# How much bar oil do you use.



## fordss (Dec 30, 2010)

I have a stihl 026 and I refill my bar oil every time I refill the gas but I could get away with every other time and I was wanting to know if that is normal? Is my bar and chain getting all the oil it needs? Can it be adjusted? Just loking to make sure to not prematurely wear out my bar and chain. I have an old 041 and that saws uses one take bar oil to one tank of fuel.


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## HUSKYMAN (Dec 30, 2010)

If your saw has an adjustable oiler it will usually be on the crankcase near the clutch or on the bottom of the saw. To see if your saw is getting enough oil just pull up on the chain and you should see oil on the drive tangs. Also you can point the bar at the ground and rev it and you should see oil slinging off the chain onto the ground leaving a "oil stripe"


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## jimbojango (Dec 31, 2010)

I've got mine set where i use "almost all" of my oil out of 1 tank of gas. The oil is cheap insurance to keep everything lubed. I also cut a lot of big wood so i think it helps keep the bar a little cooler. Why NOT run 1 tank to 1 tank if you can adjust?


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## ks_osage_orange (Dec 31, 2010)

I agree, you should use up the most all the oil in the resevoir with every tank of gas. Better to use too much bar oil than not enough.


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## indiansprings (Dec 31, 2010)

If it a 260 "pro" it will have the adjustable oiler. I have all my oilers set at wide open, as bar oil is cheap in the scheme of things. I much rather over oil than under oil. My oil tanks are just about empty when it runs out of mix, pretty much a 1:1 ratio on gas and oil.


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## Fronty Owner (Dec 31, 2010)

I run pretty close to tank for tank. a tank of fuel uses a tank of oil maybe a little less on oil.


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## tomtrees58 (Dec 31, 2010)

if its 1 saw that's right if its a day 2 gallons


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## atvdave (Dec 31, 2010)

I use most all of my oil per tank of gas. I have my oiler set on max.


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## Wind Walker (Jan 1, 2011)

*More is better...*

I just upgraded from a 20 year old 024 Super to a 260 Pro.

The 024 used to use about 1/2 tank oil to a full tank of fuel. Non adjustable.

The 260 Pro has an adjustable oiler which I have set wide open and uses almost all the oil per full tank of fuel.

I agree with the rest, I think more is better. I use used oil (a mix of gear oil and hydro fluid from my tractor) for bar oil so cost is not really a factor. But since the quality may not be on par to "official" bar oil I again feel more is better.

Mike


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## mikefunaro (Jan 1, 2011)

if you haven't seen heightened bar wear or excessive chain stretch I wouldn't worry too much. 

we are lucky here that bar oil is relatively cheap, and as the others have said, there's relatively little disincentive to using lots of oil. 

However if you know you're totally oiling to excess there's little reason not to dial it down in my book. If the max oiler setting is designed for a 28" bar and you're running an 18" bar, you better believe you're putting down way more oil than you need. When I am cutting far away from my supplies, this becomes relevant.


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## REJ2 (Jan 1, 2011)

mikefunaro said:


> if you haven't seen heightened bar wear or excessive chain stretch I wouldn't worry too much.
> 
> we are lucky here that bar oil is relatively cheap, and as the others have said, there's relatively little disincentive to using lots of oil.
> 
> However if you know you're totally oiling to excess there's little reason not to dial it down in my book. If the max oiler setting is designed for a 28" bar and you're running an 18" bar, you better believe you're putting down way more oil than you need. When I am cutting far away from my supplies, this becomes relevant.


 
I agree with Mike, the bar length determines how my oilers are adjusted.
REJ2


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## jorge016 (Jan 1, 2011)

Bar length has everything to do with bar oil consumption. My ms270 with a 16" bar uses about 1/2 a tank of oil per tank of gas. ms361 with a 20" bar uses close to a full fill of oil per gas fill.


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## J.Gordon (Jan 1, 2011)

indiansprings said:


> If it a 260 "pro" it will have the adjustable oiler. I have all my oilers set at wide open, as bar oil is cheap in the scheme of things. I much rather over oil than under oil. My oil tanks are just about empty when it runs out of mix, pretty much a 1:1 ratio on gas and oil.




+1 
I have my oilers at the max setting also. I fill gas and oil at the same time.


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## loganj01 (Jan 1, 2011)

My Dolmar 7900 will run out of oil before it runs out of gas. Oiler is set wide open on it as well. I never run it completely out of gas. I would rather use the extra oil and save wear and tear on the saw.


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## rob066 (Jan 1, 2011)

I use about one tank of oil to one tank of gas. I max out my oilers on all my saws that are adjustable.


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## TreePointer (Jan 1, 2011)

jorge016 said:


> Bar length has everything to do with bar oil consumption. My ms270 with a 16" bar uses about 1/2 a tank of oil per tank of gas. ms361 with a 20" bar uses close to a full fill of oil per gas fill.


 
Heh, you have a good one. My 361 (20") will sling a little over half a tank of oil per fuel tank with the oiler wide open.


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## Haywire Haywood (Jan 1, 2011)

jorge016 said:


> Bar length has everything to do with bar oil consumption. My ms270 with a 16" bar uses about 1/2 a tank of oil per tank of gas. ms361 with a 20" bar uses close to a full fill of oil per gas fill.


 
Bar length has nothing to do with bar oil consumption. Put a 5' bar on your 270 and it will still use 1/2 tank of oil per tank of gas. It will need a lot more, but a longer bar won't suck more oil from the saw.

Ian


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## banshee67 (Jan 1, 2011)

only have adjustable oiler on my 361, its set to max, uses pretty much the whole tank of oil to every tank of gas.
keep in mind if youre using summer weight oil in the winter, it wont flow as well and it will use a lot less than you should be if it was thinned out/winter weight


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## woodguy105 (Jan 1, 2011)

TreePointer said:


> Heh, you have a good one. My 361 (20") will sling a little over half a tank of oil per fuel tank with the oiler wide open.


 
Same with my 361 w/ 18" B/C


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## rancher2 (Jan 1, 2011)

I run 20 inch bars and set the oilers to use the oil tank up when the mix is used up.


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## TreePointer (Jan 1, 2011)

I like the idea of using ample bar oil, but also like to have at least a 1/8 to 1/4 tank of oil left when the fuel is gone. That way, I'm not risking running a dry bar & chain when environmental variables change things.


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## flatlandr (Jan 1, 2011)

My 362 goes half tank of oil to one tank of gas w/ oiler wide open summer or winter weight.


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## Ambull (Jan 1, 2011)

mikefunaro said:


> if you haven't seen heightened bar wear or excessive chain stretch I wouldn't worry too much.
> 
> we are lucky here that bar oil is relatively cheap, and as the others have said, there's relatively little disincentive to using lots of oil.
> 
> However if you know you're totally oiling to excess there's little reason not to dial it down in my book. If the max oiler setting is designed for a 28" bar and you're running an 18" bar, you better believe you're putting down way more oil than you need. When I am cutting far away from my supplies, this becomes relevant.



Great post!!! I am not exactly a tree hugger, but why spray oil everywhere when it is not needed. You are not saving the saw. The bar and chain need oil, but the max settings are for max bar in max wood. The whole purpose of cutting wood is to not depend on Arab oil. Why waste oil when it is overkill? These saws were engineered to oil properly with the middle setting on a mid sized bar. Don't second guess the engineers on this one. Just my 2C.


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## Whitespider (Jan 2, 2011)

fordss-
My 026 (early production, first year), doesn't have an adjustable oiler and I run both 16" and 20" bars on it. Under normal cutting conditions using the 16" bar, a full tank of fuel won't empty the oil reservoir, but it will go dry before the second tank of fuel goes empty. If I bury the 20" bar in hardwood, the oil reservoir will be just about empty per tank of fuel, uses maybe 1.5 times as much.

Not all bar & chain oil is created equal. I once bought some bulk stuff out of a 55 gallon barrel that was way to thick; ended up thinning it to get it oiling properly.


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## rob066 (Jan 2, 2011)

TreePointer said:


> Heh, you have a good one. My 361 (20") will sling a little over half a tank of oil per fuel tank with the oiler wide open.


 
I thought my 361 was stingy with bar oil at first. The oiler is at max on it and uses a little over half a tank of oil per gas tank. It must be okay the bar never burned up.


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## adam21584 (Jan 2, 2011)

My 260 with the oiler most the way open seems to work well. cut quite a bit of wood and there is onlya little paint missing on the bar. seems to keep it lubed and cool. As for oil menards has it on sale I buy a few gallons.


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