Cheap chain oilers

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Jak*
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Cheap chain oilers

Post by Jak* »

Hi, has anyone tried one of the myriad of very cheap chain oilers on offer on the bay for about twenty quid? I have a PD oiler on my Himalayan which is excellent and their service is brilliant too, but my son is after something a bit cheaper for his 125. These also look dead easy to fit which would be handy on a bike where there seems little space to fit anything.
Thanks
wks
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by wks »

Loobman £20.99. Worked OK on a mate's bike. My bike got nicked before I could really test it.
Chalky723
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by Chalky723 »

Hated my Loobman, plastic & nasty.

I have a Tutoro on one bike but it has the problem that most automatic ones do - you set the flow rate, but on warm days it flows more & cold days less.

I have a chinese version of the Cobra Nemo, cost me £29 & is great. It's well made from decent alloy. A quarter turn puts a set amount of oil on the chain - hot or cold.

I've got one on my Serow & have bought one ready to put on my CRF300l, I may rip the Tutoro off & fit one on the GS too at some point.

Ebay Chain Oiler

Cheers,

D
Jak*
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by Jak* »

Thanks that’s the type I was looking at, I’ll get one ordered.
Magnusson
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by Magnusson »

My cheap chain oiler. I fill it with used motor oil and use every other time I fill the tank, or ride in the rain.
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catcitrus
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by catcitrus »

With modern O ring chains all you can do is to lube the O rings a bit, and underneath the none protected rollers--YOU CANT GET AT THE ACTUAL PINS AS THEY ARE SEALED. So called chain wear is usually the rollers wearing internally and you can check this by trying to move the rollers back and forth with your finger. Lots of MX riders simply use WD as that doesn't attract muck. I use a proper Putoline spray lube--about every 300 miles or so on a road bike and a little more frequently offroad---its thin to start with then sticky and none fling--so you get the O rings lubed--you can feel the difference when you spin the wheel. I've tried lube systems offroad but they simply bung up with mud, and on road modern lubricants do the job. I also refill mini cans with an adapter and take them with me on a long trip so can "top up" as required--all in all far less messy and more effective IMO.
garyboy
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by garyboy »

totally agree ..
all the oil feeders i have had end up gunged or over-spraying. scottoiler and tuturo!
a lightweight oil spray can of chain oil seems to be the best .. I do mine lightly before every ride. underneath gets really gunged of course but it helps keep corrosion at bay ... but saying that, I left my NC unused for a few weeks and the new chain got really really rusty, and its only done a few 100 miles. I didnt spray it before i put it away. Also the front brake caliper was part seized, so it must have been parked in my bike tent in a vaporous position? Quite shocked with that, actually, but i had to move it over for my crf and was closer to the outside wet canvas?

My last NC750 oem chain lasted 25,000 miles, and not a automatic oiler in sight, apart from the rubbish tuturo one i ripped off, lying on the manky floor where it belongs, lol.

I bought an oil can, as in mag's pic .. but found that ordinary oil drips a mess and flings off easily .. so i guess hd oil would be ok?

I got the `brilliant` idea of using some shaped cardboard to keep the applied oil spray offa the rear wheel .. and thought .. why dont someone invent something like that .. the following week loads a them waz advertised ... they read my mind .. again.
Chalky723
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by Chalky723 »

I've gone off the automatic ones as, like you say, they're not consistent in their delivery.

I now use the cheapy one above as a quick twist forces oil down the line (clearing the end) for a couple of minutes only - so normally on the way home or on a general blast out. It works just fine on my laning bike - never had an issue with blocking.

A gentle dribble on a warm, moving chain for a couple of minutes works wonders - and when I do it on the way home from work it means I don't have to get on my knees in the garage for weeks at a time! :D

D
garyboy
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by garyboy »

Sounds good.
Magnusson
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Re: Cheap chain oilers

Post by Magnusson »

Personally I think automatic chain oilers are a nice gimmick. When correctly used they sort of work. When incorrectly installed, or used, they give false security. My CRF has "Pro Oiler" installed by previous owner. It automatically oils the chain after travelling certain distance, as measured by the built in GPS. Very clever piece of kit. Should be idiot proof, but I beat it. :D It does not tell me when it has run out of oil, so when I noticed the chain looking very dry for the umpteenth time I gave up, deactivated it and went back to the little oil can. I'll remove it when opportunity comes. I also prefer the little oil can because it gives me opportunity to inspect the chain and sprockets every time I oil it.

I know chains are sealed but I like to keep the O or X-rings oiled from the outside too. It's my opinion that it will make them last longer. I always oil my chain after a ride when it's warm. The theory is that when it cools down it will suck the oil into the gaps.

There was a discussion among my friends years ago whether going to bigger sprockets would increase or decrease chain wear.
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