STP brand oil any good?

[atvmax99 3]

I change oil every season in my Kohler Magnum 12 and have always used Pennzoil 30W.  I've owned this tractor for 17 years and the previous owner another 11 or 12 years (I don't know the year of manufacture).  Anyway Walmart didn't carry straight weight oil and Autozone only sold 30W in STP brand oil.  Has anyone had any experience in using STP oil and is it any good?

This engine runs beautifully and obviously I want to keep it that way and I'm a bit apprehensive about this oil.  I haven't used it and I can still take it back and try to hunt down Pennzoil but I'll run it if it gets some "positive" endorsements!

 

The engine has 1279 running hours.

[953 nut 55,324]

         If it is good enough for the King it is good enough for me!

[atvmax99 3]

3 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

         If it is good enough for the King it is good enough for me!

 

LOL!

 

If it were a fact that they are using STP oil in NASCAR engines, then a lawn mower engine should be fine I would say!

 

[squonk 41,158]

I don't even know who makes oil for STP. I know Napa sells 30W oil as Napa oil but it's made by the same company that makes Valvoline. (Ashland Oil) Personally I use Shell Rotella 30W when I can find it on sale. I stock up when I do.  I do use STP Oil treatment cut with a little Lucas Oil supplement and a little gear oil in my Power King transmission.

[dcrage 628]

I can not believe the manufacturer of the oil in our machines is really going to matter. Oil being there sure. Regular oil changes maybe although I test that all the time. I do make sure the oil is full. 

[KC9KAS 4,741]

Would Andy Granatelli steer you wrong?

[squonk 41,158]

1 hour ago, KC9KAS said:

Would Andy Granatelli steer you wrong?

 

1 hour ago, KC9KAS said:

Would Andy Granatelli steer you wrong?

He'd make you an offer you couldn't refuse! 

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,326]

@atvmax99Advance Auto sells the Shell  Rotella 30W and I have been using it for years . I did not know the STP branded products were still around.

[Tim.0 39]

I use a api sn rated oil or one of the latest API rated oils. I change oil at the specified intervals. I think the last oil I bought was oriellys because it was convenient and bought the cheaper 30 wt api sn rated detergent. The difference Im sure is going to be the additives. I am not as concerned who makes the oil for my mowers and tractors as it must have the API ratings I am looking for and it is changed when needed. Cars and trucks I run Mobil 1.

SN is the latest api rating.   some of these mowers I'm sure were using the older api rated oil because that what was on the market when these tractors (mowers) were made

 

As a side note I did see a special on tv or some media station and it was year or 2,3 ago , but some stores ( whatever the specific name was ? doesn't matter) was selling older obsolete  API certified oil which did not meet the demands of the new engines. Yes some people had some serious engine problems because they did not look at the API rating and or did not know what the API rating is used for.

https://www.rymax-lubricants.com/news/api-specification-this-is-how-it-works/

Just my 2 cents and I am not looking to get into any oil debate

Thanks

[Digger 66 3,485]

10 hours ago, dcrage said:

I can not believe the manufacturer of the oil in our machines is really going to matter.

 

X-2 ^ 

[6bg6ga 272]

Digger 66 hit the nail on the head. As much as we prize our little engines the brand of oil isn't going to matter. STP does extensive advertising and you the consumer are the person footing the bill thru higher prices on the shelf which in turn pays for the racing teams that you follow. When I was a kid there was re-refined oil and that was what you stayed away from.

 

The main thing the thing people usually forget it the need to change that oil in the machine regularly and on time if not sooner. If it calls for an oil change at say 25 hours do it a little sooner. Not a fan of the muiti weights for the little engines. The theory behind these is they are thinner when cold allowing better circulation. In all actuality all oil is thicker when cold and thinner when hot and not vise versa like they claim with mulit weight oils.

 

I use Mobile one in the Cadillac simple because they recommend it. I switched to Mobile One in the GMC Envoy for several reasons. First it allowed me to keep one oil on my shelf and secondly on the recommendations of other owners that had changed. My mileage went up 2 mi per gallon over the oil I had been using meaning lower friction.

 

Oil of 30 weight oil is probably the best way to go on our prized engines for most areas of the country. When facing colder weather again one should consult the manufacturers recommendations for the weight of oil recommended.

[rmaynard 15,515]

Back in the early 1970's, I was terrible about changing oil in my car. I had a 1967 VW that I would change the oil about every 15,000 miles when 3,000 was recommended. Then came STP with their unheard-of "15,000 miles between changes" advertising. So when I did my "final" oil change, I used STP. I figured that I would never have to do an oil change again for as long as I had the car. Traded it in in 1971 and it was still running strong. I guess that says something about STP.

 

 

FYI, I have changed. I now use Mobil 1 and change my oil every 7,500 miles as recommended.

 

As far as the horses you might ask? Once a year with straight 30W non-detergent oil in all the slingers, and 10W-30 detergent oil in anything with a pump and filter.

 

Given the choice, I would not hesitate to use STP oil in my Wheel Horses.

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2017 by rmaynard

[atvmax99 3]

Ok, I'm satisfied that it's a non issue...STP it is!

 

Thanks for the input guys!

[pacer 3,173]

I'm also in the "it really doesnt matter" camp - since these engines were manufactured some 30-50 years ago oils have changed dramatically. Just think of the recommended oil changes in the new vehicles how they have increased. I do use a straight 30 wt in the slinger engines and multi grade in the pumpers - as mentioned earlier.