Soy-Based Bar and Chain Oil Available Nationwide at Home Depot
A proven high performer with sustainability benefits, DEWALT®’s soy-based Bar & Chain Biodegradable Oil is now available at Home Depot stores across the country. More than 1,300 Home Depot stores nationwide sell the oil along with Home Depot online, Bomgaars, Mac Tools, Grainger, Acme Tools, Atwoods, Family Farm & Home, Do It Best, Amazon and others.
”I was skeptical, to be honest,” said Buckin’ Billy Ray Smith, who shares his adventures on the History Channel’s Ax Men series and YouTube. After he gave it a trial, the 30-year veteran of logging and tree falling was instantly impressed with the soy-based bar and chain oil.
“I found the soy-based oil so clean and easy to work with, and it has just the right amount of tack,” said Smith who has tried nearly every bar and chain oil on the market. “I think they nailed it with this formula and I’m not sure yet, but I may possibly even be cutting faster. Now it’s the only thing I use, including in my vintage saws. It’s also better for the environment, especially in sensitive areas around watersheds, and for workers who get the oil on their hands and breathe it in.
“I’m concerned about the environment, what’s on my body and what’s left behind. It’s a wonderful option that’s more sustainable and better for workers. I think there will be a wave in the use of this product, especially in tree service and landscaping businesses.”
U.S. soybean farmers, through their soybean checkoff, supported the development of this USDA Certified Biobased Product, which is manufactured by Houston-based Dynamic Green Products (DGP) and sold under Stanley Black & Decker’s DEWALT® label. Airable Research Lab (a business line of the Ohio Soybean Council) partnered with DGP over the past three years by assisting with the raw material value chain (soybean oil, soy methyl ester and other soy additives) and providing technical support. This partnership led to support from the United Soybean Board (USB), which will also assist DGP in bringing additional soy-based products to market in 2024.
Bret Davis, a fifth-generation farmer who grows soybeans, corn and wheat in Delaware County, Ohio, was eager to be an early adopter of the product. “It’s really pretty simple: if you grow it, you should use it,” said Davis. “I’m proud to be part of the Ohio Soybean Council, which invested in the development of this high-performing, sustainable bar and chain oil that I’m now using on my farm. It works great in my battery-powered chain saw, which I use to clear downed trees and for general cleanup around the farm and fields. It lasts a long time and has excellent lubricating properties.”
“It’s exciting to see the checkoff investment in this bar and chain oil pay dividends as it becomes widely available to more farmers as well as the professionals who care for parks, forests and more,” said USB chair Steve Reinhard, a soybean farmer from Ohio. “This oil is yet another example of U.S. Soy delivering performance and sustainability benefits.”
“We’re grateful for the support of U.S. soybean farmers who have helped us deliver this sustainable solution and reach the next level of distribution through Home Depot stores across the country,” said Scott Porter, CEO and co-founder of DGP. “We’re looking forward to launching additional soy-based products in the coming months that will contribute to USB’s goal of delivering sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day.”
The bar and chain oil is certified by Respirtek, an EPA-certified lab that meets the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) global standards for lubricant biodegradability.
Here’s what more users have to say about the product:
George Cancilla, from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, has used chain saws to cut trees for more than 25 years. He also does small engine repair work. “I’ve been blown away since trying the soy-based bar and chain oil,” said Cancilla. “For it to be natural and work as well as it does — and at the same time I can use less product — is just amazing. I have not found a saw yet — old or new— that this doesn’t work wonderfully on.”
Cancilla sees three benefits of the product. First, “it doesn’t fall off the saw like other oils. It actually works the exact opposite — it gets stickier the hotter it gets.” Therefore, he is able to use less oil. Second, Cancilla explained that the soy-based oil keeps the chain and bar cooler because they’re staying better lubricated. “When the chain gets hot, the teeth are harder to sharpen, and the saw doesn’t operate as well. Paint can also come off around the edges from all the heat and friction. With less wear and tear on the motor, the life of the saw is extended.”
Finally, “if you’re up in a tree cutting, you’re flinging oil everywhere — spraying it on other trees and on the ground where it can be harmful for birds, squirrels and other wildlife that get into that oil” said Cancilla. “It’s also less toxic for the person using the saw so you’re helping the environment and protecting yourself.”
Miguel Salazar, owner of Master Arbor Service in San Diego, California, has been in the tree business for 10 years starting as a grounds person hauling wood and using chainsaws and chippers that require petroleum-based greases and oils.
Salazar was excited to learn about the soy-based alternative that is not only sustainable but performs. “When it’s raining and I’m trimming trees the oil flies away and lands on the street or in the soil where it can run into the water supply,” said Salazar. “My shirt is always covered in oil when I’m cutting all day. I feel a lot better knowing I’m using a product that I know is better for the environment and my body.”
“I like that the oil is just the right consistency. Using thick oil in a small saw is hard to pump and over time can cause the pump to quit and it will need to be replaced. The soy-based oil helps extend the life of the pump and the performance of the bar and chain is better too.”
He also noted that sap from trees can burn when it interacts with the oil if the bar and chain get too hot leaving a big layer of burnt sap on the saw. “This oil seems to prevent that because the bar and chain stay cooler and better lubricated,” Salazar added.
For Justin Sizemore, owner of Sizemore Tree Works in Cincinnati, Ohio, using the soy-based bar and chain oil is personal. “My grandfather raised soybeans in Indiana so it’s really great to be able to support farmers by using this product.”
But of course, the product must also perform. Sizemore is using the oil in eight different types, sizes and brands of chainsaws and says, “I think it’s better and cleaner than what I had been using. It’s easier to clean my saw at the end of the day because debris doesn’t jam-up and get gunky in the saw. It seems smoother which saves me time cleaning.”
Another benefit is that he doesn’t need to switch to winter bar and chain oil because the soy-based oil can be used all year round.
“As an owner-operator I feel better about using it, Sizemore added. “I’d rather use something that’s more friendly to the environment and to me because it gets everywhere.”
More information about soy-based products can be found at www.soybiobased.org. To find the oil at Home Depot, search these product numbers: DXCC1200 (16oz), DXCC1201 (32oz) and DXCC1202 (1gal).