Air tool oil

[johnlt]

Does anyone know the difference between "air tool oil" like you use in a air powered lift, "hidraulic fluid" like in a hidraulic lift and "refrigeration compressor oil" like what you mix with freon? Are they interchangable? I googled it and they sell three different kinds but don't discuss the specifics of the differences. thanks,

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Well, oils are oils except when they are not.

 

Air tool oil is designed to be really light in viscosity and probably has some additives to help keep seals from drying out. A good choice for your air drill or die grinder and maybe even your lift cylinder but mostly it is designed for fast spinning air motors.

 

Hydraulic fluid has some of the same properties vis a vis seals but is really designed with some serious anti-foam additives to prevent pumps and the like from making bubbles which will defeat a pressure transfer/multiplication system like a hydraulic ram. Air bubbles will compress while the pristine fluid will not.

 

Refridgeration oil is probably not a good idea. It has some of the same things in it but is specifically designed to work in conjunction with a sealed system and does not like exposure to air so it would be a poor choice for your lift piston for example.

 

I wouldn't fit a lubricator to my line just to keep the lift in shape, a couple of squirts of motor oil into the control valve inlet would pretty much take care of it for casual use. Also, adding an oiler to the line makes that line pretty much useless for things like filling tires or blowing the water drops out of your oil cooler and cylinder fins. I pretty much treat all my air tools to the same thing, a drop or two of motor oil into the inlet fitting and its good till the next time I need it. If you're changing your own oil, you have a ready supply, just stand all your empty bottles upside down in a plastic pan for a day or so and you'll be surprised at how much oil you can gather.

 

 

[johnlt]

Thanks Ed, low viscocity motor oil it is.