Spindle oil

Those of you who recommend a particular lubricant as ideal for all spindles are simply wrong. Look at your car. Why do we use one thing in the motor, something different in the transmission, something different on the wheel bearings, and so forth.

Sean, the link you posted above even points out that the type of test used was applicable to engines but not to other situations.

The type of materials at the pressure point, the shape of this point, the amount of pressure on it, the tolerance of the machining, whether or not it is inverted, and many other factors all play a role in what constitutes the ideal lubricant for a spindle.

The bottom line is that this is NOT a one size fits all situation. Deviate from the manufacturers recommendations at your own peril.

Herman: Those are all good points but you're making it far more complex than it really is. The reason that we have different fluids in a car has to do with the materials and applications being used. ATF is different from motor oil because ATF is used as a hydraulic fluid with detergents and lubricants added. It is not exposed to gasoline, anti-freeze, carbon, etc... and the clutch materials inside the transmission are of a different compound than any of the materials used inside of a motor.

The fact of the matter is that it would be hard to improve upon a situation requiring lubrication when you're already using the slipperiest substance known to man. So long as one did not exceed its' thermal limitations, which would be hard to do because of the reduction of heat involved, how could you reduce drag & friction any lower? If this lubricant won't work here, what is it that would allow other lubricants to work better? Neither would be under any pressure other than the weight of the platter on the bearing. On top of that, there's no circulation system involved, so flow time isn't a concern. You basically have a bearing sitting captively in a machined area that needs lubrication. There's nothing high tech or diverse about this application what so ever. Sean
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Sean, I believe it is a bit more complex than just choosing a lubricant based on how slippery it is.

From the Teres website: "The bearing is designed with large amount of surface area to maximize viscous damping. The oil in the bearing exerts a smooth, constant resistance as the platter rotates adding to speed stability." Evidently they want a certain amount of drag. Don't you think the amount of viscous damping is dependent on the type of oil used, and that they chose one to achieve the desired result? If the wonder oil you tout reduces drag to too low a level then the bearing would not be doing what it is intended to do.

Why does VPI recommend lithium grease? Perhaps for the same reason. In any case, it is inconceivable to me that a company such as VPI would recommend lithium grease if a lighter weight oil would be better. Surely they have looked into this a little deeper than your average audiophile and come up with what they feel is the best lubricant for their turntables.

The "slipperiest substance known to man" is not always the best stuff for a particular application.

Herman: Tufoil is basically a combo of specially formulated thicker oil mixed with moly grease that has microscopic particles of PTFE imbedded in it. It is neither as thin as oil nor as thick as grease i.e. it is somewhere in the middle.

As far as counting on the lubricant used to stabilize the speed of the platter and reduce pulsing of the motor by creating drag, that is a piss-poor design. Not only do all lubricants break down over time, but their viscosity varies with both ambient and internal temperatures. As such, i can see the need to use a specific type of lower grade lubricant as a "band aid" IF the product was poorly machined and / or lacking in design integrity ( poor speed regulation / stability ). If a product is truly well designed and well machined, the name of the game for any bearing type device would be the lowest friction possible. Sean
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KY reduces friction wonderfully. ;)