My first impressions of the 346xp

[pinus]

I suspect that the 4-channel Huskys saws keep the torque better up above the max power rpms than their 2-channel Stihl counterparts, but I have no real proof of it.......

Even at 2005 only 260 660 and 880 had two ports design, other had four ports, if my memory is not wrong
May be 290-310-390 have two also, but they are not sold here

 

[SawTroll]

The 4 duct transfers are whats responsible for husky's having a wider power spread and more torque.

The MS361 also has it, and the 341.......:greenchainsaw:

 

[Lakeside53]

The MS361 also has it.......:greenchainsaw:

Even the 200T has it... (20T does not).

 

[SawTroll]

Even at 2005 only 260 660 and 880 had two ports design, other had four ports, if my memory is not wrong
May be 290-310-390 have two also, but they are not sold here

The only traditional four port Stihls are the 361 and 200, I understand - all the others are two port...

 

[SawTroll]

I suspect that the 4-channel Huskys saws keep the torque better up above the max power rpms than their 2-channel Stihl counterparts, but I have no real proof of it.......

Forgot to mention - I also believe theat the 4-channel/port saws accellerate better/faster.....

 

[Lakeside53]

The only traditional four port Stihls are the 361 and 200, I understand - all the others are two port...

Ha! you changed that one... in the time I ran down to the garage to check the 440!

I need to check a 290... I thought I saw 4 ports last time I pulled one down.. Either that or one real big transfer on each side.

 

[mini kahuna]

I have used two different 346 saws and they have 16" bars .325 chain and both saws have the power to pull a full bar and maintain their rpms.
neither saw is as touchy as yours,they don't just "fall out" of their powerband like the problem your having.
you will figure this out and then we can all learn something from this.

 

[SawTroll]

Ha! you changed that one... in the time I ran down to the garage to check the 440!

Yes, but it was a no-one mentioned, no-one forgotten thing - not a change of facts.

...and the 575/441 doesn't count, as they have a totally different engine design.....

 

[Lakeside53]

Yes, but it was a no-one mentioned, no-one forgotten thing - not a change of facts.

...and the 575/441 doesn't count, as they have a totally different engine design.....

Next time I'll grab the quote first

 

[bwalker]

The MS361 also has it, and the 341.......

Yes, the 361 does have four transfer ducts, but the ducts are smaller in size than the Husky XP cylinders. Its not so much the humber of ducts, but the area in total.
Doesnt the 200T use a open port cylinder?

 

[Lakeside53]

Doesnt the 200T use a open port cylinder?

Yes, but they are separated into two pairs.



The 361 porting is quite different to any other Stihl saw. The two ports on each side make a very wide narrow arc, overlaping the intake port from each side.

 

[bwalker]

The 361 porting is quite different to any other Stihl saw. The two ports on each side make a very wide narrow arc, overlaping the intake port from each side.

I am aware of that as I bought one when they first came out.

 

[sawinredneck]

Heh Heee Heh Heh Heh He He Heee Heh Huh!!!!

Amaizing what you can do with a screwdriver!!! THall was very close to the problem, just the wrong way!!! The H was set to max, leaned it out about half way, around the 14.2 mark near as I can tell with my tach, gained about 2k, WOW!!!!! I see how this thing compares to the 372 now!!! Cutting the same 28" cottonwood, it was another saw entirely!!! I could lean on it, yes it would stop, but I had to work a bit to make it stop!!! I must have been just right at the bottom of the range, had enough power to cut, but not enough left over to pull hard. I now see why this saw is so reviered!!! It is BAD AZZ!!!! Troll had me worried a bit about giving up on the 262, but I think this will fill my niche very nicely!!!!
Thanks to all for the help I knew there had to be more, just hoped I could find it, and thanks to you, I did!!!!!!
Andy

 

[Urbicide]

Amaizing what you can do with a screwdriver!!! THall was very close to the problem, just the wrong way!!! The H was set to max, leaned it out about half way, around the 14.2 mark near as I can tell with my tach, gained about 2k, WOW!!!!! I see how this thing compares to the 372 now!!! Cutting the same 28" cottonwood, it was another saw entirely!!! I could lean on it, yes it would stop, but I had to work a bit to make it stop!!! I must have been just right at the bottom of the range, had enough power to cut, but not enough left over to pull hard. I now see why this saw is so reviered!!! It is BAD AZZ!!!! Troll had me worried a bit about giving up on the 262, but I think this will fill my niche very nicely!!!!
Thanks to all for the help I knew there had to be more, just hoped I could find it, and thanks to you, I did!!!!!!
Andy

Congratulations Andy. I am sure you are 100% happier than you were a short time ago. Amazing what a tach will tell.

 

[441_Stihl]

I'm nit-picking, but reliability is something that is demonstrated over time... in high hundreds to low thousands of hours, not proposed "up-front". Upping performance does not necessarily translate into a more reliable saw if that extra power is used a lot. Irrespective of the additional component stresses, more power is more heat, and modding the muffler only looses some of that additional heat.

So true Lakeside Think of it this way.Lets say the engine has 1,000,000,000
cycles in its life The faster it turns shorter its life.Hey same goes in racing engines also.Why we have a big 434 ci torgue moster now

 

[Engineeringnerd]

Andy,

Great news, I'm happy for you. I'll give you a report on how my muffler mod helps my 346 on oak. Pretty easy mod and it seems to spin easier although I haven't put it to hard use yet. If it works out, you may be able to transition from delight to elation with another 30 minutes of work.

Let me know if you want to borrow some Monster Dawgs for your saw now that you can lean on it!

 

[sawinredneck]

Andy,

Great news, I'm happy for you. I'll give you a report on how my muffler mod helps my 346 on oak. Pretty easy mod and it seems to spin easier although I haven't put it to hard use yet. If it works out, you may be able to transition from delight to elation with another 30 minutes of work.

Let me know if you want to borrow some Monster Dawgs for your saw now that you can lean on it!

Been eying doing a mufler mod to, just wanted to see how it ran stock. The 350 I have is stock, I never saw a need to improve it. The 346 will get the mod eventually, just want to get it running right first, know what I mean?
Andy

 

[pinus]

The only traditional four port Stihls are the 361 and 200, I understand - all the others are two port...

By Stihls 2004 and 2005 catalog here all mentioned are four port saws. Some open some closed. The newer 51cc 260-s are probably four ports too

 

[musch]

Amaizing what you can do with a screwdriver!!! THall was very close to the problem, just the wrong way!!! The H was set to max, leaned it out about half way, around the 14.2 mark near as I can tell with my tach, gained about 2k, WOW!!!!! I see how this thing compares to the 372 now!!! Cutting the same 28" cottonwood, it was another saw entirely!!! I could lean on it, yes it would stop, but I had to work a bit to make it stop!!! I must have been just right at the bottom of the range, had enough power to cut, but not enough left over to pull hard. I now see why this saw is so reviered!!! It is BAD AZZ!!!! Troll had me worried a bit about giving up on the 262, but I think this will fill my niche very nicely!!!!
Thanks to all for the help I knew there had to be more, just hoped I could find it, and thanks to you, I did!!!!!!
Andy

whew!
I was really beginning to wonder, cause like I said all along, the 346xp is a great 50cc saw.
Happy that you figured that out.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Yeamon

Amaizing what you can do with a screwdriver!!! THall was very close to the problem, just the wrong way!!! The H was set to max, leaned it out about half way, around the 14.2 mark near as I can tell with my tach, gained about 2k, WOW!!!!! I see how this thing compares to the 372 now!!! Cutting the same 28" cottonwood, it was another saw entirely!!! I could lean on it, yes it would stop, but I had to work a bit to make it stop!!! I must have been just right at the bottom of the range, had enough power to cut, but not enough left over to pull hard. I now see why this saw is so reviered!!! It is BAD AZZ!!!! Troll had me worried a bit about giving up on the 262, but I think this will fill my niche very nicely!!!!
Thanks to all for the help I knew there had to be more, just hoped I could find it, and thanks to you, I did!!!!!!
Andy

What's up with these dealers anyways? Seems like all these new saws aren't tuned right. Hell, if they ain't gonna tune'em for ya you might as well buy'em from the net eh? J/K...