Chainsaws: What do You Have?

[sandman]

In a thread on chainsaws, rather than going to a heavier saw, one guy recommended sending it to these guys in VT. Said his saw was 50% faster and the guy has some crazy YouTube vids.

About Us – Dominant Saw
AKA West Hill Saw House on Facebook.



He ports saws for more performance. Seems like it’s $100 or so. Anyone done this? Don’t know what impact emissions regulations have had on power. Really can’t complain about the Farm Boss we have (MS271).

Also discussed was a new Stihl MS462, supposed to be out in the US this summer.

just get a pro saw a Stihl MS462 or husky 372 makes for a good med size saw.

a muff mod and some mods will help a saw but displacement is your best bet.

the saw is only heavy when its not cutting

[RandyO]

a muff mod and some mods will help a saw but displacement is your best bet.

the saw is only heavy when its not cutting

in that case, wouldn't a modded 125cc Rotax be your best bet

[sandman]

in that case, wouldn't a modded 125cc Rotax be your best bet

its too small of a motor and bar.

a 4' slasher running off a 500 hp motor would be more efficient

or if you prefer a processor with 100 hp

[butcher bergs]

In a thread on chainsaws, rather than going to a heavier saw, one guy recommended sending it to these guys in VT. Said his saw was 50% faster and the guy has some crazy YouTube vids.

About Us – Dominant Saw
AKA West Hill Saw House on Facebook.



He ports saws for more performance. Seems like it’s $100 or so. Anyone done this? Don’t know what impact emissions regulations have had on power. Really can’t complain about the Farm Boss we have (MS271).

Also discussed was a new Stihl MS462, supposed to be out in the US this summer.

I would love to know how he quantified "50% faster". Seems to me like a line of BS without extensive work being performed. I'm thinking this is more of a change in perception now that his saw runs correctly.

For $100, I'd be throwing a pro chain on the bar and use the rest of the time to tune (first from idle then tune in the cut). Those two things on their own will net noticeable gains. If we're talking porting at that price point, that would have me asking a whole lot of questions.


Regardless, my saws seem to be quite happy with fresh fuel, proper tuning and good chains. I mean, hell, even that POS Craftsman 18-42 I own still gets used.

[TIMMYDUCK]

Been cutting some rounds off the pile this past week.

I got about 5 cord done, before having to do a little chain sharpening .

[Garandman]

For $100, I'd be throwing a pro chain on the bar and use the rest of the time to tune (first from idle then tune in the cut). Those two things on their own will net noticeable gains. If we're talking porting at that price point, that would have me asking a whole lot of questions.

Is my MS271 tunable? It’s the “farm” grad3 Stihl, which seems to be the consumer grade with a little more power. I’m happy with it but faster cuts are always good. There are idle speed , low speed, and high speed adjusting screws but everything seems to work well so haven’t fiddled with them.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/ch...ch-saws/ms271/

[RandyO]

Been cutting some rounds off the pile this past week.

I got about 5 cord done, before having to do a little chain sharpening .

how does that trailer hold up to that much weight ? have you beefed it up ?

[TIMMYDUCK]

how does that trailer hold up to that much weight ? have you beefed it up ?

Very well actually .

1996 Redline 6 X 10 .

New 3500 # axle and springs a year ago .

Newer Heavy Duty custom cut deck boards by yours truly.

I won't fill it up completely sometimes .

[nt650hawk]

interesting technique.

[butcher bergs]

Is my MS271 tunable? It’s the “farm” grad3 Stihl, which seems to be the consumer grade with a little more power. I’m happy with it but faster cuts are always good. There are idle speed , low speed, and high speed adjusting screws but everything seems to work well so haven’t fiddled with them.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/ch...ch-saws/ms271/

Yes, it can be tuned. The power and response will change once the engine is broken in. That's the point in time, IMO, where you want to consider tuning.

FWIW, I didn't touch the carb settings on my Husq 455 for almost 2 years after I picked it up from NESR member CEO. It was only when I began to notice a few small changes such as the saw starting on the 2nd (or 3rd) pull as well as reduced power in the cut that I began looking at screw settings. As it sits now, I don't forsee ever having to adjust this saw. Sure, it smokes a bit on start up when the temps are freezing but the response and power remain unchanged regardless of the season. Actually, I can say the same about the other two saws. The Craftsman was a bitch to sort out but even that thing lays down some halfway decent power for an 18" bar. I am finding, however, my top handle Echo would be better suited with a 12" bar instead of a 14" as the engine just won't make the power....that and it's nose-heavy so it's nearly a "must" to reduce the bar length.

[RandyO]

Very well actually .

1996 Redline 6 X 10 .

New 3500 # axle and springs a year ago .

Newer Heavy Duty custom cut deck boards by yours truly.

I won't fill it up completely sometimes .

thanks, good to know, see yer pulling it with a minivan too !

I completely twisted a homemade trailer(4x8) with similar load when I was backing it up in my muddy driveway, I want to replace the trailer with something 6x10 that will easily fit my UTV, my UTV will fit on a 5x8, but a shoehorn fit

I would like to haul wood in 66" bolts, but probably slighly smaller loads as I would likely be towing it with my UTV

[TIMMYDUCK]

thanks, good to know, see yer pulling it with a minivan too !

I completely twisted a homemade trailer(4x8) with similar load when I was backing it up in my muddy driveway, I want to replace the trailer with something 6x10 that will easily fit my UTV, my UTV will fit on a 5x8, but a shoehorn fit

I would like to haul wood in 66" bolts, but probably slighly smaller loads as I would likely be towing it with my UTV

The mini-van has the 3.8 L , AWD , tow package

I take it out in log length also , I cut them down to 120 inches .

[Point37]

interesting technique.

that is awesome...i always have 2 lines on my trees just due to where i'm cutting but i may try this as well for some added insurance

[nt650hawk]

getting ready for the weekend.




is this Lonely Island?

[nt650hawk]

the free Poulan worked out really well. I love the smell of caster in the AM!

[Garandman]

We’re doing it wrong....

[nt650hawk]

thought about it. just no $

[RandyO]

[Garandman]

Lol.

Ordered and received a Granberg Alaska Mini Mill and ripping chain. Need some planks to build three small bridges over some wet areas on a trail, so it should certainly work for that. Word I get is the Stihl MS271 (50cc I think) is marginal for the purpose, we’ll see. If it works well I’ll cut enough for a simple wood shed.

[nhbubba]

So.. this thing. This pile of dogshit. It sucks.



It took me 3 hours to cut down a single 12" pine on Saturday. Most of that pulling it apart 5284 times. In the end I cannot get it to run off choke without constantly blipping the throttle. And it will not run at max throttle, you have to tease it. You cannot adjust the carb. I think there must have been adapter bits on the adjusters at one point but they are long gone. So all I can adjust is idle speed now. Can't adjust A/F or mix or whatever.

I've had enough.

This thing was bought for me brand new ~8 years ago when I bought the house. It was a gift from very well meaning family. But it was a pile of shit right out of the box. Some years ago the safety brake lever broke clean in half. So it doesn't even have a brake anymore.

What should I be buying to replace it? I'm ready to spend whatever it takes. I want a one-and-done saw. Never want to think about this again.
I'm just your average homeowner. I do live on almost 3 acres though. I routinely use the saw a fair amount (3-4 trees) then park it for 2-3 years without even looking at it.

What do I want? Spend my money..

[ZX-12R]

Stihl Farm Boss or a Husqvarna Rancher. For occasional use, these are the go-to models that aren't extremely expensive and are a good deal more stout than what you will find in the big box stores.

I'm partial to Stihl for saws.

[nhbubba]

MS 271 Farm Boss. Done.
Those usually come with a 20" bar, right?

[Imbeek]

No need to reinvent the wheel...small husky or stihl from a power equipment store. This stuffs been pretty thoroughly tested by the whole damn population, and there’s a reason those two are neck and neck by a mile. DON’T fall into the trap of buying too large a saw! The smaller good ones have plenty of balls, are much less tiring (read:SAFER) and no matter what saw you get, you need to keep the chain sharp anyway.

[ZX-12R]

If you go to a dealer, they may have them set up with a 16", 18", or 20". Regardless of what they have, a good dealer will set it up the way you want it for plus or minus a little bit of money depending on what direction you go.

[nhbubba]

I'll probably just go to Seacoast Equipment in Hampton. They did well by me with the Honda line trimmer I bought a couple years ago.