My greaser uncle told me the exact same thing about his vintage Harley when I was learning to work on bikes. He said the old-timers would dump oil in everything but modern seals and gaskets just swell up and cause leaks if you go overboard. I took his advice on my chain saw too, a tiny dab on the bar tip every couple tanks instead of drowning it, and now it actually starts on the first pull every time.

Yeah next time sniff the fish before you buy, saved me more than once.

Yeah, about that - canola oil works but you actually want to go with vegetable oil instead. Canola has a lower smoke point so it'll burn off faster if your blade gets hot, and that's when you start getting that nasty sticky residue. Vegetable oil handles heat way better for this stuff. I learned that the hard way after thinking I was being smart with canola and ruined a nice blade mid-cut. Plus vegetable oil is usually cheaper anyway, so it's a win-win. Just a couple drops on the blade every few cuts and you're golden.

Used to think you just had to shrug it off and move on. This actually made me stop and realize how much that kind of stuff really can get to you.

Ever had a screw actually snap off in the lug because you torqued it too hard trying to fix that exact problem?