455 Rancher not oiling properly

[Doughknob]

....Brand of oil - some are thicker and heavier than others....

I have this problem. Brand new Husqvarna with the same 'lack of oiling' problem. I started mixing half old used motor oil with half new bar oil and it now works fine. The used motor oil thins the mix just enough to make it work.

 

[kennywayne]

I replaced the factory bar on my 455 with an oregon bar...the oiler holes didn't line up and I had oiler issues took me a while to figure it out. .
I replaced the oiler and messed with oil, ruined a couple of chains and the bar.
I ALMOST threw it away i was so mad.

I decided that for a 50cc saw its kinda weak as well considering it was sold with a 20" bar.
I replaced the 20" oregon bar with a 16" Husqvarna bar and it suddenly had no oiler issues, I got to comparing the bar and it was not the same configuration of holes. I use it for a different use now.

Found and rebuilt a Mac Super Pro 82. Works MUCH better for real work than the Husqy.
I had to cut this redo I picked up for free in half to fit on the LT15.

 

[RandyT]

I replaced the factory bar on my 455 with an oregon bar...the oiler holes didn't line up and I had oiler issues took me a while to figure it out. .
I replaced the oiler and messed with oil, ruined a couple of chains and the bar.
I ALMOST threw it away i was so mad.

I decided that for a 50cc saw its kinda weak as well considering it was sold with a 20" bar.
I replaced the 20" oregon bar with a 16" Husqvarna bar and it suddenly had no oiler issues, I got to comparing the bar and it was not the same configuration of holes. I use it for a different use now.

Found and rebuilt a Mac Super Pro 82. Works MUCH better for real work than the Husqy.
I had to cut this redo I picked up for free in half to fit on the LT15.

For those 50 cc saws and people that are well experienced using a full chisel skip link chain on the 20 inch will make that saw come alive, and eliminate the weak feeling. And as a side note I have had customers complain that I put their bars on upside down.

The reason I said experienced is the full skip chains seem to come off the bar easier when encountering side shift of the chain, and also have to be experienced in dealing with kickback since it is a non safety chain. May be some full skip chain with the anti-kickback qualities if somebody looks for it.

 

[bmg88201]

I have this problem. Brand new Husqvarna with the same 'lack of oiling' problem. I started mixing half old used motor oil with half new bar oil and it now works fine. The used motor oil thins the mix just enough to make it work.

I was thinking to do that too, mixing a little non-detergent motor oil with the bar oil. Not much but just little to make it a little thinner. To me … it seemed like the Husky bar oil was almost like honey. I have an old Poulan that has a been dependable saw, the manual says to use 30w non-detergent oil for the bar.

 

[SF82]

Take it to where you bought it from, especially if it's still under warranty. Had the same issue with my 450 Rancher, shop i bought it from replaced everything under warranty

 

[kennywayne]

For those 50 cc saws and people that are well experienced using a full chisel skip link chain on the 20 inch will make that saw come alive, and eliminate the weak feeling. And as a side note I have had customers complain that I put their bars on upside down.

The reason I said experienced is the full skip chains seem to come off the bar easier when encountering side shift of the chain, and also have to be experienced in dealing with kickback since it is a non safety chain. May be some full skip chain with the anti-kickback qualities if somebody looks for it.

Disclaimer: This is just my experience I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. Y’all are grown you can make your own life choices and it won’t affect me in any way.

I’m using full chisel, I make my own chains. The newer saws run at higher rpm and don’t have the torque of the older saws which is why I found an 50 year old Mac instead of buying a new saw of any brand.

It doesn’t have all the auto adjustments, has a nice manual oiler in addition to an auto oiler, and smokes a little since it takes 32:1, but it cuts a 20” hardwood faster a true 36” bar than the Husqy cuts a 10-12” pine with a 13inch cutting section (16” bar) from Husqy.

I have an SP80/SP82/and a mini Mac 30 I picked up from an old guy clearing out his barn. I added chagrin brakes and they needed carb work, new fuel lines, a little rust removal, and a few bits and pieces but I’d pick any of them up over the Husqy.

The benefit of the Husqy is its about ½ to ⅓ the weight of the SP80/82, so if I’m limbing a bunch of stuff I’ll pick it up or the mini Mac.


The Mini Mac with a 12” bar cuts better than the 50cc Husqy but is a lot more finicky to start. So if I just want to cut a few limbs or a small tree the Husqy is the first one I grab.

If I’m cutting a tree I grab a Super Pro, which I have also had issues with the Oregon bars having incorrect oiler holes which I double checked it before I installed it. It has an extra hole which lets bar oil escape without making its way to the chain itself.

They all have great compression and run great. It’s just the difference due to higher RPM for “emissions” on the newer motor.

 

[kennywayne]

I was thinking to do that too, mixing a little non-detergent motor oil with the bar oil. Not much but just little to make it a little thinner. To me … it seemed like the Husky bar oil was almost like honey. I have an old Poulan that has a been dependable saw, the manual says to use 30w non-detergent oil for the bar.

I’ve had better luck with the Stihl brand oils than a lot of the others, they seem to be slightly less viscous and make their way to the chain. I don’t think “bar oil” even existed when the Macs I use were made. They all have “Use 30w oil” or something to that effect on the “bar oil” cap.

Traveler has a 30w non-detergent that seems to work alright with the older saws. I have the oilers set wide open on the Macs and Alaskan Mill, uses about as much oil as gas cutting trees but I have to fill the saw half full when using the Alaskan mill to make sure I fill the bar oil tank before it runs out.

 

[RandyT]

Disclaimer: This is just my experience I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. Y’all are grown you can make your own life choices and it won’t affect me in any way.

I’m using full chisel, I make my own chains. The newer saws run at higher rpm and don’t have the torque of the older saws which is why I found an 50 year old Mac instead of buying a new saw of any brand.

It doesn’t have all the auto adjustments, has a nice manual oiler in addition to an auto oiler, and smokes a little since it takes 32:1, but it cuts a 20” hardwood faster a true 36” bar than the Husqy cuts a 10-12” pine with a 13inch cutting section (16” bar) from Husqy.

I have an SP80/SP82/and a mini Mac 30 I picked up from an old guy clearing out his barn. I added chagrin brakes and they needed carb work, new fuel lines, a little rust removal, and a few bits and pieces but I’d pick any of them up over the Husqy.

The benefit of the Husqy is its about ½ to ⅓ the weight of the SP80/82, so if I’m limbing a bunch of stuff I’ll pick it up or the mini Mac.


The Mini Mac with a 12” bar cuts better than the 50cc Husqy but is a lot more finicky to start. So if I just want to cut a few limbs or a small tree the Husqy is the first one I grab.

If I’m cutting a tree I grab a Super Pro, which I have also had issues with the Oregon bars having incorrect oiler holes which I double checked it before I installed it. It has an extra hole which lets bar oil escape without making its way to the chain itself.

They all have great compression and run great. It’s just the difference due to higher RPM for “emissions” on the newer motor.

I was a McCulloch dealer for several years, so I know what you are talking about. And like you said, the new saws just don't have the torque, or maybe they do but the power band is too narrow so limited lugging power make it appear less torque.

 

[RandyT]

I’ve had better luck with the Stihl brand oils than a lot of the others, they seem to be slightly less viscous and make their way to the chain. I don’t think “bar oil” even existed when the Macs I use were made. They all have “Use 30w oil” or something to that effect on the “bar oil” cap.

Traveler has a 30w non-detergent that seems to work alright with the older saws. I have the oilers set wide open on the Macs and Alaskan Mill, uses about as much oil as gas cutting trees but I have to fill the saw half full when using the Alaskan mill to make sure I fill the bar oil tank before it runs out.

30W motor oil in the summer, and for winter use mixed 50/50 with kerosene. I have always had good luck with the Poulan Pro bar oil seems to not be as affected by temperature and seems to have a very high burn point. To the point if you tried to dump it on a brush fire it would put out the fire.

I am not sure the Poulan oil that is sold now is the same stuff.

 

[Randy Gann]

I had a Stihl 032 with a 16” bar. It was a 51cc saw and had great power and would really turn up with 16” bar. My understanding is that the 032 was a pro grade saw when it was made. I now have a 455 rancher. It is my only saw as I don’t cut firewood as much as I did years ago. It is a good all around saw. The 455 is considered a high end consumer model and not a pro grade saw. The XP series are the Husq pro grade saws. You hit on a good solution to move to 16” bar on your 455. It should have plenty of power to turn the 16” with a full chisel chain.