Personally, I don't use any type of liquid or paste type lubricant on EM machines. No matter what the ingredients, any such residual media on stepper teeth, cogs, wheels, levers, bearings, etc. will hold dust & dirt like a sponge and over time turn it into sludge or wax. The main contaminant inside the cabinet and backbox is powdery airborne dust from solenoids and moving parts. Remember why manufacturers recommended grease: to keep these machines running just long enough for the owners to realize their ROI: about 2-3 years. Collectors have different needs. Greases certainly will do the job short term, but eventually you will have to disassemble the mechanisms and remove the stuff. All I ever use on score reels, steppers, etc. is teflon spray which evaporates in seconds and leaves a slippery micro dry powder coating to which nothing sticks. You have to carefully control overspray with rags or paper, but I've never had a problem. I do check these devices every once in a while, and all I find are clean parts with no sludge or waxy buildup.