bar oil...cheap vs arm and leg

[BloodOnTheIce]

Man here in NY we pay extra for everything including bar oil.
Besides Stihl I have couple other sources for bar oil and no one is selling it
wholesale for under 7.50$ a gallon.

TSC brand is 10.99$ and the Husqvarna brand is 14.99$
Walmart is selling the Poulan for 12.99$ a gallon, and their own Super Tech
brand for 9.99$ a gallon.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Man here in NY we pay extra for everything including bar oil.
Besides Stihl I have couple other sources for bar oil and no one is selling it
wholesale for under 7.50$ a gallon.

TSC brand is 10.99$ and the Husqvarna brand is 14.99$
Walmart is selling the Poulan for 12.99$ a gallon, and their own Super Tech
brand for 9.99$ a gallon.

Holy Toledo! For those prices, I could almost bootleg my supply to New York. I recall paying $10 a gallon one year when there was a shortage and diesel fuel was reaching $5 a gallon. I might suggest going to Bailey's website and pay the shipping for a case. They often run seasonal specials. Bar oil is often used as a traffic booster for their site.

 

[sloweather]

How 'bout running a quart or 2 of straight Slick 50 through the oiler and teflon coating the bar and chain? Or mix it in the bar oil...

 

[TreePointer]

There's a new Non-caloric, silicon based kitchen lubricant that my company has been working on that creates a surface 500 times more slippery than any cooking oil. I put it in the bar oil, and the chain done flew off and exploded a tree.

 

[Philbert]

Was just thinking about the cost of gas and the cost of buying stuff. Somehow, the money seems to come out of different 'accounts'. How far would you drive to save $3 on a gallon of bar oil?

Philbert

 

[brian660]

I mix husky bar oil and filtered WVO 50/50 to cut down on the tackiness, everything cleans up alot easier and theres still enough of a film on the bar/chain to protect it but to be honest i`ve ran straight vegetable oil milling plenty of times and never messed up a bar or saw any premature wear.

 

[Philbert]

Stopped in a few Runnings stores in SW Minnesota last week. Husqvarna bar and chain oil was going for $8.99 or 9.99 per gallon, depending upon the store.

Then a neighbor came by this afternoon with a full gallon of 'Gold Band' bar and chain oil from the 'free' pile at a garage sale. Free and delivered.

Philbert

 

[Eccentric]

Stopped in a few Runnings stores in SW Minnesota last week. Husqvarna bar and chain oil was going for $8.99 or 9.99 per gallon, depending upon the store.

Then a neighbor came by this afternoon with a full gallon of 'Gold Band' bar and chain oil from the 'free' pile at a garage sale. Free and delivered.

Philbert

Tell him to stop by my place next. Might as well bring a case. I'll PM you my address...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[TreePointer]

Stopped in a few Runnings stores in SW Minnesota last week. Husqvarna bar and chain oil was going for $8.99 or 9.99 per gallon, depending upon the store.

Then a neighbor came by this afternoon with a full gallon of 'Gold Band' bar and chain oil from the 'free' pile at a garage sale. Free and delivered.

Philbert

Husqvarna B&C oil is $11.99 here at TSC. :msp_scared:

 

[CedarRock]

I would be willing to bet that majority of AS members use a cheaper type of bar oil.

Maybe the OP could start a pole. I use the expensive stuff but would be nice to get a consensus.

 

[Justsaws]

Man here in NY we pay extra for everything including bar oil.
Besides Stihl I have couple other sources for bar oil and no one is selling it
wholesale for under 7.50$ a gallon.

TSC brand is 10.99$ and the Husqvarna brand is 14.99$
Walmart is selling the Poulan for 12.99$ a gallon, and their own Super Tech
brand for 9.99$ a gallon.

Most OEM brands are $12.00+ per gallon.

TSC on sale @$7.00+now, usually $8.00.

Soy is at $8.00+.

$7.50 wholesale seems to be a thing of the past around here.

Hmmm, I forsee a shortage in the availibilty of recycled motor oil in the future. The last 2150 and 365s had used motor oil in them.

 

[Philbert]

Husqvarna B&C oil is $11.99 here at TSC.

It was also $11.99 at the TSC store across the street from the store where it was $9.99 .
The TSC store also had 2.6oz bottles of Husqvarna Low Smoke 2 cycle mix for $1.89 while the store across the street had them for $1.49.
I think that I noticed a trend - but was seriously surprised at that kind of price difference, literally across the street, in a small farming town.

Philbert

 

[logging22]

Mill owner im contracted to just scored on the bar oil. Had to buy a pallet but good deal at 5 bucks a gallon. I bought 10 cases from him. Got enough for the rest of the year for half price.

 

[DSS]

There's a new Non-caloric, silicon based kitchen lubricant that my company has been working on that creates a surface 500 times more slippery than any cooking oil. I put it in the bar oil, and the chain done flew off and exploded a tree.

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Cool beans!

 

[MtnHermit]

I was always a proponent of cheap bar oil (go read my old posts), and I still am, but, when we got the last and best modded 660 (that I have) and these modded 441's and were cutting a lot of Ash in the bottoms and swampy ground, we started to get Stihl chain stretch and burnt bars which was not happening before due to less wood being removed per second or whatever. I tried some experiements with STP and Synthetic Gear Oil and cooking oil and cheaper oil like Tractor supply/walmart/autoparts stuff, none worked with the faster saws using 28" Stihl ES bars and Stihl Semi Chisel Full Skip Chain. When running saws that were not as fast, these oils worked just fine for years, but since the faster saws, it did take the additional quality of Stihl Oil to allow for the practical use of the faster setups, without then causing multiple chain adjustments and wore out bars.

Sam

This falls under the heading of "One test is worth One-thousand expert opinions"

Thank you for the test and post.

 

[Philbert]

TSC on sale @$7.00+now, usually $8.00.

Saw that yesterday. Been driving around the state for work these past few weeks, and stop in some of the farm and supply stores to check things out. I have seen the same size (2.6 oz) bottle of Husqvarna Low Smoke 2-cycle mix oil going for $1.49 to $3.19 each, within a 100 mile radius. Some of it must be older stock that they have not marked up, because that much variation seems nuts.

Philbert

 

[Slamm]

Originally Posted by Justsaws

TSC on sale @$7.00+now, usually $8.00.

I feel fortunate to be able to get the Stihl Bar Oil for similar price per gallon.

I do like the red caps that come on the TSC oil jugs. I tie two Stihl Jugs together and use the Black Cap on the Gas Jug and a TSC red cap on the Bar Oil jug. I bought a pallet of TSC oil awhile back and still have some to get rid of. I mix half and half with the Stihl to try and get it to work, the Ash is just horrible to cut with subgrade oil and fast saws with longer bars.

Sam

 

[chainsawcircus]

bar oil

some places i cut, you do have to use vegetable oil. If not i use regular oil with just a little hi tak, spelling questionable. If you use to much it will make cotton candy up next to your saw on the way back in to the clutch cover. dont get it on you, sticks to everything.

 

[Philbert]

Was up in the Mille Lacs / Onamia area of Minnesota the past few days. If you live up that way and want to know of a good deal on Husqvarna bar & chain oil, and Husqvana Low Smoke 2-cycle oil, send me a PM.

Philbert

 

[WSJchester]

or was bar oil sticky in the seventies?

Unless memory totally fails, it was in fact sticky in the mid 1970's. My dad, grandfathers and uncles all used plain old motor oil, often used stuff. I started using a saw a good bit in the early 70's and switched to B&C oil because a couple friends that had better saws used it and I haven't looked back. It was MUCH better than used motor oil!

Back in the olden days the saw manual said mix 30 wt 16:1 for fuel and make sure to fill the oil tank . . . then they invented 2-stroke oil and B&C oil.

Which is good and which is best? Dunno. Some are entirely too thick below freezing and about impossible to pour when it's zero F. All seem to work OK for my non-pro firewood cutting at more comfortable temps.

Surely some independent lab has tested products from the various producers (as opposed to retail label brands)? -WSJ