Chainsaw vs Outboard 2 Cycle Oil

[RWEST]

The guys seem to have the original topic pretty much cleaned up, so:

used to cook hot dogs

My brother and I wrapped some hot dogs in aluminum foil and stuck 'em on the exhaust manifold of a 1966 Ford Galaxy with 240 straight 6 one time, then took about a 1 hour trip. This back in the days when you could actually reach right in there and touch engine parts, instead of wires/hoses. They cooked up okay, but had a slight Quaker State'ish taste to 'em...

 

[ruralruss]

I always liked the smell of the old Castrol, you know with the castor bean oil in it. In my last bike some years ago (KDX175) I used some green stuff, can't remember the name of it anymore but it was expensive and did a quite good job. In the last few years I have only had two recommendations for oil from 2 people that make their living servicing chainsaws, string trimmers, etc. They both said use Opti 2, so I do.

Cheers

 

[Youare]

Harry and Randy, There just may be oil that is good for both water and air cooled engines and it may be a synthetic BUT labeling oil good for ALL 2 strokes and making oil good for all 2 strokes is two different things. One boosts sales and the other hasn't been widely demonstrated to be true.

I sure don't want to argue against success or someones long term satisfactory experience but since we seldom run long term tests with similar machines lubricated with contending products few of us are in a position to place facts in evidence beyond I did such and such and I'm happy with the results. Erring on the side of prudence and using lubricants specifically formulated for your application will not cause you a problem. To do otherwise is taking a blind leap of faith which may be rewarded positively OR NOT. IT is for the individual to manage his own risk and decide if the economy of XXX oil is warranted vs the $ of the equipment.

In general, so little 2 stroke oil is used in weed eaters, chain saws (non professional users), and like equipment that the economics are not a big driver in the equation (like engine life is) so buying the best is not a big deal. If I manage to use up my hoard of Castrol I'll likely go synthetic.

Pat

There has been some reserch done on 2-cycle oils for ultralight aircraft. I think the same general rules would apply to other 2-cycle engines whether air cooled or water cooled or outboard and chainsaw.

Here is a link to the site, Two stroke aircraft engine oils vs 2 stroke outboard marine oils.

Randy

 

[patrick_g]

There has been some reserch done on 2-cycle oils for ultralight aircraft. I think the same general rules would apply to other 2-cycle engines whether air cooled or water cooled or outboard and chainsaw.

Here is a link to the site, Two stroke aircraft engine oils vs 2 stroke outboard marine oils.

Randy

Randy, Thanks for sharing the link to the tests. Good information.

Pat

 

[Treemonkey1000]

From what I have read the Opti-2 is one of the best oils you can use for 2 stroke air cooled engines. It isn't cheap. With what amounts to hundreds of hours on my Stihls and Husky's none of them have ever had a problem.

Interlube International, Manufacturers of premium Opti oils, Opti-2 and Opti-4

 

[ducati1000ds]

I would say - it's not worth the risk. I spent yesterday stripping and rebuilding the carb on my earthquake 43 auger [3 times] until lost patience, poured unoiled fuel direct into the carburretor - fired up straight away.
Guess what - I had used some [high quality] outboard oil.
Used the proper stuff and fired up straight away.

Drained the 'wrong' fuel/oil that I also put in my chain saw - flushed it through with no-oil gas. That fired up straigt away.

Now all I have to do is rebuild my hedge trimmer and back up chain saw that I stripped down thinking they were dead - when all I had done was used the wrong oil.

Wasted days - not worth the economy.

Might add these are all new - older 2 strokes may be more tolerant.

 

[6011Artist]

I never knew there was a difference in 2 stroke oils, always thought it was the same, never really questioned it. I got a free case of Havoline Outboard Oil in 1990. I have used it in boats but did use some in my chainsaws, weedeaters and backpack blower. I guess I never used it religiously and always had regular chainsaw oil around too, but I did use it in my chainsaws to some degree over the years.

Back in January, I mixed a gallon of gas with the Boat motor oil and within 2 tanks in both saws they had gummed up the carbs to a point of not running. One saw was new enough I know it is a gummed up problem. Could the real problem be using 20 yr old boat motor oil? I poured that out and mixed new gas and chainsaw oil and the XL12 started and ran ok after a tank or so. The smaller saw I have yet to tinker with, just getting another saw and continuing on.

I definately learned something from this thread. Thanks for the education.

 

[man114]

Just joined to chime in on this discusson. Some of the newer Synthetic Outboard 2-cycle oils claim to work both ways, at least according to the lables. I bought a gallon of this stuff for $1.50, still sitting in the garage.

As far as snowmobile oil. I have an old Lawnboy utility mower I picked up at a thrift store for a couple of bucks a few years ago mainly out of curiousity if I could get it running. Needless to say I got it running. I mowed my lawn a lot using up a variety of old 2-cycle oils that were floating around (from chainsaws, weedeaters etc.) the first year. While up in Canada I picked up a 4 liter bottle of snowmobile 2 cycle oil. Seeing as that the mower was basically free, I just use a premeasured mixer and use this in the Lawnboy. Been using it for the last two years and haven't had a problem. I just follow the Lawnboy's advice, use 4 oz of Lawnboy oil per gallon and if not using Lawnboy oil use 8 oz. Seeing as that the modern Snowmobile oil would probably be good enough on its own in a 4oz mix (gotta realize this mower is pushing 26 years old, oil probably has improved in the last 26 years), I may just start dumping 4 oz of this and 4 oz of the Synthetic outboard in the gas until I use it up (since it claims to work for air cooled engines). Course this thing is running really rich by modern standards so in that old an engine it probably makes less difference than it does in the modern ones. Those ratios if I recall are 32:1 and 16:1.

As far as the Snowmobile oil in the Lawnboy, compression is still good after about two seasons of using that stuff, and the mower actually starts pretty good on it, usually in one pull, even with 8oz of oil in a gallon of gas (and really doesn't smoke as much as you'd think).

I should note I usually mix some Marvel Mystery Oil in with the gas when I fill up the big can to keep the carbs clean on the other mowers. When I mix the Lawnboy gas it gets that gas then I add the two cycle oil to it. Perhaps if the Snowmobile oil would gum up the carb, the Marvel prevents it, who knows.

I'll play it safe with my string trimmers (they're newer, don't want to mess them up), chainsaws? Well they don't run anyway, I've gotta clean the old gas out of them, I don't use them enough.

 

[patrick_g]

Since this thread has broadened some let me make a generator based air-cooled comment. The instruction I got for my Generac 4-stroke air-cooled automatic stand by generator is to use Briggs and Stratton Synthetic OR Mobile One Synthetic (same thing but more widely available) as the only oil recommended for that service.

Pat

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Heck, in a worst case scenario you could add some STP and use it for bar & chain oil instead of having it on a shelf indefinitely!

And we have a WINNER:thumbsup:

Actually TCW3 is designed for 2-cycle use in such as chainsaws, snow blowers, lawn mowers per the Super Tech label.