2 Cycle Oil v/s Outboard Oil (for chainsaw)

[j...@myplace.com]

For my chainsaw I normally buy the oil to add to the gas called 2
Cycle Oil. Recently the store did not have any, so I bought a thing
called "Outboard Oil" (which says for 2 cycle outboard engines).
Someone told me to not use that stuff since it's not the same. I
disagree. Why would a 2 cycle chainsaw engine be all that much
different from a 2 cycle outboard engine? Actually I used to use
nothing but plain motor oil added to the gas, but I heard more than
once that motor oil does not lubricate as well, so I spend the extra
money and buy the stuff intended.

Anyone have an any comments about this?

Thanks

[teabird]

While I don't have an outboard motor, I do have 2 stroke saws, blowers
and weed wackers. I've even put oil and gas mix into a 4 stroke
lawnmower in a pinch (Gasp!) with no ill effects. It sounds like
you've got some sense and experience to back it up. I wouldn't
worry. Let us know if it goes wrong ;)

John

[Stormin Mormon]

When I took a small engine repair course, the instructor
told us all that they actually are different oils. Outboard
motors are water cooled, and run cooler. Chainsaws, air
cooled, hotter. So the outboard motor mix oil doesn't have
to run as hot. Outboard oil can be a lower grade, or not as,
well, something. And, that's what I've heard.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


<j...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:8lf1c75i6o0rvih8v...@4ax.com...

[Harry K]

I run 4 saws, some of them professional grade. I use nothing but the
chainsaw oil. I like my stuff to still be in one piece at the end of
a session so I don't take chances with "might be the same".

I live in a small town (2,000 pop) that is dying (half the stoe fronts
vacant). Even here I can name 3 different business dthat all carry
both outboard and chainsaw type. At least one of them will have what
I want.

Harry K

[Steve B]

On Nov 14, 2:16 am, j...@myplace.com wrote:
> For my chainsaw I normally buy the oil to add to the gas called 2
> Cycle Oil. Recently the store did not have any, so I bought a thing
> called "Outboard Oil" (which says for 2 cycle outboard engines).
> Someone told me to not use that stuff since it's not the same. I
> disagree. Why would a 2 cycle chainsaw engine be all that much
> different from a 2 cycle outboard engine? Actually I used to use
> nothing but plain motor oil added to the gas, but I heard more than
> once that motor oil does not lubricate as well, so I spend the extra
> money and buy the stuff intended.
>
> Anyone have an any comments about this?
>
> Thanks

RTFM. Then select the product according to use. One type is for water
cooled two strokes, and one type is used for air cooled.

You can learn a lot in those directions, and Google, too.

Steve

[Hank]

On Nov 14, 2:16 am, j...@myplace.com wrote:

I also use standard 30w oils in my dirtbikes. They would get covered
with mud and i am sure they ran a little hot. I never had a problem
other than normal wear. I knew this because my pistons, rings,
bearings would last just as long as my fellow riders who used the
special oils. I mix it 20:1. With the new oils, they have additives
which help with lubrication and less fouling of plugs and burns
cleaner, therefore, you don't need to mix it at a 20:1 ratio.

So, in my opinion, i doubt it makes any difference.

Hank

[Larry W]

In article <8lf1c75i6o0rvih8v...@4ax.com>,

Outboards are water cooled and don't get as hot as chainsaws and other
2 cycle power tools with air cooled engines. The oils are formulated
differently. A one time use probably won't make much difference in
the life of the chainsaw.


--
Better to be stuck up in a tree than tied to one.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar.org

[Frank Thompson]

On Nov 14, 5:28 pm, lwass...@sdf.lNoOnSePsAtMar.org (Larry W) wrote:
> In article <8lf1c75i6o0rvih8vtrja1k67heg41l...@4ax.com>,

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  <j...@myplace.com> wrote:
> >For my chainsaw I normally buy the oil to add to the gas called 2
> >Cycle Oil.  Recently the store did not have any, so I bought a thing
> >called "Outboard Oil" (which says for 2 cycle outboard engines).
> >Someone told me to not use that stuff since it's not the same.  I
> >disagree.  Why would a 2 cycle chainsaw engine be all that much
> >different from a 2 cycle outboard engine?  Actually I used to use
> >nothing but plain motor oil added to the gas, but I heard more than
> >once that motor oil does not lubricate as well, so I spend the extra
> >money and buy the stuff intended.

>

> Outboards are water cooled and don't get as hot as chainsaws and other
> 2 cycle power tools with air cooled engines. The oils are formulated
> differently. A one time use probably won't make much difference in
> the life of the chainsaw.

I ruined a Husky... chainsaw by using Outboard Motor oil. At the time
I didn't realize the difference.
I used several quarts over a year or so.

[Steve Barker]

the difference is the water cooling. But having said that, I ran
quicksilver (mercury outboard) in about 100 pieces of air cooled two
cycle equipment at the lawn and landscape place i worked for 12 years.
Never a lube related failure.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

[jamesgangnc]

We have a jetski so we buy 2 stroke twc-3 oil by the gallon for it. I
use it in all my other little 2 stroke engines as well. Never had any
problems.

[Steve Barker]

Well like i stated, i used it for 12 years on hundreds of pieces of
equip. I was mixing 50 gallons at a time, and going through about 50
gallons of mix a week, 36 or so weeks a year.

[Tony Miklos]

I called Castrol and asked them. They said that the regular outboard or
marine oil is made for cooler running engines, specifically that it
gives less soot and won't foul the plugs as the other type will. They
said that it is specially formulated for colder running engines and the
other oil is specially formulated for hotter running engines and not to
use the outboard oil in a chainsaw due to the higher temperatures.
TWC3 is synthetic and required by some watercraft with engines that
run at higher temperatures. They wouldn't say it would be OK for a
chainsaw. Like others, I've used regular marine oil in the chainsaw and
never had a problem. Don't shoot the messenger.

[Steve B]

"Steve Barker" <ichase...@notgmail.com> wrote

> Well like i stated, i used it for 12 years on hundreds of pieces of equip.
> I was mixing 50 gallons at a time, and going through about 50 gallons of
> mix a week, 36 or so weeks a year.
>
> --
> Steve Barker

I did not know until about six months ago that there were two types of two
stroke oils, one for air cooled and one for water cooled. The only time I
ever had a problem was one time when I put straight gas into a chainsaw.
And when I used too much oil, and the plug just fouled out.

Other than that, everything worked fine. If one had done a complete
disassembly, perhaps some things may have been observed by the trained eye
to the interior parts that showed wear or degradation caused by using the
wrong type oil. But I believe that if there were a great difference, we
would have heard of a lot of failures of all sorts over the last fifty
years.

Steve

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

Another point that has not been mentioned. Most marine oils and in
particular TWC3, are designed to protect the engine at mixtures of
50:1 in premix, or in injection systems where the mixture can approach
100:1 under light loads and 50:1 or more under high loads. This is to
reduce polution in both air and water, as well as reducing engine
buildups in high output engines.(some even run 100:1 in premix)

In comparison, my chainsaw specifies 16:1 (it's an old saw) and many
other small 2 strokes specify 25:1 or heavier mixes. You most
certainly can NOT use the standard oils designed for 16:1 or 25:1 at
40:1 or 50:1 and expect proper protection.(for instance in watercraft
or snowmobiles) You also cannot expect the chain saw to be properly
protected by a 50:1 mix of TWC3 oil - and a 16:1 ratio of TWC3 for the
old chainsaw does not make any sense either. Would likely give
adequate protection, but the TWC3 does not burn as well (oxidation
inhibited) so the oil basically flows right out the exhaust either as
unburned oil or very copious amounts of thick smoke.
The best idea is to use the recommended oil for the
engine/application.