What kind of oils can I use for chainsaw gas, electric, and bars

What kind of oils can I use for chainsaw gas, electric, and bars?- know everything!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Oil is important to keep your chainsaw engine parts lubricated to keep the engine working properly. If you do not use oil, then your chainsaw can cause friction and overheat, which can damage your chainsaw slowly.

A chainsaw uses chainsaw bar oil to lubricate the whole system, and as well as if you don’t have chainsaw bar oil, you can use motor oil, vegetable oil, or hydraulic fluid as an alternative.

Let’s get the detailed description and other aspects What kind of oils can I use for chainsaw gas, electric, and bars, and What happens if the chainsaw oil has gone bad?

What kind of oils can I use for chainsaw gas, electric, and bars

A gas chainsaw uses gasoline and octane fuel to run the motor to rotate the blade at a faster speed to cut through wood, and an electric chainsaw uses electric power to do that. But no matter if it is a gas chainsaw or an electric chainsaw, they both needed oiling to their chainsaw bar and chain.

When the chain moves on the chain bar or touches the cutting surface, it causes friction that generates excess heat, which can reduce cutting speed and efficiency and even damage and break the chain. But continuously oiling lubricates the chain and bar, which reduces these, and it is very much important for longer chainsaw and chain life.

Chainsaw oil

A gas and electric chainsaw uses chainsaw bar oil to lubricate the chainsaw. But it is not the only oil a gas chainsaw use; on a gas chainsaw, you can use motor oil, vegetable oil, and hydraulic fluid to do the same work.

But the thing is, the electric chainsaws can only use the chainsaw oil listed by the manufacturer for that model.

Note: It’s good to use the oil manufacturers recommended for your model. Before using any alternatives of the specific oil mentioned by the manufacturer, check the manual; neither wrong oil can damage your chainsaw.

Chainsaw bar oil types

Depending on the viscosity of the oil, chainsaw bar oil mainly comes in two types; summer and winter. The summer oil is thicker and heavier so that in hot temperatures, while cutting, it does not get so much thin to pull off from the chain.

The winter oil is thinner and lighter so that in cold temperatures while cutting, it does not get so much thick to reach the fridge point to block the chain on the bar.

Nowadays, multiple brands make another type of oil called all seasonal oil which is formulated in this way that it is not much thick and not much thin and placed in the middle position to work fluently in any season.

Choosing oil for a gas chainsaw

As I mentioned earlier, you can use other oils instead of chainsaw bar oil. You can consider different types of motor oil, vegetable oils, and hydraulic fluid for your gas chainsaw. These are 10w30 Motor Oil, 10w40 Motor Oil, 5w30 Motor Oil, Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, 2-stoke Oil, Gear Oil, and Hydraulic Oil. 

These are the alternatives to chainsaw bar oil. They are quite good to use and provide you with fluent results. If you want to know their advantages and disadvantages, you can read this article to know which alternative is more suitable for a chainsaw.

https://toolsgig.com/chainsaw-oil-alternatives/

Choosing oil for an electric chainsaw

Electric chainsaws don’t have oil substitution like gas chainsaws, which you can use instead of chainsaw bar oil. Instead, you have to use the recommended chainsaw oil mentioned by the manufacturer. 

If you use alternative oil like the gas chainsaw, your electric chainsaw could get damaged.

What happens if the chainsaw oil has gone bad?

A chainsaw oil has a self-life before opening self-life and after opening self-life within this time; if you don’t use it, it will get worse. Once your chainsaw has gone bad, then if you use it, it can affect your chainsaw engine and can reduce its performance.

Also, it can overheat the engine, break the engine, carburetor and can create other functional problems. The damage won’t be seen overnight; it will damage your chainsaw slowly.

How To change Chainsaw Engine Oil

Depending on the 2-cycle and 4-cycle engine chainsaw, changing the engine oil process is a little bit different. If you didn’t use your chainsaw for a long time or about 30 days, you should change the oil before using it.

2-cycle chainsaw engine

The 2-cycle versions have a single tank; you must mix gasoline and oil at the perfect ratio. As the gas and oil are mixed in the same place, you have to drain them in a gas-appropriate container.

First, loosen the gas cap and drain it on the gas-appropriate container. After being drained, tighten it and run the chainsaw until the rest of the oil runs out. Then prepare a new oil and gas mixture, put it in the tank, and tighten the fuel tank.

4-cycle chainsaw engine

The 4-cycle versions, on the other hand, have two tanks, one for gasoline and the other for oil. So, you can easily separate the oil from the tank, and you don’t need any special container.

First, open the oil tank cap, place the container, and drain the oil until it gets empty. After draining, refill the fresh oil and tighten the oil tank.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use engine oil as chain lube?

For temporary use, you can use engine oil as chain lube but can’t use it permanently for this oil viscosity. This oil thickness draws more dust while cutting, which blocks the movement of the chain, makes the cuts slower, and can damage your chainsaw slowly.

Can I use wd40 as chainsaw oil?

WD40 is mainly a rust prevention oil, but with this, it can do lubrication; for that reason, you can use wd40 as chainsaw oil. Also, the advantage you get using wd40 is you can protect your chainsaw chain and bar from rust and corrosion.

Can I use 2 stoke oil instead of chainsaw oil?

For temporary use, you can use 2 stoke oil as chain lube but can’t use it permanently. The 2-stoke oil is very thin and does not have that ratio of viscosity to stick to the chain, and it will use more oil while using the chainsaw. 
The 2-stroke oil is best for use on 2-stroke engines as you have to mix it with gasoline, and it blends perfectly with it and works as a good lube instead of a chainsaw oil.

Conclusion

Choosing the perfect chainsaw oil for your chainsaw, you can check the manual and use the recommended oil mentioned by the manufacturer for the specific model neither wrong can damage your chainsaw.

I hope you have got your answer and understand all the aspects. Thank you.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *