Simple question - chainsaw bar grease gun

[Sidecarflip]

but you should grease the drum sprocket and bar every day.

Good advice. that little caged needle bearing takes a ton of abuse.

 

[bwalker]

Being a farmer, everything I own, needs greased. Every implement, every tractor is loaded with grease fittings (too bad modern vehicles aren't (but that is another story for another time). Anyway, I learned from experience that there is a distinct difference in grease formulations. The cheap grease you can buy at a box store or Tractor Supply is 'clay based' and clay based grease will harden inside joints and grease fittings after a time, whereas grease made from semi synthetic formulations (no clay) don't. I use a very specific synthetic grease (expensive) on my chainsaw bars and a different (also pretty expensive) semi synthetic grease on everything else. I do buy my grease (for the equipment) in 150 pound open head drums and I use an ARO air greaser to deliver that.

Most modern grease doesn't use "clay" based thickeners.

 

[bwalker]

Good advice. that little caged needle bearing takes a ton of abuse.

How so? It's only rotating when the saw is idling and even then it's not highly loaded.

 

[bwalker]

I rarely grease bar tips. Most of my bars are stihl and don't have grease holes. The one bar I have with a grease hole, a Cannom Duralight, only gets greased when the saw isn't going to be ran for a few months.
I use this grease gun

 

[Real1shepherd]

I prefer not to. Bad enough my dealer had to borrow my new round bailer for fair week last year because he didn't have one to display. I asked him if I was going to get any compensation and he just smiled. I do work for him part time so I guess it was an employee-employer thing. Besides I got into the fair for free (wife and I) and got all the funnel cakes I wanted too.

Farm is free and clear as is all the land too. All we have to pay is the taxes.

Not sure why you "prefer not to". I was always testing different ways/things out for the best results. Beats asking your neighbors who are basically doing the same thing. If someone is going on social media for farm advice, they've already lost their way.....

Kevin

 

[Sidecarflip]

Most modern grease doesn't use "clay" based thickeners.

The cheap junk at TSC still does.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I buy all my grease from Lubrication Engineers in150 pound open head drums and have for years now. It's synthetic grease with EP additives and it ain't cheap either. I've never had a bearing or bushing related failure yet and I use it in everything from CV joints to wheel bearings. Only thing it don't get used for is my greaseable sprocket nose chainsaw bars.

Typically, a 150 pound drum last me about 3 years. Last time I bought a drum it was 1500 bucks plus shipping.

 

[bwalker]

The cheap junk at TSC still does.

Which cheap junk are you referring to? How do you know they contain a clay based thickener?
You do realise that clay based greases are required for certain applications?

 

[Sidecarflip]

I understand what you are saying but... new vehicles come with sealed hub bearings on them so does that mean you stop repacking and tightening the wheel bearings on an older car just because you can't on new ones. I would be curious to cut open an old style greasable sprocket and a new style sealed one just to see if there is a difference.

The difference is price. New sealed hubs (called cassette bearings) are much more expensive and have to be replaced, whereas the old style caged tapered rollers never wear out so long as they get repacked infrequently.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Which cheap junk are you referring to? How do you know they contain a clay based thickener?
You do realise that clay based greases are required for certain applications?

Easy to tell, just read the package and clay based grease is most times black is dark grey in color. Don't use it because clay based (bentonite) grease will harden and plug grease (Alemite) fittings, also known as Zerk fittings, whereas synthetic grease won't.

Don't exist in my shop.

Far as greaseable bars are concerned. I agree, if no grease port is present, just run what you have and the grease ports in greaseable bars aren't drilled, the are punched before the halves are welded together. My Stihl bars have no grease ports but my Echo's do. I've worn out very few bars over the years anyway. I flip the bars over every time I change a loop and I file them when they get a burr on the rails.

 

[bwalker]

Easy to tell, just read the package and clay based grease is most times black is dark grey in color. Don't use it because clay based (bentonite) grease will harden and plug grease (Alemite) fittings, also known as Zerk fittings, whereas synthetic grease won't.

Don't exist in my shop.

Far as greaseable bars are concerned. I agree, if no grease port is present, just run what you have and the grease ports in greaseable bars aren't drilled, the are punched before the halves are welded together. My Stihl bars have no grease ports but my Echo's do. I've worn out very few bars over the years anyway. I flip the bars over every time I change a loop and I file them when they get a burr on the rails.

Clay based greases are typicaly ment for high temp applications. It's up to the operator to read the owners manual and use the right stuff..
Color is no indication of grease type either.