Lube the nose sprocket bearing, reduce friction slightly on the rails and lube the pins/links on the chain.
Bar oil $7.49 @ TSC
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eugene89us
ArboristSite Lurker
I strongly agree with you. Although PF may not always use perfect testing techniques, he definitely opens our eyes on the fact that is most of the cases, most expensive is not always the best. I appreciate his methodology. His test on bar oils showed that cheapest option turned out to be the best.
So who appointed you as the arbiter of all tests? You are entitled to your opinion, but that is what it is: opinion.
eugene89us
ArboristSite Lurker
There is no doubt that PF sometimes may use unusual methods and sometimes there are better ways to test things. If I have an alternative channel similar to PF that will do testing better, I will admit I will switch ships in no time. However, at this time, PF is one of the top sources of unbiased reviews. Perfect? Absolutely not! But darn best we have. Before then, I would have to review forums and read reviews on tools and supplies, and those are even less evidence and more opinion-based. I was just glad to see that in bar oil video, it did not take an arm and a leg to have top performing oil. Same with ratchets. I am a big fan of German (Hazet) and Japanese (Ko-Ken) tools. All of the tools I have to work on my cars belong to these brands - with some older Husky ones I got when I was in college. When PF tested them, they came in middle of the pack. A much cheaper Gear Wrench and similar Taiwan-based tools came in on top. Was I disappointed? Yes. Will this change my tool preferences? Probably not for ratchets and other hand tools, because I buy not only based on tool quality (middle of pack is still good and in line with more expensive Snap On tools), but I also like supporting countries that like us and don't want us to fall. So PF is certainly taken with a grain of salt, but it is great food for thought!
eugene89us
ArboristSite Lurker
I am glad to hear that TSC came out with the apology. Companies need to realize their decisions have consequences. You cannot disenfranchise 90% of your customer base to appease <1% of the customers that don't even use your store. Most of these loud mouths are city dwellers that have never stepped a foot on a farm or in a forest. All we are seeing is companies like TSC, Anheuser-Busch (parent company of Bud Light), Disney, etc. - all are in a decline because they stomp on their loyal customer base. And we get tired of it....
I am not an arbiter, but I also have enough understanding of the machines in question to know if the tests mimic conditions found in a particular piece of equipment. Apparently neither you, nor PF does.
And it's not just my opinion. There are industry standard tests for some of the stuff OF tested. Instead of using those he makes up some gadget in his garage that mimics a test for totaly different properties that are not applicable. Of course listing test results off a product data sheet doesn't generate many you tube views.
Maybe his tool tests are accurate? I haven't viewed them to know.
I have watched his oil tests and they range from terrible to bad.
What the bar oil test really showed is that motor oil makes a pretty good bar lube if your the sort of guy that uses safety chain and abuses the heck out of it by dogging the heck out saw for dozens of cuts in a row.
eugene89us
ArboristSite Lurker
Fair point, @bwalker , I will not argue with you on that. Of course, with tool reviews, like ratchets, it combines with critical pieces such as slop which can affect the angle of engagement of the tool - critical in tight spaces. Also checking tools for back-drag which can help with looser fasteners. But he also tests non-critical pieces like failure load of a ratchet. Unless you put a breaker bar on a 1/4 or 3/8 drive ratchet (which is INSANE), reaching 300 lb-ft of torque is highly unlikely by hand. But still entertaining, so why not!
eugene89us
ArboristSite Lurker
Yeah, I am certain motor oil will have better lubrication properties no doubt, but it will also flick off the bar quickly as it is not as sticky/viscous as the oil specifically designed for bars and chains. Though I heard that Stihl branded oil is way too thin for bar oil. I used to be a big Stihl fan, I still am with their chainsaw equipment, but reviews from pros on their Ultra HP oil in grey bottle that I had to buy for double warranty as well as their bar oil, all seem to prove they are best at concentrating on the saws and accessories, and less concentrating on lubricants.
I have used plenty of cheap bar oil with little to no tack with good results.
I use to think tackifier mattered. I no longer do
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The oil that comes out of the engines in my JD back hoe, JD tractor, F150 pickup all seem to work fine as bar oil, and cost me nothng. Do others think that using this oil really shortens the life of chain, bar, or sprocket enough that I should spend fifteen bucks or more a gallon for bar oil? Back a long time ago I believe that bar oil was just recycled used motor oil that had been filtered with a spreader/sticker added.
Fair winds, Garry
Fair winds, Garry
Used oil might shorten the operators lifespan....
It's also dirty, nasty, and messy stuff.
It will probably lube your chain and bar just fine, but might wear your oiler prematurely.
It's thin, filthy, and it has no tack. It's also more toxic than a lot of other oils you could be using. I guess the short answer is that used motor oil is objectively worse than purpose made lubricants in every way but cost.
That is mainly, but it does a host of other things. When the chain goes around a corner (sprocket/tip of bar) it must rotate and the oil supports that action (as you stated). There are several layers that rotate (albeit only a bit) during that process and lots of oil is required to creep in there and protect all those layers. But also remember that as the chain slides along the length of the bar, the side links are sliding on the guide rails. This is a basic and highly deleterious friction source - and the chain oil is probably most useful here in the short term of a chain/bar's life. If you have ever had a bar with burn marks along the "bottom" that is usually from poor oiling or poor oil. Those parts do not turn, ever. As you bear into the wood (either the hard way, or camming in using the dogs), this friction is only exacerbated. There is a small benefit from rust prevention, but that usually only comes into play if you work in the rain/snow, or so seldom that your chain dies from sitting, rather that working.
Probably the largest advantage to good oil vs cheap oil is the tackifiers and anti-slinging additives. They hold the oil in the right spots so that it can do its work.
All in all, you may do the most to help yourself by turning over your bar often, keeping the chain sharp (it reduces life, but helps out your saw and the work it does in a HUGE way), and repairing or replacing worn stuff ASAP. Chainsaws are generally pretty cheap considering the work they do, so I don't hesitate to switch out a bar or chain if it is holding me back. I buy primarily used professional saws, and some TLC the day I get them home will result in mountains of effort saved for very little money. I buy ultralight and pro-light bars and I just keep on cutting wood. I struggle to walk, start the bigger saws, and bend over to pick up the wood, and I can't destroy a tree as fast as I used to, but a combination of a good light saw, a light bar, and a sharp chain has kept me in the woods at least 5 years longer than I have a right to be. I am actually not as old as that suggests, but I had a fall a couple decades back, and my joints have completely given up on their end of the bargain.
Yes: definitely filthy. Think about all those carbon particles from inside the engine that are suspended in used motor oil. Abrasive? And think about all the other toxic contaminates that are suspended in it, including various metals and chemicals. For me, and likely most others, used motor oil goes straight to the proper used oil collection facility.
I use used motor oil for 2 things actually (and I never seem to have enough either). I use it as an accelerant to get my burn piles roasting and I use it in my Kleen Burn waste oil furnace to heat my shop in the winter.
Sorry to hear about your fall. I don't know if it will help or not in your case, but I use a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement to help my joints.
