Best Chainsaw Bar and Chain Oil UK

When we talk about chainsaws on this site, most of the attention goes to the saw itself: petrol versus battery, bar length, which brand cuts fastest through a log pile. Bar and chain oil rarely gets a mention, yet it’s doing more work than almost any other consumable in the shed. Every time the chain rips round the bar, it’s the oil film between the two that stops metal grinding directly on metal.

Run a saw dry, or top it up with whatever’s cheapest, and you’ll notice the effects sooner or later: a bar that runs hot and wears a groove faster than it should, a chain that stretches and blunts quicker, and cutting performance that drops off even with a freshly sharpened chain. A decent bottle of chain oil costs a few pounds; a new guide bar costs a good deal more, so getting this one right is cheap insurance.

We’ve pulled together seven bar and chain oils currently available from UK retailers — Amazon UK, Screwfix, B&Q and Toolstation — covering budget mineral oils through to premium biodegradable options, plus a buying guide on mineral versus biodegradable oils, viscosity and winter use, and how often to check and top up.

One quick note before we get into it: chain oil is not the same product as two-stroke fuel mix oil. Chain oil lubricates the bar and chain from its own reservoir; two-stroke oil is mixed with petrol to lubricate the engine on non-cordless saws. Mixing the two up is a mistake worth avoiding — more on this in the buying guide below.

How the Options Compare

Here’s a quick side-by-side before the detailed write-ups. Prices are approximate and will shift a little between retailers and over time, so treat them as a guide to where each product sits rather than an exact figure.

Product	Oil Type	Pack Size	Approx Price
The Handy HP-146 Chainsaw Chain Oil	Mineral	1L	around £10-£12
STIHL ForestPlus Chain Oil	Mineral	1L / 5L	around £9-£11 (1L), £24-£28 (5L)
Husqvarna Bar and Chain Oil	Mineral	1L / 5L	around £17-£19 (1L), £28-£31 (5L)
Makita/Dolmar Non-Bio Chain & Bar Oil	Mineral	1L	around £8-£10
LIQUI MOLY Bio Saw Chain Oil	Biodegradable	1L / 5L	around £9-£11 (1L), £45-£50 (5L)
Oregon Biodegradable Chainsaw Chain Oil	Biodegradable	1L	around £9-£11
STIHL BioPlus Chain Oil	Biodegradable	1L / 5L	around £13-£16 (1L), £40-£45 (5L)

The Handy HP-146 Chainsaw Chain Oil

The Handy is a well-known budget garden machinery brand, and its own chainsaw chain oil (also sold as the HP-146 at Screwfix and Wickes) is exactly the sort of no-frills product you’d reach for to top up the reservoir cheaply. It’s a straightforward mineral oil that does the basic job of lubricating the chain, and for occasional hedge and log work a few times a year, it’s perfectly serviceable.

Pros: very cheap, widely available on Amazon UK as well as at Wickes and Screwfix, fine for light occasional use.

Cons: it’s a basic mineral oil without the tackiness additives you get in branded oils, so it can fling off the chain more readily at higher bar speeds, and it isn’t biodegradable. Not our first pick if you’re cutting regularly or near planting, ponds or livestock.

Who it suits: gardeners who use a chainsaw a handful of times a year for light jobs and want the cheapest reasonable option, rather than anyone running a saw hard and often.

STIHL ForestPlus Chain Oil

STIHL’s ForestPlus is a mineral oil pitched as the everyday workhorse in the STIHL range, widely stocked including through Screwfix. It’s formulated with adhesive additives so it clings to the chain reasonably well rather than being flung off at the bar tip, the main weakness of unbranded mineral oils.

Pros: good value for a branded mineral oil, decent tack and film strength for the price, widely available, sensible if you already run a STIHL saw and want something the manufacturer designed the oiler system around.

Cons: still a mineral oil, so it isn’t biodegradable — not ideal for cutting near waterways, allotments or anywhere it’s likely to end up in soil regularly. Performance in very cold weather can feel sluggish until the saw’s been running a minute or two.

Who it suits: STIHL owners and anyone doing regular garden and firewood work who wants a trusted mid-range mineral oil without paying premium biodegradable prices.

Husqvarna Bar and Chain Oil

Husqvarna’s own bar and chain oil is the direct equivalent for orange-and-grey saw owners, easy to find on Amazon UK in 1 litre and 5 litre bottles. Like the STIHL equivalent, it’s a mineral oil with adhesive properties built in to keep it on the chain rather than spraying off into the sawdust.

Pros: reliable, consistent viscosity, sensible pricing especially in the 5 litre size if you get through oil regularly, and it’s the oil Husqvarna designs its oiler pumps around.

Cons: again, mineral rather than biodegradable, so the same caveats apply around use near water, food-growing areas or wildlife-rich gardens. Some users find the 5 litre bottle’s pouring spout less tidy than smaller bottles.

Who it suits: Husqvarna owners, and anyone getting through enough oil that buying in bulk makes sense — the 5 litre option works out noticeably cheaper per litre than 1 litre bottles.

Makita/Dolmar Non-Bio Chain & Bar Oil

Makita’s own chainsaw chain oil is aimed at owners of Makita’s petrol and cordless chainsaws (Makita and Dolmar share a parent company and many consumables), and it’s a straightforward mineral chain oil that’s easy to find on Amazon UK alongside the saws themselves.

Pros: convenient if you already run Makita or Dolmar kit, reasonable mid-range pricing, works fine across chainsaw brands despite being marketed alongside Makita tools.

Cons: it’s labelled ‘non-bio’, so don’t reach for it if you specifically want a biodegradable oil — the name refers to the oil type, not an eco credential. Only sold in 1 litre, so no bulk-buy saving.

Who it suits: Makita and Dolmar cordless or petrol saw owners who want a compatible oil without hunting for a specialist brand.

LIQUI MOLY Bio Saw Chain Oil

LIQUI MOLY is a well-established German lubricants brand, and its Bio Saw Chain Oil is a genuinely biodegradable chain oil that undercuts the big chainsaw brands’ own bio ranges on price, with a strong track record reflected in well over 2,000 customer ratings on Amazon UK.

Pros: biodegradable at a price closer to mineral oils, available in both 1 litre and 5 litre sizes, backed by a well-established lubricants brand with thousands of positive reviews.

Cons: sold under a brand better known for automotive lubricants than chainsaws specifically, so some gardeners simply prefer sticking with a dedicated chainsaw brand that matches their saw. Stock levels on individual sellers can fluctuate, so it’s worth checking availability before you commit to a size.

Who it suits: budget-conscious gardeners who want to switch to a biodegradable oil without paying a big premium over mineral options.

Oregon Biodegradable Chainsaw Chain Oil

Oregon is best known for chains and bars rather than saws, but its biodegradable chain oil is a genuine best-seller on Amazon UK, rated 4.8 stars across more than 13,000 reviews and carrying an Amazon’s Choice badge. As a company that makes the bars other oils have to protect, Oregon has an obvious incentive to get the formulation right.

Pros: made by a bar and chain specialist, exceptionally well-reviewed with a large volume of ratings, sensible middle-ground pricing between the budget bio oils and STIHL’s BioPlus.

Cons: mainly sold in 1 litre bottles (with a two-pack available for buying in bulk) rather than a dedicated 5 litre size, so it isn’t the most economical option for very high-volume use.

Who it suits: anyone who wants a biodegradable oil from a name specifically associated with bars and chains, at a price between the budget and premium options.

STIHL BioPlus Chain Oil

BioPlus is STIHL’s premium biodegradable chain oil, rapeseed-based and formulated to match the tack and film strength of their mineral ForestPlus oil rather than being a compromise eco option. It’s readily available on Amazon UK in 1 litre and 5 litre sizes.

Pros: strong adhesion and cold-weather flow for a biodegradable oil, backed by STIHL’s own testing on their saws, breaks down in soil rather than persisting, and the 5 litre bottle brings the per-litre cost down close to mineral options if you use a lot.

Cons: the 1 litre bottle sits at the top of our price comparison, so it’s not the cheapest way to go biodegradable if budget is tight. Overkill for someone who only uses a chainsaw twice a year.

Who it suits: regular users, especially those cutting in woodland, near watercourses or on land where wildlife and soil health matter, and STIHL owners who want an oil designed specifically around their saw’s oiler system.

Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Chain Oil

Mineral vs biodegradable oils

Mineral chain oils are refined from crude oil, generally the cheapest option, with a long track record for tack and film strength. The trade-off is that they don’t break down in the environment, so oil flung off the chain lingers in soil and water. For occasional use on a patio that’s a minor concern; for regular cutting near a pond, veg patch or anywhere wildlife spends time, it matters more.

Biodegradable oils are typically rapeseed or vegetable-oil based, and modern formulations from STIHL, Oregon and lubricant specialists like LIQUI MOLY have closed most of the performance gap that used to exist with mineral oils. They cost a little more, usually a couple of pounds per litre, but if you’re cutting on your own land regularly, that’s a modest premium for peace of mind.

Viscosity and seasonal use

Oil thickens as it gets cold, and a bottle left in an unheated shed through a UK winter can be noticeably more sluggish than in summer. Thicker oil flows more slowly to the bar, which can mean a dry-feeling chain for the first few seconds after starting a cold saw — running it at idle for a moment first helps. A few manufacturers offer a winter or low-temperature formulation, worth checking if you cut through the colder months.

At the other end, very thin oil in hot weather can fling off the chain more easily at speed, which is part of why the adhesive additives in branded oils matter — they’re doing more than just lubricating, they’re keeping the oil where it needs to be across a range of temperatures.

Tackiness and adhesion

This is what separates a good chain oil from a cheap one: how well it clings to the chain rather than being thrown off by centrifugal force, especially at the bar tip. It’s also why we wouldn’t recommend old engine oil or leftover cooking oil, even though some people reach for them out of habit — neither has the additive package to stay put, and using them regularly shows up as extra bar and chain wear.

How often to check and top up

Get into the habit of checking the oil reservoir every time you refuel a petrol saw or charge a battery one — most saws empty it faster than the fuel tank or battery, so running dry between checks is a real risk. To confirm the oiler is working, point the running saw at a light-coloured surface, such as a bit of card, for a couple of seconds and look for a fine line of oil.

Finally, don’t confuse this reservoir with the fuel tank on a petrol saw. Two-stroke fuel mix oil goes into the petrol at a set ratio to lubricate the engine; bar and chain oil goes into its own separate reservoir and never touches the fuel. Keeping the bottles clearly labelled and stored apart avoids an expensive mix-up.

Our Recommendation

For most UK gardeners doing regular chainsaw work, we’d lean towards a biodegradable oil given how close performance now is to mineral alternatives — STIHL BioPlus for the most established name, or Oregon’s biodegradable oil or LIQUI MOLY’s Bio Saw Chain Oil if you’d rather keep costs down while still going bio.

If you only pick up the chainsaw a few times a year, a mineral oil like STIHL ForestPlus, Husqvarna’s own oil or the budget The Handy HP-146 option will do the job without overspending. Whichever you choose, the 5 litre size works out cheaper per litre if you get through more than a bottle or two a season — just keep it somewhere frost-free.

Whatever you settle on, a sharp chain matters just as much for cutting performance and bar wear — see our chainsaw sharpener guide if yours needs attention, and our chainsaw safety PPE guide if you’re kitting yourself out for regular use.

More Garden Reviews

Looking for more? These related MyGreenShed guides are worth a read next:

• Best Chainsaws UK
• Best Cordless Chainsaws UK
• How to Use a Chainsaw Safely
• Best Chainsaw Sharpeners UK
• Best Chainsaw Safety Trousers and PPE UK
• Husqvarna vs STIHL Chainsaws