# 880 vs 3120 stock (YAEVTT)



## B_Turner (Nov 16, 2007)

As some of you are (perhaps painfully) aware, I am in the throes of trying to decide to buy either a 880 or 3120 to run stock and run a 50 to 60 inch bar.

For less expensive saws I would either just buy one or both and decide for myself. With the expense of these saws and the commitment of long bars that doesn't work as well for me, given I won't use the saw much.

This post is a last ditch effort to see if I can get any feedback from folks that have run both saws stock in a fairly recently flavor. Lakeside says 880, as does Simonizer and another saw tech I talked to. The only person I that has posted he has run both recently back to back was bigjayfromwa, who bought both and feels the 3120 is stronger in the cut.

Anyone run both stock and have an opinion? I know it makes me a sissy, but I probably won't even muffler mod it because I don't like the extra volume.

At this point I am leaning toward the 880 because mechanically it has a better track record (and a HS screw), but bigjayofwa experience is not to be discounted either. Timberhauler posted he bought a 3120 and already had a 880, but I have not hear back from him on the subject.

I was hoping to hear some more opinions. Anyone?

I am guessing the reality is that both of these saws would work out fine, and just like the neverending 660 vs 395 comparison, it's all a matter of preference. In that specific case I solved the matter with one of each, but those I use alot so I am glad to have both.


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 16, 2007)

If I can remember right Paul(TH) did not like the 3120....


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## bcorradi (Nov 16, 2007)

Thats understandable since its such a large investment. You may want to try out Andy's 880 and possibly hook up with bigjayfromwa or someone else to try out a 3120. I assume it would be fairly hard for you to evaluate them fully unless they were setup on a mill. 

Also I know Ultra has some 3120's, but I'm not sure if he has any 880's.


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## B_Turner (Nov 16, 2007)

bcorradi said:


> Thats understandable since its such a large investment. You may want to try out Andy's 880 and possibly hook up with bigjayfromwa or someone else to try out a 3120. I assume it would be fairly hard for you to evaluate them fully unless they were setup on a mill.
> 
> Also I know Ultra has some 3120's, but I'm not sure if he has any 880's.



I do plan to check out Andy's 088 sometime soon. Actually I am not primarily buying to use with it a mill, just blocking out big wood. So I am after a nice flat powercurve with some grunt to keep the cut from stalling with a big bar.


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## bcorradi (Nov 16, 2007)

I assume your looking at purchasing a new one?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 16, 2007)

sure gald there aren't three to choose from..


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## B_Turner (Nov 16, 2007)

bcorradi said:


> I assume your looking at purchasing a new one?



Probably. I like to buy saws new and keep them forever, just suits my style. Also the IRS likes it better when you expense new equipment in terms of verifiable cost.

There are a couple 3120s newish but used out there that are good deals, but the big stihls seem to have tremendous resale value and I can get a relatively decent price on one locally new.


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## B_Turner (Nov 16, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> sure gald there aren't three to choose from..



Me too. Don't worry, it will all be over soon. :deadhorse:


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## 04ultra (Nov 16, 2007)

bcorradi said:


> Thats understandable since its such a large investment. You may want to try out Andy's 880 and possibly hook up with bigjayfromwa or someone else to try out a 3120. I assume it would be fairly hard for you to evaluate them fully unless they were setup on a mill.
> 
> Also I know Ultra has some 3120's, but I'm not sure if he has any 880's.





I have a 084 and two older 3120's.......Sold the newer 3120 because it was a mutt.......


.


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## Former Saw Builder (Nov 16, 2007)

04ultra said:


> I have a 084 and two older 3120's.......Sold the newer 3120 because it was a mutt.......
> 
> 
> .



I agree the new 3120s are not the runners the old ones were but I also think that my 084 would out run any of them new or old... my new MS880 is not broke in yet and I think it would out run either of my 3120s, all saws are stock. But they all work great milling lumber,,,,,


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## hornett22 (Nov 16, 2007)

*it's personnal choice.*

i like the 3120 better but tey are both nice saws.i don't own either but use friends frequently.i like the 084 better than the 88.


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## Former Saw Builder (Nov 16, 2007)

hornett22 said:


> i like the 3120 better but tey are both nice saws.i don't own either but use friends frequently.i like the 084 better than the 88.



The manual oiler override on the 084 is a nice feature I wish the 880 had but there are other things I like about the 880 over the 084


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## SawTroll (Nov 16, 2007)

I have no experience with either, but from what I have read, I'd take the 880, unless I could get an early 3120.


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## Podaltura (Nov 17, 2007)

I use old 3120, 084 and ms 880. I have the 084 whit 25" and prefer it. Like the handle position more than 880 and 3120. But the old 3120 have more than 9 horse power (in the Spain 1990 catalogue), and have little mechanical problems. My 084 have the oil filter system, it´s cool and not the serial filters. More people for here use the serial filters, and scored the pistons for these.


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## B_Turner (Nov 17, 2007)

Something that continues to confuse me about the 3120 is with the way the HS is not adjustable on new models, how well can the saw tolerate all the differences in fuel, altitude, etc that affect the high speed mixture. Almost every saw I have bought in the last 8 years has come new running either too lean or right at the ragged edge even when adjusted at the stop. Thank god for adjustable HS screws.

So with the 3120, do some folks end up swapping in a bigger jet?


I am thining I should have bought that 084 that Andy had just fixed up that I ran at Andy's a while back. I kind of liked it, but at that point I was still trying to fight the bigger saw thing. I am past that fight now, and the question ultimately is whether I'll end up with one bigger saw or two.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 17, 2007)

Yes, you change out the main jet (internal to the carb). pita for most users so most just run rich at other then sea level. If you buy one from Colorado.. don't run it without checking...


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## MikeInParadise (Nov 17, 2007)

Ok enough of this...

Here is the solution:

Buy both of them! 

Run both of them. 

Pick a winner.

Raffle off the loser :greenchainsaw:


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## B_Turner (Nov 17, 2007)

MikeInParadise said:


> Ok enough of this...
> 
> :



Sorry for that (although it's been a micro fraction of the perenial 660vs395, 460vs441, etc talk).

In fact I have decided what I'll do. I am going to buy an 880 with a 50 inch 3/8 Cannon bar (may wait until Jan for tax reasons) and run it a while. Then if I have any curiousities left, I'll buy the 3120 and a long bar. Then either get rid of one saw or keep both (the most likely).

I'll spare you now, I was just trying to pick the forum's collective consciousness to decide which saw to start with, given the costs of these saws and the big bars to go with them.


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## MikeInParadise (Nov 17, 2007)

MikeInParadise said:


> Ok enough of this...



That was said in Jest by the way!


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## brian660 (Nov 17, 2007)

no 090?


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## bcorradi (Nov 17, 2007)

Glad to hear you finally came to a conclusion. Keep us updated on how you like your 880.


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## vamtjewboy (Nov 18, 2007)

*3120xp*

i just bought a 3120xp for milling. my saw is not stock as the muffler and cylinder have been beefed up...also, i do not have any 880 or 088 experience so i'm not going to be much help with the type of experiential comparison that u are looking for. however, i was wondering if the stihl has an "extra bar oil button". the 3120 has a little lever in between the on/off switch and the choke; u push it with ur thumb and lock it on for more oil when u need it. push it again and it unlocks. i use it a lot. also, doesn't a dealer purchased husky have a 2 year warranty and the stihl 90 days? -nick


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 18, 2007)

The Stihl 880 is 1 year for non-pro use, 90 days for Pro - it's all in how it's registered. The carb or other "emission related" parts are 2 years. Kind of meaningless as any defect usually shows up pretty quickly, but are rare... 

No "manual oiler" on the 880, but it literally gushes if you turn the oiler up.

The reality of warranty is that they don’t cover abuse (bad gas, overheat from milling etc) and is just about impossible to have a manf. defect show up 2 years later...


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

I just got back from driving an hour and a half each way to my favorite big Stihl and Husky dealer. Went down with an 880 in mind, spent a couple hours looking at saws and yacking with them. We fueled up several saws and ran them out in the back, including my 066 which I brought as a sort of benchmark.

Thoughts:

The 3120 throttle response was snappier and the saw was much smoother. The side cover is pretty fiddly to put back on (even the tech said so), although I am sure one gets use to it. As we already knew, fixed hs jet.

The Stihl was maybe a little tougher looking. Felt a little lighter in the hand, although close. Seemed more compact which I liked. Side adjuster which is preferable to the cover mounted end adjuster of the 3120.


Another thing that is very noticeable about the two saws is that the big Stihl has more clearance forward between the dogs and the chain brake. On the Husky in a big log, one would have to reposition the saw during the cut to keep the brake from hitting the bark. Ironically, between my 066 and 395 (both big dogs) the 395 has more clearance, which really matters in a big tree with thick bark (like our Doug fir).

It became tough again to decide which saw to own first, but in the end I came home with one of them  and a 50 3/8 inch Cannon bar, another reel of Stihl RSLKF, and some more odds and ends. (BTW They sell alot of Cannon bars (relatively) and almost all of them are 3/8.)

Tonight I'll make up a couple 158 dl chains and tomorrow I will put it to some wood.


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 19, 2007)

What did ya get?


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## sawinredneck (Nov 19, 2007)

I have absolutly nothing to add to this thread, but it was an interesting read:hmm3grin2orange:


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## brncreeper (Nov 19, 2007)

> Another thing that is very noticeable about the two saws is that the big Stihl has more clearance forward between the dogs and the chain brake. On the Husky in a big log, one would have to reposition the saw during the cut to keep the brake from hitting the bark.


Now that you’ve mentioned it I have noticed that too but it’s never been a problem. Just slide it back and take another bite with the dogs.

You forgot to compare the oil override lever on the 3120 vs. no override on the 880. Also, which one sounded better? I did a muffler mod on mine and it greatly improved the power and sound.


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

brncreeper said:


> Now that you’ve mentioned it I have noticed that too but it’s never been a problem. Just slide it back and take another bite with the dogs.
> 
> You forgot to compare the oil override lever on the 3120 vs. no override on the 880. Also, which one sounded better? I did a muffler mod on mine and it greatly improved the power and sound.



I forgot mention the oiler, although it was mentioned earlier in the thread. Seems like a good idea.

In terms of the sound, the sound comparison was interesting to me in that even with the size they each sounded a lot like smaller models of the same make. The 880 sounded like a louder, bigger meaner 660 although I think some extra edginess was prevented because of the thick iron muffler. It still had a bit more roar (both volume and quality) than the husky and overall I think is more "impressive" to run.

Between my 066 and 395 (stock) I like the sound of my 066 better, but in this case I liked the smoother snappier sound of the 3120. Kind of a harley vs beemer (boxer) thing, so just a personal preference. The big pistons really assert themselves, and I found it hard to stop playing...Just the right amount of volume for me, and I (probably) will not muffler mod it.


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

Another thing I found interesting was the the bare powerheads did not seem that bulky or as heavy as I remembered in hefting them before.

But put a 50 inch and 12 lb bar and chain and then the things get more cumbersome. I'll bet they are pushing 40 lbs wet.

Also I noticed today on the Cannon really long bars, they have a really wide belly and a relatively small tip. Different from the pictures I've seen. Not sure how many teeth on the sprocket, but I don't think I'll be doing much plungecutting with that bar. I'll give it a try, of course, but I wouldn't recommend standing very close to me the first try, yahoo....


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## brncreeper (Nov 19, 2007)

Cannon re-did there tips, the new and improved ones now have 6 rivets instead of 5. 
Did the 880 noticeably wind up higher on the RPM’s? The 3120 is limited on the RPM’s but with a sharp chain it’s not a big deal. It would be nice to somehow toggle the limiter on and off. An example might be limiter ON for milling and OFF for short blasts such as stump work. 
I wonder how well long string chips flow out the 880? It’s not a problem with the 3120.


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

brncreeper said:


> Cannon re-did there tips, the new and improved ones now have 6 rivets instead of 5.
> Did the 880 noticeably wind up higher on the RPM’s? The 3120 is limited on the RPM’s but with a sharp chain it’s not a big deal. It would be nice to somehow toggle the limiter on and off. An example might be limiter ON for milling and OFF for short blasts such as stump work.
> I wonder how well long string chips flow out the 880? It’s not a problem with the 3120.



I am going to go out to the shop right now, and I'll see if mine is a new or old bar (new, but may have been in stock a while).

I couldn't really tell about the limiters, but both reved what seemed fairly high. Since I am a woodturner, I pay attention to how saws clear noodles, and in general, the Stihls are designed very open below the sprocket and clear better than Huskies, especially Huskies full wrap bars which cross below the chip path (Most Stihl full wraps don't cross below).

But I noticed today on the 3120 due to the large outboard clutch the opening below the sprocket is huge.

Tonight I have the joy of having to count accurately to 158 drive links while I chase the chain around to make up a couple chains. I swear I don't know I can make counting accurately so difficult.....These days I mark the dls with a sharpie at intervals of 50 dls so I don't have to start over so many times. I suppose if I had a really long clear spot on the bench I could do it better.


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## bcorradi (Nov 19, 2007)

I give up too...what did ya buy? :help:


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 19, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> What did ya get?





bcorradi said:


> I give up too...what did ya buy? :help:




*What gives..............tell us now!..........please  *


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

I'lll post a pic of some kind tomorrow that will tell all. That way it will be extra anti-climatic.:Eye::Eye:


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 19, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I'lll post a pic of some kind tomorrow that will tell all. That way it will be extra anti-climatic.:Eye::Eye:



*Thats not fair..............BOOOOOO!*


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 19, 2007)

I say he got the 880, do we need a poll???:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 19, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> I say he got the 880, do we need a poll???:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:



What............to Black Ball him? :hmm3grin2orange:


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## Pablo26 (Nov 19, 2007)

158 DL fits the 880 on the 50", so unless the husky is the same, there is your answer. Good choice (even if I am wrong), congrats on the new saw!


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

Pablo26 said:


> 158 DL fits the 880 on the 50", so unless the husky is the same, there is your answer. Good choice (even if I am wrong), congrats on the new saw!



158 dl is the spec for both of them. (I checked that out before I revealed that info.) I just spun up an 158 dl and it's clear out to the end of the adjustment already. 

So I could use some help here.....if I need to (shorten) move back the bar almost an inch...3/8 pitch means around 3/4 inches between drive links.

So if I take out two drive links will it move move the bar back around 3/4 inch or so?

The bar is bowed in the middle, but kind of flat toward the sprocket...

Good thing I tried to fit the first chain before I made up a couple more.


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

No volunteers? Maybe I'll try taking out just one link first, and then see if I have any problems getting the chain on. Easier to take out links than put them back.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 19, 2007)

Take them out one at time. Assemble without spining. If it fits, take it off and spin it. Your 158DL chain will "grow" markedly so err on the side of "short".


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 19, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> No volunteers? Maybe I'll try taking out just one link first, and then see if I have any problems getting the chain on. Easier to take out links than put them back.



I was typing while you posted... but it's just as easy to add them as to take them out!


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## B_Turner (Nov 19, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> I was typing while you posted... but it's just as easy to add them as to take them out!



I guess you are right. And I guess I should have removed one and not spun. I removed one (and spun) and it goes on easy and looks like another one could come out. Since it will grow immediately, I am going to try for a second removal. I'll not spin this time hehe.

BTW I have a 7 pin on with the long bar, and the 158 is maybe a general solution including a 8 pin.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Took out a second dl and no sweat. I might be able to take out another, but then again it might make putting the bar and chain on a little more trouble so I'll stick with 156 for now.

I am a self taught spinner. I oil up both the posts of the spinner and crank in sort of slowly with lots of spinning going on in both directions. I check the finished joint so that the rivets look good and the new joints flex exaxtly the same as the rest of the chain.

Any one have any other tips? Seems to work fine, but I have sometimes wondered if there was some tips I was missing on the fine art of spinning.

I am tempted to put on my headlamp and find some wood to cut, but I think I'll try to resist.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

What fine art? a drop of oil, a few spins as you tighten it up and done. Don't OVER spin them - rivets get too thin on the ends and the links can get too tight. Look for the same size and finish as factory. No need to spin both ways.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> What fine art? a drop of oil, a few spins as you tighten it up and done. Don't OVER spin them - rivets get too thin on the ends and the links can get too tight. Look for the same size and finish as factory. No need to spin both ways.



Now I am not self taught

I guess I thought spinning both was was easier on the spinner as I thought it might wear it more evenly...And maybe my rivets smear a little bigger than factory so maybe I over spin just a little. I'll examine the next one more closely. Especially with such a long piece of 3/8 I dont wont that sucker coming apart at an inopportune moment.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

Don't be afraid to be aggressive with the feed - it should only take 5-8 spins. After you learn your chain and spinner, you will know exactly when its done bcause of the feed lever postion.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

I should be doing other working this morning, but how can I when I have a new saw to try?

Promised a pic, here is my very first cut(50 inch Cannon bar). Plunge cut into the end grain of this maybe 32 inch round.

http://www.billluce.com/pumkinjpgs/bar2.JPG

Am going back out and make some more chips...


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 20, 2007)

You are killing us man, put a saw in the pic:biggrinbounce2:


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## brncreeper (Nov 20, 2007)

He needs a bigger camera.





Here use mine!:biggrinbounce2:


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## gmcman (Nov 20, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> But I noticed today on the 3120 due to the large outboard clutch the opening below the sprocket is huge.




Only because he mentioned this......I have to guess the 3120.

How would he notice "today" if he didn't have one?


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## bcorradi (Nov 20, 2007)

gmcman said:


> Only because he mentioned this......I have to guess the 3120.
> 
> How would he notice "today" if he didn't have one?



"today" was in reference to yesterday...the day when he went to his husky/stihl dealership to purchase either an 880 or a 3120.


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## Urbicide (Nov 20, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> You are killing us man, put a saw in the pic:biggrinbounce2:



LOL! This reminds me of the "nude" scene from one of the Austin Powers movies where eveytime you think something is going to show it is covered by some near by object.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

I'm still glad there weren't three to choose from.:greenchainsaw:


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## bcorradi (Nov 20, 2007)

Looks like he chose a 3120


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

then he'll have to live with it


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## bcorradi (Nov 20, 2007)

I probably should have waited for him to let us know...but he had the two saw pic sitting in the same directory as his last pic DOH.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Okay, here's the anti climax: pic is 395 with 36 inch bar with new saw. (Really anticlimatic cause someone peeked.)

http://www.billluce.com/pumkinjpgs/two_saws.JPG

Yesterday I really wanted to come home with an 880, but the vibes made my hands tingle whereas the 3120 is relatively smooth. My 066 is not smooth, but the 880 made it seem smooth by comparison.So for me at that time, the vibration made me try the 3120 first.

So I fire up the new saw this morning, and I notice it seems to rev even lower (could be my imagination) than the one at the dealer. I got out the tach and it limits BEFORE 9000 rpm, which is not even half open throttle. I though, hmmmmm, and started cutting some wood. I don't have really big wood on hand right now, so I did stuff like cut two big rounds at the same time to simulate a bigger piece.

I see what folks say about this saw, as it is pretty tough to get it to run without being on the limiter, and the saw so clearly running on the limter sure makes it less fun to run. I think the saw would be good on a mill, because you can control the load better, and by feeding the saw at the right rate you could run just below the limiter. But so far this morning, I was finding it difficult not to have it run on the limiter almost no matter what I did- so it seemed I wasn't getting the power the saw had to offer.


When I was crosscuting a 32 inch round with the 3120 and my sense was that my 395 could cut it quicker, so I got out my 395 with a 36 inch bar on the same round. In truth the 3120 had been cutting noticeably faster than I could cut with the 395, although somehow the 395 was much more fun while doing it (more revs). So that made me realize impressions can fool, and I need more comparisons.

Being limited to maybe 8750 rpm might take some getting use to, or maybe I can replace the coil.

These are just first impressions, and I might figure more out with some trigger time. And not to get ahead of myself, this was saw number one of the comparison and I think I need to find a way to compare it directly in wood to an 880 with a similar chain to see what the reality there is. The vibration with the 880 smoothed out quite a bit in the cut at rpm (still buzy though), so maybe since the 880 is limited so much higher it would be more fun to run.



So in summary, after an hour or so playing with the new saw I am a bit disappointed but still hopeful. If the 880 had been smoother or if one doesn't mind the vibration level, then the higher revs of the 880 would probably be alot more fun.

Buyers remorse? Not really, it was worth an investigation. You can't learn to play poker without spending some money....Told you it would be a bit of a letdown:hmm3grin2orange:

Edit: I think the post seems more down on the 3120 than fair. It is a nice handling, competent saw with good throttle response for it's size. Hearing and feeling the constant limiting is the letdown...


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> then he'll have to live with it



I was waiting for that. :hmm3grin2orange: 

Hey this is america, no limit on how many saws we buy. Still room for an 880 in my future.

Figured I'd take some abuse on this particular purchase but what the heck. And other than the low limit, I like the new saw. Plus I think it's kind of purty.

Sometime we should run it against your 088 for fun.


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## brncreeper (Nov 20, 2007)

Nice setup!
It looks like you ended up with the updated CB tip, that’s good. I had to replace my old tip to a 6 rivet because it kept seizing. If you do a muffler mod you will gain a little more power and may not feel a need to seek higher rpm’s. You can always install a 395 coil to get it up over 10,000 rpms.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

brncreeper said:


> Nice setup!
> It looks like you ended up with the updated CB tip, that’s good. I had to replace my old tip to a 6 rivet because it kept seizing. If you do a muffler mod you will gain a little more power and may not feel a need to seek higher rpm’s. You can always install a 395 coil to get it up over 10,000 rpms.



The bar was stickered something like Feb of this year, and I don't know when the new tip started, but it does seem to be the new one. I was a little surprised that it plunged okay, although I would have like more revs for boring and since the belly is so wide (which is normally a very good thing in a long bar) it sure ends up making a wide hole as it goes in. They dealer said they had recently sold an 84 inch Cannon, and I think that would be a bugger to work with except maybe on a mill.

The reality is the saw is very competent and civilized, and I think I will like it fine after some time. But most of my time is spent with my 7900s that run real fast and want more, so it's an attitude adjustment with having a saw that insists on running so slow. I had expected to not have the limiter come into play once I had the bar in wood, but other than that the saw does seem to make a fairly wide powerband..

My owner manual says the ignition is limited to 12k, so I was surprised to be limited to 9k. 

The only real test is when the saw is broken in and the full bar put to wood.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

After lunch I just couldn't help it, I wondered about what the 3120 would do with the full 50 inch bar buried.

So I dragged it into the woods and found a small tree down. Did some quick cuts with the whole 50 inches buried, noodling. The perspective of the shot is misleading, those slots are like 48 inches (bar minus dogs) and go completely through. Only several seconds each cut.

I was pretty impressed, actually. I never was able to bog the saw even though I was trying to. It wants to turn around 9k pretty much no matter what you do.

Now my other saws won't do that.


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## SawTroll (Nov 20, 2007)

I suspect the max revs will increase a bit as it runs in, as I don't think the limiter is at 9000rpm.


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## Cut4fun (Nov 20, 2007)

B Turner, I dont know how much difference the vibes are for a working man like you. 
But I know the 084 is (CLOSE TO) 2lbs lighter then the MS880 and I know where there is several woods ported 084's in good condition for half the cost off a new 880. Just food for thought.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

SawTroll said:


> I suspect the max revs will increase a bit as it runs in, as I don't think the limiter is at 9000rpm.




I do think it is on the limiter at 9K.

With the tach, several different times I would creep up the rpms and around 9000 or so the reading would go wacky (like drop to a meaningless low number) and the saw would stop reving higher. Starts at maybe half throttle, and under no circumstances could I get the tach to read higher, or by ear sound faster.

Unless it is really that rich, and is 4 stroking. But if it were just too rich, I would expect the tach to find a nice reasonable number (like 9k) and display that number. It wouldn't, the number displayed would suddenly jump to something silly like 2k while the motor was reving the same 9k ish sort of range.

I have had no reason to suspect the tach using it with my other saws. Any suggestions are welcome, of course.

Bottom line is that it basically seems on the limiter pretty much all the time, even with the big bar and only really forcing the bar can I drop the rpm at all. I would rather it was limited only when in small/med wood or not in wood at all.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Cut4fun said:


> B Turner, I dont know how much difference the vibes are for a working man like you.
> But I know the 084 is (CLOSE TO) 2lbs lighter then the MS880 and I know where there is several woods ported 084's in good condition for half the cost off a new 880. Just food for thought.



Cut4fun, I hear you. I ran an 084 briefly once at Andys and thought it was cool. (Should have bought it.) Somehow it was a grand machine, can't really tell you why.

I am starting to consider an 084 for grin purposes if nothing else.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Well I just went back to retrieve the saw where I left it, and shoot I couldn't resist cutting off the same small log and playing with the other end.

The first shot is the saw pulled out to show it was a plunge cut. The width of the belly of the bar shows up on the height of the kerf.

The second shot shows the 50 inch bar is buried in there somewhere. 

I know, Andy, you are even more glad there were only 2 choices.:hmm3grin2orange:


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## Former Saw Builder (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> I'm still glad there weren't three to choose from.:greenchainsaw:



I'll say


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## spacemule (Nov 20, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Well I just went back to retrieve the saw where I left it, and shoot I couldn't resist cutting off the same small log and playing with the other end.


If you keep playing with your little log, it's going to get smaller. Or, at least that's what I was always told. . .


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

EdRitchey said:


> I'll say



Ouch, just trying to learn my new saw and fat bar. Okay, if I think of another test, no more pics.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> With the tach, several different times I would creep up the rpms and around8800 or so the reading would go wacky (like drop to a meaningless low number) and the saw would stop reving higher. Starts at maybe half throttle, and under no circumstances could I get the tach to read higher, or by ear sound faster.
> 
> Unless it is really that rich, and is 4 stroking. But if it were just too rich, I would expect the tach to find a nice reasonable number (like 9k) and display that number. It wouldn't, the number displayed would suddenly jump to something silly like 2k while the motor was reving the same 9k ish sort of range.
> 
> I have had no reason to suspect the tach using it with my other saws. Any suggestions are welcome, of course.





9k is plain wrong, even for a new saw. That fact that the number becomes meaningless indicates you are bouncing off the limiter. Now, if you'd bought a stihl...


12k? yuk... 

Take if back.. don't mess with it. sigh.... another long drive..


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 20, 2007)

Dam, no 880. I was wanting to see some purdy pics


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## Cut4fun (Nov 20, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> Dam, no 880. I was wanting to see some purdy pics



OK, if you need some MS880 eye candy fix. Here is a friends gas KD880 from down the road.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

I might have to break mine out this weekend... we had a windstorm last week and I thought it missed me.. Nope.. working behind the behind the barn I see (7 days later) a 170 foot hemlock down.. damn...


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> 9k is plain wrong, even for a new saw. That fact that the number becomes meaningless indicates you are bouncing off the limiter. Now, if you'd bought a stihl...
> 
> 
> 12k? yuk...
> ...



So you definitely think even the new ones should be limited higher than 9K? (Manual says 12k.)

Anyone that has a newer one ever tach theirs? Bookerdog? Brncreepr?

I myself am pretty convinced it is on the limiter at around 9K, and I wonder what Husky says. Grande Dog?


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Are you going to crosscut with the 088, or mill up some beams with it? At that length must have some pretty good diameter going.

I would like to see a real saw in action.


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 20, 2007)

Cut4fun said:


> OK, if you need some MS880 eye candy fix. Here is a friends gas KD880 from down the road.



Ahhhh, bad azz indeed!!! Nice Honda too


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> So you definitely think even the new ones should be limited higher than 9K? (Manual says 12k.)
> 
> Anyone that has a newer one ever tach theirs? Bookerdog? Brncreepr?
> 
> I myself am pretty convinced it is on the limiter at around 9K, and I wonder what Husky says. Grande Dog?



9K+ is where it should be cutting, not limiting.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> 9K+ is where it should be cutting, not limiting.


I remembered seeing a reference to 9K before, and I found this posting

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=6579&highlight=9,000

I called the dealer today and told them that I thought it was limiting at 9k, and they said that this is the new way over the last few years. I am not sure they really believed me on the 9K, though.

Seems like even 9.5k would let it sit in the max power range better, which the manual says is 9k. Then again it says the ignition limit is 12k. With mine, it is very difficult to get it to get off the limiter, even burying the 50 inch bar. Doesn't make sense to me,and seems like it would be hard on it to be limiting all the time in the cut.

My sense was the one I ran at the dealer was running faster, but I could easily be wrong on that.


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## huskydave (Nov 20, 2007)

Nice pictures. I like the one with the bar burried in that small tree looks like your enjoying the new saw I am sure there are ways to make it behave more aggresive if you want. I would try a small bar and a big sprocket.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I remembered seeing a reference to 9K before, and I found this posting
> 
> http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=6579&highlight=9,000
> 
> ...




So.. what your saying is that is limits at 9k.. if that's by design, that still sucks... I don't bash other brands, but that seems stupid to me. If it is true, what are they they are pretending not to know? 

My 660 doesn't limit and is set to about 13k wot. I work it often between 9.5 and 11k... some wood just can't hold it back. Consider what happens if you do that with yours -it will just spit raw gas out as it skips sparks to try to hold 9k. Limiters - nice way to meet epa.. sure...

My 088 is one of the few that has a limiter coil (later do not)- pisses me off but at least it's actually at just over 12k.

Getting beyond that, I still think you have a bad one... or two if you count the Dolmar (sorry, just had to throw that in). Take it back to your dealer, have him tach it with you, and decide what to do. 


Maybe you could trade it in on another rev limiting fixed jet 3120 :


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## huskydave (Nov 20, 2007)

just read some info on hotsaw forum said some guys are machining carb to accept a high speed mixture screw. thought I would pass on the info.


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## Urbicide (Nov 20, 2007)

Does Curt Bailey have any 3120 stuff floating around? I would also put in a call to EHP and get his input.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

huskydave said:


> just read some info on hotsaw forum said some guys are machining carb to accept a high speed mixture screw. thought I would pass on the info.



With the coil limiting at 9k, the issue of the jetting is problematic. In reference to your earlier posting, I am not trying to make it more aggressive, just to not be on the limiter even when cutting big wood. Can't be good for it to be under load and have the coil cutting in and out, seems to me.

I may be mistaken, but for me it is not even just about the lost performance, but also 1) possible harm from intermittant spark under load and 2) takes some of the joy away to alway hear the motor limiting even in the cut.

I'll call the dealer again, but I am guessing that they will say it is the way it is (again). Given that the 3120 manual says the ignition limit is 12k, I don't think I would have bought the saw if I knew that it limits at 9k (assuming that it does). I like the saw otherwise.

Again, for anyone thinking I am just seek extra performance, I'm not. The saws seems on the limiter basically under all cutting conditions except when I was almost standing on the 50 inch bar buried. Doesn't seem right, and I posted a question to Grande Dog (who sells alot of 3120s I think) what the normal reality is. 

I knew the 3120 had a fixed jet and I knew it had a limiter and I knew some folks thought it was too low, but I assumed that the limit would be above the normal cutting rpm range, as Lakeside just talked about. He may be right, both my 5100 and 3120 may be funky. If so, they are the first funky saws I have ever had, so that odds have caught up with me perhaps.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Urbicide said:


> Does Curt Bailey have any 3120 stuff floating around? I would also put in a call to EHP and get his input.



I saw a post where some ask baileys if they could get an adjustable carb for the 3120, and at that time the didn't think so. Could be interesting to see what EHP says as he has seen a number of 3120s, although I don't know him.


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## spacemule (Nov 20, 2007)

I might not be remembering right, but it seems to me I read something about the 3120 having problems with cranks and they decreased the rev limit so it would hold together.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

If you don't get satisfaction, Husky has a "take it back policy"...


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Consider what happens if you do that with yours -it will just spit raw gas out as it skips sparks to try to hold 9k. Limiters - nice way to meet epa.. sure...



My sense is that is exactly what is happening with my 3120 under anything but an extreme load. Cutting a 32 inch round today even fairly aggressively has the motor making that kind of raggedy sound and flat rpm that make me pretty sure the limiter is at work, for example.


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## B_Turner (Nov 20, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> If you don't get satisfaction, Husky has a "take it back policy"...



They do? I didn't know that. Can I read what it is online anywhere?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

spacemule said:


> I might not be remembering right, but it seems to me I read something about the 3120 having problems with cranks and they decreased the rev limit so it would hold together.





I head some stuff also but couldn't rememember what the issue was, or whether it was real or hearsay.. I referred to it as "what they pretend not to know"


Maybe Ultra can tach a couple of his?. RBtree has one also.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 20, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> They do? I didn't know that. Can I read what it is online anywhere?



Stihl has one also - like 7 days. I believe Husky's is 30.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> I head some stuff also but couldn't rememember what the issue was, or whether it was real or hearsay.. I referred to it as "what they pretend not to know"
> 
> 
> Maybe Ultra can tach a couple of his?. RBtree has one also.



Theirs are both older are different. I have been told that Huksy implemented the limitations in a few phaases.

The tech where I bought the saw told me (and I have known him a while and basically have faith in what he tells me in general) that they did have problems with the 3120 and that is why Huskyy limited the coil and also went to a fixed jet. He didn't approve of that bandaid solution. I just didn't think the limit was so low (if it is).

WHen I asked him which one he thought I should buy (they sell both) he immediately said the Stihl.:hmm3grin2orange: I know, I know...Actually I like the saw if it would run a little "cleaner."

The reason I drive so far to buy Stihls or Huskies (so far anyway) is because that dealer has been great to deal with, they have amazing inventory of Stihls and Husky, their prices are the best around even on Stihl, and I am on file to get a manufacturing machine sales tax exemption on all saws (cause for me saws are part of my manufacturing process.) They are not a site sponsor so I won't say their name, although many will still know who they are.


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Theirs are both older are different. I have been told that Huksy implemented the limitations in a few phaases.
> 
> The tech where I bought the saw told me (and I have known him a while and basically have faith in what he tells me in general) that they did have problems with the 3120 and that is why Huskyy limited the coil and also went to a fixed jet. He didn't approve of that bandaid solution. I just didn't think the limit was so low (if it is).
> 
> WHen I asked him which one he thought I should buy (they sell both) he immediately said the Stihl.:hmm3grin2orange: I know, I know...Actually I like the saw if it would run a little "cleaner."




How's the air injection working?? Just kidding..  



.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Theirs are both older are different. I have been told that Huksy implemented the limitations in a few phaases.
> 
> The tech where I bought the saw told me (and I have known him a while and basically have faith in what he tells me in general) that they did have problems with the 3120 and that is why Huskyy limited the coil and also went to a fixed jet. He didn't approve of that bandaid solution. I just didn't think the limit was so low (if it is).
> 
> ...




So.. you knew everything but you still bought the Husky? That's a heck of a bandaid -two actually... just trying to understand you thought process. I assume the Husky was a lot cheaper.

If by "Cleaner", you mean the air filter, it's a non-issue....


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> So.. you knew everything but you still bought the Husky?



I didn't know it was limited so low....thought the limit would not be in effect under a normal load. 

And knowing what I did was part of the reason it was so difficult to decide which saw to start with.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

04ultra said:


> How's the air injection working?? Just kidding..
> 
> 
> 
> .



Yeah, I knew it didn't have the air injection which is too bad. Works really great on my 371 and 395. A miracle, actually.

The dealer where I looked at the 441 said the Stihl "air injection" works very well, too.

What is kind of frustrating is that I am guessing this is way the new 3120s are (I hope I am wrong) and otherwise I like it. It is pretty smooth and civilized and has pretty impressive grunt. I pulled 50 inch long noodles really leaning on the bar and it didn't ever bog.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

sorry.. I added to my post. We were both typing at the same time. Invisibility has its limitations..


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## Mr. (Nov 21, 2007)

Several people posted is was to keep the rod together. The rod is the purported weak link. Alot of the ???????? run an 084 rod.

Yeah, you can drill out the high speed for a screw (not you, but can have it done), but it'll cost you. $200 the last time I asked.

Fred


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Yeah, I knew it didn't have the air injection which is too bad. Works really great on my 371 and 395. A miracle, actually.
> 
> The dealer where I looked at the 441 said the Stihl "air injection" works very well, too.
> 
> What is kind of frustrating is that I am guessing this is way the new 3120s are (I hope I am wrong) and otherwise I like it. It is pretty smooth and civilized and has pretty impressive grunt. I pulled 50 inch long noodles really leaning on the bar and it didn't ever bog.





I was teasing ....


I could have sold you my 2000 model 3120 but its long gone to a sucker I mean brother in law.......I sold it for 600.00 with 42 just to rid my self of it......



.


.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> What is kind of frustrating is that I am guessing this is way the new 3120s are (I hope I am wrong) and otherwise I like it. It is pretty smooth and civilized and has pretty impressive grunt. I pulled 50 inch long noodles really leaning on the bar and it didn't ever bog.





.. but... it means you can't wind it up in smaller wood. sure, you bought it for big, but often we use them for less.


If you hate it, take it back, and buy nothing.,, for a while


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Mr. said:


> Several people posted is was to keep the rod together. The rod is the purported weak link. Alot of the ???????? run an 084 rod.
> 
> Yeah, you can drill out the high speed for a screw (not you, but can have it done), but it'll cost you. $200 the last time I asked.
> 
> Fred



Is there a non-limiting coil or do you also need to change the flywheel?


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Is there a non-limiting coil or do you also need to change the flywheel?





change flywheel and coil......I know someone looking for a later model coil and flywheel if your changing...





.




.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

*Hey Bill*

We can fix it for you.

so far..

-Carb drilled
-084 rod
- coil/flywheel

labor - priceless.


So.. seriously.. there is a zillion post thread and none of this comes out until after you buy the saw?:monkey:


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> So.. you knew everything but you still bought the Husky? That's a heck of a bandaid -two actually... just trying to understand you thought process. I assume the Husky was a lot cheaper.
> 
> If by "Cleaner", you mean the air filter, it's a non-issue....



No by cleaner I mean without the motor in constant interruption by the limiter, or at least my impression that it was being interrupted all the time. So the motor was not running as smooth or "clean" as I would have enjoyed. Not singing sweetly.

Their price is actually higher on the 3120 vs the 880, which surprised me, although they gave me a bit more price break.

My thought process was very simple in a sense. The 880 I ran there really made my hands tingle, and was a bit of a jack hammer except when at full rpms. My hands I guess are more bothered these days by certain vibrations that most folks hands. And the husky was worlds smoother in the hand, doesn't bother me at all. Otherwise I would have bought the 880 in a hearbeat, and I still may end up with one. But given my old beatup hands, I thought the husky was worth a try. Don't want to decide the first day I run a saw, but at this point I suspect I may have to try the 880 again as well. Can't have too many saws....

One thing I am trying to understand is that when I ran that 084 a little I didn't think of it as particularly rough in my hands.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> We can fix it for you.
> 
> so far..
> 
> ...



Maybe this one is a little 'worse' than some others, I don't know. OR maybe I'm a crank? 

I'll most likely run it some more tomorrow, maybe with a 36 inch bar just to see if my impressions change. Maybe the poltregeist (sp?) will sneak into my little barn and make magic. And I hope to hear from someone like Grande Dog about what is the norm on the current flavor of the 3120s. If he says they all run at 9k, then I'll have to do some soul searching. I kind of hate to mess up my relationship with that dealer by bringing back the saw just cause I don't like it.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> No by cleaner I mean without the motor in constant interruption by the limiter, or at least my impression that it was being interrupted all the time. So the motor was not running as smooth or "clean" as I would have enjoyed. Not singing sweetly.
> 
> Their price is actually higher on the 3120 vs the 880, which surprised me, although they gave me a bit more price break.
> 
> ...





084 - It likely just had older softer mounts.

There was no way the 880 limiter (if your test saw has one ) was interrupting you - it's pretty clean cut-in just over 12k. If you're in the wood, and tuned correctly it should sing and be smooth. As for the "tingles - I find my 088 to be no worse then my 044, maybe better than my 066. If find decent gloves solve most of the problem.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Maybe the poltregeist (sp?) will sneak into my little barn and make magic..




nope, I'm staying in tonight, and I could NEVER find your place in the dark. heck, I couldn't find it in daylight.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

There are two different sets of mounts for the 880 - "normal" and "hard". hard is favored for long bars and summer uses (PNW is warm enough for hard all the time).


No.. I don't know what the saw you were using was fitted with


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## bcorradi (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> We can fix it for you.
> 
> so far..
> 
> ...



I think everyone thought he was teasing us ....we never thought he'd spend that big chunk of change on a 3120 anyhow...we thought the decision was clear as day on which to buy . j/k


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

yes.. likely truer than you think... and I suspect nobody went off on the real issues so that it didn't become a Husky-Stihl thread. See what happens when we behave?


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

bcorradi said:


> I think everyone thought he was teasing us ....we never thought he'd spend that big chunk of change on a 3120 anyhow...we thought the decision was clear as day on which to buy . j/k



I knew when I was deciding on which saw that to most on AS I would be letting them down.:greenchainsaw: 

But for me saw vibration is a bigger problem than for most, and the 3120 was just so much smoother, so even knowing what I did know I thought it the best choice. But if it really is limited to 9k, they consensus may have been right - 880.

But if the damn husky just ran a little faster/more even (no miss from the limiter), I do like it otherwise.

As another example, even though most folks here think more highly of the 660, I prefer my much smoother 395 to my 066 for most work. (Both good saws, though.) And I stand by that choice for me.


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I knew when I was deciding on which saw that to most on AS I would be letting them down.:greenchainsaw:
> 
> But for me saw vibration is a bigger problem than for most, and the 3120 was just so much smoother, so even knowing what I did know I thought it the best choice. But if it really is limited to 9k, they consensus may have been right - 880.
> 
> But if the damn husky just ran a little faster/more even (no miss from the limiter), I do like it otherwise.





Stop on over...I'll let you try two 3120's that run good   or a very low hour 084...


.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Vibration and weight (within reason).. suck it up and forget about it, unless your name is Troll. How many hours will you really put on this saw in a year anyhow. Chose the right saw... you know.. one that cuts  


As for the hands.. My hands get worse every year, but my saws will last for 20.. Hmmm... wonder what my hands will be like in 20? I've given up on worrying about my failing body.


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

Bill make sure you check cylinder bolts from time to time.......Just because they soften the ride with springs doesn't mean they dont vibrate.....You have 60mm riding in there ....




.


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## SawTroll (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> We can fix it for you.
> 
> so far..
> 
> ...



You just won another price, you passed Ultra on the rep list (8 vs 7 dark ones)!!!!


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Vibration and weight (within reason).. suck it up and forget about it, unless your name is Troll. How many hours will you really put on this saw in a year anyhow. Chose the right saw... you know.. one that cuts
> 
> 
> As for the hands.. My hands get worse every year, but my saws will last for 20.. Hmmm... wonder what my hands will be like in 20? I've given up on worrying about my failing body.



For me it's not like I'm worried about some abstract thing for the future, certain machines make my hands tingle and feel weird. It interferes with my work, which is everything to me. And it seems to be culminative, so I try to pay attention.

It's true I would not run the big saw very often, and with my 066 I use gel pack gloves which help somewhat. I suspect part of my hands problems is from years of riding motorcycles for probably thousands of hours. Plus it probably doesn't help that when I was younger I pounded railroad spikes both by hand and by big jackhammer. The folly of youth.


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

*First thing*

Try another plug and get a resister AND a non resister plug.

The saw should take a resister plug but Husky has been known to use old stock parts and you may have a high impedance coil which will be a lot happier with a non resister plug.

There have been no spark cut limiter coils for years but that doesn't mean they did not use an older coil design.

All the new rev limit coils retard the timing at a certain RPM and depending on the Tach they may show as you describe.

Do you hear/feel the saw misfiring @9K or does it just fall on it's face so to speak? Kind of a baaaaaghhhhhhhh......hard to describe but there is a huge difference in the way they act with the two different coil limiters.

Also what is your elevation? 

The 3120 you tried at the dealer may have different jetting and carb governor


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

PES+ said:


> Try another plug and get a resister AND a non resister plug.
> 
> The saw should take a resister plug but Husky has been known to use old stock parts and you may have a high impedance coil which will be a lot happier with a non resister plug.
> 
> ...



Good, point, so maybe I mispoke when I said spark cut limiter, as I don't really know how it is doing the limiting. I live at around 600 ft and the dealer is at around 200ft elevation. I know they don't swap jets on the 3120, just sell what comes in the box.

You are right it isn't really a classic miss as such, more the baaaaaggghhh with a kind of rough rattly quality both aurally and vibration wise. Kind of like 4 stroking on steroids. Out of wood the saw revs up to somewhere around 9k, at around third throttle, and then the tach read nonsense numbers and the saw falls on it's face with that baaaaaagghhhh sound, with more throttle only making the sound bigger and wider, no more rpm. 

That seemed normal out of wood, just didnt' think it would sound like that while normal cutting.

So for me what the surprise is is how it runs limited like that pretty much all the time, even while cutting say a 36 inch log. You probably didn't shlog through this whole thread, but at one point yesterday I decide that I would see what it would take to not run on the limiter, and I buried the 50 inch bar on a log cutting noodles sidegrain. Even while pulling the 50 inch bar buried with normal pressure it ran on the limiter. The good news was I could really lean on the long bar buried and the saw would not bog, but it took a heck of a lot of pressure to get the rpm to drop off the limiter. 

And I'll check which plug it is just to be sure in a little while. Do you know if the 9k limit is what they all have now?


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

Try another plug anyway.

I have seen defective plugs cause the exact problem you describe particularly in Huskies.

I once ran through an entire saw order of 16 pieces of which I had 11 defective plugs 10 of which acted exactly like you descibe.

(The 11th was cracked around the insulator and would not start at all)

They were Champions but I lately have seen poor plugs from all manufacturers


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

PES+ said:


> Try another plug anyway.
> 
> I have seen defective plugs cause the exact problem you describe particularly in Huskies.
> 
> ...



Thanks, I'll try another plug, sure worth a try. I always love simple solutions.


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## joatmon (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Maybe this one is a little 'worse' than some others, I don't know. OR maybe I'm a crank?
> 
> I'll most likely run it some more tomorrow, maybe with a 36 inch bar just to see if my impressions change. Maybe the poltregeist (sp?) will sneak into my little barn and make magic. And I hope to hear from someone like Grande Dog about what is the norm on the current flavor of the 3120s. If he says they all run at 9k, then I'll have to do some soul searching. I kind of hate to mess up my relationship with that dealer by bringing back the saw just cause I don't like it.



What's the point in having a good relationship with a dealer if they can't help you in a situation like this?

I'd say get over to the dealership and sort it out.

Best of luck,

Joat


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

joatmon said:


> What's the point in having a good relationship with a dealer if they can't help you in a situation like this?
> 
> I'd say get over to the dealership and sort it out.
> 
> ...




What I was referring to is I was reluctant to bring the saw back to the dealer and tell them to give me my money back cause I didn't like it. If there is some issue they can "fix" then absolutely I should take it back to them. That is what a dealer is all about, of course.

So what I am trying to figure out right away is if all 3120s are now limited to 9k. If not, then hooray. I'll have them fix it. If yes, then I am no yet sure what I''ll do.

I'll try a new plug this morning, though. I probably should have tried one anyway, somehow didn't occur ot me for some reason.

Part of my motivation to trying to figure what I can out before I take it back to the dealer is 1) I called them and when I described the saws behavior they sounded like they thought it was "within nomal parameters." and 2) they are an hour and a half each way under good traffic conditions and it's hard for me to take a day off basically. If I do the drive outside the good traffic window, it can become an epic journey theses days.


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

joatmon said:


> What's the point in having a good relationship with a dealer if they can't help you in a situation like this?
> 
> I'd say get over to the dealership and sort it out.
> 
> ...



I agree but also see both sides.

The trip alone is long. 

I don't know if Husky still has the crown commitment or not but it used to be 15 days to be completely satisfied or your can take it back.

It may come to that because the saw should NOT run at 9K unloaded......it may run close to that figure with a really long bar because of the loading but still something does not sound right.

There are for sure various changes made to the 3120 to err on the side of longevity and I have not worked on a new one for quite some time but running like you describe can be an indication of serious problems that may or may not develop within the warranty time frame.

If the plug does nothing to help the running you will need to make the trip back to the dealer with your bar and chain and insist that your saw perform like their demo.....you DO NOT want to have problems just out of warranty period.....that is far worse for both you AND the dealer........trust me.


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## joatmon (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> What I was referring to is I was reluctant to bring the saw back to the dealer and tell them to give me my money back cause I didn't like it. If there is some issue they can "fix" then absolutely I should take it back to them. That is what a dealer is all about, of course.
> 
> So what I am trying to figure out right away is if all 3120s are now limited to 9k. If not, then hooray. I'll have them fix it. If yes, then I am no yet sure what I''ll do.
> 
> I'll try a new plug this morning, though. I probably should have tried one anyway, somehow didn't occur ot me for some reason.



What I was attempting to say is "make it the dealer's problem". I don't imagine that your dealer wants an unhappy customer. Take it now and let them see what is going on. Let them take the lead in solving the problem and giving you alternatives. Keeping it as is or sending it back is what your options would be with an internet sale.

I always thought that the dealer was there to sort out problems like this.

Joat


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## joatmon (Nov 21, 2007)

PES+ said:


> I agree but also see both sides.
> 
> The trip alone is long.
> 
> ...



Look. The man studied up on his needs and options. He took the time to go to a dealer. I assume that the dealer understood what his needs were. He bought the saw. The saw is expensive. He's unhappy. I see one side. A solution is in order. Notice that I did NOT say to return the saw. Put it in the dealers hands and let him resolve the issue.

Joat


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

joatmon said:


> Look. The man studied up on his needs and options. He took the time to go to a dealer. I assume that the dealer understood what his needs were. He bought the saw. The saw is expensive. He's unhappy. I see one side. A solution is in order. Notice that I did NOT say to return the saw. Put it in the dealers hands and let him resolve the issue.
> 
> Joat



I hear what you are saying, and I agree. 

I'll put it this way, I want to see if I can find out what the ignition limit should be, or any other simple solution (a new plug, for example), before I take a day off of work and do the drive. If I must go back, then of course I must. Just trying to do some homework first.

So what I am trying to find out is what the normal factory rpm limit is on the current flavor of the 3120. That will tell me a lot right there. If it's 10k or more, then I'm off to the dealer in a flash. If they all are limited at 9k, then my decisions are different. So far I have not been able to find anyone that knows for sure what the new ones are limited at.


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

As I said Joat.....I agree.

It looks like for whatever reason his 3120 has the cutoff saw coil which is very different and was meant for a different porting set up and advance curve.

Lately I have seen the manufacturers blending parts across models and the aftermarkets list the cylinders as the same for the 3120XP and the 3120K but they didn't start that way.

If it has the K coil I have no idea how he can fix the problem even with the dealer in the mix.....he may have no choice but to return it.

Husky has always had a habit of blending parts between the cut off saws and chainsaws but this situation is rather lackluster and sour.

The 3120K coil is speced at 9,750 = or - 250 RPM.....well within tach differences. (your tach may read about 150RPM off) and the refresh time on the display can mask where the actual limit kicks in


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## bcorradi (Nov 21, 2007)

The thing that kinda stinks with these saws....is that most people even AS members have little to no exposure to these monsters especially new ones. There seems to be some people that have some 084's, older 3120's, and Andy with his 880. I believe the Helsels from michigan are real familiar with 3120's and my be able to give you some englightement. Rick Helsel goes by the AS name "Helsel".


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

PES+ said:


> As I said Joat.....I agree.
> 
> It looks like for whatever reason his 3120 has the cutoff saw coil which is very different and was meant for a different porting set up and advance curve.
> 
> ...



So do I understand correctly that the 3120 K is a cutoff saw and the 3120 XP is the chainsaw? What is the spec on the 3120 XP? (manual says 12k)

I realize the refresh time on my tach makes an accurate reading a challenge. Trust me, I am a patient fiddler and spent enough time(s) with the tach and the saw yesterday to get a pretty good idea of the max. If you just WOT and put the tach to the saw you get nonsense, of course.

So what I determined through trial and error is that by creeping the rpm up near the limit (enough times), then I could get an idea at how high I could get the rpm before the coil interceded and the reading became nonsense. With lots of tries, 9K is the highest I read.

I've compared my tachs' readings to other tachs (like at the dealer) and it is certainly pretty close.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

bcorradi said:


> The thing that kinda stinks with these saws....is that most people even AS members have little to no exposure to these monsters especially new ones. There seems to be some people that have some 084's, older 3120's, and Andy with his 880. I believe the Helsels from michigan are real familiar with 3120's and my be able to give you some englightement. Rick Helsel goes by the AS name "Helsel".



Yes, if it were any an 660, or 395 or something, it would all be obvious.

I may try to PM Helsel just to see if he has ever tached a newer one. Since they are fixed jet and limited both, the people I have asked have never bothered to tach theirs. With most saws it is the first thing you do to tune them.


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

Yes.....the K is the cutoff
the XP is the chainsaw

I had to look up the spec on the most recent K RPM 

I only ever worked on one 3120K as they did not sell at all well in the markets where I was working.


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Yes, if it were any an 660, or 395 or something, it would all be obvious.
> 
> I may try to PM Helsel just to see if he has ever tached a newer one. Since they are fixed jet and limited both, the people I have asked have never bothered to tach theirs. With most saws it is the first thing you do to tune them.




My rev.limited one ran just at 12,000 give or take...It was manufactured in 2000 bought new in 2002.........My other two are not stock.. 



.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

04ultra said:


> My rev.limited one ran just at 12,000 give or take...It was manufactured in 2000 bought new in 2002.........My other two are not stock..
> 
> 
> 
> .



12k sounds like heaven to me. Seems like I remember hearing that they lowered the limit since then, although I am not sure.


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

You could also fire off an email using the link form the Husqvarna site and ask them directly.

If Rick Helsel responds please let us know what he says.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

I see NBailey reading the thread. Maybe he knows the current rpm limit on the 3120XP coil?

I did sent Helsel a PM just to see if he could shed some enlightment.


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## NBailey (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I see NBBailey reading the thread. Maybe he knows the current rpm limit on the 3120XP coil?
> 
> I did sent Helsel a PM just to see if he could shed some enlightment.



Our shop guys say any newer saws with a green module limit at 10,500. The green module now comes in both the cut off saws and chainsaws that we get. Some areas get different saws though, so Washington and California may not be selling the same thing.

Nik


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

NBailey said:


> Our shop guys say any newer saws with a green module limit at 10,500. The green module now comes in both the cut off saws and chainsaws that we get. Some areas get different saws though, so Washington and California may not be selling the same thing.
> 
> Nik



Thanks. No way mine gets past 9k, so either it's the coil or maybe just rich (jet). The way it limits the revs so absolutely evenly under all conditions makes me think mine is being ignition limited somehow.

And since the tach reading goes funky at the exact point of max rpm, it seems to me the ignition limiter is further implicated.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

joatmon said:


> What's the point in having a good relationship with a dealer if they can't help you in a situation like this?
> 
> I'd say get over to the dealership and sort it out.
> 
> ...



Bill: 
Don't sweat it. If the deal is like Stihl, the dealer gets 10% rebate and can resell it again, or they can ship to back to Stihl.

10,500 is still pretty low, but if that's what they have to do to stop it flying to pieces, then maybe it's a good idea


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

PES+ said:


> There have been no spark cut limiter coils for years but that doesn't mean they did not use an older coil design.
> 
> All the new rev limit coils retard the timing at a certain RPM and depending on the Tach they may show as you describe.



Unless I'm missing something, I havent seen a tach go wacky on the retarding igntions. I suspect it's the "skip design" - it's why the tach craps out at the limit point. Same thing happens, for example, on the TS400 and my 2001 088. Guess I'll need to haul out my scope of watch it.


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## PES+ (Nov 21, 2007)

Does Stihl do like Husky did and if the item was floor planned when the customer returns it the dealer has to pay for the unit minus the discount?

IE since the piece is then technically used the finance company used to make the dealer buy it at the discounted price.


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## Dennis Cahoon (Nov 21, 2007)

Both the 3120 and 088 are "DOGS" stock. Have Lakeside mod one for you!.....Hahahahahaha!


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Thanks. No way mine gets past 9k, so either it's the coil or maybe just rich (jet). The way it limits the revs so absolutely evenly under all conditions makes me think mine is being ignition limited somehow.
> 
> And since the tach reading goes funky at the exact point of max rpm, it seems to me the ignition limiter is further implicated.



you're right.. It's your ignition..


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Dennis Cahoon said:


> Both the 3120 and 088 are "DOGS" stock. Have Lakeside mod one for you!.....Hahahahahaha!



Thans for the referal - I really need work. But first I'll need to go buy some more JB weld!


if you just want the easy stuff done - the 880 muffler is a piece of cake to mod - the entire outlet assembly can be removed (muffler in place) with two screws. I left mine stock - it hurts (real hurt) my ears as it is.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

PES+ said:


> Does Stihl do like Husky did and if the item was floor planned when the customer returns it the dealer has to pay for the unit minus the discount?
> 
> IE since the piece is then technically used the finance company used to make the dealer buy it at the discounted price.




No idea. We don't use floor planning (overnight delivery and up to 30 day credit, more over the winter), and the Stihl policies manual doesn't address that.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Unless I'm missing something, I havent seen a tach go wacky on the retarding igntions. I suspect it's the "skip design" - it's why the tach craps out at the limit point. Same thing happens, for example, on the TS400 and my 2001 088. Guess I'll need to haul out my scope of watch it.



I called the dealer this morning to give them a heads up and see what their thinking was. The main mechanic is off today (which I knew). I told them what NikB said (green module 10.5k), and the dealer guessed that the 3120s they get are limited either the same or higher because of the lack of CA Epa stuff. (They asked the other mechanic who said the limit was 12k, which we all know is wrong, so they want to involve the main guy.)

He said to talk to them again Friday (when both the owner who I talk to and the main tech is there) and if they have any ideas I can come down. Maybe swap a coil, or whatever they want to try. Doesn't seem like a jet issue to me, so might be the coil. 

My plan (I didn't take it that far on the phone) is that if they can get it to run faster (even 10,5) then great. Else I will tell them I want them to keep it for their own. 

At that point I either bring home an 880 or think about it all a while. But I like the 3120 well enough to try it awhile if it ran better. Either way I can buy an 880 or 084 (real saws) at a later date.


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## Dennis Cahoon (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> you're right.. It's your ignition..



For "competition".....You have to change 3120 the ignition.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Dennis Cahoon said:


> For "competition".....You have to change 3120 the ignition.



Yep, but Bill doesn't want a hot saw.. just one to cut his big bowl wood, without hand tingles.


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## manual (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I called the dealer this morning to give them a heads up and see what their thinking was. The main mechanic is off today (which I knew). I told them what NikB said (green module 10.5k), and the dealer guessed that the 3120s they get are limited either the same or higher because of the lack of CA Epa stuff. (They asked the other mechanic who said the limit was 12k, which we all know is wrong, so they want to involve the main guy.)
> 
> He said to talk to them again Friday (when both the owner who I talk to and the main tech is there) and if they have any ideas I can come down. Maybe swap a coil, or whatever they want to try. Doesn't seem like a jet issue to me, so might be the coil.
> 
> ...



Good reading here,
Maybe you can have them try the coil from the Demo saw you used.


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## Dennis Cahoon (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Yep, but Bill doesn't want a hot saw.. just one to big his big bowl wood, without hand tingles.



He doesn't know what he wants!


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Dennis Cahoon said:


> He doesn't know what he wants!



 so true...!!!!

This, if for no other reason than to muddy the waters, is when AS members step up and offer their slighty used 084 088, 880 and "older but better" 3120's..


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

manual said:


> Good reading here,
> Maybe you can have them try the coil from the Demo saw you used.



or just buy the demo saw for a big discount.


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 21, 2007)

Dennis Cahoon said:


> He doesn't know what he wants!



Do any of us????


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## joatmon (Nov 21, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> Do any of us????



I do! I want all the things I don't have or haven't had. Yeah, that's it.


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## bcorradi (Nov 21, 2007)

joatmon said:


> I do! I want all the things I don't have or haven't had. Yeah, that's it.


Are you still talking about saws?


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## joatmon (Nov 21, 2007)

bcorradi said:


> Are you still talking about saws?



:censored: yes.  Is there anything else?


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## Cut4fun (Nov 21, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> Do any of us????



*YES!*

Just finding it in my price range is the problem.


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## Grande Dog (Nov 21, 2007)

The modules and flywheels don't interchage. If you're going to change the module, you'll need to change the flywheel also. The very latest version gets on the limiter at 9600. It's a "skip a spark" type of limitation. Max torque is at about 8000.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Bill - if you keep it you might want to go back to 404...


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## RiverRat2 (Nov 21, 2007)

*!!!! + 1,000,000!!!!!!!!!*



Cut4fun said:


> *YES!*
> 
> Just finding it in my price range is the problem.




Unhhh Hunhhhhh!!!!!!! And How!!!!!!!


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

I don't want to make a mess of both threads I started so I am posting here.

First, just heard from one AS member with a 3120 he that he bought maybe a year and a half ago that he thinks might have been older stock. It readily tached 12.2k. Couple other members report running close to 10k.

Here's where I am. GrangeD said the current ones limit at 9.6 and I dragged mine out into the woods this morning and did some more testing. 

It hits the limiter what seems really early, and then the motor gets a hammering sound as the coil skips the spark. I really hate that sound. And with my 50 inch bar (3/8, skip, square) doing a full 48 inch noodle cut, the saw is still hammering away on the limiter unless I dog with almost alll my might. 

I had taped a tach to the saw, and the tach confirmed everything I thought I was hearing. With some fooling around with lots of pressure on the bar, I could get the tach up to about 9600 occasionally. I found myself letting up on the throttle just to spare me the motor hammering, which is not a good idea.

Other folks really like theirs, so maybe it is me and my lack for flexibility. I'll ponder that.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

A question to you saw tech types. Do you think it is hard on a saw to be under a pretty good load and have the spark skipped by the limiter? Sure makes a hammering sound.


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## spacemule (Nov 21, 2007)

Do you have a way to post some audio of it? I would like to see what it sounds like.


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## bcorradi (Nov 21, 2007)

spacemule said:


> Do you have a way to post some audio of it? I would like to see what it sounds like.



VRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat VRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat VRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat 

How is that?


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## Grande Dog (Nov 21, 2007)

At worst it should sound like it's just running rich. If you're getting a hammering or knocking noise, somethings wrong. That saw really needs as high of octane fuel as you can get your hands on. If its an octane issue, it will get a ping or a tapping noise like a V8 pulling up hill on regular gas.


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## maccall (Nov 21, 2007)

Bill, your saw is simply ridiculous! A rev limiter exists to prevent people like me, who does not really know what they're doing, from over revving when fiddling with the H, not as something you bump in to under normal use!

And since you can't adjust your H, you simply shouldn't be even close to hitting it. All (2...) downloadable manuals I've checked supports that 12k is max, so that's where the limit should be. If that's not where the saw runs at its best is a different story, but that should be taken care of by the adjustable H. Oh... right...

Unless the dealer can't fix this for you, or at least prove that the saw you tried, and liked (especially the sound if I remember correctly), runs the same low rpms I'd say the saw needs to go back and be re-trained...


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Grande Dog said:


> At worst it should sound like it's just running rich. If you're getting a hammering or knocking noise, somethings wrong. That saw really needs as high of octane fuel as you can get your hands on. If its an octane issue, it will get a ping or a tapping noise like a V8 pulling up hill on regular gas.



With no load, then WOT sounds like super rich. But with load, there is a different, harder sound like a raackkkkkkkkk. That of course is an exaggeration, but the sort of hammering is real noticable. Not a metallic pinging like a car or truck. Maybe hammering is the wrong word, but I can't think of another one right now. 

LIke a motor loaded getting a bad miss. Not like something about to come through the side or anything. With this sound, I am talking only when on the limiter. At any load below the limiter rpm the sound is normal. But once I hit the limiter the sound changes as the saw starts to miss badly (my theory).

I never did try another plug like PES+ suggested...



Gas is fresh 93 octane (Chevron) as I always run.

I have no way to make audio that I know of. Also I just tried an 8 pin with the 50 inch to see if it helped stay off the limiter, but no real difference that I could tell.


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## ralphbsz (Nov 21, 2007)

Has someone considered calling Husky tech support, and asking them to escalate the question to engineering? One would think that the manufacturer would love to make sure that their saws run right, and hitting the rev limiter at 9600 sounds very unusual, and would probably turn a lot of people off. If it is indeed correct (and there is no reason to not trust Grande Dog), it needs to be explained.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

ralphbsz said:


> Has someone considered calling Husky tech support, and asking them to escalate the question to engineering? One would think that the manufacturer would love to make sure that their saws run right, and hitting the rev limiter at 9600 sounds very unusual, and would probably turn a lot of people off. If it is indeed correct (and there is no reason to not trust Grande Dog), it needs to be explained.



My latest testing proved to my satisfaction that GD is right about the 9600. And I would bet that Husky won't really care what one person thinks about what they have chosen to do. Now if the bottom fell out of the 3120 market then they would revisit the decision to lower the limit, but that is unlikely to happen. They seem to be a popular milling saw, and for most people the price is less than the 880 (ironically, I could have gotten the 880 for the same).

They are not in the business of pleasing one small potatoe such as me. Not sure what I am going to do, but I wish there was a drop in replacement coil that gave me at least 10.5. I think that a little more leeway before the limiter cut in would help my style of cutting a lot. I can tell already what I will do is not run full throttle some times, which I understand can cause leaness. I'll only run full throttle with a big bar absolutely cranked on,just to avoid that hammering/miss sound.

JayfromWA loves his new 3120, but he is 6 7 and like 275 lbs. He likes to crush the tree with a 50 inch bar, and the saw is made to do that.

Also I have heard from enough sources to believe it, Husky has lowered the limit as their most cost effective way to try to minimize mechanical failures some 3120s were having.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

That hamemering/miss sound is the limiter, and you're pounding unburnt gas though. Breathe deep...

Even 10500 is going to irk you (being a sensitive type  ) unless you ALWAYS load the saw up with big wood or big chain or aggressive chain or...

Live with it or get a different saw... Swapping coils and flywheels on a new saw is plain wrong, and... they did it for a reason. Maybe H tech support will tell you why, but I doubt it.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> That hamemering/miss sound is the limiter, and you're pounding unburnt gas though. Breathe deep...
> 
> Even 10500 is going to irk you (being a sensitive type  ) unless you ALWAYS load the saw up with big wood or big chain or aggressive chain or...
> 
> Live with it or get a different saw... Swapping coils and flywheels on a new saw is plain wrong, and... they did it for a reason. Maybe H tech support will tell you why, but I doubt it.



Yup. And you were right all along (naturally) about the limiter skipping spark rather than retarding the timing.

I think for punishment when prison is too severe, the punishment should be to make someone run a saw on the limiter for a couple of weeks. That'd learn them.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

When your hands go numb, your hearing is gone, and you've sucked in enough unburnt gas, it will seem like a fine saw.


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## Gumnuts (Nov 21, 2007)

Have read this thread with maturing interest.
Am just trying to assimilate what has already been suggested plus .02 cents
* B TURNER*
*They are not in the business of pleasing one small potatoe such as me. ,*

*Strongly disagree.Just depends how wimpy you want to play it !! *
* Be very clear about what you want THE DEALER TO DO ABOUT IT-* 

You hold the ace- with a diminishing time frame.

After writing this an seeing 2 ,hour an half drives in a busy schedule ,get your money back / buy the dealer a slab of frosty.
Or 2 slabs ,if you feel particularly bad.
And because of your hands an 84.
Good luck


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## Pablo26 (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> That hamemering/miss sound is the limiter, and you're pounding unburnt gas though. Breathe deep...
> 
> Even 10500 is going to irk you (being a sensitive type  ) unless you ALWAYS load the saw up with big wood or big chain or aggressive chain or...
> 
> Live with it or get a different saw... Swapping coils and flywheels on a new saw is plain wrong, and... they did it for a reason. Maybe H tech support will tell you why, but I doubt it.



Agree 100% except don't live with it as is, I don't think you would be happy with that option.
Sounds like you have a solid relationship with this dealer so I would definitely take it back since this is a different coil than what you tested. You should not have to live with it. Tell them you want the 880 instead, and you can still rest your numb hands with the time your chain will save you. Sounds like 12K in the published specs is false advertising.


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## Grande Dog (Nov 21, 2007)

I don't know if it was mentioned how long ago you bought the saw but, if it is within 2 weeks you can return it for a full refund. It doesn't matter the reason, even if you don't like the way it parts it's hair. As far as the carb goes, it doesn't have a H screw but, there are different size jets available.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Pablo26 said:


> Agree 100% except don't live with it as is, I don't think you would be happy with that option.
> Sounds like you have a solid relationship with this dealer so I would definitely take it back since this is a different coil than what you tested. You should not have to live with it. Tell them you want the 880 instead, and you can still rest your numb hands with the time your chain will save you. Sounds like 12K in the published specs is false advertising.



Not sure what I want to do, although I want to point out that I am in no way upset or anything. Just have been trying to understand what the 3120s are like these days and if the one I have is the norm.

ALso, at this point it is possible that the one I tried at the dealer may have been performing similarly, and I didn't really pick up on it with everything going on. Once I actually was home and started doing what I do for real I immediately noticed being on the limiter pretty much all the time. Not sure.

I'll let a day go by, and then by Friday maybe I can decide if I want go down there and see if 1) they all act exactly like mine (just so hard to understand if true) or 2) I want to try to learn to live with the limiter using different chain or something and only use the saw with at least 50 inch bar (which wasn't really the plan) or 3) try to get them to take it back.

Sometimes a little time can sort a situation out a bit. I do realize I have a limited time window to try to get them to take the saw back (which I have never done before), but sine I bought it Monday and called them the next with questions about the problem, I think either they will go for it or not. The time frame should not be the issue.

It's been interesting. Just think Husky let the ball drop a little with the 3120. And its too bad, as it is a nice saw otherwise. For example, most folks that have the earlier ones really like them. Happy Bird day to all.


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Grande Dog said:


> I don't know if it was mentioned how long ago you bought the saw but, if it is within 2 weeks you can return it for a full refund. It doesn't matter the reason, even if you don't like the way it parts it's hair. As far as the carb goes, it doesn't have a H screw but, there are different size jets available.



Bought it the day before yesterday. I didn't know Husky had a return policy until someone mentioned it.

The saw runs strong enough that I think the jet is pretty close to the right size, the fact I can hardly get off the limiter is really my issue with the saw. Can't believe the 3120s all are all so challenging to use, but that is the 64 dollar question.

What I kind of wish is that I could post the saw for people to try for themselves. It is all just talk, and I think as soon as a person started cutting a 40 inch round and felt the saw missing away on the limiter they would understand my surprise/disappointment.

Hey that's an idea. I could start a saw lend out and we could each try a saw and then mail it on.

Edit: I want to summerize my impression of the new 3120 (without creating a new posting) so that it is more clear to someone who doesn't want to wade through this thread.

I bought a 3120 and a Cannon 50 inch 3/8 bar to be used cutting big wood (not milling). From the first time I put it to wood at home, I noticed that it was running on the limiter pretty much all the time. The only way to have it not be limited (which turns out to be 9.6 k now which I didn't know) was to bury the whole (50") bar in wood and lever like hell. So basically unless I was really being aggressive the saw is always on the limiter.

So what you say? Well, the limiter causes the saw to miss. So image you put the saw to wood and pull the throttle. As soon as the rpm reaches the limit speed (which is lower than most of us cut) the saw starts to miss. Becaue you have a load on the saw, the miss makes kind of a hammering sound and sensation as it interrupts normal ignition and fuel burning. So now you basically have this big saw that everytime you pull the trigger, gets funky (ragged) as it cuts. So it is the combination that a)the saw is limited practically all the time I cut, and that b)the limiter makes the saw run crappy that is the issue.

There is some question in my mind if they are all as annoying as mine, but at this point I think probably so. So there, you pretty much have it.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

deep down, you know what you need to do...


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> so true...!!!!
> 
> This, if for no other reason than to muddy the waters, is when AS members step up and offer their slighty used 084 088, 880 and "older but better" 3120's..







    



.


----------



## oldsaw (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> deep down, you know what you need to do...



Buy a bigger sprocket?


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

top is 1996 vintage .....Bottom might be what you have.......I know there were a few changes over the years.....
.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

I was thinking more like a brand swap. 

sad... so sad...

but.. don't let it ruin your turkey.


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## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

He should have listened!!!!!




.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

04ultra said:


> He should have listened!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



He did; just didn't "hear".. lololol 

sorry Bill...


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> I was thinking more like a brand swap.
> 
> sad... so sad...
> 
> but.. don't let it ruin your turkey.



Nothing will ruin the turkey! And mash potatoes and pumpkin pie from the garden! 

Already got the fire roaring and cozy.


----------



## spacemule (Nov 21, 2007)

Under 10,000 on a modern saw is ridiculous. Husky either needs to make the 3120 right or take it out of their line. Seems like they're taking a sharp turn downhill the last few years.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

You had to mention pumpkin pie... Am I the only guy in the USA that hates the stuff?


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

The truth is probably everyone should have an 880 in addition to any other saws, regardless. The hoss, as TH calls it.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> You had to mention pumpkin pie... Am I the only guy in the USA that hates the stuff?



No offense to the missus (don't know if she want her name mentioned) but you got to wonder if you have had the real deal.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

spacemule said:


> Under 10,000 on a modern saw is ridiculous. Husky either needs to make the 3120 right or take it out of their line. Seems like they're taking a sharp turn downhill the last few years.



Not to beat a dead horse, until you run one it's hard to realize how slow that really is.


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner, Do you know if the demo saw has the same coil
as you'rs? 

Would the demo saw be a little bit older saw?


----------



## spacemule (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> You had to mention pumpkin pie... Am I the only guy in the USA that hates the stuff?



I've never much liked it.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Not to beat a dead horse, until you run one it's hard to realize how slow that really is.



It's about a slow as an 076.. oh.. wait.. the 076 is faster


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

spacemule said:


> I've never much liked it.



I hate it when you :censored: agree with me.

I don't like the "mouth feel"... great cattle food, but...


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Heard back from TH tonight (from last week). Says to by the 880. Hates the 3120. too slow.

Another person told me:

"Put a coil in it out of a 272 that should bring it to life. The 272 coil that works best is the one with the green wire."

Don't know if that would work on the newest 3120.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> B_Turner, Do you know if the demo saw has the same coil
> as you'rs?
> 
> Would the demo saw be a little bit older saw?



That's my suspicion...


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Heard back from TH tonight (from last week). Says to by the 880. Hates the 3120. too slow.
> 
> Another person told me:
> 
> ...



Sure... even if it did... buy the most expensive saw they make then spend more on a new coil (and flywheel). It's being limited for a reason, and it's not just EPA. Let's be generous and call it "afterthought engineering".


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> B_Turner, Do you know if the demo saw has the same coil
> as you'rs?
> 
> Would the demo saw be a little bit older saw?



Good question,I've wondered about that. I am now thinking that it was the same setup, but with everything going on (all the unfamiliar saws, etc) I really didn't notice how it was on the limiter all the time. I'm not sure....

But once I got home and put it to wood I noticed immediately. And now it drives me bonkers.

Funny how much you learn within minutes of owning something that you never quite realized before. Cars, tools, etc. I'll leave it there. (Cause that goes both ways.)


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> No offense to the missus (don't know if she want her name mentioned) but you got to wonder if you have had the real deal.



Everyone else she feeds raves... but.. to me... it's kaka....


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Funny how much you learn within minutes of owning something that you never quite realized before. Cars, tools, etc. I'll leave it there.



You can add 2500lbs Bridgeport mill to my list... "I so much wated to buy one.. so I did", then another... hmm that's 5000lb. At least in my case I can get nearly $500 for scrap. lololol


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Good question,I've wondered about that. I am now thinking that it was the same setup, but with everything going on (all the saws, etc) I really didn't notice how it was on the limiter all the time. I'm not sure....
> 
> But once I got home and put it to wood I noticed immediately. And now it drives me bonkers.
> 
> Funny how much you learn within minutes of owning something that you never quite realized before. Cars, tools, etc.



I know, Bought a brand new pickup in 2004..........It was gone in 7 months!


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Everyone else she feeds raves... but.. to me... it's kaka....



Actually I am kidding. My sense is that she is a pretty serious and accomplished cook. I just don't quite understand how anyone could not like cold pumpkin pie. With whipped cream if you must.


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 21, 2007)

All that money on a new saw and then have to change parts already.....






WOW 

sale price XXXX


other parts XXX


grand total XXXX.XX

Priceless..............................Will you get change back from your 2000.00 saw




sorry Bill ....J/Kidding



.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> I know, Bought a brand new pickup in 2004..........It was gone in 7 months!



I bought my first nice new car in 2003. Realized on the way home I had made a mistake. The dealer said no sweat we will make it all right. 

Still have it cause I have so much money tied up into it, but still don't like it. Should have given it back to the dealer, and not believed him on how he would rememdy all the issues we noticed immediately.

Sound familiar? 

With the car, we went for a test drive, but traffic was so bad we couldn't drive on the freeway. After we bought it and were driving it home on the freeway, hated it! Not even as nice as my truck!


----------



## Chopwood (Nov 21, 2007)

oldsaw said:


> Buy a bigger sprocket?



Run full comp chain? I run full comp buried on a 42 with mine. In eastern hardwoods.


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I bought my first nice new car in 2003. Realized on the way home I had made a mistake. The dealer said no sweat we will make it all right.
> 
> Still have it cause I have so much money tied up into it, but still don't like it. Should have given it back to the dealer, and not believed him on how he would rememdy all the issues we noticed immediately.
> 
> ...



I still can't talk about it..................I will get PO! :angry2:


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 21, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Actually I am kidding. My sense is that she is a pretty serious and accomplished cook. I just don't quite understand how anyone could not like cold pumpkin pie. With whipped cream if you must.



hmmm.. whipped cream is also on my list.... make me runs out of both ends.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> hmmm.. whipped cream is also on my list.... make me runs out of both ends.



Now that's too much information.


----------



## redprospector (Nov 21, 2007)

9600 rpm is rediculous on that saw. My 3120 isn't new, and has been modded, and has a no rev limit coil. I love it, I run it just under 13000 rpm but if it wouldn't turn but 9600 I wouldn't have it around for long. Take it back while you still can and get the 880. And that's coming from a guy who doesn't even own a Stihl............right now.

Andy


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## brncreeper (Nov 21, 2007)

Finally, now were getting somewhere! Red, is the connecting rod stock? Which coil?


----------



## 2000ssm6 (Nov 21, 2007)

redprospector said:


> And that's coming from a guy who doesn't even own a Stihl............right now.
> 
> Andy



You are seeing the light eh?


----------



## redprospector (Nov 21, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> You are seeing the light eh?



The last time I saw the light it was a train coming through the tunnel. 
I sold my 044, a guy made me an offer and evidently wanted it worse than I did.
I'm sure I'll own another Stihl, they're good saw's. But it won't be a 441.

Andy


----------



## 2000ssm6 (Nov 21, 2007)

redprospector said:


> The last time I saw the light it was a train coming through the tunnel.
> I sold my 044, a guy made me an offer and evidently wanted it worse than I did.
> I'm sure I'll own another Stihl, they're good saw's. But it won't be a 441.
> 
> Andy



For some odd reason I know why you would not have a 441.


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## redprospector (Nov 21, 2007)

brncreeper said:


> Finally, now were getting somewhere! Red, is the connecting rod stock? Which coil?



Yeah, the rod's stock. I'm pretty sure it has a 394 coil & flywheel.
I run it at about 12800-12900 for racing, but I richen it up to about 12200 for work. It's not a real race saw, but untill someone around here steps up to the plate it's good enough for me.
Maybe it's just me but I wouldn't do that kind of work to a new saw for work, I'd just buy a saw that would do the job.

Andy


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## B_Turner (Nov 21, 2007)

The hell of it is in most ways I really like the new saw. Smooth and some real snot.

But running at saw with a built in miss is not my idea of a good time.

And the current 3120 owners manual still says it is limted at 12k. Are they in denial?


----------



## brncreeper (Nov 21, 2007)

> Yeah, the rod's stock. I'm pretty sure it has a 394 coil & flywheel.
> I run it at about 12800-12900 for racing, but I richen it up to about 12200 for work. It's not a real race saw, but untill someone around here steps up to the plate it's good enough for me.


LOL, I would hope that would be good enough! Thanks for the info.


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## brncreeper (Nov 22, 2007)

Red, do you pull the carb to change jets?


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## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

brncreeper said:


> Red, do you pull the carb to change jets?



Or is it old enough to be adjustable?


----------



## redprospector (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> The hell of it is in most ways I really like the new saw. Smooth and some real snot.
> 
> But running at saw with a built in miss is not my idea of a good time.
> 
> And the current 3120 owners manual still says it is limted at 12k. Are they in denial?



I don't think that could be considered denial, unless denial is just a nice word for BS. 
At 12k I know you'd love that saw. If you can run it cutting out on the limiter all the time, well you'r more patient than me.

Andy


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## redprospector (Nov 22, 2007)

My carb is adjustable.

Andy


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## brncreeper (Nov 22, 2007)

> Or is it old enough to be adjustable?


Yes. Also, GD says different size fixed jets are available also, I was just wondering if they could be changed with the carb in the saw.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

redprospector said:


> I don't think that could be considered denial, unless denial is just a nice word for BS.
> At 12k I know you'd love that saw. If you can run it cutting out on the limiter all the time, well you'r more patient than me.
> 
> Andy



It is not just that it is running so slow (with so much more to offer), but the whole time the motor is missing because of the limiter. Double whammy. It is clear the engineers dont' run saws for a living.


----------



## redprospector (Nov 22, 2007)

I don't know, I haven't messed with a 3120 that new.

Andy


----------



## redprospector (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> It is not just that it is running so slow (with so much more to offer), but the whole time the motor is missing because of the limiter. Double whammy. It is clear the engineers dont' run saws for a living.



Yeah, it burns me when a saw bumps the limiter when I'm not in the wood. I couldn't take it all the time.

Andy


----------



## bookerdog (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> It is not just that it is running so slow (with so much more to offer), but the whole time the motor is missing because of the limiter. Double whammy. It is clear the engineers dont' run saws for a living.



My 3120 just does not do what you are describing B turner. I don't think I could handle that as well. I wish you could come down and we could run these two side by side.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

redprospector said:


> Yeah, it burns me when a saw bumps the limiter when I'm not in the wood. I couldn't take it all the time.
> 
> Andy



With the new saw I am on the limiter even in the wood. Even cutting a 40 inch round, unless I push hard (which I usually dont do) the saw is limiting/missing. I did some 50 inch noodle cuts, and unless I levered hard the darn thing was still rattling under the load because of the limiter. 

I can hardly believe that all the new ones are like that, but I guess with a limit of 9.6 k they are. I could probably live with a limit of maybe 11 on that saw if I had to, but to be on the limiter pretty much all the time just doesn't make any sense to me.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

bookerdog said:


> My 3120 just does not do what you are describing B turner. I don't think I could handle that as well. I wish you could come down and we could run these two side by side.



Yes, if it weren't so far I would really like to run them side by side. I simply can't believe they are all like mine, as who would put up with it? I like it well enough if it were a little better behaved I could live with it, but the way it is now just doesn't work for me.

Side by side with another 3120 would tell me a whole lot in a hurry.


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 22, 2007)

Bill just put a good chain and a 20" bar on it ........







.


----------



## bookerdog (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Yes, if it weren't so far I would really like to run them side by side. I simply can't believe they are all like mine, as who would put up with it? I like it well enough if it were a little better behaved I could live with it, but the way it is now just doesn't work for me.
> 
> Side by side with another 3120 would tell me a whole lot in a hurry.



I guess the only way would be if you were milling with it all the time. I do really like how smooth the husky is compared to the stihl counterpart. You are right on the vibration levels of the stihl. They do make the teeth shake. I would see what the dealer or husky themselves can do if they have the two week policy. I was just wondering thought when you tried both the husky and the stihl you perfered the husky. Was this husky a older model? I mean the demo saw that is. It would be interesting to see the year of make on there demo saw. Is yours a 2007 maf. date. This might help explain the whole thing.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> With the new saw I am on the limiter even in the wood. Even cutting a 40 inch round, unless I push hard (which I usually dont do) the saw is limiting/missing. I did some 50 inch noodle cuts, and unless I levered hard the darn thing was still rattling under the load because of the limiter.
> 
> I can hardly believe that all the new ones are like that, but I guess with a limit of 9.6 k they are. I could probably live with a limit of maybe 11 on that saw if I had to, but to be on the limiter pretty much all the time just doesn't make any sense to me.



Believe it; it is what it is. Grande says they limit at 9.6K and he'd know.

Part of your "problem" is that you are using a 3/8 SKIP chain. Load it up with full comp, maybe even 404 full comp. Then you'll spit some chips. You still can't use it like a normal saw though (big wood, smaller wood etc) if you want to stay off the limiter, and shorter bars would really suck. 

Somebody else mentioned milling - that does load any saw big time, even in moderate wood, so they wouldn't be bouncing off the limiter.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Believe it; it is what it is. Grande says they limit at 9.6K and he'd know.
> 
> Part of your "problem" is that you are using a 3/8 SKIP chain. Load it up with full comp, maybe even 404 full comp. Then you'll spit some chips. You still can't use it like a normal saw though (big wood, smaller wood etc) if you want to stay off the limiter, and shorter bars would really suck.
> 
> Somebody else mentioned milling - that does load any saw big time, even in moderate wood, so they wouldn't be bouncing off the limiter.



I think it would be a very nice milling machine. And full comp would help a little probably, but damn that limiter is set low. I put an 8 tooth on this afternoon to see if that helped, and I couldn't tell much difference. Probably full comp .404 would make it run slower, but I that seems like a backwards approach.

I don't have any full comp .063 on hand, and I cringe to think what the local guys would charge me for a big loop, assuming I could find someone that stocked that in Stihl square.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

bookerdog said:


> I guess the only way would be if you were milling with it all the time. I do really like how smooth the husky is compared to the stihl counterpart. You are right on the vibration levels of the stihl. They do make the teeth shake. I would see what the dealer or husky themselves can do if they have the two week policy. I was just wondering thought when you tried both the husky and the stihl you perfered the husky. Was this husky a older model? I mean the demo saw that is. It would be interesting to see the year of make on there demo saw. Is yours a 2007 maf. date. This might help explain the whole thing.



In retrospect I think maybe the 3120 I tried at the dealer was the same limit. So much going on with all the saws and commotion I think I probably just did not pick up on how it was limiting all the time, or maybe mine is set a small bit lower. That demo saw was a new one too, so I bet it was close.

The vibration levels on the big Stihl is the only issue for me, as I like the saw alot otherwise. Stihl guys don't mind them, it's like how folks love Harleys even though in terms of performance they are more primitive than most other bikers. So the choice for me is probably either an older 3120, an 880 (or both). I just don't think I can live with the 3120 I have unless the dealer has another idea, which doesn't seem likely.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I think it would be a very nice milling machine. And full comp would help a little probably, but damn that limiter is set low. I put an 8 tooth on this afternoon to see if that helped, and I couldn't tell much difference. Probably full comp .404 would make it run slower, but I that seems like a backwards approach.
> 
> I don't have any full comp .063 on hand, and I cringe to think what the local guys would charge me for a big loop, assuming I could find someone that stocked that in Stihl square.



Sorry.. I only have 3/8 semichisel -for mill chain conversion... or for dirty wood, and it's 050. Good luck on 063 locally anyhow.

404 works pretty well on big saws.. big chips.. tough cutters.


----------



## SawTroll (Nov 22, 2007)

04ultra said:


> He should have listened!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Not really, someone must make the odd choises, to keep it interesting....:jawdrop:


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> So the choice for me is probably either an older 3120, an 880 (or both). I just don't think I can live with the 3120 I have unless the dealer has another idea, which doesn't seem likely.





uh oh.. back to post 1... :greenchainsaw:


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> uh oh.. back to post 1... :greenchainsaw:



yup. He won't be happy, but we will see if the dealer will go along with the Husky satisfaction policy. GD and someone else said it's 15 days and GD should know.

Actually, if he will take it back then I am not quite back to post 1. I now know for sure something I didn't quite want to believe.


----------



## ctrees4$ (Nov 22, 2007)

*3120*

I have a 3120, it is my second one.The first one had a 3',4',and 6', bar.The dealer i bought the 1st saw from orderd the wrong pitch bars so we down sized the sprocket to a 325 pitch.That freakin saw gave me trouble from the first time i started it and was sent to my local dealer and husky on several occasions.To make a long story short in two years of fighting the saw with only a 90 day warranty husky sent me a new 3120 at no charge.I havent ordered the 404 bars. My advice to you is , dont downsize the sprocket if you get one, its too much saw for that small chain.


----------



## IchWarriorMkII (Nov 22, 2007)

Wow...

.325 on a 3120?

Thats crazy. And I thought .375 was marginal...


----------



## Pablo26 (Nov 22, 2007)

325??? are you kidding me?


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

SawTroll said:


> Not really, someone must make the odd choises, to keep it interesting....:jawdrop:



I know many feel this way, but I stand by my decision to try a 3120. I had to know. Love the smoothness and responsiveness.

Like most here on AS, I didn't know it was limited clear down to 9.6 K. Otherwise I would have been very happy with it, fixed jet and all. I still think it would probably be a very good milling saw due to the different kind of load.

So I intend to return it if possible (never returned a saw before and am dreading it). And regardless of whether I come home with an 880 or not (which I already know is a bit of a brute), I defintely am now on the lookout for an older 3120 that is not rev limited so low.

Now on the other hand would I buy the new 3120 again knowing what I know now? Course not.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

IchWarriorMkII said:


> Wow...
> 
> .325 on a 3120?
> 
> Thats crazy. And I thought .375 was marginal...



I would never even consider .325 on a saw this size. Even 3/8 gets argued about both in terms of kerf width and strength. 

For my testing, I was running Stihl 3/8 full skip square (.063). Part of what I was testing was if I could break it with power alone. So some of my testing was with the 50 inch bar buried and me leaning on the bar practically with all my might. I am not saying chain would never break, but I didn't break any.


----------



## Cut4fun (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> but I stand by my decision to try a 3120. I had to know. Love the smoothness and responsiveness.





I would try a 3120 too if it was built by CH or MVP, or any other builders that get the most out of them


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

You want a WORK saw that gets the most out of a problematic and maybe marginal design?

Sure they'll run nice for a while, but.. the basic reasons Husky tried to limit the top end are still in place... 

Conjecture:
This saw has been around for a long time. My guess is that they observed failures and warranty claims over time, First they remove the H screw to stop users from cranking the saw up, then, as failures continued limited the top end to a lower max rpm. Why not just "fix" it? if there was an "easy" fix they would have. However.. world-wide sales of the 3120 and 880 are very low; hard to justify re-engineering and a new design would need to be EPA compliant for 2010 (theoretical end of transition period).


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Cut4fun said:


> I would try a 3120 too if it was built by CH or MVP, or any other builders that get the most out of them



I know what you are saying, and it seems like they make good hotrods. 

For me, I am not seeking that extra high end performance, and will start to look for a stock one that is not so neuterd as the new ones.:Eye: :Eye:


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Sure they'll run nice, but.. the basic reasons Husky tried to limit the top end are still in place...
> 
> Conjecture:
> This saw has been around for a long time. My guess is that they observed failures and warranty claims over time, First they remove the H screw to stop users from cranking the saw up, then, as failures continued limited the top end to a lower max rpm. Why not just "fix" it? if there was an "easy" fix they would have. However.. world-wide sales of the 3120 and 880 are very low; hard to justify re-engineering and a new design would need to be EPA complient for 2010 (theroretical end of transititon period).



I believe your guess to be right about the failures. But we all know what sort of knuckle heads are out there that ruin saws, and I am guessing that to some degree Husky was trying to make them more bulletproof for idiots..

But this post does raise a question I've wondered about, if Stihl does spend the money to redo the 880 (EPA), what would the saw be like? If I got some more smoothness like the newer Stihls I would be glad to take on a little extra weight (this application only).


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I believe your guess to be rightabout the failures. But we all know what sort of knuckle heads that ruin saws, and I am guessing that to some degree Husky was trying to make them more bulletproof for idiots..
> 
> But this post does raise a question I've wondered about, if Stihl does spend the money to redo the 880 (EPA), what would the saw be like? If I got some more smoothness like the newer Stihls I would be glad to take on a little extra weight (this application only).




sorry.. I was editing my prior post while you were typing -might want to reinsert the changed portion..

It's not clear stihl will replace the 880.. sales are so incredibly low that they could likely keep making it as long as the EPA allows credts to be applied to the saw. Maybe even longer for sales in the USA than Europe - EU says they will not allow credits to be applied.. We'll see. Even the 660 is a low volume seller... note the "old" gas caps still.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> sorry.. I was editing my prior post while you were typing -might want to reinsert the changed portion..
> 
> It's not clear stihl will replace the 880.. sales are so incredibly low that they could likely keep making it as long as the EPA allows credts to be applied to the saw. Maybe even longer for sales in the USA than Europe - EU says they will not allow credits to be applied.. We'll see. Even the 660 is a low volume seller... note the "old" gas caps still.



A tech at the dealer I was at said he didn't think the 660 would switch over caps for a very long time. He said that Stihl was working with some sort of vibration issues and something about that made changing the tank over to the new caps was being somewhat problematic. 

Course it could be nonsense. On another note I asked him about if he likes the new caps and he said actually if one understands how they work and makes sure they are down in the seat far enough, he prefers them now....


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> You want a WORK saw that gets the most out of a problematic and maybe marginal design?



In this case only, the truth is that I'll not run the saw very often. So I would accept the compromise of higher limit.

Especially since I am now betting my future holds both an older 3120 and an 880. 

Took me awhile to come around, but I suppose deep down I knew I would have both saws at some point.

On the subject of changing (or not) the 880, wasn't there talk of another big Stihl saw?


----------



## 2000ssm6 (Nov 22, 2007)

*Not being a Dic* but.....*



B_Turner said:


> In this case only, the truth is that I'll not run the saw very often. So I would accept the compromise of higher limit.
> 
> Especially since I am now betting my future holds both an older 3120 and an 880.
> 
> Took me awhile to come around, but I suppose deep down I knew I would have both saws at some point.



*Assuming* both the saws were $1500 each, why have $3000 in 2 saws that will not be used that often? Reading through this whole thread, I see the only point in choosing the 3120 was less vibes?


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

Somebody on AS recently promoted the rumor of a 77x, but I have heard no such talk from inside of stihl, or anywhere else for that matter.

Stihl said they would change the caps on the 660 when the current supply of tanks/crankcases was exhausted and the tank/crankcase mold/dies needed replacing. Given the sales volumes, (and maybe a little user feedback ) it could be a while, but... it has been already.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> *Assuming* both the saws were $1500 each, why have $3000 in 2 saws that will not be used that often? Reading through this whole thread, I see the only point in choosing the 3120 was less vibes?



now you're just trying to confuse him opcorn:


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

2000ssm6 said:


> *Assuming* both the saws were $1500 each, why have $3000 in 2 saws that will not be used that often? Reading through this whole thread, I see the only point in choosing the 3120 was less vibes?



It is true, to have both doesn't make good business sense, and in reality I would only write down one (to be honest with the IRS).

But what I might do is have both awhile, really spend time with them side by side and decide which one works out for me better. If I decide to sell the 880, since I can get a decent price locally and the resale is high on the big Stihls I will get back most of my investment. Since I will buy the Husky used, I also should be able to recover most of my costs.

So I am willing to spend a certain amount of money to really figure out what works for me better. In the long run I am happier and more productive and am able to produce better work.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

I can't find the "shakes head" smile...


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Somebody on AS recently promoted the rumor of a 77x, but I have heard no such talk from inside of stihl, or anywhere else for that matter.
> 
> Stihl said they would change the caps on the 660 when the current supply of tanks/crankcases was exhausted and the tank/crankcase mold/dies needed replacing. Given the sales volumes, (and maybe a little user feedback ) it could be a while, but... it has been already.



That was Tom, but I thought there was an earlier discussion of a big two man Stihl. Maybe not....


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> I can't find the "shakes head" smile...



lol.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> That was Tom, but I thought there was an earlier discussion of a big two man Stihl. Maybe not....



oh.. the 882?? That had Tom calling everyone at Va Beach... LOLOLOL

(hint - 2x441)


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> lol.



wait.. found one..

:bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> oh.. the 882?? That had Tom calling everyone at Va Beach... LOLOLOL
> 
> (hint - 2x441)



Yeah, that was it. two man saw......

Well I better drag my butt out to the shop for a few hours. Happy bird day to all.


----------



## joatmon (Nov 22, 2007)

Stop it already!

If yer gonna shake, shake with a grin on yer face.

Get an old 100cc+ Mac , Homie or Stihl.


----------



## SawTroll (Nov 22, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I know many feel this way, but I stand by my decision to try a 3120. I had to know. Love the smoothness and responsiveness.
> 
> Like most here on AS, I didn't know it was limited clear down to 9.6 K. Otherwise I would have been very happy with it, fixed jet and all. I still think it would probably be a very good milling saw due to the different kind of load.
> 
> ...



Why not try to hunt down the parts you need to make it an "old" 9.2hp one - Ultra showed you the way......


----------



## SawTroll (Nov 22, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> oh.. the 882?? That had Tom calling everyone at Va Beach... LOLOLOL
> 
> (hint - 2x441)



The 882 is real, with a V2 engine, based on the 441 - it is too heavy to be anything but a milling saw though.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 22, 2007)

:monkey:


----------



## husky298 (Nov 22, 2007)

SawTroll said:


> Why not try to hunt down the parts you need to make it an "old" 9.2hp one - Ultra showed you the way......



all of my info on 3120 is 10,750 after break in but that is circa 1999.
sawtroll has an idea.better yet take it to the dealer and smoke it over
if he wants to keep customers he will fix itdont give up on such a fine 
saw!:smoking: :smoking:


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Called the dealer just now. The say Husqvarna no longer has any return policy at all. And they say we talked about it being a fixed jet and limited, which we did of course. Didnt' know the limit was 9.6, though.

So unless they could sell it as new, they eat it. It still looks good, but if you pull the cover it is clear it has been run. A tank's worth of chips went through there for sure. I don't think they could sell it as new.

They say drive down and they'll work something out, but without Husky giving them anything on a return, it makes it harder on me as I like those guys.

I have to ponder my next step, and if I do go down I need to do it within the hour as the 1.5 hrs can turn into 3. hrs with traffic. It's Friday, although perhaps the day after Thanksgiving will have most off the streets.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

Call Husky to check that return policy.... Maybe they deleted it after the box stores dumped a few too many back?


----------



## SawTroll (Nov 23, 2007)

Well, from what I have read on AS and other saw sites earlier, I would have taken the 880 over a newer 3120 any day - but I have no desire for any of them......:greenchainsaw:


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

SawTroll said:


> Well, from what I have read on AS and other saw sites earlier, I would have taken the 880 over a newer 3120 any day - but I have no desire for any of them......:greenchainsaw:



Shush! he was having a nice day until you said that!


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Call Husky to check that return policy.... Maybe they deleted it after the boxs stores dumped a few too many back?



I wouldn't know where to call. I have posted questions twice to the Husqvarna website (through the site) and never got back anything other than a generated reply that didn't even mention the question I asked.

But you would think Grande Dog (who said 15 days) should know.

I'm pretty sure I need to drive down there this morning and deal with the immediate situation, as I don't like it hanging. I may eat just a little money to help them resell it, just to assuage my 'guilt' over returning it.

I just picked up your edit. She asked why Stihl had a policy and Husky didn't, and I told her about the delearship vs big box issues. You would be having azzholes buying a husky at Lowes, cutting their tree, and bringing it back for a return.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Shush! he was having a nice day until you said that!



No problem hearing that, as I posted before I had to try. Loved the smooth reponse, as that is very important to me. Could have lived with a limit and a fixed jet, but 9,600? No way.

Like I have said before, you have no idea how slow 9,600 is for a maximum and until you run the saw. As far as I am concerned, such a slow limited flies in the face of good, efficient technique.

As a tech type in a previous life, I sort of consider 1 K to be 1024....So I am schizoid how I use K. (9.6k vs 9,600).


----------



## SawTroll (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Shush! he was having a nice day until you said that!




  I don't think the vibes on such a big saw matters much anyway, as it will not be used that much - when you disregard those, everything points at the 880......:greenchainsaw:


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

SawTroll said:


> I don't think the vibes on such a big saw matters much anyway, as it will not be used that much - when you disregard those, everything points at the 880......:greenchainsaw:



I know many people don't understand the fuss about vibes, but those of us with tender hands and rely on fine manual motor feedback and control for what we do, feel differently.

When I run my 066 for prolonged periods I use very good quality gelpack gloves which help, but I can run my 395 for hours non stop barehanded with absolutely no problems, for example.

So for one of my run all the time saws no way could I use certain saws, as the type of cutting I do is mostly not spent normal crosscutting. But with this big saw I could probably tolerate a lightly buzzier saw because it would be mostly use for big crosscutting. So under these conditions with the right touch and feedrate, the dogs on the log pretty take most of the "vibration." Like my 066 with a 42 inch bar, vibes are not too bad.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Barely related question to you bookerdog, is your 3120 muffler modded?


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> IYou would be having azzholes buying a husky at Lowes, cutting their tree, and bringing it back for a return.



I think they do anyhow!


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> II'm pretty sure I need to drive down there this morning and deal with the immediate situation, as I don't like it hanging. I may eat just a little money to help them resell it, just to assuage my 'guilt' over returning it.
> .





Can you take a camcorder and post the entire transaction? opcorn:

Maybe a few of us could drive down and watch lololol 

..sorry...


----------



## bookerdog (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Barely related question to you bookerdog, is your 3120 muffler modded?



No its not. I sent you a pm did you get it.


----------



## SawTroll (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I know many people don't understand the fuss about vibes, but those of us with tender hands and rely on fine manual motor feedback and control for what we do, feel differently. ......


I have very sensitive hands, particularly the right one, because of Arthritis (allways use the left on the starter handle), so I really have no problem understanding you - I guess the real issue is how long periods you are going to use the saw for.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

SawTroll said:


> I have very sensitive hands, particularly the right one, because of Psoreasis Arthritis (allways use the left on the starter handle), so I really have no problem understanding you - I guess the real issue is how long periods you are going to use the saw for.




This saw? maybe 20 hours a year...??


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

bookerdog said:


> No its not. I sent you a pm did you get it.



Just checked again, I did not receive a PM from you for a couple of days, for sure not since I read that yours turns over 12,000. inbox not full, so don't know what happenned

(Andy, close your ears) Still thinking of buyer yours depending on exact price. Sounds higher limited and low hours....

Possible I come home with an 880, but I would like to own both for a while....


Poor Andy, I'm killing him.

(Andy, okay to open your ears)


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> This saw? maybe 20 hours a year...??



He's probably right. Even with my 066 with sharp square on a 42 inch bar, all the cutting happens very fast. So 20 hrs is many many thousands lbs of round.

I had hoped to put something as short as a 36 on it to play with too, but that remains to be seen.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Can you take a camcorder and post the entire transaction? opcorn:
> 
> Maybe a few of us could drive down and watch lololol
> 
> ..sorry...



You mean like Candid Camera? No thanks, its sort of embarrasing enough as it is.


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 23, 2007)

*Go load up the saw and get going so you can trade it today, get back
and run it a little..........GO.................HURRY!*
We will be waiting


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> *Go load up the saw and get going so you can trade it today, get back
> and run it a little..........GO.................HURRY!*
> We will be waiting



Saw is cleaned up and I am just about out the door. If I come home with another one, it is hard to imagine I won't feel the need to run it if there is daylight. Might need to add a link or two to the 156 link chain I spun up for the 3120.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Just checked again, I did not receive a PM from you for a couple of days, for sure not since I read that yours turns over 12,000. inbox not full, so don't know what happenned
> 
> (Andy, close your ears) Still thinking of buyer yours depending on exact price. Sounds higher limited and low hours....
> 
> ...





I can forgive, but I cannot forget  

o.k., time for some FUD. 

I have to say it again.. they limited those saws really low for good reason... maybe you'll be lucky, maybe you won't. It's not like we've heard a bunch of them blow up on AS... but...




I should sell you my 088.. na... maybe.. na.. I'm so confused


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> I can forgive, but I cannot forget  I have to say it again.. they limited those saws really low for good reason... maybe you'll be lucky, maybe you won't. It's not like we've heard a bunch of them blow up on AS... but...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



???? Andy, now you are confusing me....I already was keeping an eye out for an email from Bookerdog about his saw. Whoops, I forgot to say simon says andy close your ears...

Nah, you need your 088 for milling!


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Well just got back from almost 4 hrs of holiday traffic.

While I was at the dealer I saw an enormous stack of boxed Stihls bound for Africa. Some serious cutting going on somewhere down there. (Guy picking them up, not mailed.) The dealer was opening each, making sure they started and the oiler was working and then reboxing them. Impressive stack of boxes for one order.


----------



## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

AND????????????


----------



## dustytools (Nov 23, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> AND????????????



+1.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Once I got down there it became clear since Husky has no return policy and since I took away a new saw that they could sell to anyone and came back with a used saw that would be harder to sell and they would get less money (although only one tank through it), some money was going to have to be added to the return to make them happy. It's fair really, except that even they didn't know that the limit on the 3120 was 9.6 or 7k (although they know now and will certainly tell the next guy that asks....)

So it opened up the whole question of what to do right now, given that I was going to take a bit of a beating on the saw and had just bought a 50 inch Cannon bar to go with the Husky. Once I was faced with the reality of the dollars, I realized I should consider either learning to live with it or maybe trying to get it changed to limit lower, where I thought I would probably really like the saw (maybe new coil, or coil and flywheel). 

Whoa, I'm losing the connettion.....


----------



## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

OH MY.......................................

(sigh)......................

The saga continues for another two weeks.


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 23, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> OH MY.......................................
> 
> (sigh)......................
> 
> The saga continues for another two weeks.






Yup............Bill should drop it at the dealer a run fast...........  



.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Connection is back. Had to reboot my modem.



http://billluce.com/save_temp/880_1.JPG
http://billluce.com/save_temp/880_2.JPG
http://billluce.com/save_temp/880_3.JPG


----------



## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

ANDY???????
ANDY??????????????/
DID YOU SEE THIS ANDY?

WOW!!!! I feel like a proud papa!!!!!


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 23, 2007)

Carefull Bill will need a leather jacket to go with his new 880








.


----------



## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

04ultra said:


> Carefull Bill will need a leather jacket to go with his new 880
> 
> 
> 
> ...




And a fancy new Harley Davidson helmet to match:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Peacock (Nov 23, 2007)

Did you cut with it yet?


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 23, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> And a fancy new Harley Davidson helmet to match:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:



Bill's new theme song....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xllqDh_Heg8




.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

04ultra said:


> Carefull Bill will need a leather jacket to go with his new 880
> 
> 
> 
> .



That the hip thing these days, accessorizing....right?

The third pic was 50 inch Cannon and 41 inch ES. Too dark now, but tonight I'll see if I need to add any links to the 156 dl chain I spun for the 3120 and take it to the woods tomorrow.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Peacock said:


> Did you cut with it yet?



Just got home minutes ago, pumpkin pie called. Tomorrow another war of serious chips will be waged...


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> ANDY???????
> ANDY??????????????/
> DID YOU SEE THIS ANDY?
> 
> WOW!!!! I feel like a proud papa!!!!!



LOLROF My wife happened to see this one as well and it cracked her up, especially the small print. Insert cigar smoking smilie here....


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> LOLROF My wife happened to see this one as well and it cracked her up.






She will like your new Harley ..............  



.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

04ultra said:


> She will like your new Harley ..............
> 
> 
> 
> .



She already refers to me as a knucklehead...**



Actually the brothers in my family that ride all ride beemers. Boxers and oilheads. One brother took a trip from Canada to the very tip of South America and back (through Columbia and the whole deal) a few years ago on a GS he built up. Spent a week riding at over 14,000 feet in the Andies, I think it was.

How do you say potato, potato,potato in German?

** For those unfamiliar with Harley motors, they include fond names like knuckle heads, pan heads, shovel heads, etc.


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 23, 2007)

knucklehead.............I think you done good!


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> knucklehead.............I think you done good!



I added a footnote to my posting. For non harley buffs, knucklehead is a type of harley motor....Wanted to clarify my reference.

So she was all for me buying this saw, although she sometimes thinks I am a knucklehead.


----------



## Dennis Cahoon (Nov 23, 2007)

Another "new" gutless dog! One step forward and 2 back. That dealer......he's a "Dam good" salesman!......Hahahahahahaha!


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I added a footnote to my posting. For non harley buffs, knucklehead is a type of harley motor....Wanted to clarify my reference.
> 
> So she was all for me buying this saw, although she sometimes thinks I am a knucklehead.



I seen the foot note.............and I knew it was a motor...Knucklehead


----------



## bookerdog (Nov 23, 2007)

hey goodluck with the 880 hope it turns out for you.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

I'm so happy there is NO THIRD CHOICE! and I'm glad Bill (hereinafter known as "knuckehead") won't need to buy my 088...


Knuckle - go cut some damn wood! 


please - nobody tell him Stihl has a 7 days return policy....


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

Dennis Cahoon said:


> Another "new" gutless dog! One step forward and 2 back. That dealer......he's a "Dam good" salesman!......Hahahahahahaha!



hey.. be nice to Bill.. he's had a hard few days - cost a fortune and he drove 200 miles... The things a knucklehead will do to "save" a $.. lolololol


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> That the hip thing these days, accessorizing....right?
> 
> The third pic was 50 inch Cannon and 41 inch ES. Too dark now, but tonight I'll see if I need to add any links to the 156 dl chain I spun for the 3120 and take it to the woods tomorrow.



Did they punch in a 3/8 tip on that 41 ES, or was it "in stock"?


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 23, 2007)

I bet it will be hard for someone to get a good nights sleep tonight. 
It would be for me.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

He'll sleep well tonight -didn't sleep the prior two nights.


----------



## Cut4fun (Nov 23, 2007)

Same dealer sold both saws?

Care to share the prices?

3rd choice stock.
Since you are the rich one, nice 084 on a buy it now, little pricey but nice wrap etc.
http://cgi.ebay.com/STIHL-CHAINSAW-...ryZ20538QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 23, 2007)

Bill dont forget to let your wife watch the Video I posted for you......  






.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> He'll sleep well tonight -didn't sleep the prior two nights.



Thats very very funny.....

They order all their Cannon bars with 3/8 (even really long ones, I think), and the ES bars come .404. So they swapped me tips on the ES.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Cut4fun said:


> Same dealer sold both saws?
> 
> Care to share the prices?
> 
> ...



Around $1250 for 3120 (the first time) and $1360 on the 880, 240 for 50 inch Cannon and like 83 for 41 inch ES.


----------



## snowshoveler (Nov 23, 2007)

wow 


after reading this story for what seems like forever and then some ...
ill share a little of what i have learned.
there were originally 2 saws to choose from.
the 880 and a 3120.
i sell huskies so i was hoping for the husky at first,after a few chapters of the SAGA i was getting ready to quit selling saws and run away to a place with no trees.
eventually i was hoping the dealer would make the situation right .
glad it turned out okay.
BUT
there was mention of a 3120k which is a cutoff saw designed for concrete work.
well the cats out of the bag...the 3120 cutoff saw is history and has been upsized and replaced and moved to the has been box with all the other good old saws.
only bad thing is they shouldnt have let it die a painfull death with a limited carb and coil,kinda feel sorry for it in a way.
wont be long now and the 3120xp chainsaw will be gone to and the new and improved saw will step up to the plate in all its glory to be named the king of the woods.
hmmm ...
should i tell what saw it is...
Chris


----------



## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

3125xp?


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

snowshoveler said:


> wont be long now and the 3120xp chainsaw will be gone to and the new and improved saw will step up to the plate in all its glory to be named the king of the woods.
> hmmm ...
> should i tell what saw it is...
> Chris



A stihl?


----------



## snowshoveler (Nov 23, 2007)

well if the new cutoff saw is any indication of whats to come in chainsaws.
you and everyone will be standing in a big line for a...
PARTNER.
yup 120cc partner in a pretty orange package.
well actually dont know what the color of the chainsaw will be .
the pics of the cutoff saw are black an white.
the husky based cutoff saws have been "gone " for a couple months.
only stock in our end of the world is the partner based units.
suppose to be leaner and cleaner if you can beleive that.
should be a real interesting story from here on eh
Chris


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Thats very very funny.....how'd you know?
> 
> They order all their Cannon bars with 3/8 (even really long ones, I think), and the ES bars come .404. So they swapped me tips on the ES.



So.. did you ditch that skip chain and get something more suitable for the saw? (hint .. has more cutters).

I can see it now.. saw bounches off limiter at 12,300... Bill can't live with it, takes it back 

The real question is - do you have enough big wood to put 6-10 tanks though it to break it in this year?


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> So.. did you ditch that skip chain and get something more suitable for the saw? (hint .. has more cutters).
> 
> I can see it now.. saw bounches off limiter at 12,300... Bill can't live with it, takes it back
> 
> The real question is - do you have enough big wood to put 6-10 tanks though it to break it in this year?



I have one month....Maybe I can start cutiting down alders in the back and cutting them up the long way..

Already tached it at the store (learned my lesson there, should have done it with the new 3120.....). She'll never see 12,300 on my watch...

You know, I spaced out on getting some full comp .063 square while there. I knew there was more I should have gotten while there.....a couple long loops. 

Actually I expect the skip to work well on the 880 on the bigger bars. I would expect the 880 to pull the 41 like my 066 pulls the 32 (smallest bar it's ever run) - like crazy. Sad little 066 will probably never get to run the 42 again now that the 880 has moved into the roost.

It's been an interesting saga so far. I would have really like the 3120 if it's nads weren't so clipped. I think it gets a bum rap, exept for that. Have your heard about the new 3125Xp non rev limited with adjustable HS jet? Pretty amazing....


----------



## joatmon (Nov 23, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I have one month....Maybe I can start cutiting down alders in the back and cutting them up the long way..
> 
> Already tached it at the store (learned my lesson there, should have done it with the new 3120.....). She'll never see 12,300 on my watch...
> 
> ...



Hope it works out well for you.

And to think, SRN still hasn't bought a saw!


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## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

joatmon said:


> How it works out well for you.
> 
> And to think, SRN still hasn't bought a saw!



I'm trying to make sure I don't go through this!!!!:monkey:


----------



## joatmon (Nov 23, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> I'm trying to make sure I don't go through this!!!!:monkey:



I am in a most benevolent mood tonight, so I say, rock on!


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 23, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> I'm trying to make sure I don't go through this!!!!:monkey:



That's easy -just get the 880!:greenchainsaw:


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## sawinredneck (Nov 23, 2007)

I'm in no bi hurry to buy another saw. I want one, yes, but don't really need it. Hell, no more than I have been cutting, I don't really need one this year!!
But when I have made my decision, I wil share the news with all!!
And on that note, I'd better get to bed!! Get to go in at 6am, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats after being on call from 4am till 8pm today!!!


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> That's easy -just get the 880!:greenchainsaw:




I have been hinting to the wife........Honey Christmas is coming
and the price of a MS880 will just go up after the first of the year.


----------



## 2000ssm6 (Nov 23, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> That's easy -just get the 880!:greenchainsaw:



Don't forget the 3125xp................:monkey:


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 23, 2007)

joatmon said:


> I am in a most benevolent mood tonight, so I say, rock on!



I need those pics


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## 04ultra (Nov 23, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> I have been hinting to the wife........Honey Christmas is coming
> and the price of a MS880 will just go up after the first of the year.





Looks like I'll have to make the is Gary home call and put the hint in her ear... 



.


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 23, 2007)

04ultra said:


> Looks like I'll have to make the is Gary home call and put the hint in her ear...
> 
> 
> 
> .



May be just a bit early for that.  but I'm working on it.


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> That's easy -just get the 880!:greenchainsaw:



880? I thought everyone had one of those....Old hat.


or.. What, this old thing? Just something I threw on...


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## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> 880? I thought everyone had one of those....






I'll stick to my 084.................Till I find the need to buy another big saw....Im buying smaller saws at this time....  




.


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

04ultra said:


> I'll stick to my 084.................Till I find the need to buy another big saw....Im buying smaller saws at this time....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You get to run them more, so in a way smaller saws are more fun.

Since I got a couple 7900s, there is no other small saw I would rather run. In a way it took some of the fun out it.

I maintain you should get a Pro Sharp. You will wonder how you lived without it!

Unless you are redprospector and can do such an amazing handfiled square! As I sharpened up a 156 dl chain tonight in prep for war tomorrow, I was again in awe of how purty the teeth he hand files are.


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## spacemule (Nov 24, 2007)

04ultra said:


> I'll stick to my 084.................Till I find the need to buy another big saw....Im buying smaller saws at this time....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



As much time as you spend buying saws, do you ever have time to actually use them?:greenchainsaw:


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## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

spacemule said:


> As much time as you spend buying saws, do you ever have time to actually use them?:greenchainsaw:






Im using them to pay my way through Law School.....  




.


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> I'm trying to make sure I don't go through this!!!!:monkey:



Here's the answer, just tach whatever you buy first......Naw, that's too simple...


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

I am almost done buying saws until the magnificent new 3125XP.


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## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I am almost done buying saws until the magnificent new 3125XP.





I hear that one will be limited to 6,000 RPM..........





.


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

04ultra said:


> I hear that one will be limited to 6,000 RPM..........
> 
> 
> 
> ...



per cylinder. It'll be great.


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> per cylinder. It'll be great.






Just get the 882 ...........





.


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## 103scooter (Nov 24, 2007)

spacemule said:


> As much time as you spend buying saws, do you ever have time to actually use them?:greenchainsaw:





In my opinion he does have time to use them. But then again what would I know?


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> You get to run them more, so in a way smaller saws are more fun.
> 
> Since I got a couple 7900s, there is no other small saw I would rather run. In a way it took some of the fun out it.
> 
> ...




My Swingarm does real good for me.....Most of the call I get is for round ground... 



.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

04ultra said:


> My Swingarm does real good for me.....Most of the call I get is for round ground...
> 
> 
> 
> .



Okay then, I'll let you off. I forgot about your Swingarm. Have you tried the blue ceramic wheel on it? Pretty fast and cool...


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Okay then, I'll let you off. I forgot about your Swingarm. Have you tried the blue ceramic wheel on it? Pretty fast and cool...




I bought the white after having the salmon and just bought a blue......



.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

04ultra said:


> I bought the white after having the salmon and then went to blue......
> 
> 
> 
> .



I thnk that is a natural progression, me too. Although I will say that the salmon that Silvey ships with the grinder is far better quality than the aftermarket salmons I've seen.

Where did you buy your blue wheel? I bought a couple more blue wheels today just in case this dealer ever quits selling them. They are the only place I've found so far and I am spoiled by those wheels.


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I thnk that is a natural progression, me too. Although I will say that the salmon that Silvey ships with the grinder is far better quality than the aftermarket salmons I've seen.
> 
> Where did you buy your blue wheel? I bought a couple more blue wheels today just in case this dealer ever quits selling them. They are the only place I've found so far and I am spoiled by them.




Madson's

M99 I think ....

.


----------



## belgian (Nov 24, 2007)

I missed this thread somewhat but the discussion was quite interesting, a good read at least. Althoug Bill hasn't put the 880 really in the wood yet, I just would like to say this :

- Bill's report about his findings seem to be very honoust and his attitude towards the dealer was very fair imo, I hope he got rewarded for it. My kinda customer  

- Lakeside is not only a good tech (that's what I think at least, LOL), he's a [email protected] good salesman too. My kinda salesman  I believe Stihl owns him a couple beers for this effort 

just hope the 880 will do fine and we got a fine example how a good deal is made. 

Now back to topic...


----------



## vamtjewboy (Nov 24, 2007)

hi bill,
i only made it to page 16 before i couldn't take it anymore and just had to put my 2 cents in. i just bought a 3120 with a modded muffler and ported cylinder. i got it from mike rupley; he modded the muffler and some Dean guy did the porting. it had never been used, but i am not sure what year it is. the sticker on the bottom says it is an 07, but don't know if that is the year of manufacture. anyway, some other guy said that his doesn't do what u describe. mine doesn't either...or at least not as bad as it sounds like urs does. i'd like to have the RPM tested and see where the limiter kicks in. 9K like urs or the 12K that H claims. i mill with it and keep my chains really sharp and run a 36" bar...i do have to be getting a really good bite to stay off of the limiter. sometimes i'll just let off the throttle just a hair to keep it from "popping/hammering" like u described. but i have also bucked up wood with a 24" bar and it just blasted throught the wood without rev limiting at all. some side by side tests would be good! i'm in VA so can't help ya. i am going to get slammed for this, but here goes anyway...don't listen to the Stihl-ers. don't give up on this saw yet. maybe u have a lemon or something that can be fixed...another thought is this...this saw has sooo much power that it is only natural that it easly reaches max RPM unless ur REALLY giving it a workout. when i am cutting Locust and it limits and i back off the throttle and it is still cutting like a beast i think on the bright side...that i am going to get a lot more life out of the saw because i don;t have to run it at it's limit. don't super modded hot saws get tons of power from smaller saws, but have shortened life spans? like pulling a loaded trailer with a semi lazily pulling it's tiny load vs pulling with a ford ranger screaming all the way, pushed to it's limit. i'm trying to rationalize u out of ur disappointment with the saw...maybe so i don't feel like the saw i have is inferior to the S-word 880. i may catch a lot of shyt for this too, but germany started 2 world wars. what has peace loving sweden ever done? -nick


----------



## MikeInParadise (Nov 24, 2007)

Ok...Having followed this thread...

here is what I want to put it to bed...

A Video of Bill cutting a big mo--f-----er tree with the 880 
and at the end him to have a big smile on his face!!!!


----------



## Trigger-Time (Nov 24, 2007)

vamtjewboy said:


> hi bill,
> i only made it to page 16 before i couldn't take it anymore and just had to put my 2 cents in. i just bought a 3120 with a modded muffler and ported cylinder. i got it from mike rupley; he modded the muffler and some Dean guy did the porting. it had never been used, but i am not sure what year it is. the sticker on the bottom says it is an 07, but don't know if that is the year of manufacture. anyway, some other guy said that his doesn't do what u describe. mine doesn't either...or at least not as bad as it sounds like urs does. i'd like to have the RPM tested and see where the limiter kicks in. 9K like urs or the 12K that H claims. i mill with it and keep my chains really sharp and run a 36" bar...i do have to be getting a really good bite to stay off of the limiter. sometimes i'll just let off the throttle just a hair to keep it from "popping/hammering" like u described. but i have also bucked up wood with a 24" bar and it just blasted throught the wood without rev limiting at all. some side by side tests would be good! i'm in VA so can't help ya. i am going to get slammed for this, but here goes anyway...don't listen to the Stihl-ers. don't give up on this saw yet. maybe u have a lemon or something that can be fixed...another thought is this...this saw has sooo much power that it is only natural that it easly reaches max RPM unless ur REALLY giving it a workout. when i am cutting Locust and it limits and i back off the throttle and it is still cutting like a beast i think on the bright side...that i am going to get a lot more life out of the saw because i don;t have to run it at it's limit. don't super modded hot saws get tons of power from smaller saws, but have shortened life spans? like pulling a loaded trailer with a semi lazily pulling it's tiny load vs pulling with a ford ranger screaming all the way, pushed to it's limit. i'm trying to rationalize u out of ur disappointment with the saw...maybe so i don't feel like the saw i have is inferior to the S-word 880. i may catch a lot of shyt for this too, but germany started 2 world wars. what has peace loving sweden ever done? -nick




You need to back to page 16 and read on.


----------



## 2000ssm6 (Nov 24, 2007)

vamtjewboy said:


> hi bill,
> i only made it to page 16 before i couldn't take it anymore and just had to put my 2 cents in. i just bought a 3120 with a modded muffler and ported cylinder. i got it from mike rupley; he modded the muffler and some Dean guy did the porting. it had never been used, but i am not sure what year it is. the sticker on the bottom says it is an 07, but don't know if that is the year of manufacture. anyway, some other guy said that his doesn't do what u describe. mine doesn't either...or at least not as bad as it sounds like urs does. i'd like to have the RPM tested and see where the limiter kicks in. 9K like urs or the 12K that H claims. i mill with it and keep my chains really sharp and run a 36" bar...i do have to be getting a really good bite to stay off of the limiter. sometimes i'll just let off the throttle just a hair to keep it from "popping/hammering" like u described. but i have also bucked up wood with a 24" bar and it just blasted throught the wood without rev limiting at all. some side by side tests would be good! i'm in VA so can't help ya. i am going to get slammed for this, but here goes anyway...don't listen to the Stihl-ers. don't give up on this saw yet. maybe u have a lemon or something that can be fixed...another thought is this...this saw has sooo much power that it is only natural that it easly reaches max RPM unless ur REALLY giving it a workout. when i am cutting Locust and it limits and i back off the throttle and it is still cutting like a beast i think on the bright side...that i am going to get a lot more life out of the saw because i don;t have to run it at it's limit. don't super modded hot saws get tons of power from smaller saws, but have shortened life spans? like pulling a loaded trailer with a semi lazily pulling it's tiny load vs pulling with a ford ranger screaming all the way, pushed to it's limit. i'm trying to rationalize u out of ur disappointment with the saw...maybe so i don't feel like the saw i have is inferior to the S-word 880. i may catch a lot of shyt for this too, but germany started 2 world wars. what has peace loving sweden ever done? -nick




Yep, read on. Since you are in Va, I don't recommend you going by Tom's. You will trade that 3120 and get the 880 also.


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

vamtjewboy said:


> hi bill,
> i only made it to page 16 before i couldn't take it anymore and just had to put my 2 cents in. i just bought a 3120 with a modded muffler and ported cylinder. i got it from mike rupley; he modded the muffler and some Dean guy did the porting. it had never been used, but i am not sure what year it is. the sticker on the bottom says it is an 07, but don't know if that is the year of manufacture. anyway, some other guy said that his doesn't do what u describe. mine doesn't either...or at least not as bad as it sounds like urs does. i'd like to have the RPM tested and see where the limiter kicks in. 9K like urs or the 12K that H claims. i mill with it and keep my chains really sharp and run a 36" bar...i do have to be getting a really good bite to stay off of the limiter. sometimes i'll just let off the throttle just a hair to keep it from "popping/hammering" like u described. but i have also bucked up wood with a 24" bar and it just blasted throught the wood without rev limiting at all. some side by side tests would be good! i'm in VA so can't help ya. i am going to get slammed for this, but here goes anyway...don't listen to the Stihl-ers. don't give up on this saw yet. maybe u have a lemon or something that can be fixed...another thought is this...this saw has sooo much power that it is only natural that it easly reaches max RPM unless ur REALLY giving it a workout. when i am cutting Locust and it limits and i back off the throttle and it is still cutting like a beast i think on the bright side...that i am going to get a lot more life out of the saw because i don;t have to run it at it's limit. don't super modded hot saws get tons of power from smaller saws, but have shortened life spans? like pulling a loaded trailer with a semi lazily pulling it's tiny load vs pulling with a ford ranger screaming all the way, pushed to it's limit. i'm trying to rationalize u out of ur disappointment with the saw...maybe so i don't feel like the saw i have is inferior to the S-word 880. i may catch a lot of shyt for this too, but germany started 2 world wars. what has peace loving sweden ever done? -nick




Edit: Warning warning post is very long, and perhaps no new information. Advise the squirrely to skip this post. 

I read this post just now, after starting at the bottom and reading the next few replies to this post.

I hear and understand you on a couple levels. I really haven't put the new saw to wood yet this morning (although I couldn't resist going out fairly late last night and firing it up with a long bar just for fun).

So I want to reply before I have more trigger time on the 880 and therefore I don' tneed to get sidetracked by a more detailed comparison of performance (which fundamentally is being done in pursuit of a machine for MY personal style. I have a mix of Stihl and Husky, and althought probably at least the more vocal AS members tend to have a pro Stihl bias (sorry guys) I don't think I do. (ANd I have a few dolmars in the mix as well.))

I know there are many folks (most?) that think I'm crazy (sorry Andy(s)) to even consider the non "standard" big saw the 880.

As I've said throughout this post, the 3120 is a really amazing saw. Way smooth for it's size, very civilized with great throttle response. Feels vey good and natural to me in my hands, due to motor response. Refined and sophisticated to operate (mostly).

There were two surprises for me with the saw:

The good news: I don't know if the newest version of the saw is optimzed (timing?) or not, but it is an INCREDIBLE torquemaster. From right off the throttle and then quickly up, the saw chain wants to move, regardless. That is both very nice in starting big cuts, and sustaining them. And I didn't exagerate at all when I said even with a 50 inch bar buried (both chips or noodles) it takes a non natural effort on the dogs to slow the saw. I could lean with nearly all my might and the saw wouldn't even hesitate. It is astonishing, actually.

The bad news: That extreme force is the only way to be able to utilize the power of this saw, as it is limited so low it not only eats kind of slow without this pressure, the whole time I am using it the limiters makes the saw miss/hammer away. And you are right, I could simply let off the throttle and keep the rpms below the limiter and it still had enormous torque. In fact I started to instinctively do that,and considered just doing that and accepting it. But saws aren't jetted for that, and I missed the kind of control and feedback I get with a non limited saw for a more efficient cut. And then I would grab more throttle and the hammering would begin. Not sure I am making sense here.

Bottom line for me with this saw is that if it had been rev limited say at 11,000 I would have kept it and been very happy. Or if I milled, as I think the motor along with the aux oiler would be great.

Note: I haven't run an earlier 3120, so I don't know if they have the same torque, and to me that is a 64 dollar question yet.

Anyway, I want to be clear in that my issue with the 3120 is that with compromises Husky has made to keep them from seizing, the current flavor doesn't suit MY cutting style. Give the saw full throttle, and the hammering begins.....hated that. 

(Lakeside, close your ears) I was really tempted yesterday to come home with the 880 but keep the 3120 and have someone put a different coil and flywheel on it, but then it would be non rev limited which I didn't want given it has a fixed jet. I could have found someone to put in the adjustable jet, but then Ive crossed into a time and resource involvement into a saw that I don't want to do. I've already spent too much time this week on this saga.

So my disappointed with the (new one anyway) was that it was so smooth and powerful and refined, yet it drove me crazy and I didn't like using it for my work. (I already know it is way smoother than the 880.) If the earlier ones that are limited at 12,000 have the same torque curve (anyone know if the new green coils chained the timing any given they knew they were going to be force to run slow?), it is still of possible interest to me.

(Okay to open an ear or two.)

So thanks for the your feedback on the 3120, I hear you all the way. The 3120 still has some magnificent quaities that should not be lightly dismissed. And I would have really valued being able to run yours and mine side by side to see if mine was any worse than typical. I couldn't help but at least wonder if my particular ignition was limiting lower than most. I taped a tach to it during one test, though, and it seemed under certain conditions I could see 9,600 so I am guessing it was the same. Pity.

Edit: I guess I feel the need to admit that I am very demanding and particular about how tools suit me in my workflow. It's a strength and a weakness, maybe. For example, I found the way the limiter worked very distracting and therefore a bad thing. The next guy might just accept it and make the necessary adjustment in style. I only make those sort of adjustments after I've concluded I have no other choice.


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

Quit procrastinating and get out in the COLD and cut same damn wood! (I'm staying inside - warm - until the frost is melted.. if it does).

oh,.. if you had kept both saws I would have thought (or confirmed) you a nut! Heck, they would only get 10 hours each per year. I should have rented you mine, or sold you my homey 775G, or an 076AV that has your name on it lolol


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Quit procrastinating and get out in the COLD and cut same damn wood! (I'm staying inside - warm - until the frost is melted.. if it does).
> 
> oh,.. if you had kept both saws I would have thought (or confirmed) you a nut! Heck, they would only get 10 hours each per year. I should have rented you mine, or sold you my homey 775G, or an 076AV that has your name on it lolol



I'll be out there within a half hour. Got one of each length chains resharpened, and one of the bars already to go. Luckily, 135 dl on the 41 ES and 156 dl on the Cannon 50 work fine, same as the Husky.

Just letting a little time go by this morning before I start shaking the world up.

P.S. Confirmed. And how many lbs of iron in the form of machines have you brought home lately?


----------



## RiverRat2 (Nov 24, 2007)

*Agreed!!!!!!!!*



B_Turner said:


> Actually I am kidding. My sense is that she is a pretty serious and accomplished cook. I just don't quite understand how anyone could not like cold pumpkin pie. With whipped cream if you must.



Doubled up on the Whipping Cream!!!!!! MMMmmmmm Lucious!!!!


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> P.S. Confirmed. And how many lbs of iron in the form of machines have you brought home lately?



a couple... lol hmmm..


----------



## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

*O.K. guys, He's gone.*

someone whip up a quick poll - will he 

- like it?
- not like it?
- hands tingle?
- take it back?
- buy two more Huskys to restore the universal constant?


----------



## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Wasn't really sure if anyone could stand more, but I thought probably a report was in order from first day with new 880.

I don't have time to organize this posting, so it will be a bit all over the place (as usual?).

880 vs 3120 (new stock, new stock) based on working with the 880 a few tanks

No real surprises. Behaves like my 066, just more so in all ways. 
Not as much difference between this saw and my 066 and 395 with say a 32 inch bar, but worlds apart with both big saws with the 50 inch.

With no limiter I immediately forgot all about that problem, until now when I'm typing. That tells the story. The 3120 limiter was an issue from the very first moment I put the saw to wood when I got home. So that issue is non existant....as expected.

yes it made my sissy hands tingle, but I cut for longer today mostly non stop than I normally would with this saw and bar. I can live with the vibration level for this type of use (not in my main saws, though).Husky is much smoother and no problem - one of the biggest differences betweens the saws - besides the limiter.
no I am not taking it back (last saw was the first saw I took back and I would never take one back again,)
Yes, I do like it
It seems to eat tanks of gas WAY faster than the 3120, not controlled comparison, though. I even checked to see if I had a leaky gas cap, nope. Very thirsty WOT with big bar buried. (Maybe it has a smaller tank, I didn't check)
Side cover is much easier to deal with than 3120
I like the adjuster and inboard clutch better with the really long bar, more straightforward.
Louder than 3120, but throatier so most will like sound better.
Both saw's chain brakes worked fine, but I prefered the way the 880 was clearly in one position or the other. The 3120 realeses in a way that doesn't really clearly snap,so I had to check sometimes if the brake was on.
The Stihls definitely has more forward room from brake to dogs for levering in really lumpy big wood. Not a big deal, but nice.

Saw started and and ran great, like all my saws.
Running it was like running any big Stihl, very predictable and satisfying. With the noise and vibration I was aware of the saw more than my other saws or the Husky, but that is simply a matter of thinking like a Stihl man and getting use to that.
It pulled the 50 inch bar nearly as well as 41, just like the Husky. That is what these saws are designed for.

Plunge cutting (had to do end grain because didn't have big enough wood on hand to do other) actually was easier (even with bellied Cannon 50 with smaller tip) on this saw because of the higher rpm than the Husky. I think I could plunge a 60 incher, although a 72 might make me a bit nervous at first....
The bar is at a slight angle to the handle which makes accurate long plunging take more attention.

Liked the new style caps (my first experience with them) okay although one time I did not seat it in all the way and luckily noticed immediately (would have leaked). The Husky has the new green washers on the caps, and I liked those as well.

I think becaue of the reinforcing ribs in the cover of the 880, where as usually Stihl clears noodles much better than a Husky, the 3120 (half wrap only, cause husky full wrap crosses below) was even more open below. Both cleared chips fine, with no edge to the Stihl in this case (I was surprised, here.)

Can't think of what else to say right now, just a kind of raw but predictable experience and I got into the groove with the saw fairly quickly. The 3120 pulled the big bar a little stronger if I was aggressive which each saw, but I felt like the 880 got stronger even over a few (quick) tanks, and it may continue to get stronger yet. That will be interesting. I normally just let the saw find it's own way through the wood, in which case the higher rpm of the 880 usually prevailed.

So I like it and look forward to putting it to work. Is it perfect for me? Nothing is,but it is the real deal. Will I ever lust for another big saw? I am not saying....

I had pics of the 3120, so here are some picsof the 880. Plunged part way in to show, all the way, and pulled out to show bar (50 inch). I don't know if you can tell by the pic where the saw is plunged in all the way, but I found that vs a standard bar, plunging this bar with the small tip and wide belly yielded mostly side grain noodles vs the usual endgrain dust. Cause the bar is not just cutting at the tip as a skinnier bar.

Last pic is the 50 inch noodle test like before, where at times I intentionally stalled the saw in the cut, to compare max load to Husky.

I also cut lots off cookies off a 38 inch stump in the back, noodled up some big oak blocks, and basically cut anything that didn't' move. When I put it down and picked up the 7900 with a 28 inch bar to get another tree to play with, the 7900 felt like a fisher price toy (in a good way).

Well, I got me an 880. 

http://www.billluce.com/save_temp/880_plunge_1.JPG
http://www.billluce.com/save_temp/880_plunge_2.JPG
http://www.billluce.com/save_temp/880_plunge_3.JPG
http://www.billluce.com/save_temp/880_plunge_4.JPG


----------



## 04ultra (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Wasn't really sure if anyone could stand more, but I thought probably a report was in order from first day with new 880.
> 
> I don't have time to organize this posting, so it will be a bit all over the place (as usual?).
> 
> ...




Isn't the rule about plunge cuts that you need to be in the same zip code as the tree..............  



.


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

04ultra said:


> Isn't the rule about plunge cuts that you need to be in the same zip code as the tree..............
> 
> 
> 
> .



I'd like to try a 72 incher some time to plunge, but if I am going to sticking it into such a skinny piece of wood then I don't want anyone watching the firsttime.

It is a fun saw, and grew on me every tank (which was not very many minutes per tank.) A MAN's saw....hehheh


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

three cheers!


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## Cut4fun (Nov 24, 2007)

Somebody is having to much fun trying out the big saws for real.  




Hmmmmm guess which one I am looking for as a project Andy, it or a super.


LAKESIDE SAID - Heck, they would only get 10 hours each per year. I should have rented you mine, or sold you my homey 775G, or an 076AV that has your name on it lolol


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## 2000ssm6 (Nov 24, 2007)

Great looking saw!!! Glad to see you are happy now. Is a 090 next? Not the knock off version either:monkey:


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I'd like to try a 72 incher some time to plunge, but if I am going to sticking it into such a skinny piece of wood then I don't want anyone watching the firsttime.
> 
> It is a fun saw, and grew on me every tank (which was not very many minutes per tank.)



It gulp's gas 'cos it's making HP! 5 or 6 tanks and you'll be singing.


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## XJWoody (Nov 24, 2007)

Great Pix!!! #2 is cool


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## sawinredneck (Nov 24, 2007)

Heh, He He Heh, Heeeeeeeeeeeeee Heeeeeeeeeeeee, Huh, Heh, Heh, Heh............................


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 24, 2007)

Whewwwwwwwwww............


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> Whewwwwwwwwww............



Yea, at least Stihl left the 880 with both nads intact, unlike the curent 3120 (cept for milling, at which it would be great.) 

Have you heard about the magnificent 3125 XP, though?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Yea, at least Stihl left the 880 with both nads intact, unlike the curent 3120 (cept for milling, at which it would be great.)
> 
> Have you heard about the magnificent 3125 XP, though?



Have you heard about the 882?:jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop:


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Yea, at least Stihl left the 880 with both nads intact, unlike the curent 3120 (cept for milling, at which it would be great.)
> 
> *Have you heard about the magnificent 3125 XP, though*?




Just in this thread..............And I have enjoyed the thread  


Thanks, Knucklehead for sharing


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Have you heard about the 882?:jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop:



Yep. Two man saw.....


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Yep. Two man saw.....



Only takes one real man.


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## sawinredneck (Nov 24, 2007)

So what would 24 7900's be called?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> So what would 24 7900's be called?



2 dozen 7900's?


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> 2 dozen 7900's?



four six-packs of 7900


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## Peacock (Nov 24, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> So what would 24 7900's be called?



A new record?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

One for each of Dolmars dealers?


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 24, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> One for each of Dolmars dealers?




You are sooooo BAD!


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## sawinredneck (Nov 24, 2007)

Trigger-Time said:


> You are sooooo BAD!



SO SO SO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

O.K., you're right. TWO for each dealer


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

4 per Dolmar dealer that stocks parts.

Now you have me doing it.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

-24 for each of the Dolmar dealers that stock the 7900 in Washington.


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## sawinredneck (Nov 24, 2007)

This is what I was talking about, the Dolmar bike:


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 24, 2007)

sawinredneck said:


> This is what I was talking about, the Dolmar bike:



yeah.. we know.. but they ruined it - gave it a girly name


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> -24 for each of the Dolmar dealers that stock the 7900 in Washington.



By having a second 7900 for parts, I probably qualify as a stocking dealer in Washington....

I wonder if General Saw in B'hm stocks Dolmars, though. They have been modding them for years.


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## Cut4fun (Nov 24, 2007)

I know a few people looking for those 24 sets of red tops. 

I like the new black ones with the updated pre screen.

I had cut with my 375,066,7900 for the same amount of time one day and the Husky HD filter had smaller chips on the outer filter, the 066 HD filter had chips on the prefilter around the filter, but the 7900 had no chips in the mesh air filter at all, clean as a whistle, unlike it used to before the pre-filter carb cover that came out for 07. 
Just homeowner use though, would like to see what a pro sees like you B.

Just letting you know B_Turner.


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## B_Turner (Nov 24, 2007)

Cut4fun said:


> I know a few people looking for those 24 sets of red tops.
> 
> I like the new black ones with the updated pre screen.
> 
> ...



My 066 gets quite a bit of dust on the prefilter somehow. My 395 is alway clean as a whistle. I bought a couple new style 7900 caps a little while back after you posted. I don't get the big chips in the pleats under the filter any more. Seems to work well.

I love to run those 7900s!


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

I am going to order a few parts this morning, and have a lazy mans question: 

I like to have certain spare parts for each of my saws in my toolbox at all times, like extra sprocket rim C clips for my Stihls. 

Is the clip on the 880 rim the same clip as my 066 (which I already have spares of)? 

Any other parts that I should have on hand? Filter looks the same as 066, so that is a freebie.

I was looking through the owners manual for the 880, and it is the first saw manual I've ever got that does not list maximum rpm anywhere, including in the "specs." Even in the carb adjustment section.

I am guessing a max rpm of around 12,000, with a conservative carb adjustment of a little below that,maybe 11,500?


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Is the C clip on the 880 rim the same clip as my 066 (which I already have spares of)? 


I realized that I had my main question so buried with other carp, that I am reposting my question without the clutter.


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## 04ultra (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Is the C clip on the 880 rim the same clip as my 066 (which I already have spares of)?
> 
> 
> I realized that I had my main question so buried with other carp, that I am reposting my question without the clutter.









The 880 uses the 10 x 1.5mm clip.........The 660 uses the 8 x 1.3 mm clip like most other Stihls


The list above are the 10 x 1.5mm 
.


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

04ultra said:


> The 880 uses the 10 x 1.5mm clip.........The 660 uses the 8 x 1.3 mm clip like most other Stihls
> 
> 
> The list above are the 10 x 1.5mm
> .



Thanks. 

My Stihl electric(E220?) is my only saw that doesn't have a floating rim. It has .325 and .375 star sprockets held in by a screw. One at a time of course.


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## SawTroll (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> yeah.. we know.. but they ruined it - gave it a girly name




The Dolmette! :censored:


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Sort of a bump.

My 880 manual gives no specs or guidelines for max rpm.

Anyone know? 12,000 max spec with WOT at around 11,500?

All the manual reallys says is that there isn't much adjustment available in the current model. Surprises me that it doesn't give a max rpm at least in the specs like my other manuals.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

The manual assumes the CARB limiters are in place. The coil will limit about 12,250.. but... it's not a clean transition.

The WOT is set to 11,500 via the carb to avoid the ignition limiter. Remember.. . this is just a SWAG for any given bar length... etc. It will leave the saw slightly rich, but that's just fine for most uses. And 500 rpm is meaningless in real terms.

Don't mess with the H screw unless you really understand how the limiter works....


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> The manual assumes the CARB limiters are in place. The coil will limit about 12,250.. but... it's not a clean transition.
> 
> The WOT is set to 11,500 via the carb to avoid the ignition limiter. Remember.. . this is just a SWAG for any given bar length... etc. It will leave the saw slightly rich, but that's just fine for most uses. And 500 rpm is meaningless in real terms.
> 
> ...



I would never mess with the H screw unless I was seeing way too many rpm. We checked it at the dealer and it was fine.

Just curious what the motor is speced at, as the manual says nothing. I search for the word 'rpm' in the whole manual and it was only in there once, talking about idle rpm.

Edit: I just saw your pdf on the 880, and it has more info on adjusting carb than my manual. Again, just curious as I am a believer if something aint broke then don't freak with it.

When I do set the rpm on a saw with a limiter (eg 7900) I start alittle too low and creep up to make sure I am not being fooled by the limiter. So there...ttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> When I do set the rpm on a saw with a limiter (eg 7900) I start alittle too low and creep up to make sure I am not being fooled by the limiter. So there...ttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhh



Good luck on that approach with the 880!


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Good luck on that approach with the 880!



Well here is my approach with the 880. Check it occasionally, (listen to it always) and worry about crossing that bridge if I ever see too big a number on the tach or if it sounds too lean.

If I get curious, seems like I can strap a tach on the saw and use a load to see if the saw is limiting or not.

What would the professor do?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> What would the professor do?



Whoever he is... probably cut wood..

I can't remember the last time I tached one of my OWN saws..


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## 04ultra (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Whoever he is... probably cut wood..
> 
> I can't remember the last time I tached one of my OWN saws..







You forgot to mention if your saws were modded......opcorn: opcorn: 





.


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Whoever he is... probably cut wood....



Come on, can't a guy be excited when he gets his first 880?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

04ultra said:


> You forgot to mention if your saws were modded......opcorn: opcorn:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



A few mufflers only, but.... some are actually stock.


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Come on, can't a guy be excited when he gets his first 880?



Heck, I'm even excited for ya.................*NO! not in that way*, before someone says something.


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside, I just saw an item in a catalog that should cheer you up.

It's a remote control, hopping, yodelling lederhosen.

Archie McPhee catalog, cover. Drop the hint to the missus.

And if that doesn't grab you, how about an electronic yodelling pickle?


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Come on, can't a guy be excited when he gets his first 880?



Maybe I'm over the saw-hill.. hard to get excited by a noisy and smelly arm wrenching environmental-disaster-in-the-making machine.opcorn:


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> Lakeside, I just saw an item in a catalog that should cheer you up.
> 
> It's a remote control, hopping, yodelling lederhosen.
> 
> ...



Now you're starting to sound just like PES+, or maybe Fish... My missus is the only person I know that gets excited by lederhosen..

That pickle might be worth a second look...


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Maybe I'm over the saw-hill.. hard to get excited by a noisy and smelly arm wrenching environmental-disaster-in-the-making machine.opcorn:



I got the answer, start flying again. opcorn: opcorn:


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Maybe I'm over the saw-hill.. hard to get excited by a noisy and smelly arm wrenching environmental-disaster-in-the-making machine.opcorn:



I'd feel that way, too, if I wasn't running square chain......

I think I must have forgotten to pay my dues this month. Server is very slow and flakey for me lately.


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 26, 2007)

B_Turner said:


> I got the answer, start flying again. opcorn: opcorn:



lololol... At least planes don't pretend to limit emissions and noise (don't even have mufflers). I can't imagine the hourly cost now...


Wonder which lobby kept the EPA away from General Aviation? Hmmm :monkey:


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> lololol... At least planes don't pretend to limit emissions and noise (don't even have mufflers). I can't imagine the hourly cost now...
> 
> 
> Wonder which lobby kept the EPA away from General Aviation? Hmmm :monkey:



Guess it would depend on what you want to rent.

One of my brother's wife who forbid him to fly left him so now he took up flying. Loves it. His daughter took it up as well, and they have a great time.

Small planes, only around 75 an hour there which sounds alot cheaper than owing a plane for most.


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## B_Turner (Nov 26, 2007)

Lakeside53 said:


> Maybe I'm over the saw-hill.. hard to get excited by a noisy and smelly arm wrenching environmental-disaster-in-the-making machine.opcorn:



Well, there's that...



(Delayed clever answer.)


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## wkpoor (Nov 26, 2007)

> Wonder which lobby kept the EPA away from General Aviation? Hmmm



The one that wants flying to be safe as possible. Last I checked chainsaws and the such don't endanger your life when they stop running.


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## B_Turner (Dec 19, 2007)

snowshoveler said:


> well if the new cutoff saw is any indication of whats to come in chainsaws.
> you and everyone will be standing in a big line for a...
> PARTNER.
> yup 120cc partner in a pretty orange package.
> ...



I am not sure I am fully understanding this post and your post a few posts back.


Are you saying you actually have information about a newer 120cc cutoff saw and that you think it means there is a newer saw that will be replacing the 3120? Or that the husky cutoff saw is going away and all that's left is the partner cutoff saw?


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## Four Paws (Dec 19, 2007)

Get the Stihl and be done with it. Unless they are running on fuel and a pipe, I hear most people aren't happy with the 3120.


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## super3 (Feb 3, 2008)

Lakeside53 said:


> You had to mention pumpkin pie... Am I the only guy in the USA that hates the stuff?





Nope, I never did like it!


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