Checked for spark arrestors?

[Huskybill]

Have you ever been checked for spark arrestors? The forest ranger asked me once if my saws had spark arrestors.

My point is what about these muffler mods do you run without spark arrestors?

 

[Ted Jenkins]

No one is ever going to know when if or how a guard will ask about a spark arrrestor. If they want to check every thing they will. Any thing with out a good spark spark arrestor will cause problems and maybe imediate jail. I work some times on forest service lands so yes I do take it very serious. I maybe modify muffler a little with a good intact arrestor. Thanks

 

[Patrick62]

it is better to "play by the rules".
That being said... I actually have not seen a spark come from my muffler. More often to see a spark from the bar/chain.
I ain't saying it could not happen, I just have not witnessed it.

One 064 is wide open, no screen.
Another 064 actually has a screen.
My recently acquired 261, I modified it, no screen.
The 461 has a screen. I believe the 066 does too. My little 150T is opened up, and no screen.
The old 440 actually has a screen...

So, I am running about 1/2 of them without, and 1/2 with.

Oh yeah, there will be a resurrected ancient 041 that never had a screen, and I really don't see any reason to fit it with one.
Along with no chainbrake.. There was one day, years ago, we were out cutting some stuff. A ranger stopped by, chatted with the ladies. I was cutting up some stuff nearby (with the 041, no screen). and they were looking over the saws on the tailgate... didn't bother me. and I was in violation!

 

[Huskybill]

I had to be legal or risk losing the permit to remove firewood. I made sure I’m correct in everyway

 

[lone wolf]

it is better to "play by the rules".
That being said... I actually have not seen a spark come from my muffler. More often to see a spark from the bar/chain.
I ain't saying it could not happen, I just have not witnessed it.

One 064 is wide open, no screen.
Another 064 actually has a screen.
My recently acquired 261, I modified it, no screen.
The 461 has a screen. I believe the 066 does too. My little 150T is opened up, and no screen.
The old 440 actually has a screen...

So, I am running about 1/2 of them without, and 1/2 with.

Oh yeah, there will be a resurrected ancient 041 that never had a screen, and I really don't see any reason to fit it with one.
Along with no chainbrake.. There was one day, years ago, we were out cutting some stuff. A ranger stopped by, chatted with the ladies. I was cutting up some stuff nearby (with the 041, no screen). and they were looking over the saws on the tailgate... didn't bother me. and I was in violation!

Run it tonight and look.

 

[Patrick62]

I have had to cut at night, headlights, etc. I still don't recall seeing sparks flyin' out of there.
One time, years ago, I set the old saw down to move some thing around, and returned to find that the tinder near the exhaust was smoking a bit..
Saw was idling, just the heat was enough to get it smoldering.
a few years after that a less than stellar performance with a 440 resulted in a small "fire". burned a couple acres.
The monkey was trying to cut off a 6 inch pine to get a truck thru there. Of coarse things were as dry as a pop corn fart...
Monkey didn't realize that the bar wasn't cutting into the tree and he is throttling it wide open. Took forever I am told... Eventually the tree fell over, and so did the monkey. and then the saw did exactly what it should have done. Cut into his knee. No chaps.
a few stitches and all was well... except... 24 hours later there were 60 firefighters up there putting it out.
Enough heat had been blasted into that dry ground (the 440 does have a spark arrestor) to smolder and eventually flare up.

my 2 cents worth

 

[67L36Driver]

Iffin you play in the Forest Service sandbox, follow their rules or take the consequences.

 

[Patrick62]

most of my cutting these days is on private property, and there is (usually) proper equipment on hand. Shovel, extinguisher, pulaski, etc.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Here in C

it is better to "play by the rules".
That being said... I actually have not seen a spark come from my muffler. More often to see a spark from the bar/chain.
I ain't saying it could not happen, I just have not witnessed it.

One 064 is wide open, no screen.
Another 064 actually has a screen.
My recently acquired 261, I modified it, no screen.
The 461 has a screen. I believe the 066 does too. My little 150T is opened up, and no screen.
The old 440 actually has a screen...

So, I am running about 1/2 of them without, and 1/2 with.

Oh yeah, there will be a resurrected ancient 041 that never had a screen, and I really don't see any reason to fit it with one.
Along with no chainbrake.. There was one day, years ago, we were out cutting some stuff. A ranger stopped by, chatted with the ladies. I was cutting up some stuff nearby (with the 041, no screen). and they were looking over the saws on the tailgate... didn't bother me. and I was in violation!

Here in California it is quite different as we have two sets of rules that apply Federal USDA and California State. At any time if a guard sees some thing they do not like they can immediately take any one to jail. Such as in the act of arson or attempted arson. And yes it does happen. BTW a ranger pretty much never is seen or in the field they are often at their office being a manager. The guards are in the field acting like a deputy. So I try to be very careful at all times as I do not want to cause my relationship to be destroyed for the future. Thanks

 

[OM617YOTA]

I've had my truck checked by a ranger, as it's obvious I don't have a factory exhaust system. Got told the next time she saw my truck in the woods, it needed to be compliant. No saws along at the time.

 

[Canyon Angler]

I add a "cone" of stainless steel screen to the exit pipe of my modded mufflers. No sparks.

 

[MacAttack]

I've tuned and trial-run a few old McCullochs at night when I had the opportunity. Damn right I could see sparks coming out the exhaust, hot little pieces of carbon, or melted bits of piston, but it was surprising.

 

[Patrick62]

My saw is a violation.
My truck is a violation.
And I am probably a violation as well.

But I dropped a rather large pondo this morning

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I've had my truck checked by a ranger, as it's obvious I don't have a factory exhaust system. Got told the next time she saw my truck in the woods, it needed to be compliant. No saws along at the time.

Any time exhaust is not stock truck can be impounded. There are just many ways to comply with the USDA. I try to schedule work when fire concerns are small. Spring and summer have their place but working with some snow on the ground and a huge bonfire is nice too. Thanks

 

[OM617YOTA]

Any time exhaust is not stock truck can be impounded. There are just many ways to comply with the USDA. I try to schedule work when fire concerns are small. Spring and summer have their place but working with some snow on the ground and a huge bonfire is nice too. Thanks

I kludged together a commercial off the shelf spark arrestor. I only put it on when I'm in the woods during fire season, otherwise I leave it off as it impacts performance and sound quite a lot. It also looks like hell, not that the truck is a beauty contest winner. Haven't been hassled since.

If I had it to do over again, I'd have used a MUCH larger spark arrestor. Important to size by horsepower rating, not by pipe size.

 

[Patrick62]

golly, that is a nice lookin' truck
way better than the old Ford.
Modified exhaust... to be honest, I consider the NEWER vehicles with the cat converter to be a higher hazard than this old 1984...
I don't know if my 1967 would pass "inspection". the exhaust is not quite stock on it either...
I wonder if a slant 6 could generate a spark anyway?

 

[1hp]

in this USFS pdf, there are diagrams of stock chainsaw mufflers.
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/programs/fire/spark/PDF_Files/MSE_SAG2007.pdf

 

[lostone]

I had a large page written up but this will make it easier. Well a little bit easier. They take it VERY seriously.
Start at page iv and v for the main part of it from the following link.
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/programs/fire/spark_arrester_guides/_assets/2012_MSE.pdf

It took awhile for me to find them but I put factory screens (they state they have to be factory if one was made) on all my saws. We have one ranger here that even his co-workers call him Rambo, he looks for any reason to site people and he will check your saw and make sure it has a screen, I have no problem with him checking for a screen it's the fact he looks for every and any reason to write someone up, I'm willing to bet he can quote the book to you from memory.

 

[Mad Professor]

The Lakeside MS361 MM was nice as you could use the Stihl blower screens if you wanted

 

[bwalker]

I have been checked before on forest service ground. That's why I prefer a muffler mod that looks stock and has screens.
If I still lived out east I wouldn't worry about it.