Is this for real?

[Ryan Browne]

So am I supposed to run canola oil in my saw and cook with the bar oil? Haha. What brand of bar oil cooks the best? On a serious note I do remember Stihl was so proud of their "bio" bar oil years ago. I have no interest in running that gummy stuff in my saws but I know it's required in some areas.

I run the bio oil. Well, I just finished up a case of it anyway. The last jug must be going on a year and a half old. No problems with it at all. I think it does very well in winter, which is when I do most of my cutting. I'm planning on reordering it, although I have considered using canola oil.

I've read that unless you're using your saws very frequently, it's best to empty the oil tank and fill with regular bar oil for the last tank of the day. Makes sense to me.

 

[MyUsername]

"Whats Real" for me is lots of folks seem to stick every kind of oil in their saws tank but bar oil, motor oil, hydraulic oil, drain oil, gear oil, two stroke oil, you name it, people chuck it in there. The negatives of doing this far out weigh the part of being thrifty and sticking it to the man so to speak. Leading to all manor of failures. The obvious is premature chain and bar wear. The not so obvious and takes longer to realize is without tackifiers(yes they are in there for a reason) the oil slings off prematurely leading to clutch slipping, overheating and even coil failure in extreme cases. I only say this to be helpful to others, you all have free will, but this is the best advice I can give.

You're not speaking from experience, so I don't understand how you give such strong advice. You said you used VEGETABLE oil once in an electric saw for cutting beef.....you never used CANOLA in GAS saws cutting wood.
You're just plain wrong. Canola(not veggie oil) will lubricate bar and chain as good , but in my opinion better, than tacky bar oil.
I am not giving headstrong advice from speculation and guessing.....I'm giving the advice after many years of using Canola oil full time almost every day.
You will not have premature bar and chain wear....my experience is that everything lasts longer.

My main reasons aren't saving money. The oil lubricates better, and as a full time occupation I don't want to breathe petroleum, or get it all over me, on a daily basis.

 

[Stump Shot]

My "experience" is not limited to what I do personally, but also saws I see come in to be repaired. I also stated everyone here has their own free will to do what they wish and was not trying to "draw" any one member out, but rather give the best advice possible to those reading this thread. Use what you will, but my advice stands.

 

[P.M.P.]

What the hell I will give the canola oil a try. In the freezing months when cutting I run some hydraulic mixed with bar oil .
There are a few guys I know of running the vegetable oil in firewood processors.

 

[CR888]

I have read canola was originally designed/produced specifically as a lubricant for metal. I agree wear and tear on chains and bars have decreased since I began using it for bar oil.

 

[jakethesnake]

How do you fellas notice a difference in wear using the canola? I run shorter bars 20 and less 3/8 72 and less I should say I've never had any chains fail me Just worn out I use a lot of hydraulic oil as I can get it for nothing. I have 5 ten gallons of synthetic now that will last a long time it's been doing fine for me I m not saying the canola isn't better just curious as why it would be I guess?

 

[jakethesnake]

It's funny how the guide bars are sold if anyone else has noticed. I bought a 24" but it takes 3/8 72 my old bar was marked 20" but takes the same chain... J red bar for the record

 

[MyUsername]

Carving bars with tiny tips are higher wear items than larger roller nose bars. Tips get very hot. I wear through carving bars at a slower rate than I used to it seems. But I'm not exactly sure. At the very least canola lubricates just as well as regular bar oil.

 

[rjames]

It's funny how the guide bars are sold if anyone else has noticed. I bought a 24" but it takes 3/8 72 my old bar was marked 20" but takes the same chain... J red bar for the record

20" is the usable bar, not counting what's covered up by your clutch cover.
So, a 20" labeled bar will be about 24" total length.
Now, if you have a bar marked 24" and it takes 72dl, it's probably mislabeled.

I'm intrigued by the canola oil, may have to try some.
What kind/size/brand do you guys use?

 

[MyUsername]

I don't think brand matters. I've used all different brands. ....just get what's on sale.

 

[jake wells]

i use only use petroleum based bar/chain oil.

 

[MyUsername]

i use only use petroleum based bar/chain oil.

Congratulations!

 

[Cut4fun]

Doesn't vegetable based oil get very gummy, and begin to adhere over time......it seems I read that somewhere?

Exactly what was all over the little solo. gummy, made the chain hard to move at drive links etc etc. Parts covered on outside and inside cover a sob to get cleaned off.

 

[CR888]

To realize the benefits of canola properly without any problems, you need to do things slightly different in maintenance. But when you know how to avoid the pitfalls of canola the long list of benefits is really worth it. I only use petrolium bar oil in my vintage/shelf queen saws that get run only a couple of times a year. My yard would be pretty toxic if I didn't run canola. Noodles become plant mulch etc.

 

[jake wells]

if it kills my yard oh well less to mow the noodles become fire starter in the stove.

 

[Brush Ape]

Putting cooking oil in your chainsaw is probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard of besides using ethanol. But I'm not exactly an environmental whackjob.

 

[P.M.P.]

Putting cooking oil in your chainsaw is probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard of besides using ethanol. But I'm not exactly an environmental whackjob.

This is the dumbest thing I ever heard

 

[skidooguy]

Our track hoe came from Washington and worked around waterways so it had vegetable oil in the hydraulics when it showed up. That nasty crap caked up valves and was way too thick at -20 to circulate so I flushed it out and replaced with regular hydro. If I was in a warmer climate I wouldn't have anything against it. I actually prefered the veggie oil on the hotter days. The hydraulics didn't fade out when oil got hot. All depends on your application I suppose.

 

[MyUsername]

Putting cooking oil in your chainsaw is probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard of besides using ethanol. But I'm not exactly an environmental whackjob.

You can't teach an old *pretty boy new tricks. Of course a little oil slinging off a chain isn't gonna harm the environment.....but it lubes better and it's cheaper.
I have known a few chainsaw carvers that have died of brain tumors the past bunch of years. ...a little part of me says work safe and don't expose yourself to toxic chemicals on a daily basis if you can help it. You can Continue on being a *dipstick. But not me
Once in a while I'm outside working with the saw, and the sun is just at the right angle.....you can really see that you're standing in a fine mist cloud of bar oil. It's usually invisible, but every so often you can see just how much of that crap you're breathing. For guys who cut cookies once a week I'm sure it don't matter. But for me, I use saws for hours every day. Occupational overexposure is where *s-word like this will catch up with you.

Ha, I can say *pretty boy and *dipstick, but I can't say *s-word

 

[Stump Shot]

You can't teach an old *pretty boy new tricks. Of course a little oil slinging off a chain isn't gonna harm the environment.....but it lubes better and it's cheaper.
I have known a few chainsaw carvers that have died of brain tumors the past bunch of years. ...a little part of me says work safe and don't expose yourself to toxic chemicals on a daily basis if you can help it. You can Continue on being a *dipstick. But not me
Once in a while I'm outside working with the saw, and the sun is just at the right angle.....you can really see that you're standing in a fine mist cloud of bar oil. It's usually invisible, but every so often you can see just how much of that crap you're breathing. For guys who cut cookies once a week I'm sure it don't matter. But for me, I use saws for hours every day. Occupational overexposure is where *s-word like this will catch up with you.

Ha, I can say *pretty boy and *dipstick, but I can't say *s-word

If you like standing in a cloud of canola oil, that surely would be your business, tackifiers are in real bar oil for this reason . I would rather not stand in a cloud at all. Synthetic oil is the best on the planet, nothing else comes close, mineral or bio. Saying canola is best, is not the truth, for people using synthetic now, changing to anything else would be a downgrade. My last tip of the day, being crude to others really does not help, generally it comes back on yourself, but there again, it's your mouth...

Signed; Old *pretty boy *dipstick of Quality