question about using used motor oil for chain lube

[GASoline71]

Frig motor oil, and frig veggie oil.:bang:

Use the oil that is designed for chainsaw bar and chains. Everybody wants to save a buck... but the damage you can do to your saw will be more expensive in the long run. If you are concerend with savin' the planet then use one of the enviro-friendly bar oils that are being made.

Ever tried to clean a saw that has had used motor oil run through it...:bang:

Gary

 

[MonkeyDo]

No Motor oil!!

In addition to the above mentioned issues I was advised that using motor oil in your saw can cause shortened life of the oiler and components.
If the oil no longer good enough for your car then why go and put it into a more finicky small engine system?

 

[tawilson]

I was keeping track, but I lost count. How many for and how many against using used motor oil? And if you do use used motor oil, which brand do you prefer?

 

[GASoline71]

I'm AGAINST


Gary

 

[tawilson]

Uh, I was just looking for the total, thanks anyways.

 

[GASoline71]

Sorry Tom...:blush:

Gary

 

[windthrown]

Frig motor oil, and frig veggie oil.:bang:

Use the oil that is designed for chainsaw bar and chains. Everybody wants to save a buck... but the damage you can do to your saw will be more expensive in the long run. If you are concerend with savin' the planet then use one of the enviro-friendly bar oils that are being made.

Ever tried to clean a saw that has had used motor oil run through it...:bang:

Gary

What he said...

 

[tawilson]

Sorry Tom...:blush:

Gary

No problem, I'm pretty sure it's 0 for using used motor oil and 27 against. Now gosh dang, I know there are people are there who do it. Come on, speak up, your vote counts too.
Or maybe that sort don't hang around here.

 

[turnkey4099]

No problem, I'm pretty sure it's 0 for using used motor oil and 27 against. Now gosh dang, I know there are people are there who do it. Come on, speak up, your vote counts too.
Or maybe that sort don't hang around here.

Being the contrary cuss that I am, since so many are against it, I will have to change over and start doing it :fart:

Harry K

 

[SRT-Tech]

I use an unemployed tree gnome to hold onto the dawgs and squirt canola oil onto my chain as needed.

 

[windthrown]

No problem, I'm pretty sure it's 0 for using used motor oil and 27 against. Now gosh dang, I know there are people are there who do it. Come on, speak up, your vote counts too.
Or maybe that sort don't hang around here.

Well, OK, this old phart will admit that a few years ago when I moved to this ranch and got back into chainsaws, I dragged my old Mac habits with me. I used NEW non detergent 30 WT motor oil on the bars. Never used stuff. The metal and blowby carbon in used motor oil is "no bueno" for doing anything with except taking to the recycle bin at the local dump.

However, I soon flipped to real, genuine, non-immitation chainsaw bar oil after finding a gallon for a buck at a garage sale someplace. Lo and behold, it sticks to the bar better and the chains do not stretch as fast using it, and it stays on the chain and bar longer. Doi! Like the Gas man up in the islands in Washington just north of me says, "why use anything else?" So now I use Husky, Pro Power, Poulon, Stihl, or the bar oil that they make in Portland and sell at Bi-Mart. Just about any sticky tacky goo in the gallon bottle that is on sale. I would flip to bio-degradable bar oil if I could find it for less than $18 a gallon. 'Spensive stuff. I also save the calola oil for cooking french fries in. Veg oil will resin up, is too thin, and can go rancid on you.

For that matter, I use premium gas in my saws now. More even burn with higher octane. I also use premium Stihl, Castrol and/or better air-cooled rated blue goo to mix with the gas. Works better, and the saw plugs are a nice tan color with no build-up. The 460 that I just bought/tested/returned had a wet and black fouled plug in it... looked like they ran outboard motor oil in there and ran it way too rich. Piston and cylinder were also scored... and the whole saw felt like it was dipped in oil residue. Maybe from running too rich? :rockn:

 

[tawilson]

Sorry, new oil doesn't count. It's got to be old with grit in it. Actually, isn't bar oil 30 weight oil with tackifiers in it?
AFAIF, outboard oil in an aircooled engine is asking for a cooking. It's made for a watercooled engine. Maybe somebody who knows what I'm talking about can splain it inteligently.

 

[Mtnman4ever]

thankyou all for your responses on the matter. Originally, I didnt explain very well what I meant when I said it was "better for the environment." What I had been thinking was that for every gallon of used oil you used it would mean one less gallon of new oil would have to be produced/used. My logic was using less oil was better for the environment.

Obviously there are many reasons not to use used motor oil
1.) Inferior lubricant
2.) Carcinogen (might have spelled it wrong)
3.) Extremely messy
4.) Pollutes the soil.

And my initial logic was flawed, using used motor oil is worse for the environment and in the long run will prolly cost more than using bar and chain lube because you'll wear your gear out quicker. Thanks again. Hope I dont sound like a jackass for asking this question cuz I sure feel like one. But where I come from theres no such thing as a stupid question


kevinb1986

All of the above I will ruin your saw rapidly too
there ar land fills We have one , that take used oil also you might finda rcyling center that takes it .
it is good however in small quantities for starting a smnall brish pile on fire if you go that route alot of folks do it to get a pilg oing . otter than that dispose of it poroperly and usea high grade bar & chain libe . though I will say i think some like poulan are probably made by the same dom[pany who makes your exponsive stuff I haver used it in a pinchwith out porbelms

 

[JayD]

2 stroke oil/ outboard 2 stroke oil

Tawilson,
Without going into to much detail outboard 2 stroke oil is designed to cool a water cooled engine which operates at much lower temps than air cooled engines such as our saws,so if you use that oil in a air cooled 2 stroke that operates at extreme temp you will seize it up from the oil actually boiling of out of the mix because its designed for low temp cooling..trust me I know..fried one of my saws just because I thought I knew better ...I mean lubricating oil is just that write???wrong read and understand what it is intended for and me,I tend to go a little more sweet on the mix,(more oil) better to de-coke a head than to rebuild a seized top end,if any one can elaborate further go ahead.

As for using old engine oil,think about when you cut how your chain oil sprays onto surrounding surfaces,eg:fence,poolarea,etc, could you imagine the look on your customers face seeing black unsightly used motor oil sprayed all over the place,not to mention evironmental impact.

 

[tawilson]

Thanks

I knew it was bad, now I know why. The outboard two stroke that is. I already had the used oil deal figured out.

 

[PA Plumber]

I know I'm jumping in late here but:::

There is a logger I had up to our place to look at some trees last week. He uses old motor oil for his bar. The stuff is black as tar.

He is the sole provider for the mill his family owns. He files 100% by hand and goes through one 24" chain a month on his 385. I don't know how many bars he uses a year.

 

[Gologit]

No problem, I'm pretty sure it's 0 for using used motor oil and 27 against. Now gosh dang, I know there are people are there who do it. Come on, speak up, your vote counts too.
Or maybe that sort don't hang around here.

I ran used motor oil for bar oil one time. Once is all it took. Burned the bar edges, cooked the chain, gunked up the oiler, and totally ruined what left of my day. I've used NEW motor oil a couple of times when the bar oil jug got smushed but only when I absolutely had to. It was thirty miles to the nearest town with a saw shop and the first twenty five miles of that would have taken two hours to drive...hence the NEW motor oil. I also carry extra bar oil now.

 

[newguy18]

do not use used motor oil

[QUOTE=newguy18 do not use used motor oil in chainsaws. ihave been a small engine mechanic and a car mechanic all my life and the used oil has little particles of metal that can ruin your bar and chain. just in case you were wondering. bill howe

 

[newguy18]

help for a new guy

hi my name is bill howe. i was wondering if anyone would give me some advice on starting a tree care service? i have read the books the fundamentals of general tree work the tree climbers companion, and the isa offici arborist study guide. i know how to take wraps to rig a limb or secetion of tree,i know how to climb and how to make proper pruning cuts.i figured i would do the climbing myself because i enjoy it.i also figured on doing it all my self for a couple of years until a friend of mine told me it was illegal to do it that way. is that true? i have a back belt not a saddle i also have 2 chainsaws. a husqvarna 141 and a husqvarna 51. if anyone would take the time to give me some advice i would greatly appreciate it. bill howe:newbie:

 

[tawilson]

Welcome, Bill.
If you haven't already, I'd start a new thread with an appropriate title. You'll probably get more response. We've been goofing on this thread for a while so.