Rotella CI-4..Buy or Pass??

[jjack]

Heres the deal. i walked in a rural parts house today near my home and sitting in the middle of the floor is 30 cases of Rotella CI-4 15-40 (12 qts/case or 3 gallons). I happen to know the guy who runs the joint and he made me a cash offer of $27/case as many or as few as a want. I am seriously considering going back tomorrow to buy 15 cases. That should take me to somewhere around the 150,000 mile mark. Should I buy or pass?

 

[Nate]

I just changed the oil in my truck last weekend and it was a bit under $9 a gallon for Rotella, CJ-4 though.

I just was thinking you aren't getting a deal with $27 a case. I didn't realize that Rotella came in quarts even. Talk about a pain opening and draining 12 quarts!

CJ-4 has been out long enough now that I would imagine you'd hear the horror stories if it was bad compared to the CI-4.

 

[DHuffman]

That's not a great deal... Sam's Club here still has CI-4 for $52/6 gal.

Same price for Delo400 in the CI-4 spec...

If you don't have a Sam's Club, then maybe that is a good buy...

Later

 

[roperteacher]

Read the front page of TDR site. . there is lots of good info on these new oils etc. . I am going to Use the Valvolene Premium Blue and it is now CJ4. If I am reading it correctly, these oils do just a good of a job with NORMAL drain intervals, it's the guys looking for the EXTENDED intervals that the CJ4 oils are not holding up because of additive packages etc????

 

[jjack]

Read the front page of TDR site. . there is lots of good info on these new oils etc. . I am going to Use the Valvolene Premium Blue and it is now CJ4. If I am reading it correctly, these oils do just a good of a job with NORMAL drain intervals, it's the guys looking for the EXTENDED intervals that the CJ4 oils are not holding up because of additive packages etc????

I think you need to go read the front page again. They specifically say that valvolene is the least favorite of the CJ-4 rated oils tested. Read a little further down the page and you will see a statement that sugggests that one might want to stockpile CI-4 rated oils. I am no disputing your claim one way or another but the source you used is directly contradicting what you say.

 

[rbattelle]

Should I buy or pass?

Shoot, I'd buy as many cases as I could store!



I'm so upset that Valvoline PB CI-4 is gone...



Ryan

 

[jjack]

I could store them all with no problem and $27case for an oil that we all know works and works well and that is no longer being produced is not that bad of a price and I can afford to pay the cash for 15 to 20 cases. The point of me asking this question was to get some varying opinons from the membership on wether or not my money would be well spent. Lets face it, I wil have to buy some type of oil at some point anyway and I don't see it get any cheaper regardless of the rating. The fact is that the CJ-4 has no long term data other than at this point it lacks the addiditives that the CI-4 and CI-4plus oils had. But, as Roperteacher has shown me, people will have varying opions based on what oil they have access to or feel like they want to use and will misrepresent their sources in an effort to support their analysis.



So regardless of the remaining repsonses to the question I have raised I think I will go ahead and buy 15 to20 cases of the proven product that I know from past experiences in my previous 2 trucks that I can run 20,000 without a drain with my bypass setup. If anyone wants some CI-4 Rotella CI-4 I know where it is. After tomorrow there will be at least 30 gallons in qts. and 15/5gallon buckets.

 

[jjack]

I could store them all with no problem and $27case for an oil that we all know works and works well and that is no longer being produced is not that bad of a price and I can afford to pay the cash for 15 to 20 cases. The point of me asking this question was to get some varying opinons from the membership on wether or not my money would be well spent. Lets face it, I wil have to buy some type of oil at some point anyway and I don't see it get any cheaper regardless of the rating. The fact is that the CJ-4 has no long term data other than at this point it lacks the addiditives that the CI-4 and CI-4plus oils had. But, as Roperteacher has shown me, people will have varying opions based on what oil they have access to or feel like they want to use and will misrepresent their sources in an effort to support their analysis.



So regardless of the remaining repsonses to the question I have raised I think I will go ahead and buy 15 to20 cases of the proven product that I know from past experiences in my previous 2 trucks that I can run 20,000 without a drain with my bypass setup. If anyone wants some CI-4 Rotella CI-4 I know where it is. After tomorrow there will be at least 30 gallons in qts. and 15/5gallon buckets.

 

[JHardwick]

I just recently posted a sample analysis with CJ-4 oil compared to my other 5 or 6 CI-4+ samples.



I'll be running 20,000 on this CJ-4 fill.

 

[roperteacher]

If Valvolene premium blue is so bad then why does Cummins endorse it? The only motor oil I have seen Specifically with the cummins endorsement right on the bottle??? Just curious. . thanks! I need to get an answer and I am going to be changing my oil relatively soon to get my breakin oil out of my new engine. . thanks!

 

[PGreenleaf]

To much money. I buy 55 gal drum from Sams and the last one figgerd out to $1. 20 a qt.

 

[jjack]

To much money. I buy 55 gal drum from Sams and the last one figgerd out to $1. 20 a qt.

Sure, oil generally is cheaper per qt. when you by a drum of it but it is a little hard for me to hold that drum up on my shoulder while I pour 3 gallons into the funnel stuck in the valve cover.

 

[jjdiesel]

Sure, oil generally is cheaper per qt. when you by a drum of it but it is a little hard for me to hold that drum up on my shoulder while I pour 3 gallons into the funnel stuck in the valve cover.

:-laf That's good.

 

[JMobley]

sure you can hold that drum up and try to hit the hole. but i do it the easy way. i got a hand crank and pump it in a gallon jug and then put it in my truck. I"ve been puchasing that same drum for years. It will last me for about two years.



2007 3500 6. 7 drw 4x4 ho 6spd 3. 73 red

 

[jjack]

sure you can hold that drum up and try to hit the hole. but i do it the easy way. i got a hand crank and pump it in a gallon jug and then put it in my truck. I"ve been puchasing that same drum for years. It will last me for about two years.



2007 3500 6. 7 drw 4x4 ho 6spd 3. 73 red

I was just being a smart@#$ about it but if I buy a $50 hand pump (and I suspect that is probably a conservative price) than that puts my first drum of oil at well of $2/qt plus the inconvenience (for me anyway) of having to deal with loading/unloading a 500lb drum and since I will only go through abut 10 to 12 gallons a year it is not nearly as practical for the average guy as the smaller containers. Not all of us farm or run heavy equipment/trucks and have a need for 25+ gallons a year.

 

[JMobley]

I'm just tring to save money any way i can,because of the high price of diesel and a hand pump cost about $20. it is something to deal with if you don"t have a way to unload it. i got a small farm tractor and a truck to change oil in. I use maybe 15 to 18 gallons a year. so having that drum I saves me time and money.



2007 3500 6. 7 drw 4x4HO 6spd