Mixing antifreeze brands

super99 · Nov 4, 2020

Any thoughts on mixing different brands of antifreeze? I have always used Blains Farm & Fleet extended life antifreeze coolant, mixes with any color in my tractors, the yellow container. I can get similar Napa antifreeze cheaper, will it hurt to mix the 2 different brands together?

caterpillar guy · Nov 4, 2020

Brands no, types yes.

Tom in TN · Nov 4, 2020

Super,

That's funny that you should mention that NAPA's antifreeze is less expensive than Farm & Fleet. We have a new NAPA store that just opened in Spring Hill, TN. I've been trying to do as much business with them as I can to help them get a good start. A couple of days ago I was in the store for something else and decided to buy a gallon of full-strength antifreeze. The prices were much higher than I expected them to be. They had no Prestone brand at all and their NAPA brand was something like eighteen or nineteen dollars a gallon. I hated to do so, but I ended up driving across the street to Home Depot and bought a gallon of Prestone for thirteen dollars.

I hope the store does well. I like them better than O'Reilly's, AutoZone, Advance, etc.

Tom in TN

super99 · Nov 4, 2020

My wife delivered parts for Napa for several years, When she retired, they still give me her discount, That makes a big difference!!

Stephen Newell · Nov 4, 2020

You shouldn't mix different colors antifreeze but different brands are close enough alike to mix.

Steve@Advance · Nov 4, 2020

Need to read the labels closely.

Colors are not necessarily universal. It the type and additives that are critical.

Never been a fan of the "universal". It will work in an emergency if you don't know what's in it. But to be safe, stick with the manufacturers recommendation, especially on the high tech diesels, and vehicles with aluminum components.

Not so much the brand, but the type and specs.

Steve@Advance · Nov 4, 2020

Tom, I agree, the auto supply prices are getting out of hand.

The online supply's are hurting their business, and rightfully so.

To compensate they keep raising the prices, the very thing that is driving people away!

Helped a friend last week, broke down away from home, bad alternator.

Got one from O'Reillys, $320something. Just out of curiosity he checked Rock Auto, $90 + shipping.

But, had to have it now, so what can you do? Glad they were there, but it's getting out of hand!

old · Nov 4, 2020

Mixing brands are okay but NEVER mix red and green or it can/will gell and to fix that takes an engine rebuild

Crazy Horse · Nov 4, 2020

This is a 12-minute video on the subject ...... and of course, like anything you read on the internet (including here at the YT site), take it for what you consider it is worth. Well presented though .....
Auto Coolant Information 101

jd man wis · Nov 4, 2020

We just bought some peak antifreeze at 10 dollas a gallon and they had a 7 dollar rebate.

JMOR · Nov 4, 2020

(quoted from post at 13:35:49 11/04/20) We just bought some peak antifreeze at 10 dollas a gallon and they had a 7 dollar rebate.

utozone, bought bottle labeled to "mix with any color ant-freeze".

Meangreen · Nov 4, 2020

(quoted from post at 15:15:35 11/04/20) Tom, I agree, the auto supply prices are getting out of hand.

The online supply's are hurting their business, and rightfully so.

To compensate they keep raising the prices, the very thing that is driving people away!

Helped a friend last week, broke down away from home, bad alternator.

Got one from O'Reillys, $320something. Just out of curiosity he checked Rock Auto, $90 + shipping.

But, had to have it now, so what can you do? Glad they were there, but it's getting out of hand!

Rock Auto is cheap for a reason. I have used them, but they are like the Harbor Freight of auto parts.

Crazy Horse · Nov 4, 2020

Meangreen, so assuming I am getting the same product (be it antifreeze or an alternator or whatever), why would I have a problem with buying from Rock Auto?

JD Dave · Nov 4, 2020

Well, - I got a lesson from my oil guy this week about anti-freeze. He says he can't sell the green stuff like the old days when everything used it. Now it seems coolant is brand/manufacturer specific and he's gonna get out of the anti-freeze market with his commercial customers because buyers are hesitant to buy the old universal green stuff for all makes of engines. I have always been a believer that stale anti-freeze in engines is worse than what type you put in to start with. Probably soft water would be fine like the old days if you were to drain it in the winter, - but who does that?! Wet sleeve engines are more prone to cavitation and corrosion with stale/out-of-date antifreeze. It's probably best to use quality, well-known brands of product and change it regularly. Don't mix chemistries.

MikeinKy · Nov 4, 2020

I used to deliver tanker truck loads of ingredients to an antifreeze factory. i noticed about five different brand labels near the bottling line. I asked if they made all those different brands. the reply was yes. when I asked what was the difference, he said the label. there were discount brands and name brands. I was told about 3 companies make all of the brands that you buy.

super99 · Nov 4, 2020

The antifreeze from Farm & Fleet is yellow. I asked Jay at Napa and showed him the container from F&F. He showed me what he had and said it would be the same formula. I bought 1 gallon, with my wife's discount it was $7.79/gal. F&F is $10.69/gallon. This only gets used in the tractors and older pickup. All the newer rigs have orange stuff from GM in them. Yes, I have a gallon of it just for them. Chris

moresmoke · Nov 4, 2020

Some of the mix with any jugs of antifreeze are simply just antifreeze, no corrosion inhibitors. That’s why you can mix them and it’s fine for a simple top
off, but not something you want to use for a flush and refill.

MarkB_MI · Nov 5, 2020

Life is too short to worry about such things. Just because there are a multitude of antifreeze formulations doesn't mean mixing them will bring on armageddon. No antifreeze manufacturer is going to produce a product that have a disastrous reaction if somebody accidentally mixes it with a different antifreeze. And if they did, they would at least put some sort of warning on the label. They don't.

Texasmark1 · Nov 6, 2020

I have purchased from Rock Auto and have enjoyed the experience; price, quality, and fast shipping.

Mixing antifreeze brands

super99

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