Have any of you regular chainsaw users tried a chain oil by Oregon called Arborol ultimate? Sadly, the best garden machinery/garden centre up here closed down recently and were selling off their stuff very cheaply. Bought a litre of this lube, which is biodegradable and can be mixed 1:4 with water. But, they say to use diluted lube within a day and to discard any after this time. Question is, should this include any left in the saw? I'm assuming it does, but how rigorous should you be about this?
Chainsaw oil
- Thread starter dickm
- Start date
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I use the cheapest stuff imaginable for my chainsaws, mostly because that's a plural and I can't be doing with posh stuff. They go through it so quickly.
I'm not a tree surgeon, just a horror movie star*, but it all adds up. I can't see the harm in leaving it in the saw personally, never caused me any grief. One of the actresses came up in a rash once, but I put that down to her perfume.
*contains lies.
I'm not a tree surgeon, just a horror movie star*, but it all adds up. I can't see the harm in leaving it in the saw personally, never caused me any grief. One of the actresses came up in a rash once, but I put that down to her perfume.
*contains lies.
Mo27
Member
If it's anything like the Stihl biodegradable then stay well clear. I had to use that in my chainsaw when doing a job on a riverbank and it bunged up the oil pump. It set like wax and was a right pain to shift.
Made my chainsaw trousers stink like a chip-shop for weeks afterwards too.
Always a reason why stuff is sold very cheap.
I use chainsaws a lot at work and always use the cheapest car engine oil I can find instead of chainsaw oil.
Made my chainsaw trousers stink like a chip-shop for weeks afterwards too.
Always a reason why stuff is sold very cheap.
I use chainsaws a lot at work and always use the cheapest car engine oil I can find instead of chainsaw oil.
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
Wuffles":2ei0uzlp said:
=D> =D> =D> You should be a journalist (or a comedy script writer)
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
Just on topic...this is the cheapest I've ever found it and I use this all the time. Not a pro but do get a lot of use out of the Stihl and it's never yet had problems (fingers crossed). From Toolstation incidentally.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automot ... Oil/p36322
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automot ... Oil/p36322
Random Orbital Bob":3gyy9vun said:
Bang on, exactly the kind of generic stuff I drop money on.
I also gave up on the ratio mixing nightmare that a tiny mixing bucket gives and bought a job lot of the Stihl one shot cartridges from eBay. So much easier - if you can use at least a 5L bucket in a season anyway.
Veering off topic now, not that we have seasons like the old days. I was mowing the garden in November, and again a week ago. Fuel hasn't even had time to go off yet :shock:
Kadushu
Established Member
The biodegradable stuff is made from veg oil and has a habit of setting like veg oil. It's ok if you use the saw often but left for a few weeks it clogs up the pump.
RobinBHM
Established Member
I just used to buy cheap car engine oil from a petrol station -it always seem to work fine, apart from the terrible rashes and life threatening blood poisoning.
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
RobinBHM":2vlzmtuv said:
You're not sposed to drink it :shock:
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
Wuffles":3p63i4am said:
Likewise, I hate the faff of micro measuring so now at the start of the (non) season, I fill my 5L petrol can with the appropriate amount of oil and then top it up to full at the petrol station...job done.
Mark A
Established Member
I use cheap bog standard vegetable oil in my (electric) chainsaw. It works well enough, doesn't kill the grass and costs under 1/3 of the stuff Bob mentioned above.
I'm not bothered if it breaks my saw - I want to upgrade so the sooner it dies the better.
Just don't blame me if knackers up yours!
I'm not bothered if it breaks my saw - I want to upgrade so the sooner it dies the better.
Just don't blame me if knackers up yours!
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
course it doesn't help that all my petroil garden tools wanted 20:1 until I bought a Stihl which wants 50:1.....aagggghhhhh
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
20 - 1? How many decades old are they? I had a chainsaw in the '70s that took 50 - 1.
I think the cheaper Chinese manufactured stuff is still 25:1.
I had a new Stihl a couple of years ago and even though it's supposed to run on 50:1 the mechanic who put it together (and showed me how it worked!) advised me to run it at 25:1. They don't want it to last forever he said, using extra oil won't cause any problems. I don't get excessive smoke or any trouble with oiled up plug.
I had a new Stihl a couple of years ago and even though it's supposed to run on 50:1 the mechanic who put it together (and showed me how it worked!) advised me to run it at 25:1. They don't want it to last forever he said, using extra oil won't cause any problems. I don't get excessive smoke or any trouble with oiled up plug.
paulm
IG paulm_outdoors
I use the Aspen fuel, premix, makes my eyes water every time I pick a gallon up at the merchants, but only use a couple a season usually, so worth it in terms of hassle saved and longevity of the mix if left in the tools for a while, despite the high price.
Chain oil, still using a big stihl container of it bought a few years ago, not sure what type but seems to work without problems.
Cheers, paul
Chain oil, still using a big stihl container of it bought a few years ago, not sure what type but seems to work without problems.
Cheers, paul
duncanh
Established Member
In the past we used veg oil at work but it would get sticky and unpleasant - not great for cold weather. We also had an incident where we had some stored in the wood and the container was chewed through by a mouse!
These days work uses Oregon chain oil bought in 25l drums.
At home I use Stihl, just because that's all our local supplier sells in small containers and I get a discount with them.
As for fuel - also an Aspen user, although the supplier has now moved over to the Stihl version so my new container is from them.
These days work uses Oregon chain oil bought in 25l drums.
At home I use Stihl, just because that's all our local supplier sells in small containers and I get a discount with them.
As for fuel - also an Aspen user, although the supplier has now moved over to the Stihl version so my new container is from them.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
For the the Ikra electric saw I bought before Xmas they recommend biodegradable oil, whether that's an EU reg. I don't know. It's certainly no cheaper than normal oil.
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
So whats this Aspen fuel then? Some kind of additive that prevents it going off or some such?
paulm
IG paulm_outdoors
Random Orbital Bob":yika5s9o said:
Here you go Rob http://www.aspenfuel.co.uk/products/env ... te-petrol/
It's pricey mind, but fuss free, doesn't go off in the machines or storage, doesn't degrade seals and hoses etc, as well as being better for users and environmental health apparently, but it's the storage and machine benefits that do it for me.
Cheers, Paul
AJB Temple
Finely figured
I always struggle with this. I have a bunch of Stihl tools (chainsaws, pruner, blower, hedge trimmers, streamer) but I only use them at home in etc garden and paddocks. So it is not continuos use and it can be a few weeks between each use of, say, the chainsaw. I find that any fuel mix I make up goes off really quickly and the Stihl user guides say do not keep fuel mix for longer than 30 days. Once it is a bit old, or if I leave fuel in the tank, the tool is often hard to start.
Now I use a 1 litre Stihl mixer bottle that has a 50:1 measure tank at the top and as far as possible run the tool dry on each use. This is pretty easy to use to get the mix spot on and I find the small engines very sensitive to being over oiled. I don't use enough chain saw oil to worry about the cost of that, so I just buy 5 litre bottles of chainsaw oil from the garden machinery supplier. Chainsaw seems to go through chain oil at about the same rate as fuel (i.e. when fuel tank is empty, chain oil tank needs filling as well). I tried biodegradable oil in my last saw and it was awful for low temperature winter use: went claggy.
I have wondered about the pre-mixed long life fuels. My local place only sells the Stihl pre-mix as far as I know, and it is incredibly expensive: at least 5 times the cost of buying my own fuel and oil and mixing it. Is it really much better? My main issue is I want the tools to start easily. I am a bit of an ignoramus in this area.
Now I use a 1 litre Stihl mixer bottle that has a 50:1 measure tank at the top and as far as possible run the tool dry on each use. This is pretty easy to use to get the mix spot on and I find the small engines very sensitive to being over oiled. I don't use enough chain saw oil to worry about the cost of that, so I just buy 5 litre bottles of chainsaw oil from the garden machinery supplier. Chainsaw seems to go through chain oil at about the same rate as fuel (i.e. when fuel tank is empty, chain oil tank needs filling as well). I tried biodegradable oil in my last saw and it was awful for low temperature winter use: went claggy.
I have wondered about the pre-mixed long life fuels. My local place only sells the Stihl pre-mix as far as I know, and it is incredibly expensive: at least 5 times the cost of buying my own fuel and oil and mixing it. Is it really much better? My main issue is I want the tools to start easily. I am a bit of an ignoramus in this area.
