Synthetic oil hard to burn?

[Rod in Forfar]

A couple of days ago I had to light a fire in a box stove in the garage when there wasn't any kindling nearby, so I poured a small amount of used engine oil onto the cherry blocks and started the fire. The fire built slowly, but I thought little more of it.

Today I tried a couple of ounces from the same jug on a mixture of green ash and Manitoba maple (box elder) in my workshop and discovered that the stuff would barely burn on its own. I'm pretty sure the oil was Rotella 5W40 synthetic out of my Bolens G174.

Has anyone else noticed synthetic oil's reluctance to burn?

 

[Soundguy]

it has a higher flash point...

 

[radioman]

yup- I noticed synthenic burns slower and cooler.

 

[murphy1244]

What is the flash point.?

 

[slowzuki]

Guys with used oil furnaces really don't like it.

 

[oldnslo]

What is the flash point.?

Mobil 1 5W-30 says 230 degrees C = 446 degrees F

Mobil Clean 5000 says 200 degrees C = 392 degrees F

 

[sw03]

Guys with used oil furnaces really don't like it.

I here the same thing. Problem I see is some of those guy have no idea what is in the "used oil".

 

[RandyT]

Poulan Pro bar oil won't even ignite with a propane torch. Just like pushing around water on a flat surface with an air hose. Had a neighbor a few years back that poured some on his stab pile to get it going after he lite the pile and it put the fire out.

 

[John Morgan]

What is the flash point.?

Flash point is measured by heating the oil and passing an open flame over the top of the container. The tempurature at which the vapors combust is the flash point.

 

[sw03]

If you put synthetic oil in a waste oil furnace, you will never know.