Anybody else oil a chainsaw manually?

[spokewrench]

Nine years ago I bought a 14 A electric chainsaw. It still cuts fast.

A couple of years ago, a neighbor wasn't making headway with his gas saw. The teeth were very dull. I brought mine over. Because of a design flaw, it would leak until the oil tank was empty while sitting on a shelf. So I'd empty the tank before putting it away. That morning, I filled the oil tank and ran it while pointing it down at a sheet of paper until I saw oil spots. The neighbor was amazed. He hadn't known a chainsaw needed oil.

A couple of days ago, it started cutting slowly. The teeth looked clogged as if they weren't getting oil. I took it apart and cleaned but couldn't get oil to flow. Without instructions, the task to getting to the pump looks daunting, and I probably couldn't get replacement parts. So I oiled the upper groove in the bar with a squeeze bottle, and it cuts much better.

It would be great if I could press a plunger instead of fooling with the squeeze bottle. In the 1980s I had a gas saw like that. I don't remember if it also had automatic oiling.

Anyone else use a squeeze bottle to keep a chainsaw lubed?

 

[Roamers]

Because of a design flaw, it would leak until the oil tank was empty while sitting on a shelf.

The trick is to lay the saw on its side so the gravity flow doesn't occur. In answer to your question, no to bottle oiling. I had an old (50 years ago) Craftsman beast that had a manual thumb pump for oiling.

 

[PCeBiker]

Anyone else use a squeeze bottle to keep a chainsaw lubed?

Attach one of these thumb pumps to your chainsaw and plug it into your squeeze bottle,..

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKSZmsn

EDIT:
Plug it into your oil tank.
Your oil tank still works.

 

[sc00ter]

I have a STIHL 160 electric chainsaw and the auto-bar oiler works great. When not in use I store it in a Greco baby bag. It might ooze a bit of bar oil after using it but nothing crazy or unusual. The auto oiler pumps can be removed for servicing if needed. They do sometimes fail. I've never seen anyone oil a chainsaw chain by hand.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

If I couldn't fix it easily myself I'd take it to the shop. I've done manual oiling, and it's probably not good for your saw, and it's not any fun. I'd do manual oiling if there was a tree across my driveway and I had to cut it out of the way to get to the chainsaw shop.

 

[spokewrench]

Mine's a Worx. One user said that after 9 years, his quit delivering oil. He opened it up and found brittle plastic at the pump. Another said his chain quit spinning. He opened his up and found that the plastic drive gear had worn smooth. Worx still produces these saws, but gears are not available. Both users said they got a lot of use from their saws, but repair wasn't feasible.

I paid $76 in 2017. If manual lubing doesn't work out, the saw will have cost me about $8.50 a year.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Use it until you use it up!

 

[PCeBiker]

I've had this Milwaukee Hatchet-Handled chainsaw for almost a year now.

I have yet to use it because I haven't had the need, and once I use it, it will be dirty and dripping with oil for the rest of its life.

 

[kevinmccune]

have had various saws over the years the old mccullochs had an oiler button as well as an automatic oiler a new 700 I had the oiler never worked right the dealer wouldn't do nothing about it,so I took it to an honest shop,those things had a piston of sorts that worked on pulsations from the crankcase of the saw(I used to cut right of way and clear land) now I have 2 saws a sub$100 vevor(seems to work good runs fine) and a stihil 250 which has a very lazy oiling system,it generally keeps the chain turning so I don't sweat it.back in the day( never seen a chainsaw that didn't have a manual oiler-even the old man killers) wood cutters would lube the blade on the crosscut with kerosene if cutting resinous trees,a cross cut could really be hard to use if the other guy alwahed my cods one timeys tried to lead,like on a screed board,I never killed the other guy "screeding" I could always match the rhythm and add to the"stroke" pity the worker who has somebody on the other end who doesn't want to be there( fun fact never try to out squeeze a block layer or mason.they have forearms like "Popeye"),it doesn't matter what make of saw you have if you store it full of oil upright the oil will find its way out because those systems are open to the atmosphere,final observation,wear a dust mask ,it keeps oil drops and sawdust out of your lungs and when in the woods always look up for"widow makers" had too many wood cutters get killed in the woods and had some pretty painful encounters with errant branches and stuff I was standing over( smashed my cods one time,there for awhile didn't know if I was going to make it or not)

 

[spokewrench]

For more than 10 years, I used a gas saw for the cords of wood to heat a large house. When I moved to town, I went back to the 36" bow saw I 'd bought in the 70s. One day I took it across the street to help the mayor. I made some cuts, and he asked to use it. Quick as a wink, he sawed into dirt. The blade I'd kept sharp for 30 years was ruined. I hadn't realized a grown man could be so ignorant.

I bought a new bow saw because it was cheaper than a blade alone. For 10 years, I depended on it, and a folding pruning saw, and a 21-foot pole saw. Kept oily, the blades cut nicely. To cut something thicker than 10" with a bow saw, you have to cut from both sides, and 20" is the limit. Cutting a tree into stove lengths can be slow. Sometimes there's not room for a bow saw. A bow saw blade binds pretty easily, and you can't afford to make a cut where you might hit grit. So after 10 years I bought the electric chain saw.

I bought diamond hones for my Dremel-type sharpener. Those hones got the teeth sharper than new, and they stayed sharp. I think I know why it sharpened better. A file will leave a burr, which will quickly wear off, leaving the tooth a little dull. I think the tremendous RPMs of my Dremel chainsaw hone had in the past overheated edges, leaving them soft. I knew that without water, diamonds in an abrasive power tool could quickly burn, so I made a pedal switch for the sharpener. That way I could position the hone just right and give it power to make a quick, light touch.

 

[6zfshdb]

I also had an old Craftsman saw with a thumb oil pump. My neighbor had the same saw but paid extra for the auto oil feature. He had nothing but trouble with it. He eventually sold the saw and bought the cheaper model I had.

I've owned 8 different saws over the years, both gas & electric. All leaked oil while in storage, no matter what position I placed them in. All but the Craftsman had auto oilers, some worked and some didn't. Unless I'm doing a lot of cutting, I leave the oil tanks empty and carry a small squeeze bottle of oil in my pocket. Makes it easy to provide the right amount of oil when it's needed. In my case, I found it to be the best solution.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I also had an old Craftsman saw with a thumb oil pump. My neighbor had the same saw but paid extra for the auto oil feature. He had nothing but trouble with it. He eventually sold the saw and bought the cheaper model I had.

I've owned 8 different saws over the years, both gas & electric. All leaked oil while in storage, no matter what position I placed them in. All but the Craftsman had auto oilers, some worked and some didn't. Unless I'm doing a lot of cutting, I leave the oil tanks empty and carry a small squeeze bottle of oil in my pocket. Makes it easy to provide the right amount of oil when it's needed. In my case, I found it to be the best solution.

. . . and always with a common sense solution

 

[stompandgo]

I have a commercial Jonsered that I bought about 15 years ago. The dealer was having a sale. The homeowner model was a great deal, but the commercial version was $100 more. I went for the commercial. I'm still on the original bar. It has tons of power, and a feature that really helps, a compression release. My kids have no use for it, so when I'm ol and infirm, somebody will get a great deal on it.

 

[Nvreloader]

I have an Commercial, OLD Blue Home-Lite C-52 saw with a 24'blade and 24" Bow Bar, thumb oiler, that I used as a "Lim R" for a logging Co in the late 60's,(all the logging company's, used this Brand of saw), it has been thru several bars and dozen's of chains, but it's a man's saw, must weigh in about 20+ #'s, with the 52 Ci motor, it WILL cut wood, if your man enough to hang on and run it.

Several yrs ago, the better half got herself a Worx 10/12" bladed elect saw, auto oiler, that leaks like a HD MC, I thought to myself what a waste of funds.

Was I was in for a BIG surprize, that little saw cut wood like a rabid Beaver,
up to 10/12" logs/limbs there was no stopping it, lite enough I can use it one handed, it of needed, has become my favorite saw for general use around the place.

For power away from the house, A Honda gas 2000 Generator and a gal of gas,
and I have power for the "Lil Beaver" elect saw for all day........at quittin time, you are tired and have a pile of wood to haul/split for the upcoming winter.
I am beginning to love this "Lil Beaver" saw......
ps, a YELLER saw, is NOT allow on the ranch............lol

 

[spokewrench]

wood cutters would lube the blade on the crosscut with kerosene if cutting resinous trees,a cross cut could really be hard to use if the other guy alwahed my cods one timeys tried to lead,like on a screed board,I never killed the other guy "screeding" I could always match the rhythm and add to the"stroke" pity the worker who has somebody on the other end who doesn't want to be there

and when in the woods always look up for"widow makers" had too many wood cutters get killed in the woods

The manufacturer of my $300 Silky pole saw recommends WD40 when putting it away. That's not very good for stopping rust and doesn't hold up in sawing. I keep 5 W motor oil in a brush-top bottle for it, my pruning saw, my bow saw, my electric hedge trimmer, my hedge shears, my grass shears, my loppers, and my pruners. Someday I'll try 0 W motor oil.

When I was in high school, my family spent a couple of Augusts at a vacation house on Mount Manadnock. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Monadnock. We needed to keep a fire in the fireplace, and there was lots of dead standing timber, I thought because beavers had raised the water table. I didn't get much experience with the crosscut saw because nobody shared my enthusiasm. Most of the time, that left me with the bow saw and the axe. One day the axe came through the limb I was bucking and into my big toe. Fortunately, I was able to stop the bleeding and wash my sneaker before anyone saw, and the gash quickly healed.

A thought occurred to me: It may be better not to stand with your foot in the arc of your axe, especially if you are wearing sneakers. Decades later, when I began sawing limbs 25 feet above, it occurred to me that it would probably be better not to stand with my head in the arc of a falling limb.

 

[kevinmccune]

For more than 10 years, I used a gas saw for the cords of wood to heat a large house. When I moved to town, I went back to the 36" bow saw I 'd bought in the 70s. One day I took it across the street to help the mayor. I made some cuts, and he asked to use it. Quick as a wink, he sawed into dirt. The blade I'd kept sharp for 30 years was ruined. I hadn't realized a grown man could be so ignorant.

I bought a new bow saw because it was cheaper than a blade alone. For 10 years, I depended on it, and a folding pruning saw, and a 21-foot pole saw. Kept oily, the blades cut nicely. To cut something thicker than 10" with a bow saw, you have to cut from both sides, and 20" is the limit. Cutting a tree into stove lengths can be slow. Sometimes there's not room for a bow saw. A bow saw blade binds pretty easily, and you can't afford to make a cut where you might hit grit. So after 10 years I bought the electric chain saw.

I bought diamond hones for my Dremel-type sharpener. Those hones got the teeth sharper than new, and they stayed sharp. I think I know why it sharpened better. A file will leave a burr, which will quickly wear off, leaving the tooth a little dull. I think the tremendous RPMs of my Dremel chainsaw hone had in the past overheated edges, leaving them soft. I knew that without water, diamonds in an abrasive power tool could quickly burn, so I made a pedal switch for the sharpener. That way I could position the hone just right and give it power to make a quick, light touch.

I had a "Bushman Raker" with reasonably priced replacement blades,my best portable saw ever,it was finally stolen( or left) at a campsite,never been able to find its equal,think it was a Nordic brand.

 

[kevinmccune]

I have an Commercial, OLD Blue Home-Lite C-52 saw with a 24'blade and 24" Bow Bar, thumb oiler, that I used as a "Lim R" for a logging Co in the late 60's,(all the logging company's, used this Brand of saw), it has been thru several bars and dozen's of chains, but it's a man's saw, must weigh in about 20+ #'s, with the 52 Ci motor, it WILL cut wood, if your man enough to hang on and run it.

Several yrs ago, the better half got herself a Worx 10/12" bladed elect saw, auto oiler, that leaks like a HD MC, I thought to myself what a waste of funds.

Was I was in for a BIG surprize, that little saw cut wood like a rabid Beaver,
up to 10/12" logs/limbs there was no stopping it, lite enough I can use it one handed, it of needed, has become my favorite saw for general use around the place.

For power away from the house, A Honda gas 2000 Generator and a gal of gas,
and I have power for the "Lil Beaver" elect saw for all day........at quittin time, you are tired and have a pile of wood to haul/split for the upcoming winter.
I am beginning to love this "Lil Beaver" saw......
ps, a YELLER saw, is NOT allow on the ranch............lol

Homelite pioneered the first low weight consumer saw,the XL12,we used to burn pieces of old magnesium alloy chainsaws,man that stuff was bright!

 

[spokewrench]

I have an Commercial, OLD Blue Home-Lite C-52 saw with a 24'blade and 24" Bow Bar, thumb oiler, that I used as a "Lim R" for a logging Co in the late 60's,(all the logging company's, used this Brand of saw), it has been thru several bars and dozen's of chains, but it's a man's saw, must weigh in about 20+ #'s, with the 52 Ci motor, it WILL cut wood, if your man enough to hang on and run it.

Produced from 1967 to 1971. The powerhead weighed 18 pounds, so 20+ sounds like a good estimate. Before 1959, a chainsaw weighed more than 25 pounds. Before 1950, a chain saw required 2 men.

Speaking of fast sawing, how about the New England coastal natives of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut? The Pilgrims set to work building houses with timber frames and walls of mud held together with sticks, and dirt floors. It was laborious, and you ended up with a cold, dark, damp cave. Lumber was scarce in England. Germany exported lots of timber, but making lumber with pitsaws was prohibitively laborious. Wind-powered sawmills gave the Dutch a huge advantage, but even there, lumber was too expensive for ordinary construction.

Native Americans taught the colonists to build with light-frame construction, clapboard siding, and picket fences. Even with the cost of a transatlantic voyage, their lumber could compete with Dutch lumber. I believe the natives had sharper saws made of beta brass, which the English couldn't make until 1848. It's as hard as structural steel. The iron available for English saws may not have been as good.

 

[PCeBiker]

Homelite pioneered the first low weight consumer

The first chainsaw I worked with was a Pioneer chainsaw, similar to this,..

I worked in the bush cutting firewood for two summers when I was 17 & 18 yrs old.

That saw worked fine most of the time, but when it decided to pass out and stall, it was Hell to get it started again.

My "mentor" in the bush was my age now and he taught me how to get it going when it decided to crap out.

First, you Swear Your FKin Head Off and throw it as far as you can.

Then you send your student slave to go fetch it and get the damn thing going again.
(That was me.)

I always managed to get it started.
(Stupid fussy fukin things)


Then you give it back to your bush boss so he can climb a tree to start cutting down the tree from 10 feet up.

Then you see your boss falling from the tree with the saw running full snort.

My boss, while falling backwards to the ground, had enough experience and muscle memory to Throw The Full Throttle Chainsaw AWAY From himself, while Completely Ignoring how he was going to land when he hit the ground.

He Just THREW The FKin Saw.

He landed flat on his back, half knocked the wind outta himself, got up and said "No More Climbing Trees !!!"

He was the only one climbing the trees, but I didn't say nuthin.
He was the boss.

He knows what he's doin. Lol

 

[kevinmccune]

I think "Pioneer
' finally turned into"Pardner" ,Cox" made a little pos called a "Beaver" we had one of those things in the neighborhood ( went through several different owners,don't think anybody could get it started) usually supplanted by another pos called a "Remington"( unfortunately that's what "Mall" evolved into) the Remington was guaranteed for 2 years or 24K trees if I remember correctly,anybody ever seen a "Waterbury
' or "David Bradly" or a "Strunk"? here in Appalachia we used to be on the receiving end of Yankee castoffs. Btw my 90$ "Vevor" runs great( thinking of giving it away-just realized I didn't need it( have to get heat pump fixed I suppose-great exercise obtaining fire wood and having to carry it up a 2 to 1 slope,seriously would rather be ebiking) Have one of "Scooters" off spring( a 250 Stihl with a love hate relationship) cranks reliably on about the eighth pull,is lightweight though