Arny wrote:

Agreed. In the US 3-in-1 Small Motor Oil is readily
available in a convenient dispenser.

I tend to lump 3 in 1 in with WD40. They may both 'work'
but there are other far better products for a single
task. I'd not use either on anything important. Just to
stop the garden gate squeaking.

IME they are two very different products.

IME WD40 is rarely if ever a permanent fix. You are either
trapped in a cycle of periodic reapplications, or you use
WD40 to free things up so that the final solution product
can get in there and do its job.

When I worked for IBM as a machine fixer and maintainer,
they issued us spray cans of "IBM Number 6" which was
rumored to be WD-40. We were told to never use it to
repair or maintain *anything*. Rather we were told to use
it to clean and free things up with. Spray, cycle the
mechanism to free things up, and then remove with a clean
rag. Finish the job with an application of the right
stuff.

In contrast, the appropriate 3 in 1 products will get you
through the OEM-recommended lubrication cycle. There's
nothing special about them except that they are formulated
for those certain purposes, readily available, and sold in
convenient sizes and dispensers for the household and
small shop market.

In addition to the above products I also make extensive
use of white lithium grease, moly-based bicycle chain
lube, and graphited lock lubricant, for casual situations.

Big toys get the vendor-specified lube, whatever that is.

You might add 3-in-1 "professional"...sold in a spray
can...to your collection. Stinks suspiciously like WD40,
and contains PTFE. Can cause disaster if used
thoughtlessly, but in some apps it's excellent. Got sick of
stripping and re-oiling my computer fans every 3 months,
used 3-in-1 pro a couple of years ago, had no trouble
since. OTOH, used it on a speedometer and lost the damping.

Totally agree about WD40. It washes away all lubrication and
corrosion protection, then evaporates. I've always preferred
"plus gas", or generic "penetrating oil" for freeing
corroded parts. More effective, and less smelly.

Ian