What oil to use for your chainsaw

Chain oil for chainsaws. which one to use?

You are a new chainsaw owner and do not yet know what chain oil to use for chainsaw chain lubrication is best. the lack of this knowledge, can be detrimental to the tool, t. к. the type and quality of oil depends on how long the bar and chain will function properly.

After reading this article you will fill the gap in your knowledge, i.e.к. we will consider the question of using oils of different manufacturers and brands to reduce friction between parts of the saw chain. And then we’ll figure out what additional lubricants to use for chainsaw maintenance to maximize the life of your chainsaw.

What oil to use for a chainsaw engine

To lubricate chainsaw engine internal parts, special oils must be used, which differ from the lubricant for four-stroke engines in several respects.

• First, it is the quality of cleaning. Chainsaw engine oil should be as free of impurities as possible. This is due to the fact that the channels in the carburetor chain saw is too small, and if the fuel mixture will have any impurities, they will be clogged, and therefore the engine will stop working.
• The second is the low smokiness of the combustion. As you know, the oil for the saw needs to be mixed with gasoline, which subsequently burns in the engine cylinder, and, accordingly, the lubricant burns with it. If the mixture burns a lot of smoke, it will have a negative effect on the exhaust system and possibly on the health of the operator.
• Third, the lubricant for chainsaws should burn with minimum formation of soot. low-quality oils, when burned, produce large amounts of sludge that clogs the piston and the exhaust system.

The consequences of using low-quality oil can be dire, to the point of having to replace the chain saw’s piston group. Never use diesel engine oil on chain saws because it can cause the engine’s power output to drop. к. the capacity of the muffler and the cylinder exhaust window decreases, up to their complete clogging. soot under piston rings, will not allow them to shrink, leading to scoring on the cylinder walls and jamming of the engine.

The brake pedal and brake pedal can be released when the saw system is started. к. it does not fit all of the above parameters.

Using special lubricants for two-stroke engines is not just good for the engine, it is convenient. к. Producers add dyes to them, thanks to which you can determine whether gasoline is diluted or not, which in the case of conventional motor oils is impossible. Four-stroke engine oil mixed with gasoline has no color.

The proportion of the mixture for a two-stroke engine is indicated on the package. Manufacturers recommend adhering to the dosage, t. к. Using the wrong mixture of oil and gasoline, also affects the life of the engine, and it is harmful to both increase and decrease the proportion.

Advice: a guarantee of chainsaw engine efficiency is the use of quality oil in the right proportion.

Let’s understand the types

The most important parameter. the base from which the grease is made.

When choosing a lubricant, you should pay attention to these parameters:

• Base (synthetic, mineral, semi-synthetic).
• Environmental friendliness.
• Toxicity of the exhaust.
• Washing capacity.
• Wear and tear.
• Burning of the rings.
• Smoke production.

By the way, if the saw is to be actively used, it is important that the shaft rotates at a constant frequency. Tool life depends directly on the stability of the shaft. the less the frequency varies, the longer the technique will work.

And synthetic-based lubricants are specifically designed for machines that operate on an industrial scale.

If you use mineral oil for a long time, do not use synthetic oil. If you run the machine for more than 100 hours with mineral oil, it can leave a big carbon build-up in the sump. Synthetic oil will break down the carbon deposits and their fragments can cause damage to the saw’s cylinder.

What type of oil to use when lubricating

Lubricating chainsaw oil, that is its chain, you need to pour it into a special container, which will effectively apply it in order to reduce the friction that occurs between the chain links and the bar. Using special oils with a viscous structure in order to lubricate the chain links will keep them on the saw head for a long time.

If you have not used mineral oil for a long time, it is still possible to use synthetic oil. You can consider every nuance of the saw’s operation in a particular season, which will allow you to make a quality choice of tool, if you are guided by the level of air temperature on the street.

If you use a chain saw in summer, the most suitable oils are mineral ones. Their disadvantage is a lower temperature level that leads to crystallization of these substances. For this reason, synthetic blends with the lowest viscosity are recommended for use in winter.

It is best to use mineral oils for chainsaw lubrication in summertime.

This allows the saw to be used at low temperatures, i.e. up to.40°С. The use of semi-synthetics is the most suitable option when using the saw in moderate temperature conditions, ranging between.30-25°С.

The choice of gasoline saw oil to buy is quite simple, because the packaging usually has a mark that indicates the season of use (S for summer, W for winter).

To fill in a special tank of the saw in order to lubricate the chain used machine oil is categorically not recommended.

They are highly oxidized, and this is due to the presence of impurities in them. This leads to tool damage.

Engine oils for not only two-stroke engines, but also four-stroke engines include additives and base oil. The difference is the presence of different additives. The additives are the presence of different solvents that improve the mixing of oils with gasoline, pumpability and the way the oils are atomized.

Two-stroke oils contain a proportion of solvents that is 20%, which can have negative consequences as a result of exposure to elevated temperatures on the quality of lubrication. If a chainsaw is equipped with a two-stroke engine, chainsaw oil should not be used with too many additives, because they contribute to the viscosity level.

When to use chain saw oil?

Oils with metal additives provide excellent lubrication at higher temperatures.

Two-stroke engines can be filled up with appropriate oils whose properties must correspond to the working conditions of the engine. The type of oil must be suitable for the specific engine type of your chainsaw and not just for the conditions in which it is used.

chain saws operate in higher temperatures, so oils with metal additives are better suited for high quality operation. Their main property is that they provide excellent lubrication at higher temperatures. Improved lubrication of the saw’s workpieces results in soot formation inside the tool. Carbon deposits form at low temperatures.

Important! Do not leave the chain saw idling for a long time, and do not smoke. The engine does not run-in when running in this manner, and the additive is able to burn out. If the engine is a four-stroke, there are no special requirements for oils that are suitable for this type of engine in terms of complete combustion.

Other lubricants

There are two other well-known chainsaw manufacturers, whose products have a large market share in this Makita and Patriot. Chainsaw engine oil from these manufacturers is also available under their own brands.

What kind of oil to use for a Makita chain saw? Ideally, of course, the original from the same manufacturer. Lubricants produced under the Makita brand have a balanced set of qualities and are relatively inexpensive in comparison with similar branded products.

What oil to use for a Patriot chain saw? There are also branded lubricants. It is best to use them. And these oils are available in several variants.

In the range of branded products are also lubricants for chainsaws. Lubricants for chainsaws brand Patriot well proven. And today are often used as alternatives in other equipment.

Of domestic products, the 2-stroke oil “Lukoil” stands out brightly. At a low cost, this product has really impressive properties.

After using it, in most cases there is no soot deposits in the combustion chamber. Lukoil oils blend well and have good lubricating and protective properties.

It is also worth noting and such a timeless option, as an ordinary motor oil M8. Despite the large abundance of specialized lubricants, many chainsaw owners use it the old-fashioned way.

This is a short-term option and only suitable for light-duty applications. But you have to be prepared for heavy deposits if you use motor lubricants on a permanent basis.

Do not use them in industry: they can have a big effect on the service life of the saw. It is more reliable to use specialized lubricants.

What oils you can use

Leading chainsaw manufacturers recommend using their own-made lubricants in their equipment. However, these oils are often several times more expensive than simpler ones from third-party manufacturers.

Note If in doubt about the choice of lubricant, in this case, the best solution is to buy lubricants from the manufacturer of the equipment.

But what can you do if, for some reason, you can’t buy expensive, original oil?? Here chainsaw owners resort to different options. Let’s take a general look at each of the possible chain lubricants.

Original oils

Often the best choice in terms of performance, but not price. In addition to optimal lubricating properties, today manufacturers are striving to make these lubricants biodegradable (based on rapeseed bases), which is almost harmless to the environment and human health.

STIHL chain oil is a biodegradable product. The only big disadvantage is the price.

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Special chainsaw chain oils from third-party manufacturers. Also a good choice. They are much cheaper than branded lubricants, but often almost the same in working qualities.

Cheap industrial oil

The most common choice is a domestic product, labeled I-20 or I-20A. One of the cheapest. This industrial oil can be used in chain saws for chain lubrication without fear of negative effects.

The grease has good properties with respect to the working conditions of the saw head and can reliably protect the chain and other headset elements against wear.

In terms of performance, it loses a little to the original. But the price can be several times lower in comparison to specialized products. That’s why it’s a popular choice with chainsaw owners of all makes and models.

It is advisable to check the lubrication level in hot weather when sawing after half of the petrol tank has been used.

Due to the very low viscosity, industrial oils are consumed quite quickly. Industrial lubricants have been known to be produced faster than the fuel tank has burned out.

New motor or transmission lubricants

Not a sensible choice in economic terms. Particularly suitable if you only use the chain saw occasionally and it does not make sense to buy a separate canister of special lubricant.

These oils contain a huge amount of unnecessary and useless additives that will only contaminate the lumber being processed and the environment.

What is the best chain oil to use. video

Here you also need to take viscosity factors into account. Intensity of chain oil in a chainsaw can be too low if the viscosity increases in temperature.

Thick greases in winter conditions may lose their fluidity and ineffectively protect the chain and working surfaces of the tire from wear.

In the case of engine oils, low-viscosity variants are recommended for winter work. Engine oils in general can be used in saws.

Waste oils

Use of waste oil for chainsaw chain lubrication is the worst possible idea.

First of all, the chainsaw‘s work is characterized by the creation of an oil mist in the work area, which spreads to the surrounding environment and is partially inhaled by humans.

And waste is a known carcinogen and is generally extremely toxic. That is why in many countries entire industries for processing of used engine and transmission oils are established and unauthorized dumping of oil into environment is punished with severe fines.

Secondly, the lubricating properties of used oil are extremely poor. They are sufficient for medium-duty applications with a strain. If you saw a thick log or hardwood, the chain and the rest of the sawing equipment will suffer up to irreversible destruction.

Answering the question about how to replace chain oil for a chainsaw if it’s too expensive to buy the original, you can answer this: almost any oil with a suitable viscosity. But not with used oil. It is better to fill chain lubrication products specially designed for chain lubrication.

How and when to fill the tank with grease? Here the answer is simple: pour every time you fill up with gasoline up to the mark on the neck.

Consequences of using low-quality oil

Serious chainsaw manufacturers indicate in the instruction manual of their products what kind of oil to use with the device. Naturally the accompanying products will have the same brand. It is not only a marketing ploy, but also a sound recommendation. Companies that have been making saws for years have sufficient production capacity and make really good oils.

Many chain saws for home use don’t have this kind of advice. The user equips the gas tank at his discretion. Here too it is better to choose a quality product that has been tested by thousands of gasoline owners. Even an inexpensive saw can last a year or more if it is operated correctly and consumables are properly selected. and vice versa: no name oil of unknown composition can kill even a good Stihl or Husqvarna piston group.

If the saw’s exhaust system becomes clogged with carbon monoxide and soot particles, the motor’s power inevitably drops. Flushing the combustion chamber can no longer be performed as intensively, most of the exhaust gases remain in the cylinder, and the fuel pump lacks the power to pump the required amount of mixture.

Incomplete combustion of the oil component in gasoline leads to soot and sludge deposits in the cylinder and piston head. Poor fluidity characteristics result in cylinder and piston group heating up, during which scoring may occur on the surface of working parts. After several cycles it may be necessary to replace the piston unit.

Oil does not flow to the chain, what are the causes

It is not always possible to see immediately during operation that the chain saw chain is not supplied with oil. Signs of lack of lubrication:

• the level in the tank is not dropping;
• The cut is difficult and there is a smell of burning wood;
• No oil droplets come off the bar tip of the chainsaw.

If you notice that the oil system is malfunctioning, you need to determine the cause. There are few of these. clogging, hose breakage or oil pump failure.

Dirt and swarf usually clog up the oil inlet. Blowing through with air or wiping with a fine wire is often enough to correct the problem. The oil tank has its own internal filter. With normal oil clogging is unlikely, but with used oil it is quite possible. Have to be cleaned.

The oil hose can be damaged or completely burst. It is temporarily possible to seal the damaged place, but it will be more reliable to replace it with a new one.

And the most serious problem. breakdown of the oil pump. The causes can be different. the worm gear teeth are worn out, the plunger is jammed, and others. It is not easy to dismantle the pump and replace the damaged part by yourself. It is more reliable and easier to contact a service center.