Biodegradable bar and chain oil

[RalphVa]

I bought stuff for the 250 hr maintainance on the 2025R at JD this morning. Came to about $100 exclusive of the Coolant, which I already have.

The Stihl chain saw people were offering a veggie-based bar and chain oil for almost $9/QT. That's about the same price as regular bar and chain oil online for a GALLON. They say that it's more biodegradable. Duh! Regular bar and chain oil is, too. If that veggie stuff has the same specs (basically 30 or 40w base oil, maybe a tad of pour depressant), it is basically the same chemical.

Ralph

 

[ultrarunner]

The Bio Oils are big in Europe where Stihl is from.

Remember seeing the Bio 2-stroke outboard oil decades ago in Europe... and about 4x the cost.

What it did was allow those with 2-strokes on the lakes where otherwise they would have been banned like California did at Lake Tahoe and most freshwater... the option of Bio was not offered.

 

[Agvg]

I bought stuff for the 250 hr maintainance on the 2025R at JD this morning. Came to about $100 exclusive of the Coolant, which I already have.

The Stihl chain saw people were offering a veggie-based bar and chain oil for almost $9/QT. That's about the same price as regular bar and chain oil online for a GALLON. They say that it's more biodegradable. Duh! Regular bar and chain oil is, too. If that veggie stuff has the same specs (basically 30 or 40w base oil, maybe a tad of pour depressant), it is basically the same chemical.

Ralph

It's plant based oil, suppose you can use it cooking if you wanted, common in Europe to use this type of oil as chain and hydraulic oil in forest equipment.

 

[Jstpssng]

You could probably also make your own, if you know somebody in the restaurant business who happens to have a fryolater.
I"m not sure how much impat B&C oil has on the landscape anyways. It's dispersed at a low rate, much less than say, 10-10-10 fertilizer.

 

[ericm979]

Some people use canola oil. Yes regular petroleum-based oil biodegrades too but it takes a lot longer. Bar oil (and everything else) costs more in smaller packages. For example I was in TSC today and bought a couple gallons of bar oil for $7 each. Quarts of the same stuff were $5. (normal price on the gallons is $9).

If you compare the same sizes, bio bar oil costs about twice as much. (i.e. in Bailey's house brands).

The problem with bio bar oil, besides the price, is that it can gum up in the saw when it's stored for a while. My large saw sits with the gas tank and carb empty until I need it for a big tree. It'd be a hassle to have to drain the oil tank too.

 

[Oaktree]

The problem with bio bar oil, besides the price, is that it can gum up in the saw when it's stored for a while. My large saw sits with the gas tank and carb empty until I need it for a big tree. It'd be a hassle to have to drain the oil tank too.

I can't imagine it would store well long term either, especially if you store it in a shed where the temperature ranges from 90s in summer to single #s or below in winter.

 

[Jstpssng]

I can't imagine it would store well long term either, especially if you store it in a shed where the temperature ranges from 90s in summer to single #s or below in winter.

And that's before the squirrels find it.

 

[DarkBlack]

I bought stuff for the 250 hr maintainance on the 2025R at JD this morning. Came to about $100 exclusive of the Coolant, which I already have.

The Stihl chain saw people were offering a veggie-based bar and chain oil for almost $9/QT. That's about the same price as regular bar and chain oil online for a GALLON. They say that it's more biodegradable. Duh! Regular bar and chain oil is, too. If that veggie stuff has the same specs (basically 30 or 40w base oil, maybe a tad of pour depressant), it is basically the same chemical.

Ralph

For $9 a quart , it would need to be angels milk for me to buy it for that price.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

When we quarter a moose or elk to pack it out, we just use vegetable oil. No big deal.

 

[Old Retired Cop]

I bought some a couple years ago. Not having any experience with the bio oil, I left it on the bar and chain over the summer. Come time to use the saw, the chain was completely rusted and useless. Never again.