I have my 2186 Woods saw by Dennis

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Wade, it's the pits when a saw may not be up to our expectations, however how much power is essential? Power is what power does. I had a 2171 by Dennis and I cut alot of timber with it, even though it wasnt gutted out much, but I was happy because I am a stikler for mantainance and filing.
I realize you're income is production based and speed is required, but really in the final analisis, what does a couple of seconds, more or less,really matter in a cut? Try taking out the choke baffle and JB weld the holes, should be good for an extra 5% hp.
Just trying to make you feel better about your 2186, thats all.
Try to go for grade, not production, your working to hard Wade.
John

 

[Wade Huggins]

Ben,
Yeah something is out of whack. The saw runs best at 12500 like I said its probably on the plus side a little at this point I will check it in the morning. Specs call for it to run 13000 stock I always run my saws right at or just a hair under what they reccomend. I ran this saw at 13500 and it just wasn't what the saw liked. I feel like I am beating a dead horse now I just gave my honest opion thats all. Hell, I will crank it up to 14500 tomorrow and see if I was just missing the sweet spot.... maybe Dennis's saws dont run until you really crank them up..............whatever..............later,Wade

 

[bwalker]

Wade, hang in there and let us know how it works.

 

[Wade Huggins]

Gypo,
I wish I could go for grade unforunately thats few and far between in these parts. I am not unhappy with the saw I love the 2186 I just expected more as far as gains were concerned. I will run it till her legs give out and be happy with it. I am just not happy with the modification gains, thats it...............later, Wade

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Wade, I hear what your saying. KD once told me that the 385 had two carbs, one had a bigger venturi than the other, giving more air thus hp. Could Dennis have inadvertently put on a carb off of a 346? Just a thought, but not very likely.
Does anyone know the # of the carbs that will fit the 385/ 2186?
Thanks,
John

 

[Jacob J.]

Ben- knife edging is going inside the piston skirt with a die grinder and usually a long, conical finely textured bit and removing material from inside the skirt area and around the wrist pin bosses. Like you mentioned, a builder can just put a nice bevel shape inside, or they can extend this work up as far as they want. The reason is for making more of a "scoop" so that when the piston is bottoming out on the downstroke it "gulps" more air and forces it up through the transfer ports. This is only advantageous on windowed pistons. Builders usually knife edge non-windowed pistons too to help with oil scraping on the downstroke and scavenging.

Initially I also tried tig welding a dome on top of the piston for higher compression in a woods saw but the tig welding adds too much weight and causes excess vibration in the running saw. I tried compensating with knife edging and drilling recesses inside the crown to remove weight but that doesn't usually work very well. You can make the piston lighter in most cases and produce a smoother running saw.

 

[bwalker]

bottoming out on the downstroke it "gulps" more air and forces it up through the transfer ports. This is only advantageous on windowed pistons.

Thats non sense Jacob and reminds of the guys that sell "Turbo vaned" cranks even though the practice has long been discredited. If you are noticing a gain from this mod it is because of the piston being slightly lighter or because of a decrease in the primary compression ratio, which would broade the power curve slightly.

 

[Jacob J.]

I've never heard of a turbo-vaned crank ( is that like a weather vane?) but knife edging was explained to me by several builders with many, many years in the industry and it seems to work for whatever reasons, and some of these guys are tops and win races with modified saws, etc.

 

[bwalker]

Jacob, turbo vaning is basicaly adding or maching of scoops into the crank halves. the guys doing this stuff claim to increase HP. its a joke really. As I said before the guys may be getting again from this, but its not from the scoop effect. Actually by removing material from this area they are hurting high rpm scavenging. This is basiclay like decreasing the compression of a head only in reverse.

 

[Jacob J.]

Ben- that does make sense. Thinking about it in my head, vaning sounds like a good idea, picturing the crank weights and machining out scallops. Then when I picture the machine actually in motion, I agree, I don't see where that is going to force more air anywhere, except maybe around the crank weights themselves.

 

[Wade Huggins]

Not going to get carried away here I have worked all day and just got back from my evening classes. I ran the saw all day took the tach with me and played around with it. When I started cutting this morning it was at 13000 so I bumped it up to a hare over 14000. Had great top end speed but lost some stump power so I backed backed down and eventually worked my way back to 13000 and left it at that. That seems to be as good as its going to get. I will piddle around with it tomorrow some more and report back...............good night all,Wade

 

[bwalker]

Thats really too bad Wade. maybe you should take Dennis up on his money back offer?

 

[Jacob J.]

I'm just curious exactly what it was the saw is supposed to be tuned for, I mean high rpms don't make a fast cutting saw ( any saw, hopped up or not ) necessarily.

 

[Wade Huggins]

Jacob, 13000 is the setting it calls for and with all the 288s I've run I have always kept them set around 12500 or on the plus side a little. I have always run the 372s and 046s at 13500or just a hair under. Anyway I just wanted to holler back before I go to the woods I will mess around with it some more today...............take care all, Wade

 

[Wade Huggins]

Hello, I goofed with the saw again today..... mainly just paying attention to little things and have tried to give Dennis every benefit of the doubt. As I said earlier I am not trying to wine just expected more...... feel like I could have got the same thing from Madsens for $170 less..... and 2 months sooner..... and the 2 muffler bolts it was missing that mount it to the cylinder. The 2186 is a nice saw and I would reccomend it to anyone who is or has considered buying one good balance and well built.........Take care all, Wade