Vegetable bar oil wins cold storage—mostly

Vegetable-based bar oil is less likely to gum up in cold storage than petroleum-based bar oil, but the smartest move is to not store a coated chain at all.

Petroleum bar oils are loaded with tackifiers to make them stick to the bar while cutting. That sticky quality is exactly what turns into a hard, gummy mess over a cold winter. Vegetable-based oils are naturally less tacky and flow better at low temps, so a saw put away with bio-oil on it will come out of the shed in better shape.

The catch: vegetable oil can oxidize and get varnish-like after months of air exposure, especially in a warm shed. So it’s not a permanent solution either.

For winter storage, wipe the bar and chain clean, let them dry, and hit them with a light rust-preventive spray. That beats any bar oil for the “leave it until spring” test.

Future you will appreciate the chain being ready to run.