Bar and Chain Oil Substitute?

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dig

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Hey everyone,

I’m in a pinch and need a good substitute for bar and chain oil. Normally, I use standard bar oil, but I’m running low and won’t be able to get more for a while.

I’ve heard of people using motor oil, hydraulic oil, and even vegetable oil as alternatives. I don’t want to damage my saw or cause excessive wear on the bar and chain, so I’m looking for the best option that will keep everything lubricated without making a mess or causing long-term issues.

Has anyone here run a saw on motor oil, gear oil, or any other substitutes for an extended period? What worked best, and what should I avoid?

Would love to hear what you’ve used and how well it worked. Thanks.
 
I’ve had to use substitutes a few times when I ran out of bar oil. 30 W or 50 W motor oil works fine, but it’s a little thinner than regular bar oil, so you’ll go through it faster. Hydraulic oil is another decent option, but it’s even thinner and slings off more. If you’re cutting in hot weather, you might want something thicker like 90 W gear oil, but it stinks and can be messy.

One thing I’d avoid is used motor oil—it’s full of contaminants and will wear out your bar and chain faster. If you’re looking for something more eco-friendly, vegetable oil actually works, but it thickens up in cold weather.

What kind of saw are you running / what conditions are you cutting in? 😊
 
Hey Josh,

Thanks for the info! I’ve heard mixed reviews about using motor oil and hydraulic oil, so it’s great to hear about your experience with it. I didn’t realize 90 W gear oil could be an option, and good to know, even if it’s a bit messy. I’m planning on doing some cutting in colder weather, so I’m leaning away from vegetable oil after hearing that it thickens up.

To answer your question, I’ve got a Husqvarna 450 Rancher, and I’m cutting through some smaller pines and hardwoods. Do you think that would affect how any of these alternatives work? Appreciate the help!
 
I've used motor oil in a pinch, and it works fine, but like Josh said, it burns through quicker. If you're in colder weather, I'd stick with something thicker—gear oil might be messy, but it’ll keep things lubed up. Just avoid used motor oil unless you wanna wreck your chain faster!
 
@LoggerMike, sounds like you’ve got a solid setup with that Husqvarna! For smaller pines and hardwoods, I’d say motor oil should work fine short-term, but just keep an eye on how fast it’s burning off. If you’re cutting a lot, maybe mix in a little gear oil to thicken it up. And yeah, definitely skip the used motor oil, nothing gunks up a chain faster than dirty oil. Let us know how it goes!
 
Good stuff here! I’ve also heard of people mixing motor oil with a bit of STP oil treatment or even a little bit of chainsaw bar oil (if you have any left) to thicken it up and make it stick better. @LoggerMike, have you tried running a mix, or are you sticking with one type of oil? Curious how it’s working out for you!
 
I've heard of people mixing motor oil with a bit of gear oil too, it helps with thickness and sticking to the chain better. Curious to hear if anyone's had luck with that long-term!
 
I’ve had to use motor oil in a pinch too, and it works, but yeah, it burns off pretty fast. Mixing in a little gear oil sounds like a solid idea,has anyone tried that long-term to see how it holds up?
 
Lots of good advice here! I’ve had to use motor oil in a pinch too, and it worked fine for short-term use. Mixing in a bit of gear oil sounds like a smart way to get better stickiness, does anyone have tried that for an extended period?
 
Some solid ideas here! Mixing motor oil with gear oil sounds like a good way to get better cling, has anyone actually tested this long-term?
 
Hey! I’ve tried mixing motor oil with a little bit of gear oil, and it definitely helps it stick better. One thing I noticed, though, is that it can get pretty thick in colder weather. Has anyone experimented with different ratios to find the sweet spot?
 
Great points so far! @Helen Armstrong, that’s interesting about the mix getting too thick in cold weather, maybe adding just a bit of hydraulic oil could help thin it out without losing too much stickiness? Has anyone tried tweaking the ratio based on temperature changes?
 
Interesting stuff! Seems like everyone’s got their own secret mix. @BricklayerX, adding a bit of hydraulic oil sounds smart for colder temps, but I wonder, would it make things too runny in the summer? Anyone ever had a mix that worked year-round without needing adjustments?
 
I get why a lot of people mix motor oil with gear oil for better cling, but doesn’t that just make a bigger mess in the long run? I’d argue that finding a single substitute that works well across different temps might be a better approach. Maybe a mid-weight hydraulic oil could do the trick without all the mixing? Has anyone tried sticking to one alternative year-round and had success?
 
Some great insights here! It looks like motor oil mixed with gear oil is a common alternative, but the ratio might need adjusting for different temperatures. @John Calvin Lewis brings up a great point. Has anyone found a single oil substitute that works well year-round without needing constant tweaks?
 
I’ve used a mix of motor oil and gear oil before, and it definitely sticks better, but yeah, you have to watch out for the mess. I’ve found that a 70/30 mix works pretty well in moderate temps. Anyone try running straight hydraulic oil as a year-round solution?"
 
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