Let's talk bar oil

Is there any advantage to buying premium bar oil or is the cheep stuff just as good?

 

I've used both and honestly have not noticed enough difference to warrant spending more on premium stuff, but I'm just a fire wooder.

Sent from my Z832 using Tapatalk

 

Think of it this way. While the environment is dirtier than in an engine, it is single use and the speed, pressure and temperature are all much lower. I buy mine at Walmart for about $8/gal.

 

Bar oil, I ise the nastiest old blackest used diesel motor oil I can find.

Just kidding, I use whatever I get on sale at like walmart or TSC. Good clean bar oil will make your bars last forever, the difference between $5 or 8 a gallon and like $20 would never pay off.

 

Thinner bar oil works better in cold weather. It also depends on the saw. I have had some Saws that didn't oil well and if you used something like the echo bar oil (very sticky) it wouldn't oil for poop!
I think some oil sticks around a better.

 

You kid, but I've heard of people who use old motor oil. Of course, that stuff contains heavy metals and carcinogens and is very dirty for your clothes, saw, firewood and the environment.

 

The wax content of the oil encourages it to stick. Way oil for machine tools is notable for its wax content. When the oil is continuously supplied, that aspect would seem to be less important.

 

3 weeks ago, a neighbour told me he uses used motor oil from his vehicles as bar oil, and recommended it . I said, "come on, man!", he was dead serious however . I asked how many chain saws he's been through, he replied that he's had his current one for a long time (forget the exact age).
Perhaps it's just me being over-protective, but I couldn't see myself using dirty engine oil in my saw.

 

Oh I know!!! They will show up in a bit. There are many who are adamant about its use and how much money they save etc.

 

Yea many have them and the saw wears out before anything g happens. Others trash the saw and it's so dirty cause of it. Others the oiler goes out early. The saw is nasty and putting old used oil all over the ground. I might use 2 gallons a year. People spend more money than that on gas station coffee in a week!

 

I use whatever bar oil is cheapest mixed with used canola oil. Can I get an Amen!

I'm a 3-4 cord a year wood burner and it seems to work fine for me.

 

I use cheap bar oil. I mostly use my oil from the garage. After we do an oil change we drain the clean quart bottles into a 5 quart jug. So most of my bar oil is made up of ATF, engine oil, and gear oil. When I run out of that I use the cheap oil from Tractor supply. We got a Rural king here last year. I got some of their harvest king oil and Cam 2 for $5 a gallon but have not used any of it yet.

I know a guy that uses used engine oil in his saws. For some reason he is always having problems with the oiler.

 

People buy coffee at a gas station? I thought it had to come from Starbucks

 

I don't have a Starbucks within 20 miles of my house or office, and the 2 are 25 miles apart.

 

Did someone say they need great coffee?

 

Used to use clean 30w
Drained the bottoms of 55 gallon drums, about
A gallon per drum, from work, had 15 gal
retired , used up the last of it
Now use bar oil I get on sale, Walmart, hardware store sales ...

 

I have used tractor 303 fluid when out of bar oil, 20w50 motor oil, 10w30 and 90wt. All of it clean and only in a pinch when I was cutting wood and almost out and stores were closed and it was 20 miles to town to get more. I add whatever clean oil I had on hand to the last little bit in the gallon jug so at least it had some very small amount of tackifier in it. J actually think I have a pint to a quart left in one of my jugs of a mix like this that I made with either 90wt or 303 fluid when I was out of bar oil one time.

 

I get the gallon for $5 at rural king, it's some sticky, icky, icky stuff...it's as good as Stihl brand no doubt(to me anyway)....

 

I use soybean/canola oil from Sam's Club.About $4/gallon in a 4.5 gallon jug.Sometimes a little thin on hot days,but never had any problems with the oiler not working or plugging up.

Works especially good when the temps are 35 or less outside.Keeps the saws & anywhere I'm cutting a lot cleaner too compared to using that nasty old black stuff that sprays all over everything. Only used that a couple times in a emergency a few years back.

 

The silver Stihl stuff is real good. It's sticky and my bars and chains seem to love it. But the price is wow!

It's now my favorite oil for my bicycle chains as well. It goes where it needs to be in the chain and stays there, almost forever. I wipe the chain side plates and rollers dry so it doesn't collect dust and grime while all the internal bearing services stay well lubed. Not even cycling in heavy rain flushes it out.

I just got a jug from TSC yesterday but I won't use it, in my saws, until at least Monday. Shall report back later.