Veggie oil?

[asthesun]

is that an attempt at saving the environment while cutting down trees with your noxious fuming chainsaws?

 

[Tree Machine]

No, just questioning the 'truth' that bar oil has to be petroleum-based.

 

[silk]

I have been running veggie oil on my personal 026 now for over a year with no difference.

When working with Hydro contracts they are very very strict about riparian zones and we must use 100% veggie oil when working around the water.

I started using because I love the fact that I can get it anywhere anytime when on the road.

 

[Tree Machine]

Thanks, Silk.


The point of this thread is NOT to create sides, petro vs veggie. Rather, if there is solid, verifiable, useful information that straight, non-tackified, grocery grade vegetable oil can be used instead of conventional bar oil, then that is the point of the thread.

For those who dismiss the veggie oil idea, still think it not possible or can just not accept it for whatever reason, that's OK. Those reasons are uniquely personal and ours is not to force or or impose change upon anyone.

The information is out in the open, and you can give corn, soy or canola oil a try in your saw without fear of harm to it. You will know within a tank or two that everything operates the same. The added, tangible benefits may surprise you.

 

[newsawtooth]

Vegetable Oil

I know it must have been said previously, but it I like how much cleaner it is. My chaps and clothing are no longer covered tacky bar oil.

With normal daily use in urban and rural forestry including high impact uses such as chainsaw debarkers and Alaska-mills, I have seen no unusual wear to sprockets, bearings, motors, or bars in the 2 years I've been using Canola oil. The cost difference has remained nominal and in most cases Canola oil is slightly cheaper and easier to find.

 

[Greenstar]

I get about a year, year and a half out of a bar.

Tree Machine, I hve been in business for 15 years and barely ever have HAD to replace a bar. I don't know... I have heard conflicting reports.. Some guys seem to replace their bars often, where others rarely, usually only when they are accidentally bent, or else an oiler problem..

ANyhow, I never have to really replace my bars.. Why do u have to replace your bars so often..?

I guess this is an old thread, but maybe someone can respond.. Thanks

ps. maybe this says a little something about running vegetable oil??

greenstar~

 

[asthesun]

if you keep the bar clean there shouldnt be any oiling problem as a result of the something with the bar. i use an air compressor to blow out my saws every other day or so. i bend a bar every 6 mos or so, usually when it gets pinched by wood or stuck in wood thats on its way to the ground. i have pretty good luck with getting smaller bars back into shape, seems like larger bars are never the same. i've noticed alot of the guys on my crew do something really annoying, drives me crazy. when making a stump cut, they'll pull up at an angle instead of back on a plane with the saw/cut. they'll also lean on the saw in the cut when they reposition themselves. i even watched a guy try to pop the stump off with the saw in the cut!

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

Vegetable Oil - USDA Forest Service Report

"Every year thousands of gallons of chain-and-bar oil are carried into the forests and none returns." (quote from link below)

I searched the threads for any mention of the following link:

http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/html/98511316/98511316.html

I didn't get a hit, so, I thought it worth posting.

I manage woodlots around wells and like the idea of NOT spraying petroleum based bar oil all over the woods and myself. I think I'll try it - today. I stole a bottle of canola from my wife's cabinet.

Some tests mentioned in other links imply the bar might even last longer. Even if they don't, it'll be nice to brag about being environmentally cool ... green ... whatever.

 

[asthesun]

"Every year thousands of gallons of chain-and-bar oil are carried into the forests and none returns." (quote from link below)

I searched the threads for any mention of the following link:

http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/html/98511316/98511316.html

I didn't get a hit, so, I thought it worth posting.

I manage woodlots around wells and like the idea of NOT spraying patroleum based bar oil all over the woods and myself. I think I'll try it - today. I stole a bottle of canola from my wife's cabinet.

Some tests mentioned in other links imply the bar might even last longer. Even if they don't, it'll be nice to brag about being environmental cool ... green ... whatever.

you drive a prius dont you?

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

Actually, a nasty old '94 Dodge Ram 360 4x4

Cain't haul no firewood in a pius!

 

[asthesun]

Actually, a nasty old '94 Dodge Ram 360 4x4

Cain't haul no firewood in a pius!

bio-diesel then?

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

nah - diesels are too loud - don't want to wake any baby birds before I start my saw. The RAM 360 is the big gas engine. The veg-oil will be my penetance for 10 MPG.

It's fun to try new stuff - it'll be interesting to see how the veg-oil idea works. - Maybe, I could paint my Stihl bars green - NOT.

Seriously, it'll be a good selling point for the prius driving customers. And, there are some lots (near wet lands) that won't allow petroleum bar oil.

 

[asthesun]

nah - diesels are too loud - don't want to wake any baby birds before I start my saw. The RAM 360 is the big gas engine. The veg-oil will be my penetance for 10 MPG.

It's fun to try new stuff - it'll be interesting to see how the veg-oil idea works. - Maybe, I could paint my Stihl bars green - NOT.

Seriously, it'll be a good selling point for the prius driving customers. And, there are some lots (near wet lands) that won't allow petroleum bar oil.

yeah i can see that. someone commented about being able to get veggie oil with much greater availability than bar oil, but thats not necessarily true. i dont use 'bar oil' usually, i grab some 30 weight oil from the gas station, works fine. plus, in a storm situation, grocery stores might be closed, but you can always find a gas station (maybe they dont have gas, but they're prolly open)

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

Good point - I think, from what I've been reading, you can mix the veg-oil with bar-oil with motor-oil ... what ever, in a pinch. I've even read that some guys re-cycle their used motor oil through their saws. Now that's a perversion of the re-cycle concept. I don't think I'll try that - I plan on just adding the canola to what ever is in the oil tank and let-r-rip.

I buy a lot of oil - if this veg-oil thing works I'll buy a skid of canola a Costco and save some real bucks.

 

[asthesun]

Good point - I think, from what I've been reading, you can mix the veg-oil with bar-oil with motor-oil ... what ever, in a pinch. I've even read that some guys re-cycle their used motor oil through their saws. Now that's a perversion of the re-cycle concept. I don't think I'll try that - I plan on just adding the canola to what ever is in the oil tank and let-r-rip.

I buy a lot of oil - if this veg-oil thing works I'll buy a skid of canola a Costco and save some real bucks.

yeah i've seen people do that, its disgusting. turns the saw black and gross. plus used motor has reduced viscosity and metal flakes in it, not what i want lubing my bar

 

[Austin1]

Good point - I think, from what I've been reading, you can mix the veg-oil with bar-oil with motor-oil ... what ever, in a pinch. I've even read that some guys re-cycle their used motor oil through their saws. Now that's a perversion of the re-cycle concept. I don't think I'll try that - I plan on just adding the canola to what ever is in the oil tank and let-r-rip.

I buy a lot of oil - if this veg-oil thing works I'll buy a skid of canola a Costco and save some real bucks.

Give it a try is all I can say, I have been using it for a few years now and really do feel that I need less canola and my chains never even get warm. But in the last year the price has gone way up I just bought a gallon for the deep fryer too malty purpose oil.
I do flush out my oil tanks on my saw's with diesel at the end of the season to store my saw's The deep fryer gets dumped and washed lol.

 

[daytondedrick]

Used motor oil

Not to change the subject, but a contractor I know has been using used motor oil for years. Questionable in a couple of regards. Wouldnt you all agree?

 

[Tree Machine]

Way back when, I would use the drained oil from the oil change in my chipper as bar lube and call it 'recycling'. That phase didn't last long. Recycling sort of needs to have some implicit consciousness toward the environment. I realized I was rather unconsciousness, or naive, regardless of my otherwise good intentions.

Questionable in a couple of regards.

Questionable in more than a couple ways.

its disgusting. turns the saw black and gross. plus used motor has reduced viscosity and metal flakes in it, not what i want lubing my bar

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey Daytondedrick, welcome to Arboristsite. Thanks for dropping in.

 

[tam]

well, i'm employed again, which means the boss will provide saws and oil. i don't need to worry any more.