Waste motor oil as bar oil

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Just my opinion but I think it is a far greater danger to eat the meat fruit and vegetables laden with man made chemicals from your local grocery store than it is to worry about a small amount of used oil in a chain saw.
I would sooner cover my body with used motor oil than having to spend a day in a major city now there is a chemical hell hole where no sane human being should ever be.
I used to be a good speller until I started using used oil in my chain saw.
Kash
 
So at the risk of starting a war…

And just for fun....

I can buy an OEM replacement bar for between $25 and $30 and often much cheaper on Facebook Marketplace. That bar would guide an 18 inch 62 drive link low profile 3/8 inch chain. This would fit about every Poulan and some of the Echos (my400) and goodness knows what else and cut bunches of firewood. These saws use a ton of oil pumping it out all over the place and leaking when not in use. BTW, If I buy an imported bar from Walmart, I’m at roughly $13.

A gallon of bar oil is somewhere between $10 and $15 depending upon what you get.

So for the cost of 1 to 2 gallons of bar oil, you can replace a bar.

I’ve read in about a dozen places how horrible it is to use free waste motor oil as bar oil. The idea being it’s not as sticky and therefore doesn’t lubricate as well. Ok I get th argument. Probably makes sense for pro saws with expensive bars.

Can someone convince me that it’s so much worse to use free waste oil that doing so would trash the bar before I hit the economic break even point?

When the consumable guide bar and a gallon of consumable bar oil cost so close to the same amount, everything’s disposable/consumable. Not that the Poulan isn’t also disposable, but what about the oil delivery system can possibly be harmed by motor oil? Can’t think of any issues there.
 
This is one of "Those" questions..Democrat, Republican,, Saved, unsaved do you eat meat,, etc..So..Instead 0f saying YES or NO, I'm gonna speak like a Politician and saw, "Maybe".. this is MY opinion, others have a right to theirs..FIRST..at 74 years old I don't just try stuff without lots of experimenting..this is exactly what I do..My diesel tractor uses a VERY good oil and when I drain it that oil goes into a clean sealed container to be stored in the barn for a while..I've found that any dirt will settle on the bottom. I've strained this oil during testing and found that IF the oil sits in the barn out of sun light for several months I can slowly pour off the top part of the oil and It will be clean..The gunk on the bottom has another more private use..I've gone as far as mixing sand, water, and other junk into some oil and letting it settle out for a couple of months and running that dirty oil through a strainer and in my test it was clean..I used a very good filter that was so fine it took hours to drip through..I felt of the oil and tested it for any contaminants. I found NONE...BUT,, I did NOT stop there..STP was added to the used oil to create a better tackiness and a slicker feel..in fact after wiping the oil off my hands with a clean cloth my fingers were still slick like when you get silicon on them..I made a viscosity guage and compared my motor oil with STP to cheap Bar and Chain oil from TS. The stuff I created was better IMHO..So,, I added water and mixed it with a mechanical device and turned my B&C oil light chocolate brown.. Testing showed it to be a lubricating oil but it was left to settle for two months to see IF the moisture would evaporate to the top.. It did not.. Then that oil was placed in a cheap electric saw and tested.. Slow moving chain and it actually worked well..the STP in it was still tacky and the fee;l was good.. So it was used in my big Echo 590 with the stock bar that came on the saw..( that's my crappy bar) and I bucked a tree with it.. The bar stayed withing heat and lubricating limits..I used that oil up and never again added water.. Because I had used oil on hand and don't want to bother with other ways of using it the Chain Saw is perfect..now all I do is let it sit.. pour off the good stuff, mix that in a clean container with STP (test and add as needed) and pour the bottom stuff into my "Other" use junk oil..Because here on my farm there seems to always be plenty of used oil some is aging while some is being used..The only thing I do buy is STP. The cheap blue bottle and to make a gallon of B&C oil less than half a bottle of STP so it's cheap.. WHEN a saw is running IF it's slinging oil or not oiling you can hear the chain making a metallic sound.. Well,, I danged sure can.. In fact after years you kinda just know..So,, go to the Church of your choice, vote like you wish and take my story on a believe it or not,, basics..I know what I'm going to do. I did my home work and it works for me. I found a easy way to check oil for grit...This is it. Use a CLEAN flat piece of glass like window glass.. Put a few drops of the test oil on that glass laying flat and level..Use another piece of clean flat glass and lay it over the oil sample. Move the pieces of glass around on each other.. IF there is any grit you will find it..hear it, feel it.. If the oil is good the two pieces of glass will want to stick together. When I treat my oil and test it so far mine has been excellent..Yes, I don't mind testing my creations and I feel good about using my B&C oil.I'm not selling this.. I'm not giving it away.. I've got nothing to loose if everyone thinks badly of me..I am satisfied with my results. I've made my choice........your choice belongs to you..Good luck..
 
This is one of "Those" questions..Democrat, Republican,, Saved, unsaved do you eat meat,, etc..So..Instead 0f saying YES or NO, I'm gonna speak like a Politician and saw, "Maybe".. this is MY opinion, others have a right to theirs..FIRST..at 74 years old I don't just try stuff without lots of experimenting..this is exactly what I do..My diesel tractor uses a VERY good oil and when I drain it that oil goes into a clean sealed container to be stored in the barn for a while..I've found that any dirt will settle on the bottom. I've strained this oil during testing and found that IF the oil sits in the barn out of sun light for several months I can slowly pour off the top part of the oil and It will be clean..The gunk on the bottom has another more private use..I've gone as far as mixing sand, water, and other junk into some oil and letting it settle out for a couple of months and running that dirty oil through a strainer and in my test it was clean..I used a very good filter that was so fine it took hours to drip through..I felt of the oil and tested it for any contaminants. I found NONE...BUT,, I did NOT stop there..STP was added to the used oil to create a better tackiness and a slicker feel..in fact after wiping the oil off my hands with a clean cloth my fingers were still slick like when you get silicon on them..I made a viscosity guage and compared my motor oil with STP to cheap Bar and Chain oil from TS. The stuff I created was better IMHO..So,, I added water and mixed it with a mechanical device and turned my B&C oil light chocolate brown.. Testing showed it to be a lubricating oil but it was left to settle for two months to see IF the moisture would evaporate to the top.. It did not.. Then that oil was placed in a cheap electric saw and tested.. Slow moving chain and it actually worked well..the STP in it was still tacky and the fee;l was good.. So it was used in my big Echo 590 with the stock bar that came on the saw..( that's my crappy bar) and I bucked a tree with it.. The bar stayed withing heat and lubricating limits..I used that oil up and never again added water.. Because I had used oil on hand and don't want to bother with other ways of using it the Chain Saw is perfect..now all I do is let it sit.. pour off the good stuff, mix that in a clean container with STP (test and add as needed) and pour the bottom stuff into my "Other" use junk oil..Because here on my farm there seems to always be plenty of used oil some is aging while some is being used..The only thing I do buy is STP. The cheap blue bottle and to make a gallon of B&C oil less than half a bottle of STP so it's cheap.. WHEN a saw is running IF it's slinging oil or not oiling you can hear the chain making a metallic sound.. Well,, I danged sure can.. In fact after years you kinda just know..So,, go to the Church of your choice, vote like you wish and take my story on a believe it or not,, basics..I know what I'm going to do. I did my home work and it works for me. I found a easy way to check oil for grit...This is it. Use a CLEAN flat piece of glass like window glass.. Put a few drops of the test oil on that glass laying flat and level..Use another piece of clean flat glass and lay it over the oil sample. Move the pieces of glass around on each other.. IF there is any grit you will find it..hear it, feel it.. If the oil is good the two pieces of glass will want to stick together. When I treat my oil and test it so far mine has been excellent..Yes, I don't mind testing my creations and I feel good about using my B&C oil.I'm not selling this.. I'm not giving it away.. I've got nothing to loose if everyone thinks badly of me..I am satisfied with my results. I've made my choice........your choice belongs to you..Good luck..
You do realize that the toxic byproducts and heavy metals found in motor oil by design are suspended in the oil? A little dirt and carbon are the least of your worries.
 
You do realize that the toxic byproducts and heavy metals found in motor oil by design are suspended in the oil? A little dirt and carbon are the least of your worries.

While that might be true- the guy that posted that has gotten his three score and 10 under his belt and then some, lived through some turbulent times and decades where exposing oneself to carcinogenic compounds was a daily occurrence. Most the beef he consumed in the first half of his life was grass fed, was possibly drafted in the 60's, used to fill his gas tanks with leaded fuel and is approaching 3/4 of a century. He explains his choices and his methods, nowhere does he say anyone else should follow them.
Some people still smoke cigarettes, couple of decades back a whole lot more people did, some people never did- it's that whole personal choice thing described in the above post. Some folk like Stihl, some like Husqvarna, some don't give a fat rats backside as long as it runs well- personal choice.
What others choose to do may not always appear correct to our eyes, but it is their choice to do so if they see fit and are not endangering others whilst doing so.
 
in answer to the veggie oil , chains get stiff when sitting awhile-, your oil pump & lines gets all gummed up as well. If you are running the saws all the time like a couple times a week its ok but if left to sit for an extended time it gets a bit pricey and time consuming to repair same.
 
in answer to the veggie oil , chains get stiff when sitting awhile-, your oil pump & lines gets all gummed up as well. If you are running the saws all the time like a couple times a week its ok but if left to sit for an extended time it gets a bit pricey and time consuming to repair same.
This is why I quit using it. Never know when my saw is going to be sitting for months or maybe years. Not worth the trouble, went back to dino oil.

The veggie oil also left a scum on EVERYTHING that was a huge pain to clean.
 
in answer to the veggie oil , chains get stiff when sitting awhile-, your oil pump & lines gets all gummed up as well. If you are running the saws all the time like a couple times a week its ok but if left to sit for an extended time it gets a bit pricey and time consuming to repair same.

Unless they are Italian saws, like Efco. Then you just run a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and some basil or oregano in with the oil . . .

Philbert
 
I remember my grandma making lard when I was growing up. That woman sure could cook. She made the best biscuits I have ever eaten.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
One of my good buddies used to cook with lard because his mom did. He stopped doing that after his blocked artery almost shut off his heart and required a stint to keep him alive.
 
Growing up in the 70's in the Bush on a remote Highway
My Mom and Dad owned a Lodge
Somedays the take for the day would be $0 .25 for someones coffee.
They had to produce their own power with a Whitty power plant.Huge 1 cylinder with big iron flywheels.
Plus heat all the buildings with wood
My dad had a barrel with multiple layers of drywall about a foot from the bottom and a valve under the layers of drywall.
The old oil from oil changes went in the top and chain oil came out of the tap.Sometimes the oil out of the tap would be used in barley running vehicles,like the ones given to me to play with.
They used 25-50 cords of wood a year,had a multitude of saws that my Dad would take to go cut wood,then repair that night to go cut wood again.
My Mom bought my Dad a Stihl 031 for Fathers day one year.After that he didn't have to work on saws and rarely took any others with him.
Us kids were feed ,kept safe and taught how to survive in life.Learning how to reuse and repurpose stuff was a must for them,which us kids learned for the life ahead.
I still use waste oil,but i have a furnace that burns it in my shop.
 

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