# Steam Oil in a ChainSaw (NT)



## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

No, I am NOT asking if I should use "chain saw oil" in a Steam Locomotive... I am asking the other way round...

I know that some people in the larger ride-on sized Steam Locmotives use Chain Saw oil in their engines and claim it is okay and I know the arguments against doing so. I have heard "Chain Saw Oil" described as the dregs of the oil companies output and being an oil that is, by design, just flung away in use, it is not of much use in any other way.

I have a small electric chainsaw (I think it is a 16-inch blade) that I use maybe once a year... well, actually I have had it about 3 and a half years and I have used it exactly three times... 

I bought a quart of chainsaw oil when I got it, put about half of it in the sump tank. I used the chain saw to remove one half of a double tree trunk. "I" probably could not have done this job without the chain saw since it was a 30 inch long vertical cut to split the two 12-inch trunks apart and slice up the removed one. That all amounted to less than 10 minutes of run time. The remaining tree is much healthier than it was with its twin attached.

Then I used the chain saw again about a year later to make 3 cuts in a storm downed 3-inch diameter tree limb. This amounted to less than a whole minute of run time, but I noted that the tank on the saw had lost about half of the oil in that first use and the year between (I had sat it over a washtub in the garage and it has a small amount of oil in it along with decayed leaves and bug and spider parts flating in it, making it unfit for recycling it back through the chain saw... well, at least I don't feel like filtering it myself).

Now I need to use the chain saw again (another storm downed tree limb), but I can't find that quart bottle of chain saw oil and the tank on the saw is just about empty... 

However... I CAN find my 5 gallon pail of ISO 360 Steam Cylinder Oil... soooooo.... considering that I only want to cut up one 15-ft long 4-inch diameter limb with it (maybe another 5 cuts and again maybe about a minute or two of run time total)... 

Assumming the saw still works (it doesn't look too bad, but I have not plugged it in recently)... 

And since I will never use that 5-gallons of steam cylinder oil in my two Aster Mikes in my life time, (I have even given away small amounts to friends and acquaintences and still have at least 4 gallons of it left) I figure it might work in the chain saw... So the question...

Would it be okay to use the steam cylinder oil instead of bonifide "chain saw oil" in my chain saw?


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

CT

I'm no expert on chain saws, but since you're only using the oil to lubricate the chain and the bar it's riding on I don't see that there should be any problem, especially since you're not going to log a long duration of use. Just so long as you sure that when you press the oiling button the steam oil will be squirted out of the container, I'd go for it.


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

You have a chain saw, and will probably use it again. Why don't you just go and buy a quart of chain oil. I don't know what steam oil is like, but my chain oil is very think, and sticky, for a reason. I would predict that lighter oil would just fly off the chain, and not do any lubrication of the chain. This seems like a prescription for disaster to me. 
I would not do it.
Paul


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## Paradise (Jan 9, 2008)

What ever you do, don't run it dry. 
A greasy pig is better than nothin.


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

Chain oil is specially formulated to cling to the chain under the high speed conditions it operates at. It's not the dregs of some process.
I've heard of people using gear oil in their saw in a pinch. Using the wrong oil won't make the chain wear out immediately, or seize, or disintegrate, or anything drastic like that, but it won't last as long as it could (and neither will the bar). If'n it was me, I'd buy some more chain oil. I loathe tool abuse.


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

As has been said, chain oil is heavy/sticky to be picked up by the chain and spread along the bar groove. 
It's purpose is to smooth the movement and prevent wear to both the chain and the bar.

Now having said that. I generally cut anywhere from 6-15 cords of Oak every year for the past 30 years 
using several different saws. I use nothing but SAE 40 motor oil for the bar oiler. Never has seemed to be a problem.

Just my opinion but I think Steam oil would be a problem for long term use. For a few cuts, probably no big deal.
But, as they say it's your railroad, err, saw, do what you want.

Later
Rick Marty


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Worst that could happen is that you need to sharpen the blade, probably will need that soon anyway.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Semp,

I'm no expert. I did manage to wear out five chainsaws (all McCollough's) working in the logwoods/cutting firewood/farming. (Not plowing).

When I got my first good saw, a 24" Stihl, this old guy at the store told me, "Use bar oil." I said I'd done pretty well with 30wt over the years and he said, "Come over here." There was a big salad bowl of chainsaw oil, and one of regular motor oil. He took a common hand-crank eggbeater and spun 'er in the motor oil. It whipped up about like you'd expect. Then he got a different eggbeater and put it in the bowl of Bar Lube. It was harder for him to turn, and instead of just whipping, the stuff stuck to the 'beater blades and hung on 'way longer as he pulled it back, still turning it. Didn't fling off hardly much at all. Said, "Bar oil is specially designed to stick to the chain. It's not so temperature sensitive, either, so it's okay when cold." Ever after, I've used Bar Oil. (Stihl, but that's just me.)

Using motor oil won't destroy your chain/bar on the instant; probably for no more than you use it, you'll never see the difference, but like Rimfire, I hate to see machines abused. 

My son has that first Sthil, it's about 30 years old. It cut 6-10 cords of wood every season for all those years. Still has the original bar and it's in good shape. Son got me a neat little Sthil 12" (?) a couple of years ago when I cut my jeans leg off at the knee (and drew blood but not enough to worry with but Wife had a fit) one season and put a deep furrow in the toe of my boot the next. I love that little thing. This last spring I put up 8 cords using it. Took about 3 months, but I got 'er done. Split 'n stacked.


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

Posted By Jerry Barnes on 05 Aug 2009 08:08 PM 
Worst that could happen is that you need to sharpen the blade, probably will need that soon anyway. 
Bar oil has nothing to do with keeping the chain teeth sharp. It lubricates all the links of the chain and provides lubrication between the chain and the bar, which is a high-load contact surface, especially at the nose of the bar if it is not of the roller type. The worst that could happen is that the bar and chain will wear out prematurely.


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