Used oil for chainsaw lube??

[reaperman]

I don't normally do this, but I went to cut wood yesterday and couldn't believe I was out of chain lubricant. So I instead used some used motor oil I had laying around. Just to get me thorough the day. It seemed to work fine and I know of people who never buy chain lube, but instead use used motor oil. I made it into town to pick up a gallon today, but it made me wonder how many of you guys actually use motor oil instead of chain lube.

PS: I always use stihl brand, myself.
Stihl 044

 

[PaulyV]

I have used it before in a pinch...I think the bar chain lube is thick so it adheres to the bar/chain tho for better lube. But used oil/ 2 stroke has worked for me when I was out.

 

[elkimmeg]

Why would use oil where all it lubricants have been depleated. Or oil with metal filings and dirt in there, If the oil was still good then why change it?

I knew a guy that fiqured a way to make his oil light go out he drove the car till the engine seized. Or the guy that removes the oil lamp buld because it anoyed them

 

[ozarkjeep]

I use a mix of cheap bar and chain oil and canola oil from the kitchen.

Its easier to wash out of my pants after a bunch of cutting, and the canola flows much better than regular bar and chain oil below freezing.

I would NOT use used engine oil though, lots of really bad stuff in there.

 

[Roospike]

You used oil or you used "dirty" oil ?

Let see , pro bar oil ( poulan pro ) $4.15 a gallon (tackafiers / thicker )
New motor oil $2.80 a quart ( $14.00 a gallon )
oil used oil worth $0.00 ( Dirty )

I think I'll stick with the bar and chain oil.

 

[homebrewz]

There was a recent thread on using vegetable oil as bar & chain lube:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/946/

I know there was another one last fall, but I can't find it.

 

[berlin]

wmo waste motor oil is a fine bar and chain lube, only downside is the lack of "stickyness" that is present in many other bar and chain oils. waste motor oil does NOT have its lubrication properties destroyed; the reason oil is changed is because it becomes full of soot, fuel, acids, and the additive package as well as the base oil WILL get to the point of breaking down if not changed. it is still fine to use for this and many other purposes. try using vegetable oil when it's cold out, it will gell in your saw and you'll have a very fun time playing around fixing that mistake.

 

[kevinmoelk]

wmo waste motor oil is a fine bar and chain lube, only downside is the lack of "stickyness" that is present in many other bar and chain oils. waste motor oil does NOT have its lubrication properties destroyed; the reason oil is changed is because it becomes full of soot, fuel, acids, and the additive package as well as the base oil WILL get to the point of breaking down if not changed. it is still fine to use for this and many other purposes. try using vegetable oil when it's cold out, it will gell in your saw and you'll have a very fun time playing around fixing that mistake.

I can't speak to the bar oil question, but I'll comment on the statement in bold above. Unused oil has a near infinite shelf life. You'll use it long before the additives go bad from sitting on the shelf. I wouldn't use oil that's 20 years old, but I wouldn't hesitate to use some that is 5 or even 10 years old. Frankly, it doesn't sit around my home for more than six months.

When oil does become full of soot, fuel, acids and whatnot, it does indeed loose it's lubricating properties. Dirty oil = solid particulate matter, comprised mostly of carbon. Hence those tiny little particles floating around will scratch machined surfaces inside a cars engine. How is that not a loss of an oils lubricating properties?

The bottom line is that the best oil is new oil. With oil being so inexpensive, why would you even bother using used oil for ANYTHING? Burn it in a waste oil furnace or recycle the stuff, period.

-Kevin

 

[ourhouse]

You can use old motor oil but you will wear out you'r bar oil pump sooner than later. My father in law use to do it and recked oil pump in his Huskey 55. I don't recomend it at all.
JMO John

 

[PaulyV]

Actually to clarify..It was not used..It was 10-40..in a quart..used oil is discarded immediately.

 

[DavidV]

Husquevarna chain and bar oil is only 8 bucks a gallon from lowes. It's vegetable based so gentle on the environement. My husky manual says not to use motor oil. So I don't. I have used it before in little poulan when the stores were closed after the hurricane. But I prefer not to use it now. I just buy an extra gallon of oil when I go to the borg.

 

[BrotherBart]

I can't speak to the bar oil question, but I'll comment on the statement in bold above. Unused oil has a near infinite shelf life. You'll use it long before the additives go bad from sitting on the shelf. I wouldn't use oil that's 20 years old, but I wouldn't hesitate to use some that is 5 or even 10 years old. Frankly, it doesn't sit around my home for more than six months.

Motor oils do defiantly have a shelf life. According to chemical engineers at the oil company I worked for it can be as little as three years or as long as five years depending on the additives, storage conditions and formulation

 

[Eric Johnson]

It's fine in a pinch, but like earthharvester said, it will eventually wear out your oil pump and cutting gear.

If it worked just as well as bar and chain oil, why would they manufacture oil specifically for chain saws?

BTW, I used to have a '64 Rambler that burned more oil than gas. Since I was cutting wood for a living at the time, I would regularly top the crankcase off with bar & chain oil. It didn't seem to hurt the Rambler, but I wouldn't try that with anything other than a $100 car.

 

[kevinmoelk]

I can't speak to the bar oil question, but I'll comment on the statement in bold above. Unused oil has a near infinite shelf life. You'll use it long before the additives go bad from sitting on the shelf. I wouldn't use oil that's 20 years old, but I wouldn't hesitate to use some that is 5 or even 10 years old. Frankly, it doesn't sit around my home for more than six months.

Motor oils do defiantly have a shelf life. According to chemical engineers at the oil company I worked for it can be as little as three years or as long as five years depending on the additives, storage conditions and formulation

Considering your background Sir, I stand corrected. I was merely trying to suggest that shelf life is hardly a concern, but I admit I was shooting from the hip a little

As stated earlier, it doesn't sit around my house too long, and I buy a ton of the stuff to service my many rigs.

-Kevin

 

[adrpga498]

I have put "used " oil on my log splitter "I" beam. Manual said oil the beam, I just felt used oil would suffice. Any thoughts ? I'm all ears. Ty.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I don't think that would present any problem at all. It's way more lube for that application than you really need, but since you need to get rid of the oil anyway, why not?

 

[adrpga498]

I don't think that would present any problem at all. It's way more lube for that application than you really need, but since you need to get rid of the oil anyway, why not?

My thoughts exactly. Ty

 

[slofr8]

I used a chainsaw to make my living back in the early '80's. The guy that owned the skidder and I would split the cost of saw gas and oil. We tried using used oil from the skidder oil changes but since it was lacking the "sticky suff" we mixed it with bar oil. Than I had to replace my saw oiler and we started straining the old oil thru an old rag to try and clean it up a little. After a couple applications of that we decided that bar oil was a fixed expence and gave up on the whole messy deal.
Dan.

 

[MikeS]

don't worry about it and don't do it any more than you have to. used oil from new cars is over changed anyway. warranty crap. I sample the used oil from maybe every 10th change and never run the samples, just store them. if warranty issues, i can produce typical oil that i drained. used oil from 3000 mile change intervals is probably less than 1/3 used up. 7500 miles is nothing. i use oil rated for diesel engines in everything--diesel oil meets EVERY gasoline spec, but gasoline oil rarely meets ANY diesel specs (maybe very old ones, like api-CD).

the particles of a size to do any damage are stuck in the filter. they stay there because of the anti-drain back valve. engine sump oil is good stuff unless you run junk lube or/in junk car.

with a lube oil analysis program, I bet you could easily get 10K miles, even with a diesel. unfortunately, oil analysis is more expensive than oil changes until you are dumping several gallons per change. it is cheaper to change at 3K miles than to analyze for passenger cars and light trucks with only 1 or 2 gallons lube oil capacity.

they used to make super-filters to keep the engine oil amber. it is a joke. the particles of that size (the size that turn the oil black) don't affect lubricity or contact either side of the journal during the shearing-lube process.

new motor oil is fine too (probably better for the oil pump, as another poser noted). turn the flow up high and use lots of oil and things should be fine. especially if it is very cold and the chain oil won't come out of the jug.

proper chian oil is way better for chains--it sticks like crazy to chains, which is great. bar and chain oil is not nearly as mean as motorcycle chain oil, though--at least the Bel Ray Max. Strength Chain Lube I used to use on my dirt bike was FIERCE. if it got on you, that is where it stayed. vigourous scrubbing with chnorinated solvent just kind of moved it around a bit. remember not to get that stuff on you.

 

[berlin]

"don’t worry about it and don’t do it any more than you have to. used oil from new cars is over changed anyway. warranty crap. I sample the used oil from maybe every 10th change and never run the samples, just store them. if warranty issues, i can produce typical oil that i drained. used oil from 3000 mile change intervals is probably less than 1/3 used up. 7500 miles is nothing. i use oil rated for diesel engines in everything--diesel oil meets EVERY gasoline spec, but gasoline oil rarely meets ANY diesel specs (maybe very old ones, like api-CD).

the particles of a size to do any damage are stuck in the filter. they stay there because of the anti-drain back valve. engine sump oil is good stuff unless you run junk lube or/in junk car.

with a lube oil analysis program, I bet you could easily get 10K miles, even with a diesel. unfortunately, oil analysis is more expensive than oil changes until you are dumping several gallons per change. it is cheaper to change at 3K miles than to analyze for passenger cars and light trucks with only 1 or 2 gallons lube oil capacity."





exactly.

 

[sstanis]

yeah, I guess you could use used oil as bar oil. But then again, one could use "used lambskin condoms as sausage causings." Sorry did not mean to be digusting. But one guy told me that years ago in response to an idea, I couldn't keep from sharing it. So if any of ya come across, Can't I use....................? Feel free to enlighten them.

 

[Roospike]

Maybe i just don't understand , is using "other" oils just a way to save $5.00 vs buying the normal bar and chain oil ?

I cut my own wood and can cut a he(( of a lot of wood with 1 or even 2 gallons of oil. I cut well over 14 cords of wood last year and didn't need over 2 gallons so at a savings of 14 cords X local price ($150. for me) I saved $2100.00 vs buying the wood so I'm not sure what the $10. extra savings is really good for with "other oils" used or otherwise.

Without trying to sound like an a$$ (sorry if i come across as such ) i think one that is trying to save that few $$ on used or other oils is more then likely not one that would spend the cash to own chainsaw chaps , helmet , steel toe boots and other safety gear as well as do normal yearly maintenance of there equipment.

just my .02

 

[MikeS]

right. you should be able to use it if you screw up and forget oil or something. don't do it by choice. and if you do, try to understand why people have pump trouble after doing it (very dirty oil, i guess) BEFORE you do it.

and, NO, don't do this in liew of proper waste oil disposal, or to save money, or for any other reason. you CAN but SHOULDN'T.

ms