Stihl has stolen my source of cheap bar oil ‼

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I run synthetic oil in my diesels. If anybody wants to run that oil in their saws as bar oil, come on over and pick it up. I'll bet your saw won't be so clean after a tankful........

Myself, I don't like spending $30 to $200 per chainsaw bar so I'll continue to use bar oil.

I had my first bar failure last month. Nose sprocket axle on the Echo CS-340 let go. Couldn't figure why the chain wouldn't turn. I've had that bar since 2004 and it has seen a LOT of use.
 
A long time ago, for snowmobile mix ago we use to bring a gallon jug in to the dealer and buy it off them from their barrel and they'd fill us up. Too bad they don't do that for bar oil. If I was a dealer I would probably entertain that idea but limit it to 2 gallons per customer per day (don't want to be filling up 5 gal pails for customers).
We bought marine and snowmobile oil in bulk for years. Then I bought three cases of gallons when I worked at the dealership and haven't had to buy more since.
 
I run synthetic oil in my diesels. If anybody wants to run that oil in their saws as bar oil, come on over and pick it up. I'll bet your saw won't be so clean after a tankful........

Myself, I don't like spending $30 to $200 per chainsaw bar so I'll continue to use bar oil.

I had my first bar failure last month. Nose sprocket axle on the Echo CS-340 let go. Couldn't figure why the chain wouldn't turn. I've had that bar since 2004 and it has seen a LOT of use.
I've only worn out one bar and that one lasted 16 years run with anything from ATF to gear lube as bar oil. The one before that I ran over with the tractor and wrecked the nose. Now that I have multiple saws with multiple bars I don't expect to wear out too many.

Does anyone know what the expected "mileage" is of a good bar provided it's not abused? Should be over 100 cords, right?
 
I've only worn out one bar and that one lasted 16 years run with anything from ATF to gear lube as bar oil. The one before that I ran over with the tractor and wrecked the nose. Now that I have multiple saws with multiple bars I don't expect to wear out too many.

Does anyone know what the expected "mileage" is of a good bar provided it's not abused? Should be over 100 cords, right?
steve, when most people talk about bar/cordage their probably referring to 16" cut wood as a standard measure.... !! BUT !! , there is also the bar/cordage done in 100" length that most forget about! with the 100" and a 100 cord is in a real life belief, the 100 cord in standard 16" is usually far fetched in the truth scale!
 
Last year we used around 15 or so gallons of bar oil. I'm lucky enough to get it at cost. Last I checked I was paying 3.99 a gallon. I have to buy atleast 20 gallons to get that price so its like every fourth time is free. Not a terrible deal.

I know some guys that run used engine oil and even though it seems to work it just seems to gets everywhere because its so thin.

I knew one guy who used to buy power steering fluid, he claimed to be able to get it at 2/gallon. I think he was full of it. Im not sure about using power steering as a lubricant, i know its basically a thin hydraulic fluid, and i know you can replace power steering for atf so I imagine that it would work.

Regardless, IMO bar oil is for bars, thats what I use.
 
I had my first bar failure last month. Nose sprocket axle on the Echo CS-340 let go. Couldn't figure why the chain wouldn't turn. I've had that bar since 2004 and it has seen a LOT of use.

I grease my bar tip sprockets all the time. Some say the oil on the chain is enough. But I do it anyway. Not had any tip sprocket failures yet.
 
i grease my bar clean out the groove every third sharpening and use bar oil. only failure i had with a bar is when the sprocket nose flares out and pukes it guts.
 
Well, I guess most of the folks here didn't know they might make a black mess of things. We must use a different oil out here. I don't really care if my saw gets dirty. I didn't buy it to hang on my wall and stare at, nor do most folks around here. I do not recall any black mess though, unless working in a burned up area and that black was from the charcoal and ash left behind. That gas station supplied a lot of folks, including production fallers.

I would like to know where this Wonderland is at? I need a change of scenery. My saw has the hangin wall syndrome and needs to get DIRTY!!!!!

I thought this was a firewood forum? How can you make firewood from charcoal and ash.....I will have to look into this.
 
charcoal is firewood just pre burnt, i have gotten free charcoal and burned it in my shed stove it works great :drinkingcoffee:
 
A long time ago, for snowmobile mix ago we use to bring a gallon jug in to the dealer and buy it off them from their barrel and they'd fill us up. Too bad they don't do that for bar oil.
I used to buy it like that years ago from a ma' & pa' hardware store in a little town close to me.
He didn't care what you brought in for a container or how much you bought... he priced it by the quart, and a sale was a sale.
In the winter he'd splash a little kerosine in the bottom of the container first.

The barrel never had any label on it and he claimed to make it himself by adding stuff to motor oil(?) making it tacky and such.
The stuff was cheap and worked good... but he'd never tell what he added... other than claiming to empty the spittoon into it every night.
*
 
I can remember when dad would save the used oil to run in his saws. If we ran out of used oil, dad would buy the cheap recycled oil to use. I dont remember getting everything black, but I probably wouldnt have paid it any attention back then either. I didnt even know that they sold bar oil until after I was grown up. I cant remember ever having to replace a bar because it was worn out. I use regular bar oil in my saws now because I get my vehicle oil changed at the quick lubes so I dont have to deal with getting rid of the used oil. A gallon of bar oil will last me at least one firewood season, so its not like I cut that much wood. I wouldnt be opposed to using some used oil if I had some and had ran out of regular bar oil. I do believe the bar oil stays on the chain better.
 
Well, I guess most of the folks here didn't know they might make a black mess of things. We must use a different oil out here
If you are using diesel drain oil maybe you'll get black...but if you use oil from most modern fuel injected engines it comes out the bottom about as clean as when it went in. At least as far as the eye can see anyways. If your toyata prius has black drain oil...maybe time to change the battery's ;)
 
I probably go through about 3 0r 4 gallon a year, I figure that to be about $30. I just think about what my electric bill would be if I did not burn wood, so $30 a year for bar oil don't bother me. LOL...
 
If you are using diesel drain oil maybe you'll get black...but if you use oil from most modern fuel injected engines it comes out the bottom about as clean as when it went in. At least as far as the eye can see anyways. If your toyata prius has black drain oil...maybe time to change the battery's ;)
Put 7 or 8k on a v8 engine, it will be pretty black.
 
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