I have my 2186 Woods saw by Dennis

[Wade Huggins]

Well I am now in possession of a 2186 woods saw by Dennis. It just came in the big brown truck a couple of hours ago. It was nearly dark and raining out so all I got to do was slip outside and fire it up and squeeze the throttle a couple of times.........sounds real strong...............hopefully after the rain passes tomorrow I will get a chance to slide down to wood pile and cut a little firewood to break it in before I head to the brush with it on Monday to slaughter trees................anyway just thought I would let everyone I have a saw by Dennis.........................Wade

 

[Sethro]

2186DG

Cool saw Wade
The dealers around here can't keep the 2171&2186 on the shelves,there hotter than a half horse fox in a forest fire. What size bar will you be runing? Seth

 

[Wade Huggins]

Seth,
I will be running a 24 inch bar. I cut timber for a living and I just like to do the hinge cut thing, when I cut out the face I just poke through the otherside and cut right out the back. Its quick and painless for the tree and leaves a nice flat stump and but cut. My dad likes to stump jump and that was how he taught me to cut so every once in a while I like to throw on a 20 inch bar and revert back to the more primitive methods my dad used just for fun(lol)...................Anyway I am excited to use it, the only problem is it raining out and pretty hard to boot...........soon as the weather breaks it will see some action. My buddy is getting married tomorrow and he cuts to so I am going to take it with me and play a wedding song for him..... I am sure he will appreciate it although I am not sure about the rest of the crowd.......who cares,right....................Take care, Wade

 

[jokers]

Hey Wade!

How is the Greffardized 2186 working out, or is it retired now that you have cut down the whole forest with it?

Seth

We use a similar saying around here. Faster/hotter than a fresh fooked fox in a forest fire. Substitute the first word as needed for your situation.

Russ

 

[Wade Huggins]

Jokers,
How do I wanna say this without opening a can of worms. The saw runs great real strong great response lot of stump power. However, I think it runs good on its own and not because of what Dennis did to it. I really like the saw a bunch, just dont think Dennis did much to it............I think the lad is having all sorts of problems right now and it is affecting his work. Again thanks for asking I have been keeping it as busy as the weather will let me.........Take care, Wade

 

[Jacob J.]

Wade-

Have you run that model of saw stock before? Because one thing I can tell you, the Jonsereds are pretty choked down as a stock saw. I have a 2083 ( which is the direct precursor to your 2186 ) and stock it was a dog. It was power ported by one of our famous saw builders here and now it sings. I PP saws myself on occasion and the difference was quite noticeable.

 

[Wade Huggins]

Hey Jacob,
No I haven't ran that particular model although I have ran a powertuned 385 (Madsens). The 2186g runs no better than that saw so I was a little dissapointed with it as far as that goes. I was under the impression that they were nearly identical saws and considering that Dennis supposedly take's his work a step or two further I was expecting more out of it. I also had a miserable time trying to get the saw from him as well. I have been around saws all my life and have had my hands on a lot of different ones so I dont know what else to say. I really like the saw it has good feel and balance and several other little things that really caught my eye that I like. I am not trying to bash Dennis just not satisfied with what I got for the extra money I put out for it......... anyway, think I am going to try a 7900 from Dan next. Will see what it has to offer......................take care, Wade

 

[Jacob J.]

Hey Wade- I'd give the 2186 about five tanks of gas or so, and see how the break-in goes. I've noticed with the Jonsereds, that break-in time can run a little longer, because they make a lot of their designs with tighter tolerances than Husky. Also- some of the 385s have a single ring piston, and all of the Jonsered 2186s came with dual ring pistons, so there's an added component for break-in time. I can't really compare Madsen's work with Dennis's work, because Dennis does so much more than Madsens does. I've had the pleasure of dissecting saws from all of the major builders, except Ken Dunn. Dennis's work was immaculate, and very impressive. I got look inside one of his custom 394s from about 2 or 3 years ago. I've looked in several Walkers and Madsens saws and haven't been real impressed.

 

[jokers]

Hi Wade
I`m sorry that I put you on the spot like that.

JJ may be right about break in on your saw. I almost eBayed my Greffard 357 because I was disappointed, but then I let my dad use it and after he had atleast 5 gallons of fuel through it, it really came alive. Hopefully the same for your 2186.

Jacob

I don`t think there is any difference between the new Huskies and Jonsereds in tolerances. I`m also not aware of any 385 made with only one ring, but if there are, that one ring would have ring tension equal too the two in the 2186. Break in time on a two ring saw would probably be only marginally longer. Maybe only a tank or two. Maybe there is another issue with Wade`s saw?

Russ

 

[Wade Huggins]

Hey guys,
Joker you didn't put me on the spot no problem. Just being honest as I can. I have ran about 25 tanks through it since I got it so its broke in. Dont get me wrong its a good saw just feel like I could have had Madsens get me what he got for $170 less. I don't think they work on Jonsereds anyway but it really doesn't matter. I was also dissapointed that my muffler didn't have any bolts mounting it to the cylinder he forgot to put those in...... also he stripped out one of the mounting bolts that anchors the muffler to the case he just put some loctite on it and thought that would cure it I had to fix it with a heliocoil........all the loctite he used ran down the front of my case and eat a little of the paint off.........again dissappointed. All that being said I do like the saw and I am very happy with it just expected more from the work he did.............anyway fellows I am off to the woods to knife down some trees you all have a good day.............Wade

 

[Jacob J.]

25 tanks is plenty of time for break-in. Jokers- they did some experimentation with the 385 intially, it had a single ring piston shaped much like a 371 piston, but those saws were sold mostly in Canada. Two rings is really only advantageous for longevity in situations where a user is running lower grade gas and oil.

The main reason I wasn't impressed with Madsen's work was because all they did in the saw I looked at ( 385 ) was raise the intake side of the piston skirt, knife edge the piston, and slightly raise the exhaust port. Nothing else was done. A 372 that was modified by Hunt's chainsaw shop ( Husky dealers ) easily outcut that 385 and the 372 was much older and more tired than the 385.

I've torn apart many Jonsered and Husky models and it might just be me, but I've always been more impressed with Jonsered's engineering and quality. Plus installing the intake boot on the 372/385 is miserable unless you take the whole airbox apart, and even then it's a pain.

 

[Dennis]

Wade, I am sorry you feel like you got burned, I would be happy to return your build monies. I do not want anyone feeling that way. I find it hard to believe that it only runs like a Madsens saw though. If you were to tear the saw apart you would find that the base of the cylinder is machined to reduce squish clearance, you would find the transfer ports raised, the intake and exhaust port timing changed, and I have all the timing figures in my book. You will also notice the piston work that has been done.
When I ran the saw, I was happy with it, otherwise I wouldn't have sent it. I realise we did have some problems getting the saw to you, some of it was my fault, some of it beyond my control. For that I do apologise. Possibly the jets need some tweaking for the area you are in? Possibly it will change once the rings seat better, I think we discussed that in the beginning.
anyway, let me know what you want to do to make it right.
I am hoping I am going to be at work today, give me a call.

 

[Dennis]

oh yeah, re the loctite...I use loctite on all muffler bolts on every saw I build these days. These styles of mufflers have a tendancy to want to rattle the bolts eventually I have found, ,hence the loctite.

 

[jokers]

Hi Jacob
I didn`t know anything about the single ring 385s, thanks for the info. You are of course right about 25 tanks being more than adequate for break in.

BTW and FWIW, when I suggested that maybe Wades saw has different issues, I didn`t mean to imply that the issues were Dennis` work although it could easily be taken that way. I should have elaborated about the carb or ignition but assumed that Wade is savvy in those areas. I sometimes forget that when posting here, I am talking to everyone who reads what I typed and may or may not be on the same wavelength with me.

Another thing that I have found with my modified 385 is that it is a sleeper, you don`t notice the extra power as much until you put a long bar on it and go for some big timber. Strange as it may sound, my KD372 has the upper hand on the 385 when both are running a 20" bar but that all changes when you go to 28" or greater length bars and do some bar buried cuts, although my KD372 is one very impressive saw.

Russ

 

[Jacob J.]

Hey Russ- Husky also had made a series of experimental pistons for the 371 and 394 saws as well, including dual and triple thin ring pistons for both, and a piston for the 371 that had one thick "dyke" style ring at the top of the piston, which is the style of ring that is L-shaped in profile, and catches on a lip around the crown of the piston. I got to see all these pistons plus the thing ring pistons in action at Crater Saw shop in Medford, Or., the thinning crews were using the thin ring pistons in their 371s and they just loved them.

 

[Wade Huggins]

Hey,
I am not trying to moan and groan and I dont want my money back its just that I am disappointed with the saw as far as mod gains are concerned. I have already reset the carb........ when I got it....... it was turning a little over 11000 rpms and idiling at around 4000 I re-adjusted set the idle at 2700 and set the saw at 12500 after the fifth tank I noticed some gains so I tacked it and it was spinning a little over 13000 so I bumped it back a hair and ran it some more......... around the 8th tank I noticed it opening up a little more so I checked it.......... it was again a little over 13000 so I bumped it back and have ran it around 12500 since. I tell you what aggrevated me the most was that when I took the saw out of the box the muffler gasket was laying in the bottom of the box and the only loctite I noticed on the whole saw was on the one bolt that was stripped out. To be honest there wasn't a tight screw or bolt on the saw the cylinder bolts all needed a quarter turn and one nearly half. Thats just not good business and I am not trying to be rude or nasty....... just honest....... I like Dennis I have enjoyed talking to him I love this site and I have a learned a lot from this site so please don't take me wrong. I have been around timber all my life and I have a cut a pile of it. I know saws...... I know what a good saw feels like when I have one in my hands. The only thing I know to do is try one from another builder and that builder will be Dan I am going to give one of those 7900s a try and see what I think of it.......... anyway it's no big deal really........ sometimes things just aren't what you expect them to be so you just deal with it and go on..............Take care, Wade

 

[bwalker]

Wade isnt 12,500 a little low for a mod saw? Remember when you increase the port timing you are shifting the power curve higher and are now making peak power at a higher rpm.

 

[bwalker]

knife edge the piston,

Jacob, I have heard you mention this practice a few times. Are you talking about adding a nice bevel around the piston or something else? Why would a builder do this?

 

[Wade Huggins]

Ben,
I suppose you would be right if it was a modified saw. I have ran the saw up and down its at its best right where its at.....you go leaning those saws out to much and you sacrifice stump power its probaly on the plus side of 12500, I haven't checked it for about a week. The bottom line is that saw don't cut any better than a madsens powertuned 385 so what else am I suppose to say........I've got somewhere close to twenty hours in with this saw its just not what I expected............Wade

 

[bwalker]

Wade, Something is drasticaly wrong if it is making best power at 12,500. Stock it should make peak power at a higher rpm than this let alone modified.