There has always been a controversy whether used motor oil is usable for chainsaw bar oil or not. Realizing the depth of the fact, we took an initiative to put an end to the argument. We did online research a lot and talked with the pros to come up with the exact answer.
What we did find is presented in this write up. It basically introduces you to both the positive and negative aspects of recycling used motor oil.
Apart from that, it shows you the correct methods of filtering the used oil before use. Moreover, you’re familiarized with the alternatives to chainsaw bar oil.
Why not use used motor oil for your chainsaw bar?
A number of reasons are there for discouraging you to use the used motor oil with a chainsaw. So, what the reasons are and how these may make you suffer will be covered in this segment. Let’s begin!
If you want to know about Best Aftermarket Chainsaw Carburetor then you can read this blog post.
Trouble-in-pumping
A chainsaw pump is basically designed and developed to deal with thicker oil whereas motor oil is comparatively thin. Therefore,h
the pump will definitely pump the used motor oil but it will take more loads to meet the usual demand.
Eventually, its longevity will decrease gradually, keeping you unaware.
Don’t believe us? Here is a person sharing his bad experience with used motor oil and his chainsaw pump.
Inadequate lubrication
As the pump will frequently fail in supplying the demanded oil per second, the chain itself won’t get wet thoroughly. Again, motor oil unlike the original bar oil doesn’t have additive elements in it that help the oil stick to the chain and bar.
These will eventually cause dryness all over the chain, especially at the bottom of it. As a result, there will be more friction and so more heat will be produced. Most importantly, friction and heat together will trigger damage to the chain.
Hardens cleaning
Do you know why chainsaw bar oil is so thick? For your kind information it’s to make the chain and bar ultimately slippery. Otherwise, the debris and sap from trees would get stuck to them so roughly that you would have to invest a lot of time and effort to remove the waste.
Now, as the used motor oil is sufficiently thin, it’s certain that the wastes will cling to the bar and chain stubbornly. And, you will have to sweat a lot while cleaning it.
Harms your lungs
This Covid-19 pandemic has already taught us how expensive our lungs are, hasn’t it? However, you might be amazed to learn that used motor oil has all the properties (Chromium, Cadmium, Lead, Dioxins, and Arsenic etc.) to damage your lungs slowly but certainly.
Even fresh motor oil contains 1 or 2 zinc triphosphate compounds in it that we shouldn’t breathe in. So, can you just imagine how toxic the oil becomes after it gets burnt by your car’s engine?
Troubles environment
In addition to harming your invaluable lungs, used motor oil is equally destructive to our mother nature. While being used with your chainsaw, it being less sticky as we have already told, keeps slinging here and there.
Being persistent, insoluble and non-biodegradable, it pollutes soil, water and air. This results in the untimely death or abnormal behavior of animals, fishes and birds.
Discards warranty
If you are using a chainsaw that still can claim warranty, never and ever imagine using used motor oil in it. Use the oil that is recommended by the manufacturer to get the best output.
Keep in mind if your violation of the recommendation causes any kind of damage to the chainsaw bar, you can’t claim the warranty anymore.
Why use used motor oil and how?
A proverb goes that nothing is unmixed in the world. In simple words, nothing in the world has only merits or demerits rather a combination of the two. Such is the case with used motor oil.
Even if you don’t reuse it, it can still cause harm to you and to the environment as well. And this happens, when you dump it in an unscientific way.
So, what you can do is – either use the used motor oil or dump it only after filtering it properly.
How can you filter it? You can obviously do it by yourself in the following ways:
Method 1: Using tights
Step 1: Take a clean drum
Step 2: Seal its mouth stretching the tights well and then securing
Step 3: Pour the oil slowly down into the drum through tights
You are done!
Method 2: Using heavy hemp rope
Step 1: Pour the burnt oil into a drum and place the drum on a shelf
Step 2: Just along the drum, place an empty drum below
Step 3: Take a heavy hemp rope. Submerge one end into the oil drum and the other end into the empty drum
Now, it’s time to wait for a long hour. The filtered oil will be stored inside the empty drum.
However, by filtration the polluted oil doesn’t become new but its contaminating properties decrease significantly. So, once filtered, whether you will be reusing it with your chainsaw bar or dumping is up to you.
What can be the alternatives to chainsaw oil?
You will be wrong in thinking that used or fresh motor oil is the only substitute for chainsaw oil. There is some other:
- Drained hydraulic fluid
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
People often get confused with vegetable and canola oil. Be sure that the two are completely different from each other.
Final words
Whatever you say, no other oil can benefit your chainsaw in the way that the original chainsaw oil can. Therefore, we strongly recommend you not to use any of the alternatives let alone used motor oil if you are not in an emergency. Or else, you will hold the responsibility for a poorly performative chainsaw, pollution and your own ailments.