Waste motor oil as bar oil

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A significant amount of bar oil is aerosolized by the 60mph chain, and the operator winds up breathing it. That's the end of the discussion for me. No used engine oil in any saw I'm running.

I just love oil threads! Can't get enough!

1) Seems to me the bar is almost as cold as a refrigerator compared to temps inside an engine
2) the speed on a chain seems quite slow compared to sloshing of a crankshaft

Another topic: The 15-W40 in my 7.3 lubes that big fat truck engine just great only minutes before being drained into my saw, where suddenly the lubricity breaks down and seizes the chain to the bar and grinds the oil pump gear to shreds? Wonder why?

Is there a good scientific study of oil aerosolization? I wonder.
Does motor oil, even if thin, really have less lubricity? The layer of oil doing the work is pretty thin, I'd imagine.
 
My question is on synthetic 15-40 that comes from a drain of an engine.. I wanna use it,, but more than try not to.. Sure feels like bar oil.. Sticky and yucky.. My Detroit turns it black 20 miles after an oil change... An oil change equals 13 gallons of it..
Old man here..This question is like tossed salad. Pick out what you like toss the rest away. So first..HOW much bar oil do you use? Do you run a saw everyday or not all that frequently? Do you SELL or have a vested interest in selling Bar oil?
I've tested all kinds of Used oil for Bar oil. I will not go into all of the details BUT..I've devised all sort of ways to filer it. One thing is Multi grade thins better COLD for filtering.. HOWEVER,, I no longer filter my oil. I put it in a gallon Jug (free from my friend) as many as I need. Date them..Let the OIL sit up and all the sludge will go to the bottom. Keep the top toss the bottom junk. NOW.. lets talk about cold weather and Multi-grade oil thinning.. NO more need to add a thinner to bar oil for cold cutting. NOW for the sweet part..I ADD a small amount of the CHEAP STP oil addative. It's like 3 bucks in the blue bottle.. TO test the viscosity I use a wire look dipped into the oil. I made mine from old Coat Hanger. The loop is 1/16 by 1 inch more like a bent rectangle.. It's angled like a saw bar so I dip that, lift it out and see IF the oil hangs in the small crack..For weather temp I adjust by the amount of STP added per container.. I pour off just over half a gallon of aged oil into a clean container and add my STP and shake the bottle well..FOR years I've used the oil from my Tractor and other equepment.. It's like everything, TRY IT see IF you like it. For testing use an old bar. Dress it well clean the groves and oil hole well, toss a well used chain on and Have your wife cut a few trees while you watch. Smile..
 
You don't use used engine oil because it contains known carcinogens. Just like 100LL all it does is give you more exposure to chemicals that can cause or excellerate cancer. It contains no tackifiers, and likely its anti wear properties have been pretty much used up by the engine. If not your throwing good oil away that should still be in the engine. Next, it makes a huge mess. That reason alone it isn't worth running.
And comparing a chainsaw chain to a crankshaft of like comparing an apple to a brick. They have nothing in common outside of spinning.
 
You don't use used engine oil because it contains known carcinogens. Just like 100LL all it does is give you more exposure to chemicals that can cause or excellerate cancer. It contains no tackifiers, and likely its anti wear properties have been pretty much used up by the engine. If not your throwing good oil away that should still be in the engine. Next, it makes a huge mess. That reason alone it isn't worth running.
And comparing a chainsaw chain to a crankshaft of like comparing an apple to a brick. They have nothing in common outside of spinning.
If you are going to use used engine oil might as well use Av Gas LL while you are at it. :yes:
 
I don't eat the oil, and I don't buy that running it outside on a bar chain results in much exposure, even if it becomes airborne, which I have also not seen proof.

It is a risk, to be sure, but so is sitting at a computer.

Sitting in a chair and being a desk jockey is more risk to your health, I'd argue, than running used oil in your saw for the bar oil.

Others who use saws are out working...and breathing fresh air mixed with burned gas and oil, but getting exercise.
 
I don't eat the oil, and I don't buy that running it outside results in much exposure, even if it becomes airborne, which I have not seen proof it does.

It is a risk, to be sure. Sitting is a risk, also.

Sitting in a chair and being a desk jockey is more risk to your health, I'd argue, than used oil in your saw.

Others who use saws are out working...and breathing fresh air mixed with burned gas and oil.
Im not so sure breathing that exhaust with any mix of fuel is healthy. I know Diesel exhaust is a real rough to breath when working around any machine or truck that is powered by it.
 
Well...well...well....It is Febuary I guess, as I'm so bored I have read another oil thread. Not only an oil thread but a USED oil tread at that.
It seems that there is a missing contingency in this discussion......that would be those that work on others saws for money. Whether using used motor oil is or is not a good thing for the folks that partake in such cost savings I have just one thing to add to your cost savings. You bring a saw into my shop to be worked on that has been subjected to a used motor oil diet for a year or so...... and you get same day service....yep...you can take it with you right then....and DO NOT set it down on anything in the shop. Now that's verifiable savings right there!!!!
 
Oh, you were referring to canola oil and not bar oil. Ok, thanks... I will stick with bar oil.
I 've tried Stihl mineral bar oil,
Oregon bar oil ,Stihl semi-synthetic bar oil and lately I tried
the Oleo-Mac biodegradable ,non-toxic oil .It is very "thin",meaning that has low viscosity and wood debris cleans much more easily from chain,bar and saw.It also seems to be lubricating way better than any other bar oil I 've tried .
Chain is almost dripping oil when removed from bar .

Try to guess what is it's base oil .
 
Well...well...well....It is Febuary I guess, as I'm so bored I have read another oil thread. Not only an oil thread but a USED oil tread at that.
It seems that there is a missing contingency in this discussion......that would be those that work on others saws for money. Whether using used motor oil is or is not a good thing for the folks that partake in such cost savings I have just one thing to add to your cost savings. You bring a saw into my shop to be worked on that has been subjected to a used motor oil diet for a year or so...... and you get same day service....yep...you can take it with you right then....and DO NOT set it down on anything in the shop. No that's verifiable savings right there!!!!

Yes.

Interested to hear the reasons.
 
Yes.

Interested to hear the reasons.
They are absolutely nasty to work on. Black **** cooked onto every hot surface and cooler surfaces just black buildup of sawdust and nasty used oil. On a saw that is used hard but maintained regular, that is to say; run quality fuel/oil, conventional bar oil and blown out occasionally with compressed air it usually takes as long to clean the saw enough to open it up for crank seal or P&C work as it takes to do the actual work. You add burnt on, used black gook and you can double that clean up time......so an hour becomes two or more and at $75.00/hr you can buy a fair amount of bar and chain oil. Anyway the point is moot as I simply won't work on them....don't need the grief and I've found over the years any farmer or fisherman (really the same thing) that feels the need to cut corners on bar oil is gonna be likely to want to cut any other corners that can be identified and if the saw ever fails guess who's to blame? DO NOT set it down......Just go buy a new saw......
 
They are absolutely nasty to work on. Black **** cooked onto every hot surface and cooler surfaces just black buildup of sawdust and nasty used oil. On a saw that is used hard but maintained regular, that is to say; run quality fuel/oil, conventional bar oil and blown out occasionally with compressed air it usually takes as long to clean the saw enough to open it up for crank seal or P&C work as it takes to do the actual work. You add burnt on, used black gook and you can double that clean up time......so an hour becomes two or more and at $75.00/hr you can buy a fair amount of bar and chain oil. Anyway the point is moot as I simply won't work on them....don't need the grief and I've found over the years any farmer or fisherman (really the same thing) that feels the need to cut corners on bar oil is gonna be likely to want to cut any other corners that can be identified and if the saw ever fails guess who's to blame? DO NOT set it down......Just go buy a new saw......
Add Pine sap and forget about it!
 
They are absolutely nasty to work on. Black **** cooked onto every hot surface and cooler surfaces just black buildup of sawdust and nasty used oil. On a saw that is used hard but maintained regular, that is to say; run quality fuel/oil, conventional bar oil and blown out occasionally with compressed air it usually takes as long to clean the saw enough to open it up for crank seal or P&C work as it takes to do the actual work. You add burnt on, used black gook and you can double that clean up time......so an hour becomes two or more and at $75.00/hr you can buy a fair amount of bar and chain oil. Anyway the point is moot as I simply won't work on them....don't need the grief and I've found over the years any farmer or fisherman (really the same thing) that feels the need to cut corners on bar oil is gonna be likely to want to cut any other corners that can be identified and if the saw ever fails guess who's to blame? DO NOT set it down......Just go buy a new saw......
Understood.
Thank you!
 
any farmer or fisherman (really the same thing)

Perhaps that is a common saying, but I have never heard it.
I understand if people cut corners on maintenance in one way, they probably will in others. This is true with a lot of machinery, but I don't think farmers are the only ones who do this.
Cutting corners on bar oil may help them save enough money to lower your grocery bill also.
 

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