Can I use common vegetable oil (e.g. rapeseed/canola) for chain-and-bar lubrication in a chainsaw?

Question

I have just acquired a small battery powered chainsaw (Makita DUC245), and would like to use an eco-friendly and skin-friendly chain oil if possible.
Lots of sources suggest the possibility of using vegetable-based oils, and I would like to do so.
I have one doubt though: should I use a chain-and-bar specific product that is based on vegetable oils (probably with additives), or can I use the regular, edible canola oil that is sold in supermarkets?

I appreciate both practical experiences as well as technical references.
Update: I live in subtropical climate that almost never goes below water-freezing temperatures.

fraxinus · Accepted Answer

Yes and no.
Plant-derived oils and animal-derived fat were used for lubrication in the whole history of mechanics and, surprizingly, also deep into the petrol era.
Even today, canola oil (with or without additives or processing) is used in motorsports as a high-performance 2-stroke oil.
What can go wrong?
Plant-derived oils have tendency to set (get more viscous all the way to forming a glass-like solid substance). The underlying process is known as polymerization. This is particularilly bad for parts with tight size tolerances - the already set oil makes impossible for the fresh one to enter the gap that needs lubrication. There are better and worse oils in this regard and canola oil is rather good, sunflower oil is in the middle and linseed/flaxseed oil is especially bad. Some additives can slow down the process.
The tendency to set is not of great importance for a frequently-used mechanisms, because the oil is frequently replaced with fresh amounts.
On the other hand, something that is left unused for a good half of the year can be rendered pretty much unusable without a great deal of disassembly and cleaning.
One can prepare their chanisaw for the seasonal hiatus by using 1 or 2 tanks of petrol-based oil just before the end of the seasonal work.
That's what I do in the related case of using vegetable oils as a diesel fuel. Older diesels (in hot enough weather) run pretty well on waste frying oil and other food-grade oils that lost their food qualities in one way or another. You just need to remember not to leave a significant percent of vegetable oil in the tank or in the feeding line before the winter.

isherwood · Answer

Yep. Yesirree.
Not being a fan of dumping petroleum into the woods (mine or otherwise), and considering that my saw is electric* (and therefore operates at slightly slower speeds), I've shifted to using common cooking vegetable oil instead of used motor oil, as I had been. Over a number of outings it has performed well, with no heat buildup, noise, excess fling or other anomalies.
This is a far different scenario than what happens inside an engine, for example, so it's probably not as critical as oil choice is there. One article shows the viscosity of vegetable oil to be comparable to that of conventional multi-grade motor oil, and slightly higher than PAO (synthetic) motor oil. Another study concludes that vegetable oil is a perfectly viable alternative.
Technically speaking, olive oil isn't vegetable oil in the sense that those mentioned in the question are. It's far more aromatic and prone to unpleasant side effects if used in tools. I don't recommend its use in chain saws.
That said, I don't have any empirical evidence to tell you whether it is having a detrimental effect on hardware life in my case. It's entirely possible that I'm subjecting my bar and chain to increased wear, but I haven't noticed any (chain adjustments are more or less typical). Regardless, I consider it worth the environmental and financial benefit.
YMMV.
* Ryobi 40V 14"

Mazura · Answer

there are several pretty exhaustive threads on arboristsite discussing the usage of canola oil, that have been going on several years with testing and everything, from reading those there is basically a little concern that it might putrefy if left for a long time, though people have tested this and seems oil left for a few years was still fine.

you have more sling and go through it faster because of the lack of tacking agents but it is cheaper, and more eco frendly, and the other thing that is worth noting is that a lot of bar oils also have some flame retardant additives, which is not really necessary unless you are in a very fire prone area. the general consensus of the guys that are using their saws day in and day out is to just use canola oil.

Any oil will work, even olive oil, except for that flinging at the top sprocket.
there is an additive in chainsaw oil that makes it "stringy" and help it hold onto the chain links.

– non-petroleum bar and chain oil, permies.com

Polypipe Wrangler · Answer

I have been using both canola oil and peanut oil in my electric chainsaw.
Each year I only use it an hour or so, but after 5 years it still seems to work fine.

Can I use common vegetable oil (e.g. rapeseed/canola) for chain-and-bar lubrication in a chainsaw?

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