Bar oil oddness

[andrewspens]

Here is the deal:

I usually buy my bar oil from Wally World, they carry Poulan in quarts and gallons. I buy it there because they are open later than the Stihl/Echo dealers and I hate the dealers attitude. In the past, I have bought the black jug stuff and it has been dyed red, nice and tacky. I just opened a green bottle, this stuff is dyed yellow and seems to be a little more runny. Is there a reason for this? Summer weight? I like being able to get oil after work instead of on my lunch, and 4.88 for a gallon is really nice. Other than color, is there a difference in these two oils? I am thinking of just getting a bottle of red food coloring so it is easier to see when cutting.

 

[Al Smith]

Ha,the bar oil thing is another one that no one can agree on.The Stihl "purists" will argue in favor of the compnay they adore with great enthusiasm and much disdain towards those that don't agree with them.

Bar oil is nothing but oil with a tacking agent in it,STP like stuff.I've used them all I suppose no matter what color.Lately however it seems that Stihl is about the same price as TSC branded oil so I go with the Stihl.Besides that,the dealer always has it on hand and often Lowes or TSC just has little quarts for trim the trees in the backyards types.

 

[joesawer]

It seems that bar oil of all brands has been getting thinner over the years.
I remember bar oil that was so thick that it was difficult to pour out of the jug. The thinner oils seem to work just fine and may even give a little more chain speed.

 

[Cut4fun]

I have heard the same thing about the green jugged bar oil. I have always used the black jugged ones. Maybe the poulan pro bottle has a tach agent and the green poulan one doesn't? No clue really, but I have never had a problem with the black bottled oil even during sustained ripping cuts with bars buried.
Let us know if you find a difference OK.

 

[andrethegiant70]

Ha,the bar oil thing is another one that no one can agree on.The Stihl "purists" will argue in favor of the compnay they adore with great enthusiasm and much disdain towards those that don't agree with them......

Uh oh, Al, ya better pull your drapes closed and stay inside for while! I've got a spot in my shop if things get dicey for ya.

 

[GASoline71]

Ha,the bar oil thing is another one that no one can agree on.The Stihl "purists" will argue in favor of the compnay they adore with great enthusiasm and much disdain towards those that don't agree with them.

Hey! Watch it Al!!! LOL:biggrinbounce2: :biggrinbounce2:

I have just always used Stihl products in my Stihl saws. Now that I have other brands... I just use it in them too.

Gary

 

[Timberhauler]

I like husky bar oil better.My dealer sells it to me at cost per case.

 

[clearance]

Here is the deal:

I usually buy my bar oil from Wally World, they carry Poulan in quarts and gallons. I buy it there because they are open later than the Stihl/Echo dealers and I hate the dealers attitude. In the past, I have bought the black jug stuff and it has been dyed red, nice and tacky. I just opened a green bottle, this stuff is dyed yellow and seems to be a little more runny. Is there a reason for this? Summer weight? I like being able to get oil after work instead of on my lunch, and 4.88 for a gallon is really nice. Other than color, is there a difference in these two oils? I am thinking of just getting a bottle of red food coloring so it is easier to see when cutting.

Why not buy it by the case, it doesn't go bad.

 

[Dan Forsh]

The thinner oils seem to work just fine and may even give a little more chain speed.

BS, come on! we are not talking Formula 1 here are we.

 

[Patrick62]

A plug for motion lotion

Bailey's oil is good stuff. With shipping it costs a little more.
Worth every penny, IMHO.

I get it shipped in several cases at a time, this way I won't run out.

If the oiler can be cranked up high enough you could probably run anything that is oil.... without wearing things out too quickly.

Since my saws are "stingy" with the oil I feel better about running good stuff.

My $0.02 worth. :chainsawguy:

-Pat

 

[Stumper]

I have run gallon upon gallon of Poulan green bottle oil. It has no colorant so far as I know-the yellowish color is natural (Just like cheap mineral oil based motor oils) . Yes it has a tacking agent. The most proficient cutter I know NEVER buys bar oil. He runs the cheapest 30 weight motor oil he can find. He likes pouring out of quart bottles.

 

[Al Smith]

. The most proficient cutter I know NEVER buys bar oil. He runs the cheapest 30 weight motor oil he can find. He likes pouring out of quart bottles.

Well good heavens my man,I thought you ran salad oil,french fry cooking stuff and such.

I suppose cooking oil would work better for bar oil than bar oil to fry your fish in.Ponder that thought.Then again,as I think about perhaps some of the places that sell take out fish may be using bar oil by the taste of things,yuck.I wonder if Stihl oil produces a better taste than Poulan?

 

[Sprig]

I have heard the same thing about the green jugged bar oil. I have always used the black jugged ones. Maybe the poulan pro bottle has a tach agent and the green poulan one doesn't? No clue really, but I have never had a problem with the black bottled oil even during sustained ripping cuts with bars buried.
Let us know if you find a difference OK.

Hm, no doubt they can stick what-ever the heck they want in there and people will buy it because of the color of the jug. Never seen any sort of specific standard for quality onI use to like the Homehardware grey jugs, all it said was 'bar oil', the dyer guy sure didn't skimp, making sure it was the colour of blood, and you'd swear by fond memories of trying to get Rodger's white sugar syrup to pour, or out of your hair. Hmmmmmm, always wondered about that black burn mark around my bar, chain wasn't too tight. :monkey:

 

[Stumper]

Al, I do indeed run veggie oil but I ran Poulan and Super Tech bar oils for years before switching to veggie and I never went total vegetable oil-The saws that sit for a while between uses have been getting Commercial bar oil right along. After my recent cooking of an oiler I am considering switching back to mostly Petroleum based oil.....the only think is I really like the fact that veggie washes out of my britches better.

 

[Al Smith]

Hmm,I would have thought the oiler could stand up to veggie based oils.

As far as oily britches,I had a pair of Carhart bibs that resided on the back of my old D4 Cat that were nearly water proof from years of soaking up oil.I wonder if that is what they mean by "oil cloth"

 

[oldsaw]

When Poulan went from the tall gallon jug to the short gallon jug, it got much thinner. The tall jug was pretty decent stuff. I use the thinner stuff in the Aux oiler when the weather gets cold. It flows better. Haven't used it in a saw, but it wouldn't bother me on shorter bars. Don't think I'd be too keen on it with a 36".

Mark

 

[Stumper]

The Veggie oil has had no direct deliterious effect on oiler parts that I can see . In the case of two oilers I cooked, one sat for several months with veggie and it gummed up in the oil outlet hole. In case 2 the saw was in frequent service being used every week. The saw began to have a problem with the clutch not disengaging. As it turned out the clutch WAS disengaging but the clutch drum bearing had cooked the vegetable oil and some fine saw dust into a little cake around the needle bearings and it was dragging so much that it was turning the chain on the little saw at idle. I cleaned up the bearing, lubed it and all was well....except the saw wasn't oiling. Pulled oiler and found it was gummy and one spline on the plastic worm gear was goobered.

 

[Al Smith]

Well,I had heard of several occasion where the oil of corn,canola and other organic stuff would gummy up.I do know that the back of commercial french friers would turn to a lardy mess.If you ever saw them it would deter you from ever eating at a resterant again.Yuck.

Oh,off subject but on also.Al's tip of the week for oily britches is to first use a little D and L type handcleaner on the oil stain,then wash as usual.Works like a charm,clean britches once again.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I've been using the short jug Poulan last couple years w/ no adverse affect. Why? cheapest I can find, and conveniant w/ Wally world 5 miles away.
Just picked up a few jugs of Quaker State bar/chain oil...first time I've seen it. Menards has it for like 4.25 gallon. Haven't tried it yet.

 

[TNMIKE]

30 W motor oil

Ive been running the cheapest 30 weight motor oil I can find for over 40 years and Ive never had a problem yet. We arent talking high precision metal to metal fit here.