Refrigeration mineral oil -- OK for what else?

[larry moe 'n curly]

I have an unopened quart of NAPA #209500 mineral oil for old car air conditioners that use Freon R-12. I can't find any information on it, but is it OK to use in air tools?

[Richard J Kinch]

It won't especially hurt them, but it is a little too viscous, and lacking any plating or anti-corrosion additives that are good things to have in air tool lubricant.

[Lawrence Glickman]

I would toss it ( recycle ). What does air tool oil cost? Pennies. Is it worth putting this

*stuff* into your tools to save a dollar? Only you can decide. I wouldn't. I would throw it away and buy air-tool oil, which I have. A little goes a long way. A quart will last years.

Lg

[larry moe 'n curly]

That's more than my air tool costs.

[Bruce Chang]

However, that's not more than replacement air tools cost unless you're in the habit of getting things for free, in that case, sell an air tool and buy yourself some oil.

[Billy Bad Assr©]

certainly won't hurt!

BBA

[Stormin Mormon]

Refrigeration mineral oil needs to be used in a sealed system wtih no air or moisture. It absorbs moisture, and won't be good for your air tools. Likely to cause corrosion.

The quart of oil, it's been awhile since I bought any. Five bucks or so. Maybe you can find a shop that can use it, still some R-12 air conditioners on the road. I know... I drive one every day.

[Stormin Mormon]

Unless the oil absorbs a bunch of moisture. Then it might hurt.

[Matt]

It's very tasty on salad.

[Steve]

R-12 MINERAL oil does not absorb moisture. POE R-12 compatible oil (aka 'Ester oil') does. So does PAG oil for R-134a systems.

Still, air-tool oils have properties (anti corrosion, surface tension, seal compatibility etc.) that R-12 mineral oil isn't optimized for. I wouldn't use it in any air tool I cared about.