Chain oil

[IronMike]

Well when I started this thread, I was close to running out. But since then I've done hardly any cutting at all as I've been working the Logbullet nonstop!

 

With that in mind I think I'll have to avoid the bio stuff as some times my saws can sit for a while unused. I'll likely stick to the super sexy stuff but could be tempted by the John Deere harvester stuff I tried once...

[markharro]

Its been interesting reading these posts as an occasional chainsaw user. I recently moved to bio-oil from mineral and am finding it seems to stick and gunk up the chain. I can easily have the saw sitting for 6 months or more without being used and am concerned that this oil might oxidise and corrode both the bar and chain. My 550XP manual also seems to say to empty the oil if you are storing the saw longer term and take the chain and bar off and clean them before storing. It all seems a bit of a PITA compared to the mineral oil I used before.

A few questions then. Are there any bio-oils that don't create oxidation problems? How long is it safe to keep bio-oil in the saw before draining it if not using the saw? The mention of rapeseed oil - is this simply the stuff you would buy in the supermarket for cooking? 

[dudders]

I've been using it for a year or so now and only a couple of problems:  1. It's thinner than mineral, so can leak through the oil pump and out when not in use, especially if kept in a warm place.  2. It's virtually colourless, (mine is, anyway), so you have to take care filling the tank as it's hard to see the level coming up until it spills over.  I've not had it get sticky, but my saws never sit for long anyway.  If your manual recommends emptying the oil before storage, that probably applies to whatever oil your using?  I use rapeseed oil, and yes it's the same as in your kitchen, but a tad cheaper!   Don't know it it's 'food grade' though.

[adw]

As an operator you can see the issues, so just imagine the problems service people who have to work on saws covered in this smelly chewing gum substance before we can service/repair the machine, pretty unpleasant.

[Rough Hewn]

I’ve tried many different oils over the years.
Only use Stihl bio oil in all our saws now, and have done for several years.
All manufactured chain oils are carcinogenic whether it’s rotatech cheap crap or expensive bio oil.
I tried various seed oils,
NONE WORKED!!!!
All made the bar smoke.
That’s only an 18”.
On bigger bars you’d ruin them very quickly.
I’d love to run on rapeseed at £1 a litre but its a fantasy.

[Rough Hewn]

Caveat:
Might work on a tiny 10-12” bar?
I don’t own any that small though.

[openspaceman]

21 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

I’ve tried many different oils over the years.
Only use Stihl bio oil in all our saws now, and have done for several years.
All manufactured chain oils are carcinogenic whether it’s rotatech cheap crap or expensive bio oil.
I tried various seed oils,
NONE WORKED!!!!
All made the bar smoke.
That’s only an 18”.
On bigger bars you’d ruin them very quickly.
I’d love to run on rapeseed at £1 a litre but its a fantasy.

 

1 minute ago, Rough Hewn said:

Caveat:
Might work on a tiny 10-12” bar?
I don’t own any that small though.

Good to see you back.

 

I had no trouble with plain OSR but I mostly used 60cc saw and 18" bars. The bars possibly wore a bit more.

 

The major problem as I did less and less saw work was what happened in storage, mice attacked the plastic to get at the oil and all vege oils "dry" by oxidation, this is why oil paints harden. Apart from gumming up the running gear any oily sawdust that gets on the cooling fins sets and becomes a big problem if the saw gets too hot.

 

I reverted to mineral oil but would happily use OSR again if filling up several times a day, just switch to mineral oil and clean up before storage.

 

I have never used Stihl bio oil, is it an emulsion?

[markharro]

Can I ask what OSR is? What is the best way to clean the chain and rest of the machine of the gunk - WD40?

[Rough Hewn]

Good to see you back.
 
I had no trouble with plain OSR but I mostly used 60cc saw and 18" bars. The bars possibly wore a bit more.
 
The major problem as I did less and less saw work was what happened in storage, mice attacked the plastic to get at the oil and all vege oils "dry" by oxidation, this is why oil paints harden. Apart from gumming up the running gear any oily sawdust that gets on the cooling fins sets and becomes a big problem if the saw gets too hot.
 
I reverted to mineral oil but would happily use OSR again if filling up several times a day, just switch to mineral oil and clean up before storage.
 
I have never used Stihl bio oil, is it an emulsion?

What’s OSR?
We use bio oil for several reasons,
It’s more biodegradable than other mineral oils.
It can be used anywhere environmentally sensitive. Ie within 5m of watercourses etc
Clients appreciate the care we take with our emissions.

I hear horror stories about gumming with bio oil, never had a problem.
And how do you get it on your cooling fins???
As a testament to the tackifying quality of bio oil, we use 54” and 84” bars for milling and we don’t use auxiliary oilers.

No idea if it’s an emulsion, specs probably available online somewhere.

[Doug Tait]

I took it to mean Oil Seed Rape?