# Oil Shelf Life



## Jags (Aug 16, 2007)

I have never heard of one, but here it goes.  Has anyone heard of a shelf life for Stihl brand 2 cycle oil or bar oil.  I am going to an auction that will have many gallons of bar oil.  And lots of the 1 gal. mix sized bottles of 2 cycle oil.  These are not old currently (the guy having the sale is a going out of business tree service) but if I were to score several years worth, I am just wondering if it could get "Old".


----------



## jqgs214 (Aug 16, 2007)

My guess would be it does not have a shelf life, after all its already a few million years old.


----------



## Jags (Aug 16, 2007)

wxman said:
			
		

> My guess would be it does not have a shelf life, after all its already a few million years old.



He, he, he.....agreed, but maybe a little more refined.  I think my only concern would be with the fuel stabilizer in the stihl 2 cycle oil, but I don't know if it is a concern at all.


----------



## jqgs214 (Aug 16, 2007)

What about all the machiery that has sealed oil cooled motors that are twenty years or more old and still run fine?


----------



## Jags (Aug 16, 2007)

wxman said:
			
		

> What about all the machiery that has sealed oil cooled motors that are twenty years or more old and still run fine?



I agree that a lube oil (such as bar oil) does not concern me much, its the stuff that goes through a carb and then is expected to burn that I'm wondering about.  But chances are it should also be good for years (at least thats what I'm thinking).  Just wondered if anyone new otherwise.


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 16, 2007)

I touched on this one back in Janurary. Motor oils do have a shelf life. Three to five years depending on additives and formulation according to the chemical engineers I worked with at the home of the Flying Red Jackass. 

The bar oil's age is a non-event. It just has to be sticky and slippery. The bearings in that saw are a whole nother issue.


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 16, 2007)

wxman said:
			
		

> What about all the machiery that has sealed oil cooled motors that are twenty years or more old and still run fine?



Transferring heat and lubrication are two different animals. Breakdown of molecular structure is a lot less detremental to the first than the second.


----------



## Jags (Aug 16, 2007)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> I touched on this one back in Janurary. Motor oils do have a shelf life. Three to five years depending on additives and formulation according to the chemical engineers I worked with at the home of the Flying Red Jackass.
> 
> The bar oil's age is a non-event. It just has to be sticky and slippery. The bearings in that saw are a whole nother issue.



So I gather a "safe" bet would be to not extend my supply past a 5 yr period, max?


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 17, 2007)

Jags said:
			
		

> So I gather a "safe" bet would be to not extend my supply past a 5 yr period, max?



That's the way I would do it. Get five years worth of mix oil and a lifetime supply of bar oil. Of course when I go to those auctions I back up the twenty foot trailer and take it all. And sell it.


----------



## JustWood (Aug 17, 2007)

Why would you buy bar oil when you can use used motor oil out of your car or pickup. Been in the logging business for 20 years and thats all we have used. It's only on your bar for a fraction of a second.


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 17, 2007)

LEES WOOD-CO said:
			
		

> Why would you buy bar oil when you can use used motor oil out of your car or pickup. Been in the logging business for 20 years and thats all we have used. It's only on your bar for a fraction of a second.



I ask myself the same question. I used used motor oil for bar oil for over twenty years and just started using the high priced spread a couple of years ago and am thinking about going back.

When the bar oil available was really heavy viscosity I liked it. Now it is all thirty weight.


----------



## JustWood (Aug 17, 2007)

If your worried about the viscocity of used motor oil , change the oil in your car or truck sooner or get some used oil out of a diesel powered piece of equipment which is usually heavier viscocity to begin with.We maintain our equipment religiously and therefore have good oil to use in our saws.  Truck repair shops or trucking companies that do their own maintenance are glad to get rid of it.


----------



## Jags (Aug 17, 2007)

LEES WOOD-CO said:
			
		

> Why would you buy bar oil when you can use used motor oil out of your car or pickup. Been in the logging business for 20 years and thats all we have used. It's only on your bar for a fraction of a second.



Well, I guess this comes down to personal pref. but a couple of reasons I don't do this are:

Carcinogens - I really don't like the idea of used motor oil being slung into a froth in the very air that I am breathing.  Yeah, I know, 2 stoke oil aint any better, but the smokier the bar, the quicker Jags has to leave.

 I don't change my oil (myself), In my life I have to pick my battles.  Changing oil ain't one of them.  "here junior, here's 25 bucks, now get to jumpin' "

I really don't like the idea of pumping used motor oil through my brand new MS361 (that I expect to last for years).  And if you see the oil that comes out of MY cars, you would understand.

I'm not really a tree hugger, but don't like the idea of spreading a half gallon of used motor oil in the woods, each time I go a-cuttin'.  I'm not sure that bar oil is any better, but my mind accepts it as so.

Like I said, personal pref.


----------



## JustWood (Aug 17, 2007)

Personally,I don't run around the woods waving my saw in the air at full throttle .The oil from my saw bar ends up on the wood because it's always in a cut when throttled up. If your bar smokes it's time for a new bar or tip .FACT


----------



## Jags (Aug 17, 2007)

LEES WOOD-CO said:
			
		

> Personally,I don't run around the woods waving my saw in the air at full throttle .The oil from my saw bar ends up on the wood because it's always in a cut when throttled up. If your bar smokes it's time for a new bar or tip .FACT



Your thinking of the wrong kind of "bar".  I'm not always in the woods. ;-P


----------

