Chain oil purchase

Yossie

Morning all

Right - not to open the age old discussion about the type of chain oils you can use, I use dry lube in the summer and wet lube in the winter however the prices are shocking down the LBS for small bottles.

Does anyone know if you can buy large (ie 2/3 litre) bottles of the stuff? Trade quantities lets say. Same as the huge 5l bottles of WD40 I buy.

I'm hoping that you can then I can decant it into some small bottles I have kicking around and because its trade quantities it'll be a lot cheaper.

Any ideas?

dennisn

Many, many people simply use some form, or other, of motor oil. The only real advantage to using the expensive bottles of whatever, over plain oil, is that the stuff the bike shop sells is in a prettier container and possibly a bit more convienent. Lube wise you would be hard pressed to find a BETTER lube than motor oil.

Yossie

So normal gear box oil? 10/40 or something? If it works as well as the expensive stuff then count me in....

dennisn

Yossie wrote:

So normal gear box oil? 10/40 or something? If it works as well as the expensive stuff then count me in....

Sure, why not. I can't imagine any place that puts more stress on a lubricant than the guts of an internal combustion engine. And I'm pretty sure that a bicycle chain doesn't produce anywhere near the heat, pressures, and lubrication requirements that engine oil must endure. If all of the little , highly expensive, bottles of chain lube were really good lubrication I would expect to see them also sold as engine lube. For all the great claims some of them make they should last 50,000 miles.
I'm sure that shortly someone will be along to tell me the errors of my thinking. And someone will surely say that motor oil attracts dirt, as if the lube that they use repels dirt better than a ducks back repels water. Then we will hear from the ones who want you to use a certain type of lube depending on the seasons.
To be honest there is nothing wrong with the various lubes lining a bike shops shelves. I doubt any of them lubricate better than plain old motor oil. Key words "lubricate better". I also doubt that most of them would lube parts as long as motor oil.

Yossie

Right, I'm going to give it a bash and see what happens. After that I'll try motor oil on my chain and see what happens there.

Watch this space for a learned, invective filled Yossie review. Or a rant. One of the two.

monkimark

I think the additional stickiness of wet chain lube helps it stay on the chain, motor oil is probably going to fling off the chain pretty quickly - it's designed to be used inside a nice sealed system.
Motorbike chain oil is sticky as hell to stop it flinging off a rapidly spinning motorbike chain - probably a bit cheaper and longer lasting than bicycle lube at the expense of slightly more friction although the spray cans it comes in can be a bit messy.
Someone on here recommended chainsaw oil as a cheap alternative but I've no experience of it myself.

rowlers

a mate of mine swears by this:
http://www.wurth.co.uk/product/highperf ... ychainlube, buys it by the case when he orders his other wurth chemicals for his business...

dennisn

monkimark wrote:

Someone on here recommended chainsaw oil as a cheap alternative but I've no experience of it myself.

Well, it's sure used in a hostile environment, so can't see a reason not to. Although I'm not sure it's really any different than straight motor oil. Just a different container and name. That way the manufacturer can charge more for it.

pinno

Personally, once a year I strip the bike and boil my chain in detergent. I then clean it with copious quantities of petrol.
Once perfectly dry I use acetate cleaner which comes in a spray form (Lidl or Aldi stock it, £3.99 a tin). Fantastic for blasting throught the hubs prior to re-assembly and it is simply the best degreaser.

(I'm not pi$$ing you about). The only problem is that the lubrication that really matters is deep in the links. So I dip the whole chain in chain saw oil and then wipe it clean again and again. You will not get rid of the oil by wiping thats penetrated the links.
I then weekly use a silicone aerosol lubricant and wipe the chain as I spray. 3 in 1 Proffessional Silicone Lubricant:

http://www.3inone.com/professional/

The problem with motor oil and heavy graded lubricants is that they are designed as primarily a coolant. Yes, your engine oils primary use is to cool the engine. That is why it is essential to wipe any excess heavy oils (motor oil) off because they are dust and scour magnets. It is only essential deep within the link. Where the chain contacts the sprockets/chain set/jockey wheels, thats where the silicone comes in.
Do not use WD40 or GT85, they contain a mixture of oils, degreasers and solvents. They will give you only limited lubrication.
Silicone is also a good water repellant as well as being a fantastic lubricant.

PS Help needed in Road general:

viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=12938973

Yossie

Ah - fukkk it. I'm sticking with Finish Line. I knew this post would turn into this. Thanks for contribs though guys - time and effort appreciated.

Just packing some kit - will head across as back up asap. Probably in the morning as I have to go and shout at some hats for being gormless. Again. Frickin' hats ....................

crankycrank

Yossie wrote:

Does anyone know if you can buy large (ie 2/3 litre) bottles of the stuff? Trade quantities lets say. Same as the huge 5l bottles of WD40 I buy. Any ideas?

Most chain lube mfrs. do sell large quantities to the non-pro's but usually not stocked at the LBS. Try Amazon or go to the site of the brand you want to use and get their part# which can usually be ordered by you favourite shop.

Yossie

crankycrank wrote:

Yossie wrote:

Does anyone know if you can buy large (ie 2/3 litre) bottles of the stuff? Trade quantities lets say. Same as the huge 5l bottles of WD40 I buy. Any ideas?

Most chain lube mfrs. do sell large quantities to the non-pro's but usually not stocked at the LBS. Try Amazon or go to the site of the brand you want to use and get their part# which can usually be ordered by you favourite shop.

That's yer man - ta muchly - will go hunting.

paultheparaglider

monkimark wrote:

Someone on here recommended chainsaw oil as a cheap alternative but I've no experience of it myself.

I am currently using chainsaw oil. It lubricates well and lasts fairly well, but it is a lot messier than most bike specific products. It needs to be used as sparingly as possible to keep the mess to a minimum.

I also go through phases of using White Lightning wax lube which is much cleaner, but doesn't last nearly as long.

I'm also going to try ordinary motor oil next for comparison. The cost of the bike specific lubes is very expensive for what you actually get.

RDW

They aren't hard to find. Several of the big names sell 1l sizes, and a few do 3-5l containers. Better value than the tiny bottles you usually see, but far from cheap!

e.g.: http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/t ... intenance/

binsted

A very interesting subject, like all who have contributed and therefore have an interest we each have our favourites but I am wondering which approach saves you the money.

1. Should I spend money on specialist cleaners, oils and waxes and do I get financial return on the extended life of the chain or

2. Do I save money on cleaners, use the dregs from my 5lt can of motor oil and perhaps change my chain a little sooner.

My own feeling is grit and dirt stick to any oily substance and therefore = ware. The one time I used specialist lube only I did not notice any increase life in the chain.

team47b

To reduce packaging waste these people make 5 litre containers of chain oil...

http://www.green-oil.net/Green%20Oil%20 ... 0lube.html

simon_e

binsted wrote:

A very interesting subject, like all who have contributed and therefore have an interest we each have our favourites but I am wondering which approach saves you the money.

1. Should I spend money on specialist cleaners, oils and waxes and do I get financial return on the extended life of the chain or

2. Do I save money on cleaners, use the dregs from my 5lt can of motor oil and perhaps change my chain a little sooner.

My own feeling is grit and dirt stick to any oily substance and therefore = ware. The one time I used specialist lube only I did not notice any increase life in the chain.

Your own observations are as useful to you as anyone else's.

I'd go for option 2, as a chain is a consumable item. And shop around, prices vary hugely.

pinno

team47b wrote:

To reduce packaging waste these people make 5 litre containers of chain oil...

http://www.green-oil.net/Green%20Oil%20 ... 0lube.html

Vegetarian chain oil, well I never. I hope its Soya free.

Is that what keeps your kitten purring T47b? Maybe there's more to it than meets the eye. Can you last a 100 miles (and I don't mean out on the bike) ?

team47b

I only use dry lube :roll:

keef66

I've tried all sorts of stuff over the years.

Finish Line Wet Lube was OK for the MTB but just too sticky for my liking on the road bike.
Squirt and other wax based lubes are quite good in the dry if you remember to apply them after a ride and fairly frequently. They do flake off taking the dirt with them, but that can mean wax on your rear brake track which isn't ideal.
I've even tried 5W30 engine oil and some lighter gearbox oil I had left over from the cars. Both of those were a bit too heavy and attracted too much dirt.

Best compromise for me is a big-ish bottle of 3-in-1 oil I picked up in Wilkinsons for a pound. I Wipe the chain frequently, relube each pin sparingly, spin the cranks then wipe again to remove any excess. It's light enough to penetrate quickly, but doesn't leave any sticky mess. Good also for lubing pivots on mechs, brake calipers etc.