Narrow curf bar&chain on medium saws

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Psst.... Mike. Have you ever actually tried it?

Yes, I tried it. Night and day difference. Tried to switch the .325 off the 026 to save the trouble of another chain size and pick up some performance. 3/8s is too big and cut much slower.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

A modded 346 cuts with or better (depending on chain) than a 440 or 372 into 16-20" of wood, varying obviously with regard to species. Why work the extra weight of a larger saw if cutting time is the same?

Modded saws are nice, but there are considerations.
If you have employees running the saw, there is risk of liability in case of injury.
If you run the saw daily, and your not really careful with hearing protection, you will lose your hearing. You definitely need to use both plugs and ear muff type protection at the same time, and wear them both correctly. Even then, I'm not sure you can reduce the dBs enough to make it safe for continuous running.
There is also added costs. Fuel, building, increased vibration, and pollution.

 

[a_lopa]

325 is better,ive been running 2-26s one with 3/8 one with 325,and its easier to put an edge on if you hit something IMO

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

My 346 is stock 18inch. I'll wait to need work on it to have it mod'ed, if i ever do. It cuts sweet as it is, though the narrow kerf does sound tempting, I buy my chain in bulk, so I've several boxes left right now.

 

[Stumper]

Yes, I tried it. Night and day difference. Tried to switch the .325 off the 026 to save the trouble of another chain size and pick up some performance. 3/8s is too big and cut much slower.

Fair enough. It didn't work well for you.

-Maybe it is a Stihl thing.

 

[Tree Machine]

TreeMachine-pretty hard to one-hand a 346.

Shift technique. You don't one hand a limb if you can get your body all of an arm-length closer. Remember, our aerial work revolves around work positioning, not one-handing chainsaws.

Nevermind, nothing beats an 020 for climbing, only use a big saw for blocking it.

I'll blow away an 020, from the draw every time, with a Gomboy 300 on limbs under 1". It's about 1/20th the weight and 1/10th the price.

wondered why use a 40-50cc saw unless thats all you have.

I enjoy very much climbing with the 394, but only after I've 346'd the tree apart. I prefer the 394 like you prefer the 372. I think excessive power is good, ya just have to respect it.

This is not normal, using the modded 346 as a climbing saw, but I know of a number of guys who do. It really makes sense (at least to me) on takedowns. I've committed to making it my climbing saw for two years, more as an experiment as anything. I'm a self-appointed Guinea pig.

Anyway, I believe the thinner kerf of a 3/8 LP chain will be even faster than the fast I enjoy. I don't know how it will stand up to blocking, and I don't know how it'll stand up to the insane power that's gonna be thrown at it, and I don't know how long it'll hold it's sharpness.

But I'm gonna find out....

 

[clearance]

Use what works best for you, I guess a killer 346 would work better on a strip and chunk show if you could just let the branches fall, especially on big branches. I only use an 020 cutting branches, some of the branches I cut have to go where I want them to. On big conifers beside and overhanging the powerline one handing an 020 is the best way to go. I am always in the best spot to push or hold a branch, work positioning has nothing to do with why I one hand. Handsaws definetly have a place, I try to cut multiple little guys and grab them with my left, conifers just have too many branches to use a handsaw all day.

 

[kf_tree]

I gave up the top handled saws over a year ago. I climb with the 346, and one or two Silkys.

Very much looking forward to the narrow-kerf power ported 346 climbing saw. It should sizzle. Sizzle is good.

ok i'm sold......i need to pick up a 346 and get it modified. i mainly want it for big removals where i'm ropeing everything anyway. so the one handed thing won't really come into play.

 

[Tree Machine]

I guess a killer 346 would work better on a strip and chunk show if you could just let the branches fall, especially on big branches.

Getting them to fall the desired direction is the whole key. Very often that means dropping a V-notch on the underside, at some angle, and then a back cut resulting in a tapered hinge, and she drops.

If it's a matter of throwing the limb, same V-notch, nick the top, kill the saw. Pull the Silky and finish until you can hear the fibers cracking.

If you can take the limb right to the threshold where the next draw is going to let er fall, you can put the Silky away, double hand the limb and give it some pressure.

Either way, I frequently do hinge cuts up in the air and I like to knock the wedge out fast. The 346 loves wedge cuts, through cuts snap cuts, rips,...

I'm just all-out curious to know how the 346 will perform with the narrow kerf bar and chain.

 

[clearance]

Tree Machine-how you do it is how we are supposed to do it. When I took the final class to get certified to work around power I had enough handsaw time to last me for years. Any freeclimbing or one-handing resulted in failing the course. We had to stop our saw and make the last cut with a handsaw, blocks included. The whole time I just kept telling myself "suck it up, do it, you'll never have to see this moron again". When I got back to work in the real world, I instantly went back to the "bad habits". Thanks for the p.c. heads up, glad it works for you, I like to get it done quick, fast and nasty, but I am after all I am a utility hack.

 

[YUKON 659]

I run a 346 (muffler opened up) with narrow kerf chain and for a 50cc class saw it cuts like crazy...can't imagine what a ported one would cut like.

Jeff

 

[Marky Mark]

Jeff if you can make it you'll see a 346 from EHP that will out cut much bigger saws. The 346xp might be the go to saw for alot of people and ported they run crazy, but you don't want it free ported either. Ask RB tree about his 357xp that ported for him. I hear he likes it better than his 7900.
The 346 runs way smother with the 3/8ths.