bar oil...cheap vs arm and leg

[splitpost]

May sound silly to some of you guys but i use 85w/90 gear oil, i have the pump turned right down 2.5-3 tanks of fuel to 1 tank of oil, now as this oil is so heavy, not designed to be burnt and about 4 times as tacky as light engine oils , what little oil i am using seems to stay where it is meant to be. Works great, my advantage is an endless supply on tap that seems to make it to my place for free, however in saying that, diff/gear oil may not work out to be an expensive option as you seem to only need to use so little of it by comparison. The only area for concern is if or if not stihl would warrant a pump pumping oil of this weight, who knows, but a 460 and 660 do it with what seems to be ease anyway.

iv'e tried gear oils before and agree yes they work well and don't smell the best and if you compare it with the heavy duty stihl oil available ,the one with red cap it pretty much looks the same when pouring it out of the container ,it too is thick and glugy,as for you guys using caltex B&C lube will already know ,it smells a bit like gear oil ,on cold days maybe it is too thick and could be thinned down but on hot days with long run times they all turn to the same viscosity as water.

Disclaimer(all these observations were taken using my eyeviscometer)

 

[tdi-rick]

May sound silly to some of you guys but i use 85w/90 gear oil, i have the pump turned right down 2.5-3 tanks of fuel to 1 tank of oil, now as this oil is so heavy, not designed to be burnt and about 4 times as tacky as light engine oils , what little oil i am using seems to stay where it is meant to be. Works great, my advantage is an endless supply on tap that seems to make it to my place for free, however in saying that, diff/gear oil may not work out to be an expensive option as you seem to only need to use so little of it by comparison. The only area for concern is if or if not stihl would warrant a pump pumping oil of this weight, who knows, but a 460 and 660 do it with what seems to be ease anyway.

As I said above the additive package of a GL5 diff oil suits a bar and chain use (the EP part, usually a sulphur based additive is activated under the heat and pressure of sliding) but don't confuse tack with higher viscosity, they are two different things (although some diff oils do have a small amount of tack additive, they are usually advertised as 'climbing', eg some of Schaeffers diff oils for those in the US)

A 75W-90 diff oil has the same kinematic viscosity as a 15W-40 engine oil when hot (they use different scales but their measured viscosity falls within the same range) and most fall right about an ISO 100 B&C oil but that viscosity range is mostly synthetic based and not a viable proposition $ wise, unless you can get some sort of work deal )

 

[tomtrees58]

i pic up 30 gallons at tractor supply last week in nj for 7.00 a gallon

 

[TreePointer]

i pic up 30 gallons at tractor supply last week in nj for 7.00 a gallon

Yeah, that's what it is here this week: $7.00/gal (discounted from $8.99)

Maybe those $5.00-5.99 sales are a thing of the past. (sigh)

 

[Philbert]

Maybe those $5.00-5.99 sales are a thing of the past. (sigh)

Not trying to tease you but we have had $4 - $6 a gallon bar and chain oil sales around here (Minnesota) in the last year. Currently $6 at one of our regional farm stores. Sometimes Bailey's has their Motion Lotion on sale with a free shipping deal on $200 or more - OK if you are buying other stuff, or plan to split it with some friends. So keep the faith.

Philbert

 

[TreePointer]

Not trying to tease you but we have had $4 - $6 a gallon bar and chain oil sales around here (Minnesota) in the last year. Currently $6 at one of our regional farm stores. Sometimes Bailey's has their Motion Lotion on sale with a free shipping deal on $200 or more - OK if you are buying other stuff, or plan to split it with some friends. So keep the faith.

Philbert

Nah, I appreciate the regional price updates. Fortunately, I stocked up on TSC oil when it was $4.99/gal.

TSC usually has an autumn sale with discounts on a lot of firewood related items. I'm interested to see if the price does indeed drop in the next few weeks.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

My B&C oil is free. I fill up my saws with used fryer oil I get for the low low price of $0.00.

 

[mikefunaro]

i pic up 30 gallons at tractor supply last week in nj for 7.00 a gallon

Did you happen to be in Jersey for other reasons...if not those bridge tolls creep up on you fast!

 

[splitpost]

My B&C oil is free. I fill up my saws with used fryer oil I get for the low low price of $0.00.

how bout them chips

 

[WoodChuck'r]

how bout them chips

Salt and V?? :yoyo:

 

[splitpost]

Salt and V?? :yoyo:

Mmmmm........making me hungry

 

[roncoinc]

My B&C oil is free. I fill up my saws with used fryer oil I get for the low low price of $0.00.

Use it to cook your lunch too ?

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Use it to cook your lunch too ?

Lol nah I'm a maintenance man man at a waterpark part time during the summer months. I always snag a five gallon jug before they throw it all in the oil return tank.

Although before we open at 11:00am I stop in the cafe to cook myself some breakfast concocted up of pizza logs and chicken fingers on a regular basis, so to answer your question, in a sense, yes.

 

[tomtrees58]

Did you happen to be in Jersey for other reasons...if not those bridge tolls creep up on you fast!

yes flea market i like old toy trucks i go 4 times a month

 

[J.Walker]

I was at the local Jonsered dealer the other week. She had 6 gallon cases for 30 bucks.

 

[rms61moparman]

I buy Dolmar by the case from my excellent dealer.
I have a lot of other things to take up my worry time!!!
I loved the Poulan green bottle and there is NOTHING better.



Mike

 

[Wood Doctor]

I Use Bar Oil, not Motor Oil

Well, since I can get dedicated bar oil that is designed for chain saws at about half the price of motor oil that is not designed for chain saws, it seems to make more sense to buy bar and chain oil.

Plus, I have no complaints about the bar oil that I buy for half the price of motor oil. It works. I usually buy about 10 gallons at a time for $52 whenever it's on sale, tax included. Paying more for it seems a bit senseless unless the expensive bar oil truly works better. This far, I find the performance difference negligible.

 

[procarbine2k1]

I buy Alco from my local Stihl dealer. It went up a buck since the last time I bought it, but is still a bit cheaper than Stihl. I've used both, and dont use Alco because it is cheaper- but I have had good luck with it and have stuck with it. If I am happy with something, I normally stick with it even if it is a little bit more just because I can expect the same quality the next time I buy it.

I have used several different bar oils in the past, and cant say that one is much better in the other. I havent noticed a big difference in "tackiness", mostly just notice some variation in viscosity from one to the next.

 

[nmurph]

I don't want my saws to smell like KFC or rear-ends, so nothing but the cheap, green bottle, Poulan in my saws. I have never had a problem, and it is available at lots of places. I might try the TSC oil if I am there at the right time though.

 

[Terry Syd]

I would be reluctant to use the cooked vegetable oil. I used to make biodiesel and one of the things that was neutralised was the free fatty acids (FFA) in the used oil. If the FFAs and water came in contact it would create an acid that would react with metals. If you could ensure no water/moisture, then maybe it would be all right in the long run - or, just use it and then purge it later with petroleum oil.