Ballistol vs WD-40

A simple, non scientific test to compare viscosity, lubrication and protection of bare metal from aggressive (in this case, immersion in a saturated solution of sodium cloride).
A brief description of the tests.
Viscosity: the products have been applied to a plastic surface to evaluate the viscosity and in my opinion Ballistol gelifies faster and leaves a thicker layer on the long term. WD-40 is more liquid when sprayed and contains a higher amount of solvent which evaporates leaving only a thin layer of product.
Lubrication: I used a copper cube which has been placed on a glass surface and progressively inclined from 0° to a maximum of 14°. Ballistol allowed the cube to start moving between 10° and 11° and then the cube slipped rapidly to the end of the glass without need of external intervention. WD-40 kept the cube steady until the maximum angle of apprx 14° has been reached and only moved beacuse of the bump I gave to the screw at the end of the thread.
Protection: after 15 minutes immersion in salted water and 7 days exposition to air, Ballistol was in large part removed or dissolved by salted water and therefore the metal remained exposed and was heavily oxidized. WD-40 created a thinner but compact layer and therefore protected the metal almost perfectly.
My conclusion is that Ballistol is a more versatile grease and creates a good lubrication, WD-40 is brobably also good in lubricating but has a kind of gluish consistence which is very helpful when it comes to metal protection.
Even if I have been a big fan of Ballistol and I will continue to use it, I must admit that WD-40 was absolutely fantastic and superior in the protection test.
Any comments are welcome and thanks for watching.

[@bdfhxss]

You can not compare both. WD was meant for water displacement and contains only 25% of lubricant. While Ballistol is mineral based lubricant and this is its main purpose - to lubricate. In case of corrosion it is best if you clean it with WD first and then to protect and lubricate it with Ballistol. Another big advantage for me is that Ballistol is not toxic while WD is.

[@oneoutofseven]

This is good to know before you chew on your gun. Toxicity is not an issue here.

[@jetaddict420]

@@oneoutofseven except you can even use ballistol for kitchen utensils as its completely food safe

[@orenda3696]

@@oneoutofseven residual toxicity from constantly handling things with a thin layer of toxins on them will be an issue for your kidneys.

[@TheHoss4145]

@@orenda3696 I think he does not understand the concept of that.

[@asudeno]

exactly, use WD40 for de greasing and even cleaning, unrusting purposes, after that always use a high lubrication oil for whateer needs on top of WD...

[@golbalhelmut8442]

When your kid drinks Ballistol, you feel happy that it wasn’t WD-40. 😉

[@i_figuredit_out1946]

Cool demo Only thing proved is that ballistol does what it does, WD40 does what it does, And they are not substitutes for each other

[@lucianolandi7307]

Totally agree.

[@Humpelstilzchen]

I treat my knifes with ballistol only. It keeps water away very good and i don't have to worry about poisoning myself when i work with food

[@greekveteran2715]

Ballistol is what people should have used, in 90% of the times they use the "rust remover" chemical solution called WD-40. Ballistol has poor marketing but it's an unbelievable product, while WD-40 which is far less versatile and not as good in terms of performance, just has better marketing and thus, people use it wrong. WD-40 is NOT an oil, it's not a lubricant, it's designed to penetrate and eat rust, that's why it can help clean glue residue but that's where it's uses should stop. It can eventualy damage small parts on mechanisms, or other materials, if it is used as a lubricant. Just keep in mind, it's not an oil. Forget what the marketing of the cmpanies sometime say. Ballistol on the other hand, has 1000 uses, and it performs great in all of them. It can do more, than the uses you'll find on their page info. For example, it performs great as a hining oil, either as it is, or wih an analogy 1/5 Ballistol/Water. I'm a chemist/metallurgist. If that has any value to my opinion.

[@kyfisher3662]

thank you, your comment cleared alot up for me!

[@greekveteran2715]

@@kyfisher3662 Hining oil I meant Honing oil for sharpening knives. I use half Ballistol half water on my oil stones.Then,I use my fingers to mix the solution a bit and start sharpening my knives. It works as good if not better, than common honing oils.Don't get me wrong, WD 40 has many uses too, however, it's mostly a chemical solution,designed to penetrate rust, it's NOT an oil. Balliston was invented by the Germans, to cover all the needs of a soldier. Lubricate weapons and tools etc. I use it on my doors and windows, they last for many years,before needing oil again.

[@larsdetering8996]

If my information is correct, Ballistol is partially water-soluble and builds an emulsion with water. Putting it into water (salt water in this case) will tend to partially wash it away, hence the poor "protection" score. Putting it on a surface and leaving it in the air will end in much better results. Moreover, it is a better lubricant. WD-40 consists mostly (80% give or take) of volatile hydrocarbons with a minuscule viscosity, making it superb for creeping into the tiniest crevices and displacing water there (hence the name Water Displacement, 40th Formula), but once the volatile components have evaporated, only a very thin layer of "lubricant" will remain. Ballistol on the other hand will not evaporate in a comparable manner. Plus it is much less unhealthy to handle, especially when sprayed. Conclusion: It really depends on what you want to do. If you want to conserve metal parts in a moist environment, WD-40 tends to be better. In a dry space, especially if you want a lubrication effect, Ballistol might be the better choice for you. Environmentally speaking, Ballistol is clearly preferable. If you wish to "dry out" parts with tiny crevices which you suspect might contain moisture, you go with WD-40.

[@TylrVncnt]

1000% 👍👍

[@duskomarincic367]

Very good poit!

[@klaus-wernerkneier9880]

Wunderbarer Vergleich, Ballistol ist ein Öl und WD 40 ein Ölentferner, also was soll das?

[@OG_BiggieCheese]

Wd40=Remove Oil Balistol=Oil

[@Nobody-xh5qe]

Yup

[@douglasj2254]

What an interesting and entertaining experiement! Comparing CLP, Ballistol and Clenzoil would be a great test, as they are all advertised as cleaner, lubricant, protectors.

[@Kornholeeoo]

Those of us who learned the hard way with WD-40, knows it is a bad idea to coat your guns and store them away. When the months go by and it dries out, you have a nice coat of a varnish type residue that tends to lock things up! Try to clean that .22 rifle! You’ll invent a whole new line of 4-letter words! LOL. WD-40 is great if you use your guns on a very regular basis and are constantly lubing them, but there are way better stuff for guns. It’s a great penetrant but should never be left on a gun for long time. I’ve used it to break stubborn screws and such, but then I clean it off and apply some Rem Oil or Ballistol for storage. Thanks for the review!

[@gedionsamuel2256]

Awesome info. Experience is the best teacher. I wonder how the WD-40 Dry Lube (silicone) would perform! It seems to be a different formulation, some use it to lube pellets for airguns. Wonder how it stands up against ballistol.

[@Kornholeeoo]

Gedion Samuel Good question. I actually have no idea but would like to hear from anyone who has used it for something like long term use or storage.

[@stewp.3298]

50 years of using WD-40 to clean and protect my guns and they still function and look great. For those areas that require greater lubrication, I use gun oil.

[@reiter_aus_leidenschaft1]

Super Test und tolle Musik dazu Danke😊

[@riverrivers250]

Weird…. I started smelling the ballistol thru the screen… haha

[@gilbertosuna3261]

Fantastic choice of Music to GO Along with your Demonstration. Great JOB

[@FryChicken]

This is the best comparison video I've ever seen. No lunatic telling his life story and shouting at you.

[@61giampiero]

Ballistol special composition is intended also to be emulsified with water (1 part Ballistol oil + 7 parts water) to act as a fouling solvent. That is why Ballistol gets thinner when soaked in water: Nevertheless it is a multy purpose oil good also to treat sores and scorches. It is also nearly eateable... though is not a water displacer like WD40

[@xDrGeek]

The only thing I want to know, where did you get that little scissor lift/jack. ;)

[@xDrGeek]

(And yes, I found it.. I just wanted to point out how cool it was) :D

[@vladik8843]

mcmastercarr

[@calemichel7126]

Perfect Music

[@joseamaral2307]

Does Ballistol oil dries? i'm asking this because i'm a woodworker and i looking for the best choice to protect machine's cast iron table, but at the same time, the oil must create a dry film to not stain the wood...so...

[@kwik2hear915]

Hickok45 uses the B for wood, says it's a good preserver.

[@ulsen9001]

Ballistol is the best, fuck WD40

[@rellmonger7935]

Kool. Thanks for the demo

[@kyfisher3662]

what do you choose to coat your tools in?

[@lucianolandi7307]

Still go for Ballistol for long time storage on “metal items” I don’t use for long time.

[@starrider2352]

I think wd 40 is better than leaving a gun lubed with thick gun oils # 1 a gun is not an internal combustion engine #2 it evaporates to some degree not gunking up trapping dust and debris or powder as it sits and attracting other things to become a conductor of heat.

[@davidharris8797]

Were do I buy balistol

[@GravityHazard]

This is great! : ) I love your tests, interesting that WD 40 was better in protecting against corrosion. Thank you.

[@arthursmith643]

GravityHazard Go to Lubriplate.com. Go to the online store. Scroll to hunting lubricate. Hit FMO-350AW. You see that 12 oz can? That's what you want. Tribiologist guys that study oils recommend this oil. You won't find better.

[@BandanazX]

The WD in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement. It shouldn't be too surprising that this testing methodology favored WD-40.

[@donschlonski2936]

Holy shit I can't listen to that music so nixed the video. Hope all went well. Wow what torture

[@mikeanthony07]

You should have wiped down the Ballistol nail to see if rust came off easily!

[@lindsey607]

Great point ace.

[@FabioBertarelli]

Il WD-40 NON è un lubrificante, ma uno sbloccante sgrassante. Oltretutto risulta essere molto corrosivo su alcune superfici e anche verso alcune bruniture.

[@davidmedina7192]

Awesome video.

[@christophe5076]

The best thanks !!!!!❤

[@yuridanylko]

Isn't ballistol only for cleaning and treating metal?

[@jottka2162]

No, it's universal oil. You can even drink it (diluted) or use it for burned skin.

[@edwinabbel3783]

No it Is for metal, wood, plastic, leather. Designed for the German Army .. used by them in both world wars,.. for their weapons, metal wood stock and leather belts and boots,.. And for minor wound and scratches for humans and animals!!

[@taurushipointenthusiast1306]

I get it showing the break downs, Where WD-40 fails a a lubricant. I at first had thoughts should not the two of Verses be of same class, Then I remembered how many swear WD-40 is a lubricant then I got it.

[@gedionsamuel2256]

Do a Ballistol vs WD-40 Dry Lube (PFTE/silicone). That’d be interesting!

[@greekveteran2715]

Most interesting, would it be, when you all understand, that WD40 is a rust remover, and not a rust protector or a multi use oil, it's not even an oil. Ballistol however, is what people think that WD40 is. Ballistol is a general use oil. WD40 may damage small parts or softer materials. Do not use it iside lock mechanisms, only if it's 100% necesary. It may damage small parts inside a lock eventually and destroy that lock.

[@brc1945]

WD 0 is krap, you never get to empty the whole can, it runs out of aeration if left sitting for a minimal amount of time.. Ballistol is also user friendly.

[@achannel8142]

I grew up poor. We did not have a lot of money to spend on expensive boutique gun cleaners. I cleaned my 30-30 Winchester with WD-40 which we used for many chores. Then lubed the rifle with a few drops of 3-in-1 oil. For tough gunk removal, gasoline or oven cleaner did the trick.

[@JivyNazemle]

Купил Баллистол для чистки ружья и хотел посмотреть видео про то, какая это классная смазка )) Видео оказалось совсем о другом )). За проделанные опыты - спасибо!

[@scienceobrien8335]

Рыболовный канал Живу на Земле any chance you can say it in English

[@MrEstebanEscudero]

Great video!

[@Mote.]

This was fun to watch

[@Paches92-]

I wonder how the original non-aerosol ballistol would’ve performed

[@lucianolandi7307]

Well Folks, thank you all for the comments. I really appreciate the dialogue here.

[@TheCaptainbarnacles]

I love this

[@duskomarincic367]

Finally!! A KZbin video with decent music! (And with real instruments). Nice video, I have read a lot of wonderful things about Ballistol and decided to buy a bottle to maintain an lubricate my tools. It seems that w-40 works better, huh?. I use w-40 or 3-in-one, I have no complaints, but I wonder which is the definite best when it comes to maintain your tools. Best!

[@thomasnorton5335]

Of course WD-40 is going to be the best w d stands for water displacement 40 stands for the 40th recipe that they've tried before they got it the way they want and who is they the Aerospace program

[@marcpaesen460]

Ballistol is a lube, WD40 a anti-rust product.

[@FrenchBalisongRyder]

I prefer the balistol for my experience, the wd40 is too chemical

[@jonasandersson7367]

All things are chemical. You mean too reactive yes?

[@FrenchBalisongRyder]

jonas andersson no too chemical than balistol for example

[@jonasandersson7367]

@@FrenchBalisongRyder a rock has a chemical composition, water is arguably a chemical i am bending towards this languiage from my own but the grasp of fundamentals is sound, water is no more or less chemical than gasoline yet gasoline has different chemical composition and is more reactive with oxygen i dont think "more chemical" is a sound adjective?

[@FrenchBalisongRyder]

jonas andersson off course i know that like.... everybody i think, thanks for the scientific lesson 😂😂 but you know what I want say when I’m saying « chemical », Sorry I’m French so the word is probably wrong but too chemical means « less natural » in his composition than others oil in the market for an identical result

[@FrenchBalisongRyder]

it's a way of speaking if it’s your question evidently

[@adammetzger4182]

Good old water displacing formula attempt number 40.

[@alessandrobruno2565]

Fantastico

[@ludwigtheo]

nice music!

[@Falorik]

Great, thank you

[@sebastianm.8383]

this comparison makes no sense, compare oil with oil and dissolver with dissolver....

[@130995marco]

Amazing! In Argentina 120cc Ballistol costs 36 dollars. On the other hand 432cc WD-40 costs 8 dollars. Considering that wd40 is better protecting metal, i'll go for it

...then you don't understand the products the same way like the awful "tester"

[@edozalas1844]

Nice musical selection!

[@squirrelmaster760710]

Why does the WD-40 nail still look wet with droplets of rusty water after 7 Days of drying

[@lucianolandi7307]

Droplets of condensated grease, not water.

[@michaelriordan9834]

Know an old ac repair guy about 80 + yrs old he uses wd40 on his knees everyday hes still going strong

[@joeyripswell]

So in conclusion Clean your steel with Ballistol and finish wipe with Wd40

[@bisakov]

The lubrication test is not correct... the lubrication (on metal-to-metal dry applications) works better when you wipe off excess oil, leaving only thin layer...

[@allencarver2639]

i use Ballistol on all my black powder guns because it does not leave a "Gummy" residue and using an oil based product like WD-40 will gum up the works.

[@robertocoiante1981]

WD40 il prezzo di una bomboletta costa molto di più del suo prezzo al dettaglio, il problema che non si riesce a svuotare completamente tutto il flacone perché l'aria all'interno termina prima ,quindi inutilizzabile dal 20 a 30 % in costi si buttano rispetto al prezzo circa 2 €.Vergogna, sono tornato allo Svitol .

[@lucianolandi7307]

Dovrebbe essere reperibile in formato liquido non pressurizzato, almeno il Ballistol, in quel caso non si spreca.

[@user-pm5nk1xo5q]

Spray WD-40 on your triggers and let me know how that worked out for you weeks later when you pull it out of your safe

[@lucianolandi7307]

Used without a problem in the last 29 years on all of my guns.

[@youngstownohio6920]

Proper cleaning is key you dont just spray it an leave it all down in the crevisis lol of course that will gum up or collect dirt over time like any liquid or oil would. I spray my pt809 every 300 rnds with wd40 toothbrush than blow it all out real good wipe dry and that's it. That's all that gun has seen since brand new 7 years ago not a single malfunction and the wear and tear is suprisingly not bad at all. I'm not saying g it's the empirical cleaner it just I do t see the gunk build up and problems everybody talks about although I should start at least putting a little lube on the moving parts afterwards but I'm lazy lol

[@charlesbullee7215]

Spray trigger and bolt down with WD40 then blast it with force air 100+ psi it’s cleaned and lubed ready to store or use. No need to break down the gun either air blast all the unwanted debris out. Works especially awesome on auto loaders to.

[@alexejnemov]

Your using the wrong type of ballistol to compare to WD-40.. try ballistol usta workshop oil.

[@teokush6055]

Ragazzi per lubrificare una arma e meglio battistol o mw40

[@lucianolandi7307]

Assolutamente Ballistol.

[@pedrojuliodasilvaluppo7662]

OI

[@suave605]

BALLISTO MODO

[@bahubalbaba7886]

Talk about comparing 🍎 to 🍊 for nothin’ 🤨🙄. It is comparing kerosene with Diesel 🤔☹️ kerosene is the AUNTIE of WD 40.

[@6h471]

People in my experience tend to think that products like Ballistol, Boeshield, Kroil etc, are better because they are basically unobtainable in the average gun or hardware store, due to the really strange marketing ideas these companies use. Rem oil? LOL, I can buy a quart of straight mineral oil in practically any supermarket for less than 5 bucks, and that's all Rem oil is. I watched a test done by Brownells awhile back that tested every commonly available so called gun oil on the market for corrosion protection, and plain ol WD40 came out on top. Buy it anywhere.

[@and_rew9768]

Best performance from wd40 🥇

[@andresc5915]

WD 40 gums up and can’t be used on guns. WD (water displacement) can be used to dry guns, but you could just get your parts and use Ballistol too. When water mixes with Ballistol, it turns into a different fluid that’s safe with metals.

[@patrickpost3269]

I had to laugh out loud.... the music was perfect! Btw after your test results there is no more Ballistol in my future.

Wow... That's stupid...

[@MrTangent]

patrick post Yes, because a seven day full exposure with an uncoated high carbon steel nail literally plunged in a salt solution is a good comparison to what your aluminum/stainless/coated firearm will experience. 🙄 To be honest, Ballistol did quite well given the experiment. If the nail had been stainless, or a coated metal similar to most firearms we’d have a better result. Besides... how often do you leave your guns in seawater for a week straight?? 😉

[@Schwaebmen]

Ballistol is biodegradable.

[@stoneblue1795]

Music on lube videos blows.

[@pedrojuliodasilvaluppo7662]

PEDRO1GAMER OI GO 123 123 123 OI OI OI

[@jamesglenn520]

Do Not use WD-40 on your firearms!!😡🤬 That is Not what it is for. It is a Cleaner/Solvent it has basically no lubrication properties and it evaporates. If you value your firearms there are many products on the market to clean lube and protect them.

[@vollerhoffnung8280]

È un video musicale o riguarda le informazioni, mangiatore di spaghetti ??????

[@paulvorbohle2830]

Ohne Erklärungen langweilig und größtenteils nichtssagend.

[@FuelTankerMan]

Ballistol is biodegradable. WD-40 is bozo-degradable (just look at the bozos putting it down)... :D

[@luccianogreen7154]

Lot of grammar issues in the comment section

[@MrTangent]

Lucciano Green He’s Italian. Give him a break. :)

[@m0ka79]

Tu n a pas a faire de comparatif car ces produits sont complémentaires et n ont pas la même utilisation ! Je ne suis pas contente ! Je trouve ceci débile de plus tu n est pas crédible car ta façon de lubrifier avec le doigt ne vaut rien ! Fait sa avec un chiffon comme il se dois .. je ne parlerai pas du test avec la vitre penchée c est franchement un gag

[@lucianolandi7307]

I did what I could do at home with what I had and explained it was not scientific.

[@Physics072]

Winner WD-40 Price - WD cheap Rust - WD Smell - WD (ballisto stinks) For firearms WD does not leave a white residue either better for storage etc.

[@Derethevil]

Good. Now lubricate your weapon with that stuff. Anyone who knows their shit would rather pick Ballistol than WD-40. I do not even know why people keep comparing a universal lubricant with a protective cleaning solution. But do whatever you want.

[@Physics072]

Because Ballistol leaves gummy residue. WD-40 is superior for wipe downs and water dispersion. Its a very light lube not something you use on gears or heavy things. Protects barrels from rust inside and out.

[@Derethevil]

"Gummy residue". Well then either you used it on something that wasn't meant to be lubricated, used it with something else or you used a cheap knock off brand. The real stuff does not leave anything "gummy" behind if used properly. Where as if you use WD-40 on something that has any softener in it like most plastics you pretty much destroy it with it, since WD-40 pulls out that said softener. One thing tho i have to say. The WD-40 we can buy in germany for example differs a lot from what you use in the US. Because in your WD-40 there is so much stuff in it which isn't healthy and EU standards don't allow those as far as i am informed. Maybe it is the same for your Ballistol which would then lead to what i said earlier?

@@Derethevil interessanter Ansatz mit den verschiedenen Inhaltsstoffen um anderen Märkten gerecht zu werden... So wie man es bereits von Haribo und anderen Lebens und Genussmitteln her kennt 👍🏼

[@clayton5584]

I like ballistol for cleaning and motor oil for lube

[@nicholaosskiadas9083]

As YOU, correctly, noticed above......"non scientific".

[@nitro74cs]

Ballistol smells disgusting, WD-40 has a nice petrol/solvent kind of smell :)

[@offset4853]

music sucks.

[@balu625]

Bravo...Grazie...

[@hrvojestanic1791]

Kakva glupost! Ispali po deset metaka iz dva ista oružja, našpricaj cijevi i pregledaj ih za tjedan dana...pa nam opiši razliku. Amen

[@Serj-gi3gx]

Beides Schrott