Canola Oil

[thewoodlands]

With colder weather coming in sooner or later, down to what temps can I still run it (Canola Oil) in the chainsaws?


zap

 

[smokinj]

Any unless the oil freezes (never it that before)...Its a little thinner than bar oil and works well in cold temps.

 

[Thistle]

With colder weather coming in sooner or later, down to what temps can I still run it (Canola Oil) in the chainsaws?


zap

Last February I had about a quart of leftover cheap olive oil that I used one week when it got below 25 or so.Soon afterwards switched to used motor oil I filter myself.Use that year round now when its above 25,even in summer.Always had trouble with the regular thick bar oil flowing in colder temps.Gonna get a couple gallons of generic canola soon,thats around $10 now.

 

[thewoodlands]

Smokin and Thistle thanks. Looks like this weekend depending on the weather I'll start cutting again, we have about 4-5 Cherry in the same area. If we have any that are good in the middle I might save one for milling.

zap

 

[MasterMech]

With colder weather coming in sooner or later, down to what temps can I still run it (Canola Oil) in the chainsaws?


zap

Last February I had about a quart of leftover cheap olive oil that I used one week when it got below 25 or so.Soon afterwards switched to used motor oil I filter myself.Use that year round now when its above 25,even in summer.Always had trouble with the regular thick bar oil flowing in colder temps.Gonna get a couple gallons of generic canola soon,thats around $10 now.

:bug: Not really a recomended or enviromentally sound practice. :zip:

 

[MasterMech]

Just a stupid question but why Canola oil? Cheap? Enviromental reasons?

Zap I have used Stihl's Arctic oil (Blue Jug) but once the saw is warmed up I noticed regular bar oil flows just fine. Trouble is getting it to flow out of the bottle at 10 degrees.

 

[thewoodlands]

Just a stupid question but why Canola oil? Cheap? Enviromental reasons?

Zap I have used Stihl's Arctic oil (Blue Jug) but once the saw is warmed up I noticed regular bar oil flows just fine. Trouble is getting it to flow out of the bottle at 10 degrees.

1.Safer for me
2.Environmental
3. Less Expensive

When I started milling the change was made to Canola Oil.

zap

 

[smokinj]

Just a stupid question but why Canola oil? Cheap? Enviromental reasons?

Zap I have used Stihl's Arctic oil (Blue Jug) but once the saw is warmed up I noticed regular bar oil flows just fine. Trouble is getting it to flow out of the bottle at 10 degrees.

1.Safer for me
2.Environmental
3. Less Expensive

When I started milling the change was made to Canola Oil.

zap

4. No staining of wood.
5. flows better in cold temps.
6. Better than stihl eco blend doesnt gel.
7. Much easier to keep saw clean!
8. Easy to tell if your push the saw to hard. (smells like french frys)
9. Wife can pick up and the grocery store!

 

[thewoodlands]

Just a stupid question but why Canola oil? Cheap? Enviromental reasons?

Zap I have used Stihl's Arctic oil (Blue Jug) but once the saw is warmed up I noticed regular bar oil flows just fine. Trouble is getting it to flow out of the bottle at 10 degrees.

1.Safer for me
2.Environmental
3. Less Expensive

When I started milling the change was made to Canola Oil.

zap

4. No staining of wood.
5. flows better in cold temps.
6. Better than stihl eco blend doesnt gel.
7. Much easier to keep saw clean!
8. Easy to tell if your push the saw to hard. (smells like french frys)

9. You can fry up a TURKEY!


zap

 

[smokinj]

Just a stupid question but why Canola oil? Cheap? Enviromental reasons?

Zap I have used Stihl's Arctic oil (Blue Jug) but once the saw is warmed up I noticed regular bar oil flows just fine. Trouble is getting it to flow out of the bottle at 10 degrees.

1.Safer for me
2.Environmental
3. Less Expensive

When I started milling the change was made to Canola Oil.

zap

4. No staining of wood.
5. flows better in cold temps.
6. Better than stihl eco blend doesnt gel.
7. Much easier to keep saw clean!
8. Easy to tell if your push the saw to hard. (smells like french frys)

9. You can fry up a TURKEY!


zap

10. filter it afterwards and run it through the saw!

 

[CountryBoy19]

With colder weather coming in sooner or later, down to what temps can I still run it (Canola Oil) in the chainsaws?


zap

Last February I had about a quart of leftover cheap olive oil that I used one week when it got below 25 or so.Soon afterwards switched to used motor oil I filter myself.Use that year round now when its above 25,even in summer.Always had trouble with the regular thick bar oil flowing in colder temps.Gonna get a couple gallons of generic canola soon,thats around $10 now.

:bug: Not really a recomended or enviromentally sound practice. :zip:

That is one of the most heavily debated controversies regarding chainsaws and not a single person has ever been able show a shred of evidence that running used motor oil is a bad thing. The ONLY argument that has any ground to stand on is the fact that it is messy; it will turn your saw and clothes black. Without causing too much of a thread-jack, do you have any new evidence to add to this controversy?

 

[smokinj]

With colder weather coming in sooner or later, down to what temps can I still run it (Canola Oil) in the chainsaws?


zap

Last February I had about a quart of leftover cheap olive oil that I used one week when it got below 25 or so.Soon afterwards switched to used motor oil I filter myself.Use that year round now when its above 25,even in summer.Always had trouble with the regular thick bar oil flowing in colder temps.Gonna get a couple gallons of generic canola soon,thats around $10 now.

:bug: Not really a recomended or enviromentally sound practice. :zip:

That is one of the most heavily debated controversies regarding chainsaws and not a single person has ever been able show a shred of evidence that running used motor oil is a bad thing. The ONLY argument that has any ground to stand on is the fact that it is messy; it will turn your saw and clothes black. Without causing too much of a thread-jack, do you have any new evidence to add to this controversy?

That debate will go on forever! Hard to argue Veggie Oil! ;-)

 

[CountryBoy19]

That debate will go on forever! Hard to argue Veggie Oil! ;-)

Yup, pretty easy to settle the argument between used motor oil and veg oil in milling lumber... unless you like the character of the black oil stains from the used motor oil, veg oil is your friend.

 

[smokinj]

That debate will go on forever! Hard to argue Veggie Oil! ;-)

Yup, pretty easy to settle the argument between used motor oil and veg oil in milling lumber... unless you like the character of the black oil stains from the used motor oil, veg oil is your friend.

Works very well in the cross cut too!

 

[MasterMech]

No issues with running Canola on long bars? (36"+) I know the "Bar & Chain" oils have a tack additive that makes the oil sticky.

Jay, #8 is prob the best argument I've heard for Canola yet, lol.

 

[MasterMech]

With colder weather coming in sooner or later, down to what temps can I still run it (Canola Oil) in the chainsaws?


zap

Last February I had about a quart of leftover cheap olive oil that I used one week when it got below 25 or so.Soon afterwards switched to used motor oil I filter myself.Use that year round now when its above 25,even in summer.Always had trouble with the regular thick bar oil flowing in colder temps.Gonna get a couple gallons of generic canola soon,thats around $10 now.

:bug: Not really a recomended or enviromentally sound practice. :zip:

That is one of the most heavily debated controversies regarding chainsaws and not a single person has ever been able show a shred of evidence that running used motor oil is a bad thing. The ONLY argument that has any ground to stand on is the fact that it is messy; it will turn your saw and clothes black. Without causing too much of a thread-jack, do you have any new evidence to add to this controversy?

Just seems to me that we change our engine oil because it has lost it's ability to lubricate well (not totally I understand, it a "one last time" kind of application.) and has become saturated with contaminates. Filter the oil, ok that removes the solids but I highly doubt we are using a filter effective enough to remove the ultra-fine particles of soot (which is why the oil is black, especially from a diesel) and what about the chemical contaminates in the used oil? Usually corrosive, and carcinogenic to boot. Also it kinda seems that running a quart of used oil through the saw and dumping it on the ground near the log are kinda the same thing? Nobody seems to care if you run used oil in your saw but they damn sure get agitated if they see you dumping it on the ground.

The mess alone would be reason enough for me not to run used oil. I keep my equipment way too clean for that. It just doesn't make sense when used oil can be diposed of properly for free and proper bar oil can be had for about $7 a gallon. Plus any of the affordable, enviro-frendly alternatives, like Canola oil.

 

[CountryBoy19]

If you really want to debate this I'll go ahead and pick your post apart piece by piece with counter arguments. But I can tell you right now that we will not agree, and you still haven't provided a single shred of credible evidence, which is what I asked for in my first response to you.

Just seems to me that we change our engine oil because it has lost it's ability to lubricate well (not totally I understand, it a "one last time" kind of application.) and has become saturated with contaminates. Filter the oil, ok that removes the solids but I highly doubt we are using a filter effective enough to remove the ultra-fine particles of soot (which is why the oil is black, especially from a diesel)

There is a very big difference between the lubrication in your engine and the lubrication of a saw chain.

Your engine has soft metal bearings. Those particulates in the oil can damage those bearings, especially in the extremely tight tolerances of a modern engine. In an engine the oil is being recycled time and time again in a continuous loop.

OTOH, your saw B&C are made of hardened steel, and they are already being run in a literal "minefield" of particulates and contaminants (think about all the dirt, chips, etc that are on your B&C). In a saw, the oil is being replenished as it is slung off or is passed off to the wood/chips.

and what about the chemical contaminates in the used oil? Usually corrosive, and carcinogenic to boot.

IMHO, negligible, and is only a valid concern if there is evidence to back it up that those contaminants actually cause damage when used in a saw.

Also it kinda seems that running a quart of used oil through the saw and dumping it on the ground near the log are kinda the same thing? Nobody seems to care if you run used oil in your saw but they damn sure get agitated if they see you dumping it on the ground.

Your saw naturally disperses the oil very thinly over a large area. I can several truck-loads of firewood on a quart of oil. Dispersed over the area that all that wood comes from the environmental impact is very, very low. Mother nature has shown us time and time again that she is very efficient at cleaning up chemical waste left by mankind. Look at the historic oil spills and how people predicted that it would be decades before the environment effectively recovered from the impacts of the spill. And look how fast mother nature actually recovered. She recovers much faster than many would allow you to believe, especially when the spill is effectively dispersed. That is much different than dumping a quart of oil on the ground, but I will play along. Even if it wasn't any different, it would be a moot point if you are using conventional B&C oil. That is oil too, it just has a tack additive in it. So you are still dumping oil. The only way to make this an effective argument (disregarding oil dispersion mentioned above) is if you are going to be using canola oil or eco-friendly oils which can still be disruptive to the environment.

The mess alone would be reason enough for me not to run used oil. I keep my equipment way too clean for that.

Like I said, that is the only valid point that has real evidence to back it up and any average joe can test this argument himself to see.

I personally don't run used oil for that very reason.

It just doesn't make sense when used oil can be diposed of properly for free and

And how is used motor oil disposed of properly? Do you know?

A good portion of that "proper" disposal is by burning, where the "harmful" chemicals entrapped in the oil will become airborne, and even more harmful to the environment than if they were widely dispersed on the ground. Another "proper" disposal is where the oil is heavily filtered and then re-used for other lubrication purposes. Who knows where the harmful chemicals end up after that?

proper bar oil can be had for about $7 a gallon. Plus any of the affordable, enviro-frendly alternatives, like Canola oil.

True, but you're buying a new oil product, creating more demand for oil, and still putting oil into the environment.

IMHO, the environmental impact from re-using a quart of oil is much lower than pumping a 2nd quart of oil out of the ground to use it, and then "disposing" of the first quart of oil.


Thread-jack done on my part.

This thread is about canola oil. Canola will will gel up at temps around 0 to -25 F IIRC from my bio-fuels research in college. It is very dependent on the source of the oil and specifically what oils are in the blend. We had to test every single batch of canola oil we used to determine it's flame/flash point, and gel point.

 

[smokinj]

No issues with running Canola on long bars? (36"+) I know the "Bar & Chain" oils have a tack additive that makes the oil sticky.

Jay, #8 is prob the best argument I've heard for Canola yet, lol.

I am running 41inch "Hard Nose" bar milling in logs 36 inchs wide. At times you will get a french fry smell. Time to cool, this would be after a 5 min. or more run in walnut that has set for a year or more. With cross cutting there would be no issue;s running it stright all the time. Biggest and hardest cross cut I have done is in my avatar 55 inch red oak around 2 min's a cut No Issues.

 

[MasterMech]

"Your saw naturally disperses the oil very thinly over a large area. I can several truck-loads of firewood on a quart of oil. Dispersed over the area that all that wood comes from the environmental impact is very, very low."

So that makes it OK?

The tailpipe emissions from one car have an extremely low impact on the atmosphere too. Good thing we don't all run used oil in our saws....

I'm running up the white flag here 'cause you're right about one thing - We're never going to see eye to eye on this one. :zip:

 

[smokinj]

Sounds like people forgot the post "Canola Oil" Wow where does used motor oil really fit in with that?

 

[Battenkiller]

I've been using canola for about a year now. Most chainsaw carvers like it because the saw is often right there in your face (dangerous, yes, I know) and they feel it is safer to breathe canola mist than bar oil mist. Plus, it smells better, pollutes your backyard less (especially if you have a well), and has very fine lubricating qualities.

This weekend I went to a carving get together and fired up the saws for the first time in weeks. My 346XP started on the third pull, but after I let it warm up for a few minutes and took the chain brake off, the chain didn't budge when I hit the throttle. I reset and released the chain brake several times, but it seemed that the brake was stuck.

I shut the saw off to check it out and noticed that the chain seemed to be frozen to the bar. Plenty of slack was visible (hard-nose carving bars need looser chains), but even the slack chain seemed stiff. I tried to pull the chain out of the top groove, but it was stuck in there pretty good. I fussed with it for a minute and got it all free and then hit the throttle and the saw revved fine and threw oil on the wood, so I assumed all was fine.

About an hour later, one of the gals carvers started cursing at her 339XP. Wouldn't oil and her chain overheated and seized up in the bar grooved. A very experienced carver for England was there, and he asked her what kind of oil she was using and she told him it was canola oil. "There's your problem." He took her saw apart and pulled the plastic oiler gear and it was stripped. He said it was from running the veggie oil. It hardens in thin coats almost like a varnish if you let the saw set for a while.

I checked my Dolmar electric (hasn't been run since spring) and it was bound up tight with dried canola as well.

So, after recommending this stuff to any and all for a year now, I'm beginning to have my doubts. Particularly if you are just falling and bucking trees for firewood. Streaks of bar oil are not a nice thing to find on your fine carvings, but I don't think your stove really gives a crap. I'd proceed with caution with this stuff, I see the potential for expensive saw repairs with it, or at least with the cheapo Wal-Mart canola I've been using. I did a search on a carving forum I frequent and came up with everything right down to blowed up saws being attributed to using canola.


http://www.network54.com/Forum/118564/message/1241198531/canola+oil+I'm+done

I'm gonna continue using it, but a little more observantly. No fun driving hours to an event only to find that you suddenly need a hard-to-find part and can't carve.

 

[smokinj]

I've been using canola for about a year now. Most chainsaw carvers like it because the saw is often right there in your face (dangerous, yes, I know) and they feel it is safer to breathe canola mist than bar oil mist. Plus, it smells better, pollutes your backyard less (especially if you have a well), and has very fine lubricating qualities.

This weekend I went to a carving get together and fired up the saws for the first time in weeks. My 346XP started on the third pull, but after I let it warm up for a few minutes and took the chain brake off, the chain didn't budge when I hit the throttle. I reset and released the chain brake several times, but it seemed that the brake was stuck.

I shut the saw off to check it out and noticed that the chain seemed to be frozen to the bar. Plenty of slack was visible (hard-nose carving bars need looser chains), but even the slack chain seemed stiff. I tried to pull the chain out of the top groove, but it was stuck in there pretty good. I fussed with it for a minute and got it all free and then hit the throttle and the saw revved fine and threw oil on the wood, so I assumed all was fine.

About an hour later, one of the gals carvers started cursing at her 339XP. Wouldn't oil and her chain overheated and seized up in the bar grooved. A very experienced carver for England was there, and he asked her what kind of oil she was using and she told him it was canola oil. "There's your problem." He took her saw apart and pulled the plastic oiler gear and it was stripped. He said it was from running the veggie oil. It hardens in thin coats almost like a varnish if you let the saw set for a while.

I checked my Dolmar electric (hasn't been run since spring) and it was bound up tight with dried canola as well.

So, after recommending this stuff to any and all for a year now, I'm beginning to have my doubts. Particularly if you are just falling and bucking trees for firewood. Streaks of bar oil are not a nice thing to find on your fine carvings, but I don't think your stove really gives a crap. I'd proceed with caution with this stuff, I see the potential for expensive saw repairs with it, or at least with the cheapo Wal-Mart canola I've been using. I did a search on a carving forum I frequent and came up with everything right down to blowed up saws being attributed to using canola.


http://www.network54.com/Forum/118564/message/1241198531/canola+oil+I'm+done

I'm gonna continue using it, but a little more observantly. No fun driving hours to an event only to find that you suddenly need a hard-to-find part and can't carve.

That saw is the worst maintain saw I have ever seen. Even over one that set in a barn over 50 years right next to the west coast salt air. Shame on that guy! It would appear that its time he look at a maintaining a saw thread and not what oil to use...lmao!

 

[thewoodlands]

I've been using canola for about a year now. Most chainsaw carvers like it because the saw is often right there in your face (dangerous, yes, I know) and they feel it is safer to breathe canola mist than bar oil mist. Plus, it smells better, pollutes your backyard less (especially if you have a well), and has very fine lubricating qualities.

This weekend I went to a carving get together and fired up the saws for the first time in weeks. My 346XP started on the third pull, but after I let it warm up for a few minutes and took the chain brake off, the chain didn't budge when I hit the throttle. I reset and released the chain brake several times, but it seemed that the brake was stuck.

I shut the saw off to check it out and noticed that the chain seemed to be frozen to the bar. Plenty of slack was visible (hard-nose carving bars need looser chains), but even the slack chain seemed stiff. I tried to pull the chain out of the top groove, but it was stuck in there pretty good. I fussed with it for a minute and got it all free and then hit the throttle and the saw revved fine and threw oil on the wood, so I assumed all was fine.

About an hour later, one of the gals carvers started cursing at her 339XP. Wouldn't oil and her chain overheated and seized up in the bar grooved. A very experienced carver for England was there, and he asked her what kind of oil she was using and she told him it was canola oil. "There's your problem." He took her saw apart and pulled the plastic oiler gear and it was stripped. He said it was from running the veggie oil. It hardens in thin coats almost like a varnish if you let the saw set for a while.

I checked my Dolmar electric (hasn't been run since spring) and it was bound up tight with dried canola as well.

So, after recommending this stuff to any and all for a year now, I'm beginning to have my doubts. Particularly if you are just falling and bucking trees for firewood. Streaks of bar oil are not a nice thing to find on your fine carvings, but I don't think your stove really gives a crap. I'd proceed with caution with this stuff, I see the potential for expensive saw repairs with it, or at least with the cheapo Wal-Mart canola I've been using. I did a search on a carving forum I frequent and came up with everything right down to blowed up saws being attributed to using canola.


http://www.network54.com/Forum/118564/message/1241198531/canola+oil+I'm+done

I'm gonna continue using it, but a little more observantly. No fun driving hours to an event only to find that you suddenly need a hard-to-find part and can't carve.

That saw is the worst maintain saw I have ever seen. Even over one that set in a barn over 50 years right next to the west coast salt air. Shame on that guy! It would appear that its time he look at a maintaining a saw thread and not what oil to use...lmao!

+10 on that.

 

[smokinj]

I've been using canola for about a year now. Most chainsaw carvers like it because the saw is often right there in your face (dangerous, yes, I know) and they feel it is safer to breathe canola mist than bar oil mist. Plus, it smells better, pollutes your backyard less (especially if you have a well), and has very fine lubricating qualities.

This weekend I went to a carving get together and fired up the saws for the first time in weeks. My 346XP started on the third pull, but after I let it warm up for a few minutes and took the chain brake off, the chain didn't budge when I hit the throttle. I reset and released the chain brake several times, but it seemed that the brake was stuck.

I shut the saw off to check it out and noticed that the chain seemed to be frozen to the bar. Plenty of slack was visible (hard-nose carving bars need looser chains), but even the slack chain seemed stiff. I tried to pull the chain out of the top groove, but it was stuck in there pretty good. I fussed with it for a minute and got it all free and then hit the throttle and the saw revved fine and threw oil on the wood, so I assumed all was fine.

About an hour later, one of the gals carvers started cursing at her 339XP. Wouldn't oil and her chain overheated and seized up in the bar grooved. A very experienced carver for England was there, and he asked her what kind of oil she was using and she told him it was canola oil. "There's your problem." He took her saw apart and pulled the plastic oiler gear and it was stripped. He said it was from running the veggie oil. It hardens in thin coats almost like a varnish if you let the saw set for a while.

I checked my Dolmar electric (hasn't been run since spring) and it was bound up tight with dried canola as well.

So, after recommending this stuff to any and all for a year now, I'm beginning to have my doubts. Particularly if you are just falling and bucking trees for firewood. Streaks of bar oil are not a nice thing to find on your fine carvings, but I don't think your stove really gives a crap. I'd proceed with caution with this stuff, I see the potential for expensive saw repairs with it, or at least with the cheapo Wal-Mart canola I've been using. I did a search on a carving forum I frequent and came up with everything right down to blowed up saws being attributed to using canola.


http://www.network54.com/Forum/118564/message/1241198531/canola+oil+I'm+done

I'm gonna continue using it, but a little more observantly. No fun driving hours to an event only to find that you suddenly need a hard-to-find part and can't carve.

That saw is the worst maintain saw I have ever seen. Even over one that set in a barn over 50 years right next to the west coast salt air. Shame on that guy! It would appear that its time he look at a maintaining a saw thread and not what oil to use...lmao!

+10 on that.

Heck I bet it would not matter what oil is in his saw's. Fins should be check every single time you use one, this is what keeps them cool! Milling action he would have blow it way before it got that bad! lol

 

[Thistle]

I've been using canola for about a year now. Most chainsaw carvers like it because the saw is often right there in your face (dangerous, yes, I know) and they feel it is safer to breathe canola mist than bar oil mist. Plus, it smells better, pollutes your backyard less (especially if you have a well), and has very fine lubricating qualities.

This weekend I went to a carving get together and fired up the saws for the first time in weeks. My 346XP started on the third pull, but after I let it warm up for a few minutes and took the chain brake off, the chain didn't budge when I hit the throttle. I reset and released the chain brake several times, but it seemed that the brake was stuck.

I shut the saw off to check it out and noticed that the chain seemed to be frozen to the bar. Plenty of slack was visible (hard-nose carving bars need looser chains), but even the slack chain seemed stiff. I tried to pull the chain out of the top groove, but it was stuck in there pretty good. I fussed with it for a minute and got it all free and then hit the throttle and the saw revved fine and threw oil on the wood, so I assumed all was fine.

About an hour later, one of the gals carvers started cursing at her 339XP. Wouldn't oil and her chain overheated and seized up in the bar grooved. A very experienced carver for England was there, and he asked her what kind of oil she was using and she told him it was canola oil. "There's your problem." He took her saw apart and pulled the plastic oiler gear and it was stripped. He said it was from running the veggie oil. It hardens in thin coats almost like a varnish if you let the saw set for a while.

I checked my Dolmar electric (hasn't been run since spring) and it was bound up tight with dried canola as well.

So, after recommending this stuff to any and all for a year now, I'm beginning to have my doubts. Particularly if you are just falling and bucking trees for firewood. Streaks of bar oil are not a nice thing to find on your fine carvings, but I don't think your stove really gives a crap. I'd proceed with caution with this stuff, I see the potential for expensive saw repairs with it, or at least with the cheapo Wal-Mart canola I've been using. I did a search on a carving forum I frequent and came up with everything right down to blowed up saws being attributed to using canola.


http://www.network54.com/Forum/118564/message/1241198531/canola+oil+I'm+done

I'm gonna continue using it, but a little more observantly. No fun driving hours to an event only to find that you suddenly need a hard-to-find part and can't carve.

That saw is the worst maintain saw I have ever seen. Even over one that set in a barn over 50 years right next to the west coast salt air. Shame on that guy! It would appear that its time he look at a maintaining a saw thread and not what oil to use...lmao!

+10 on that.

Heck I bet it would not matter what oil is in his saw's. Fins should be check every single time you use one, this is what keeps them cool! Milling action he would have blow it way before it got that bad! lol

There's NO substitute for regular/daily maintenance & checking things out before each cutting session.No matter if its 30 minutes of use or 8 hours.I would be lost without a good air compressor,even if I didnt use brad nailers & other tools also often.