Using old Maxima Super M oil

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501Maico

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I have an unopened 2 quart bottle of this oil left over from my KTM dirt bike. The oil is around 10 years old and has been stored in a hot/cold barn for most of those years. Maxima guarantees a 2 year shelf life and to pour out and look at it after 2 years. It's ester based and to my knowledge I have never used an ester base oil and I'm not familiar with its storage properties. I also have another open 1/4 full 2 quart bottle that I have been using in my string trimmer and worn out Poulan saws without any problems. I recently bought 3 new saws and "new" is a first for me. Should I take a chance and use the unopened container in my new saws or just discard it? It's not a money thing but I have been brought up to not waste and it's really bugging me. How about a little at a time in a vehicle crankcase? I have 2 oldies that use oil.
 
With these types of questions, one should ask: "Am I willing to risk a $1,000 saw to save a few $$ on oil?"

Our Boy Scout Troop (in Texas) had a Sears Crapsman chainsaw in the trailer. On one camping trip with the boys, we needed some firewood -- so one of the Scout leaders filled the saw with no-name cheap-O oil in the gas and then ran the saw to cut up some wood. Yup...he fried the saw after 15 to 20 minutes. Now, we didn't do a post-mortem to determine if the cheap-O oil was the culprit, but it was likely a contributor. Yes, the saw was a Crapsman (made in China). Yes, the dude used TC-W3 no-name oil. Yes, I know that TC-W3 is for water-cooled 2-cycle engines. But the incident has stayed with me. As such, I won't "step over dollars to pick up pennies".

JQ
 
I gave my son a Poulan wild thing about25+ years ago. He cut a ranch house sized brush pile using it. Using left over 2t super m from his dirtbikes. When he started cutting brush on my camp I got him a new husky 460 and gave him a good 570. Soon after he got a new 390.
 
I would run it with zero reservations.
Glad to see you posting in this thread. I'm close to the same thoughts but as long as I can use it for other purposes I'm good to go. The open container is gone used as bar oil. I did notice a very pungent smell but I can't remember what new smelled like. Could it be old organics in the ester base?
 
Glad to see you posting in this thread. I'm close to the same thoughts but as long as I can use it for other purposes I'm good to go. The open container is gone used as bar oil. I did notice a very pungent smell but I can't remember what new smelled like. Could it be old organics in the ester base?
Probaly amine based dispersent that's what usually causes that sort of odor.
 
Probaly amine based dispersent that's what usually causes that sort of odor.
One other thing. Super M isn't ester based. Its an ester/ mineral blend.
Provided it was unopened you don't have a thing to worry about. Even if it was unsealed I would pour some in a glass jar and make sure it wasn't clumpy. If it wasn't I'd run it.
Back in the late nineties I ran a bunch of %
Golden Spectro from the 70's through my dirt bike. Never missed a beat.
 
One other thing. Super M isn't ester based. Its an ester/ mineral blend.
Provided it was unopened you don't have a thing to worry about. Even if it was unsealed I would pour some in a glass jar and make sure it wasn't clumpy. If it wasn't I'd run it.
Back in the late nineties I ran a bunch of %
Golden Spectro from the 70's through my dirt bike. Never missed a beat.
Pouring and looking is what Maxima recommends after 2 years as a blanket statement on all of their oils. I couldn't find anything specific on Super M.
I was a Blendzall guy. It came in a green and white metal can that needed a can opener or screwdriver to open. At some point I switched over to Golden Spectro. I just went downstairs and actually found a bottle of it.

PB290068.JPG
 
Pouring and looking is what Maxima recommends after 2 years as a blanket statement on all of their oils. I couldn't find anything specific on Super M.
I was a Blendzall guy. It came in a green and white metal can that needed a can opener or screwdriver to open. At some point I switched over to Golden Spectro. I just went downstairs and actually found a bottle of it.

View attachment 944805
The Golden spectro I used up was in 1 quart steel can that was colored blue and gold. It had sat in a barn for decades.
 
At least pour it into a glass and look to see if its consistent looking.
The opened jug looked fine. Haven't opened the sealed one yet but I'm sure it would be OK too. BTW, I have spent many hours hitting trees and getting torn up in the pine barrens. Loved every minute of it too! :heart:
 
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