Best small cheap chainsaw?

[chainbrake]

Got an ms180 18 years ago. I've done the same muffler mod and will advance the timing sooner than later. I also have an adjustable carb for it and a pop up piston. Like yours, it starts fantastically cold, warm or hot so I'm reluctant to change the carb. I hear on little saws any compression gains are negated by the heavier pop up piston. If it can be trimmed to stock piston weight I'll install it.

Since I have 2 other saws with more power, I am not overly concerned with looking for more power than I have found through relieving the exhaust pressure as both you and I have. I feel like I am already stretching the design limits of that little jug and piston, possibly taking a couple of years of life off of them. I like that it sips fuel. It burns half as much fuel as my larger saws for an equal amount of limbing - particularly when I limb trees for my own firewood: I cut the small stuff (down to 1.5") for kindling and early and late season small fires. I haven't split kindling for years.

 

[Sloughfoot]

Since I have 2 other saws with more power, I am not overly concerned with looking for more power than I have found through relieving the exhaust pressure as both you and I have. I feel like I am already stretching the design limits of that little jug and piston, possibly taking a couple of years of life off of them. I like that it sips fuel. It burns half as much fuel as my larger saws for an equal amount of limbing - particularly when I limb trees for my own firewood: I cut the small stuff (down to 1.5") for kindling and early and late season small fires. I haven't split kindling for years.

Should be running cooler with the muffler opened up. Add years of life if anything. I feel like mine ran a little stronger and drank a little more fuel after opening it up.

 

[chainbrake]

Y

Should be running cooler with the muffler opened up. Add years of life if anything. I feel like mine ran a little stronger and drank a little more fuel after opening it up.

Yes, mine doesn't seem to sip it as much as before, but it runs stronger and cuts through the wood faster. You may be right about it running longer - even with the piston moving more.

Back in the day when I opened up the ports and exhaust on my dirt bikes, I would get more piston slap and have to hone my cylinders more often - even had to re-sleeve one cylinder in just one season's worth of use.

 

[Eldotrees]

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sofindtype=4&_nkw=204724516601

Stihl clone saw?