Through watching a lot of video's and reading online, I'm curious to know what
Oil you guys prefer and choose for use on motors, tape recorders, radio's etc etc.
A lot of guys use and recommend 3 in 1 brand motor oil SAE 20, which doesn't seem
to be readily available here in Australia.
Meanwhile, I have always basically used the 2 in 1 Sewing Machine oil that can be purchased
in any supermarket, but a lot of guys say not to use it.
I've never had any issue with it, but what stuff would you guys recommend to use that's premium?
Cheers, Rick

One does not use Motor oil. Most motor oils are designed to pick up water. That's why if you use it to make 2 stroke fuel it will eventually go white & become non combustible in the engine.

That's why one uses oil like automatic transmission fluid, sewing machine oil & others that do not contain the detergents etc. which pick up water.

Sewing machine oil is fine for most purposes. The only special oil I use is Hammond Oil for lubricating organ tonewheels.

Yeah GTC, I have not found any trouble in my limited experience using 'sewing machine oil',
but a lot of so called 'experts' say not to use it.
That's why I was curious to ask the 'real' experts on their thoughts.

Re: Transmission Oil,

I have a full container which I purchased many years ago for an old Holden. What exactly is it, can I use it as a general purpose
machine oil, and is it toxic? Rephrase the last line: ---is it 'more' toxic than other automobile oil?

I hate seeing it in the shed "doing nothing" and want to use it, I just don't know where or how, my vehicles now are manual gearbox.
Is it high temp. grading?

As for sewing machine oil, I use it often and never had problems with it. It has been with us such a long time and still popular, and it's
probably one of few good items that manufacturers haven't been able to 'improve' (read 'stuff up') so far.

Automatic transmission fluid is both a high temperature lubricant and a hydraulic fluid. Your torque converter (a type of clutch) is filled with it under pressure when you accelerate and this moves the car along. I suppose it'd be okay to use as a general lubricant but you'd be better off by using sewing machine oil. Automatic transmission fluid smells horrible.

Sewing machine oil is very light which means you don't need a lot of it and it will soak into bushes and bearings a lot quicker than other types of oil and it doesn't have a noticeable smell.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Very good. Well explained and concise.

Many thanks,

G.

QUOTE: Sewing machine oil is very light which means you don't need a lot of it and it will soak into bushes and bearings a lot quicker

That's for sure, may be only 5 or 10wt.

A really good, but expensive, oil for motors etc. is 'compressor oil'. You can get it from old removed air conditioner compressors by inverting them & draining into bottle, you'll be doing an environmental good deed at the same time!