Green Oil, do you?

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cycle tramp
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Green Oil, do you?

Post by cycle tramp »

Following the... er ..other thread, does anyone use it? What's its performance like?
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rjb
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by rjb »

I use the Cengar multi purpose green oil. I've had no issue with it, does what it says on the can. I've got a couple of cans still which must be 25 year old. Looks like it now comes in plastic bottles.
Cengar-Green-Oil-1.png
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Mr Tom
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by Mr Tom »

I use it on my chain. Seems to work well enough. I haven't used anything else for so long that I don't know what to compare it too.
mattsccm
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by mattsccm »

My chainsaw uses green chain oil. I doubt the environmental values :D
Pebble
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by Pebble »

mattsccm wrote: 30 Jun 2022, 10:37pm My chainsaw uses green chain oil. I doubt the environmental values :D
It is quite disturbing how much chainsaw oil is left in the countryside - I have got through over a gallon since Arwin, all of which is still on/in the ground where i cut the wood. If I had poured a gallon of used engine oil into the great outdoors I would be quite rightly getting my collar felt
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horizon
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by horizon »

cycle tramp wrote: 14 May 2022, 9:06pm Following the... er ..other thread, does anyone use it? What's its performance like?
It's had some quite scathing responses in the past. I do use Green Oil. It's still going after 15 years so I suppose it must give reasonable performance. However I use it not for what it does but for what it doesn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP43vgGmKLA

A good review on road.cc here:

https://road.cc/content/review/green-oi ... ube-289339
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Stradageek
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by Stradageek »

So with the prerequisite that I've just used this oil (https://www.wiggle.co.uk/green-oil-ecol ... lube-100ml) as if it were ordinary 3-in-,1 I'm afraid I'm not a fan.

The main problem is that after a while it goes so solid that I've had to chisel it off the chain side-plates, link by link.

I'm guessing that when lightly and regularly applied (as instructed) it may lubricate, solidify and fall off of it's own accord but if applied generously and left to sit on a relatively unused bike, expect to find a solid glue-like material coating the chain.

I've also tried it as a general oil (again not it's recommended use) to lubricate pedal bearings. Once again, pedals left unused for a few months (i.e. some of my spare second hand pedals) became almost seized solid.

Mostly my fault I know but I now use only (sadly non-green) spray lubricant for lightweight chains and car engine oil for single speed chains.
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Mr Tom
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by Mr Tom »

I've had the exact same thing of having to prise it off my chain link by link, after running the chain through a cleaner. That's with regular use and light applications. I don't know, maybe I'll try something else when it runs out.

I take environmental issues really seriously, but to be honest I don't know if chain oil is really something people should be worrying about. If your oil isn't good then I'd guess the chain wears out quicker, so needs to be replaced, which obviously has it's own impact on the environment.

I think the guy who created it was inspired after riding though a ford and worrying about the oil washing into the water. Maybe I've imagined that. But yeah if I was doing that kind of cycling I would worry a lot more of course.
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horizon
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by horizon »

I've never had the problem you've mentioned but i can understand that the product might not be perfect. Although it might not be a great environmental problem in itself, wash-off from tyres and oil etc from roads is, AFAIK, considered significant. The main aspect for me though is keeping my own environment (backyard etc) free of contaminants and of course my own skin. It ticks all my boxes but I'll keep a look-out for the problem raised.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
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Mr Tom
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by Mr Tom »

Yeah, to be honest I'll probably keep using it too. It doesn't cause me problems really, those bits on the chain are just annoying. Also I've used vegetable oil from a supermarket when my chain's started squeaking and I'm far from home!

I guess I meant more that bikes are already so good compared to cars and motorbikes, you shouldn't feel bad if you have to use a petrochemical oil on the chain. I can get a bit crazy worrying about stuff like that sometimes!
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Re: Green Oil, do you?

Post by PH »

Recently started using Fenwicks All Season Oil, which is biodegradable. Too soon to have formed much of an opinion, though first impressions are it's no worse than than anything I've used before and it stayed OK during last weeks rain.
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