Synthetic Oil Cost

didn't want to HiJack the previous thread.

What Synthetic Oil is the best bang for the buck? Walmart, TC, almost everybody is selling Synthetic Oil, which one is good and cheap?

Bill

my vehicle oil is always castrol, since i been driving. mobil would be my 2nd choice so i would go the same way if i took synthetic. dont know about the cheap part.

All our ford f 150s for the past 10 + years are on Mobil One synthetic and have had absolutely no oil related engine problems in the last years. Sometimes cheap is not best in the long run.

Nearly any oil these days will do the trick. Keeping up with maintenance is key for any engine. Some people have stuck to one brand and have not had issues. Tough to say that oil is best, without 10 other people running 10 other oils under the same exact conditions over a life time.

.........provided the oil meets the specs of the OEM engine builder.

$40 For synthetic oil change at Cadillac dealer. Not sure, guessing it's valvoline. Doesn't use a drop of oil and oil stays clean looking between oil Changes, about every 6k. Owner's manual says use full synthetic.

Dealer will do all service work while car is under warranty.

After warranty, I'll check out Rural King synthetic oil.

My independent shop swears by Castrol. I use synthetic in the Merks.

Vito

jm. Same here. I've run my F150, (5.4), on 5w20 Mobil 1 since it run out of warranty. 300,000 + miles and still runs like a new one. gm

I do also. It’s at the top!

I am running Mobile 1 in the Ram, 172,000.0 and it has never used a drop of oil.

lots of ifs ands butts...

depends on age, engine, type, etc..

Older vehicles a 15w40 or even better a 5w-40

newer autos like a 5w20..for better mpgs due to the parasitic drag of the thicker oil film barriers.

and yes, "wally world" usually is cheapest around here.

Costco's house brand, Kirkland Signature, full-synthetic motor oil sells for under $US 3 a quart; it's sold in boxes holding two 5 quart jugs.

NAPA brand synthetic, when it's on sale, is the best priced oil that I've found. NAPA brand is distributed by Ashland Oil, the folks who make Valvoline.
BillL

My newer expensive vehicles get Mobil 1. Ran an 01 Focus 400K miles with it. Would still be running it if the rust hadn't eaten it up.

My beaters and lawnmowers get the full synthetic Rural King house brand...$13.99 for a 5qt jug. No known issues with it for me.

My Massey 398 with a turbo (gets used in the winter feeding hay) gets Mobil Synthetic 5W-40.

Other tractors get 15W40 conventional. Usually Mobil, 'cause a couple times a year Mobil has rebates, and I stock up.

Fred

For years NAPA sold their synthetic for $3 per quart. It was by far the best bang for the buck. Last year they raised it to $7 per quart, so for that price Id rather buy name brand. Walmart brand is a little cheaper, and probably about the same stuff.

In the summer, my Duramax gets either Rotella T5 or Delo 400 XLE in 15W-40. These are semi-synthetics and one or the other is usually on sale at Wally World. In the winter I switch to full-synthetic Rotella T6 in 5W-40. I try to find it on sale but usually it's not.

For the gas engines, I use whatever Mobil 1 is cheapest and has Dexos certification. Usually Wally World has the best price.

Yes, I could get cheaper oil. But the incremental cost between store-brand oil and name-brand oil isn't much when you consider the potential cost of a premature overhaul.

When you combine Good PLUS Cheap it could limit choices lol. Despite higher costs, in my (past farmer and used truck n tractor dealer) opinion synthetic is superior and I have switched to it and am never looking back. I consider frequent synthetic oil changes to be one of the best and cheapest forms of maintenance out there.

That's ONLY my opinion others are different I'm sure. Asking what oil or spark plugs are best draws as many varied opinions as an Electrical or Legal or even nowadays Health questions lol

God Bless America, keep her free strong and great

John T

Have 96 dodge 3500 with 188,000 miles. Owned since 98. Have always used Rotella T6. As I don't put many miles on it 5000 - 6000 a year I change every fall. Last fall's oil sample test indicated "It appears this was an early oil change". I'll keep running Rotella and drain in fall just to please me.

as I've mentioned before.

to know if it is really a good oil or not you need to look at its addative packages. Yes 1st look to see if its API rated and meets the minimums for you engine (car/truck/tractor). THen get the specs on the oil. the total base number (TBN) is a good one to look for. the higher the TBN the better the additives and the better the life of the oil, conventional or synthetic. THe higher quality oils like AMSOIL's DME diesel oils and their higher end Signature series have a TBN of 12 or more. Mobil 1 is about the same. other oils may be much much lower. THen see if there are any wear tests out there comparing oils. then from all that data pick the best one then start shopping around for the best price. Just because XZY company makes it doesn't mean its good (or bad). you've got to look at the data.

also not all synthetic oils are the same. there are group 3 and group 4 oils. AMSOILs signature series is a group 4 as is Modbil 1 (might have changed??) and maybe castrol edge. some of the NAPA and castrols syntec synthetic oils are group 3 as is AMSOILs XL and OE series oils. THose can still be very good oils with the right additive packages as well.

there are also group 5 oils but those are stupid high $$

(quoted from post at 20:46:31 02/14/21) Costco's house brand, Kirkland Signature, full-synthetic motor oil sells for under $US 3 a quart; it's sold in boxes holding two 5 quart jugs.

Click to expand...

Yes, paid $21.99 the other day for a box containing two 5 quart jugs.

Rich