Waste motor oil as bar oil

[miller755]

The only time I can remember using "waste" oil in my own personal saws, was a "right place, right time" kind of situation.
I just happened to be onsite at a dairy processing plant when an 11KVA transformer was being drained of its cooling/insulating oil and it was being replaced.
Long story short, I went home with a 44 gallon drum of some kind of mineral oil that was suitable as bar oil- VERY cheaply. Cannot remember if it cost me one, or two 24 packs of beer.

And they dodged a hazardous waste disposal fee.
Have you ever heard of PCB's....worse than used motor oil.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

And they dodged a hazardous waste disposal fee.
Have you ever heard of PCB's....worse than used motor oil.

Never claimed it was safe to use- said it was suitable. It was way back in the 1980's, people used to spray paint cars without respirators back then. Near everyone in blue collar trades smoked cigarettes. Catalytic converters were unheard of and your diesel trucks had to be belching black smoke to be making power.
We did or played with a lot of things that were going to shorten your lifespan back then, many of us paid or are paying the price now- but it was the 1980's not the 2020's.

 

[blades]

Heck, you whipper snappers from the 80's are pansies compared to us of the 40/50's era. I used to hear something similar from my parents, who were born apx 1919.

 

[miller755]

Never claimed it was safe to use- said it was suitable. It was way back in the 1980's, people used to spray paint cars without respirators back then. Near everyone in blue collar trades smoked cigarettes. Catalytic converters were unheard of and your diesel trucks had to be belching black smoke to be making power.
We did or played with a lot of things that were going to shorten your lifespan back then, many of us paid or are paying the price now- but it was the 1980's not the 2020's.

I guess that's what i like about this site, no denying it, just admitting that you know better today.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Heck, you whipper snappers from the 80's are pansies compared to us of the 40/50's era. I used to hear something similar from my parents, who were born apx 1919.

Agree 100%, I was an "adult" back in the 80's and things older work colleagues did, or the stories they told of what they used to do shocked the heck out of us young fellas, but they were still there to tell those stories.

 

[Bwildered]

That’s an interesting point about breathing the oil. I’m sure there’s all kinds of oil in the air when you run a bar and chain at speed Had not thought of that. And if half burned oil is unhealthy it might not be good to put it in the air.

But isn’t that what a 2 stroke does? Fill the air with burned and half burned oil?

Is the exhausted oil from a car engine worse than the exhaust oil from a 2 stroke?

Not trying to be a jerk. Serious question. Is car oil really that dirty/gross/dangerous?

Full disclosure so folks don’t think I’m just baiting the discussion. I gotta flush cut a bunch of stumps and I’ve rebuilt a $25 Poulan 2550 to take that beating. Don’t expect the chains or the bar to fare well at all. Saw may not survive either. There will be grit and dirt and mess. So I got to thinking that clean oil would not make much difference in all that dirt and then I got to wondering what difference it makes with really cheap bars and chains....hence the post.

One is already subjecting themselves to engine combustion emissions when using a 2t saw, by using used engine oil it is just adding to the undesirable things to be ingested.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Agree 100%, I was an "adult" back in the 80's and things older work colleagues did, or the stories they told of what they used to do shocked the heck out of us young fellas, but they were still there to tell those stories.

The ones who survived told those stories.....

 

[bwalker]

if you want to mix something that is extremely sticky use machine way oil. 3 parts or 2 parts bar or 30 # oil to 1 part way oil. Way oil is for extreme pressure between sliding parts.I do not know what weight code it would be. This works well in very hot weather as all the various bar oils I have used get too dang thin in 80+ degee temps. Course working in cold weather requires going the other way a bit until the saw gets heated up. Atf is not a great choice as a lot of the time it does not mix well or settles back out when sitting for a fair bit of time. Never used Veggie oil- seen what happens when it dries out - like epoxy.( new diesels manuals even warn about biofuel use- really jams up the injectors.) I have used old motor and new in a pinch ,not because I am cheap, it's a 1+ hour trip to any supply store for me that would be open at those particular times , sometimes nothing is open.

Great way to spend more money for no gain whatsoever

 

[bwalker]

One is already subjecting themselves to engine combustion emissions when using a 2t saw, by using used engine oil it is just adding to the undesirable things to be ingested.

While breathing two stroke exhaust isn't a great thing at least gasoline no longer contains nasties like benzene,toluene and xylene.
Also strato charged engines have greatly reduced emmissions.

 

[Dean-O]

As a mechanic who works on saws all day long I can honestly say that when I see used motor oil in a saw I just shake my head. It sucks because the saw is always filthy, the bar is always hammered and my bench is covered in used motor oil filth.
I always tell the customer that it’s not tacky like real bar oil and just flys off the bar and offers no protection from bar heating up to a million degrees. They just say oh my dad ran it that way his whole life 8 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year and has never had to replace a bar and saved $1000s of dollars by never buying bar oil………
I just say ok and move on. In fact we have been so busy lately that I haven’t even been mentioning it on the phone or in notes when discussing the repairs with customer.

 

[czyhorse]

The only time I can remember using "waste" oil in my own personal saws, was a "right place, right time" kind of situation.
I just happened to be onsite at a dairy processing plant when an 11KVA transformer was being drained of its cooling/insulating oil and it was being replaced.
Long story short, I went home with a 44 gallon drum of some kind of mineral oil that was suitable as bar oil- VERY cheaply. Cannot remember if it cost me one, or two 24 packs of beer.

A lot of the oil in old transformers has PCBs in them. When we drain transformers the oil has to be tested and disposed of according to the results. Not trying to be that guy but I would not recommend contact with that unless you know for sure. Not to mention breathing the mist, spraying it around the woods, or burning it on your wood. Just saying.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

A lot of the oil in old transformers has PCBs in them. When we drain transformers the oil has to be tested and disposed of according to the results. Not trying to be that guy but I would not recommend contact with that unless you know for sure. Not to mention breathing the mist, spraying it around the woods, or burning it on your wood. Just saying.

Just saying- read my earlier reply to the same observation.

 

[czyhorse]

Just saying- read my earlier reply to the same observation.

Sorry I was late to the party.

 

[quantico]

My grandfather used old 30 wt car oil.. u got one of his old saws. I decided to use new 30 weight oil until i was old enough to figure out where they sold bar and chain oil. I have used real bar and chain oil for 40 years .. would use new car oil in a pinch. I guess i dont run saws that often that i consider buying a couple gallons of bar oil every year or two a big deal.

 

[quantico]

Old car oil is not good for you.. you can make your own decisions ..

 

[maowwg]

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to raise my hand and say "uncle" , but about 3 pages back I was convinced that breathing engine sludge accumulations wouldn't be worth saving $10 per gallon on bar oil. I got busy, so sorry I didn't respond. But, yeah, I'm not doing that. I may use up some old NEW motor oil in my electric Remington pole trimmer with the 10 inch bar just to clean off the shelves. But that doesn't even have an automatic oiler, so I can just give it a heavy dose in the name of achieving clean garage shelves.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

My dad was a pro faller, and always ran used engine oil in his saws. I’ve done the same now for 20 years, and have never noticed excessive wear to bar or chains. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever replaced a bar from being worn on the sides, only bad tips.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Used oil won't hurt your bar and chain any. If it wasn't good enough for your bar and chain, it would have boat anchored the engine you drained it out of too. That plays zero part in why I refuse to run it.

 

[bwalker]

Used oil won't hurt your bar and chain any. If it wasn't good enough for your bar and chain, it would have boat anchored the engine you drained it out of too. That plays zero part in why I refuse to run it.

Exactly.
FWIW the chain is much softer than the bar rail. As such you won't prematurely wear the bar to a large extent. The tip sprocket runs on roller bearings, which require very minimal lube. About the only thing that kills them are dirt and encountering water or snow.
Breathing in aerisolized used oil is why I won't use drain oil. That and the mess and crap its contaminated with possibly corroding your cases and hurting the internal parts of your oiler.

 

[windthrown]

Well, for you used oil for bar oil fans, my dad was one of those. He died of liver cancer at age 66. He never smoked either.

Used bar oil is not good for you, it is not good for your bar, it is not good for your oil pump, or for your saw, and it is not good for your chains. It is not good for anything, really. But go ahead and keep using it on your property, breathing it in and in your saws and getting all over yourselves and the environment that you live in. And good luck in the long run. Heavy metals and toxins from blowby gasses build up in your system over the long run. And your kids and your pets. And pretty much any other living things around y'all.

Me, I use soybean oil (labeled vegetable oil) in my saws. For you cheap ass people here, its all of $5 for a whole gallon at Wally world. While not as 'cheap' as "free" used engine oil, it is 1,000 times less toxic. Yes, one thousand times less toxic. No tacky stuff is in it, but you do not need it. Just crank up the oil pump in your saws and spray away. It will degrade naturally. If you spill it and the dog laps it up? No problem. If you get it on your clothes and the wife gets it on her hands doing the wash? No problem. Hell, you can drink the stuff. As for wear, I have seen next to none running soy oil on my bars and chains for the past 6 or 7 years now. The only issue is that the chains can become sticky after a few months of no use, and that takes dragging the chain in a log for a few seconds to get it rolling again, and that is the only downside I have seen. Did I mention the price? $5 a gallon.

But carry on using one of the absolute worst products I can think of in your saws. Short of leaded gas. For what, to save a few dollars? Just do not cut on my woodland property.