Bike chain lube, chainsaw oil?

[Blue Hills]

Am well aware, having reached a certain age, that there is a lot of, er snakeoil, mumbo jumbo dedicated to repackaging simple products for specialist applications such as cycling, and bumping up the price.

Have seen chainsaw oil, available very cheaply from my just opened toolstation outlet at a very reasonable per litre price.

Some folk have suggested that this makes a good bike chain oil. And after all it is for chains. Very probably chains subjected to more stress than your average bike chain.

Views?

 

[winjim]

Do you really need a litre of chain lube?

 

[FishFright]

Do you really need a litre of chain lube?

Yes

 

[cosmicbike]

It's fine.

 

[Blue Hills]

Do you really need a litre of chain lube?

Why wouldn't I?

I'm a cyclist. Plan to live a fair while yet. Largely due to cycling probably. Weldtite sell litres of chain oil.

Edit, this is the stuff, £3.84 a litre
https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automotive/d60/Lubricants+&+Sprays/sd2795/Chainsaw+Oil/p36322

 

[Drago]

Gear oil. You can also use it as aftershave.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'm a big fan of chainsaw oil and find it works well. Just apply sparingly (a drop on each link) and make sure you thoroughly wipe off the excess otherwise it makes a mess.

 

[ColinJ]

I tried it and found it incredibly 'gloopy'. I ended up with great strands of thick oil hanging off the cassette.

That would be because I hadn't read @Rickshaw Phil's post before setting off on my freshly glooped bike!

 

[arch684]

Chainsaw oil and the mickle method works for me

 

[ColinJ]

It is so thick that I'm surprised that it manages to penetrate into the parts of the chain that it needs to!

 

[TheDoctor]

As I always say in these circumstances...
Poundland sell chain oil.

 

[raleighnut]

It is so thick that I'm surprised that it manages to penetrate into the parts of the chain that it needs to!

It is meant to resist being 'flung' off a chain hence the 'stringing', it can be a bit sticky so not much use in very dusty conditions but there ain't much of that round here.

 

[TheDoctor]

Chainsaw chains go round very quickly through logs. Bike chains, erm, don't.
With all respect to Rickshaw Phil, chainsaw oil is ideal, nay, perfect. For chainsaws!

 

[smokeysmoo]

It's all I've used for a few years now, I bought a 1litre Stihl oil for about 4 quid, and I can't imagine needed another bottle of it for years to come.

FWIW I filled an old 100ml 3 in 1 bottle and find it's ideal for controlling it's application.

 

[User32269]

It's just an opinion, but I think most of the stuff spouted about chain lube is nonsense. I've used super duper expensive chain lube, hair clipper oil, diesel and petrol engine oil, and a host of others.....never noticed one jot of difference, except with one labelled dry lube, might as well smothered my chain with the kids pritt stick. Oil it, wipe it, ride it.