None bike specific chain oil

bamba

Being as my finish line wet lube is about out,im tempted to try some thing different that is already in plenty full supply , and free, not that im tight but up to £6 for a small bottle of chain oil is a bit steep when i can by 5litres of engine oil or gear box oil for for not much more,both of which are better refined and work in harsher environments .
Has any one else tried other none bike spec lubes for chains ? I no of chain saw oil being used.

bails87

They're probably a lot stickier and will attract loads more muck. IT's not like you get through a bottle of lube every ride, I'd get the proper stuff if it was up to me.

Check out things like halfords own brand for cheaper stuff.

Neily03

bamba wrote:

B i can by 5litres of engine oil or gear box oil for for not much more,both of which are better refined and work in harsher environments .

Since when do engine oils have to cope with water, grit, mud, ice etc, etc?......

Engine oil wouldn't last 5 minutes on a bicycle chain.

bennett_346

bamba wrote:

5litres of engine oil or gear box oil for for not much more,both of which are better refined and work in harsher environments

They are made to deal with high temperatures in a self cleaning non contaminant environment. Particles may also be larger (possibly) meaning they won't work in between the links of the chain and serve no purpose but to attract dirt.

.blitz

bamba wrote:

I no of chain saw oil being used.

Chainsaw oil is pretty good by all accounts.

bennett_346

.blitz wrote:

bamba wrote:

I no of chain saw oil being used.

Chainsaw oil is pretty good by all accounts.

You'll get that for dirt cheap too

BorisSpencer

Cooking oil is even cheaper, and I find it performs admirably in the extremely harsh conditions of my deep fat fryer.

bamba

Neily03 wrote:

bamba wrote:

B i can by 5litres of engine oil or gear box oil for for not much more,both of which are better refined and work in harsher environments .

Since when do engine oils have to cope with water, grit, mud, ice etc, etc?......

Engine oil wouldn't last 5 minutes on a bicycle chain.

I didnt mean the SAME environment, i was reffering to harsh things like temperature , shock loads, molecular shear, chemicals, etc

as for engine oil not lasting more than 5 mins on a chain, im sure it would, weather it would serve its purpose to good effect is a different matter,i doubt it would work the other way, thats why i asked the question.

bennett_346

bamba wrote:

Neily03 wrote:

bamba wrote:

B i can by 5litres of engine oil or gear box oil for for not much more,both of which are better refined and work in harsher environments .

Since when do engine oils have to cope with water, grit, mud, ice etc, etc?......

Engine oil wouldn't last 5 minutes on a bicycle chain.

I didnt mean the SAME environment, i was reffering to harsh things like temperature , shock loads, molecular shear, chemicals, etc

Why raise the point then, all you did is make it look like you were assuming that because it works in engines it should work on chains.

bamba

ffs, i was asking if any one had used it, or tried any thing other than specific chain oil,thats all. read the first post properly before answering.

"Has any one else tried other none bike spec lubes for chains ? I no of chain saw oil being used."

il leave it here, was hoping for constructive answers .

Neily03

bamba wrote:

il leave it here, was hoping for constructive answers .

You should use MTBR.com then, you won't get constructive answers in here.

keithometune

i use chainsaw oil, it looks and feels the same as propriety blends of bike chain lube and is dirt cheap.
it would be interesting to hear the veiw of a triboligist, any out there

cavegiant

I use chainsaw oil too, much better than even the top of the range bike stuff.

Two face cloths, one covered in chainsaw oil, one clean.
At the end of every few rides just wipe clean, wipe oily, wipe of excess.

takes seconds and works really really well.

I use KMC XL chains, I would not use this if I did not think it was better.

pastasauce

What chainsaw oil do you use ?

It currently doesn't seem to matter what i put on my chain as the clag and clay of Hertfordshire wipes it off quick enough .....

cavegiant

Chainsaw oil is so cheap you can lather it on, it will last. It has very strong anti-fling properties (remember what it is designed for)

chain and bar oil, b&q is what I use. Only ever tried one type as when you buy a litre you have years supply.

gtd.

Chain saw oil works well, I work for Husqvarna so I get it for free , been using it for a while, mixing it with half a bottle of Muc-Off wet lube to bulk up the Muc-Off.

When a chain has been really bad I clean it with waste 2 stoke mix then dump it in a bag of bar and chain oil and agitate the chain so it works its way in and then dump it in a pot of warm bar and chain oil.

I was looking at a chain saw oil pump to see if I could make an auto oiler but I couldn't be bothered in the end might look again when I'm bored at work

stubs

I use Stihl bio degradeable chainsaw oil. I know a guy who uses chainsaws for a living and he just fills up a bottle for me every now and then out of his jerry can full of the stuff. Doesnt fling off, stops the chain rusting and you wont leave a slick of nasty chemicals behind you. Been using it for a few winters now its a bit gloopier than most bike chain oils but this is good it wont wash off as easy in a downpour. Clean your chain till its spotless then apply a drop of oil to each link the night before a ride to let it soak into the links if you bung it on and ride straight away it doesnt get a chance to get into the links.

edjo

after testing lots of different products, chainsaw oil is about the best that you can get...use the biodegradable one and you're even being kind to the environment.
to try and answer the original post, engine oil has very different characteristics and bleeds from the links too quickly, motorbike chain oil has different properties and performs badly with bikes and IMHO most bike specific lubes are ordiary if not worse.
i'm using a product from work that's designed for wet chain environments with chain speeds that are commonly found on bikes as it has great corrosion redsistance so stops the outer plates rusting and also doesn't was off when the bike's cleaned...in summer, i use chainsaw oil as it's lighter in viscocity and reapplying in summer is less of an issue as it gets less washing - even in a UK summer.

The Northern Monkey

bails87 wrote:

Check out things like halfords own brand for cheaper stuff.

Halfords "chain lube" is more like a very very sticky syrup. Worst excuse for a chain lube ever!

bamba

thanks, some proper answers, chainsaw oil its is then when my finishline runs outs
found this,

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... cation-oil

A far better deal than a few ounce bottle,I have some triflow stuff on its way too courtesy of RR ,some kind of oil with PTFE,might be worth adding some to the chainsaw oil

cavegiant

don't mix the oils.

bamba

OK,why would the ptfe not be of bennifit ?

Anonymous

bamba wrote:

thanks, some proper answers, chainsaw oil its is then when my finishline runs outs

How often does that happen though?
I've had bottles last for years. I usually lose them before it runs out.

edjo

oils aren't always compatible and can thin or gel very quickly - agree with previous comment on don't mix them.
as for PTFE...not designed for the lubrication of chains...it's very good marketing, but it's not needed...keep the chain lubricated and you'll see next to no advantage from using PTFE on a bike chain.