chainsaw storage (leaky bar oil)

[wagz]

hi friends.

ive come again to gather ideas for storing my saws. i have added the MMWS 572 to my collection of 2 older 346s. all of them unfortunately leak bar oil pretty substantially. my current storage is they sit on a wooden shelf with a roof shingle under them with a piece of cardboard on top of the shingle. once the cardboard becomes saturated i toss it and put another on. how are you guys dealing with this? should i just drain my bar oil after i'm done cutting - although that honestly seems like a major pain in the ass i'd rather not do. anyway open for ideas. thanks

 

[Huskybill]

I wonder if your oil tanks are seeing pressure? Do you put them away hot or warm. Open the oil cap then close it and store it. I top off my tanks then store them.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Oil leaks are always a problem, and I discovered something that could interest all reading this thread. Storing the saw on a piece of corrugated cardboard or several layers of newspaper may increase the leak. That's because the pad sets up a wick that drags oil out. Best bet is to separate the pad from the saw's base with air by using supports underneath the back handle and in the front. It may drip a little but not leak near as fast as it would if sitting directly on a soft pad. It's worth a try.

 

[Huskybill]

In the Jeep world when I was a amc Jeep mechanic the head mechanic called it running seepage to the owner when the bottom of the body was soaked with oils. I told the hm my Chevy 4x4 doesn’t leak at all. The main problem is sand gets into seals. In this case the saw is non running seepage mine leak a tad too.

 

[Derf]

There are a few reasons a leak may occur.

Number one thing to check is the oil tank vent. If this little orifice isn’t able to equalize pressure any manner of leaks may start. First if you work outdoors in the cold and store your saws indoors where it’s warm the pressure build up inside the oil tank may push oil out. Second, if there is negative pressure in the oil pickup pipe going to the bar it will siphon feed the leak continuously. So make sure the oil vent is good.

Next is that there may be a leak at the seal where the rubber oil pickup hose passes through the body of the saw. This would be a manufacturing issue due to the hose not being perfectly round, or having some rubber flashing from the molding process, or deforming due to heat/moisture/time. You’ll have to remove the clutch cover, clutch drum and the oil pump generally to be able to see if the leak is coming from the seal of the rubber hose flange with the saw body. If it is, pull out the rubber hose and apply some grease around the rubber flange on the hose and put it back in. I recommend Hylomar Blue.

If the leak isn’t coming from the rubber hose, figure out where it is coming from. This means cleaning your saw as best you can with compressed air and rags, and letting it sit for a few days on some cardboard. Then come back and look for where it’s leaking from. If it’s coming from the bar then you didn’t fix the oil tank vent.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I've had leakage from everything BUT my MS361. I store them hanging on hooks from the ceiling. I just empty the oil tank when I'm done. I may get a few drips when the workshop is warmed up but that's it. I don't drain them down to the last drop, just until it's not a heavy flow and below the intake tube.

 

[jakethesnake]

 

[SteveH]

I went to a dollar store of some sort and grabbed some cheap cookie sheet pans. A few different sizes for large/med/small saws. We had recently had a puppy and had part of a bundle of those pee pads left over. I cut them to size and fit them into the cookie pans. Every once in a while I toss the current pads and install new ones. Doesn't do a thing to stop the leaking, but this method contains the mess.

 

[gggGary]

cardboard soaked in bar oil makes a great wood stove starter..........
that is all.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I've given up on my 2 346s I've tried everything that has been suggested from multiple Internet sources.
They both leak like crazy.
None of my Sthils leak and the older Huskys don't leak.

 

[Syncop8r]

I store each saw in a plastic bin with a slot cut out one end for the bar (in a cover) to poke through. There's usually enough room for fuel and oil containers etc to go in as well.

I only really have one saw that leaks (McCulloch PM610). It leaks A LOT.
I tried storing it with the oil cap loosened and it still leaked, I'm wondering if it's the automatic oiler mechanism which has an air vent hole, perhaps that is blocked.

 

[501Maico]

I use PIG Mats under my saws that hold a lot of oil. One side is rough which holds tight on plywood and won't slip. Not the cheapest method but I have a supply left over from when I was doing HazMat response work.

 

[wagz]

glad to know i'm not alone...

 

[Joisey]

I use boot trays like these from Boscov's. They are available from other stores and are gasoline and oil proof, not just resistant. They are large enough to hold two full size saws like my XL12 with ease. They wipe clean easily. They cost about $5. Check to see if the tray is flexible. The stiff trays will crack with cold and weight, but not the flexible units.

 

[Philbert]

I started a thread on this many years ago, and a number of guys made fun of me. But I came up with a few things that work for me, depending on the saws:

- As @501Maico notes, above, I use oil absorbent pads below my saws, and some group saws I help manage. They hold W-A-A-A-Y more oil than newspaper, paper towels, or cardboard, controlling the mess. Generic ones are as cheap as 50 cents a piece at auto parts stores.

- Most of my personal saws are stored and transported in some type of plastic case, which work with the absorbent pads, to protect shelves in my basement, and the back of my car.

- I finally decided, instead of collecting and disposing of oil I paid for, to simply drain and save it. I use those disposable, paper funnels from gas stations to pour it back into a jug, if I don’t plan to use the saw the next day. The absorbent pads last forever this way.

- A few saws had special, excessive oil leak problems. The vent issues, also mentioned above, could be an issue. On some Husqvarna and Jonsered saws there was ‘a standard’ fix of cleaning and gluing one of the joints in the multi-part oil line with automotive sealant.

Most saws will leak some oil, or have residual oil drip from the bar and chain after use. Some of my battery and electric saws leak very little, due to design differences, I assume.

Philbert

https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/chain-saw-diapers-keep-your-cases-cleaner.73699/

 

[Howard Justice]

Yes! We use absorbent hospital rags that were donated in quantity to us years ago. When they’re eventually saturated they’re ideal for wiping down bars and such!!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Philbert said,
"- I finally decided, instead of collecting and disposing of oil I paid for, to simply drain and save it. I use those disposable, paper funnels from gas stations to pour it back into a jug, if I don’t plan to use the saw the next day. The absorbent pads last forever this way."
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I have done this often, especially for vintage saws that I like to demonstrate at GTG meetinngs and saws that I seldom use but really enjoy using now and then for show. I have a small funnel in my toolbox that comes in handy when saving the unused bar oil that might drain out from the saw and make a mess. I figure that's better than used cooking oil that some men add to the bar oil tank.

Frankly, I was really surpised that much more oil seemed to leak out onto an absrobant pad with the saw resting on that pad than when the saw was supported above the pad and allowed to drip. I have tested this several times. So, my conclusion is that the pad is acting like a wick -- a channel path for the fluid to follow.

 

[Syncop8r]

 

[sundance]

View attachment 962320

So, what is it in "real" life?

 

[Syncop8r]

So, what is it in "real" life?

No idea, I have only seen it online.
They cost 2-3 times more than the plastic bins I use, which can also hold other things, but do not elevate the saw above the puddle like these drip trays seem to.