Shindaiwa 350

Four Paws · Jun 10, 2006

First off, let me say this is a great site...been lurking in the shadows and reading for a while, and now I have a few questions to ask.

I have a Shindaiwa 350 that my dad gave me when he broke down and bought a new 360. This 350 was his limb saw (the saw I ran for years) and he also had a 550 he used on bigger wood. We ran a firewood business for many years back in Ohio, which he continued to run after I moved out west. The 350 had (and still has) countless hours on it. It was meticulously maintained and it always started, always ran strong, and was always a reliable saw! I recently went through the saw, put a new 16" bar on it (which I now regret as my needs for the saw have changed). The internals look amazing for a saw with so much time on it - always used synthetic oil at 40:1. The cylinder bore is smooth and un-scored. Next to no carbon deposits on the piston. Still makes great compression.

As you can imagine, I am feeling a little power loss as I am at 5000' elevation. I also put the 16" bar on it when I was just planning on cutting a small ammount of wood with it (for camping, a few fires in the fireplace, etc.). Just recently I moved into a house with 2 Blaze King wood stoves used for auxillary heat - so now I wish I would have put a 14" bar on it (would have helped with the power issue) for use as a limb saw, as I am in the market for a bigger saw now for use on bigger wood.

NOW, after my long winded introduction, I was wondering if anyone could offer a gear-head with an itch for more power some hints on modding my 350. It is a 1987 model and has the pre-EPA carb on it. It has a 2 ring piston and the muffler is fairly unrestricted and very clean - however I could open it up some. I would prefer to build my own pipe if it would be worth it, and someone could help me out and get me headed in the right direction. I am also willing to port it - never ported a 2-stroke before, but I have done plenty of 4-stroke heads on cars and dirtbikes.

I know Shindaiwa saws don't exactly have the reputation that Stihl and Husky have, but there are a few folks who appreciate them. Brand loyalty aside, this saw is a remarkable statement to Shindaiwas durability and longevity.

THANKS in advance for your help!!!

saxman · Jun 10, 2006

Hi Four Paws, I have 2 Shindaiwa 350 chainsaws and they are fantastic little saws. I agree with you that on this site Shindaiwa saws are not spoken of very much. I had a 575 Shindaiwa until someone broke into my garage and helped themself to it. I have 3 Stihl chainsaws also, a 044, MS361 and a MS260, they are great saws also, but for what they cost they should be! The dirty little secret is that I think the Shindaiwa saws are just as well made and dependable, so now there are 2 of us!!! As for "souping up" your 350, I don't really have a clue. I would suggest opening the exhaust up a lttle maybe. I would suggest you leave the 350 stock and buy a bigger saw. My brother has a 757 Shindaiwa that is awesome. I would also recommend the Stihl MS361, they are great saws. Have fun!

farmboy9 · Jun 10, 2006

No, i don't know either but

but I have to say, there are at least three (not two) shindaiwa fanatics on this site! I have a Shindaiwa 757 and it goes like an ox...not particularly fast but it will pull a horse backwards. Other saws are good and Stihl are excellent but Shindaiwa is top Japanese engineering and I for one won't be sneering at that. I have used a 32" bar on my Shinny to cut 40"diameter blue gums and with the full length in the wood, it growled and kept pulling. Impressive, it had torque like a diesel engine.

Four Paws · Jun 10, 2006

Thanks for the replies! I was thinking of trying to open up the exhaust, but like I said, it is pretty open. Guess I could pull the baffle out of it and (what I am assuming is) the spark arrestor screen.

I would like to get a 488 with a 20" bar, and a 757 with a 30"+ just because I like having a 'collection' of everything as my wife puts it! Likely, the 350 and the 488 would do all I need - about 6 cords a year plus some recreational trimming. So, if anyone has a 488 or 757 they want to sell me, post up!