WARNING....Sorry...but brutal honesty coming now....
Sounds like a messy, fussy, costly, unnecessary pain in the Arse to me.
Where does all that oil end up? and who cleans the chain when it gets dirty? Don't you need to buy special oil? Can we think up yet another piece of crap to mount on a bike? Don't we have o-ring chains...where they are perma-lubed on the inside any way....it's more important to keep an o-ring chain clean than to lube it...but a quick spray, lubes the outer links and prevents rust etc.
Cleaning and lubing a chain gives a person time to "become one" with their bike...relax in the garage....just you and your bike....check things over...clean up stuff...maybe a bit of wax and shine....check the air pressure....tighten a nut or two...check the oil.....sit back and admire the beauty of the machine....
If you put an oiler on your bike...your bike will hate you! It will think you are a lazy, uncaring bast'rd
Is is so hard as to buy a $2.99 can of spray lube and Psssst...?
Have a nice day!
Cookie
Yeah, I don't think so, but to each their own. Despite being lubricated and sealed, o ring chains still need care. I neglected one on a 5000km trip last year and ruined it.
Considering all the other farkles people put on their bikes (clocks, tank grips, checkerd flag stripes, phone mounts, USB ports et al) a chain oiler is a most useful accessory. I'm not a fan of geegaws and farkles but I'm a chain oiler convert.
Cleaning and lubing a chain is a zen time I can do without. Especially on bikes without centre stands or swingarm bobbins (hello Monster). I don't enjoy chain cleaning. I'd rather fit tyres, TBH.
If you set up and use the oiler properly, it puts the right amount of lube exactly where it's needed. The oil keeps the chain clean and vanishes slowly, taking the dirt with it. Contrast this with chain lube aerosols: half of it goes not on the chain, the rest flings off into the rim and tyre. If it doesn't fling, it also doesn't lube the chain very well. And makes a filthy gummy caked on mess that takes forever to clean off.
The exception for me is my track bike. I won't use an oiler on that. A crash spilling the oil isn't worth it. And I don't care about chain life on that one.
Like you, I was sceptical about the benefits of the oiler but bought the cheap Loobman as an experiment to satisfy my curiosity. It was $50, so not much to lose there. Look at the picture of the clean wheel and chain on my Ducati. This chain hasn't been touched in 10,000km. That's not to say the rest of the bike is neglected. It's very well cared for.
Spraying the chain might only take moments, but really takes longer if you're doing it properly. Using my chain oiler takes a 20 sec push off a button every time I fill the tank. That's it, done. The oil's basically free for the tiny amount that's used. No special oil, I'm just using 85-140 gear oil. It tends to stay where it's needed and goes away in microscopic droplets. No mess.
I could go in and on but you get the picture. I don't have a dog in this fight but maybe don't knock it until you've tried it. Like I said, to each their own and if you love chain maintenance good luck to you. There something for everyone.