# Bar and chain oil

A dedicated tacky lubricant fed to the guide bar to lubricate the chain, the bar rails and the nose sprocket. It contains adhesion additives so that it clings to a chain moving at high speed rather than being flung straight off.

Source: https://chainsawdata.net/en/glossary/bar-and-chain-oil/
Site: ChainsawData (chainsawdata.net) — open technical specification database
Last updated: 2026-08-24
License: free to quote with attribution to chainsawdata.net

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Bar oil is consumed on a total-loss basis, which is why the oil tank empties at roughly the same rate as the fuel tank and why the choice of oil has an environmental dimension: biodegradable vegetable-based bar oils exist and are mandatory in some protected areas. Viscosity should suit the season, since a thick oil in cold weather will not reach the bar tip. Used engine oil is a poor and genuinely harmful substitute: it is too thin, lacks tackifiers, and carries combustion residues that are sprayed into the air and onto the operator.