Using engine oil as chain oil

[Mountain man]

Using clean engine oil is fine.

My old boss did it for decades.

[magwick]

Is it good for you though? Inhalation of any oil is bad let alone one that tends to fling and thus vapourish a lot.

[Mountain man]

Chain oil flings off the bar as well.

[magwick]

It does but we know how much and it's effects because it Has been tested. Engine oil is tested for engines not saws. And judging by the insides of our saws the saws don't like it either.

[mendiplogs]

Hi all, I need a bit of help. Basically the firm I work for uses cheep car engine oil thinned with parafin as chain oil. I have raised the environmentally implications to no avail. Does anybody know what the health impact to operators would be? Can't find any info on web as no body uses it for this purpose.

Ta very much.

 

Hi mag why not buy chainsaw oil mate it cheap as chips thanks Jon

[Mountain man]

It does but we know how much and it's effects because it Has been tested. Engine oil is tested for engines not saws. And judging by the insides of our saws the saws don't like it either.

 

Your saws will suffer no ill effects from using clean engine oil as chain lubricant.

You say your saws have suffered, how?

[magwick]

Clogged up pumps, had to put three saws in the shop at the same time all with oiling issues.

[Mountain man]

Due to using thinner engine oil?

[arbandy]

The reason it was taken out of the engine in the first place would have been because it was past its use by and would have started to fail as a lubricant and even though it's filtered it will be almost gritty so the first thing to show up will be increased chain and bar wear followed, as you've already mentioned a tendency to block the oil pump. the next will be a failure of the same oil pump as will wear out very quickly delivering less and less oil to the now already wearing bar and chain. Not much of a saving there.

[doobin]

Clogged up pumps, had to put three saws in the shop at the same time all with oiling issues.

 

Probably as it was thinned so much by the paraffin it gave the impression of not oiling. Technically it was oiling as it was pumping out but it wouldn't have been doing much in the way of actual lubrication.

 

Engine oil won't clog a pump. Veg oil can.