Soy-based bar and chain oil hits the market

Through a soy checkoff research and development investment, DeWalt has launched a new soy-based bar and chain oil nationwide.

DeWalt’s Bar & Chain biodegradable oil was developed in a partnership with Dynamic Green Products and the Soy Checkoff, and is now available at Home Depot stores nationwide and online retailers including Bomgaars, Mac Tools, Grainger, and Amazon.

“All of our total loss lubricants are now soy-based,” says Scott Porter, CEO of Dynamic Green Products. “The supply chain is more secure, and nearly entirely U.S. based, supporting American farmers.”

Porter estimates the bar and chain oil product will consume more than 1 million gallons of soybean oil in the next few years, and the entire soy line launching in mid 2024, will consume millions of gallons per year starting in 2026. 

Bar and chain oil is required for most chainsaws, and it’s considered a total loss product, meaning it goes from the bottle to the saw back to the earth, Porter explains. By creating a biodegradable alternative to petroleum, the new product is a benefit to the environment.

“It is regenerative, sustainable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and higher performing than most petroleum-based chain oils,” he says. “It starts at American farms and supports an American circular economy.” 

The United Soybean Board initiative, in partnership with DGP, is part of a strategic collaboration with the Airable Research Lab, a division of the Ohio Soybean Council dedicated to bringing sustainable soy solutions to the market.

“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 Steve Reinhard, United Soybean Board chair and a soybean farmer from Ohio. “This oil is yet another example of U.S. soy delivering performance and sustainability benefits.”

Porter believes this is just the tip of the iceberg in a shift away from petroleum-based lubricant products. 

“There is an interesting intersection of parties: soy farmers, soy associations, Fortune 500 companies, and small businesses like DGP all aligned to make a measurable and lasting difference in the tool and outdoor power lubricant space,” Porter says.

More information about soy-based products can be found at www.soybiobased.org.