What oil is best? and what ratio?

[Egg Shooter]

You guys are using oil?

Canola. 40:1 all day long. You know dis.

 

[WillG]

Been using Red Armor at 40:1 since last year and no issues at all. Even my equipment that sat over the winter with fuel in them fired right up.

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Been using Red Armor at 40:1 since last year and no issues at all. Even my equipment that sat over the winter with fuel in them fired right up.

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

Words of wisdom, with all the equipment that you get your hands on!, I value that statement.

 

[huskyboy]

Stabilizer in oil made for chainsaws/ope like red armor/others have does make a difference. I still run my saws dry if there gonna sit longer than a month.

 

[rogue60]

This should blow the minds of the 50:1 because the manufacturers know best crowd lol
Husky recommending what most of us already know more oil especially in bigger cc saws is betterer ha..
Actually I don't know how long husky have been recommending 33:1 in 75cc up saws 1st time I've seen it.
But I know nothing of husky and it's saws only ever own one a stock 3120 it was an instant chain staller in hardwood meh..
STIHL still recommended a EPA 50:1 in the ms880 and ms881 yeah good one..

 

[Kiwioilboiler]

This should blow the minds of the 50:1 because the manufacturers know best crowd lol
Husky recommending what most of us already know more oil especially in bigger cc saws is betterer ha..
Actually I don't know how long husky have been recommending 33:1 in 75cc up saws 1st time I've seen it.
But I know nothing of husky and it's saws only ever own one a stock 3120 it was an instant chain staller in hardwood meh..
STIHL still recommended a EPA 50:1 in the ms880 and ms881 yeah good one..
View attachment 301341

I hadn't seen that either Rogue, but one of my local Husky dealer recommends 40:1 in 572s for the loggers, and here a massive barrel of mix is made up so then all saws on the crew end up 40:1. Or seized.

 

[Egg Shooter]

This should blow the minds of the 50:1 because the manufacturers know best crowd lol
Husky recommending what most of us already know more oil especially in bigger cc saws is betterer ha..
Actually I don't know how long husky have been recommending 33:1 in 75cc up saws 1st time I've seen it.
But I know nothing of husky and it's saws only ever own one a stock 3120 it was an instant chain staller in hardwood meh..
STIHL still recommended a EPA 50:1 in the ms880 and ms881 yeah good one..
View attachment 301341

What I find odd about their larger cc, use more oil deal is, it goes against the common fact that smaller, higher revving 2 stroke engine need more oil over larger ones because of oil migration times and smaller cc engines have smaller crankcases which leads to less surface area for oil to hang out / cling to. Im in no way a 50:1 guy, never have and never will but bigger needing more oil than smaller......don't understand their logic.

 

[Egg Shooter]

What I find odd about their larger cc, use more oil deal, goes against the common fact that smaller, higher revving 2 stroke engine need more oil over larger ones because of oil migration times and smaller cc engines have smallr crankcases which leads to less surface area for oil to hang out. Im in no way a 50:1 guy, never have and never will but bigger needing more oil than smaller......don't understand their logic.

All of them, in my opinion, should be 40:1 or more oil.

 

[Sawrain]

What I find odd about their larger cc, use more oil deal, goes against the common fact that smaller, higher revving 2 stroke engine need more oil over larger ones because of oil migration times and smaller cc engines have smallr crankcases which leads to less surface area for oil to hang out. Im in no way a 50:1 guy, never have and never will but bigger needing more oil than smaller......don't understand their logic.

I wondered the same.

Maybe it reflects usage? For myself at Least when I am in the 80cc+ range there is a good chance the saw is getting a work out, going through most of the tank at full noise.

70cc and below there is greater chance the saw will see more idle rpm time between cuts, giving it a chance to “load up” on oil in anticipation of the next cut.

Just an idea I dreamed up, don’t know the real reason.

 

[Egg Shooter]

I wondered the same.

Maybe it reflects usage? For myself at Least when I am in the 80cc+ range there is a good chance the saw is getting a work out, going through most of the tank at full noise.

70cc and below there is greater chance the saw will see more idle rpm time between cuts, giving it a chance to “load up” on oil in anticipation of the next cut.

Just an idea I dreamed up, don’t know the real reason.

That could very well be their thought process. Like a high revving top handle may idle as much or more than it screams, which would give it plenty of oil in between the short full throttle bursts, where a big logging saw is wot most of the cut. Maybe they even did testing? Who knows lol.

 

[rogue60]

As far as performance 2T's go industrial chainsaws with there pathetic hp output for there cc thanks to design constraints have nothing in common with anything performance.
The carburettors on saws are tiny little things they put stuff all fuel air through the engine for there cc nothing like a performance 2T that drinks massive amounts of fuel and air.
Take an 80cc mx bike at WOT it would use 10 times the fuel/air than what a 120cc saw drinks at WOT.
Mx bikes take older 90's early 2000's 250cc run 32:1 only in the last few years with epa and crap ktm are going 50:1 60:1 and blowing cranks in there 125's in like less than 25hrs lol

I think I agree with what you guys are saying the bigger saws working harder under longer load need more oil doesn't take much to score exhaust side of piston on a ms880 if working it hard running 50:1 not that the little carb is giving it much fuel for 120cc to start with.

 

[Hinerman]

Hey bud. If you plan on being at Kevins in September this year I'll explain in detail what this is all about if interested. There is way more to this than those numbers. Those numbers posted by @Moparmyway are how long each unit ran at 300:1 after having completed the 200:1 testing. The first 6 oils also went through 100:1 first.

I understand some oils ran longer than others, but anything (even the "lesser" oils) that lasted as long as they did at 200:1 or 300:1 can't be half bad at 50:1 or better. Thanks for the time you put into your testing.

All of them, in my opinion, should be 40:1 or more oil.

When I run out of Schaeffers I will try Dominator. I am already mixing at 36:1.

 

[Hinerman]

As far as performance 2T's go industrial chainsaws with there pathetic hp output for there cc thanks to design constraints have nothing in common with anything performance.
The carburettors on saws are tiny little things they put stuff all fuel air through the engine for there cc nothing like a performance 2T that drinks massive amounts of fuel and air.
Take an 80cc mx bike at WOT it would use 10 times the fuel/air than what a 120cc saw drinks at WOT.
Mx bikes take older 90's early 2000's 250cc run 32:1 only in the last few years with epa and crap ktm are going 50:1 60:1 and blowing cranks in there 125's in like less than 25hrs lol

I think I agree with what you guys are saying the bigger saws working harder under longer load need more oil doesn't take much to score exhaust side of piston on a ms880 if working it hard running 50:1 not that the little carb is giving it much fuel for 120cc to start with.

Excellent point. My Dad and brother have a lawn mowing business. They are big Stihl guys. All they use is Stihl Ultra at 50:1, and they have never had an oil related problem. I don't think they have ever retuned any ope they own, just start it and go. Their equipment is never under any kind of stress remotely related to a high performance dirt bike.

 

[jakethesnake]

I understand some oils ran longer than others, but anything (even the "lesser" oils) that lasted as long as they did at 200:1 or 300:1 can't be half bad at 50:1 or better. Thanks for the time you put into your testing.


When I run out of Schaeffers I will try Dominator. I am already mixing at 36:1.

how did you decide on 36:1?

im still at 32:1. I think I read in an old manual for 2 series husqvarna saws that’s what they recommend

that’s how I switched my fleet over

36:1 seems a random number. A dang good choice but just curious how you came up with it

 

[Sawrain]

As far as performance 2T's go industrial chainsaws with there pathetic hp output for there cc thanks to design constraints have nothing in common with anything performance.

They might be low on power per CC in comparison, but they run H.O.T and when bucking big logs they can be sitting at 9k rpm constant, oil migrates much more rapidly from the engine under sustained high rpm conditions, make it a hot day, have some light fouling of the cylinder cooling fins and I think it’s hard to argue that your piston is only ever a thin oil film away from a scufftastic failure at any moment.

I hope to get 1000+ hours from a saw, I change my YZ250x piston at around 75 hours, as they can crack around the skirt window, the relatively long stroke 2T Dirtbikes cop it from mechanical/velocity forces, they can fatigue even before being heavily worn, as in they can crack/fracture even if well lubricated and in dimensional tolerance, our short Stroke (lower pistons speed/acceleration) pistons don’t really have the same mechanical stresses, that I am pretty sure of, but heat stress and lubrication wise, I don’t think they have it a heap easier.

 

[rogue60]

They might be low on power per CC in comparison, but they run H.O.T and when bucking big logs they can be sitting at 9k rpm constant, oil migrates much more rapidly from the engine under sustained high rpm conditions, make it a hot day, have some light fouling of the cylinder cooling fins and I think it’s hard to argue that your piston is only ever a thin oil film away from a scufftastic failure at any moment.
Yeah not saying saws don't work hard at times and get hot heat is the killer leading to oil film breakdown and with saws doesn't help they have tiny little carbs with very little fuel/oil moving through them compared to other 2T's

I hope to get 1000+ hours from a saw, I change my YZ250x piston at around 75 hours, as they can crack around the skirt window, the relatively long stroke 2T Dirtbikes cop it from mechanical/velocity forces, they can fatigue even before being heavily worn, as in they can crack/fracture even if well lubricated and in dimensional tolerance, our short Stroke (lower pistons speed/acceleration) pistons don’t really have the same mechanical stresses, that I am pretty sure of, but heat stress and lubrication wise, I don’t think they have it a heap easier.

Yeah not saying saws don't work hard at times and get hot heat is the killer leading to oil film breakdown and with saws doesn't help they have tiny little carbs with very little fuel/oil moving through them add in 50:1 mix and that's a very thin oil film compared to other 2T's
Personally the mix I run (more oil) thicker oil film heat doesn't bother my bigger saws 90cc and up can work the guts out of em in 40c heat years of constant hard work never an oil related problem in any my old work saws.

 

[Egg Shooter]

Yeah not saying saws don't work hard at times and get hot heat is the killer leading to oil film breakdown and with saws doesn't help they have tiny little carbs with very little fuel/oil moving through them add in 50:1 mix and that's a very thin oil film compared to other 2T's
Personally the mix I run (more oil) thicker oil film heat doesn't bother my bigger saws 90cc and up can work the guts out of em in 40c heat years of constant hard work never an oil related problem in any my old work saws.

Another thought too....
Just because someone hasn't had an oil related failure at 50:1 but their ope is worn out in say, 3 years vs 5 years at 40:1 or 32:1 under the same usage, is in fact a slow death oil failure in my opinion. Just a hypothesis on my end as 40:1 is the leanest I run. Now I have read stories of loggers switching from 50:1 to 40:1 and getting a couple more years out of a saw. What oil?
No idea but I'm not surprised if these stories are in fact true.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

I used to watch Leon put together quite a few Homelite saws on his YouTube channel.
I watched him restore a saw for his personal collection I think a 76xl but not totally sure, anyway he knows what he's doing with a homelite. The next video was him test running it and the sob seized and fubared itself. Man was he disappointed.
Watched some more of his videos and came to find out he's been a koolaid drinker of the 100:1 snake oil club.
You can run whatever you want in YOUR ope but I'm not going above 40:1 for myself.

 

[Egg Shooter]

I used to watch Leon put together quite a few Homelite saws on his YouTube channel.
I watched him restore a saw for his personal collection I think a 76xl but not totally sure, anyway he knows what he's doing with a homelite. The next video was him test running it and the sob seized and fubared itself. Man was he disappointed.
Watched some more of his videos and came to find out he's been a koolaid drinker of the 100:1 snake oil club.
You can run whatever you want in YOUR ope but I'm not going above 40:1 for myself.

Must work for him or I doubt he'd continue using it at 100:1.

 

[Hinerman]

how did you decide on 36:1?

36:1 seems a random number. A dang good choice but just curious how you came up with it

Lol. I read people saying 40:1 and 32:1; i have a “measure rite” measuring cup, it has a measurement for 36:1 so I split the difference to be a rebel and to meet in the middle. There is no scientific or mechanical theory behind it. I have tried different ratios and I am not smart enough to tell the difference.