You can't ruin your saw with oil... But only with good oil. Review of lubricants for chainsaws

The correct selection of oil for a chainsaw is one of the main criteria that determines its service life. Currently, you can find a wide variety of lubricants for two-stroke engines on the market.

And some owners of gasoline saws use four-stroke internal combustion engine oils the old fashioned way. In this article we will try to figure out which oil to use in various chainsaws and situations.

Which chainsaw parts need oil?

If you look closely at a working chainsaw, you will immediately notice its main moving part - the saw chain, which slides along the bar while sawing. Since the law of friction still exists, both parts will gradually wear out. To slow down this process, it is common to use chain oil specifically designed for lubricating saw chains.

Chainsaws can be equipped with both four-stroke and two-stroke engines. For 4-stroke units, the crank group is lubricated with oil located in the engine crankcase. Two-stroke engines differ slightly in their design and operating principle. In this type of drive, gasoline flows directly into the space under the piston, where the crank mechanism is located, which has several bearings and bushings that need lubrication. Therefore, oil for two-stroke chainsaw engines is added to gasoline so that when it gets on the rubbing parts of this unit, it lubricates them.

Price range and workshop repair guarantee

If you have a chainsaw, then you should always have spare parts with you so that you can carry out repairs on the spot if necessary. Amateurs should never try to repair a chainsaw themselves. Improper repairs can lead to more complex damage. There are many services for repairs - try going there. Repairs are carried out within a certain time frame. In good companies, minor repairs are carried out in just two or three days, but if the breakdown is serious, you will have to wait about a week. When choosing such a service, always pay attention to the warranty. It should be both for the spare parts themselves and for the work!

Choosing engine oil

Oil intended for 2-stroke engines must meet the following requirements.

1. The lubricant should produce a minimum of ash during combustion. Ideally, it should burn completely.
2. The lubricant must have good solubility in gasoline and a high degree of purification from various impurities that can cause clogging of very narrow carburetor channels.
3. The oil must have high anti-corrosion, anti-wear and lubricating qualities.

There are certain standards for oils intended for 2-stroke engines: TC-W3 and 2T. Lubricant that meets the TC-W3 standard is used for water-cooled engines (outboard motors, jet skis). 2T oil is used as an additive to gasoline for 2-stroke air-cooled engines (petrol mowers, mopeds, chainsaws, etc.).

MOTUL Outboard Tech 2T oil

Oils can be green, red or blue in color. This is done so that their presence in gasoline can be easily determined.

If low-quality lubricant is used, the entire piston group of the engine may fail due to the formation of carbon deposits under the piston rings. As a result, they will not be able to compress, and scoring will form on the cylinder walls. Also, improper lubrication of the bearings of the crank mechanism leads to their overheating and, ultimately, to jamming. Important: using diesel oil to prepare the fuel mixture is prohibited, since it does not meet any of the parameters mentioned above.

Conclusion

Eliminating the consequences of using low-quality lubricant is quite expensive, so it’s worth calculating in advance whether you need to save money and pour in oil of questionable quality, which, as a rule, is not much cheaper. Buy oils from official representatives, so you can protect yourself from scammers who offer low-quality lubricants under well-known brands. Dear readers, which oil do you prefer to use and why? Share your experienced opinion with us through the comment form below.

Review of engine oil manufacturers

Among the manufacturers producing the best two-stroke oils, we can confidently name 2 leaders - these are the companies Husqvarna (Husvarna) and Stihl (Shtil). Companies produce not only conventional mineral oils, but also synthetic lubricants designed for 2-stroke engines operating in harsh conditions.

Husqvarna HP

This is a Swedish manufacturer, which includes several well-known brands, including the Partner company, known for its garden equipment for semi-professional and professional use. Husqvarna produces not only equipment, but also high-quality lubricants used on almost all brands of power tools.

The photo below shows Husqvarna HP 2-stroke oil, which contains special additives that can compensate for poor fuel quality, which is not uncommon in our country. After all, the octane number of gasoline purchased at a gas station does not always correspond to the declared one.

This lubricant is green in color and contains a semi-synthetic base. It can be packaged in both 10-liter and liter containers. The mixture is diluted in a standard proportion of 1:50 (20 g per 1 liter of gasoline). But when the engine has not yet been broken in, or work is to be done in the cold, the proportion can be increased to 1:40.

Stihl HP

The lubricant was specially developed for engines of Stihl equipment. It has a mineral base, has high lubricating and cleaning abilities and can be used at an ambient temperature of at least -10°C.

The bottle has a special dispenser that allows you to mix the fuel mixture without using additional measuring containers.

The lubricant is red in color and can be stored for no more than 4 years in a closed container. The latter can have different capacities, both large and small (for one-time refilling). For example, there is a 20-gram container on sale, the contents of which are added to 1 liter of gasoline. This is a very convenient option for owners of chainsaws who use them occasionally. Important: the mixture of gasoline with this oil cannot be stored for more than 1 month, since during this time it will already lose its lubricating properties.

Stihl HP Ultra

The oil belongs to the highest category. It is created on a completely synthetic base, has a green color and has high lubricating properties, and thanks to salt-free additives it does not create soot.

The oil was specially developed for lubrication of engines operating for long periods of time at high loads and low ambient temperatures, down to -25°C. In addition, this lubricant does not harm the environment. If it is spilled on the ground, it will decompose by 80% in 21 days. The lubricant is packaged in 100 ml and 1 liter bottles.

Physical and technical characteristics of M-8V

How to determine the ratio of gasoline and oil

The fuel mixture used in 2-stroke engines is prepared from a certain amount of oil and gasoline. The latter must have an octane number of at least 90 and be unleaded. AI-92 fuel is best suited for these purposes.

Gasoline with an octane rating of 95 is not recommended because it contains many different additives that are harmful to two-stroke engines.

To prepare the mixture, you must use only motor oil from reputable manufacturers. The lubricant must be intended for high-speed engines with an air cooling system. This component, intended for low-speed engines (moped, motorcycle, snowmobile), is prohibited.

When preparing the mixture, you must strictly observe the proportion of gasoline and oil. As a rule, this is 1:50, that is, you need to take 100 ml of oil and dilute it in 5 liters of gasoline. This rule changes slightly if the engine or piston system is new and requires break-in. In this case, the oil-gasoline ratio can be 1:40. For break-in, you will need 2-3 full refuelings of the unit with a fuel mixture with this ratio. If you dilute the fuel mixture in a ratio of 1:30, carbon deposits will inevitably form on the piston and inside the cylinder, which, as already mentioned, leads to breakdown of the entire crank mechanism.

Below is a table that helps you quickly determine the gasoline-oil ratio if you need to prepare a large amount of fuel mixture.

Rules for preparing the fuel mixture

Gasoline and oil must be diluted in containers that are resistant to petroleum products (plastic or metal cans). It is not recommended to use plastic water, juice or milk bottles for these purposes, since food-grade plastic decomposes when exposed to gasoline. As a result of this process, the fuel mixture will change its properties, and it is difficult to predict what effect it will have on the engine.

The combustible mixture for a chainsaw is easy to prepare.

1. Take the required amount of lubricant and pour it into the prepared container. You should not pour all the prepared gasoline into the container with oil; half the required amount will be enough.
2. Rock the container slightly until the lubricant is completely dissolved in the gasoline.
3. Now you can fill in the remaining gasoline, mixing it well with the mixture in the container. This completes the preparation of the fuel mixture for the chainsaw.

Before each refueling of the chainsaw, the combustible mixture must be shaken. Also, do not forget to tighten the cap of the fuel tank well, otherwise this will lead to a lean mixture and engine failure.

It is better to use the prepared fuel mixture immediately. Therefore, it needs to be prepared in such quantity that it is enough for the expected amount of work. If the mixture remains, then it cannot be stored for more than 1-1.5 months. During this time, it will lose a significant part of its lubricating properties.

Choosing chain oil

After each refueling of the chainsaw with the fuel mixture, do not forget to check the amount of oil in the oil tank. In a chainsaw, an oil pump delivers lubricant to the bar along which the saw chain slides. Normally, both tanks - fuel and oil - should be refilled at the same time. Oil for lubricating the chain must be poured into the appropriate tank up to the neck. Otherwise, it may run out before the fuel, which will lead to overheating of the chain and bar.

Chainsaw chain oil must be formulated specifically for this purpose. The use of other lubricants is ineffective and reduces the service life of not only the saw, but also the unit tire. This is explained by the fact that chain oil contains adhesive additives, thanks to which the lubricant literally “sticks” to the chain. This property of the oil reduces its consumption, as a result of which the lubrication of the chainsaw bar and saw chain improves, and their service life increases.

Another important parameter of chain lubrication is its thickness. If you are going to use a lubricant that is not intended for chainsaws, you may notice that oil leaks while the unit is running or after it stops. This fact indicates that the lubricant is too liquid. In addition, the liquid lubricant will quickly scatter in all directions and, accordingly, quickly run out.

When operating a chainsaw in winter, it is necessary to use oil designed for low temperatures to lubricate the chain, otherwise the oil pump will fail. Therefore, the lubricant remaining in the tank must be replaced with low-temperature lubricant.

Leading manufacturers of gas powered tools, such as Shtil, Husqvarna, Makita, Bosch and chainsaw component manufacturer Oregon, recommend the use of special highly adhesive oils, including biodegradable ones. But oils from well-known brands have the only drawback - the price is 300 rubles per 1 liter and more. In addition, the lubricant in the reservoir can thicken over time and clog the channels. For this reason, it has to be drained, and this already increases consumption. But despite this, we have to admit the fact that only the use of special lubricants can extend the life of the chainsaw.

Chainsaw Partner 350 – ignition adjustment

If the Partner 350 saw stops starting, then you need to check the condition of the spark plug and ignition system. To do this, you will need to unscrew the part and inspect it. If it is clean with small light spots, then you need to adjust the tool’s ignition system.

Next you need to check the voltage of the high-voltage cable. To do this, use a light bulb or probe. If there is no voltage, the problem is a broken wire. If it is intact and is not broken anywhere, then you need to adjust the gap in the ignition system of the Partner 350 model.

To adjust the clearance, turn the 2 side bolts located next to the tool flywheel. As a result, the flywheel moves away from the ignition coil. After this, you will need to install a probe between the parts and turn the side bolts in the opposite direction. In this case, the flywheel should move closer to the coil. At the end, you need to carefully remove the probe and assemble the saw.

Recommendations for choosing oil

There is no clear answer to which oil is best for a chainsaw, since the market is oversaturated with lubricants for 2-stroke engines. But, according to reviews from experienced craftsmen, it is still better to trust lubricants from well-known manufacturers, such as Oregon, Shtil, Champion, Husqvarna. By purchasing oils from these brands, you can extend the life of your tool and provide maximum engine protection.

Please note that there are counterfeits of well-known brands on sale, and if you buy them, you can ruin your chainsaw. Therefore, lubricants must be purchased only from official dealers who have product certificates.

Chainsaw chain lubricant, according to some users, can be replaced with any mineral oil with a viscosity of 15-40 for the summer and with an index of 10-30 for the cold season. The brand can be M8 or M10. Also, many chainsaw owners are beginning to wonder whether it is possible to replace 2-stroke oil with something. Experienced craftsmen strongly advise against adding other lubricants to gasoline, since you can completely damage the engine of the unit, the repair of which will cost as much money as you will not save on lubrication. Moreover, if you do the math, one liter of oil is enough to produce 50 liters of fuel mixture, which can only be consumed by working in a logging site.