Do I Really Need Chain and Bar Oil?

[Lance Norris]

Well, I guess that a chain saw is a power tool so this where I will ask this question. I have a Ryobi 18 volt~10" chain saw(believe it or not, pretty useful) and I need some chain and bar oil. Do I have to use this specific type of oil, or can I use something like 30 weight? Thanks

[Matt Ocel]

Hey Lance -
I've always used the recomended bar oil for my chain saw, (it seams a lot thicker than motor oil) but, if I were in a bind #30 would be better than nothin!

[Michael Wildt]

I believe chainsaw oil is sticky to some degree such that it remains on the bar, even at high RPMs. If you use regular 30w oil I have a feeling it'll just make a mess and will not lube where it is intended to lube.

Michael

[Joe Close]

Get bar oil - Bar oil is very thick. The only time you go to a lighter oil is if you are working in freezing temps. If you use 30w oil on a 50F day for example, you will get a lot of oil flung around. It will still lube the bar and chain, but it will be very messy.

[Rick Levine]

A chainsaw is not a tool you want to change the recommended accessories on. Imagine if you were injured because of a manufacturer defect (and personally a law suit is the last thing I would resort to) you wouldn't have a leg to stand on (no pun intended).

[Dave Lehnert]

I use 30w if no bar oil is handy. But bar oil is sold in gallon jugs and is most often cheaper than 30w by the qt.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Yes.
You'll overheat and burn the bar and the chains without it.

I tried used motor oil once - what a freeking mess~!!

[Eric Gustafson]

T'aint nothing like be opinionated against popular wisdom, but her' goes...:rolleyes:.

I have had an electric 14" chainsaw for 18 years that I use every year to cut limbs and keep the trees groomed. I use whatever clean oil I have handly and have never used bar oil. It doesn't throw oil and it has had the same chain on it the whole time. I have sharpened the chain a few times. I wish this thing would break so I could buy something new, but it keeps on working. I didn't even buy the thing, the wife got it at a company raffle!:)

[Greg Hines, MD]

At the summer camp I worked at, the oil rotation schedule was as follows:
New oil goes in the head rangers truck.
Used oil x2 goes in the tractors.
Used oil x3 goes in the summer camp staff truck.
Used oil x4 is bottled for the chain saws. Black as crude oil.

Doc

[Brian Brown]

Wow! That's really taking reduce reuse and recycle to the extreme. :eek::D

[Mike Heidrick]

Even Stihl bar oil is cheap - buy the right stuff.

[Kyle Kraft]

Yes. Bar oil is to chain saws as way oil is to a metalworking lathe. It's tacky so it'll stick to sliding surfaces. On the other hand, any oil is better than no oil at all.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I was doing some pretty heavy duty cutting of gnarly oak firewood with my Husqvarna with a 24" bar. I ran out of bar oil but I wanted to finish the job, so I used some leftover 10W40. It seemed to oil in the right quantity, but it actually gummed up and then briefly caught on fire before I noticed there was a problem. It ruined the chain and I had to soak the bar in acetone to be able to use it again. It might work ok on a light duty saw, but use real bar oil on a saw with power.

[Joe Chritz]

Any is better than none so if you are buying spring for a gallon of real bar oil. If you run out use what you have handy.

We have a chainsaw that is used for ice that doesn't have any oil. The ice pieces lube the chain good and it wouldn't do to have oil flung all over the water.

Joe

[Lance Norris]

Thanks everyone for the answers. I was in a pinch and had to use the 30 weight, but next time Im out, Ill get some of the real thing.

[Chris Barnett]

Paid about $10 for a gallon of Stihl bar and chain oil last week; will last another ten years. Cheap insurance for an expensive tool.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Used motor oil is a no-no. Lots of nasty stuff that gets everywhere, including potentially in your lungs. Plus, it can ruin the pump in the saw due to the acidity and fine metals.

As for alternatives, canola oil is your best bet. A lot of biodegradable bar oils (that are not widely available outside of Europe) are based on Canola I believe. And there has been research that studied wear on saws using canola and it works/protects as well as true bar oil. Go check out some of the discussions on this at sites like arboristsite.com or just google it and I'm sure you can find plenty of info. I'm about to run out of bar oil and I'm gonna make the switch and see how it does.

[Rob Will]

You can get gallons of generic bar oil at Tractor Supply, Rural King etc.
Yes, you need to run bar oil.

Rob