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Thread: Chainsaw oil

  1. #1
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    Default Chainsaw oil

    I normally use commercial chainsaw oil , costs a bomb

    made a mistake and read the manual and they said that if you could not get chainsaw oil substitute SAE 30 .

    now SAE 30 is a lot cheaper

    does anyone have experience with this and can give first hand knowledge

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  3. #2
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    Hi Ratchet,
    I could be wrong here, but I think chainsaw oil is biodegradable, whereas normal oil isn't. So environmentally, it may not be a good idea.

    But other than that it should work OK if it's the right viscosity.
    Cheers.

    Vernon.
    __________________________________________________
    Bite off more than you can chew and then chew like crazy.

  4. #3
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    I wouldn't be using anything else other than chainsaw oil.

    The prob with using normal oil is that it dosen't have the stickiness that chainsaw oil has and your bar & chain will wear out quicker
    Cheers

    DJ


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  5. #4
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    You can use cheap engine oil in place of bar oil, but it's not as good.
    The proper bar oil has a tacking agent added to make it stickier. This helps it stick to the bar and chain better intead of getting flung off the end.
    Your bar and chain may wear a little bit faster is all though, it wont hurt the saw itself.

    You can get biodegradable bar oil, but thats really expensive. The normal stuff is probably just 30w oil with a bit of gooey stuff added

    Try shopping around for the bar oil, sometimes you can get it in bulk containers or find someone that has a 200l drum of it and can fill up your 4l for you cheap.

    Cheers

    Ian

  6. #5
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    Many off the shelf bar lubes sold throughout regional NSW dealerships are bio-degradable as environmental constraints say that if one is using a chainsaw on crown lands it must be(this is what we where told when it was the old State forests of NSW, have never actually sighted the statutory personally).
    Ian is right there is a tacking additive that gets less vicious as the temperature rises,thus lessening "fling", therefor the bar and chain will last HEAPS longer using the correct oil, believe me I've done the comparisons when I used to use chainsaws for a crust, and there was over 12 at any given time in the shed. on cost a 20 litre drum should be around $60, 3 dollars a litre, & most reservoirs on saws hold between .5-1 litre and you should adjust the feed to use around 1 tank of lube to 2 tanks of fuel. Overall I reckon it's a cheap investment compared to bar and chain costs.
    Bruce C.
    catchy catchphrase needed here, apply in writing to the above .

  7. #6
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    I used normal oil for years, then for some reason used the real deal. I couldn't get over the difference in chain stretch, and bar wear. I would never use anything but the good stuff now.

    I use a little more than Bruce, probably 3/4 of a tank of oil to a tank of fuel.
    Boring signature time again!

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by outback View Post
    I used normal oil for years, then for some reason used the real deal. I couldn't get over the difference in chain stretch, and bar wear. I would never use anything but the good stuff now..
    These kind words brought to you by Mobil Bar and Chain oil.

    Al

  9. #8
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    Horrors of horrors I have been using used sump oil for 30 years of winters cutting firewood in Stringy Bark, Yellow Box, Red Gum and New England Peppermint. I will admit that I have resorted to new SAE 30 when I have run out of sump oil.

    I have worn out one chain saw and one chain bar and about 8 chains in that 30 years. I personally don't believe I have decreased the life of my chains, chain bar or chainsaw by anymore than a month in all that time, but I have decreased the profits of the oil companies over that 30 years.

    I let the oil stand for some time and leave about an inch of oil in the bottom of the container and not use that. If I haven't had a enough time to let it stand I will strain it through a nylon stocking to get the rough bits out.

    If you really want to preserve your chains and bars I would suggest you find a Neways distributor and buy some Roil Oil Conditioner from them and soak your chain in it and add a few millilitres to the bar oil. This stuff will make the chain and bar run so cool you wouldn't believe it.

    http://www.neways.com.au/products/car/car.htm

    One other thing I have never had a blockage in the oil pump in 30 years.

    This is a personal thing and perhaps what the others have said is true but these are my experiences and if you haven't cut Yellow Box that has been dead for 20 to 30 years it is something you really have to experience it. Man it is hard.

  10. #9
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    I have to agree with Bazza. I have also been using old engine oil (petrol engines only as diesel is a bit grotty) mixed with whatever gearbox & diff oil I have collected, which makes it a bit stickier.
    This recipe has served me well for 25 years, and I bet I have saved more than I would have ever spent on extra chains & bars.
    It is also sort of recycling as it gets used again, if only once.

    Cheers, Phill.

  11. #10
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    Talking

    Chainsaw oil??????
    What for?
    Adding to the fuel to make it smoke?
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.

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