chainsaw bar oil

[Mark]

Ah, so the oil is lost to the winds then. I recall my old man using nothing but used atf in his stillsons. I'm guessing the sold as bar oil winter stuff is thinner to not be horribly gummy at -40C? Guess I bite the bullet and get some summer grade Echo at my HH.

BTW, the $99 weedeater I snagged at HH is full crank. Not shabby at all. It started with 1/2 pull. Power to spare. color me impressed right now. If my Stihl decides to act up I'll buy one of the HH 20" 52cc saws for $130 in a heartbeat. I may anyhow. I might get lucky and get an old stock with 76 links and Oregon bar and chain.

Glad we got you here KL, you've got some good knowledge.

A standard grade chainsaw bar & chain oil is going to be about the same thickness as SAE 30 oil, but I would buy oil designed for chainsaws. It will flow better & stick to the bar/chain better.

A 30W bar & chain oil may flow out of the jug slowly during the winter months, but the chainsaw engine will warm it up quickly. Would 20W be better in the winter & 40W during the summer? Most likely, but I just buy the basic stuff.

My primary saw has a manual oil adjustment for the bar/chain oil. For that saw, it's basically a low, medium, and high setting. I typically just run that saw at the medium setting when using an 18" bar & .325 pitch chain.

My 82 year old dad gave me his larger 65cc chainsaw this past winter. (He still has two 50cc chainsaws, & we don't want him out there cutting by himself any more). His 65cc chainsaw states 1-4 complete turns for the manual oil adjustment, & you use your bar length to determine that. If I was running a 20" bar with a 3/8" pitch chain, I would probably turn it out about 2 turns. If I was running my 24" bar with a 3/8" pitch chain, I would turn it out a good 3+ turns. Bars longer than 24" & I would turn it out 4 turns.

If I am running a decent bar/chain oil, the gas tank will always go empty before the bar/chain oil reservoir. I always fill both at the same time. My guess is most professional grade chainsaws are going to some type of manual oil adjustment. The large old time chainsaws had a button to pump extra oil when needed, too.

An older style saw like the current Echo CS-680 would have those features -

Automatic, adjustable oiler with manual over-ride
Allows the ability to match cutting conditions for reduced oil consumption

Post #21 - just trying to do my part! Chainsaws aren't political at least!

[Wallythacker]

I broke down and bought a jug of "all season" Echo bar oil. I wonder if it's really too thick for the winter and too thin for hot summer days? You think it has to be one or the other. My Stihl, AFAIK, has no adjustment for oil, the saw does it all. My Poulan is not the same, it has the ability to oil the bar with extra when needed.

We shall see how this "all season" oil works out.

TIL that 1500hp pro stock cars run 0W2 oil. Ya, let that one sink in.
Top Fuel 10,000hp engines use 70W. This engine rotates roughly 500 times in the 1000ft. dash. Let that sink in.

[7milesout]

I'm surprised it doesn't have 90!

My point was, to me the topic seemed as far away from Mirages as possible. So I was surprised to see even 9 replies, or 8 + mine. I've got a chainsaw. But it's a little peanut battery powered unit. For my needs its great. It'll saw through anything. But if I tried to cut a big tree, well, it would probably run out of battery power and the length of the cutting arm is too short.

The scary part with this electric one is, it runs so quiet that it is pleasure and fun to use. Yet, it would take your arm off in about a half second. At least with a loud 2-stroke, it is (somewhat at least) intimidating. This electric one invites you in close, for a snuggle, because it is so quiet and cute. But get too close and this one would cut your face off. That makes the electric one dangerous.

More power to this thread!

[Wallythacker]

Nothing saws masculinity like a 60cc 30" bar roaring chainsaw. This one really separates boys from men and men from their feet.

[Fummins]

I've got a chainsaw.

It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it...

[Wallythacker]

Looks like something a Seattle hipster would use, after he adjusted his pants cuff to be exactly 4.5"

[7milesout]

No, mine looks like a real chainsaw. Same handle grip etc. A bit longer than that one in the cutting blade. Upon first use, you expect noise. But it's very quiet. It's pleasant. You can hear the cutting, you can hear the wolves at your back before they jump ya. You can hear the birds chirping. I cut about a 6" diameter tree down with it. It's got lots of torque and sharp blades. It throws the sawdust very impressively. And that's the danger. It's so pleasant to use, a person may not realize what they're dealing with. If they let that slip and hit their leg, it would be sawing through bone before they let off the trigger.

[Fummins]

I'm probably gonna buy an electric one eventually. The wife bought me a battery powered lawn mower and it works great! I figured they were junk and the batteries would die before finishing but nope. It's quiet, don't have to fight with broken pull cords, rotten fuel,leaking oil, no starts, noise. Storing gas, running out of gas half way through. The only thing I don't like is it's got goofy, lame, led lights all across the front that you can't turn off. And the initial cost made me puke a bit..., it cost more than my car.

[Wallythacker]

I'm probably gonna buy an electric one eventually. The wife bought me a battery powered lawn mower and it works great! I figured they were junk and the batteries would die before finishing but nope. It's quiet, don't have to fight with broken pull cords, rotten fuel,leaking oil, no starts, noise. Storing gas, running out of gas half way through. The only thing I don't like is it's got goofy, lame, led lights all across the front that you can't turn off. And the initial cost made me puke a bit..., it cost more than my car.

Yowza! I saw an electric version of a small ride on yard mower. The ICE version is $2300 + tax. Cub Cadet brand. The Craftsman EV is $4899!!! Holy S!

I'm not convinced of this rush to EV tools/cars/heating/aircraft/etc. Nothing packs as much energy per pound as gasoline, with the exception of nuclear fuel. It's going to take new battery tech to move to next level which will equal ICE in small tools. I feel it's going to be a long time before EV surpasses small ICE stuff. Even now you can get pressure washers with same PSI in EV or ICE. I can tell you the ICE versions are way more convenient to use.

[Mark]

No, mine looks like a real chainsaw. Same handle grip etc. A bit longer than that one in the cutting blade. Upon first use, you expect noise. But it's very quiet. It's pleasant. You can hear the cutting, you can hear the wolves at your back before they jump ya. You can hear the birds chirping. I cut about a 6" diameter tree down with it. It's got lots of torque and sharp blades. It throws the sawdust very impressively. And that's the danger. It's so pleasant to use, a person may not realize what they're dealing with. If they let that slip and hit their leg, it would be sawing through bone before they let off the trigger.

Electric chainsaws have become more popular in recent years. One of my good friends uses a Milwaukee electric chainsaw, which enables him to use the same battery packs as his other Milwaukee power tools. He's semi-retired construction, & his tools get used. I'm not really sure which brands are the best when it comes to electric chainsaws. My friend cuts quite a bit with his electric chainsaw. Some people struggle with gas engines, & he is one of those people.

If you only need a chainsaw occasionally, an electric chainsaw may be the way to go. No need to worry about stale gas if it hasn't been used for months.

They are wicked machines, & they demand caution when using them. My former English Setter followed me everywhere, but when I started a chainsaw he headed back home. I didn't train him to do that. He just didn't want any part of them. I was cutting with a friend once. My dog didn't head home when he started cutting. He only did it when I picked up a chainsaw. I have a habit of swinging the saw away from my body with my left arm & moving stuff with my right arm. My guess is he encountered my wicked swing of the saw once, and learned his lesson at a young age.

I always warn people working near me to approach me with caution when I have a chainsaw in my hand. I usually cut alone, and I don't think much about it. Although I don't use them, chainsaw safety chaps are quite common. They are made to jam up a chain & stop it. They are more than just a shield.

I have never heard of a chainsaw "bar" being called an "arm" before. Loggers might roll their eyes over that one! I'm laughing with you & not at you!

As far as chainsaw bar oil goes, I've never bought a summer or winter grade of it. I can't say I've even noticed it. I buy standard bar oil, which is similar to SAE 30 oil. If it's super hot outside, I'm not cutting firewood. If it's cold outside, the bar oil may pour slowly out of the jug. The chainsaw engine will warm up the oil enough to make it flow properly