How to tell if oiler is oiling enough?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

baratta930

New Member
Dec 1, 2011
13
SoIL
Hi All,

I recently bought my first chainsaw, a husky 450 w/18" .325 narrow kerf chain. I had always used Stihl saws borrowed from friends before but the anti vibe on the Husky is what pushed me towards it. My arthritis isn't getting any better and I couldn't justify the higher end Stihls (although I tried, the 261 was SWEEEET :)).

The saw cuts great, but it doesn't seem to oil as much as the Stihls did. After cutting some mixed wood (maple, cedar, and pine), there was some discoloration on the cutters that looked a little like overheating. Could that just be sap from the pine?

I cleaned up everything and then ran the powerhead without a bar. Oil came out.

Also I ran the saw standalone, it will spray oil onto the ground. The spray though is pretty weak.

So, long rambling but how do I tell if there is enough oil coming out?

Also is it possible to install the 350 adjustable oiler into a 450?

Thanks,

Berardino
 
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
 
I have an Echo and in the owner's manual it tells you how to check that, so you may want to start with the manual.
 
Bars get hot real hot at times. If your spinning the chain freely with the brake off by hand and having to issuses from a hole shot your good. You can point the tip of the bar at a stump and see what flys off as well.
 
Adios Pantalones said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
 
Adios Pantalones said:
I dunno if it's standard. I use about 3/4 tank oil per tank of gas.
Click to expand...

You have a 260 as well as his friend....Pro saw's will normally use more.
 
Kenster said:
Adios Pantalones said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
Click to expand...
That's what I have been reading for the last 30 years or so, one to one.
 
oldspark said:
Kenster said:
Adios Pantalones said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
Click to expand...
That's what I have been reading for the last 30 years or so, one to one.
Click to expand...

30 years ago yes. No newer pro saw that I have ran is no better than 3/4 of a tank of oil per 1 tank of gas.
 
I put the question to an acquaintance of mine who is a Stihl dealer in Dallas. I told that the chain oil on my MS390 last for two tanks of gas. His reply:

Ken,

I think the oiler is fine. We recommend filling the oil tank with each fuel fill up.


With that said the MS 390 should have an adjustable oiler. If the oiler is turned all the way up she might be near out when fueling. If you were cutting in extremely hard, dead or dirty wood you might want to increase the adjustment. Sounds like all is working fine to me as is.... Stihl uses less oil than any brand on the market. Stihl manufactures their own guide bars and chains and they are engineered to use less oil to save you money with less contamination to the environment. Your saw will get the same lubrication to the bar and chain as most brands with 1/2 of the oil. (end of quote)

I'm guessing the amount of oil used per tank of gas varies a lot between brands, age of the saw, and personal preference of the operator.
 
smokinjay said:
Adios Pantalones said:
I dunno if it's standard. I use about 3/4 tank oil per tank of gas.
Click to expand...

You have a 260 as well as his friend....Pro saw's will normally use more.
Click to expand...

Maybe this is the problem :) I got used to killer saws and now have to settle for average ... waaaah :(

The manual doesn't saw how many tanks of fuel per tank of oil, just that you should run out of fuel before you run out of oil. I haven't been tracking oil vs. fuel consumption that closely (breaking in the saw right now). I'm going to cut up a few oaks next weekend at a friend's property and will try to track it better.

Thanks for everyone's responses, I'm less worried now :)

Still wondering though, does anyone know if I can upgrade the oiler to the 350 adjustable oiler?

Thanks,

Berardino
 
baratta930 said:
smokinjay said:
Adios Pantalones said:
I dunno if it's standard. I use about 3/4 tank oil per tank of gas.
Click to expand...

You have a 260 as well as his friend....Pro saw's will normally use more.
Click to expand...

Maybe this is the problem :) I got used to killer saws and now have to settle for average ... waaaah :(

The manual doesn't saw how many tanks of fuel per tank of oil, just that you should run out of fuel before you run out of oil. I haven't been tracking oil vs. fuel consumption that closely (breaking in the saw right now). I'm going to cut up a few oaks next weekend at a friend's property and will try to track it better.

Thanks for everyone's responses, I'm less worried now :)

Still wondering though, does anyone know if I can upgrade the oiler to the 350 adjustable oiler?

Thanks,

Berardino
Click to expand...

Would be very difficult...But just changing the pump its self may be possiable.
 
I always have had the belief that oil is cheaper than metal.
 
smokinjay said:
oldspark said:
Kenster said:
Adios Pantalones said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
Click to expand...
That's what I have been reading for the last 30 years or so, one to one.
Click to expand...

30 years ago yes. No newer pro saw that I have ran is no better than 3/4 of a tank of oil per 1 tank of gas.
Click to expand...
Not a pro saw but my new 361 is doing the same thing. The 045, 009L, 028 super all do it, junk I tell ya junk.
 
Never really considered the ratio of oil used to gas used because I've always filled up both at the same time. Needs gas then fill up the oil too. I was just taught that you don't EVER want to run out of oil so get in the habit of filling both at the same time. I'm with Savage, oil is WAY cheaper than burning up a chain.

Just looking in the oil tank when I fill it up though I'm guessing a little more than a half tank of oil / tank gas.
 
I think I'll start filling the oil every time I gas up. Can't take more than an extra minute and might save hours of grief.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
I always have had the belief that oil is cheaper than metal.
Click to expand...

+ 1000 1 to 1 or very close except on a real short bar. I E 14 or 12" A C
 
That 450 isn't going to be running a 24"+ Bar, ever, so it may not have a very big oil pump installed for that reason.

That's true about Stihl chain not needing as much oil as other brands. So long as it flings off the nose of the bar a bit, it's good.
 
My Husky 350 runs pretty close to 1:1 gas:eek:il per fill up. I have always just filled both every time I run out of gas. Seemed prudent?

Never really looked to see how much oil was in there but from what I could/can tell it seems close to empty. I always check the oil spray on a log end or the snow before I start cutting for the day. As long as I get some spray I feel like it is working properly. If it is not spraying - or spraying very little I open it up and spray it all out with air. Works for me.

JM2C
 
BobUrban said:
My Husky 350 runs pretty close to 1:1 gas:eek:il per fill up. I have always just filled both every time I run out of gas. Seemed prudent?

Never really looked to see how much oil was in there but from what I could/can tell it seems close to empty. I always check the oil spray on a log end or the snow before I start cutting for the day. As long as I get some spray I feel like it is working properly. If it is not spraying - or spraying very little I open it up and spray it all out with air. Works for me.

JM2C
Click to expand...
+1 for me, not sure how much oil is left in tank but it sure looks like not that much.
 
oldspark said:
smokinjay said:
oldspark said:
Kenster said:
Adios Pantalones said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
Click to expand...
That's what I have been reading for the last 30 years or so, one to one.
Click to expand...

30 years ago yes. No newer pro saw that I have ran is no better than 3/4 of a tank of oil per 1 tank of gas.
Click to expand...
Not a pro saw but my new 361 is doing the same thing. The 045, 009L, 028 super all do it, junk I tell ya junk.
Click to expand...

361 is a pro saw....But you really dont need to be throwing 1:1 anyways...
 
smokinjay said:
oldspark said:
smokinjay said:
oldspark said:
Kenster said:
Adios Pantalones" date="1326317631 said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
Click to expand...
That's what I have been reading for the last 30 years or so, one to one.
Click to expand...

30 years ago yes. No newer pro saw that I have ran is no better than 3/4 of a tank of oil per 1 tank of gas.
Click to expand...
Not a pro saw but my new 361 is doing the same thing. The 045, 009L, 028 super all do it, junk I tell ya junk.
Click to expand...

361 is a pro saw....But you really dont need to be throwing 1:1 anyways...
Click to expand...
Next time I use the saw I will see how much oil is left in the tank on refill, does it have an adjustment for that, I can look in the manual later.
 
oldspark said:
smokinjay said:
oldspark said:
smokinjay said:
oldspark said:
Kenster" date="1326322785 said:
Adios Pantalones" date="1326317631 said:
Experts will chime in, but generally you want to be using almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. If you can see a little spray then you're probably in good shape. Cold weather may slow down the oil a bit as well because it thickens- mine looked like hot pizza cheese when I filled my tank last
Click to expand...

Tank of oil per tank of gas sounds on the heavy side to me. Is that the standard? My MS390 is a perfect 2/1 ratio. The oil tank is almost, but not quite, empty at the second gas fill up. So every other fill up, I stop, gas it up, add oil, hand sharpen the chain, and take a short break.
Click to expand...
That's what I have been reading for the last 30 years or so, one to one.
Click to expand...

30 years ago yes. No newer pro saw that I have ran is no better than 3/4 of a tank of oil per 1 tank of gas.
Click to expand...
Not a pro saw but my new 361 is doing the same thing. The 045, 009L, 028 super all do it, junk I tell ya junk.
Click to expand...

361 is a pro saw....But you really dont need to be throwing 1:1 anyways...
Click to expand...
Next time I use the saw I will see how much oil is left in the tank on refill, does it have an adjustment for that, I can look in the manual later.
Click to expand...

Yes there is an adjuster on the bottom of the saw. (Screw)
 
WoodpileOCD said:
Never really considered the ratio of oil used to gas used because I've always filled up both at the same time. Needs gas then fill up the oil too. I was just taught that you don't EVER want to run out of oil so get in the habit of filling both at the same time. I'm with Savage, oil is WAY cheaper than burning up a chain.

Just looking in the oil tank when I fill it up though I'm guessing a little more than a half tank of oil / tank gas.
Click to expand...

That's the way I've always done it too. Whenever I either top off the tank or have to fill it completely,I check/top off the oil also.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Manitoulin Maples
Stihl MS 261 Review
Replies
20
Views
52K
The Gear
danthedewman1
D
Top Bottom
Back