Bar oil vs. used motor oil

[John Mc]

AMEN!

There may be fully effective, and less expensive substitutes to bar oil, but used motor oil is not something I'll be using in my saws.

If I was stuck and need to get out a blocked driveway in an emergency? Sure, but not for normal use.

[Al_Smith]

I've heard the arguments from supposedly operaters on the west coast that had a fleet of 200 saws to maintain etc .Now maybe so maybe not but remember this is the internet and anything can be said .

Never the less the debate was that the savings in premature failure of bars chains etc was more than off set by the savings in oil by using black oil .I question first of all the 200 saws plus the rest of the statement .

My self perhaps being naive about west coasters would certainly think though that an operation that large if it did exist would certainly have a better maintainance program  than that .

The whole idea to me regarding cheap or free oil in a fleet of high dollar pro grade saws would be akin to a farmer in these parts using cheap oil in a 200 thousand dollar John-Deere combine .They just don't do it  period .

[Lambee10]

Well...I started this thread and did not check on it until today.  Wow.  I did not realize it would get this good a discussion going.  I think looking over the forty some different views that it was pretty even until about half way and using good lubricant in good equipment wins over.

I like my Stihl and have had it for about 16 years.  No need to change now and I will go get more bar oil for the weekend and take the used oil to Auto Zone to recycle.

thanks for the insight!

[joe_indi]

Oil out of the 1st oil change of engines contain a lot of metal which is abrasive.
The carbon in used oils also is abrasive.
Oil pumps wear out real fast.
The oil seals too wear out.Once this happens the results from oil intrusion into the crankcase is not good for the saw.
A safer alternative here is any cheap vegetable oil mixed with 10 to 25% SAE 140 Gear oil (differential oil) and 2% kerosene or diesel.
 The gear oil contributes its anti-fling properties to the cocktail. The kerosene/diesel helps to prevent resin buildup on the chain and bar.

[lumberjack48]

Well...I started this thread and did not check on it until today.  Wow.  I did not realize it would get this good a discussion going.  I think looking over the forty some different views that it was pretty even until about half way and using good lubricant in good equipment wins over.

I like my Stihl and have had it for about 16 years.  No need to change now and I will go get more bar oil for the weekend and take the used oil to Auto Zone to recycle.

thanks for the insight!

lambee10 what got this heated up was my thread on using all my used motor oil [ I knew it would ]

Over my 30 yrs of running saw, yes i used all my used oil. When i ran out of that i used hyd oil that i could buy at that time for $2. a gal. I had up to 6 saws running at a time, over all the yrs i never replace a oil pump. If i would have run in to any problems, i would have never continued using it.
Over the yrs i can't say i didn't buy a jug of chain oil. I was at K-Mart one night, they had a special on chain oil, i can't remember the price but it must have been cheap to get my attention [ Right   ]. It was in 2 1/2 gal. jugs, they had 30 left, i bought-em all.

Back in the 60's when we were using #90 or 140 mixed with #1 fuel oil on solid nose bars, we ran in to excessive ware on chain rivets, the oil wasn't getting in to them.
 

[tcrew]

AMEN!

There may be fully effective, and less expensive substitutes to bar oil, but used motor oil is not something I'll be using in my saws.

If I was stuck and need to get out a blocked driveway in an emergency? Sure, but not for normal use.

I 2nd that AMEN. I dont get equipment for free,so it pays to use the recommended lubes in all my equipment,both in less break downs and in trade in/resale at the end of the day. Just my opinion and the way i run everything i own. Stuff just costs 2 much $ these days to gamble on less than recommended oils/lubes. And im pretty sure if given the choice for the same $, most here would choose the recommended lube over the used oil. Not 2 say that i never used 30# oil back many years ago once or twice would be a lie. But we all try this and that,then we find whats best.

[John Mc]

I haven't been using chainsaws all that long, but I have to wonder if folks are comparing what they used "back in the day" to what works on new saws, there could be quite a difference in the construction of the oilers. Perhaps the older ones could handle more crud without choking on it?

[Ianab]

They certainly poured out more oil, and probably weren't built to the tight tolerances that they are on modern saws.

Ian

[DebarKing]

Thank you guys for all of the great info. Some know I just dropped a decent wad of cash into my 362 recently. I had never thought of using old motor oil, hyd. fluid, etc, but I'm glad I got the chance to read this! I'm just one guy, and the cost of clean bar oil is far less than that of replacing bars and chains for one saw, let alone those of a huge logging outfit.

[lumberjack48]

This is why the saws have a filter in the oil tank, so that nothing can get to the oiler pump to ruin it. You could put a hand full of sand in the tank, all it would do is plug the filter. Then you rinse it out with gas, put a new filter on and your back in business. I've had filters plug up with saw dust and wood chips because the help never cleaned the debris way when filing. The last saws i used were, 272, 266, 024, 038, 2, 044's and a 034, this is the last bunch of saws we had in 96.

Thank you guys for all of the great info. Some know I just dropped a decent wad of cash into my 362 recently. I had never thought of using old motor oil, hyd. fluid, etc, but I'm glad I got the chance to read this! I'm just one guy, and the cost of clean bar oil is far less than that of replacing bars and chains for one saw, let alone those of a huge logging outfit.

I am a professional chain saw operator, again if i would have had excessive chain ware or bar failure i would have never used it. If you knew me you'd know how fussie I'm about everything, i kept my equipment in A1 shape, thats how i made my living.
 I'm getting a feeling like I'm getting step on like i didn't now what i was doing. 

[beenthere]

lumberjack48
We listen to you and enjoy you telling how it was and can learn from your experiences.
My '75 Stihl 041 kept pumping bar oil until I semi-retired it in '04. Never knew there was an oil filter to check. I'd check it if I had a clue. Seems not much has been discussed here about oil filters.
Something I'll look into. thanks

[Paul_H]

lumberjack48

You value you opinion from your own experiences and so do the other members value their own opinions and experiences.You apparently have worked full time(8 hours + a day,10 months a year) in the woods since you were 11 years old and have seen many things that shaped your opinions and we respect that.
Many others have had similar or different experiences.
My own were it was better to use a proper bar oil.There was one haywire that would drain the oil from the yarder and put it in the loader and that was certainly his right but he shouldn't push it onto others.

[gspren]

  The engine oils have changed more in the last 10 years than what the saws have. Years ago there wasn't a lot of difference between engine oil and bar oil but now in order to get better gas milage the oils have lost their stickiness which they don't really need and are pumped under pressure into the bearings. Chain lubes need some tackiness to stay on the chain and bar at high rpms and modern engine oils just won't stick. Oils of all types are much more specialized today than 10 plus years ago.

[John Mc]

Good point, gspren. Chainsaws are turning a lot higher RPMs than they a few decades ago. The higher chain speeds might also mean different requirements from the B&C oil.

Lumberjack48 - If my posts came across as dumping on you, I apologize. I happen to disagree with the idea of running used motor oil as B&C oil in my own saws. However, if it works for you, that's great. I respect your opinion, and your right to run your saws in the way that best worked for you. I do only minor work myself on my own saws, so the chance of causing problems/repairs is a bigger deal for me than for some on here (especially those who can take a box of used parts and come up with an operating saw that will run rings around mine).

Some of the posts here seemed to come from folks who do even less work on their saws than I do on mine. For them, the risk of problems (or voiding a warranty on a new saw) may be even greater than I view it. Also, when the original poster mentioned used oil from his tractor, I pictured a diesel tractor (he didn't say that, I just assumed it. My tractor is a diesel, so that's what comes to mind when someone says "diesel"). I'd be even less inclined to run used oil from a diesel engine than from a gas engine, since used diesel oil can be even more acidic than that from a gas engine.

[lumberjack48]

I haven't recommended anybody to use used motor oil. It was my choice at the time because it was available, #30 straight weight oil, still slippery between my fingers. I thought why am i buying chain oil when i already have all this oil that i have to haul to town to get rig of.  [ I Refined it myself ]

I had my O44 Mag set at 16,000 RPM, 034 Super, 13,000+, I'm the guy down the road that had to have the fastest cutting saw, not the biggest but the fastest.
Like the Ole saying, theres 2 things you don't loan out, Thats your Wife or your Chainsaw.

If i needed bar oil today, i would put my used oil though cheese cloth, then every 2 gals put a can of that cheap Wall-Mart motor honey in it [ used to be $1.00 ] you would have good bar oil. 

This way you get every $ out of every quart you buy. 

The best bar oil i ever used was Rock Drill Oil, it would string out more then 12" s.

[Banjo picker]

My dad used the burnt motor oil, as he called it in his McCullouch chain saws when I was a young lad...He was a timber cutter from the day when they used cross cut saws ( ole gaggy was the term he used, and one of his is in my attic now) .  I never knew they sold special oil for a chain untill I was in my twenties...But when I started buying my own saws I went with the bar oil... One thing I rember was that the old saws had to be mechanicaly oiled...a little push button there on the handle...I think those ole saws could get by with a product that was a tad inferior, if you used more of it...Just my take on it..Banjo

[tyb525]

My dad always used black oil in his 036, and never had trouble with it. He gave the saw to me when he moved out, and then I always used bar oil in it. Never had a problem though. (I have accidentally rinsed the oil tank out with gas mix a couple times though )

There was a short time I used motor oil as bar lube, it had been through the car but hadn't but run at all (someone put in wrong weight of oil, got it from the service station I worked at) I filtered the oil through a paint filter, and then mixed it 50/50 with ATF (this was winter). It seemed to work fine, except the bar and saw was red from the ATF. Made it easy to tell the saw was oiling enough added up to about 2 gallons.

[barbender]

I've seen several people run used oil for bar oil, I've done it myself a time or two and the only ill effect I've noticed is the black mess you end up with everywhere. Bar oil is just junk oil with some tackifier added as far as I understand, I'd probably use more used motor oil if the price of bar oil goes up any more. I've used lots of used hydraulic oil, I love to score that. My buddy runs used hydraulic oil in his Ponsse harvester whenever he can get it, there is way more stress on a bar saw on a harvester head than a chainsaw.

[tcrew]

I haven't recommended anybody to use used motor oil. It was my choice at the time because it was available, #30 straight weight oil, still slippery between my fingers. I thought why am i buying chain oil when i already have all this oil that i have to haul to town to get rig of.  [ I Refined it myself ]

I had my O44 Mag set at 16,000 RPM, 034 Super, 13,000+, I'm the guy down the road that had to have the fastest cutting saw, not the biggest but the fastest.
Like the Ole saying, theres 2 things you don't loan out, Thats your Wife or your Chainsaw.

If i needed bar oil today, i would put my used oil though cheese cloth, then every 2 gals put a can of that cheap Wall-Mart motor honey in it [ used to be $1.00 ] you would have good bar oil. 

This way you get every $ out of every quart you buy. 

The best bar oil i ever used was Rock Drill Oil, it would string out more then 12" s.

@lumberjack48, I respect and value ur opinion. I have read many of ur posts and get allot of good advice and knowledge from them. In my humble opinion, its urs and the other very experienced guys little tricks and methods that u share with us that are priceless. So just know ur appreciated and thank you for sharing.    

[acco1840]

I use it in my old Stihl 090 with 33 inch bar all the time with no worries. However, I would not try it on a new saw. Buggered an oil pump on a 66 when I tried it once. They dont make them like they used to!!