bto
ArboristSite Lurker
is there a difference in the bar oils out there. I usually buy the cheapest at a fleet supply but im wondering if there are high quality oils or doesnt it really matter??
bar oil quality???
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xring
ArboristSite Lurker
I heard here that you are suppose to use old dirty motor oil 
Butch(OH)
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hey BTO, Some that spend too much time here get smart or burred up when they see the same question asked more than once a year and this is number 3 or so for this question so watch out 
I'm not one of them and my take on the deal is there are three kinds of bar oil, two you should use and one you should not. The should not use lube is used motor oil. The should use oils consist of Fish's magic blend (availible only from Fish) and the other is any new oil whether marked bar and chain, motor, gear, or french fry as long as it will flow at the temps your saw'en.
I'm not one of them and my take on the deal is there are three kinds of bar oil, two you should use and one you should not. The should not use lube is used motor oil. The should use oils consist of Fish's magic blend (availible only from Fish) and the other is any new oil whether marked bar and chain, motor, gear, or french fry as long as it will flow at the temps your saw'en.
DanManofStihl
ArboristSite Guru
I Run poulan bar oil in all of my stihl equipment. Stihl oil is about the same thickness and is double the price. I'm not cheap but it does not make any sense to me to pay the extra money when it is all the same kind of oil. As long as it is not used motor oil then run it and don't worry. You learn from your mistakes.
davefr
Addicted to ArboristSite
Bar and chain oil is mainly dregs from the refinery such a line wash and reject hydraulic fluid. However the refinery spikes it with a tackifier for cling.
In other words there's very little engineering that goes into it's formulation.
I posted a couple formulas for "blend your own" in the used oil thread. Who knows if these are any better. (found them at BITOG where the tribologists hang out).
In other words there's very little engineering that goes into it's formulation.
I posted a couple formulas for "blend your own" in the used oil thread. Who knows if these are any better. (found them at BITOG where the tribologists hang out).
eyolf
Addicted to ArboristSite
I suppose there are lots of differences between bar oils, and I've gotten two 5-gal buckets from the same pallet at the farm store that had different dyes in them...one was light red, one darker. The next time there was no dye!
But when you consider that its a total loss system, where the oil hangs around for a few seconds, then gets thrown off, what difference can it make? Sometimes
I see bar oil for around $3 a gallon on sale, so I stock up. Nothing else is as cheap, so why bother with anything else?
But when you consider that its a total loss system, where the oil hangs around for a few seconds, then gets thrown off, what difference can it make? Sometimes
I see bar oil for around $3 a gallon on sale, so I stock up. Nothing else is as cheap, so why bother with anything else?
Well I have seen a diffrence in motor oil and bar lube. My friend swore by motor oil. I used it and got covered in it from a day of cutting. (Not sticky enough) I then went and used STIHL bar lube and no splatter, the chain stayed lubed and wasnt nearly as dirty as the new motor oil. I just ordered some Motion Lotion from Baileys and will see if that is any better. As far as the quality I would think it just needs to flow and stay on the chain and bar to work since its a full time lube system. It does need to flow so in colder weather I would stay with a "Cold weather" bar lube like from STIHL. That comes in a blue plastic gallon jug. I havent cut with it yet since its been snowning but did notice in the 25 degree weather that the plain bar lub was real slow. I bought a couple of gallons of that stuff and will check it out soon. Other than that good luck.
bto
ArboristSite Lurker
im not planning on using motor oil I bought a brand called Tall Timber at fleetfarm it was bout $4 gal figured that was good enough. Just wondering if there are spacific brands or types that are good or bad
sedanman
Just cut the piano!!
There is no "recipe" for a particular brand bar oil, bar oil is junk that the refinery has no other use for. Add som tackifier and some dye (if the customer wants dye) and you have bar oil. Stihl oil is NOT better than Husqvarna oil or any other brand. The exceptions to this are the veggie based oils which are a consistent recipe.
Sedan, I am not busting your balls, but how do you know this to be true? Most bar oils are 30 wt mineral oils with a additive called visatac added, not the dreges of the refinery like you suggest. Rejected motor oils and the ilk get re-run through the refinery as its cost prohibitive to simply reject them and rebadge as bar oil.
sedanman
Just cut the piano!!
Ben, I work with a guy who is retired from Texaco research center in Glenham, NY. He was a lubricants engineer, he formulated oils for specific needs. He knows more about oil than all of us combined. Reject oils sometimes cannot be fixed to pass spec and they ARE turned into bar oil. Bar oils can have atf as a base, atf is not red until it is dyed, most atf fromulas are a pale yellow (sometimes almost clear) before the addition of dye. PM me you phone number and I can have you talk to George.
ATF is a light 10 wt oil, much too thin for bar oil.
