Drat. I have been using TCW-3 two-stroke oil in my chainsaw gas:oil mixture for two years

I just realized, when I bought a new gas can to mix a new batch of 50:1 two-stroke oil for my chainsaw, that I have been using TCW-3 two-stroke oil for the past two years.

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Drat!

Reply to
Danny D.
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YOUR CHAINSAW HAS A TWO-STROKE ENGINE. So what is the problem? =====

Reply to
Roy

I'll admit, I've no idea why is this a concern. Is that outboard motor oil?

Drat, what?

Incidentally, not seen you in a couple days. I hope you are healthy and well?

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 18:14:54 -0400:

See the manual right next to the oil in the picture in the OP.

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It's at the t- Never use two-stroke oil intended for water-cooled engines, sometimes referred to as outboard oil (rated TCW).

I hate it when things say not to use something but they don't say why, but, it's there, so, I've clearly been using the wrong oil.

Googling, I find this ruined engine, reputedly due to the oil:

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Luckily, mine isn't ruined.

Reply to
Danny D.

Roy wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 14:37:26 -0700:

The owners manual says *never* use TCW rated oil, and, googling, I find multiple instances of reputed blown chainsaw engines as a result.

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Reply to
Danny D.

CY: I saw the manual. It is like trying to read a postage stamp on the bumper of the car in front of me.

CY: Thank you for sending the text large enough for me to read.

CY: Oops, that's not good.

CY: Thank you for providing a bit more detail, wasn't sure what was your concern.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

One of the few things I remember from the small engine course I took, the outboards are water cooled, and they run cooler. Air cooled like your saw runs 100 degrees or so hotter. it's very wise to keep the saw clean of dust after each use, and try to clean the oil and crud off the cooling fins. At least, that's what the guy said.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

TCW3 is not an oil rated for the temperature a chainsaw operates at. It is not going to blow up right away but you will see more wear than you should, in theory. If this is a Homelite or Ryobi, you will probably throw it away for other reasons before the engine actually wears out tho.

Reply to
gfretwell

gfretwell wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 19:55:43 -0400:

I guess that means the TCW-rated oil doesn't "cool" the engine as well as whatever rating it is that I should get.

Makes sense, if the engine isn't being cooled right.

It's a Husqvarna 445, but I think it's the same oil I had used on a Craftsman (aka Poulon) chainsaw, which ended up siezing on me just after the warranty period expired.

When they took it apart they said it had scored pistons, and I asked what I could possibly have done to score the pistons after just about 10 uses.

Reply to
Danny D.

Please consider pour that gas in your car (or your wife's car) fuel tank, and buy some oil that's rated for the saw.

Hope your saw's not badly damaged.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I can appreciate your concern BUT did you see the machines on your oil container? Doesn't that tell you pretty well that it is an ALL-PURPOSE type oil?

Reply to
Roy

Roy wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 17:41:23 -0700:

That's what I had thought too.

But, only recently, did I notice the line "Never" to use TCW-rated oil in the owners manual for my 18" Husqvarna 445.

Bear in mind, my first chain saw ever, was a Craftsman (aka Poulon) 18" chainsaw which died in about a year of just occassional use.

When I had it taken apart, they told me it had "scored pistons".

I had used the exact same oil, and nobody used the chainsaw but me, and I did NOT abuse it. Yet, it died, all the same, after only about 10 uses.

In fact, the only thing I could save was the black plastic chainsaw carrier that you see my Husky in, in my photo below.

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Reply to
Danny D.

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 20:31:02 -0400:

Serves me right for buying my two-stroke oil at the auto parts store.

Googling for two stroke oil at Home Depot, I find it's about 80 bucks a gallon, out the door, in quart-sized increments.

HOME DEPOT: $80/gallon $9 for 16 oz. 2-Cycle 50:1 Motor Oil for Engines ECHO Model # 6450006, Internet # 100033949, Store SKU # 551696

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LOWES: $80/gallon $9 for 16 oz. Pro Mix 16-oz ProMix 2-Cycle Oil Item #: 188579 | Model #: 54004

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Reply to
Danny D.

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 19:16:49 -0400:

I do have cleaning solutions in my "kit".

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For example, you'll notice the brass wire brush and the air spray to clean out the oil holes in the bar.

The one thing I need to *remove* from my chainsaw kit is that TCW-3 oil, in favor of whatever 2-stroke oil is properly used for air-cooled engines.

Reply to
Danny D.

Stormin Mormon wrote, on Fri, 10 Oct 2014 19:14:11 -0400:

My concern was mostly that the prior chainsaw lasted fewer than a dozen uses before it scored its own pistons to death:

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I remember *exactly* what happened to that Craftsman 358.351800 (Poulon) 18" chainsaw the day it died.

All of a sudden, the engine started speeding up faster and faster and faster. I didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.

After about five or ten minutes of that speeded-up-engine, the engine never started again. When I had it looked at, they said the pistons were scored, and that it would cost more than it's worth, to fix.

Maybe it was the oil?

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I don't know. But I never abused that saw, and it barely lasted.

I swore I'd never buy another Craftsman gas-motor tool ever again, so, that's why I bought the Husqvarna to replace it.

Reply to
Danny D.

Saw, not bar. Around the gasoline engine, there should be some fins for cooling. On my saw, the starter cord turns the flywheel. The flywheel has fins to move cooling air over the saw body. Helps keep the engine cool.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Here is article which says much the same, and has a couple photos:

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Not having a boat, I never knew there would be a 2 cycle oil for them and another for the air cooled engines. I looked at the Coastal oil you showed a pix of. It has both a boat and lawnmower on it. Site says it is good for all 2 cycle engines. Maybe it is and maybe not. Some oils seem to be rated for both. I don't use enough 2 cycle stuff to make any differance in the price of the oil mix. I doubt I use a gallon of the oil in a year or two. I noticed on some of the oil bottles say they have addativies in them that act like the Stabil to keep the gas fresh longer.

I do use the gas without ethanol in it and it seems to make a differance in how smooth some of the engines run and not gum up if not used for a long time such as my tiller that only gets used once or twice a year now. While I use most of the gas up every 2 or 3 months, I put the Stabil in it just to make sure. Probably not needed, but that way I know if I have some that is not used for a while it will have a chance of being good.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

No, that is not the problem. You had the same problem that I had with my Homelite saw. It was cheap enough to buy and I hardly use the saw so it is good enough. A hundred bucks later, we know that is is NOT "good enough" but it is a POS.

Get a Stihl and be done with it. You will never need another saw.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

One other thing Danny is your 50/1 ratio for your mix. I never run that lean...have always gone with 40/1 or even 30/1 in really hot weather. As long as it will start and run the extra oil won't hurt other than the heavy smoke. ====

Reply to
Roy

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