Can TARR smokers use standard HL oil?

[Blackadder123]

Ordered myself a TARR Mk4 smoker and.............. forgot to order smoke oil. Forgebear tanks notes that the manufacturer recommends "Megasteam" smoke oil. Being in Germany, I'd hate to have to pay shipping twice for a bottle of oil, lol. Would TARR brand smoke machines also function with Heng Long smoke oil?

In principle they should work seeing as both machines use the same mechanics (filament heating oil), but with the varying levels of viscosity I wonder if you get the same desired effect...i.e. not wisps of smoke like the Heng long ones but a continuous and even smoke as seen on videos of the TARR smoker.

Thanks for any tips

[Rad_Schuhart]

Use baby oil. 2 euros liter.

https://youtu.be/X7wHvVSXFNc

Smokes like the end of the world, using stock generator

[Afrikakorps]

I dont recommend it. I used the HL smoke oil in my TARR and got almost no smoke. I contacted the seller and he sent me a new element for it and recommended iI use "mega steam" smoke oil.
Cheers
AK

[jarndice]

Mega-steam oil was originally made for model railway locomotives so if you go to your local model shop that sells model railways mega-steam or a similar product will almost certainly be on sale.
Shaun.

[Blackadder123]

Hey, thats a great idea! Its not like megasteam was made for the tarr machines - The manufacturers just chose something suitable out there. Ill definitely have a look.

[Rad_Schuhart]

Hey, thats a great idea! Its not like megasteam was made for the tarr machines - The manufacturers just chose something suitable out there. Ill definitely have a look.

Trust me the baby oil works much better and its way way cheaper.

[Blackadder123]

Just how sensitive are these smokers? I cant imagine that the wrong type of oil could cause any lasting damage. I just went ahead and bought standard model train smoke oil that also doubles as cleaning liquid for train gears and tracks. Think theyre up for the job? They dont attack plastic so shouldnt be harmful.

[Blackadder123]

Hey, thats a great idea! Its not like megasteam was made for the tarr machines - The manufacturers just chose something suitable out there. Ill definitely have a look.

Trust me the baby oil works much better and its way way cheaper.

Smells better too, only problem, it can remind one of the good times when tanks weren't so much needed as a distraction. . . . .

Mick.

The thing is, from what I've seen in videos, baby oil produces quite “wispy“ smoke that find to be slightly unrealistic.

[tao]

The heater element is the super strong thing about the TARR..can handle many more volts as has been shown.
The wick of course cannot go dry or will burn out..aside from that I think one can try any oils at all.
And I use a voltage step up to tweak the heat/output of smoke with an acoustic instead of fan but same idea
as the fan speed and voltage to heat element are both variable.

[Blackadder123]

The heater element is the super strong thing about the TARR..can handle many more volts as has been shown.
The wick of course cannot go dry or will burn out..aside from that I think one can try any oils at all.
And I use a voltage step up to tweak the heat/output of smoke with an acoustic instead of fan but same idea
as the fan speed and voltage to heat element are both variable.

Would it be better to always have slightly more oil than less? To prevent a damaged wick? How much would you recommend? I'm thinking about 10 drops. And if this wick were to burn out, can it be quickly swapped out?