Is Amazon basics full synthetic oil better than Mobile 1?

[Walter L]

I have no idea whats good for anyone else equipment but for my gas engines i use Mobil 1 and my diesel either Dello 400 or Shell Rotella 15/40 and have used this brand for years. It works for me.

 

[the old grind]

I have NO complaints with TSC's house-brand full synthetic (API SN) at ~$3.50/qt hereabouts. Of course I use NH motor oil and 134 Hydro in my two Shibauras as called for, but I've been using the synthetic in SGEs (Terramite, DR stumper, Kubo tiller) and the rebuilt engine for my EZ-GO 22 (300cc twin) with an occasional spritz of zinc additive.

I'd pay for 'full' synthetic vs 'blend' any time the proportion of dino & syn isn't listed. (that like a cold day on Mercury or Venus ) IMO there's little point in paying mid price between dino & syn w/o knowing if a blend is only 10% synthetic when we'd hope it's at least 50%.

 

[RalphVa]

Never know where the Amazon oil came from. Could be different next year.

Should have done the cold flow at -40 C/F. THEN, the clear winner would be a 0wxx oil. This was the test that our Esso research people did many years ago that showed the 0wxx to be a clear winner, and the only way to make it is with synthetic.

About 2 years after I retired, I could buy Mobil 1 with a clear conscience. Been using it ever since except for 7 years with a VW TDI. Could only get their oil locally at the VW dealership. Switched my tractor and diesel generator then to the Castrol 5w30. Now, I find that I can get Mobil 1 0w30 online for about the same price. Plan to use it in the future when my back supply of Castrol runs out.

Ralph

 

[drizler]

If I may add this youtube explanation of dino vs synthetic oil. It's quite informative, and will open eyes while perhaps dispelling some myths.

Is Synthetic Motor Oil Better For Your Car? - YouTube

Read down in the comments section. That guy who was in charge if. USAF testing facility for years. Lookat what he has to say about synthetic compared to Dino. Generic in nature as theirs are far more specialized but still......Synthetic wins by a huge margin every time. I壇 copy and past but YouTube won稚 do it. It痴 worth a look though

 

[Copperhead]

A very good oil for a non-emission engine is a API SD oil. As in the video, they are up to a API SN oil which has way less of the good additives like zinc and copper. The oils are changing for the the auto industries pollution standards and the associated equipment.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/10/18/tech-101-zinc-in-oil-and-its-effects-on-older-engines/

http://www.pqiamerica.com/apiserviceclass.htm

But there are very good alternatives to zinc going into many modern oils. Molydenum is one. Boron is another. And in combination, these two offer some very good anti-friction qualities. I have been a fan of Moly for many years. It is a proven friction reducer. Zinc and Phosphorus (ZDDP) has done a pretty good job. But it is no longer the cat's meow when it comes to superior friction reduction.

 

[ruffdog]

But there are very good alternatives to zinc going into many modern oils. Molydenum is one. Boron is another. And in combination, these two offer some very good anti-friction qualities. I have been a fan of Moly for many years. It is a proven friction reducer. Zinc and Phosphorus (ZDDP) has done a pretty good job. But it is no longer the cat's meow when it comes to superior friction reduction.

I do use moly. Funny how some people freak out about the BLACK oil.

 

[drkbrent]

Very true. I toured an oil packager/blender several years ago in my local market. It was really interesting. They had a huge room with 12 or so conveyor belts moving different branded bottles (Castrol, Pennzoil, Havoline, etc) towards an enormous vat of 5w-30 engine oil. The exact, same product was being poured into the different bottles! I never knew the oil business worked like that.

 

[duramaxsky]

I use Mobile 1 in my Corvettes. It was required when they were under warranty. The oil cap even says Mobile 1 on it.

 

[mangler]

I use Mobile 1 in my Corvettes. It was required when they were under warranty. The oil cap even says Mobile 1 on it.

Nothing really wrong with Mobil 1, but nothing is that great about it either. Certainly no reason to overpay for it, vs Penzoil Platinum that actually outperforms it.

I suspect GM made a deal with M1 at the time, which guaranteed them a decent oil was used in the sports car in exchange for lower(or free) initial fill costs...

 

[RalphVa]

If I may add this youtube explanation of dino vs synthetic oil. It's quite informative, and will open eyes while perhaps dispelling some myths.

Is Synthetic Motor Oil Better For Your Car? - YouTube

Looks good. No captions though. Sound is gone after a Win 10 update. Think BIOS got swatted. Printer won't work either. Actually, I'm finding I need captions even when I have audio. Cannot understand them without it.

Ralph