New WD40 products.

[Yorkie]

When I say 'new' I mean that they're new to me.

I've said before that I've never been a fan of WD40 which I think is over-hyped as a product that can be used in all sorts of ways that were never intended (as a water displacement product). Useless for easing stuck screws as it isn't and never was intended to be, a penetrating fluid, which needs to have low suface tension and viscosity - not qualities that WD40 has. It also leaves a residue, which is fine for its original purpose, but not for anything on radios. OK for squeaky hinges and oiling garden shears etc, but not a lot else. I guess that the claims that are made for it's supposed many uses are a way of expanding the volume of sales. Another way is to expand the range of products, building on the strength of the brand name, and maybe that's what WD40 are doing?

I was in Screwfix this morning and spotted four WD40 products which I hadn't seen before. Namely, lithium grease, degreaser, silicone lubricant, and perhaps most relevant to us, contact cleaner, the claims for which are that it will: 'clean oil, dirt, flux residue and condensation from sensitive electronic equipment'.

The degreaser comes in a 500mL aerosol can, the others in 400mL cans. Apart from the lithium grease, the other three have the handy integral fold-down straw. They all cost £6.39 at Screwfix, which claims that this price is 20% off.

The slicone grease should be quite useful - I use Servisol silicone grease for all sorts of little jobs including on curtain rails as well as tuning cap bearings.

Be interesting to see how these products take-off.

[pwdrive]

I have to disagree David, I find that WD40 is a can of good all round stuff, I have always carried a can of it around in my vehicle for years, wouldn't be without it, yes there are are better penetrating fluids around and better misc. other fluids around, question is how many can my Landrover hold and how many of them do I actually need..
Just about every seized nut and bolt I ever came across on the vehicle (there have been some real nasties) have been undone by using WD40 or WD40 with a combination of heat, also aids to fire lighting if needed down the woods.

Lawrence.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks David for bringing these "new" products to our attention.

I use WD40 but I'm not really a fan of it because it can play havoc in a small workshop where cabinet re-finishing is carried out; the over-spray tends to travel further than one would expect.

Kind regards, Col.

[Yorkie]

I'd agree that WD40 is better than nothing, and like most households, we have cans of the stuff in several places - heck, I've even got a WD40 radio! I like the new can with the folding spout - long overdue and a neat innovation.

But I've lost count of how many posts I've read in forums from people who have said 'I've left it soaking overnight in WD40 and it won't budge'. Of course it won't - it isn't and never was designed to be a penetrating fluid - it's for water displacement and to leave a film on the surface to repel water. It's good at doing that, but it's not very effective at penetrating deep into threads simply due to its make-up - its viscosity is too high. For that, purpose-designed penetrating fluid like Plus Gas or Penol is called for.

I'm pleased that they've branched out into producing other products rather than selling WD40 as some kind of 'snake oil' miracle cure and the mythology that's grown up around it. (There are those who even swear by it for medicinal purposes - massaging arthritic knees and such like. I guess the dermatitis that ensues takes their mind off the pain!

Even WD40 themselves now seem to know and admit that the game is up. If WD40 is so effective and freeing up seized nuts and bolts, (as compared to using proper penetrating fluid), why then have they brought out a Rust Release Penetrating Spray? I think we know the answer. They proclaim:

“Need to loosen rusted parts? WD-40® Specialist® Rust Release Penetrant Spray penetrates rust 50% faster than the leading competitor”. If you read what the test consisted of, it’s not very convincing. (IE, how long it took for the products to climb 2cms up a nail compared to a a competitor product). Errm hello? Hardly an objective scientific test, but the mere fact that they’ve now brought out a penetrating fluid rather suggests a tacit admission that the ‘one size fits all’ product has over-promised and under-delivered:

http://www.wd40specialist.com/

There’s an interesting article from Popular Mechanics which ran some trials with WD40 up against proper penetrating oils. Here’s a quote:

One of the more dispiriting facts of consumer life is that panaceas don’t routinely live up to their promises. Sure, sometimes you get penicillin, a product that needs no introduction, but other times you get Dr. Ebeneezer Sibley’s Reanimating Solar Tincture, an elixir alleged to restore life in the event of sudden death.

And then there’s WD-40, a putative fix-all that boasts uses ranging from driving moisture from a flooded motor to killing roaches to breaking in baseball gloves to reviving drowned cellphones. Such is its pop-cultural ubiquity that it even co-stars in a well-known handyman apothegm: “If it moves and it shouldn’t, you need duct tape. If it doesn’t move and it should, you need WD-40."

But is WD-40 really toolbox penicillin? Or is it the snake oil of lubricants?

To find out, we culled various products recommended for use in five common DIY jobs and pitted them against WD-40.


Read more: WD-40 Oil Alternatives - The Case Against WD-40 - Popular Mechanics

End quote.

Not trying to start an argument Lawrence – just agreeing to disagree.

WD40 is a strong and highly regarded brand, and even has its own fan club so I'm sure that these new products will do well, though of course to an extent, they will cannibalise the sales volume of WD40 because more of the other purpose-designed products being used, means less usage of the basic WD40. It will be a bit confusing now, because the basic WD40 will be the only product in the WD40 expanded range that has no name other than the WD40 brand name, which is now being stretched. Maybe they should rename the basic product 'snake oil?

[pwdrive]

No worries David, as I said better penetrating fluids are around, for the vehicle the jack of all cans is ok for me.

Lawrence.

[Joe]

Interesting point about the viscosity. 3-in-1 also claims to penetrate and free rusted parts and that's far thicker than WD40. I've had some success with Servisol and liquid lighter fuel.

- Joe

[Refugee]

If I want penetrating oil I use car engine oil or 3 in 1 driven in with de-greasing spray.
The oil is thinned and then after it has soaked in the lighter solvent evaporates leaving the oil behind.

[Skywave]

I've had some success with Servisol and liquid lighter fuel.
- Joe

I've never tried lighter fuel, but have found that 'Servisol' switch cleaner is remarkably effective at easing rusted nuts / studding on car steering mechanics.

Al.

[camallison]

I read an article last week that claimed the main ingredient in WD-40 was fish oil, found after years of experimentation by NASA engineers. How true that is I am not sure. It always smells of paraffin to me.

Colin

[ed731pdh]

Lighter fluid is good for cleaning comms on motors.