Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

sturdavj

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
240
Can I use the same oil in my Sthil chainsaw that I use in my Suzuki outboard motor?

Any thoughts on this ?
 

airframer

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Nov 10, 2007
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158
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

some oils will say their for marine use but 2 cycle is 2 cycle
 

Drowned Rat

Captain
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Jan 20, 2004
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3,070
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

Your Suzuki is water cooled. Your chainsaw is air cooled. There are 2 stroke oils made for each application. I would stick with an oil designed for the motor you're running it in.
 

Mike Robinson

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Jun 29, 2005
Messages
752
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

Here's a quote from "Marlowe" in another forum that sums this up pretty well:

"Any oil is better than no oil, but the right oil works better than just any oil. Through the years engineers have learned what helps and what doesn't help so much. An air cooled engine runs at different temperatures than a water cooled one, that's why they throw that W in the TCW designation. W for water cooled combustion chamber temperatures. The same oil in an air cooled engine is better than nothing but it breaks down at the higher temperatures resulting in accelerated wear. Even in the two stroke outboards today we have oil specifically formulated for the application, such as oil for injected engines as compared to oil for carbureted engines. Use the wrong stuff and I can vouch for the fact that it shortens the life of the engine sometimes resulting in catastrophic failure. It's not just marketing hype. Compared to the engine, oil is fairly cheap. I'd recommend getting the right stuff."
 

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

No. Use chainsaw oil at the recommended ratio.

I destroyed a Poulan saw by using my outboard premix and your Stihl is a lot more valuable than my "P"lan.
 

Tim Frank

Vice Admiral
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Jul 29, 2008
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Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

Absolutely use an oil that specifies it is for 2-cycle air cooled engines.
 

ED21

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Aug 26, 2003
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829
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

I'll just add use the correct 2 cycle air cooled oil at 50:1. The generic oil won't cut it.
Use stihl, echo etc. with the JASO & ISO-LEGD spec. It's usually a synthetic blend.
 

gss036

Commander
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Jan 18, 2003
Messages
2,914
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

I agree, use the proper oil. I burned up a fairly new Husky a couple years ago using TCW oil. Expensive lesson learned.
 

bowman316

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
1,822
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

i guess using chain saw oil in a boat motor is bad too?
i have never done it, but last week it was really hard to find boat motor oil, and i considered using it.
 

cribber

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May 29, 2008
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1,338
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

I was in the local NAPA one holiday weekend and there was this poor guy looking for marine grade oil for his two stroke since all the boat shops were closed. The guy in NAPA wouldn't sell him the 2 stroke oil they had on hand. Told the guy "if you want to blow your motor go down the street to Wally World."

We did manage to find a Gates replacement serpentine belt for my 3.0l Volvo that got shredded from a lose bolt and got me back out on the water. That following Monday I hit my local dealer for a VOLVO OEM belt and keep the Gates on hand as a spare.
 

Tim Frank

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5,346
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

I'll just add use the correct 2 cycle air cooled oil at 50:1. .

You'd be better to follow the OEM mix instructions!
Many (or even most) may be 50:1, but I still use a mid-70s Pioneer that requires 16:1.

edit: OK...it's a Stihl...if that is always 50:1, ignore the above...;)
 
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gss036

Commander
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Jan 18, 2003
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2,914
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

For what little bit of saw gas that I use now, I just buy the little bottles of STIHL synthetic.
In fact I am replacing my burnt out (cracked and warped) wood insert this weekend for a gas insert/furnace (41,000 BTU), so I guess you can call it a furnace of sorts. I have burnt wood since 1968, but it's time to switch. I think gas is probably cheaper than buying log truck loads of uncut logs.
 

javsam

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
421
Re: Boat gas/oil mix in a chain saw ??

I have a Murray two stroke air cooled roto tiller with tecumseh engine.Owners manaul says to use TCW 3 oil.
 
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