Veggie oil?

[Elmore]

Canola

Here is what was posted on Canola bar oil a little while back.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=37348&highlight=canola+oil

I posted :
"Last week I picked up 5 quarts of Mazola brand canola oil at Sam's Club for $5.08. Used it in my Makita DCS 520i yesterday and believe that it performed much better than the cheap Poulan Pro oil that I had previously been using. More time, use and comparison should tell."

I also supplied this informative link :

VEGETABLE OIL FOR LUBRICATING CHAIN

PDF : http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/pdf/98511316.pdf

HTML : http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...erties+of+canola+oil&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=9

Thanks Tree Machine!

 

[SRT-Tech]

I mention price, only because it's one of those universal tipping points. I mean, 20 bucks a gallon??? The commercial bio oil, we found last year was comprised of something like 98% canola. The Tacking agent itself was like 4% active tacking agent dispersed in 96 % canola (or something) making the whole mix better than 99% canola. So for the fraction of a percent of tacking agent in the veggie oil, you pay dearly for that right to say "I'm environmentally friendly." My point is, it doesn't have to be so painfuly expensive to use something that will ultimately be spun off your bar and chain and into the environment. The reason I don't believe a tackified bar oil is any better than straight veggie oil is because the results have shown this to be true. Untackifed bar lube (straight veggie) lubricates just fine. I have run hundreds of tanks of veggie through at this point. So have a lot of other guys If there were negative implications, it probably would have surfaced by now. If I were a municipality, I would purchase the stuff in 55 gallon drums. If you're convinced tack is necessary, mix in a bottle or two of LUCAS heavy duty oil stablizer, available at most auto parts stores.

WELL SAID! and YES, the Lucas heavy duty oil stabilizer works wonders when mixed with canola oil!!

 

[bushman]

when it burns it makes you hungry!burgers and frie's!good thread,now we need good envoirmental saw miopcorn: x.

 

[Sprig]

Thank you Tree Machine!

For putting things in a concise and quite readable context on your usage of veggie oils (canola, whatever), its makes perfect sense to me and I have now sworn off ever using over-priced dino liquids again (but, um, I will use up what I have left).
Local grocer has canola on for 1.20 a litre, I be picking up a gallon or two today, just makes wayyy to much sense, less cost to health and environment, a win-win thing, consider me a convert! I have half a gallon of fish 'n' chip oil I'm going to strain and use too, should be great for giving the crew the munchies lol. :rockn: :rockn:

Hey, theres an idea, you could start your own line of scented bar oils, 'Buttered popcorn', 'Greasy Burger Cafe', 'Bacon & Eggs'................GAH nm, I go now have breakfast.



Serge

Edit> bushman, great minds thimk alike

 

[winchman]

long time reader, first time poster...

hi guys,
love this forum, and this thread. been waiting for one that i felt pretty sure about, and this is the one i can contribute something to.
we have a fleet of around 15 saws at any given time, running both stihls and husqys with equal pleasure. our largest saws, even the 3120 with the 44" bar, the 385 (36"), the 575(32"), and the 650 (25") are run with canola oil. have been for over a year and a half now, with no discernable differences in performance.
except one. if the saw sits for a good length of time (month+), we have found on longer bars that the oil decides to stick the chain in place, to the point where you need to remove the cover and loose it by hand. that has only happened to our largest and smallest saws, once each, mainly because they see the least use (we presume).
people are talking cost, and that is a really big great reason to switch, since the cost is at least a dollar less per gallon.
try it out, stop worrying about mixing stuff, use the straight stuff, use a junk saw from a pawn shop if you think its going to ruin your equipment, and then when you see the results, put it in the rest of your saws.
thanks for reading.

 

[Elmore]

The reason that I tried canola oil was due to the information that Tree Machine was sharing and the fact that my Makita DCS 520i coupled with an 18" ProLite bar did not seem to be utilizing the PoulanPro oil that I stocked up on. It just didn't seem to be effective. I maximized the oil pump output to no avail. When I used the canola I could readily see it even on the bottom rail of the bar. It seemed to be cooler in operation and after use, the bar and chain seemed a lot cleaner. When using canola I adjust my oiler back down about half way.
In the Makita manual, Makita/Dolmar offered a bio-oil based on canola and it suggested running some petrol oil before any extended storage. I plan on picking up some Stihl oil to run through it on occasion and use the rest of my Poulan oil in my little Poulan saws as they don't seem to have any problems with it. The canola oil that I found for $5.08 per five quarts seems to be cost effective, efficient and over all seems like the best option.

 

[Elmore]

greater affinity to metal surfaces and better lubricity

Canola oil comes from a cultivar of the rapeseed plant from which rapeseed oil is obtained. Also known as "LEAR" oil (for Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed).
Natural rapeseed oil contains higher levels of erucic acid and is referred to as "HEAR" oil. Both have a greater affinity to metal surfaces and better lubricity than mineral oils. HEAR oil, containing higher levels of erucic acid, exhibits superior lubricity. Unfortunately it is harder to find rapeseed oil than it is to find canola oil but canola seems to be more than adequate for lubricating the bar and chain.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/V2-302.html

 

[tam]

scented bar oil! what an awesome idea! you wanna get that patented quick or stihl will be all over it!:rockn:

lol i was lookin at the keyboard as i was typin, and somehow the ebay login page opened up, coz i'm doing ebay at the same time, and i typed this whole message as my password. :jester:

 

[Sprig]

scented bar oil! what an awesome idea! you wanna get that patented quick or stihl will be all over it!:rockn:

lol i was lookin at the keyboard as i was typin, and somehow the ebay login page opened up, coz i'm doing ebay at the same time, and i typed this whole message as my password. :jester:

Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Me guesses you couldn't log in?

Couldn't figure out how to patent such a thing or I would not have mentioned it, but it did give me a great idea and........ I'm not telling

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

And elmore, great information!

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey all you guys, I want to personally thank you all for simply being open minded and trying veggie oil. I'm not trying to get people to 'do as I do'. I have no business interest in veggie oil. In fact, as you can probably presume, there is no direct benefit to me. The benefit is truly to the environment.

I'm glad to know that veggie oil is cheaper than the heavy petro oil. I haven't bought a jug of dino in about 4 years and back then the price was neck and neck, so that's great, another incentive.

Elmore, dude, thank you for those excellent links and for your breakdown on what canola oil is, and especially for this

When using canola I adjust my oiler back down about half way.

As part of the 'experiment' I chose to leave my oiler set where the factory had it set, to where the fuel runs out and there's some oil left in the bar tank. I really felt there was excessive lubrication, but I wanted to run the saws like the average guy would, unmodified, factory-set.

Winchman, welcome to your first thread and THANK YOU for sharing your results;

the 3120 with the 44" bar, the 385 (36"), the 575(32"), and the 650 (25") are run with canola oil. have been for over a year and a half now, with no discernable differences in performance.

A lot of the guys are leery about using veggie in their big saws, I presume because if the veggie oil caused the saw to self-destruct it would be a bigger loss. However, you've been running veggie in your big dogs for over a year and a half and all is well. Thank you, man. Glad to finally have you in.

When the first veggie oil threads came up a couple years ago I was pretty much all alone, battling the naysayers with the science and experience I'd had up to that point and this innate passion to help the environment, an instinctive drive I've had since childhood. Of all the threads I've been part of here at Arboristsite, the veggie oil threads are by far the most important and widely beneficial of all.

Again, thank you all for your openness, and your trials and your HONEST sharing of your experiences.

I really feel the need to go upstairs, open a beer and give a big Cheers! in your honor.

 

[frashdog]

If we consider ourselves stewards to the environment, spraying raw petroleum oil onto our clients' properties and onto our clothes and tools and onto the trees that sustain our incomes, well, we should all consider who we say we are, and what it is we are actually doing. Action speaks louder than words.

started my head wondering about veg oil after doing a job in light rain. The oil sheens were every where and petro contaminated saw shavings littering the gardens made me aware of what I was doing, didn't feel too good. To think I've got a degree in environmental science.

 

[bushman]

it would be great to have a bio-ran company,we have bio-desl.for trucks ,only if we had mixgas bio for saws and blowers,get's you thnking and a good marketing tool as well for selling work.this has been a good thread!

 

[TheKid]

head to head usage

I waded through ALL the pages on this one but was surprised not to find this simple test. Fill one ms200t with regular stihl bar oil and fill another with veg. oil. Assuming the oiler mechanisms on each are set the same, run them similarly and see wich one runs out of oil first. Make sense? Am I overlooking something?

 

[TheKid]

P.S. Once I've healed from this pesky tonsillectomy and am back in action, I'm gonna petition the boss to make the switch to veg on our most used saws! Big ups to those on the forefront of this research project!

 

[tam]

good idea!but i don't fancy fancy fillin two saws then revving the knackers off them.. i see wot yu mean tho dude. i'm only messin.

this really has been a good thread. it's cool that we're able to share opinions with people the other side of the atlantic.

 

[soutz]

Mate been using veg oil for two years, brilliant. Its good for the hands, good if you get it on any ropes, saves money, your not breathing mineral oil that has been vaporised,all good. the enviroment gets a helping hand as well, we use it in top handles and bars as big as 42 inch no problem.

 

[Treeman14]

I quit using the veggie-based bar lubes from Husky and Stihl about 6-8 years ago when my local dealer said they were no longer available. I had been paying around $18 - $20 per gallon since the late 80's, in other words, about $10,000 worth! I always felt the benefit to the environment was worth the extra cost and I used that as a marketing tool as well.

Thanks to this thread, I'm going to switch to canola oil. Thank you Tree Machine et. al. for the motivation.

 

[tam]

you just remember your friends when you save all that money...

 

[treemendous]

Veg oil

Ok I'm convinced. I ran a blend cuz I was worried it wouldn't work. I'm switching to canola oil. No more haz-mat issues in the gardens. Great thread

 

[Tree Machine]

I hear a number of you seeming rather specific about canola, and that's cool, but all the vegetable-based oils are very much identical in performance. Corn oil is a little more yellow in color. Oil labelled Vegetable Oil is probably soybean oil. Corn, soybean and canola will be your big three and should be used interchangably. My choice is always the least expensive.

TreeMan14, I respect you taking your earlier stance to assist the environment in this way, especially when jugs are 20 bucks a crack. Doing the right thing at your own expense is honorable. I'm just glad we could make it more reasonable for you. Working around pools is probably fairly common for you, a well as retention ponds, streams and maybe even the bay itself. As we all know, pollution, especially around water, is a real concern. By us Arborists making this simple, effortless and cost-saving change we shift from being part of the problem to being part of the solution. I really think this speaks well of us as an industry.

I know, personally, when a client sees vegetable oil in my tool area it often sparks an intrigue and a lot of them ask what's up with vegetable oil. I gladly tell them. The non-saw users don't realize that every single drop of oil put into the bar tank gets dispersed right back into the environment, or on to their property. They often seem pleased that it's simple vegetable oil, rather than heavy crude.

My promise to you guys is full disclosure, so here is a negative aspect; if you spill vegetable oil on concrete, it will leave a stain. Grinding chips or sawdust into the spill will not help much, but if you can score some detergent or soap, and a brush, you can erase it almost completely, depends on the concrete surface. Smooth concrete is easier to clean up. The rough, brushed concrete takes more effort. Leaving it there untreated will discolor the concrete, just know this.