Which oil alternatives do you use?

[crystallattice]

Hi,

I'm in need of some bar and chain oil again and I'm looking for alternatives.

WARNING: I'm not interested in people saying: Oil is oil, it doesn't matter. Then paint is paint, soap is soap and ....... Please do not partake in this thread!

I'm looking for alternatives at the source, Shell recommends Tonna S2 68, Mobil has a "bar and chain oil" (and so does Shell, but can't find it listed on their site, only pdf's found while googling). I'm sure other oil companies have similar ones.

The last time I bought some Stihl oil I told myself to look for alternatives but never got around to do so and now I'm almost out. I got some slideway oil from a friend, Castrol BD68, which seems very close to the oil I got from Stihl, although the Stihl oil was decanted into my container so not sure if it was genuine.

Either way, I can make about 4" strings with my fingers with this oil. Now I got some unknown slideway oil from another friend and this stuff looks lighter in colour and also more viscous and can only make about 2" strings with it. Obviously I'm reluctant to use it.

I must confess that I don't know the price difference between all the options listed above and it might not be cheaper to go the alternative route, I will check in the morning, but thought I'll ask here for some thoughts. My thought is that Stihl and all the other saw manufacturers buy oil from oil companies and relabel it, they also want to make profit. Maybe may way is cheaper...

Thanks

 

[Treespotter]

Slowly the whole arb industry is changing to rapeseed/canola oil. I use it already for probably 15 years.

Wolter

 

[MindFork]

Slowly the whole arb industry is changing to rapeseed/canola oil. I use it already for probably 15 years.

Wolter

It's too bad the search is broken, but a quick google search for Canola site:arboristsite.com gave me this thread: http://www.arboristsite.com/forestry-logging-forum/17680.htm

I made the switch to canola oil and it has been good to me. It reduces a lot of the petrol-stink from using a chainsaw that gets all over your clothes and seeps into your skin requiring you to shower for an hour to get the smell off. I would never cook with it or eat it, but it makes good bar oil. It doesn't have as much "tack" as other oils, but if pro-loggers use it, then it's probably ok.

 

[ncfarmboy]

IIRC canola was originally designed as a high pressure industrial lubricant.
Shep

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Canola oil. One downside is increased viscosity if left in the tank too long. Otherwise, lots of positive reports online about its use as bar/chain oil, including AS.

 

[BigDee]

Squeek

I use canola and like it because I do spill from time to time. uh oo. But if a saw sits for long the canola can gum up the chain as tight as your brake, too tight to pull by hand or motor. Once freed by pulling the chain from the groove, all the way around, everything is OK. It sure is a surprise the first time. or two.

But, If your oiler leaks, mice are attracted to the puddle. They seem to love the stuff and will eat all they can get and they will gnaw on wood that it has saturated.

Don

 

[discounthunter]

warning?! HaHaHaHaha

 

[sunfish]

Poulan bar oil, I buy a few jugs every time it's on sale.

 

[MindFork]

I use canola and like it because I do spill from time to time. uh oo. But if a saw sits for long the canola can gum up the chain as tight as your brake, too tight to pull by hand or motor. Once freed by pulling the chain from the groove, all the way around, everything is OK. It sure is a surprise the first time. or two.

But, If your oiler leaks, mice are attracted to the puddle. They seem to love the stuff and will eat all they can get and they will gnaw on wood that it has saturated.

Don

How long does it take for that gumming up to occur? Would just running the saw for a couple of cuts every couple of months keep it from being a problem?

 

[aokpops]

I made about 1gallon of hairy buffalo bar oil . People always gave me parts of quarts of oil . So one day I said need to get rid of this stuff so I mixed it all together an called it bar oil . Works good the 2 cycle seems thin an will not mix with the other . Got rid of a lot of clutter an the junk did its job

 

[crystallattice]

Ok, vegtable oil seems like an alternative, but not something I had considered yet. What I'm after is really the manufacturer of the Stihl bar and chain oil. Not wanting to be picky but I like the oil because of a few factors so I don't want to use just any oil as substitute. So..... has anyone gone to an oil manufacturer/refinery and bought some oil to use for the chainsaw, based on specific oil characteristics and not price or availability? Other "brands" like Poulan etc is not really getting closer to the source.

 

[Treespotter]

Ahhhh, that's it. You want to dismiss a perfectly good product just because it's not labeled BP, Shell or Exxon.
Your the best for the advertising industry. ;-)

Wolter

 

[CR888]

Ok, vegtable oil seems like an alternative, but not something I had considered yet. What I'm after is really the manufacturer of the Stihl bar and chain oil. Not wanting to be picky but I like the oil because of a few factors so I don't want to use just any oil as substitute. So..... has anyone gone to an oil manufacturer/refinery and bought some oil to use for the chainsaw, based on specific oil characteristics and not price or availability? Other "brands" like Poulan etc is not really getting closer to the source.

I think your getting way to into BAR OIL. Its BAR oil! If it makes you warm and fuzzy go to the stihl shop and part with a 50 and get 4lts of the stuff, or if you want to lube your B/C keep your hands/clothes/waterways clean use canola. Hell I use stuff from my chip fryer and it works a treat! 2day I cut up 2 swomp gum trees 1 of them bone dry and all day I could smell hot chips! If it works in DRY AUSSIE hardwood it'll work with anything. Good luck!

 

[Little Al]

Ok, vegtable oil seems like an alternative, but not something I had considered yet. What I'm after is really the manufacturer of the Stihl bar and chain oil. Not wanting to be picky but I like the oil because of a few factors so I don't want to use just any oil as substitute. So..... has anyone gone to an oil manufacturer/refinery and bought some oil to use for the chainsaw, based on specific oil characteristics and not price or availability? Other "brands" like Poulan etc is not really getting closer to the source.

Up to approx 12 months ago Castrol was the base oil supplier for Stihl oil products here in France but I don`t think[don`t know for sure]that they would supply the small[by their throughput] amounts you would require. If you can buy a tackifier you could brew your own. I wonder why it is that you are going to these lengths over bar oil[ After all after the top run of the bar it`s gone flung off] so I would guess it doesn`t have time to be judged on it`s quality to much, so long as it lubricates & is sticky I would hazard a guess it would be difficult to tell the difference. But to each his own & whatever makes you happy.

 

[sunfish]

So you're looking for 'unbranded' Stihl bar oil? From the source to bypass the dealer?

 

[BigDee]

How long does it take for that gumming up to occur? Would just running the saw for a couple of cuts every couple of months keep it from being a problem?

I can't give you a precise answer, but it takes several months at least, and I suspect that polymerization happens faster in warm conditions. I really would dismiss this as a problem because the fix is so easy. If you start the saw and the chain won't go, kill the motor, loosen the chain and pull it free from the groove until you can rotate it by hand, then retighten and go. Probably less that a minute. If I didn't have so many saws that some get ignored it would probably never have come up. But then there are the mice. I have knocked them back with traps and mothballs.

When the Canola lockup first occurred I wondered if my brake had somehow seized or if the clutch was shot. By the way, the same kind of seizure happens with stored chains. They will stand straight out.

I hadn't noticed the reduction of smell on my clothes that has been noted here, but my girlfriend used to mention the stink all the time in the past and now I realize this stopped when I switched to canola (and then, I don't see her so much now so that cut the complaints too.)

But what I really like about Canola is avoiding the needless splattering of petro stink everywhere I saw. and it costs less than anything but used motor oil



Don

 

[BigDee]

Better answer -- yes

How long does it take for that gumming up to occur? Would just running the saw for a couple of cuts every couple of months keep it from being a problem?

Yes

 

[Gologit]

Hi,



WARNING: I'm not interested in people saying: Oil is oil, it doesn't matter. Then paint is paint, soap is soap and ....... Please do not partake in this thread!

Okay.

 

[gulity1]

Take it for what its worth?

From what I read in this thread we are concerned about the smell and possiable contaminaiton from oil/petro spillage? I really cant see either being an issue sure you smell like gas/oil the wind is usually in your face blowing back into it. As far as spillage goes I know we have all dribbled and or spilled some on our tailgate, ground, whatever it might be to me it kinda seems like part of it small accidents are going to happen .I am not that worried about it I am fairly certain that the average persons dosent spill a gallon of fuel or oil in course of a year sawing. Average person being one heating with wood and cutting and splitting 10 cords a year.

Myself I use straight synthic 50 weight oil its free from work. I have tried all of our oils/lubericants from work be it 10-40, 80-90 gear dope (this stinks bad), ATF synthic, Hydraulic oil aw32. All of the lubericants I get from work are synthic. We get 60,000 miles from our oil before we change it all we do at 20k and 40k PM's is change the filter. The only thing we have noticed is the engine makes less oil pressure normally 60-80 psi is now around 40-60 psi sure we have blown up motors but most of the time it is a driver error ie: oil too low for a very long time, no oil at all, wired aound the shut down sensor, etc. So in my opionon one could use pretty much anything thye wanted with in reason unless you are trying to gain or find something specifiic which has yet to be seen.

 

[BigDee]

Pure canola increase risk of spills

In some ways using canola makes spills more likely because it is so clear that it is easy to pour over the top. But whatever you use it all gets blown out on the ground from the chain or on the chips