I was cutting some trees this weekend and as I was putting in the bar oil, I was wondering what vehicle grade oil it was similar to. Anybody know?
chain Saw bar oil
- Thread starter draaronr
- Start date
AFAIK, it's not at all; it's a really different kind of oil, designed to be sticky... it's metal cutting wood, totally different kind of characteristics from metal moving against metal. Some people probably use motor oil as a bar-oil substitute, but I wouldn't, FWIW....
-L
-L
My Stihl manual says that you can use SAE 30 weight as a substitute.
I thought the purpose of bar oil is to reduce wear between the chain and the bar?
I thought the purpose of bar oil is to reduce wear between the chain and the bar?
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Excellent point; I was thinking along the lines of using a drill, where you oil what you're cutting... float the cut bits out, keep dust down, etc... that makes a lot more sense, about the bar and chain.
I'd still use bar oil, though.... 30 wt just isn't as clingy as the Husky stuff.....
-L
I'd still use bar oil, though.... 30 wt just isn't as clingy as the Husky stuff.....
-L
I'm with Sven on the use for the oil is to reduce friction between bar and chain. Specific Chain Saw Oil is far more effective at staying on the bar.
Chainsaw Wisdom <==See #3
Environmentally safe Canola based Chainsaw Oil
Village Science - Chainsaw Clutch & Chain
Woodweb - knowledge base article
Chainsaw Wisdom <==See #3
Environmentally safe Canola based Chainsaw Oil
Village Science - Chainsaw Clutch & Chain
Woodweb - knowledge base article
B
barefoot
Guest
my dad has a chainsaw he has had since i was a kid (homelite)....he has always used motor oil in it and it gets a lot of use! its still kicking if that tells u anything. hell, ive used it in mine pleanty!
you def. go through more oil if you use the motor oil...that bar oil is a lot stickier! all it does is lubricate the chain through its runner...i have even seen ppl put used motor oil in it....not my cup of tea but i guess thats recycling to some duranged degree..??
i havent had to buy any bar oil in a couple of years but i would be interested to know which is cheaper anymore.
you def. go through more oil if you use the motor oil...that bar oil is a lot stickier! all it does is lubricate the chain through its runner...i have even seen ppl put used motor oil in it....not my cup of tea but i guess thats recycling to some duranged degree..??
i havent had to buy any bar oil in a couple of years but i would be interested to know which is cheaper anymore.
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The kind oil doesn't really have anything to do with the life of the saw, only the life of the bar/chain/sprocket. Bar and chain oil isn't that expensive, don't cut corners.
C
ChainsawDR
Guest
If anyone is still interested in this post, the chain oil does provide lubrication for the chain - but it isnt really to aid the cutting side of things, it's main objective is to keep the chain cool and stop it from overheating. Quite often with smaller saws like a stihl ms170 or ms180 the stihl chain oil is too thick, so we use the thinner engine oil instead. If you operated without oil it would still cut at first, but you'd heat you bar and chain up very quickly and the bar would turn blue, and once the chain reaches a certain temperature it loses its strength and won't sharpen or work as well again and you'd need to get a new one.
I personally use engine oil because its cheaper, and you only need it there to keep it cool. I hope this helps.
I personally use engine oil because its cheaper, and you only need it there to keep it cool. I hope this helps.
Just to be clear, the oil pumps are designed with bar and chain oil in mind, in other words pumping out a quantity of oil based on how thick and sticky bar and chain oil is. Motor oil won't stay on the chain/bar as long so you need more of it to maintain proper lubrication. On saws that have an adjustable pump (like my 038), you have some flexibility by increasing the flow. On a saw like my 075, that also has a manual pump, it's even less of an issue. It is something to keep in mind though.
A longer bar needs higher flow than a shorter bar.
A longer bar needs higher flow than a shorter bar.
I have used Lucas in my Stihl for the last 20 years and its always worked well...but its thick and sticky so that makes sence to me. I always have it around for 4x4's so that another reason.
I can tell you one thing for sure...the guy that sharpens my chains for me could tell that I used motor oil once. I was up cutting in a remote area and ran out of oil except 2 cycle motor oil so I used it. when I dropped that chain off and picked up my others the guy took one look at it and said "you should really go back to bar oil" I explained what happened and he said I should toss the chain because it will never hold a edge as well again.
I have about 8 chains that I rotate through so tossing one was a cheap lesson to learn.
I can tell you one thing for sure...the guy that sharpens my chains for me could tell that I used motor oil once. I was up cutting in a remote area and ran out of oil except 2 cycle motor oil so I used it. when I dropped that chain off and picked up my others the guy took one look at it and said "you should really go back to bar oil" I explained what happened and he said I should toss the chain because it will never hold a edge as well again.
I have about 8 chains that I rotate through so tossing one was a cheap lesson to learn.
Staight from the mouth of the Arborist crew at the Biltmore Estate (they have a lot of trees on those 8000 acres), "We've used canola oil on our $1000 saw for two years w/ no problems."
Can't get much cheaper or environmentally sensative. Sounds like win-win to me.
Can't get much cheaper or environmentally sensative. Sounds like win-win to me.
It's the motor and drive mechanism that costs $1000.00, not the bar and chain which is the part that gets lubed by the oil. Sure the engine will start on the first pull, but it won't cut worth shit with shitty bar oil.paidtodrive said: