Bar oil vs. used motor oil

[beenthere]

lumberjack48
We listen to you and enjoy you telling how it was and can learn from your experiences.
My '75 Stihl 041 kept pumping bar oil until I semi-retired it in '04. Never knew there was an oil filter to check. I'd check it if I had a clue. Seems not much has been discussed here about oil filters.
Something I'll look into. thanks

[Paul_H]

lumberjack48

You value you opinion from your own experiences and so do the other members value their own opinions and experiences.You apparently have worked full time(8 hours + a day,10 months a year) in the woods since you were 11 years old and have seen many things that shaped your opinions and we respect that.
Many others have had similar or different experiences.
My own were it was better to use a proper bar oil.There was one haywire that would drain the oil from the yarder and put it in the loader and that was certainly his right but he shouldn't push it onto others.

[gspren]

  The engine oils have changed more in the last 10 years than what the saws have. Years ago there wasn't a lot of difference between engine oil and bar oil but now in order to get better gas milage the oils have lost their stickiness which they don't really need and are pumped under pressure into the bearings. Chain lubes need some tackiness to stay on the chain and bar at high rpms and modern engine oils just won't stick. Oils of all types are much more specialized today than 10 plus years ago.

[John Mc]

Good point, gspren. Chainsaws are turning a lot higher RPMs than they a few decades ago. The higher chain speeds might also mean different requirements from the B&C oil.

Lumberjack48 - If my posts came across as dumping on you, I apologize. I happen to disagree with the idea of running used motor oil as B&C oil in my own saws. However, if it works for you, that's great. I respect your opinion, and your right to run your saws in the way that best worked for you. I do only minor work myself on my own saws, so the chance of causing problems/repairs is a bigger deal for me than for some on here (especially those who can take a box of used parts and come up with an operating saw that will run rings around mine).

Some of the posts here seemed to come from folks who do even less work on their saws than I do on mine. For them, the risk of problems (or voiding a warranty on a new saw) may be even greater than I view it. Also, when the original poster mentioned used oil from his tractor, I pictured a diesel tractor (he didn't say that, I just assumed it. My tractor is a diesel, so that's what comes to mind when someone says "diesel"). I'd be even less inclined to run used oil from a diesel engine than from a gas engine, since used diesel oil can be even more acidic than that from a gas engine.

[lumberjack48]

I haven't recommended anybody to use used motor oil. It was my choice at the time because it was available, #30 straight weight oil, still slippery between my fingers. I thought why am i buying chain oil when i already have all this oil that i have to haul to town to get rig of.  [ I Refined it myself ]

I had my O44 Mag set at 16,000 RPM, 034 Super, 13,000+, I'm the guy down the road that had to have the fastest cutting saw, not the biggest but the fastest.
Like the Ole saying, theres 2 things you don't loan out, Thats your Wife or your Chainsaw.

If i needed bar oil today, i would put my used oil though cheese cloth, then every 2 gals put a can of that cheap Wall-Mart motor honey in it [ used to be $1.00 ] you would have good bar oil.  8)

This way you get every $ out of every quart you buy. 

The best bar oil i ever used was Rock Drill Oil, it would string out more then 12" s.

[Banjo picker]

My dad used the burnt motor oil, as he called it in his McCullouch chain saws when I was a young lad...He was a timber cutter from the day when they used cross cut saws ( ole gaggy was the term he used, and one of his is in my attic now) .  I never knew they sold special oil for a chain untill I was in my twenties...But when I started buying my own saws I went with the bar oil... One thing I rember was that the old saws had to be mechanicaly oiled...a little push button there on the handle...I think those ole saws could get by with a product that was a tad inferior, if you used more of it...Just my take on it..Banjo

[tyb525]

My dad always used black oil in his 036, and never had trouble with it. He gave the saw to me when he moved out, and then I always used bar oil in it. Never had a problem though. (I have accidentally rinsed the oil tank out with gas mix a couple times though :)

There was a short time I used motor oil as bar lube, it had been through the car but hadn't but run at all (someone put in wrong weight of oil, got it from the service station I worked at) I filtered the oil through a paint filter, and then mixed it 50/50 with ATF (this was winter). It seemed to work fine, except the bar and saw was red from the ATF. Made it easy to tell the saw was oiling enough added up to about 2 gallons.

[barbender]

I've seen several people run used oil for bar oil, I've done it myself a time or two and the only ill effect I've noticed is the black mess you end up with everywhere. Bar oil is just junk oil with some tackifier added as far as I understand, I'd probably use more used motor oil if the price of bar oil goes up any more. I've used lots of used hydraulic oil, I love to score that. My buddy runs used hydraulic oil in his Ponsse harvester whenever he can get it, there is way more stress on a bar saw on a harvester head than a chainsaw.

[tcrew]

I haven't recommended anybody to use used motor oil. It was my choice at the time because it was available, #30 straight weight oil, still slippery between my fingers. I thought why am i buying chain oil when i already have all this oil that i have to haul to town to get rig of.  [ I Refined it myself ]

I had my O44 Mag set at 16,000 RPM, 034 Super, 13,000+, I'm the guy down the road that had to have the fastest cutting saw, not the biggest but the fastest.
Like the Ole saying, theres 2 things you don't loan out, Thats your Wife or your Chainsaw.

If i needed bar oil today, i would put my used oil though cheese cloth, then every 2 gals put a can of that cheap Wall-Mart motor honey in it [ used to be $1.00 ] you would have good bar oil.  8)

This way you get every $ out of every quart you buy. 

The best bar oil i ever used was Rock Drill Oil, it would string out more then 12" s.

@lumberjack48, I respect and value ur opinion. I have read many of ur posts and get allot of good advice and knowledge from them. In my humble opinion, its urs and the other very experienced guys little tricks and methods that u share with us that are priceless. So just know ur appreciated and thank you for sharing.    

[acco1840]

I use it in my old Stihl 090 with 33 inch bar all the time with no worries. However, I would not try it on a new saw. Buggered an oil pump on a 66 when I tried it once. They dont make them like they used to!! :D