Biodegradable bar oil...... anybody use it?

[Greenstar]

Tree Machine, thank you very much for the posting. I do believe in the concept and practice of using biodegradable plant based oils. I loved it for months. You can spill it on your pants or boots and it washes out! If it spills on a customer's driveway, its like, "oops" no worries!!
But it is for sure the cause of why all four of my daily saws have quite oiling.
Maybe I used the wrong brand, idk,...
And I hate saying all of this stuff because I dont want to give it a bad name. I actually try to promote its use just as you do to anybody who ever works with me and my crew. I love the stuff, and I am also an environmentalist!
I also will undoubtedly continue to use either it, veggie, or canola, or something of that nature once I figure out efficiently pulling the oiler mechanisms off, cleaning them, and putting them all back together properly, and can do it easily.
(PS. I have been told the whole engine must be pulled, however, in order to pull them and clean them on my two Husky 338's though!! Which sucks!)
I have owned these saws for over 10-12 years, and NEVER ever have had a problem with oilers in any of them, Stihl or Husky (except for of course the very first year 335 that I bought when they came out with them and I had one and Husky recalled them due to an oiler problem and gave everyone a new saw the next year! That was nice of them!!
No, I have never had a problem, and yes, I am always conscientious of keeping dirt cleaned away from openings when I open the saw up in any way, and yes I always clean the bar grooves and hole out, and sharpen my chains razor sharp everyday.
I am also quite a good mechanic. My Stihl 036 in half right now awaiting a new piston, and I have replaced almost everything on the chipper including the engine!!

Whatever oil I used has hardened up and become stiff and fairly well caked on all around the sprocket and u under the cover, and around the bar. The stuff is not easy to just scrape off. It has also not been very cold or anything. Maybe a handful of 30's nights or whatever, but nothing very cold yet, but getting there!!
This oil is definitely the cause of ths caking up though, so this weekend I will open the Stihl's up, which I have heard is easy. But I am not looking forward to pulling the coil, clutches, and engines, just to clean both oilers on my 338's

PULL THE WHOLE ENGINE OUT OF THE SAW JUST TO CLEAN THE OILER!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!? Husky 338's!

Peace man, thanks!

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey Greenstar, I can sense your frustration. I commend you for keeping your saws so well-maintained that you've gotten 10 or 12 years out of them. I would say that's a pretty dang good run.

I didn't think you neglected your saws, proof is that you take excellent care of them. Now, I neglect my saws. I do nothing more than clean the bar, groove, and oiler holes. I know what the oiler mechanism looks like because of working on friends and neighbors' saws, but have never seen the inside of mine. I don't have convenient compressed air so I scrape around lightly with a scrench, brass brush each side of the bar down at the saw end and that's it. I've never taken additional steps, more or less to be a guinea pig for the overall pool of veggie users; if something were to go wrong, it should be with someone who does just the bare minimum and nothing else (me).

I ran a MS200T with a temp crew for three months (they did, anyway) and then shelved it for one year. Veggie while they used it, whatever veggie was in the tank stayed in the tank and a year later we WD-40'd the bar & chain and ran the saw like it hadn't skipped a beat.

I wish I was there to help you break down your saws. I'd like to see what's going on. In my friends and neighbors saws I found sawdust and bar oil packed into the recesses, and every one had a stripped-out plastic thread drive gear that turns the metal worm-drive gear of the oiler itself. The oiler was fine in all cases, but the plastic piece driving the metal gear was shot. Saw techs must love this because a 5 dollar piece that takes 5 minutes to change out must be very lucrative if you can charge your hour minimum.

Oiler mechanisms themselves are pretty bombproof, very simple, one moving part with tubes to direct the flow from the tank and to the bar. You can turn the oiler with your fingernail, or with a mini screwdriver. If it turns, likely the mechanism itself is OK. Lightly scrape out any gunk in the V of the threads. Compressed air is your friend, suction even better. Carburator cleaner softens and dissolves. Ether (starting fluid) dissolves very well but evaporates quickly.

Do let us know. All the saws going down at once is freakish. Everyone's saws go down at one time or another for whatever reason, but 4 at once is paralyzing.

Remember, you're not having to 'take the oiler apart'. You're just going in behind the clutch, a little deeper to inspect and clean. Its no big deal. I think its the plastic gear. You say your saws are that experienced, literally millions of rotations. This is a common ailment on saws much younger. My dad picked up a Husqvarna 246 from lowes, $100 as-is, it was returned next to new because it wasn't oiling. He bought it, I fixed it, it's my 'vacation' saw now. It can happen on a new saw. Next door neighbor, same thing, bought it new, wouldn't oil, brought it to me...brand spankin new. I knew what it was before I opened it up, explained to him what we were gonna see while opening it up, and there it was- stripped out plastic gear. I had one in my spare parts kit, had him back up and running within 10 minutes.

My clutch gets caked up, but it did that back in the bar oil days, sawdust and grease and heat. A tech told me to drop the whole clutch in boiling water. I didn't. I poured boiling water on it so I didn't have to pop it off. "Keep the water out of your exhaust port" he told me.

 

[Greenstar]

Were you the one talking about what type of veggie oil to use, and not to use the "wrong kind" do to oxidation or something which leads to thick, hard buildup which will lead to these problems? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I cant remember if I read it on this thread, or another?
Do you know anythig about this.

But again, now that I am using bar oil again.. gunky buildup is very soft and greasey again and easily removed. It wipes right off effortlessly. This is not the case with the veg oil I was using. Stuff is like glue when it dries and hardens. I wish there was a way around this.

Some guys said to try ethanol or methanol in my oil tanks for a coupla days.. Is this alcohol or paint thinner or something? Where to I get it? Thanks guys! Thanks TM

 

[Greenstar]

BTW!!!
GO PATS!!!!!! :rockn:

This is going to be the game of the year! I am so psyched for Sunday night baby!! We will see who the true elite is! :yoyo:
PATRIOTS Baby! Team of the decade!...

 

[ray benson]

How about those PATS .