Every chainsaw needs bar and chain oil, electric and battery models included. It is not engine oil and it is not two-stroke mix: it is a tacky oil whose only job is to keep the chain sliding on the bar rail at speed.
Run the bar dry for one session and you will blue the rails, stretch the chain and usually need both replaced. It is the cheapest consumable on the saw and the most expensive one to skip.
What to buy
| Product | Why this one | |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Premium All Season Chain and Bar Oil, 1L | The default answer. Tacky all-season formula, one litre is right for a saw used a few times a year. | Check price |
| Oregon Premium All Season Chain and Bar Oil, 5L | The same oil in the size that actually makes sense if you cut firewood: a saw in steady use drinks roughly as much chain oil as fuel. | Check price |
| Oregon Biodegradable Chain Oil, 1L | Vegetable based. Worth the premium if you are cutting near water, over a vegetable patch or anywhere the run-off matters. | Check price |
| Rotatech Universal Chain and Bar Oil, 1L | Cheaper universal option that works in any make of saw. Fine for occasional garden use. | Check price |
| Stihl ForestPlus Chain Oil, 5L | Stihl's own mineral oil. Buy it if you want to keep a Stihl warranty argument simple, not because the oil is magic. | Check price |
| Stihl SynthPlus Chain Oil, 1L | Synthetic, clings better at high chain speed and in cold weather. The one to use on a saw that works hard in winter. | Check price |
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How much oil a saw actually uses
Roughly as much chain oil as fuel. A petrol saw that empties a tank of mixed fuel will have emptied the oil reservoir in about the same time, which is why both caps sit next to each other. On a battery saw, expect the oil tank to run down in about the time it takes to flatten two packs.
Check the level every time you refuel or swap a battery. The quickest field test that the oiler is working: hold the running saw a few inches above a light surface and open the throttle. You should see a line of oil flick off the bar tip.
Mineral or biodegradable
Mineral oil is cheaper and clings slightly better in cold weather. Biodegradable, usually vegetable based, costs more and is the right choice when the oil ends up somewhere that matters: near water, over a vegetable garden, or on an allotment. All of it ends up in the environment, since the saw throws it off the chain as you cut.
What not to use
Not engine oil, not gearbox oil, not bicycle chain spray, and emphatically not used motor oil. The first three are too thin and get flung straight off the chain; the last is abrasive, carcinogenic and a disposal offence in most contexts.
In an emergency, a thicker vegetable oil will get you to the end of a cut. It will also gum up the oiler if you leave it in there, so flush it afterwards.
Winter
Cold oil pumps badly. If the saw is working below freezing, either use a thinner winter grade or a synthetic, and store the saw somewhere above freezing between jobs. A blocked oiler in January is usually just thick oil.
Related
Browse the saws themselves by petrol, cordless or corded, or see the best chainsaws overall.
Last updated November 2026