Competitive
comparison: AMSOIL vs. Mobil 1
They Say Nothing Outperforms Mobil 1? Wrong!
AMSOIL INC. set out to examine the specifics of the overly broad
“Nothing Outperforms...” Mobil claim. AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
(ASL) and Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil were analyzed in five key
bench tests measuring motor oil performance: NOACK volatility,
flash/fire point, pour point, four ball wear and total base number (TBN).
As shown in the charts below, AMSOIL outperformed Mobil 1 in all five
areas.
NOACK Volatility
The NOACK Volatility Test determines the evaporation loss of
lubricants in high-temperature service. The more motor oils vaporize,
the thicker and heavier they become, contributing to poor circulation,
reduced fuel economy, increased oil consumption and excessive wear and
emissions. A maximum of 15 percent evaporation loss is allowable to
meet the API SL and ILSAC GF-3 specifications. As shown in the graph,
AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil lost an extremely low 4.9 percent of
its original weight during high-temperature service, maintaining its
superior protective and performance qualities,while Mobil 1 SuperSyn
5W-30 Motor Oil lost 9.17 percent of its original weight.
Four Ball Wear
The Four Ball Wear Test determines the wear protection properties of a
lubricant by measuring the wear scars produced by four metal balls in
sliding contact under the test parameters. The smaller the average
wear scar, the better the wear protection provided by the lubricant.
As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil completed the
Four Ball Wear Test producing a smaller wear scar than the Mobil 1
SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.
Flash/Fire Point
The Flash/Fire Point Test determines the lowest temperatures at which
application of a flame will cause lubricant vapors to ignite (flash
point) and sustain burning for five seconds (fire point). Lubricants
with higher flash and fire points exhibit more stable volatility
characteristics and are safer to use and transport. As shown in the
graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil has higher flash and fire
points than does Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.
Pour Point
The Pour Point Test determines the lowest temperature at which a
lubricant flows.The lower a lubricant’s pour point,the better
protection it provides in low-temperature service.As shown in the
graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil has a lower pour point than
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.
Total Base Number
Total Base Number (TBN) is the measurement of a lubricant’s reserve
alkalinity. The higher a motor oil’s TBN, the more effective it is in
handling contaminants and reducing the corrosive effects of acids for
an extended period of time. As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30
Synthetic Motor Oil has a higher TBN than Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor
Oil.
Mobil will not recommend or guarantee 25,000 mile/1-year drain
intervals like AMSOIL 5W-30, 10W-30 or 10W-40 or 35,000 mile/1-year
drain intervals like AMSOIL 0W-30 Severe Service Synthetic does and
that is a fact. No-where on the Mobil bottle does it state 25,000
miles/1-year or 35,000 miles/1-year.
Mobil 1 has run the tag line for their advertising stating "nothing
outperforms Mobil 1". Mobil makes a good oil, but I'm here to tell you
that it does not outperform Amsoil Synthetic Oils. They can come out
with all the catchy advertising buzz words to market their oils, but
in the final analysis, buzz words don't add one thing to their
product's performance. The only reason Amsoil has continued to grow
and prosper competing with large corporations like Mobil is that
AMSOIL products have consistently performed better.
Here's a special excerpt from A.J. Amaturio, President of AMSOIL, as
written in the monthly AMSOIL Action News magazine to all AMSOIL
Dealers regarding AMSOIL and Mobil 1:
"As most of you are aware. Mobil 1 was introduced after AMSOIL had
paved the way for synthetic motor oils back in the '70's. When it was
introduced it cased great concern among many of our Dealers. But in my
Presidents Message at the time, I assured everyone that having Mobil 1
on the market would only help us sell more oil. Mobil confirmed
everything we had been saying about synthetic oils, and our products
and claims instantly became more credible.
Since then, we have always been compared to Mobil 1.
When people think of synthetic motor oil, they think of Amsoil and
Mobil 1, not the other brands that have come on the market more recently.
I have always said that Mobil 1 is a good motor oil, because compared
to the run-of-the-mill motor oils on the market, it is. I have also
always said that AMSOIL motor oil is better, again, because it is.
Mobil makes their oils to run at normal drain intervals while we make
ours for extended drain intervals, and therein lies the difference.
Their oils don't have to be as good as ours, so they are not.
To prove that point, we ran a number of comparative tests on our 5W-30
and Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30. The test results are published in this
Action News, and they confirm what I have been saying all along.
AMSOIL makes a better motor oil.
These test results show significant differences between the oils. Look
at the results of the NOACK Volatility Test. Which synthetic oil is
going to last longer in service? Look at the difference in Total Base
Numbers. Again, which oil is going to provide the longest lasting
protection? Look at the Four Ball Wear Test. Which oil will protect
against engine wear better? In every category we tested, Amsoil proved
superior. Lower pour point, higher flash and fire points, AMSOIL
tested best.
So when I hear claims that nothing outperforms Mobil 1, I have to say
"wrong!". They may have good slogans and marketing hype, but when it
comes to superior performance, I say nothing beats AMSOIL!"
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