Interested in reading and finding out about chainsaw oil?

When it comes to chainsaw oil, there is actually two different types of oil that we are referring to, without going at this time into different brands and specifications of the different oils that can be purchased and used, we think its best to clearly state what the 2 types of oils are, them being:

1) Chainsaw Oil that is used to lubricate the chain bar and the loop blade that is fitted to a chain saw and,

(2) Engine Oil that is used to lubricate the working parts of the saws petrol engine.

Note: If you are a new user of a chainsaw or a beginner with this type of outdoor power tool, engine driven models require their internal components lubricating with oil, electric and cordless models don’t, having internal bearings and bushes that are self-lubricating.

In technical terms when anyone refers to “chainsaw oil” they should be talking about the above option (1), being the lubricant used to keep the loop blade and the bar freely moving whilst the cutting process is taking place, reducing wear and tear to a minimum, extending the working life of the blade in particular, and providing a faster and easier cutting action whilst being put to use on logs, trees, or other types of timber.

General Information About Chainsaw Oil

What is chain saw oil?

Chainsaw oil is a type of oil that should really be referred to as being a chainsaw lubricant. It is a specific type of oil that has been designed by various manufacturers to be efficient at extending the working life of the cutting components of a chainsaw (notably the blade and the bar that it is fitted to) as well as allowing the tool to cut as fast and as best as possible.

When it comes to choosing and buying the best chainsaw oil you will have several choices to make as there usually is with most purchases. You will be able to pick and buy what is classed as standard chain saw oil, high performance oil, and oil that has been designed with anti-fling properties.

The latter is a specification of this product that has been designed by the leading manufactures such as OREGON, HANDY, HUSQVARNA, ROTATECH, RYOBI, and STIHL to name a few and is sold as being a high performance and best chainsaw oil to try and keep as much of the oil on the cutting blade and the chainbar on the saw as opposed to being thrown-off due to the natural effect of the blade being spun around at a very fast speed as all chainsaws do.

Other Benefits Of Chainsaw OIl

In addition to aiming to provide the owner of one of these powerful and versatile tools with an extended life of its blade and chain-bar, and fast cutting performance, the use of a good quality oil also helps to prevent jamming and overheating.

The oil also helps to keep the chain clean and prevents it from rusting when the saw is stored away and not in use. Unlike motor oils and vegetable oils, chainsaw oil includes special additives to make the oil sticky and adhere to the bar groove and the chain-blade. It really is a totally different type and specification of oil than is used with other products and machinery.

What the best chainsaw oil to use?

If you are the new owner of a chain saw, maybe an electric model such as is made and sold by the likes of Black & Decker, Bosch, Handy, Ryobi, or any other brand, and had the unfortunate situation where the cutting blade has stopped cutting and is jamming and struggling to makes its way through a tree in your garden, or even to cut-up an old pallet in the works yard, this could be because of a problem with the chainsaw oil, or the application of it whilst you have being using your saw.

Has the chainbar on your saw suddenly changed colour? maybe to a black or scorched brown colour? If it has this again is indicative of a problem with the use of your chain saw, it could be a fault on the saw, a blunt or dulled blade, the oil pump not working correctly, user error, or simply that you have not picked the best chainsaw oil that you could of when you purchased it!

User TIP:- All chainsaws when being used require a regular application of oil to the cutting components. If your particular model of chain-saw (cordless, electric chainsaw, or petrol engined model) has a manual oil-pump, make sure you use it often to keep the cutting performance as it should be as well as prolonging the overall life of the loop-blade and the machines chainbar.

Models fitted with an automatic oil pump should be checked regularly to ensure the oil lubrication system is working correctly, as per the owner manual or the instruction guide. If you note it’s not working correctly or seems to be under performing you may want to get you chainsaw checked out and serviced by you local chainsaw servicing agent or dealer.

Buy Well Known Brand Names Of Chain Saw Oil – or Unbranded Ones?

As with all commodities this is something that can be debated time and time again amongst DIY purchasers of chainsaws along the likes of Black and Decker’s, the popular green coloured Bosch models, the Handy brand of chainsaw’s, the strong and UK popular range manufactured by Ryobi, and also professional users (including farmers, agricultural contractors, landscapers, tree surgeons, builders and many more) that favour Echo, Husqvarna, and of course Stihl Chainsaws.

Some of these users will always opt to choose and buy the cheapest brand of chainsaw oil that they can find, whilst others will take and accept the recommendation to only buy the best chainsaw oil for their particular new tool, even if it means paying a premium and buying the very high specification and top-priced (but without a doubt, the very highly recommended) Stihl Synthplus Chainsaw Oil.

Oregon 54 026 Chainsaw Oil

The Oregon 54-026L Chainsaw Oil is a high quality brand of lubricating oil that is designed for use with all brands and models of chain saws. This particular item is supplied in various bottle sizes from 1L upwards.

If you use your saw regularly then the 5L bottle (as pictured above) might be the best choice for you when it comes to buying some, as it works out at a really good price, especially important when you use your saw regularly and hence get through lots of chain oil!

You can view the latest price to buy this from Amazon here.

Bio Chainsaw Oils

What are they all about?

Most brands and types of “standard chainsaw oils” are actually harmful to the environment if they enter the water table or another environment that is sensitive to wildlife and similar environments that organisms live off.

This is because all types of oil in general do not “break down” after they have been produced and been disposed off.

In particular, oil is harmful to fish life and and also humans if it is not handled correctly and safely. This applies to all types of oils and not just oils that are used with chainsaws, it applies to oils that is used with lawnmowers, cars, lorries, motorcycles, farm machinery, items of plant, push-bikes, and also nearly all types of domestic and commercial cooking oils.

If “standard oil” enters the wrong environment and if it has a prolonged exposure to things (including humans) it can ultimately hurt them.

Bio Oil is a type of oil that is Bio Friendly and Bio Degradable. They tend to based on cold-pressed vegetable oils hence you can see why they are more environmentally friendly.

In actual performance they seem to work well at the moment apart from in really cold conditions and temperatures. At low temperatures (as can be experienced in Autumn in the UK and The Fall in the USA) they can cause a few issues, and if you are a professional tree surgeon or landscaper you will probably change over to a standard type of oil at this time of year as opposed to using a bio chainsaw saw type of lubricating oil all-year round.

Never the less though, if you are working near ponds, rivers, and streams, it’s advisable to use bio-oil in these environments! The same goes if you use your saw in a warm climate where the oil can flow freely because of a higher overall climate temperature.

View Different Chainsaw Oils Here That Can Be Purchased Online From Amazon

Engine Oil For Use In Chainsaws

The above information is purely relevant when it comes to the oil that is needed to lubricate the saws cutting blade, the support bar, and the drive sprocket on your chain saw.

All petrol engined chainsaws though also need “engine oil” as well as “chain oil”. The engine oil is used to lubricate the internal components of the tools drive engine.

On a 2 stroke model this is special oil that is pre-mixed with unleaded petrol, the fuel-mix then carries this oil to lubricate the working parts of the engine as it is used.

4 stroke models will have oil that is contained within the engines casing, usually in the sump or lower part of the tools engine, alike a four stroke petrol lawnmower or generator as examples.