What bar oil is best and stuff?

[Cat 525]

I thought it was also when I tried it! But it was $11 a gal here!

 

[3browns]

I thought it was also when I tried it! But it was $11 a gal here!

It would probably be good for cooler (not cold) weather but here in Hawaii it was THIN

Not saying it wouldn't protect and lube but I would feel more warm and fuzzy with some thick tacky stuff

I ordered the STP bar lube from Amazon and I will report back after I run it for a while

Thanks everyone for the input

 

[Moparmyway]

I ordered the STP bar lube from Amazon and I will report back after I run it for a while

Same here

 

[00wyk]

Running the best bar and chain oil you can find is way cheaper than replacing the bar prematurely IMO.

That depends upon the costs of the bars and the oil. I dunno what it is there, but...

I can go through a couple of gallons of oil a day easily running the 288xp in big oak. At that rate, the bar has to die within a few weeks for me to lose money on using rapeseed vs mineral. Bars on rapeseed usually last me 6 months to a year. By that time, I have saved quit a bit more than the bar is worth, oftentimes I save more than the saws are worth. It costs 7-10€/gallon less using rapeseed vs mineral in Ireland. The cheapest you can find mineral here locally is about €3.50/litre for bar oil - the most expensive can be €13/litre if you go to Woodies(our rather anemic version of Home Depot). So it's about 2.50 a litre more than I get rapeseed at locally at like a corner shop up to €12 or more at best per litre if I got the mineral at Woddies(3.7litres to the US gallon). If I go to the co ops, rapeseed is slightly cheaper, but I like these round figures to work with. So that's more than €9/gallon difference or better. I would have to go through a bar every month to lose money on rapeseed. I have several bars that are a few years old.

I suspect even in the states that if I used the cheapest non tachy motor oil vs the highest tech tachy Stihl product costing twice as much that I would still save quite a bit. It's a chain and bar we're talking here, not the pistons on a super charged 454 chevy. It doesn't need to be overly slathered unless you run dull chain stumping oak in 100* weather all day.

I think how rapeseed makes a difference VS bar oil is the fact it has less tachifiers. Wait, what? Yeah - the fact it flows more means it oils more. It's not a huge difference, but I definitely notice my 288 uses more rapeseed than bar oil. Does it matter? It depends. As far as the environment and costs are concerned, not really. You aren't slathering the local rivers in mineral oil that will take forever to degrade, and it cost a lot less than mineral. But as far as oiling the bar well, it does. I suspect it might burn off or slack off more than tachy mineral, but since you are coating your bar and chain better, it probably doesn't matter from a lubricating standpoint, and it's a good way to shed heat. It also means stingy oilers will oil better as well.

I've used it for years in firewood, mostly hardwoods, with ported saws, without any issues.

 

[Stump Shot]

That depends upon the costs of the bars and the oil. I dunno what it is there, but...

I can go through a couple of gallons of oil a day easily running the 288xp in big oak. At that rate, the bar has to die within a few weeks for me to lose money on using rapeseed vs mineral. Bars on rapeseed usually last me 6 months to a year. By that time, I have saved quit a bit more than the bar is worth, oftentimes I save more than the saws are worth. It costs 7-10€/gallon less using rapeseed vs mineral in Ireland. The cheapest you can find mineral here locally is about €3.50/litre for bar oil - the most expensive can be €13/litre if you go to Woodies(our rather anemic version of Home Depot). So it's about 2.50 a litre more than I get rapeseed at locally at like a corner shop up to €12 or more at best per litre if I got the mineral at Woddies(3.7litres to the US gallon). If I go to the co ops, rapeseed is slightly cheaper, but I like these round figures to work with. So that's more than €9/gallon difference or better. I would have to go through a bar every month to lose money on rapeseed. I have several bars that are a few years old.

I suspect even in the states that if I used the cheapest non tachy motor oil vs the highest tech tachy Stihl product costing twice as much that I would still save quite a bit. It's a chain and bar we're talking here, not the pistons on a super charged 454 chevy. It doesn't need to be overly slathered unless you run dull chain stumping oak in 100* weather all day.

I think how rapeseed makes a difference VS bar oil is the fact it has less tachifiers. Wait, what? Yeah - the fact it flows more means it oils more. It's not a huge difference, but I definitely notice my 288 uses more rapeseed than bar oil. Does it matter? It depends. As far as the environment and costs are concerned, not really. You aren't slathering the local rivers in mineral oil that will take forever to degrade, and it cost a lot less than mineral. But as far as oiling the bar well, it does. I suspect it might burn off or slack off more than tachy mineral, but since you are coating your bar and chain better, it probably doesn't matter from a lubricating standpoint, and it's a good way to shed heat. It also means stingy oilers will oil better as well.

I've used it for years in firewood, mostly hardwoods, with ported saws, without any issues.

I came to my assessment after milling(with a 281) and using bar oil from a local farm store(cheap), after just one gallon of use with a secondary oiler there was razorblades(looked like) coming off the bar. At $150.00 for a new one I sure changed oil right quick.
That and saws that came in for repair running used motor oil or vegatable oil either was nasty but vegetable was a real mess to clean up. The entire saw would be coated with a good healthy coat, thus insulating the coil with oil and sawdust to burn them up. After explaining the true cost to folks they always came back running bar oil in them. There's plenty of inexpensive bar oils out there to run if a fella takes the time and looks. Poulan Pro oil is a fair and good example of this.

 

[3browns]

For me at this moment in time it's as much a matter of what I can easily get at a reasonable price

If I was running a couple of gallons a day I would most certainly step back and reassess the situation but that's not the case

And I was going to leave the canola oil aspect alone but I have a very deep seated personal animosity towards rape seed/canola oil and even though it has nothing to do with bar oil I would never use it

If there were other earth friendly oils that were not canola based, that I could easily get, that didn't cost a fortune I would be all for that; but, that's not the case right now

YMMV

 

[00wyk]

Rapeseed all their lives, and I still have both of these bars. One is four years old, the other five years.

Bridge ported MMWS:

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice!

 

[00wyk]

Nice!

In fairness that Stihl bar is pretty damn hard. The Black 30" Iggesund Forest bar shows a lot of wear - but she started life on a 281xp. They are both spares now.
Keep your chain sharp, set the oiler to max, and don't do crazy stuff like milling, and yer fine.

 

[RI Chevy]

Yes. In first video the bar was smoking in the cut.

 

[00wyk]

Yes. In first video the bar was smoking in the cut.

It's not smoking It's freezing out and 80% humid. Typical winter conditions here. AKA - Irish mist.

 

[jakethesnake]

I think people overthink bar oil. It greases the chain.

 

[jakethesnake]

It's not smoking It's freezing out and 80% humid. Typical winter conditions here. AKA - Irish mist.

That thing run pretty good for a stihl

 

[RI Chevy]

It's not smoking It's freezing out and 80% humid. Typical winter conditions here. AKA - Irish mist.

Ahh. Ok. Looked like the bar and chain was not getting any oil.

 

[RI Chevy]

That thing run pretty good for a stihl

Ding, ding. [emoji2957][emoji16]

 

[00wyk]

I think people overthink bar oil. It greases the chain.

I think it depends a lot on how the saw is used. If it's hot out, chains are dull, you're milling etc etc, you need to use thick stuff.
I have had a lot of saws come across my bench. I have never, not once, thought to myself 'this bar and chain is well cared for'.
If your chain is sharp, and your bar maintained, you will avoid a lot of problems, and use less fuel and oil.

 

[00wyk]

That thing run pretty good for a stihl

That was one of Randy's own saws.

 

[00wyk]

Ahh. Ok. Looked like the bar and chain was not getting any oil.

She oils just fine. Nearly seasoned oak by one of our lakes here.

 

[Wilhelm]

A sharp self feeding chain with proper tension will allow even an average bar to live a long productive life.
My Dolmar PS-6400 is still wearing her factory Dolmar branded Oregon laminate bar.
The saw is in active duty since 2006., she was my main firewood saw till 2014. and she continued to be my go to saw since.
The bar still has almost all the original paint on it.

My saws taste dedicated bar oil when I buck other peoples firewood logs, if they supply it.

I believe the importance of dedicated bar oil and its "quality" is greatly over rated.

I understand the need or desire to utilize bio degradable oil, but I am not willing to pay two-three times the price of mineral B&C oil just to be green.
I like to think I make it up to mother nature with other eco friendly behavior.

 

[CR888]

I wonder what 'bio oil' actually is?