Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Lidl (Florabest) electric chainsaw. Lubrication path?

345 views
Skip to first unread message

Nick Odell

unread,
Apr 11, 2014, 12:17:06 PM4/11/14
to
I'm pretty sure no oil reached the chain while I was using this saw
for the first time today but as I (a)had soaked the chain in oil
before using it and (b)didn't need to run it for very long, no harm
appears to have been done.

To save me having to take the thing to pieces if I don't need to,
could someone tell me how the oil is supposed to move from the tank to
the chain? My first cut produced an awful lot of wood debris which
packed itself around the drive gear and the base of the bar: might
this have cut off the oil supply?

My last electric chainsaw (A Black and Decker, bought some thirty-odd
years ago) had a manual oil pump so I feel I'm rather at the mercy of
technology here, trusting that the "self-oiling" feature really does
self-oil.

Thanks in advance,

Nick

Bob Minchin

unread,
Apr 11, 2014, 12:41:09 PM4/11/14
to
Not sure about that particular saw but most now have an oil pump to
lubricate the chain.
Take the chain and bar off, clear the dust away and run the saw in the
normal working position with a cover off and you should see some oil
appear gradually, not huge amounts but it should be visible.

Bob

John Rumm

unread,
Apr 11, 2014, 3:41:34 PM4/11/14
to
On 11/04/2014 17:17, Nick Odell wrote:
> I'm pretty sure no oil reached the chain while I was using this saw
> for the first time today but as I (a)had soaked the chain in oil
> before using it and (b)didn't need to run it for very long, no harm
> appears to have been done.
>
> To save me having to take the thing to pieces if I don't need to,
> could someone tell me how the oil is supposed to move from the tank to
> the chain? My first cut produced an awful lot of wood debris which
> packed itself around the drive gear and the base of the bar: might
> this have cut off the oil supply?

Perhaps, but they normally site the oiling hole to the side of the bar
in a place where its less likely to get covered with chips...

Are you sure it was not oiling (you normally need to place the nose near
a flat surface and run it for a moment - you should see some oil
splatter on the surface)

> My last electric chainsaw (A Black and Decker, bought some thirty-odd
> years ago) had a manual oil pump so I feel I'm rather at the mercy of
> technology here, trusting that the "self-oiling" feature really does
> self-oil.

Not all saws have a pump - some seem to reply on gradual seepage under
the effects of gravity.

If you take the chain and bar off, and spin it up you should see some
oil ooze from the oiling port as it runs.


--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

Nick Odell

unread,
Apr 13, 2014, 3:45:41 PM4/13/14
to
Thanks, John and Bob. I followed your suggestions and found that oil
does indeed ooze from within when the motor runs. Compared with the
sort of oiling I used to manually give my old B&D it is very little
oil indeed. So I suppose that next time I use it, I ought to run it up
until I can see some oil spatter, before putting it under strain. I
still think the chain was horribly dry at the end of my first session
and now I've found the oil pathway, I can't see how the sawdust could
have sucked all the oil away.

One other thing: the "approved" chainsaw oil is much thicker and more
viscous than the bog-standard engine oil that I used to use on the
B&D. Would I be better off using something different? What oils do
others use for their electric chainsaw chains?

Thanks again,

Nick

The Natural Philosopher

unread,
Apr 13, 2014, 3:57:05 PM4/13/14
to
On 13/04/14 20:45, Nick Odell wrote:
> One other thing: the "approved" chainsaw oil is much thicker and more
> viscous than the bog-standard engine oil that I used to use on the
> B&D. Would I be better off using something differe

Chainsaw oil is supposed to be biodegradable and eco friendly and other
green bullshit.

So its hard to give it decent characteristics as well...sort a like
tanking up an F1 engine with rapeseed soil.


--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

John Rumm

unread,
Apr 13, 2014, 4:05:59 PM4/13/14
to
The proper chain oil contains "anti fling" agents to make it a bit more
sticky, so it stays on the bar better. Some are also biodegradable
(remember to flush them out of the tank with some regular engine oil at
the end of the season though).

I use the Q8 own branded stuff that Ernest Doe & sons flog. I doubt it
makes any difference to whether its used in an electric or petrol saw.

My "proper" chainsaw has an oil pump an seem to use it faster than my
pruner attachment (10" low profile 3/8" chain chainsaw on the end of a
pole for running from the strimmer power head) which seems to let
gravity do the oiling.

Bob Minchin

unread,
Apr 13, 2014, 4:23:40 PM4/13/14
to
I use the toolstation chainsaw oil - it is relatively cheap and does the
job.
Bob

Roger Mills

unread,
Apr 13, 2014, 5:23:31 PM4/13/14
to
On 13/04/2014 20:45, Nick Odell wrote:

>
> One other thing: the "approved" chainsaw oil is much thicker and more
> viscous than the bog-standard engine oil that I used to use on the
> B&D. Would I be better off using something different? What oils do
> others use for their electric chainsaw chains?
>

I bought some from Screwfix which seems ok.

--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Groove

unread,
Apr 14, 2014, 4:26:23 AM4/14/14
to
Bob Minchin <bob.minc...@YOURHATntlworld.com> wrote in
news:liernf$qaa$1...@dont-email.me:



> I use the toolstation chainsaw oil - it is relatively cheap and does
> the job.
> Bob
>

I've used waste cooking oil from my kitchen for years since a pro tree
surgeon suggested this. Seems to work fine as the saw is still running
and cutting well.


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David ~ Lincoln UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0 new messages