The first day I had my echo power pruner I used the crap out of it. So much that I screwed my back up for almost a week. Then I carried it around in the truck for almost a year, but didn't use it much.
When I started using it more regularly, it became my best friend. It still messed with my back, so I decided to lighten up the tip by removing the oiling mechanism. I would keep a can of WD-40 nearby, but it sucks as a bar lubricant after the first 30 seconds. Now I only use it to lube and clean the extension shaft.
To lube the bar, I use canola oil. I can get severel minutes out of one lube shot. Yes, this is extra time in having to hand-oil the bar n' chain, but quite honestly it's worth it in the reduced tip weight, and diminished bulk. Yea, there's merit in the continual oiling, but the fact is it's not entirely necessary. I would not say this about a regular chainsaw, but the power pruner doesn't run at 12- 14,000 RPM, and personally, I don't run mine for long periods, or through big diameter wood.
Anything bigger than my leg, I'll climb it out. The bar tells you clearly when it needs another shot.
Another thing that helped was getting rid of the cheesy weenie original bar and replacing it with a more substantial bar. With the original, I had the chain flip off so often it was infuriating. With a heftier duty bar, a chain flipping off is rare.
