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Roller Chain Lubricants Explained: Types, How to Choose, & Our Top Pick
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Time to read 9 min
The truth about roller chain lubricants
When it comes to industrial lubricants, the debate over what’s “best” can get almost as heated as the classic Ford vs. Chevy rivalry! With so many different roller chain and industrial lubricants on the market, and every brand shouting, “This stuff is the best!”—it can be tough to figure out what you should actually buy.
The truth is, picking the right lubricant goes way beyond clever marketing and die-hard brand loyalty. It’s dependent on a variety of factors, and there’s no true “one size fits all” solution. Choosing the wrong lubricant for your roller chain doesn’t just shorten its lifespan and hurt reliability—it can actually be downright dangerous, especially when it comes to food-grade applications!
In this article I will be covering:
- Why proper chain lubrication matters
- Most Common types of chain lubricants
- Key factors to consider when choosing a chain lubricant
- Our Top Pick: Deep Blue Chain Conditioner
- Our Top 5 Roller chain lubrication & maintenance tips
Why Proper Chain Lubrication Matters
Power transmission’s biggest enemy is friction. Friction causes wear on components, generates heat, and decreases mechanical efficiency. Selecting the correct chain lubricant and applying it properly helps reduce friction between all the metal components in your chain (such as the pins and bushings), which helps prevent the chain from prematurely elongating and wearing. Keeping your chain lubricated also decreases your risk of rust and corrosion, which is especially important in harsh environments. Rust causes increased friction, increased friction causes more wear, and more wear eventually leads to the chain breaking, followed by costly down time. Lubricating your chain properly with the lubricant best suited for your application is critical to keep your operations running smoothly.
Common Types of Chain Lubricant and Where They Work Best
With so many lubricant types on the market, it can get overwhelming fast. But when it comes to industrial roller chains, these are the three most common types you’ll see:
- All-Purpose / Moly (the “standard” lubricant for roller chain applications)
- Dry Film (great for dirty, dusty, and contaminated environments)
- Food-Grade (required for applications where the lubricant may come in contact with food)
All-purpose or “Moly” lubricants work for most applications and are commonly available at supply and hardware stores. Good quality Moly lubricants typically provide sufficient friction reduction and corrosion resistance, but there is a catch. These lubricants stay wet after application, which gives the chain a nice protective barrier—but it also means they tend to pick up excess dust and debris over time. Not only does the dust and debris stick to the chain and make it all “nasty”, but that debris can actually work its’ way into the rollers and bushings of the chain, causing it to prematurely wear. In most applications this isn’t a huge problem (so long as regular maintenance is performed), but in other dirtier applications, it can cause the chain to fail within a matter of hours.
Applications: Suitable for most roller chain applications where the environment is relatively clean (conveyor drives, forklifts, packaging machinery, lumber equipment not exposed to sawdust, most agricultural applications, etc.)
Dry film lubricants are applied wet, but once the carrier agent (the fluid that transports the lubricant from the can to your chain) evaporates, the lubricant soaks into the chain. This leaves behind a protective, “dry” finish that attracts far less dust and debris compared to moly or other wet-style lubricants. When it comes to lubricants, there’s almost always trade-off. With most dry film lubricants you are essentially trading less protection for a cleaner chain. There are several brands that claim to provide all the moly benefits in a dry film lubricant, but so far we have only found one product that can truly live up to these claims. I’ll discuss that product with you further below.
Applications: Dusty, dirty, or abrasive, or “cleanroom” environments (saw mills, mining equipment, grain handling, mulch grinding, cement plants, indoor applications where cleanliness is a priority, etc.)
Food-Grade lubricants are a “must-have” when it comes to any application where the lubricant may come in contact with anything edible. Food-grade lubricants used in USDA-inspected facilities must meet strict NSF H1 standards for incidental food contact, as ingesting a standard petroleum-based lubricant can make someone sick, or worse. Fun fact: some food-grade lubricants are even completely edible! Although, we wouldn’t particularly recommend eating it right out of the can.. (yes, I wonder what it tastes like too!)
There are many different types of food-grade lubricants. Please contact us so we can help you find the perfect solution for your specific application.
Applications: Any time a lubricant may contaminate anything edible, or may contaminate product / the environment (Food & beverage processing lines, cold storage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing, any plant that undergoes USDA inspections, certain marine applications, etc.)
Key factors to consider when choosing a chain lubricant
- Operating environment: extreme temperatures (hot or cold), moisture levels, corrosive environment (chemicals), dusty/dirty environment, etc.
- Chain speed and load: applications that run at higher speeds and/or carry heavy loads require a chain lubricant that is up for the job.
- Regulatory requirements: such as NSF H1 for food-grade applications. Environmental agencies also regulate what lubricants may be used in applications where the lubricant comes in contact with the environment/ecosystem, such as on oil rigs where the lubricant may inadvertently make its’ way into the ocean.
Our Top Pick: TRIPAK Deep Blue Chain Conditioner
Deep Blue Chain Conditioner is a product that we’ve found to truly check all the boxes! Deep Blue gets deep into the pins and bushings, creates a long-lasting protective film, and stays put even in harsh environments. It’s become our go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a top-tier “moly-style” lubricant that also has the same grime-fighting benefits of a dry-film lubricant.
Check out Max's demo video to see Deep Blue in action!
Why It Works
- Penetrates & Conditions: wets internal surfaces and displaces old grime and residues.
- Extreme-Pressure Barrier: forms a long-lasting film that lowers friction and operating temps by preventing pesky dirt and grime from sticking to or entering your roller chain, thanks to TRIPAK’s proprietary AFMT (Anti-Friction-Metal-Treatment) formula!
- Dry-Film Persistence: continues protecting after carrier flashes off — less sling, cleaner operation.
- Corrosion Resistance: helps prevent rust and buildup in wet, dusty, and high-load environments.
- Wide Service Range: effective from -22 °F to 392 °F (-30 °C to 200 °C), making it suitable for nearly any application!
Deep Blue only sticks to metal, and NOTHING STICKS TO DEEP BLUE!
So you’re not just getting top-tier chain protection—you’re getting it without the headache of a chain that’s constantly caked in dust and debris. That’s what we like to call the best of both worlds!
We have had customers test out Deep Blue in nearly every type roller chain application out there, and the results have been FANTASTIC!
One of our customers runs a mulch grinding plant and they were constantly dealing with chain failures due to wood shavings caking onto the chain. Once they tried out deep blue, that issue is a thing of the past!
Note: Clean the chain before applying Deep Blue to remove old lubricant and loose debris. Brake cleaner or a pressure washer works great for this! Deep Blue will repel all debris and old chain lube, so if you don't clean it before applying, things could get messy as soon as you start your drive back up!
Unfortunately, Deep Blue is NOT food safe though, so if you need a food-grade lubricant, you’ll have to go a different route. Also, Deep blue is more environmentally safe than other standard lubricants on the market, but it’s not necessarily recognized as environmentally safe by the regulatory agencies. If food or environmental safety is crucial for your application, please contact us so we can help you figure out the best option for you.
Not sure how to feel about Deep Blue? Contact us for a FREE CAN, so you can test it out yourself. We’d love to hear your feedback!
Our Top-5 Roller Chain Lubrication and Maintenance Tips
Performing regular and proper maintenance is just as (if not more) important as selecting the right lubricant! You could have the best toothpaste in the world, but if you don’t brush properly, you’ll still end up with bad breath! Below are some of our top tips for lubricating and maintaining your roller chain.
Clean Before you lubricate
Old, gunked-up lubricant will mix with dust and debris and turn into an abrasive paste that will rapidly accelerate wear. Before applying new lubricant, be sure to clean off as much of the old lubricant and debris as possible using a degreaser, break cleaner, or pressure washer. Brake cleaner and a rag is my go-to. Cleaning the chain ensures that your fresh lubricant will be able to make its’s way down to the pins and bushings of the chain, where it matters most. Cleaning the chain isn’t necessary every single time you reapply lubricant to your chain, but it should at least be done periodically or any time you switch lubricant brands/types.
Lube the right spot
While the chain is running (preferably), aim the lubricant at the pin and bushing area (between the inner and outer link plate), along with the rollers and side plates, and apply a nice, even coat.
Apply the correct amount of lubricant
With most high-quality chain lubricants, less is more! If your chain ends up looking soaking wet, you probably applied too much. You can’t really “over-lube” a roller chain, but if you spray too much on a chain, the excess will just sling off and be wasted. The amount of lube that should be applied greatly depends on the lubricant brand and application. After a while, you’ll be able to find out the amount of lubricant needed to make your chain “happy”, without wasting a ton of lubricant.
Check chain tension, alignment, and wear regularly
Even the best lubricant and maintenance won’t make a chain last forever! Regularly inspect for proper tension, alignment, and elongation. The best way to check for elongation is by using one of our Made in USA roller chain wear gauges. Knowing when your chain is ready to be replaced is crucial because replacing worn chains before they stretch excessively prevents damage to sprockets and avoids costly downtime.
Create a maintenance schedule and stick to it
This one sounds obvious, but it’s where a lot of people drop the ball. Even the best lubricant can’t do its job if it’s not applied on time. Create a simple, realistic maintenance schedule for each of your chains, and then follow through with it. A little consistency goes a long way.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, choosing the right roller chain lubricant comes down to understanding your application and using a product that’s built for the job at hand. Whether you’re in a dusty environment where dry film shines, a regulated facility that requires food-grade products, or a general industrial setup that relies on solid moly performance, the right choice makes a huge difference when it comes to reliability, cleanliness, and chain life.
For us, Deep Blue Chain Conditioner has earned its place as the go-to for most non-food applications. It penetrates, protects, and stays clean where others fall short. Pair the right lubricant with a consistent maintenance schedule, and you’ll keep your roller chains running smoothly, reduce downtime, and stretch every dollar further.
If you’re still unsure about what lubricant will work best for you, feel free to reach out to us. We’ll help you find the perfect match!
Article Written by: Chris Beckett
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