Vegetable Oil Use In Chainsaws (gas, bike, biodegradable, costs)

[square peg]

(Sorry if there is an existing thread about this. I did several searches.)

I'm wondering if anyone else uses vegetable oil to lubricate their chainsaws. I'm not a woodsman per se but I do have a saw and use it in the course of yard work and for my winter supply of fire wood.

For the past 4 or 5 years, I've been using straight-out-of-the-bottle vegetable oil to lubricate the bar on my saws. I've used canola and corn oils. They both work fine - and when it's on sale, I stock up. After quite a bit of cutting I have noticed that there are no drawbacks - only advantages.

1.) The bar is cleaner than if I were using petroleum-based oil.
2.) There is no unusual wear on either the chain or bar.
3.) Vegetable oil is biodegradable.
4.) It costs about half the price of regular oil.

I haven't tried it at sub zero temps, which I imagine might cause gelling problems, but I do keep the saw and oil stored at room temperature prior to use.

So - does anyone else use vegetable oil for a lubricant? Are there other applications you may have tried - like squeaky door hinges, etc.?

[lifelongMOgal]

Good information. I've not tried that on a chainsaw but just may next time I run out of bar oil.
I know someone who has been running a similar test with a handgun. Only complaint is it makes him hungry because as the vegetable oil heats up it smells like french fries.

[thecoalman]

Bar oil is specifically designed to "stick" to the chain and they do have commercially available vegetable based bar oil. Any oil is going to lubricate it, whether that's enough for long term...

like squeaky door hinges

Vegetable oil breaks down when exposed to air and is going to turn into a gummy stinky mess. The commercial products will have additives to prevent that. It would be prudent to fill the oil tank on the saw completely when you store it if you're going to use straight vegetable oil.

[texdav]

I don;t see wahy i would sue it really for the cost verus oil design for it. Some peopel sue motor oil on bike chains and on faom filters but its not the same according to experts. i am no expert ;so will stick to the recommend oil.

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

Good information. I've not tried that on a chainsaw but just may next time I run out of bar oil.
I know someone who has been running a similar test with a handgun. Only complaint is it makes him hungry because as the vegetable oil heats up it smells like french fries.

A few commercial/charter fishermen here have converted their boats to run on used fry oil they get from restaurants. As long as you have the facility to "wash" it and filter it meticulously it's much less expensive than regular fuel. The only problem is that the smell of french fries follows you everywhere and people out sailing wonder why they can smell fries out on the open sea. No feedback yet on whether the smell attracts more fish ...

[Omaha Rocks]

I'm a little puzzled by this...

I have always bought thick, sticky bar oil - for the express purpose of it being thick and sticking to the bar & chain.

It would seem to me that vegetable oil wouldn't stick as well. It's also thin enough that I'd think it'd just run out of the reservoir.


However... I may just have to try it sometime.

[square peg]

Thanks for the feedback, folks. To expand a little. I'm now on my 2nd saw using vegetable oil. The first one died of an old worn-out engine. I saved the bar from that one and rotate it with my newer one. It's held up that well. As for the veg oil just running out of the reservoir; The gas and oil supply last about the same length of time as the saw was designed to do. And re. its viscosity changing when exposed to air; I'm sure that does happen, but the oil gets spun off the chain in a second or two with both conventional and veg oil. The supply is constantly being replenished.

I cut between 6 and 8 cords of wood a year with this stuff. And price really isn't the main consideration - I also like that I'm not spewing dino all over the place, which is why I posted on this forum.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by square peg

And re. its viscosity changing when exposed to air;.

To clarify I meant over time, if for example you wanted to use it on a squeaky door hinge or left the reservoir coated with it.

[littleman123456]

if your only using your saw for small things around the house just use used motor oil if you change your own oil. It your cutting big stuff with a high end saw I would use actual bar oil just to be safe.

[jimboburnsy]

I wouldn't try to use veg oil as an engine lubricant and I wouldn't put it anywhere near my guns, but I don't see any reason at all that it wouldn't function just fine as a bar lube. Trying to get metal to slide on metal is pretty straightforward. Gets a little more complicated when pressure, heat and/or fire are introduced, though.