If I run out of chain oil..........

[cdelwood]

out in the woods, what can I substitute till the end of the day?

Motor oil, tranny fliud, brake fluid, ect...?

cd

 

[Drew78]

Why dont you just keep a spare bottle in the truck for such an occasion?
I dont think there is a whole lot of other products that would be an equal substitute for bar oil.

just my 0.02

-Drew

 

[cbfarmall]

Old saw makers used to specify SAE 30 wt motor oil. My friend uses 100W Shell oil, don't remember what exactly. Just don't use any used motor oil. I think the biggest thing that bar oil has going for it is its ability to stick.

Chris B.

 

[jokers]

These other guys are right about manufactured products but in a pinch, bear grease refined over a coffee can heater will work. Also makes your saw smell vaguely like bacon.

Russ

 

[SilverBlue]

What happens if one runs out of 2-stroke mix while in the woods?
And what additives do motor oil contain nowadays that makes it an environmentally bad choice?

We always have an equal amount of bar oil per gallon of mix, never ran short yet.

 

[Steve Bunyan]

I've seen motor oil used and it almost always blows the tip out of the bar. Not enough tackiness.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

That'd be a solid tip, not roller, right?

 

[MasterBlaster]

If I run out of bar oil, I have no problem using motor oil, in a pinch. Whatcha gonna do instead? You can't shut the job down just because of that.

But I don't worry about it - I'm too anal to run out of bar oil.

 

[Steve Bunyan]

I'm not questioning any percentages or time frames. My statement was that I personally have seen motor oil ruin a bar sprocket within an afternoon of steady bucking. Plus I don't like to see a thread end just because Rocky says so.

 

[Fish]

Too Anal?

 

[bwalker]

I have used old two cycle, axle lube, and motor oil in a pinch. All worked fine. Bar oils is better though.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Nothing but bar oil for me, mainly because of the tacifyability of it.
In fact, bar oil has so much taciness that I have a 5 lb. glob of it hanging of the bar tip at the end of the day, just like so much parafinated, hydrogenated motion lotion.
John

 

[jokers]

Beaver squeezins work well too, just as bentonite clay in demin water at a ratio of 500ppm. Gotta be demin because hard water causes increased bar wear. Speaking of bars, water`s not a bad mixer for other things.

Russ

 

[Stumper]

Brian nailed this one. And FWIW vegetable oil works very well as bar/chain lube.

 

[SilverBlue]

Bar oil additives

Here’s a product that I have tried out on my engines (4 stroke only) it works great to add some extra protection to bar oil also when making that heavy cut. you can actually reduce oil flow when using this also.
DTM

 

[Tom Dunlap]

In 25 years of chain saw use, I've used one gallon of bar lube.

Used motor oil-stinky dirty but no more wear than normal
Motor oil-seasonally adjusted to the same weight as in crankcase
Hydraulic fluid-changed out the hydrostatic in my front end loader and ran the oil through the saws
Veggie oil-only during summer-too thick when its cold

My bars haven't worn out. I have two 335's that are four years old with original bars. I can't remember when I even put on a new tip. Excessive wear because of not using bar oil is a load of rubbish in my estimation.

In a pinch, I'd reach into the tool kit in any of my vehicles and get out one of the two quarts of oil that are there for emergencies. The oil is there, along with jumper cables.

Tom

PS Now that this subject is up, we can bring up the bi-annual pole saw/pole pruner rant over on Tree Climbing

 

[tony marks]

stumpers rite . brian nailed this one. we talkin a get by thing. not the optimal choice.[do that be a word,,optimal]??

 

[glens]

Tony, it's not only a word (and spelled <a href="http://www.dict.org/bin/Dict?Form=Dict2&Database=wn&Query=optimal">correctly</a>), but it's the possibly the perfect one for the situation; and yes, Brain obviously nailed it.

Glen

 

[geofore]

motor oil in a pinch

Just remember that motor oil lacks the tackiness and runs out faster so if your saw is set to run a tank of gas with tank of oil you'll come out short on oil and this is not good for the bar and chain. Check your oil tank before you run out of gas, it may be empty first. Brake fluid is a NO! NO! it will swell up the rubber and sythetic parts it touches.

 

[CMBetz]

Good one with the Bentonite in demin water, Russ! You sound like you know water treatment.