Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

Unfortunately, we learned this the hard way.

My father called me at work to ask me what brand of chain saw got good ratings. I googled a few of the model numbers he gave me and came up with one that was decently rated with a decent price. He asked me to find out if it had an automatic chain oiler or not. In reading the online owners manual, I saw it said in large capital letters, "DO NOT USE MARINE OIL IN YOUR CHAINSAW!" I said, well hmmm, that's different, I thought 2 stroke oil was 2 stroke oil. I was wrong.

2 stroke marine oil is formulated for marine engines that are water cooled and operate at a much lower temp than air cooled chainsaw engines. Thus, their protection breaks down at high temps. You may use a TC-W3 oil but it must be the TM designated oil, which says its approved for air or water cooled engines. Otherwise, use ONLY API TC rated oil.

I know, since I was a little boy, my father would just pour some of his 2 stroke outboard oil into his chainsaws and he ALWAYS had issues with chainsaws and now he needs another one after using his brand new one only a few times, saying the engine is shot. I think I discovered why. I made sure he realized, in no uncertain terms, that he will keep buying new saws as long as he keeps trying to save money and use outboard oil in a chainsaw.

I wanted to pass this along to everyone, do not use outboard oil in your saw! Use the oil in the little bottles with the picture of the chainsaw on it. IT DOES MATTER.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

What I always heard is that regular t/s oil has glycol mixed in to keep the head temperature down. A water-cooled marine engine does not need this, hence tcw-3, (two cycle water-cooled-3)


<<)))(((>>

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

I have heard the same thing, that air-cooled and water-cooled two stroke oils are different.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

tx1961whaler said:

I have heard the same thing, that air-cooled and water-cooled two stroke oils are different.

Click to expand...

That is correct.

Their formulations are dependent on the operating temp of the engine, air cooled being much hotter than liquid cooled.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

Most people wont listen anyway,i had a friend that ran chainsaw oil in his outboard for years.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

Thanks, WITF. I've been preaching that for years. I keep getting arguments from folk who know everything about awl and saws and such.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

Ahhhh....I remember the "old days" 30 weight non-detergent automotive oil at 16:1.....outboards & chainsaws,there was no such thing as 2 stroke oil. I remember all the smoke too!!

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

I can still smell Klotz oil when I think of it.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

bigdee said:

Ahhhh....I remember the "old days" 30 weight non-detergent automotive oil at 16:1.....outboards & chainsaws,there was no such thing as 2 stroke oil. I remember all the smoke too!!

Click to expand...

I remember that. Clinton HandyCut D25. Weighed about 30 lbs. Made about 3 hp, at least half of that was noise.

16" bar about 4" high with .404 chain on it if I remember right.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

i've repaired a few of those older "david bradleys" they wiegh on the 30 lbs mark area and they rip into logs like no tomarrow. when i seen your thread i thought you were talking about the bar oil in which i will use any oil i have if i run out of bar oil/ used motor oil strained. oil is oil true enough but when your talking about a motor that runs 7k rpm to a chain saw or weed eater at 12k rpm there tends to be diffnces. i've used normal 2-stroke oil in my outboard before another thing is water polution the marine stuff is missing some harmfull chemicals that the exhust might have otherwise leaked into the water.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

about the only thing I will add is dont use auto oil for bar/chain lube either lol. my uncle kept burning up chains on his saw until I watched him pour 30w into the bar/chain reservoir.

seriously? $2.50 for the car oil and $5.50 for the bar/chain oil vs. $18 for a new chain every couple of logs...sigh.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

I burned out a power head a few years ago on a fairly new Husky 359 and I think it was because I had used TCW w/o thinking and I was really running the saw hard that day cutting several 24 inch alder in a pile. I lost my compression.
Since I learned my lesson I just buy 2 or 3 little bottles of STIHL oil that mixes one gallon of gas.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

Found out my sisters boy friend was using chain saw oil in the Johnson outboard. I set him straight in a hurry.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

For chain saw oil, in Husky's of various sizes, I use only a JASO FC or better oil. (Current is FD I believe.) Costs about $50 a gallon or so. I tune em up pretty hot and don't have much trouble.

For chain oil, I use recycled hydraulic oil. It doesn't have all the black carbon and acid combustion products in it that used motor oil would. I filter it through a 10 micron sock filter into a shotgun can 2 gallons at a time, then add 3 cans of STP to it while it's mixing with a mud mixer on the drill press. A couple of years ago the local Wal-Mart was having a clearance sale of their STP ripoff so I bought a lifetime supply of the stuff at 88 cents.

Chain oil has in it anti-wear, anti foam, and anti-oxidant additives, and so does hydraulic oil. It also has a tackifier in it to keep it on the bar. That's the STP part.

My chains last till the cutters break off because there's nothing left from filing, and my bars last about 8 chains each unless they meet with an untimely end, like getting run over with a truck.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

j_martin said:

For chain oil, I use recycled hydraulic oil. It doesn't have all the black carbon and acid combustion products in it that used motor oil would. I filter it through a 10 micron sock filter into a shotgun can 2 gallons at a time, then add 3 cans of STP to it while it's mixing with a mud mixer on the drill press. A couple of years ago the local Wal-Mart was having a clearance sale of their STP ripoff so I bought a lifetime supply of the stuff at 88 cents.

Chain oil has in it anti-wear, anti foam, and anti-oxidant additives, and so does hydraulic oil. It also has a tackifier in it to keep it on the bar. That's the STP part.

My chains last till the cutters break off because there's nothing left from filing, and my bars last about 8 chains each unless they meet with an untimely end, like getting run over with a truck.

Click to expand...

ATF has the same properties. I'm not sure about STP though.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

DJ said:

ATF has the same properties. I'm not sure about STP though.

Click to expand...

It's a little light, but would work. The trick with the STP is mixing it in slowly. Also, STP is not compatible with some oil additives. I thought I'd hit the mother lode once when I got a whole drum of used screw air compressor oil. Very high quality oil, just slightly dirty. When the STP was mixing I heard this gaudawful clatter from across the shop. The STP had reacted with something and formed a hard plastic disk on top of the oil, spinning with the mixer. I guess I have a drum of synthetic shop heating fuel.

The tackifier ingredient is probably the most important. Without it the oil just slings off the chain and the chain runs dry. In the old days plain motor oil was used, but at a rate about 4 times as fast.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

DJ said:

ATF has the same properties. I'm not sure about STP though.

Click to expand...

STP = Stay Together Please..... Worked great in an old Ford 292 that used more oil than gas. HAHAHA

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

Thanks. Good to know.

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

great thread!!!
i was about to use outboard oil in my Echo weedeater
WON'T NOW!

Re: Don't use marine 2 stroke oil in your chainsaw!!

I use the same oil in both types of my implements, ie, water cooled marine engines AND air cooled tools, up to and including my now 2 year old 4 cycle 2 stroke lubricated Stihl BackPack blower.

What is it you ask. I know you are burning up to know.

It is Amsoil 100:1 2 cycle oil. Never had a failure and seldom need to replace the plugs or clean the anti-spark screens. 30 years and counting on some of my equipment.