Substitute for bar oil?

[doc47]

New guy here. I live in Senegal, West Africa. I can get 2-cycle oil for my Stihl saw but the only place that sells new chain saws doesn't stock bar oil. They said people complain because it's too expensive. They told me people use 50 w diesel oil. Is that going to be adequate? How about even heavier oil like 90 o4 120w gear oil?
I don't think I'll be able to find bar oil.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

New guy here. I live in Senegal, West Africa. I can get 2-cycle oil for my Stihl saw but the only place that sells new chain saws doesn't stock bar oil. They said people complain because it's too expensive. They told me people use 50 w diesel oil. Is that going to be adequate? How about even heavier oil like 90 o4 120w gear oil?
I don't think I'll be able to find bar oil.

90w gear oil will work and with your warm temps won’t be too thick. Ideal? No, but it will work if that’s what you can get. Many still use 30w motor oil if that’s all they can get. Not ideal but better than nothing.
sometimes we just have to adapt to what is rather than worry so much about what should be.

 

[spuldup]

Experiment with different weights of gear oil. You may need to change based on temperature. Probably could get away with rather thick stuff, right on the equator.

 

[NSEric]

There's a few good substitutes for bar oil.
Thick diesel motor oil will be fine, it's cheaper than gear oil and almost as thick.
Cooking oil works too, in some places it's cheap.
In colder places hydraulic oil works well but it maybe a little thin where it's hot.

 

[OM617YOTA]

New guy here. I live in Senegal, West Africa. I can get 2-cycle oil for my Stihl saw but the only place that sells new chain saws doesn't stock bar oil. They said people complain because it's too expensive. They told me people use 50 w diesel oil. Is that going to be adequate? How about even heavier oil like 90 o4 120w gear oil?
I don't think I'll be able to find bar oil.

50w motor oil will be fine. Even vegetable oil, in a pinch. Wouldn't recommend it for milling with a 120cm bar, but most other uses will be fine.

What saw are you running, what size bar, and in what kind of wood?

 

[bwalker]

I wouldn't use gear oil simply because the stuff stinks something terrible.
Motor oil, trans fluid, hydraulic oil will all work just fine.

 

[ralphbsz]

In the old days, used motor oil was commonly substituted for bar oil. Obviously from a health (metals) and environment viewpoint, a horribly bad idea, but it works fine and is cheap (usually free). I think this just demonstrates that you don't have to be picky.

 

[nedsim]

New guy here. I live in Senegal, West Africa. I can get 2-cycle oil for my Stihl saw but the only place that sells new chain saws doesn't stock bar oil. They said people complain because it's too expensive. They told me people use 50 w diesel oil. Is that going to be adequate? How about even heavier oil like 90 o4 120w gear oil?
I don't think I'll be able to find bar oil.

It's worth noting that the SAE uses different scales for gear oils and engine oils. SAE 50W engine oil, SAE 90W gear oil and any ISO VG220 oil are all approx the same viscosity.
https://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee149/BrorJace/Miscellaneous/ViscosityChart4_SAE-J306.gif

 

[bwalker]

It's worth noting that the SAE uses different scales for gear oils and engine oils. SAE 50W engine oil, SAE 90W gear oil and any ISO VG220 oil are all approx the same viscosity.
https://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee149/BrorJace/Miscellaneous/ViscosityChart4_SAE-J306.gif

Often 90w gear oil is a low 40wt viscosity oil.
I was going to bring this up early, but got busy.
A chainsaw bar really doesn't require anything special lube wise. About as low tech as it gets.
Just don't use used motor oil because it's toxic ****. I'm also not a fun of gear oil because of the nasty smell.
Overall it's just easier and cheaper to use cheap bar oil and that's what Indid for years.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I wouldn't use gear oil simply because the stuff stinks something terrible.
Motor oil, trans fluid, hydraulic oil will all work just fine.

good point

 

[doc47]

50w motor oil will be fine. Even vegetable oil, in a pinch. Wouldn't recommend it for milling with a 120cm bar, but most other uses will be fine.

What saw are you running, what size bar, and in what kind of wood?

A vintage Stihl 031AV w new18" bar and chain.

 

[sliceoflife]

I switched to canola oil from bar oil about 1.5 gallons of oil ago... and while it's harder to tell that it's being fed (the bar oil was dark purple)... I've noticed no detrimental effects... and I feel a little better about flinging this stuff into my yard by the gallon.

 

[thenne1713]

New guy here. I live in Senegal, West Africa. I can get 2-cycle oil for my Stihl saw but the only place that sells new chain saws doesn't stock bar oil. They said people complain because it's too expensive. They told me people use 50 w diesel oil. Is that going to be adequate? How about even heavier oil like 90 o4 120w gear oil?
I don't think I'll be able to find bar oil.

The OM from 1970s CRAFTSMAN/ POULAN used to spec simple 30w motor oil for bar; it gave bar wear that converted me and many others to ROLLER TIP BARS, but it can work, as can many other options.

 

[teacherman]

New guy here. I live in Senegal, West Africa. I can get 2-cycle oil for my Stihl saw but the only place that sells new chain saws doesn't stock bar oil. They said people complain because it's too expensive. They told me people use 50 w diesel oil. Is that going to be adequate? How about even heavier oil like 90 o4 120w gear oil?
I don't think I'll be able to find bar oil.

90 w gear oil will dissolve the oil line, or at least it did on my Echo in 1984. They said replacing it meant splitting the case…
I would not use any substitute except non detergent motor oil.

 

[thenne1713]

Back in early 1970s Owner Manuals said to use 30w oil, nothing else sold that I recall, and nothing else optional in the manual.

 

[hacskaroly]

Looking at my 066 manual this is what is stated:

"One of the following HD single-range oils may be used in exceptional cases if a special-purpose chain lubricant is not available.

At outside temperatures of
+10 deg C... +40 deg C SAE 30
+10 deg C... -10 deg C SAE 20
-10 deg C.... -30 deg C SAE 20W/10W

Waste oil must not be used! Waste oil does not have the required lubricating properties and is unsuitable for chain lubrication."

I see saws come in the shop from time to time using transmission fluid...the stuff is a mess.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I wouldn't use gear oil simply because the stuff stinks something terrible.
Motor oil, trans fluid, hydraulic oil will all work just fine.

The only reason gear oil stinks is it has sulfur in it as an EP additive.

 

[bwalker]

The only reason gear oil stinks is it has sulfur in it as an EP additive.

I'm aware of that...