not all grease is created equal. learn the difference.

Be Smart. Know thy greases

Walk into any workshop and you’ll see them — a lineup of half-used grease tubes, covered in dust, caps missing, looking like they’ve survived three shutdowns and a cyclone.

Most people treat grease like it’s just… grease.

Bit slippery, bit messy, job done.

I can tell you right now — that mindset has cost people more bearings, downtime, and money than just about anything else I see.

I’ve watched perfectly good gear get wiped out because someone thought a “quick top-up” with whatever was lying around would do the trick.

It doesn’t.

Don’t Mix This Stuff

Here’s where things go sideways.

Not all greases are mates.

Different greases use different thickeners — lithium, calcium, moly… all sorts of chemistry going on behind the scenes.

When you mix the wrong ones, they don’t blend — they break down.

What you end up with is:

• Grease that turns runny
• Oil separating out
• Bearings running dry
• And eventually… failure

All from trying to save two minutes.

If you’re changing grease types — clean it out properly. Don’t shortcut it.

Because I promise you… the machine will find out.

“It’s Just Grease” — Yeah Nah

We stock a few different greases at RED SHED, and each one exists for a reason.

CRC White Lithium Grease

This is your clean, all-rounder.

Good for general metal-on-metal jobs, handles heat and water, and doesn’t stain everything it touches.

It’s even approved for use around food processing environments.

No — don’t use it to fry your chippies.

But it indicates how refined the stuff actually is.

Search for it here

Here's two god-like ones...

Valvoline Moly Grease / Valvoline XEHP Grease

This is your heavy-duty gear.

High loads, shock loads, gear that gets punished daily — this is where these shine.

They stick where they’re meant to and don’t get squeezed out when things get ugly.

Using this on light-duty stuff?

Overkill.

Not using it where you should?

Expensive mistake.

Search for it HERE

Permatex Dielectric Grease

This is the one most people get wrong.

It’s not about lubrication — it’s about electrical protection.

It:

• Stops voltage leakage
• Prevents corrosion
• Keeps spark plug boots from welding themselves in place

Use the wrong grease here and you can literally cause misfires.

So yeah… not all grease is created equal.

The Bit No One Reads (But Should)

Most people don’t read SDS sheets.

They should.

Some greases — especially sprays — can:

• Knock you around in a confined space
• Make you dizzy
• Irritate your skin

Other products are clean enough for controlled environments.

Same shelf. Very different story.

Wear gloves. Don’t be a hero.

Food-Grade vs Quarry-Grade

Some grease is clean and controlled.

Some grease is built for punishment.

Using the wrong one is like:

• Wearing thongs to a mine site
• Or steel caps to a wedding

Technically possible.

Definitely wrong.

The greasy takeaway?

There is no such thing as “just grease.”

Every tube is designed for:

• A temperature range
• A load
• An environment
•  A purpose

Next time you grab whatever’s closest on the shelf, just stop and ask:

Am I fixing the problem…
or creating the next one?

Not Sure? Ask Us.

That’s what we’re here for.

You don’t need to know every grease type — that’s our job.

Give us a call or swing past RED SHED and we’ll point you in the right direction.

And more importantly — we’ll tell you why. 

Cheers - Craig