What sort of lubricant do others use on the apron & drive chain on their spreaders? Thanks!

I just use used oil.

Used moter oil or chain and cable lube

Used oil on the apron chain. I use chainsaw bar and chain oil on the other chains. It's sticky and clings to the metal instead of running off like drain oil.

drain oil and old broom use plenty

Are there any issues with the oil contaminating soil if it's intended for crop production? After all, we all use horses and mules so we couldn't be any more environmentally benign then that.

Where did the oil come from originally?

The miniscule amount of oil you're talking isn't going to bother anything. There's more oil in your manures if you feed any corn than will get in your soil from lubing a spreader. Petroleum is a natural substance. Too much is bad, yes, but you have to put things in perspective. If you compost your garbage and dead livestock, where do you think the oils go? We aren't talking the Exxon Valdez here.

Oil and other petroleum derivatives are like antibiotics, IMHO. They have their place, but should be used sparingly, and only when there is no alternative. Both of these work best that way, over time.

Bill, that makes sense. I just asked since the apron chain gets oiled and is in direct contact with the manure. But I suppose in terms of ounces per acre, it is pretty small.

there is not enough oil there to cause any problems. I changed the oil in my pickup for years dumped it in the same spot you can't even tell where it was dumped, I know where because it was on a spot of leafy spurge and it did not even kill that or the grass. Only about 40 gallon a year and it was hot when put there.

I don't know about anyone else, but as far as my spreaders go they don't get a huge amount of oil. They can only be oiled when clean and dry and around here a spreader isn't in that shape very often. The moisture in the manure "lubes" the apron chain to an extent. If you are one of those people, (I hear they exist), that hoses out his spreader after every use and has the time to remember to oil it once it drys...more power to ya. My spreaders tend to be loaded with snow/ice or manure. So the apron chain gets oiled once or twice a year at best. Not a huge amount of oil to worry over.