spectastic

I work at a bike shop that maintains a rental fleet. they're pretty bomb proof, but I'm trying to get some sort of regular maintenance going, and the idea is to do the least amount of work to have the most benefit. one of the areas where I think we can save some time is to have a lube that we can apply liberally without wiping off the excess, and not having to worry about grit accumulation. i have bought this really thick chain lube called squirt, which explicitly states that you shouldn't wipe it off. but you do need to let it dry completely. however, while wax lubes can be applied liberally, they must be applied with a clean chain, which just isn't the case most of the time.

anyone have advice on a good lube we can use to make our day easier?

Retro Grouch 

Nope, but I give you originality points for the chain lube thread.

fietsbob

the stuff on the outside just attracts dirt. Just how Lazy Are You?

dabac

I'm struggling to see how that would work - apart from dry lubes that is.
And even with a dry lube there'd be benefits from wiping the chain clean prior to application.
I think there are easier efficiency points to be had from optimising the sequence rather than the chemical.
Something like: "clean three chains, lube three chains in the same order, then wipe three chains in the same order."

Wanderer

Chain saw bar oil - but you still have to wipe the outside - about 10 extra seconds of work.

Leebo

I like tri flow, teflon based.

fietsbob

Out here, they use Old Motor oil in the little tank that oils the saw chain ..

Buying a special oil for your chainsaw is more a Suburban hobby wood cutting thing..

cny-bikeman 

Wiping the chain by rotating the pedals backward while holding a rag around the chain takes maybe 5 seconds, including grabbing and replacing the rag. It allows you to put on a lube thick enough that it will not require re-oiling for some time and that will protect the chain better. It's also possible to detect stiff links or other defects in the process. You're practicing false economy.

Wanderer

Chain saw bar oil does have sticky additives, that make it cling better....... they use motor oil because it's cheaper!

fietsbob

STP is like that additive..

Gresp15C

I have an automatic chain oiler -- my Sturmey Archer hub.

spectastic

ok whatever, I'll just add it to the QC list. yea that'll work

Wanderer

STP is thick, but it ain't sticky!

fietsbob

Being Car Free for 20 years, I'll take your word for it

fietsbob

# 1) apply carefully, just on the rollers, so it seeps into the surfaces inside, Not 'Liberally' as you say ..
Triflow has a little hose pipe to direct it right there.

Plimogz

That's a pretty nasty practice. Setting aside the fact that it basically sprays used motor oil all over, the operator can end up breathing quite a lot of pulverized oil containing various heavy metals and other nasty crap.

fietsbob

Nah it is just a ever so small tiny trickle on the chain to keep a bit of oil in the bushings in it ..
even the kerf chips are really never showing any visible oil .

You havent done much slash pile firewood Cutting in Metropolitan Montreal a have You ?

Do you know which way the chain on the saw bar rotates? <quiz>

FBinNY 

I'm of the school that better maintenance done less often, ends up being the most efficient approach.

You recoup the extra seconds spent wiping a chain down, by not reoiling as often (if you choose the right lube). Compare the total time involved in oiling a chain (with any product) twice with doing so once, including wiping the chain. Imagine the time saved if you only have to oil 1/3 or 1/4 as often.

Plimogz

If you are doing it all day long, day in, day out, you run through a good amount of oil. If it really was 'an ever so small' trickle, virtually nothing, why do you think people would try to cheap out by reusing old crap they have lying around? And then where to you think it goes? Fill the reservoir, cut, cut, cut, fill the tank again... where did that oil go? must of disappeared, right? Magic!
How much is 'much'? I do not do it for a living, no -- nor do I have any interest in doing so. But I know guys who do. And I have myself done it for a few days on and off, seasonally, for years -- though not in the city, obviously.

None of this changes anything to what I said: If you use used motor oil to lube a chainsaw bar, without a breathing filter (which I have yet to see anyone use, tbh) you end up breathing pulverized used motor oil. You are right that how much you breathe in is proportional to how much you cut.

How acceptable this fact is -- that is ultimately up to the guy holding the saw.

Good bar oil is cheap. Hell, even new motor oil would be cheap enough.

***

edit: @spectastic: I certainly would not recommend using chainsaw bar oil on your chains given what you said in the OP. I actually think that Squirt could be a decent solution to your problem as stated in the OP. While it does need a clean chain, it dries to a pretty flaky surface if you let it dry overnight and stays clean enough on account of its flaking to permit straight re-lubing after it has worn out. It just sucks in the wet and doesn't last for very long. Maybe invest in an ultrasonic cleaner if you have that many chains to manage. My experience with wax lubes has been that the drive train stays so much cleaner; the necessary increased frequency of application is well outweighed by the reduction in cleaning time.

Jamminatrix

Buy any one of the half dozen PTFE aerosol sprays made by FTL, which are basically same product (I.E. - DuPont Chain Saver made by FinishLine, FinishLine Dry Aerosol, etc). Since the main carrier is the non-polar solvent heptane, just the act of spraying the chain liberally will blast away most old gunk. Keep in mind the chains will need to dry before riding, which is not a big issue if you apply it before putting the bikes into storage. It also won't have the longevity of a wet lube.

CliffordK

For me, I don't use quick links, and once the chain goes on the bike, it doesn't come off until it is toast.

However, if you removed the chains, you could use a solvent and ultrasonic cleaner, perhaps a couple of successive baths. Let the solvent dry. Then I think the process at the manufacture is to dip the chain in a hot oil/wax, and let it drip off.

This, however, might be more involved than you'd want to do on your fleet bikes, but you could have a clean chain and professionally lubed chains. And, you could do several chains simultaneously.

spectastic

forget it. i'm not going to put too much sweat on this one. the owners don't seem like they really want to get involved. when the owners are less vested in their own business than their employees, then it's a problem.. i think for now, I'll just try to get the crew used to our new system for bike maintenance.