Caught a homeowner using cooking spray on their chainsaw bar yesterday

I'm doing a removal in Oak Park and the guy comes out with a can of Pam, says it's cheaper than bar oil. Had to explain how it'll gum up the sprocket and ruin the chain in like 30 minutes of cutting. Anyone else run into folks trying weird lubricants on their saws?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robert13d agoMost Upvoted

I see it a bit different. A little Pam in a pinch works fine for light cutting.

scott.drew12d ago

...and you know what, it reminds me of the time I watched a guy try to use WD-40 on his saw chain out in the sticks. He swore by it, said it kept things from rusting and was a whole lot cheaper. I just nodded and let him get on with it. About twenty minutes into cutting up a big oak limb, his chain started smoking and making this awful screeching noise. The bar was so hot you could have fried an egg on it. He ended up having to buy a whole new bar and chain because the heat warped the sprocket and the chain stretched out so bad it wouldn't stay tight. Some folks just have to learn the hard way, I guess.