ARES 70004 Precision Oiler Pen Applicator - for CLP, Ballistol & More

After looking at different precision oilers available I chose the Ares as it appeared well made, durable and designed to do what it was intended to do. It arrived quickly, and I immediately filled it with Break Free CLP. After cleaning and lubing several items I screwed the cap on and laid it on my laptop (closed). The following morning I woke to find a little puddle of the CLP on my laptop. The oiler leaked from the top at the plunger button. No damage was done, but I wasn't happy. It seems I wasn't the only user to have this problem, but here is where all the good stuff starts. A few days later I received an email from ARES Tool asking if I was happy with my purchase stating "We are committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure you are 100% satisfied." Huh. There's something I rarely see, so I responded and told them of my problem. After going back and forth with several emails and information about exactly the type of CLP I was using I received a response on a Saturday morning! So OK. Now I'm impressed. Within the week I had a replacement. Once again I filled it with my favorite CLP, used it a bit and laid it on a napkin on its side. Next morning, no leak. Well I needed to leave to take care of some business and laid the oiler in the back seat of my truck, as I saw a need for it while away. After almost 4000 miles this thing was as dry as the day I got it, and I couldn't be more pleased. In this day of shady quality and a not caring about the customer I found ARES Tool to be just the opposite. Sure, a few dogs might get loose once in a while but they stand behind their product and resolve problems thoroughly and quickly. I'll probably never need another oiler, as this one should last more years than me but I will say that if you need one, this is it. It works as designed and comes with a limited lifetime warranty that they actually honor. What more could you want?

This oiler is fantastic. I use it with Ballistol to lubricate everything from tools to moving parts of any kind. It is easy to fill, I personally use a straw with my finger on the back to fill it and make no mess. I had a few cheap ones before and was hesitant to spend the money on this but it’s absolutely worth it so much so that I went back and got another one. It’s well made and I’m sure will have almost unlimited applications and good longevity. It’s the perfect size to work with and the fit and finish of it is outstanding. 10/10 in my opinion. You won’t be disappointed once you start using it

This works as advertised. However there are a couple of drawbacks. The way this pen works is that when you push the top, a metal rod moves out from the "writing" end of the pen. When that happens the oil stored in the reservoir drops out due to gravity. All well and good until you want to oil some spot where the writing end is higher than the "clicker" end. Then oil is not going to come out because gravity is working against you. Contrary to what you may think this is not a syringe and does not push out oil. As long as the clicker end is above the end where the oil comes out from, you are okay and works as advertised. This was not clear to me when I bought it, hence I deducted one star. Otherwise it works as advertised and seems well made. Next problem with this type of device is if you have to put a lot of oil out. Then you have to click a lot and it gets tiring on the hands. A syringe would be the best way to go. This is in no way the device's fault - just the wrong tool for the job. Deducted one star

My need is for a NON-LEAKING oil container that I can put in a DRAWER in the kitchen and another oil container I can put in my car tool box. My PROBLEM is that every small oil tube or container I have ever purchased slowly LEAKE ALL OVER THE DRAWER and leaves me with a mess that is really hard to clean up. OK, so we get to the ARES 70004. I purchased one ARES 70004 and ran it through my (minor) testing process of filling with oil, making sure it would drip oil when I wanted a little oil, and then capping it up and storing vertically to encourage a leak (if it did leak). AND... NO LEAKS. Wow, I am impressed. I am encouraged enough to finally purchase a total of three (3) of these devices and, so far, NO LEAKS from any of the three. Bottom line is: if you have the same oil-all-over-everything problem I had you might want to look close at the ARES 70004 as a solution. Heck, try one out anyway, they won't break the bank and I think you will be pleased.

I've left this applicator down for a few months with no leaks. It holds a couple ounces of oil and does a good job applying it to precise locations.

4 Year review: I've refilled this with Ballistol at least 15-20 times which is thicker than Remoil but thinner than motor oil. There are times when oil flow feels sluggish but refilling the chamber by unscrewing the top section near the push button both strengthens the gravity feed with more oil for weight and allows more air inside the chamber. It's got o-rings to prevent leakage and the screw on cap covering the applicator needle is thick aluminum. With the applicator cap screwed in there is also no room to depress the plunger and allow oil to flow. I keep it in my pen cup at home and it's handy. It isn't the best to carry for EDC as the pocket clip isn't exactly deep carry but I suppose it's no worse than any normal pen or marker. The one time I tried carrying it, my pockets were relatively busy so it flipped out when I went into my pockets for something else. I'm spoiled by deep carry clips on pocket knives. I haven't gone that far down the rabbit hole that I feel the need to carry oil with me everywhere. Yet. When you press the button on top, a brass cone drops down out of the end of the needle, and after a couple seconds a drop of oil will form at the tip and you can touch it to whatever you need to. If you're looking to be able to squirt a lot of oil for cleaning purposes or to flush something out, this isn't it because you won't be able to squeeze the sides of the applicator for more pressure. This will also not operate upside down as the flow of oil depends on gravity. To fill it, you unscrew the section near the push button. A thin metal stem protrudes upwards which on the opposite end holds the brass cone that plugs up the needle when the button isn't pushed. I use my Ballistol spray bottle and make contact with a metal stem that protrudes from the filling chamber and slow pull the trigger. The oil follows the stem down and I watch until it's nearly at the threads then stop. It's like pouring oil or soy sauce from the bottle with a chopstick over the top so the liquid follows the chopstick and drips out where you need it. If you haven't tried that, you should, it works. When re-assembling be sure to make sure the stem goes back into the whole in the top half of the mechanism, it's easier than I'm making it sound. The threads for the cap you must unscrew before you use it are thick compared to those found on twist flashlight heads and I can't imagine wearing them out in the next 10 years with my rate of use. Mine is well made, well finished, durable, and has been going strong for at least 4 years. I use it for all home maintenance, blade, appliance, and firearm lubrication that requires oil (Ballistol for me). When I finally get to the bottom of that dang Ballistol spray bottle maybe I'll try a different oil. If nothing has changed from a few years ago, I recommend this unit.

I left the applicator laying on its side, sitting on a pad of sticky notes (thankfully!). Came back a few hours later to find that the push-button had leaked. Oh well, at least I know the oil is doing its job… Do NOT trust this thing to retain oil if it’s left laying on its side, particularly if your oil’s viscosity is very low. I ended up putting it into a pen holder. Even if stored upright, time will tell if the seal around the reservoir itself remains intact, or if the oil will slowly leak through it into the cap. Fortunately, I didn’t fill it all the way up (I’d actually advise not doing that) so the worst that will probably happen is that I’ll get half a cap full of oil after a while and have to pour it back into the applicator’s reservoir before its next use. I will update the text of this review accordingly if that happens (SEE BELOW FOR UPDATE). Honestly, I would probably have rated this little applicator a bit higher if only the cap had had a flat base so that it could stand upright. I would have given it a full five stars without hesitation if only the minimum supported viscosity before leaks become possible when stored laterally or upside-down had been noted on the packaging, but I suppose that’s asking a bit much for an item that cost all of one Alexander Hamilton. I guess I can’t complain, it does what it purports to do: apply oil. It just doesn’t store low viscosities very well, but I suppose that’s the nature of the game. It is what it is. Pros: - Works well enough for its intended purpose - Worlds better than the applicator that came with the bottle of the oil I’m using… Cons: - Leaks if not stored upright - Can’t be stored upright out-of-the-box - Will probably leak into the cap over time as well. If filled to capacity, the cap will probably overflow (its volume is less than the reservoir) so don’t over-fill it! UPDATE: The answer is yes, the oil will slowly leak into the cap on the bottom when stored upright. Granted, I am using it with a very low viscosity oil — somewhere between 40–100 cSt, depending upon the ambient temperature (20°C/68°F–40°C/104°F) — and unless such oils are stored in a container designed to fight both gravity and things like capillary action, there’s not much to be done for them; they can admittedly be difficult to contain, so I don’t quite fault the device itself for this. The reason I originally took off 2 stars was the lack of specificity as to what viscosity (preferably in a scientific unit like cSt as opposed to manufacturer-specific units like “weight”) the applicator actually supports without leakage, and for the lack of a flat cap, so that it can be stood on its end between uses, and avoid leakage through the push-button, as pictured. Aside from those two things, I am more-or-less content with what it does, which is to help me get very small amounts of very unwieldy oil right where I need it. I will probably keep an eye out for an even more precise/air-tight applicator, however. For now, this one is fine.

Great little oiler for maintenance of precision machines. Holds a little bit of oil not much but if you’re using this then you don’t need much. Only thing is replace the o rings every year or half year so it doesn’t leak. Sturdy material that can take a beating too. Well worth the money.