Husqvarna X-Guard “all season” bar oil

[Ashful]

So, I’ve been running the Stihl orange and blue gallon jug bar oils for years, essentially orange most of the year, switching to blue when it’s so cold the orange barely pours. I also often make my own blue by mixing a little diesel in with the orange to eyeballed viscosity based on my long experience with both products, given stores around here often go out of stock on the blue.

But I just picked up a gallon of “premium all season” bar oil from Husqvarna and I’m trying to determine its actual temperature range spec, realizing there may not actually be one. Two different places on Husqvarna’s own site separately list the low temperature limit at either 15F or 32F, and I can’t find the high temp limit anywhere. Anyone know, for sure?

 

[EbS-P]

What’s the eyeball viscosity meter telling you?

 

[Ashful]

Good question. Haven't cracked the seal yet, but I'm probably one fill of a saw away from needing to. Weather here is wet and warm today, so too muddy to split wood. Gotta wait for things to freeze up, again.

But I was also of the impression that these products use unique tackifiers, or so they all claim, such that my experience with only Stihl bar oil may not visibly translate very well to Husqvarna. One might be thinner or thicker than the other, by design?

 

[ABMax24]

I keep it simple. The orange x-guard oil (oil is purple) gets used above freezing. The white jug with blue label (oil is clear) premium oil gets used below freezing. I was told the white jug was low temp, but I'll have to actually confirm that tonight when I get home.

I've used the premium white jug with blue label down to -25c (-13f) without issue. Usually in cold temps I'm working in snow and not dirt, so having minimal oil on the chain is acceptable. The chain stays cool in those temps anyway.

I think the white jug has been discontinued, so I'll probably go to the x-guard low temp if I can find it for winter.

 

[Ashful]

Well, to add confusion to your description, they also have a regular product spec’d to 32F that comes in an orange bottle, but isn’t labeled “all season”. This is why I tend to suspect that if the two conflicting spec’s I’ve seen published, the 15F number is probably correct for the all season.

I’m a much bigger fan of anything labeled Stihl, saws, oil, and other implements. They don’t have nearly as much stupid confusion and incorrect published info, at least in my limited experience.

This was a quick “I need oil, and Amazon has Husq quicker and cheaper than Stihl,” experience. But I am already regretting deviating from my usual.

 

[Eman85]

I've stuck with Stihl orange jug bar oil, never used the silver synthetic it might be thinner. I have mixed some used motor oil with the Stihl oil to thin it a little for 1 saw I have that doesn't like feeding the Stihl oil straight. How much did you give for the Husqvarna X-Guard oil? I looked on Amazon and it's $24, I thought I got hosed the other day at $18 for Stihl.

 

[blades]

cold temps 5w30 and be done with it. in the olden days 30 weight was the go to all year long with a little cutting if below zero (F) with diesel. lately i am tempted just to go back to old school as the various bar/chain oils do not seem to be cutting it particularly in the warm months. There are some other issues as well like chain stretching, which seems to be much more common than days gone by in .050 chassis chains.

 

[ABMax24]

I keep it simple. The orange x-guard oil (oil is purple) gets used above freezing. The white jug with blue label (oil is clear) premium oil gets used below freezing. I was told the white jug was low temp, but I'll have to actually confirm that tonight when I get home.

I've used the premium white jug with blue label down to -25c (-13f) without issue. Usually in cold temps I'm working in snow and not dirt, so having minimal oil on the chain is acceptable. The chain stays cool in those temps anyway.

I think the white jug has been discontinued, so I'll probably go to the x-guard low temp if I can find it for winter.

Yes my white jug says "low temperature" on it. Never had an issue with it in the winter.

I think its really easy to overthink bar oil, the window for effective operation is pretty wide. I think my saw has enough adjustment in the oiler that I could run summer or winter bar oil year round and maintain effective lubrication. Really the oil lasts what, 5 minutes on the bar before being flung off. I'd buy the cheapest stuff available, except that I can get Husqvarna bar oil at the same price as most hardware store "house brands", and I get to support my local saw shop while I'm at it.

 

[Ashful]

How much did you give for the Husqvarna X-Guard oil? I looked on Amazon and it's $24, I thought I got hosed the other day at $18 for Stihl.

$29/gal. Amazon is fast, not cheap. Don't use them if you're at all sensitive to price. I regularly expect to pay 50% more at Amazon than the cheapest source, on pretty much everything.

So, I was out in the shop today putting a tube in the tubeless but now leaking log splitter tire, and grabbed this new jug of Husqvarna "All Season" oil off the shelf. While the Husqvarna site lists this product as good to 15F, it says "down to 32F" on the jug itself.

While I'm perfectly aware that people own chainsaws in Florida, to my woodburning-centric mindset of chainsaw usage, this is a complete joke. Almost all of my wood cutting happens at temperatures below 32F, where the label on the jug says don't use this stuff. I'd venture to say it would be more accurate to label this stuff "no season" than "all season", for most cutters on this site.

I think its really easy to overthink bar oil, the window for effective operation is pretty wide. I think my saw has enough adjustment in the oiler that I could run summer or winter bar oil year round and maintain effective lubrication.

I usually agree with everything you say, especially when it comes to oil, but not here! My 064 AV has no oiler adjustment, I believe my Husqvarna T435 top handle does not either, and these are my two most-used saws. My 036 PRO has an oiler adjustment, but it's effing impossible to find, and even worse to fiddle with. After fighting with the stupid thing several times, I've learned to just leave it on max open all the time. German saw designers tend to be pretty stingy with their oilers in general.

I think I'll end up mixing most of this jug with diesel to get me thru this winter, in the end not that different than what I always did with the Stihl oils, but with a 10°F higher change-over temperature on this product. Most of my wood cutting happens at temperatures 15F to 30F, as my work area tends to get muddy in daylight at anything over 30F, and this range represents most of our winter. I generally ran the Stihl orange jug straight most days, and it flows well enough. The Husqvarna can be mixed with a little diesel to it's range below the specified 32F.

 

[ABMax24]

$29/gal. Amazon is fast, not cheap. Don't use them if you're at all sensitive to price. I regularly expect to pay 50% more at Amazon than the cheapest source, on pretty much everything.

So, I was out in the shop today putting a tube in the tubeless but now leaking log splitter tire, and grabbed this new jug of Husqvarna "All Season" oil off the shelf. While the Husqvarna site lists this product as good to 15F, it says "down to 32F" on the jug itself.

While I'm perfectly aware that people own chainsaws in Florida, to my woodburning-centric mindset of chainsaw usage, this is a complete joke. Almost all of my wood cutting happens at temperatures below 32F, where the label on the jug says don't use this stuff. I'd venture to say it would be more accurate to label this stuff "no season" than "all season", for most cutters on this site.


I usually agree with everything you say, especially when it comes to oil, but not here! My 064 AV has no oiler adjustment, I believe my Husqvarna T435 top handle does not either, and these are my two most-used saws. My 036 PRO has an oiler adjustment, but it's effing impossible to find, and even worse to fiddle with. After fighting with the stupid thing several times, I've learned to just leave it on max open all the time. German saw designers tend to be pretty stingy with their oilers in general.

I think I'll end up mixing most of this jug with diesel to get me thru this winter, in the end not that different than what I always did with the Stihl oils, but with a 10°F higher change-over temperature on this product. Most of my wood cutting happens at temperatures 15F to 30F, as my work area tends to get muddy in daylight at anything over 30F, and this range represents most of our winter. I generally ran the Stihl orange jug straight most days, and it flows well enough. The Husqvarna can be mixed with a little diesel to it's range below the specified 32F.

Husqvarna lists the all season oil at 32f in Canada (my jug matches this), and the low temp oil to 15f in Canada. Both jugs look the same minus the all season or snowflake symbol in the corner of the label.

My theory is I'd rather have a little of a still tacky and thick oil on my chain, than a larger amount of less tacky and thinner oil diluted by solvent. If I was going to dilute it I'd probably use ATF. But I've never had an issue with lack of chain lubrication on my saw, so I don't mess with a good thing.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I get the tackiest oil I can find. Most of my oil comes off as soon as the chain goes around the tip, so the only chance it gets for lubrication is the top of the bar. One downfall of ported saws and higher chain speed.

I leave the oul in the car/truck where it is warmer. The stuff I have now will string 2 feet as you pull the jug away and actually sticks to the chain pretty well. I don't remember what it is though. I'll see if I can find out.

 

[Ashful]

Husqvarna lists the all season oil at 32f in Canada (my jug matches this), and the low temp oil to 15f in Canada.

so if their “low temp” oil is good only down to 15f, what do these guys expect Canadians use on days below 15f? I do believe it tends to get cold up there. 😀

 

[Isaac Carlson]

To be fair, it just has to make it into the tank. The muffler warms it up for the pump.

 

[Ashful]

To be fair, it just has to make it into the tank. The muffler warms it up for the pump.

Eventually. But I don’t let my cold saw idle long enough for that to actually happen, when it’s time to start cutting.

 

[ABMax24]

so if their “low temp” oil is good only down to 15f, what do these guys expect Canadians use on days below 15f? I do believe it tends to get cold up there. 😀

This is what I use, granted I don't cut in -40, but I've cut with it down to -25c (-13f) . Recommendations are meant to be broken, like my pickup, it's recommended to be plugged in at lower than -15c (5f), if I need to go somewhere at -33c (-27f) I know when I walk outside it will start without the block heater, its not happy about it, but I'll get where I'm going, cycling the glow plugs a couple times before the first crank makes a big difference.

 

[Tonty]

Like has been mentioned, I also don’t like the winter grade stuff. I use only Stihl oil, but I quit using the cold weather formula and went back to the regular. I didn’t like how “runny” the cold weather formula was after running for awhile. If necessary, I’ll put it somewhere a bit warmer (like cab of truck) to make it easier to pour. It’s not usually real cold here, though. I have cut in weather down to 0 F, and of course since it’s Kansas, there was wind.

 

[Ashful]

Cool. My shop is heated, so I guess I can just start keeping it there, rather than in the shed with the saws. The shed warms up during the day, due to having a metal roof, but it's basically the same as outside once things cool off at night.

I personally never had an issue with the Stihl cold weather formula, tho. Once the regular got too thick to easily pour, I'd switch the blue jug, and it worked just fine for me. Never had an issue with running out of oil before fuel, which would be my biggest concern with anything too liquid.

I don't really believe there's any issue with it flinging off the chain too fast, as some others have expressed. There's a constant supply of oil coming into the bar, I really don't care how much of if it hangs around for the next rotation, it's being constantly replaced.

 

[Tonty]

Yes, I know it’s more of a mind thing with me than anything. I know the blue jug does just great in cold weather, but my mind tells me to use the orange. 😂

 

[Newbie78]

I generally use winter oil almost year round with all of my oilers turned up full. No chain stretch after break-in (that is usually caused by too-tight chains).

most all-season oils are way too thick for winter use here. I cut whatever needs to be cut in almost any weather. Shoulda bought at least one heated handle saw...

there is no comparison between purpose-made, tacky bar oil and regular motor oil. But to each their own...

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Engine oil is not good for bars. It's better than nothing, but not great.

 

[Matt93eg]

I usually buy the white jug from Husqvarna, last time I needed a jug they only had the orange jug in stock so I grabbed it. It's quite a bit thicker than the white jug, haven't used it when real cold yet but I expect it wont be ideal at all.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I just looked and I have x-guard all season, orange jug. It's a little thick in the cold, but not horrible.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Been using just the all season in the orange container and never had any problems. But it's rare I do any cutting when it's below 32f. Below that I'm at the the stove with coffee.

 

[Ashful]

Been using just the all season in the orange container and never had any problems. But it's rare I do any cutting when it's below 32f. Below that I'm at the the stove with coffee.

Too muddy above 30F! I do all my cutting below that, the colder the better, as long as it's not windy.

 

[Eman85]

FWIW I was at Rural King and they have deals on a few oils one was winter 20w bar oil, tthe sale brands were 7.99 and 8.99. For some reason they have the Stihl orange for 12.99 which is 1/3 less than the Stihl dealer. I didn't think Stihl allowed any discounts, I saw they had MS250's discounted also. maybe Stihl is going to make the same deal as the others have done.