Pagging Log Splitter! or anyone else about Stihl bio logical oil

[Cord Cutter]

Log Splitter, I came across a page in the owners manual that the chain oil you should use is Stihl biological. It also says the "chain oil must be resistant to aging since it will otherwise quickly turn to resin. This results in hard deposits that are diffidult to remove, espically in the area of the chain drive, clutch, and chain. It may even cause the oil pump to sieze". I know you can't get ALL the oil drained out and used up. My question is dies the Stihl oil cause problems??? The other is what kind of bar oil do you (Log Splitter) or other Stihl users use?? Thank you for your help. Cord Cutter.

 

[BostonBull]

In your saw? Just use any good quality bar oil. I personally use Stihl bar oil. Dont use the Bio stuff unless the project calls for it. i.e. the area is sensitive and requres it.

 

[Log Splitter]

I read my owners manual just now so I could get a feel for what they are talking about. The key is the 'environmentally compatible' wording in the sentence above the one you quoted. Unless you are using your saw in a sensitive area, there is no need to use anything other than good quality regular bar oil as it is 'environmentally compatible' in most situations. I think the rest of the write up is to encourage the use of Stihl Biological if you decide to use an alternative bar oil. There has been lots of discussion here regarding using regular veggie oil.

Bottom line, as BostonBull said, fill it with a good quality bar oil and cut some wood.

I take it since you are reading the owners manual that you bought the saw. Congrats! Have you cut with it yet?

 

[Cord Cutter]

No. I have not bought it yet. I have read this on the website. I am strobgly leaning toward the MS180 instead of the Echo. Not too many responses on my Echo post. I am still wavering between the non EZ start and the EZ start. I am just trying to covering everything before goin to the store. This way I would have all of my homework done ahead of time.

 

[BostonBull]

No. I have not bought it yet. I have read this on the website. I am strobgly leaning toward the MS180 instead of the Echo. Not too many responses on my Echo post. I am still wavering between the non EZ start and the EZ start. I am just trying to covering everything before goin to the store. This way I would have all of my homework done ahead of time.

How much are you spending? What is the primary use of the saw? Why would you consider the EZ start? Do you have shoulder problems?

 

[Cord Cutter]

No. I don't have shoulder problems. I am planing on spending around $250.00 for saw. Then add case, spare chain, oil, etc. So the total would be right at about $300-$350. I live in Indiana and it gets cold here some days. I have a Poulan wood shark 33 cc 14" bar that has the bulb primer on it. I prime it about 7 times and it starts on the second or third pull when ice cold. One post on another website from someone who had a 180 w/o EZ start, said it was very hard to start when cold. Log Splitter has been very helpful with what he has told me about hie 180 and someone else just posted a reply to me about the Echo 306 and Stihl 180. From what I read there the EZ start has its good and bad and I never thought of what the new post mentioned to me. As I said before I want to get as much info as I can on these two saws and make the best decision I can. I saw in the manual about the bio grade bar oil and forgot that that was not the standard Stihl oil. :bang: I will use this saw mainly for cutting up firewood delivered to me by the truck load and I will custom cut most of the pieces. In a bind though I want to be able to use the saw to take a some trees if I had to. Thanks, for the info you have given me. Cord Cutter.