Oiling the valves on a brass instrument is very important to do regularly. The oil helps to keep the valves in good working condition. It also helps to keep them clean.
When the valve is not oiled, it can cause several problems. The most immediate problem is that the valve will stick and make the instrument difficult to play. In the long term, an unoiled valve will become corroded and the sound of the instrument will change. A badly corroded valve will need to be replaced.
Below are some recommendations of valve oils that will work well for any brass instrument, such as a trumpet, french horn, baritone horn, euphonium, or tuba.
If you indeed choose one of the options listed below, please use the links in this post to make your purchase. A small portion of the purchase amount will go towards a budget for upgrades and maintenance to this web site.
Preferred Valve Oil
This is currently my valve oil of choice. I appreciate that there are no dyes or artificial chemicals added to this oil, which makes it safer to use on your most delicate instruments.
Price as of 5/15/20:
$5.79 + shipping
Valve Oil I’ve Used
I have used both of the following two valve oils regularly and found them to work well.
This was the first valve oil I ever used and I used it mostly throughout middle school, high school, and my first years of college. I still use it occasionally on older, less expensive instruments and have had no issues with it.
Price as of 5/15/20:
$6.86
This valve oil was recommended to me by a college professor. It certainly works well and it is a very reasonable price. It concerns me a bit that it is colored and I wonder if it would cause discoloration to the valves over time. However, I used it for many years without any noticeable color changes.
It works very well for the price.
Price as of 5/15/20:
$4.49
Valve Oil Available on Prime
Strangely, most of the biggest names in valve oil are not available for Amazon Prime’s fast delivery. If you need some valve oil quickly, here are a few options.
Please Note: I have not tested all of the products and options recommended below. I have chosen these recommendations mostly based on three factors: included features, overall perceived value, and word-of-mouth/online reviews. I encourage everyone to do their own research before making a purchase.
If you use valve oil often or want to keep oil in more than one instrument case, this is the best options for taking advantage of free and quick Amazon Prime delivery.
Price as of 5/15/20:
$13.89
I have never used this valve oil. But, at the moment, if I needed valve oil quickly and couldn’t get to a local music store, this would be my recommendation.
This is not only fairly low in cost (likely less than any valve oil at a local store), but it also comes with a 4.5 star rating on Amazon and is marked as “Amazon’s Choice”.
It also appears that a portion of the profits support music advocacy. While that wouldn’t make the quality of the product itself any better, it is nice if that is true.
Price as of 5/15/20:
$6.99
This valve oil looks wild, but it claims to offer superior, long-lasting protection to your instrument’s valves. It has pretty good reviews to back it up. So, I might consider it.
The highlight for me is that is available with Amazon Prime.
Price as of 5/15/20:
$7.95
