They just come up with generic, 1-size-fits-all ad campaigns, so 'Joe Consumer' will stay just uneducated enough to think that there are really major differences between brands. In reality, as long as the oil has the 'API' donut on the back label, nothing else really matters. The front label is totally worthless as far as a source of useful information. Most of the differences between brands is in the additive packages, and even then, the differences are relatively minute, as long as you are comparing similar types of oil from competing brands. The very best oil out there is not a whole lot better than the worst, as long as it meets the API and SAE classifications. For all you guys out there that are looking to use some great oil at a great price... I have a shocker for you: The oil that Wal-Mart sells under their house name (Super-Tech) is very good quality oil. In many tests done over the last year or so, the 'Super-Tech' oil was superior to many name-brand oils. The oil is supplied to Wal-Mart by Pennzoil/Quaker-State. It uses the same high-quality group II/III base stocks as their name oil, but uses an off-the shelf additive package. That doesn't mean it is lesser than the 'Z-7' or whatever additive package they advertise about. Most oil companies register their particular name-brand additive package formulas, so they cannot be 'copied' by another manufacturer. That way they can advertise about 'Nothing is the same as...' and all that kind of crap. An off the shelf package is available to whatever packager wants to buy it. So it is a little more economical for the packager. This also prevents stores like Pep-Boys, Wal-Mart etc...from advertising that their 'house' oil is 'same as Q/S but at a cheaper price.' Wal-Mart's 'Super-Tech' dino oil is less than a buck a quart, and their synthetic brand is $2.97/Qt. Great deal.
