Homemade Bar and Chain oil

[GreeCguy]

Good Evening everyone!
I hate to waste anything. I just worked on my Dad's tractor draining the rear-end oil and now have 15 GALLONS of old rear end oil. It is very thick and I hate to just throw it away. I'm thinking it is at least a 90 weight, (maybe more), and I'm wondering what weight of oil I could mix this with to make bar and chain oil for my chain saw. Likewise, what ratio - 3 quarts 30 weight to one quart of this stuff, something like that. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks, Glenn.

 

[eljefino]

90 wt gear oil is around a 50 weight motor oil. See http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/visc.html . Bar & chain lube is usually a 30 weight motor oil with tackifiers so your ratio would be 100% 30 weight oil if that's all that's available.

I would expect a little kerosene or diesel would thin that gear oil out but it can't be good or safe.

Do you have any equipment that needs rustproofing underneath? Roads that need dust control? Am half-kidding; both are probably illegal and certainly not environmental.

The best thing you can do is find someone with a waste oil furnace... Larger heating plants can handle cruddier and thicker oils.

 

[GreeCguy]

You must have called my dad. He told me, "Pour that s*** on the disc and the harrow." I guess when you think about it, even using it as a bar and chain oil slings it out into the enviroment, (only a little bit at a time rather than 15 gallons all at once). I live in Florida so finding someone with a waste oil furnace would be a rare find, (it's suppose to be close to 90 tomorrow). I was thinking of mixing it with old motor oil, (30 weight) and perhaps old ATF oil, (which I've read is a 20 weight). Could always throw it at the side of the barn as it would make a heck of a wood perservative

 

[labman]

What do you do with your used motor oil? I am sure all the recycling centers could cope with it no matter what they do with the oil.

 

[GreeCguy]

Some of it I use as Bar and Chain oil, (usually, I mix one pint of Walmart brand "Supertech" motor oil treatment with one gallon of used oil). I also use it in several oil bath air cleaners in seven tractors and two stationary motors. We also have several ancient sprayers which use a box lube system, (basically a metal box which is filled with oil that then dribbles over drive chains). Two tractors have leaky power steering units which run a 30 weight motor oil, sooooo. I also oil my kids bicycle chains, skateboard wheels, hinges on barndoors, truck doors and tailgates, trailer hitches, gate hinges - you name it. I do take some into be recycled, but it's a rare event

 

[Shannow]

I'd add some lucas oil stabiliser (very tacky, and has to be of some use), maybe thin it with (used) ATF, or a little diesel and use it as chain and bar lube.

Where I work would take it for drip lubrication of a very big chain, but that's not an option.

Otherwise, build one of these waste oil heater

 

[blano]

Using it as bar lube is fine if you dont mind smelling like crap, and you use it in warm weather. I would just use real bar lube myself as it cant be healthy to inhale a gear oil type lubes which are laden with heavy metals.

 

[Bror Jace]

other than the points blano made, I think the key is to get enough tack-additives into the mix.

I'd get some off-brand STP oil treatment (available for $1 or less per pint) and mix one pint of the additive to 1 gallon of the used oil.

I'd also filter the oil through some sort of paper or fabric to catch the larger impurities before using it as a lubricant.

--- Bror Jace

 

[blano]

I wouldnt assume that STP is a tac additive. When I tried using it as such it didnt perform too well. BTW bar and chain oil is on sale at wally world right no for under $3 per gallon.

 

[TooSlick]

Sounds like a good way to gum up the automatic oiler ....

I run a semi-synthetic B & C oil in my Stihl saw - it's basically a tackified, synthetic gear lube. The oiler works perfectly even in very cold weather and the chains and bar last a long time. It costs me a whopping $15.00/year to go through four quarts of this a season....

Tooslick

 

[gimpy]

Poulan bar and chain oil-Wal-mart $2.87...........Super-Tech straight 30 wt. $.84.....Not getting used oil cancer or that crap in your eye.......PRICELESS!!!