# What is the straight dope on Amsoil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966 "2009-08-01T08:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/41 "2010-10-08T17:02:09Z")
> [@mcopeman](#): > > Where I live in Alberta, we pay $10 or so for a liter of Mobil1… so there is a discount for the preferred customer at Amsoil, I paid 6.35 a liter and it saves money when you add up 2 cases of oil plus filters. 3.65 x 24 = 87.60 just for oil. Its just away to save a few bucks. > Cheers, Mike. Or you could just get a store brand full-synthetic for less than 5 bucks and not have to pay for Mobil 1’s marketing budget or Amsoil’s pyramid of shills. ---
**Author:** ![mcopeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mcopeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcopeman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/42 "2010-10-10T04:00:34Z")
I am down in AZ for awhile, what stores have house brand synthetics ? For under $ 5 a quart I am very interested. Are the house brand filters OK or do you recommend another brand ? Cheers, Mike. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/43 "2010-10-10T04:38:51Z")
> [@mcopeman](#): > > I am down in AZ for awhile, what stores have house brand synthetics ? For under $ 5 a quart I am very interested. Are the house brand filters OK or do you recommend another brand ? > Cheers, Mike. The one I was thinking of was O’Reilly’s which sells their full-synthetic for $4.80 last time I was in. I think NAPA’s is about the same. Of course, Wal-Mart sells a full-synthetic oil for something ridiculous like 12.00 for a 5-quart jug, which works out to less than 3 bucks a quart. I’ve always used the cheapest filter available and never had an oil-related problem. IMHO, the filter is overkill past the break-in period and so long as it’s not so shoddily constructed it’ll fall off the car or is lacking a relief valve or anti-drainback valve, it’ll be fine. This should describe any filter you’ll find in a reputable store (I’ll leave it to you to decide if Wal-Mart is reputable). ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/44 "2010-10-11T04:36:00Z")
One thing you must remember about motor oils: one quart of the most expensive synthetic and one quart of the cheapest store brand conventional both get dirty at the same rate. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Vining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c67d28/32.png) [@Lee\_Vining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Vining)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/45 "2010-10-11T11:43:42Z")
Snake Oil IMHO. Consumer Reports tests oils from time to time and says their is no difference between them other than the sales pitch. Ya dance with who brung ya and use the oil the MFG suggested. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/46 "2010-10-11T13:36:31Z")
What about the filters? Modern engines generate very little particulate contamination, and sludge is minimal. Could you get by with less frequent filter changes? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966/47 "2010-10-21T09:51:12Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > One thing you must remember about motor oils: > > one quart of the most expensive synthetic and one quart of the cheapest store brand conventional both get dirty at the same rate. one more thing you must remember about motor oils: contamination is one factor in determining when a motor oil needs to be changed. another is breakdown of the additive package. **ricklarge,** if you want to know why people think Amsoil is a scam, it’s because nobody can so much as breathe the word “Amsoil” without people like you descending on them like rabid pack animals. It gives off whiffs of Amway crazies or Scientologists, and makes people want to avoid whatever it is you’re shilling out of spite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-amsoil/504966.md?page=2)