Are WalMart SuperTech oils worth it?

[daugen]

Super Tech oil is as good as the average of name brands. My experience with it plus actual unbiased testing of it, says so.

http://pqiamerica.com/index.html

I couldn't find it in there, found Amazon oil, but not Walmart.
Have also looked at both Warren websites. The real question is where do they buy their oil...
Seems to me the more complicated the marketing setup, the more points of failure you have for QC.

I'm not sure what "name brand" oil means anymore. So many labels I've never heard of, probably many coming from either of the Warren
oil companies. If I buy a can of Pennzoil, Shell, Mobil 1, etc, never really a thought about what I'm buying.
Once one gets off the beaten high priced path though there really seems to be little guidance for the consumer.
You are just hoping some government agency is actually checking on these folks once in a while.

I having been buying Tractor Supply oil because I figure they set a decent corporate spec, probably mid quality oil at a lower price point. Or maybe great oil at a medium price, but just seems like good value. Same idea as those buying from Walmart. I also buy Rotella at TSC, watch for the sales. Can hardly go wrong with that oil if you watch your alphabet soup.

I've always wondered, short of some antique engine that needs special additives, are oil ratings set up that if you only need a C, and you buy J, for example, does the higher letter always confirm that the needs of the lower spec are also met?
If inexpensive full synthetic oil like this Walmart oil meets very high specs, how can you go wrong with it?

 

[sixdogs]

Doesn't an oil either meet spec or not meet spec? I mean, for a gas engine we have ratings such as SF or SM or maybe SN. For a diesel, similar ratings. If it's labelled on the container that it meets spec, it meets spec. I can see an equipment maker changing to add some something to make that blend proprietary but it still only meets spec plus a given amount of something else. It still meets spec or doesn't.

I'd say that's the salesmanship aspect that allows it to make generic marketing claims and throw in 200 hour oil changes intervals or whatever. That makes the consumer think the oil is better or different or whatever and encourages the purchase at what is likely a hefty markup. In reality, the oil either meets spec or not and the ratings and tests are there for all to see. The oil either meets spec or doesn't meet spec and as we have all heard, the same competing oils roll off the same assembly line with different labels.

Yes, in warranty, dealer branded life makes life easier if there's a problem but it doesn't have to. Most of us are out of warranty anyway.

 

[daugen]

Take a look here as to what happens to oil ring in a piston and why they get clogged up.
Why engine burning oil, Oil consumption, motorcraft, Pennzoil, Mobil 1, Castrol, Ford, Toyota, Chevy - YouTube Why engine burning oil, Oil consumption, motorcraft, Pennzoil, Mobil 1, Castrol, Ford, Toyota, Chevy - YouTube

So if someone wants to use cheap wally wurl oil....by all means please enjoy...

I'll stick to Amsoil, Rottella T6 and M1.

when your engine starts going through a quart every 1k miles or so....guess which is cheaper, a 70 dollah oil change or a new engine. Heh..yeah...

I'll see myself out. Good night yah'll...lol..

I used to think like you. Ran nothing but M1 for over 20 years. Then I started reading...
please remember we are talking about full synthetic oil here, not "cheap wallyworld" oil and Walmart clearly doesn't make it themselves, it's who they buy from and what spec is set. I think you have other issues about Walmart, and frankly, so do I. I don't enjoy going in my local one one little bit.

I think the bottom line is that today oils have gotten much better, much higher capability, and some of the lessons we learned in the past may no longer apply. If it's a good product, your "cheap" may be someone else's "high value".

If the highest level of oil performance is actually needed in your application, then you sure should use it, smart thing to do.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Motor Oil Study Finds That Motor Oil Brands Are Not Important - The Drive

I understand the emotional need to think say Amsoil, etc is better than WM, etc brands of oil. Been there and down this yet I do see Black Stone is as an honest company and not the tool of some oil company. So when they say when running the weight and spec of motor oil that the engine maker calls for is as good as it gets wear wise I buy it.

Claims about a specific motor oil that is not backed up with data that would permit them to satisfactory prove their claims in a court of law is nothing more than a personal option that could be valid or be BS.

Having just bought our first direct injection gas engine (2012 Chevy Impala 3.6L with 30K miles) that dumps the engine oil blow-by back onto the back side of the intake valves I question the validity of extended oil change. Since DI is the rage with most all car makers I see the need to run cleaner motor oil meeting the specs of the car maker is more important for the engine than paying big $$$ for unsupported claims of motor oil companies.

 

[DarkBlack]

I couldn't find it in there, found Amazon oil, but not Walmart.
Have also looked at both Warren websites. The real question is where do they buy their oil...
Seems to me the more complicated the marketing setup, the more points of failure you have for QC.

I'm not sure what "name brand" oil means anymore. So many labels I've never heard of, probably many coming from either of the Warren
oil companies. If I buy a can of Pennzoil, Shell, Mobil 1, etc, never really a thought about what I'm buying.
Once one gets off the beaten high priced path though there really seems to be little guidance for the consumer.
You are just hoping some government agency is actually checking on these folks once in a while.

I having been buying Tractor Supply oil because I figure they set a decent corporate spec, probably mid quality oil at a lower price point. Or maybe great oil at a medium price, but just seems like good value. Same idea as those buying from Walmart. I also buy Rotella at TSC, watch for the sales. Can hardly go wrong with that oil if you watch your alphabet soup.

I've always wondered, short of some antique engine that needs special additives, are oil ratings set up that if you only need a C, and you buy J, for example, does the higher letter always confirm that the needs of the lower spec are also met?
If inexpensive full synthetic oil like this Walmart oil meets very high specs, how can you go wrong with it?

Here is a couple:

http://www.pqiamerica.com/March2013PCMO/supertech.htm

http://www.pqiadata.org/SuperTech5W30.html

 

[daugen]

Here is a couple:

http://www.pqiamerica.com/March2013PCMO/supertech.htm

Product: SuperTech SAE 5W-3 API SN/GF-5

Thank you. Meets all requirements.

My problem is I'm not a chemist. The rest of the info isn't arranged in low is good, high is better, or vice versa, so you have no idea how to compare other than saying yes it's in the range. Just like we have ranges when we go to the doc's and he looks over the blood lab reports.
So beyond saying the Walmart oil meets all requirements, I don't know how to analyze the rest of it. And I think a common question is,
do we honestly need to?

Again, high performance applications, construction machinery, anything severe duty, yeah I'd put in the best I could find.
but for the rest of us outside of those areas, seems like the Walmart top brand is a safe bet.

 

[Ritothebull]

I had a 1/2 jug of Supertech synthetic that sat on the shelf in my shop for a few years that I had used in a mower and when I finally went to use some the oil had separated, the oil on top looked normal but the stuff on the bottom of the can was dark and thicker, I dont know what was going on there but I decided to stay clear of generic oils after that.

Nothing against Wal Mart brands, their toilet paper works just fine and I'm told its made by Scott.

 

[DarkBlack]

I had a 1/2 jug of Supertech synthetic that sat on the shelf in my shop for a few years that I had used in a mower and when I finally went to use some the oil had separated, the oil on top looked normal but the stuff on the bottom of the can was dark and thicker, I dont know what was going on there but I decided to stay clear of generic oils after that.

Nothing against Wal Mart brands, their toilet paper works just fine and I'm told its made by Scott.

LOL

I have never seen Super Tech sold in a clear jug, for you to have seen what you saw.

 

[Oldoak]

I had a 1/2 jug of Supertech synthetic that sat on the shelf in my shop for a few years that I had used in a mower and when I finally went to use some the oil had separated, the oil on top looked normal but the stuff on the bottom of the can was dark and thicker, I dont know what was going on there but I decided to stay clear of generic oils after that.-----------------

However to make a really fair comparison, you would have needed a 1/2 jug of a major name brand oil sitting on the shelf for the same number of years under the same conditions and have seen what that would have looked like. :confused3:

Once opened, containers of any substance are liable to change characteristics after having set for several years.

 

[D2Cat]

I had a container of Howes diesel additive that had set for several years look like it should be discarded because of something setting on the bottom. Does that mean that product is no good if used in a timely fashion?

I've had diesel that sat for so long it smelled like paint thinner. Should I quit using diesel?

I know some folks who often respond, "We tried that once. It didn't work." Some are serious, they have no kids!