Dolmar 421, Stihl 250/251, 241 or 261

[Jimbo209]

Got that mm

 

[7sleeper]

It suprises me how many seem to be against porting on a site that has been mostly about just that? Porting isnt necessary but sure helps. Saying it is unecessary to me is like taking a deer rifle with a scope thats shooting 1ft to the left. Sure u can kill a deer with it but it can no doubt be improved

There is the old saying:
Fear the man with one gun, no doubt he knows how to use it....

Of course porting helps and I am absolutely in favor for people who work full time or simply enjoy the maximum out of their equiment, but the bigotry often associated with porting, is quite annyoing at times. I see it for chainsaw users to understand how to really sharpen a chain or have their saw carb tuned correctly as much more important.

I can see u r confused. U must be referring to factory saws? 8cc is nothing to make up in porting which I do port and know all too well in the right size wood I have seen saws 20cc less be faster

I am sorry but I am not confused. And your words only assure me of my mental status. Let me add that I do not port and have only been reading about it here and other places. But all documentation I have seen here and on other sites have shown quite the opposite.
Of course anyone can quite easily achieve a situation where one saw will cut faster than the other.

Let us begin with the examples, I assume you are refering to:
a 40cc saw and a 60cc saw, both equaly well ported, both with equaly well sharpened chains, the 40cc using a 14 inch 3/8 picco and the 60cc using a 20 inch 3/8 full, cutting what I would call small soft wood (~10 inch)


Of course the smaller saw will cut faster, but even unported they might cut faster and personally I would never use a larger saw on the smaller type wood! Sorry but I would like to see proof of your experience of two equally well ported saws, cutting wood in the size what the larger saw was primarily made for. So for me a 40cc saw is made for wood up to 10-15 inch, a 50cc 15-20, 60cc 20-25, etc. I DON'T want to see a comparison video of a larger saw cutting smaller wood it was never intended for. That is simply a sensless test and does porting no favor whatsoever and proves absolutely nothing.

7

 

[schneid]

Yeh, good thread. OP may be wondering, as I am, does porting affect longevity of the saw? My 241 is not ported and is definitely fine for my needs. I wouldn't want to mess with the reliability of it should porting cause any issues..

 

[7sleeper]

Yeh, good thread. OP may be wondering, as I am, does porting affect longevity of the saw? My 241 is not ported and is definitely fine for my needs. I wouldn't want to mess with the reliability of it should porting cause any issues..

As far as I have understood there are different levels of porting. A regular "woods port" should not affect longlivety, with a "race port" the situation might evolve.

7

 

[KenJax Tree]

I just never saw the significance in spending $300-$350 more on an already expensive tool.

 

[Michaelmj11]

I just never saw the significance in spending $300-$350 more on an already expensive tool.

From my understanding, it makes a $300 tool perform like a $600-800 tool, but retains the weight and form factor of the $300

 

[KG441c]

There is the old saying:
Fear the man with one gun, no doubt he knows how to use it....

Of course porting helps and I am absolutely in favor for people who work full time or simply enjoy the maximum out of their equiment, but the bigotry often associated with porting, is quite annyoing at times. I see it for chainsaw users to understand how to really sharpen a chain or have their saw carb tuned correctly as much more important.

I am sorry but I am not confused. And your words only assure me of my mental status. Let me add that I do not port and have only been reading about it here and other places. But all documentation I have seen here and on other sites have shown quite the opposite.
Of course anyone can quite easily achieve a situation where one saw will cut faster than the other.

Let us begin with the examples, I assume you are refering to:
a 40cc saw and a 60cc saw, both equaly well ported, both with equaly well sharpened chains, the 40cc using a 14 inch 3/8 picco and the 60cc using a 20 inch 3/8 full, cutting what I would call small soft wood (~10 inch)


Of course the smaller saw will cut faster, but even unported they might cut faster and personally I would never use a larger saw on the smaller type wood! Sorry but I would like to see proof of your experience of two equally well ported saws, cutting wood in the size what the larger saw was primarily made for. So for me a 40cc saw is made for wood up to 10-15 inch, a 50cc 15-20, 60cc 20-25, etc. I DON'T want to see a comparison video of a larger saw cutting smaller wood it was never intended for. That is simply a sensless test and does porting no favor whatsoever and proves absolutely nothing.

7

There is another old saying, You can lead a horse to water but u cant make him drink.....7 sleeper I see your perspective of saws, uses, applications, porting, to port or not to port, sizes in applications are all one sided and you are thinking u r 100% right about everything and thats the way it is? No sense in me posting videos, articles, or discussing porting to prove to you anything? Seems to me you have wasted alota time on here since 2008 getting yourself very confused and convincing yourself you are 100% right about everything

 

[Michaelmj11]

For me, if I was able to have the power of a factory MS261 (or an even bigger saw) packed into the size/weight of a Dolmar 421 or MS241 I'd be a happy man

 

[KG441c]

For me, if I was able to have the power of a factory MS261 (or an even bigger saw) packed into the size/weight of a Dolmar 421 or MS251 I'd be a happy man

Now u r seeing why power to weight ratio means alot. Balance plays a big role too in comfort. If someone hands u a 241 that will smoke a 261 and weighs less and is more agile, which would u want? Makes alota sense to buy a heavier saw with less power to use all day long

 

[Michaelmj11]

So what I have been toying around with doing, is .... well first comparing (first hand) the Dolmar 421 and the Stihl MS241 and MS261. But quite possibly getting the Dolmar from $ and dependability, and having it ported (if I feel it is needed/justified) amd still (with porting) having spent less than the cost of a MS241

 

[Michaelmj11]

Now u r seeing why power to weight ratio means alot. Balance plays a big role too in comfort. If someone hands u a 241 that will smoke a 261 and weighs less and is more agile, which would u want? Makes alota sense to buy a heavier saw with less power to use all day long

Except I mistyped and put in MS251 instead of 241.... I went back and corrected, but your quote didn't catch that..

 

[KG441c]

Dont buy into the myth that porting lessens dependability. Actually u are supplying the cylinder with more fuel, which is what cools the engine and not the oil, and opening the exhaust up and letting it breath and release more heat

 

[KG441c]

So what I have been toying around with doing, is .... well first comparing (first hand) the Dolmar 421 and the Stihl MS241 and MS261. But quite possibly getting the Dolmar from $ and dependability, and having it ported (if I feel it is needed/justified) amd still (with porting) having spent less than the cost of a MS241

From a savings standpoint the dolmar is the only real choice. Gut the cat in the muffler, retune ,and cut wood and have fun

 

[Michaelmj11]

Dont buy into the myth that porting lessens dependability. Actually u are supplying the cylinder with more fuel, which is what cools the engine and not the oil, and opening the exhaust up and letting it breath and release more heat

And since these are air cooled engines (or so my dealer keeps telling me, when he reminds me that idling the saw is not the best thing for it)

Having a more open muffler means a better performer all around (except from the EPA standpoint)

The way I have had chainsaw manufacturers reactions to EPA explained to me, is that instead of changing the majority of the saw to meet guidelines, they limit the amount of pollutants the saw puts out in a set period of time, it is capable of performing better with more open parts..... it just wouldn't meet/pass regulation.

 

[schneid]

From a savings standpoint the dolmar is the only real choice. Gut the cat in the muffler, retune ,and cut wood and have fun

Never run Dolmar/makita. Sound like good saws though. Is 420 the same as 421? Stats show 420 a little less hp than 421..

 

[KG441c]

And since these are air cooled engines (or so my dealer keeps telling me, when he reminds me that idling the saw is not the best thing for it)

Having a more open muffler means a better performer all around (except from the EPA standpoint)

The way I have had chainsaw manufacturers reactions to EPA explained to me, is that instead of changing the majority of the saw to meet guidelines, they limit the amount of pollutants the saw puts out in a set period of time, it is capable of performing better with more open parts..... it just wouldn't meet/pass regulation.

I can see that. The main goal is to try and limit hydrocarbons as much as possible. Stihls big name for it is Delayed Stratification Scavenging Technology!! Lol!! The bottomline is that all that means is a big baffled muffler creating backpressure in an attempt to stuff some back in and burn it

 

[KG441c]

Never run Dolmar/makita. Sound like good saws though. Is 420 the same as 421? Stats show 420 a little less hp than 421..

They perform the same from all I have heard

 

[Michaelmj11]

There is another old saying, You can lead a horse to water but u cant make him drink.....7 sleeper I see your perspective of saws, uses, applications, porting, to port or not to port, sizes in applications are all one sided and you are thinking u r 100% right about everything and thats the way it is? No sense in me posting videos, articles, or discussing porting to prove to you anything? Seems to me you have wasted alota time on here since 2008 getting yourself very confused and convincing yourself you are 100% right about everything

See what I thought 7 was getting at was that a powerful small saw, with (and here is the important part) a thinner/smaller chain would possibly cut faster because it is going through a narrower section of wood..... but I am not sure I followed him/his meaning 100%

 

[Michaelmj11]

But then again 7 Sleeper said that both saw would be running a 3/8ths chain, so they Would be the same width, right?

 

[KG441c]

See what I thought 7 was getting at was that a powerful small saw, with (and here is the important part) a thinner/smaller chain would possibly cut faster because it is going through a narrower section of wood..... but I am not sure I followed him/his meaning 100%

Thinner kerf is faster. I run Stihl ps on my 241 which is picco but the tooth is close to .325