Store Brand Oil?

[eddinger]

I have read several posts about oil, and started some myself, but my lastest question is about the "house" or store brand oils. O'Reilly Auto currently has a 5 qt. & filter special on their full synthetic oil. I have seen many people say they buy whatever is on special, and just as many stick to one brand only. It has got me thinking, I might try it. I own a restaurant and know all about brands. One item can be labeled under many brands, but is made by only 1 company. I would guess that this is no different. You?

[RaddHazzard]

Store brands are made by the big companies usually. You can look at the fine print on the back of the bottle and it will say for example Ashland or Warren. Ashland makes Valvoline afaik. But that doesnt mean it IS Valvoline. Everyone has their certain additives they want it made with for certain usage or price point.

[dlstewart01]

O'Reilly's brand of oil is manufactured and packaged by Omni Specialty Packaging. Omni is an independent lubricant manufacturer in Shreveport, LA. While Omni is not affiliated with any "major" manufacturer, They do buy their base oils from companies like Exxon/Mobil and Shell.

[Z45]

Just because one company makes several brands does not mean they make all the brands the same.

 

The concern with store brand oils (aka private label) is they are made to a certain price point often by the lowest bidder. Like everything made by the low bidder, they will cut costs as much as they can to win the bid and not care because the market for it is only concerned with saving a penny. The stores want oil to sell to make more money, they will never know if the oil bottler cuts corners. Am I saying all store brands are no good, NO but there have been some that have tested out to not what the bottle says it is.

 

For instance

Test results find three of the six samples of engine oils PQIA purchased in the the Mid-Atlantic States fail to meet their labeled API/ILSAC specifications. In addition, one of the brands labeled SA "5-30" is not an API SA, SAE 5W-30. Instead, it more closely resembles a heavy duty engine oil and is clearly not an SAE 5W-30.

 

Advisory: Whereas the label on the PittPenn Quality Motor Oil bottle sampled does not say the product meets API SM ILSAC GF-4, its positioning on the shelf at a recognized retail chain, use of terms "API" and "Quality" on the label, and lack of information specific to the API Service level the product does meet, could result in a reasonable person assuming this engine oil can be used in their vehicle as long as the vehicle is not new. Based on the test results for this sample, this could be a dangerous assumption.

 

Although PittPenn Quality Motor Oil does meet the SAE requirements for a 10W-30, it does not meet the requirements for an API SM ILSAC GF-4 engine oil. The product's volatility of 22 exceeds the maximum of 15, and the phosphorus content at 161ppm is below the 600 required to meet API SM ILSAC GF-4. In addition, whereas there are no API requirements for some of the other parameters examined, the data shown for TBN, calcium, and zinc are only 10 to 20% of what one would expect to see in an engine oil meant for use in virtually any passenger car currently on the road.

 

Also of concern is the 26ppm of silicon in the sample. Whereas silicone antifoam agents are commonly used in engine oils to suppress and inhibit foaming, the concentration of silicon attributed to antifoam agents is typically less than 1ppm in an engine oil. Concerning is that high silicon levels can be an indication of abrasive contaminants in a lubricant. A silicon level of 26ppm in a used engine oil sample, for example, typically results in a recommendation to change the oil due to the likelihood of abrasive contamination.

 

As a matter of standard operating procedure, the Petroleum Quality Institute of America attempted to contact PittPenn to discuss the sample data. The company's telephone is disconnected.

[ColoradoSkiCountry]

Just like buying fuel from a discount store is a big no no, so is buying discount brand oil. Get one of the major brands (The brands that have been around for the past 20-30 years) and you are guaranteed to be getting a good quality oil with good additives.

[Z45]

for super tech users

 

buyer beware, theses stores brand are all about making money, nothing else as they don't monitor quality. They trust the company supplying the products and this incident proves, they will try to get away with anything they can.

 

One way to make products cheap is to compromise their quality, in ways that the consumer might never notice. Like fewer threads in the weave of a

shirt or blue jeans, or inner parts made of plastic instead of metal. Or, in a case settled this week in Monterey County, California, compromising

the thickness of gear oil for trucks and large machinery. Fox 35 New reports this week that Wal-Mart was caught in a greasy scheme to sell a

product that did not meet its labeled specifications. Wal-Mart agreed to pay $357,800 to settle a civil law suit filed against the giant retailer.

Monterey county’s District Attorney, Dean D. Flippo, said that his office, along with the District Attorneys in four other counties (Sonoma, Napa,

Shasta, and Solano) had settled the suit againt Wal-Mart, and a company named Warren Distribution, for false labeling of a SuperTech gear oil. The

manufacturer, Warren Distribution, is based in Nebraska, and makes the 85W-140 and 75W-140 SuperTech gear oil, used by large trucks and heavy

equipment. These products are supposed to meet the viscosity levels as advertising on the product---but an investigation by state and county

Weights and Measures officials determined that the oils being sold at Wal-Mart did not meet the viscosity standards. This means that the gear

oil would not meet performance standards, could break down and not function correctly at high temperatures. Fox News says that Wal-Mart and

the manufacturer cooperated with prosecutors during the investigation and as part of the settlement agreed to undertake additional testing

procedures to ensure compliance with the law. In such settlements, the offending parties do not admit wrong-doing. They just pay a “civil

penalty,” with in this case was $257,800, plus $75,000 to pay for the cost of the prosecution, and $25,000 in restitution. A total of $357,800 was

paid as part of the settlement. Reportedly 5,000 bottles of the ‘non-compliant’ gear oil were sold in California alone from 2004 to 2006.

There were no figures on how much inferior gear oil was sold around the

nation by Wal-Mart.

 

Consumers were buying a product that they assumed would meet the product standards set by the government. But Wal-Mart was selling a product that

did not meet the advertised standards, and could have damaged the expensive equipment the oil was made for. This story is just another

reminder that you sometimes don’t even get what you pay for. Most consumers are totally at the mercy of the retailer to be selling products

that perform as they are advertised. For example, in a recent forum for Mustang car owners, one consumer wrote: “Hey, I was curious to know what

you guys have to say about Super Tech Gear Oil, as I was working (walking around store) I checkout Walmarts oils and they had SuperTech Full

Synthetic 75-140 for 10 dollars I believe it was, so I wanted to know what anyone had to say about the Oil. I know there are much better brands but I

have checked out and supposedly the makers of Super Tech Oils are Quaker State. Let me know what you guys think because I am going to go check out

oils tomorrow, and I wanna have a idea. I am getting my gears installed next week and need to bring with me.” In another car forum, a consumer

wrote: “Has anyone used the Walmart supertech full synthetic oil? Who makes it for them? It costs a lot less than other synthetics but I wonder

if it’s as good as Castrol Synetec or Mobil One.” Now these consumers have their answer. Warren Distribution says it is a Nebraska Corporation with

its corporate offices in Omaha. Warren employs approximately 300 people. “We are committed to the continuous improvement of our products and

processes,” the company boasts. Their website says nothing about this latest supertech gear oil controversy.

[Black02Silverado]

This is an article from last year but give you an idea that not all oils are equal or what they seem to be.

 

The article is here. It is in Lubes-n-Greases magazine.

[JaredM]

go amsoil! good reliable and american

[ColoradoSkiCountry]

Is that true, Nick?

 

go amsoil! good reliable and american

[seabee47]

Store brands are as good as "Mr. Goodwrench" oil, the store brand that GM recommends on all of their products except the Cadillac and the Corvette. On these two, GM recommends Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Store brands meet or exceed the Government's specifications.

 

Some of these guys giving replies on this topic have been eating TOO MUCH of the GM bull_hit.

[dlstewart01]

Is that true, Nick?

 

go amsoil! good reliable and american

 

 

 

Amsoil is a small company with only blending facilities, they don't have refineries to produce synthetic base stock oils.. Who do they buy these pao base stock oils from???

 

Their major supplier of PAO base stock is Exxon/Mobil, the largest producer of synthetic oils in the world. They purchase some Group III base stocks from Shell, Petro Canada, and others. About 90% of their additive packages come from Lubrizoil.

[dlstewart01]

Store brands are as good as "Mr. Goodwrench" oil, the store brand that GM recommends on all of their products except the Cadillac and the Corvette. On these two, GM recommends Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Store brands meet or exceed the Government's specifications.

 

Some of these guys giving replies on this topic have been eating TOO MUCH of the GM bull_hit.

 

GMGoodwrench oil is made by Exxon/Mobil..

 

GM approved oil list...

 

http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsibility...engine_oils.pdf

 

In several of your post you knock GM and any one who supports them...this is a GM Truck forum..

[tanked_darren]

Store brands are as good as "Mr. Goodwrench" oil, the store brand that GM recommends on all of their products except the Cadillac and the Corvette. On these two, GM recommends Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Store brands meet or exceed the Government's specifications.

 

Some of these guys giving replies on this topic have been eating TOO MUCH of the GM bull_hit.

 

GMGoodwrench oil is made by Exxon/Mobil..

 

GM approved oil list...

 

http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsibility...engine_oils.pdf

 

In several of your post you knock GM and any one who supports them...this is a GM Truck forum..

 

Nice link, you sure know where to find the info eh?

 

They got some names of oils I've never heard of

"Sinopec Great Wall Polar Star"

"Shanghai Lizhong Jaguar"

"Wolf's Head"

[KMGZ400]

Store brands are as good as "Mr. Goodwrench" oil, the store brand that GM recommends on all of their products except the Cadillac and the Corvette. On these two, GM recommends Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Store brands meet or exceed the Government's specifications.

 

Some of these guys giving replies on this topic have been eating TOO MUCH of the GM bull_hit.

 

GMGoodwrench oil is made by Exxon/Mobil..

 

GM approved oil list...

 

http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsibility...engine_oils.pdf

 

In several of your post you knock GM and any one who supports them...this is a GM Truck forum..

 

Nice link, you sure know where to find the info eh?

 

They got some names of oils I've never heard of

"Sinopec Great Wall Polar Star"

"Shanghai Lizhong Jaguar"

"Wolf's Head"

 

 

hahahahah great wall polar star?

 

i personally like "Brad Penn Superior Fuel Efficient" and "Rallye Turbo Approved"

[dlstewart01]

But...to be on GMs approved list..GM checks those oils to make sure they meet GMs specs, either GM4718M synthetic spec, or GM6094M, conventional oil spec. They all passed.