Is it just me or does everyone out there lube their chain with something other than bar oil?
I put put good gas and synthetic oil in my saw’s fuel tank, so why on earth would I not use the best bar oil in my bar oil tank?
Well according to some folks, the reason is simple, because you just don’t have to. So I did a little survey, I asked 50 people what they oiled their bar with. I was absolutely blown away by the time I got to number 50 and let me just say that I could stopped at number 10 and still have been blown away.
Now before I read you the list, let me tell you this first…. I spoke to four small engine repair men, all very good at what they do. I asked them if they would put anything else in their own saw’s bar oil tank. They all said “No way” but they too have seen the craziest liquids in their customer’s saws.
Part of their servicing always includes emptying and refilling the bar oil tank with fresh bar oil. The repair guys I talked to said it used to surprise the hell out of them when they’d see what came out of tanks, but not any more.
I have to tell you that the repair men also said that the saws with unusual substances in their bar oil tanks seemed to be no worse for wear than the guys using proper bar oil.
So here’s the list. Let’s see where you personal lube lands. Remember it was the first 50 wood guys that I talked to and no other questions were asked .
Number one on the list is proper bar oil, but only 20 guys used it. Number two was used engine oil, yup good ole 10/30 with a whole lot of miles on it, 16 guys used this and everyone of them added, if they were out of used motor oil they would go to their used transmission fluid, which just happens to be the third most popular choice.
Now, I get that these last two make some sense, however I’m not exactly sure what the long term effects are. I’m still going to use the best bar oil I can find for mine such Amsoil Bar and Chain Oil. <—THIS IS NOT AN AFFILIATE LINK
This brings me to the real “head scratchers”.
Kerosene, lamp oil, varsol and something that over 10 guys called “surprise oil” or “shit mix oil” or “left over lube” and these last three simply mean a mixture of whatever is left over from “this can” or “that jar” or almost anything else you might ever use to lube, grease, clean or “whatever” something old and metal.
Kerosene, lamp oil and varsol already sound “crazy” to me but at least there sitting in a container by themselves. Those other 10 guys using their home made “shit mix”, scare the hell out of me. Not one of them mentioned ever watching their saw blow up or spontaneously combust. I’m amazed.
Bringing up the end of the list were cooking oils of various descriptions. Old fat and oil mixtures and stuff they saved when frying meat. When I was little, I remember my Mom always draining that shit out of her frying pan into a mason jar or old tin can and putting it in the fridge for later.
I can’t for the life of me ever remember my old man, no matter how much he may have been drinking, ever once steal that tin to put into his chain saw.
Back track to my talks with the guys who fix these things, they all said the same thing, they’ve seen “it all” and more. Again they don’t recommend any of it but some of their customers have been using their “special lube” for their entire lives. You have to know that they must have learned it from someone else.
I guess my only question left is this… don’t you get really hungry using a chain saw lubricated with bacon fat.
It makes me wonder just how many guys out there are doing something similar and for how long? I’d love to hear your stories. Please leave your comments below.
