Excel Oils are made in USA, one of very few oils available in New Zealand from the founding country of the oil industry. The oil industry we have today has evolved from John D. Rockefeller's founding of Standard Oil Company in 1865. That company has evolved into Exxon Mobil. Other US companies followed such as Conoco in 1875 and Chevron (owners of Caltex) in 1879. The Europeans caught up in the early 20th century with Shell in 1907 and BP in 1909. Only in the last half century or so have the Asians have entered the industry, eg Petronas (Malaysia) in 1974 and more recently China's state owned (ie Chinese Communist Party owned) oil company Sinopec in 2000. The latter is major stakeholder in Singapore Lube Park from where many of New Zealand's finished oil products originate. It is curious that many of the companies sourcing their products from the Asian refineries seem a bit shy to admit the origin of their products. (Try finding "Made in Malaysia" on a Castrol label...)

Excel Oils are made in USA from American sourced ingredients. The Americans have a reputation for producing high quality products, unlike some nations which have a propensity for cutting corners. North American crude oils are widely regarded as the best in the world available in commercial quantities. They generally feature low sulphur content and very good viscosity index. Viscosity index represents the degree to which an oil thickens at low temperature and thins at high temperature. Lube oils (including Excel) use a viscosity improver additive but this weakens over time ( the molecular structure deteriorates ) degrading the performance of the lubricant in areas such as oxidation resistance, heat dissipation ability and wear prevention. Laboratory testing regularly shows Excel Oils to have a viscosity index 10% or more better than what one would normally expect for the particular type of oil. This gives many benefits - lower fuel consumption during the warm up period, faster warm up providing quicker smooth operation (particularly noticable in hydraulic oils) and better protection at high temperatures. Furthermore, the manufacturer of Excel does not scrimp on use of and quantities of expensive additives. For example, Boron is something of a 'wonder' additive ( there is another FAQ specifically devoted to Boron and it's abilities. ) In laboratory testing of Tier 4 diesel engine oils the Excel product returned about 50% more Boron than a well known OEM oil and much much more than a well known oil company oil (because the oil company oil had none!)


In the past lubricating oils were manufactured by blending base oils with various additives/improvers. These days it is more common to use an 'additive package' from a specialist additive manufacturer (who is quite likely owned by a major oil company - Exxon Mobil's Infineum and Chevron Texaco's Oronite for example.) These additives are batch tested before release to the oil manufacturers. After manufacture Excel Oils are batch tested to verify quality standards have been met before the oil is 'drummed off.' Random samples are taken in New Zealand and analysed by an independent laboratory. An unacceptable result has never been returned and in most cases the oils are found to significantly exceed their stated minimum levels.


In the virtually impossible situation of an Excel Oil causing damage due to being not up to standard Canlube has more than adequate insurance with Vero.

Absolutely! Unless you've entered into some specific agreement as to what oils are to be used Excel could be strongly argued to be a better choice than many OEM oils. Excel specialises in oil and provides products which exceed OEM requirements. For example, one major OEM extols on their website the virtues of proper viscosity. They say "oil that is too light can cause increased wear; too heavy will cause sluggish operation, lower mechanical efficiency and (poorer) fuel economy." Yet when several samples of their transmission oil were tested by an independent laboratory inconsistent results were returned and the best viscosity result at 40°C was 20% heavier than the typical Excel Agritrans result! Viscosities at 100°C were very near the same as Excel Agritrans. By comparing the viscosity results at 100°C and 40°C we can calculate the expected viscosity at other temperatures (ASTM D.341). Using this formula it was calculated that the OEM oil was a whopping 40% heavier than Excel Agritrans at a typical startup temperature of 10°C! This will cause poor oil circulation and increased fuel consumption until the transmission has warmed up. Strangely, that OEM oil is made by a well known Australian oil manufacturer who makes an oil with ok viscosity characteristics for themselves but not for the OEM!

Their 'top of the range' diesel engine oil had the same 40°C viscosity as the equivalent Excel Fleetmaster product but was over 6% thinner at 100°C. Again, using ASTM D.341 it is calculated that the OEM oil is about 9% heavier than the Excel product at 10°C. Oils for modern diesel engines are reducing the use of additives such as Phosphorous and Calcium in favour of more stable compounds such as Boron and Nitrogen. (Phosphorous and Boron are primarily used as an anti wear and extreme pressure additives and also offer oxidation suspression and rust and corrosion protection. Calcium and Nitrogen are primarily detergent/dispersant additives.) The OEM oil uses cheaper Magnesium as a dispersant which has been shown to produce quite abrasive ash. (Excel has about the same level of Calcium and had a better result in the reduction of Phosphorous.)

Zinc (or more correctly, Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate) has for many years been the 'go to' compound in the oil industry for anti wear, oxidation suppression and corrosion protection together with Phosphorous. For many years OEMs have demanded the inclusion of significant proportions of Zinc DDP in oils but one major OEM does not use it in their transmission oil. Apparently they feel that it impairs the ability of the oil to function adequately when water contamination has occurred. Their level of Phosphorous was also found to be about 1/3rd the amount normally found in transmission oils. When asked what they were using in their places their local dealer chose not to comment! (Excel Agritrans has high levels of dispersant additives and been tested to be able to withstand 0.8% (v 1% for the OEM oil) water ingestion and still pass numerous required tests.) This OEMs transmission oil also displayed inferiority to Excel Agritrans in regard to viscosity stability (9.3 cSt @ 100°C v. 9.8 for Excel. Again, using the tested viscosities at 100°C, 40°C and ASTM D.341 it was calculated that the OEM oil was 20% heavier than Excel Agritrans at 10°C.) They also had about half the resistance to acidic contamination.

Specialisation! Unless these outlets have an oil specialist on staff are you going to get the best advice? It's a bit like relying on your GP to treat your orthopaedic issues, it's a specialised field. A while ago I saw the manager of a farm supply store being interviewed on TV. "We're your one stop shop. Here you can get your fencing gear, oil for your tractor, toilet paper..." You're going to trust someone who has just sold you a pack of dunny rolls to supply the right oil for your $250k tractor? Mistakes do get made. In 2017 I encountered a situation where a machinery dealer had sold Tier 3 diesel engine oil and 46 grade hydraulic oil to a farmer for use in his tractors which included very late model Tier 4 tractors still in the warranty period. The farmer may have just asked for a drum of hydraulic oil and a drum of diesel engine oil; it would seem the machinery dealer didn't bother to ask the simple question "hydraulic oil for what?" There are several types of hydraulic oil for differing applications. And it should now be standard practice to ask a customer wanting diesel engine oil "do you have any Tier 4 engines? Or Tier 5?" 46 grade hydraulic oil typically has very little detergency/dispersancy additives (about 10% of what would typically be found in a tractor hydraulic oil and about 30% of the antiwear, extreme pressure and anti oxidation additives.) Had this farmer continued to use this oil the additives would probably have fully depleted well before the oil change interval leaving them with no additive enhanced protection. At best premature wear would have resulted; at worst seizure due depleted extreme pressure protection. The implications of using a Tier 3 oil in Tier 4 engines are too complex and varied to go into here (think potential for excess ash and oxidation, potential for premature failure of the DPF etc). At a minimum warranties would have been compromised. Excel Oils meet the performance levels required by OEMs and there is no reason why an OEM should try to evade their warranty obligations just because an Excel Oil has been used!

Canlube operates a delivery truck doing regular rounds throughout Canterbury and Marlborough. Customers are encouraged to make use of this service. (Saves freight costs and ensures that your often heavy and difficult to handle order is placed pretty much exactly where you want it, not where it was most convenient for the carrier to leave it! For urgent deliveries that cannot wait for the Canlube truck or for deliveries outside the truck's delivery area freight is usually provided at 50% of cost.

And I've heard people say "we've been using 'brand x' here for thirty years, we don't chop and change oil." If you've been using 'brand x' for thirty years you've chopped and changed oil several times! Thirty years ago the major oil companies had oil blending plants throughout New Zealand, most in Auckland but also some in Lower Hutt and Lyttelton. They've all been closed down in favour of products sourced initially from Australia and more lately from Asian blending plants. There have been several oil brand ownership changes in recent years including three of the major brands. And all have evolved their products several times.

In recent years several smaller brands have become established in New Zealand. If "engines don't like changing their type of oil" there would be a plethora of disaster stories. There have not been, end of story!

There are very few situations where aftermarket additives are anything but a waste of money. (And with potentially detrimental effects but more on that later.) For almost all given applications there would be several Excel products of varying performance. For example: most hydraulic systems use a standard AW hydraulic oil (the most commonly used is the 46 grade) but if, for example, overheating is a problem changing to a 68 grade could be a quick fix. If above average wear levels are expected Excel Powertrans (containing the very efficient anti wear additive Boron) could be substituted. There are also 'high viscosity index' hydraulic oils (which don't thin as much at high temperature and therefore remain much more stable) and sometimes automatic transmission fluid (with a very high viscosity index) could be used. These oils feature additives from specialised additive companies (who are often a subsiduary of a major oil company - Exxon Mobil's Infineum and Chevron Texaco's Oronite for example.) If these massive corporations (with their equally massive research and development budgets) cannot formulate a product that performs satisfactorily it's hardly likely that some tin pot little aftermarket additive company will be able to! (Particularly as aftermarket additives are often based on ideas the mainstream oil industry threw out decades ago!) Further, the additive packages developed by the major oil corporations are intricately balanced combinations of proven elements and a base (carrier) oil can often only carry a certain amount of additive. The addition of some third party compound will disrupt the balance and likely compete with the oil company's additive package for presence on the surface intended to be protected. (Imagine a potentially corrosive chlorinated paraffin aftermarket additive preventing a corrosion inhibitor anti wear additive such as ZincDDP from doing it's job.)


Aftermarket additives seem to fall into one of four categories but they have various features in common. In addition to using ideas the mainstream oil industry rejected decades ago most are ridiculously overpriced for such antiquated 'technology' but still sell, often due to the efforts of salespeople with enough jaw for another row of teeth performing unscientific 'smoke and mirrors' demonstrations. There are numerous internationally recognised tests to determine oil quality and performance. (ASTM D.2509 Timken ok load bearing load test, API Energy Conserving test, ASTM 4 Ball weld (bearing seizure) and scar (bearing wear) tests as just a few examples) so don't bother with the 'smoke and mirrors' demonstrations; tell consumers which (IF ANY) internationally recognised tests your additive passes. (Excel products can claim numerous such results!)


Aftermarket additives often have detrimental effects; detrimental to your machinery, detrimental to the environment or detrimental to your health and the health of your wallet. One such example would be the PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) additives. (Many would know these as Teflon type but that's a Du Pont trademark so we'll stick with referring to them as PTFE.) Du Pont developed PTFE in 1938. Sometime later aftermarket additive suppliers latched onto it. About 1980 Du Pont started refusing to sell their product to after- market additive companies. (It seems the feeling was that not only did it coat moving parts with an film that nothing wanted to stick to, it was more likely to build up on non moving parts potentially causing restricted oil flow.) The Courts in America found that Du Pont's refusal to sell the product was an unfair restraint of trade but even to this day Du Pont refuses to endorse PTFE as an oil additive. When tested using the Falex Pin & Vee Block method PTFE treated oil returned a failure load of 2500 lbs. Oils treated with Boron or Zinc DDP (commonly used in Excel Oils) returned failure loads of 4000 lbs.


Another type of aftermarket antiwear type additive would be those containing heavy metals such as lead and copper. Such elements do not biodegrade and have serious effects on our health. The mainstream oil companies developed alternatives to these many years ago. Initially Sulphur/Phosphorous and Zinc Dialkyldithiophosphate were preferred; more lately Boron and Molybdenum. Considering the way these additves work - basically continual replenishment as the oil circulates and eventual depletion - the only obvious benefit of adding more anti wear / extreme pressure additive would be to make that aspect of the oil last longer; in which case it would seem necessary to also increase the amount of detergent, anti oxidant, foam suppressor etc. However, fooling around with such properties would be a recipe for disaster; for example, the adverse effects of excess detergency are well known! This would also have to apply to Molybdenum based after market additives. When Molybdenum is used in an Excel oil it is part of a carefully balanced package. The adverse effects on personal health due to to exposure to heavy metals are so clear and well know that it is incomprehendable there should still be such products on the market in a First World country the 21st century!


Another category are the 'heavy/sticky' additives. We obtained a sample of one such additive and applied it at the recommended 10% treat rate to an Excel 15W40 oil. The results were that the viscosity of the oil became more like a 'sticky' 20W50 but our additive concentrations dropped by about 10% - that is, the aftermarket additive significantly weakened the oil in most performance areas. If you want a 20W50 buy a 20W50 but bear in mind, the heavier the viscosity of your oil the higher your fuel consumption will be, particularly if it is overly sticky. If you want an oil with lower additive concentrations buy a cheap low additive oil. About all this sticky additive seems to achieve is to give the oil greater adhesion during periods of inactivity.


Finally, the chlorinated paraffin type, often distinguishable by their light viscosity and unpleasant odour. This is another idea the mainstream oil industry rejected for automotive use half a century ago. Yes, chlorinated paraffin additives do have some extreme pressure performance properties. However, common opinion is that they can combine with moisture in the component and form hydrochloric acid. This has been referred to as 'the silent killer' going unnoticed until a component eventually fails. When stripped down it can be found to be highly corroded internally. Chlorinated paraffin is considered carcinogenic and has a strong tendency to bio-accumulate.

One must be wary that base oils can only carry a certain amount of additive, exceed this and expect something to drop out. That is why no reputable lube oil supplier will guarantee their oil when some 'pie in the sky' supplementary additive has been added.

Whilst most Excel Oil is supplied in new drums a small amount uses reconditioned drums. (Saves wastage.) The use of reconditioned drums is in itself an extra quality check. Who would check the internal condition of a new drum before filling it? (Canlube's new drums are made in America, sealed and stored indoors until due to be filled.) But every reconditioned drum filled in New Zealand is inspected by someone with a vested interest in maintaining Canlube's reputation for unquestionable quality.

As with all applications Canlube does not recommend the product to be used. The owner or operator of the equipment knows the equipment better and therefore their opinion should take primacy in what oil or grease is best. Canlube specialises in lubrication products and will offers options, generally in order of suitability and explain the features of each option thereby providing the customer with the necessary information to make the best choice.

In the case of gear driven pivot irrigators the preferred option for many oil suppliers is an automotive 85W140 gear oil. Whilst this 'does the job' Canlube feels there is a better option - tackified 320 grade industrial gear oil. 320 grade is an ISO viscosity measurement very similar to 85W140. 85W140 is an SAE measurement and equates to roughly ISO 340; the tackifier in Excelgear SP320+ gives it viscosity performance at least equivalent to 340. The extensive use of tackifiers in an automotive gear oil is not desirable due to the tendency to create 'fluid drag.' Is fluid drag going to be likely in an ultra slow moving pivot irrigator? Both 85W140 and Excelgear SP320+ contain sulfur, phosphorus and zinc phosphate to provide extreme pressure and anti wear protection. 85W140 will typically contain about 6.5% whilst Excelgear SP320+ will contain about 4.5%. It's about getting the additives to where they're needed. Automotive gear oils get there in three main ways: 'Tracking' where the worm wheel or crown wheel will pick up oil out of the bottom of the housing, carry it up and transfer it onto the worm or pinion gear and beyond. Or it can do this by 'splash' lubrication which occurs when the gearset heats up and thins the oil. This heat can also activate the additives which 'plate' components. (They do not build up because the wiping and squeezing action of a gearset removes excesses.) A pivot gearset will seldom get hot enough to provide heat activation (only in isolated occurrences of pressure generated heat) and will be very unlikely to sufficiently heat the oil enough to allow it to splash. Therefore, Canlube feels that 'tracking' is the best option - taking the oil with it's included additives as far as possible and helping it stay there providing separation of metal surfaces. This provides hydrodynamic lubrication ie, the zinc phosphate is taken to the desired area and held in that area. Excelgear SP320+ with it's enhanced tackifier will do this better than a non or only lightly tackified automotive 85W140 gear oil.

There is another perceived disadvantage with high additive content 85W140 gear oils - the sulfur used can cause pitting of yellow metals, a metal commonly used for worm wheels. It has been found that by reducing the additive content of the oil this pitting can be greatly reduced or eliminated. Despite Excelgear SP320+ containing less anti wear and extreme pressure additives than a 85W140 automotive gear oil it still achieves a Timken test score of at least 60lbs. (Typically automotive 85W140 gear oils will score at least 65lbs. But remember, in a pivot gearset more of the 85W140 will have run off compared to the tackified Excelgear SP320+.)

In keeping with Canlube's policy to provide the customer a choice of options a lightly tackified 320 grade gear oil is available as is a 220 grade. Automotive 85W140 gear oil is also stocked.

Viscosity Index (or VI) is a good indicator of oil quality and viscosity tells the viscosity performance of an oil at varying temperatures and is often expressed by the Centistoke unit of measurement. (There are others.) The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) asks that viscosity be quoted at 100 degC while the International Standards Organisation (ISO) stipulates viscosity should also be quoted at 40 degC. For example, a 46 grade hydraulic oil will have an ISO viscosity at 40 degC of 46 cSt or very close. (We are dealing with natural mineral products and slight variations are inevitable.)

Viscosity Index is a measurement of the degree of thickening of an oil at low temperature and thinning at high temperature. The higher the viscosity index the lesser the amount of fluctuation. Excel Oils are made from North American crude oils which have a higher natural viscosity index than oils from other parts of the world. For example, Excel Agritrans has a typical viscosity index in excess of 150. An Australian made OEM 'equivalent' product, when tested, was found to have a viscosity index of only 133. This poor result invites further research. By using the physically tested viscosities at 40 & 100 degC and a special mathmatical formula the fluid's viscosity at virtually any temperature can be calculated. In the case of this OEM oil it was calculated that at a typical start up temperature of 10 degC the OEM product would be a whopping 44% thicker than Excel Agritrans. This OEM's website says "an oil which is too viscous will cause sluggish operation and lower mechanical efficiency." We agree. It will also cause poor oil circulation (difficult to pump or splash) and higher fuel consumption until the oil has reached operating temperature.

With base oils refined from lower quality crudes the viscosity index may be improved by using special polymeric additives. This enables an 'ordinary' oil to look quite satisfactory when new or in the earlier stages of it's use. Unfortunately, these additives are susceptible to shearing (breakdown of the molecular structure in the critical stress areas). Over time it loses it's ability maintain the parent oil's viscosity at high temperatures. Excel oils do use VI Improvers but offer the added benefit of the natural higher viscosity index of North American sourced base oils.

Many Excel products contain nanoparticulate borates undetectable to the human eye. Nanoparticles can exhibit significantly different physical and chemical properties to their larger material counterparts. They are formed by dissolving an alkali metal borate in the presence of a metal sulfonate and succinimde dispersant forming a micro-emulsion which is then added to a base. This can be as microscopic as to form several layers between a cylinder and a liner. Most AW or EP compounds form surface films by thermal decomposition (plating) but borate films form by electrostatic attraction, with the metal surface having the opposite charge of the boron particles. This promotes a 'static cling' effect. In laboratory tests Boron has been shown to leave scratch marks on diamond!

In tests Boron has been shown to reduce gear oil temperature by up to 30 degC and fuel consumtion by 1% or more. This is achieved primarily by wear and friction reduction. (Imagine a row of soldiers, arms linked moving sideways. Behind them another similar row moving sideways in the opposite direction and another and another but with minimal contact between the rows. How is anything larger than the soldiers going to get through?) But Boron is far more than an anti wear, extreme pressure friction modifier. It also offers some detergency, anti oxidative, anti corrosive and acid neutralisation properties and is a very effective anti knock additive. It remains stable at temperatures in excess of 2000 degC. On top of all this it shows little, if any of the undesirable effects of some additives. (Phosporous can adversely effect exhaust after treatment equipment, Calcium detergent will not withstand some of the higher temperatures encountered in engines and Chlorinated Paraffins can morph into corrosive substances and should be avoided in anything other than 'total loss' application.)

Many 'competing' products do not contain Boron or, if they do it's in percentages much lower than used in Excel products.

In business there are a lot of 'snakes in the grass' eager to try copying the strong points of others. Canlube has (through a deep knowledge of the oil industry) established a relationship with a company that offers great service and higher than usual quality. No, I'm not going to tell would be competitors who it is. (Imagine if YOU stumbled onto a supplier of higher than usual quality, would you tell the world who it is?)