💬Coolant Wars (aka: “everyone swears theirs doesn’t stink”)
Guy gets a new Haas VF2 and asks a simple question:
What coolant won’t rot my skin or my machine?
Simple question… absolute chaos in the replies.
First thing you learn reading 100+ comments:
Everyone thinks their coolant is the best thing ever made.
And at least 3 guys think coolant is what ended their career.
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🏆 The “Most Mentioned” Crowd
Blaser
Probably the most consistent answer.
“Never stinks”
“Doesn’t irritate skin”
“Pricey but worth it”
Multiple guys running it for years without issues
Castrol Hysol MB50
Also everywhere.
“No dump, no stink” crowd
Long sump life (guys claiming years)
BUT… a few guys saying it wrecks their skin or smells
QualiChem (250C / 251C)
Strong showing.
Good all-around performance
Clean machines
Less complaints than most
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🧪 The “Depends Who You Ask” Tier
Hangsterfer’s (vegetable-based)
→ “Safer / more eco”
→ Also: “smells like death if it sits”Master Fluid / Trim / Hocut / Oemeta
→ Some love it
→ Some say it causes rashes, fog, or goes rancid in a weekAmsoil / Valcool / Quaker / Cimcool
→ Basically: works great… until it doesn’t
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⚠️ The Real Takeaways (this is the good stuff)
1. Coolant isn’t the whole story
Multiple guys said it straight:
Bad water = bad coolant
No maintenance = everything smells
Let it sit = bacteria city
“Use RO/DI water”
“Keep it skimmed”
“Circulation matters more than brand”
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2. “Environmentally friendly” = tricky
Vegetable / bio-based coolants:
👍 Better for skin / toxicity
👎 Can go rancid fast if machines sit
—
3. Skin issues are VERY real
Not rare at all:
Rashes
Breathing irritation
One guy: “Had to retire because of infections”
And the kicker:
“You eventually sensitize to all of them”
—
4. Cheap coolant = expensive mistake
One of the best comments:
“Don’t buy cheap shit — you’ll save a ton”
Another guy scrapped $800 in material chasing “free coolant”
—
5. Material matters more than brand
A few of the smarter replies:
What are you cutting?
Inconel ≠ aluminum ≠ mild steel
“General purpose” isn’t always it
—
🤝 Final Verdict
There is no perfect coolant.
There is only:
What works in your shop
With your water
Cutting your materials
Maintained by your guys
—
🧠 If you just bought a new machine:
Start here:
Go synthetic or semi-synthetic
Use good water (RO if possible)
Keep it clean + moving
And don’t cheap out
Then adjust from there.
—
And of course…
one guy said:
“Water 😅”
and another:
“🍺Bud Light is great at keeping you cool”
So yeah… standard MACHINIST thread.
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🖐️”Coolant Fingers” (aka: the industry’s worst badge of honor)
Guy posts a pic of his hand looking like he just soaked in a tub for 3 hours…
except it’s not water — it’s coolant.
And the comments went exactly how you’d expect.
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🧤 Team “WEAR GLOVES YOU ANIMAL”
This was the overwhelming majority.
“They invented gloves for a reason”
“Nitrile gloves are your friend”
“PPE!”
“Why are your hands in coolant??”
Not subtle. Not polite. Just straight to it.
—
☣️ The “That’s Not Normal” Crowd
A lot of guys calling it what it is:
“Coolant is leeching oils out of your skin”
“Bacteria city in those sumps”
“You’re absorbing that through your skin”
“Dermatitis incoming”
And then it escalates quickly…
“Cancer waiting to happen”
“Hope you don’t plan on living past 50”
“Altering your DNA”
Standard MACHINIST optimism.
—
🧠 The Actually Useful Advice (buried in the chaos)
A few guys dropped real info:
Don’t wash with harsh soap → makes it worse
Keep hands dry when possible
Use barrier cream before your shift
Moisturize after (O’Keefe’s / Aveeno getting love)
Check coolant concentration (too rich = worse on skin)
Clean coolant = less bacteria = less problems
And one solid reminder:
“If you work with coolant, dermatitis is on the table.”
—
🤷♂️ Team “Been Doing This 30 Years”
You always get these guys:
“Never wore gloves in 43 years”
“Hands aren’t that bad at 60”
“Pfft that ain’t shit”
Meanwhile… half the thread is talking about infections and lung irritation 😂
—
🤢 The Reality Nobody Wants to Say Out Loud
Coolant isn’t just coolant anymore.
It’s:
Metal fines
Tramp oil
Bacteria
Chemicals
Whatever else ended up in that tank
And yeah… your skin is soaking it up.
—
🏁 Final Verdict
If your hands look like this:
👉 You’re spending way too much time in the coolant
👉 Your coolant might be nasty (or too rich)
👉 And yeah… you probably should be wearing gloves
Even if they “only last 3 parts”
—
💬 Best comment of the thread:
“Killing yourself for your boss is so cool”
—
And the OP?
“Gloves last about 3 jobs… pointless.”
Which pretty much sums up the trade:
We know better… we just don’t do it anyway.
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Machining Memes
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