Bar oil for chainsaw

[Youare]

I get my bar and chain oil from a local oil distributer, a case of 6 gallons is around $15.50 or $2.60 a gallon. This is hte same oil you pay anywhere from $4.00 to $6.00 a gallon in the hardware store.

I would suggest calling a local supply house for case prices then split it with someone else.

I have seen the bio-oils for sale in different places, pretty expensive. In some places in Europe it is required that you use a vegetable based oil.

Randy

 

[DFB]

Sam's Club here has the winter weight bar oil @ $14.46 a case. ($2.41 gal).

After the wife told her dad about the price I had to go back and get a case for him.

And then one for his brother too!/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

DFB

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I've watched hunting guides put vegatable oil in a chain saw to quarter a moose or other large animal to be packed out. First time I saw that the guide told me that the saw was over twenty years old and had never used bar oil, just vegatable or corn oil. Of course, cutting up moose is not the same as bucking and blocking some tough old oak or hickory.

 

[cpicton1]

Glad to hear that.
I would prefer not to have any petroleum products mixed in with my food. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[RobertN]

Bar oil is similar in viscosity to 90w gear oil. In the manual for one of my saws it says to use 90w gear oil if bar oil is not available.

Used motor oil slings off the chain too easy. I know people who use old motor oil though. I do not know how thier chains last though. I have always used chain/bar oil with good results

 

[northcreek2624]

I've heated with wood for over twenty years and have always cut my own wood.
In all that time I've never bought bar oil,second hand oil(not from crankcase)has always served me well.
The next time you change the hydro oil on your tractor or atf on your car you will have enough bar oil to last a lifetime,these are both high quality oils that still will have most of their lubricating qualities intact.
As for damaging the invironment well that's kind of picking the fly poop out of the pepper,for god's sake you're already destroying trees,what's a few drops of oil on the ground compared to that..........Mike

 

[Gfranklin]

<font color=blue>for god's sake you're already destroying trees,what's a few drops of oil on the ground compared to that</font color=blue>

Your kidding right? With respect, I think your premise is flawed here. Most of what I cut is debris, dead and scrub trees with consideration given to good tree management. Trees are a renewable resource as evidenced by the fact that there are even trees left on our earth. Yes we have room to improve and I think most of us are trying to do that.

Bar oil on the other hand is a carcinogenic toxic material that in this case is delivered 100% to the environment. Aren't you in essence taking all the bar oil you have ever used and pouring it on the ground (after a little detour through the bar)?

Greg

 

[Bayrat]

I suppose my theory here is to do what has to be done causing as little damage as possible. I'm not a tree hugger or enviro-nut, but believe we can use what is here wisely and why not use the best available methods /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif while we are at it. I will purchase the bio-degradable oil when I finish the gallon of stihl bar oil. That is my choice, I don't dump my engine oil into my bilge and pump it into the bay either. Just simple use of the grey matter between the ears would prevent a great deal of damage in the long run. I don't intend to stop using my old tractor because it might blow a hose and spill oil on the ground either. Common sense and a little concern for your land is what I believe in, and not some nut case telling me I have to drive a roller skate.

 

[northcreek2624]

<font color=red>"Your kidding right? With respect, I think your premise is flawed here"</font color=red>

Greg,Yes my example was made tongue-in-cheek but my drift was not.
Last summer we took a trip to Washington State and I never realized the logging that takes place there,the canage was horrendous it may be renewable but,not in my lifetime.
So I guess I don't regard the oil spray off my chain as a biggy.
Scrapping good used oil to buy new bar oil constitutes a waste of another non-renewable resource.
Just throwin' it out there.....Mike

 

[Gfranklin]

I guess I don't see the relationship between Washington State and my own backyard. I see these as two different issues. Don't get me wrong, I also use the typical bar oils and I like your idea of recycling my used gear oil. I admit I haven't thought of that one.

My friends kids come over and I get this crazy look from them when I throw any glass or plastic in the trash. They have been indoctrinated in school about the importance of recycling. Times are changing and for the better I think. I guess they will push me along with them!

I got mad once at a guy who drained his oil by just pulling the plug and letting it go on the ground. I just recently realized that I am guilty of doing the same thing with my last gallon(s) of bar oil only over a longer period of time. Each time I read a thread like this one I feel a little more funny about it. I guess my awareness is rising to the point that I probably will investigate the environmentally friendly bar oils at least to see what the cost difference is. Heck, I might even try it - especially now/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

Greg

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I can honestly say I never gave it much thought about where the bar oil ended up. I hate to admit this but I am old enough to remember when as a kid and changed the oil in my car I would dump it on our driveway to help keep the dust down. I would not dream of doing that anymore. Guess I will check out the enviro-friedly bar oil also...

 

[Gfranklin]

Me too, just pour it right down the middle of the driveway where the gravel was the thickest. Growing up in Indiana on a gravel road, I remember in the late 60's a great big truck would come by and spray the road periodically. I assume that was oil. Sure felt and smelled like it. You know times are changing when we no longer say "all the fish in the ocean" when refering to a mind boggling big number!

Greg

 

[pruntyc]

Say, from what you are all saying, you surely must be useing only syntheic oil in your cars then, right???? After all if you want to go part of the way you might as will go all the way.

 

[Gfranklin]

I just sold my Nissan P/U with 230,000 miles on it. I switched to synthetic at about 30,000 with the thinking that I would change the oil every 10,000 miles. I thought that at three times the cost, I would do it a third as often. Well, I got lazy quick and only changed the oil every 25,000 to 30,000 miles. The truck ran great when I sold it. It did not smoke but I found that I did have to downshift when driving in the mountains. I would like to run it in my Ford 250 diesel but I am not ready to install a bypass filter and do the periodic testing yet.

Greg

 

[northcreek2624]

Greg,I'm begining to see(from this thread)that you give your lubrication issues a lot of thought.
My reference to Wa. was only to point to the big picture to try to put the bar oil thing into perspective.
Unless you have your chainsaw oiler adjusted to the "Exon Veldez" setting it still seems insignificant to me.
I think I will try some synthetic oil though,your lofty endorsment of can't be overlooked,230K miles is incredible......Mike

 

[Gfranklin]

<font color=blue>Unless you have your chainsaw oiler adjusted to the "Exon Veldez" </font color=blue>

That made me laugh. I think that was the setting when I used automatic transmission fluid in the summer/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

Greg

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

True...it seems we all pick and choose our battles as it suits us. I just know if using a synthetic helps I am willing to do that...even if most others aren't...my wife recycles all of our plastic, cans, paper etc., I wouldn't...but I respect the fact she and others are willing to.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif