To Port or Not to Port

[RiverRat2]

True!!!!!

I've waited to post for a while to see what others had to say. As a saw builder, I say that for the average guy it is definitely not needed. However if you are a professional or you count on your saw to make you a dollar then you may want to look into it. If you are jsut a guy (or gal) who likes high performance; then definately.

Ben mentioned "Average Joe" the average joe does not spend another 2-6 hundred dollars for performance or he would not have bought the home owner or poulan saw in the first place. He most likely isn't the guy considering buying a modified saw. The guy who buys a top quality saw and then spends 5 bills having taken to sweatness is already using the best fuel and oil he or she can get.

Lakeside mentioned modified not being very common or at least not where he is at. Maybe so up in the city but down here in this part of Washington; every logger and his grandmother ports his own saws. I have stacks of different cylinders from shops I have bought out where guys have done their home made jobs. Most are workable and some are funny. Some done with great skill and others look like they where done with a cold chisel. It is not just an AS phenomenon. It's been around ever since there where saws and always will be. City folk do tend to be a little less self reliant though.

Well Said,,,,, there is just something neat about holdin all that torque in your hands,,,, It is definitley a RUSH!!! and once youve done it,,,,,,,, be careful cause.......

There's no goin back!!!!!!!!!!! Only bigger and faster

 

[klickitatsacket]

Lake, in the grand scheme of things you are right but I think it is a bit bigger than you might think. Or then again you could be right and because of the business I am in I see it a little skewed.

Ben there are always the idiots. Guys going beyond buying a good saw and having modified are usually the ones who really know what they want and understand performance. Not to say one doesn't slip through now and then but very few by the time you putting that much cash into it. Again maybe i am looking at it from a skewed perspective, but I can't say that I have any body who isn't at least educated by the time they get their saw back.

 

[RiverRat2]

I wouldn't say it was an assumption,,,,

I wouldnt make that assumption. You would be surprised at the number of guys that walk into a saw dealer and buy the biggest saw they can afford, despite being clueless. I have also noticed that many guys buy saws based on what the local loggers use. thats why the 440, 372, 357 and 361 are big sellers around here.
Just the other day I was at my dealers shop and he had a nearly new 385 on the bench that was seized up. No oil in the gas. The saw also had the paint burnt of the bar just a head of the dogs which is a telling sign.

I would think the average Joe wouldn't even think about cuttin up the cylinder on their new saw....... And it sounds like to me tha dude who toasted the 385 wasn't tha brightest crayon in tha box...JMHO :monkey:

 

[bcorradi]

Aren't we always quick to assume that when saws are used by professionals (loggers, tree service people, etc.) that they are maintained well? Is this really true? Do the people out there servicing saws on a regular basis see different problems with the saws they see from homeowners vs what they see from professional users?

 

[oldsaw]

When most people hear of modded saws they think of Joe Blow's teenage son down the street who chopped the mufflers off of his little rice grinder to go faster and has no concept of second gear or paying for tires. That's my take anyway.

Funny you mention that. There was a guy with a 600cc Kawasaki on the freeway the other day. He had pulled the muffler off of his bike and was just on the headpipe. Louder than stink, sounded awful, and only slightly faster than my wife's Windstar. He was dumping on it and couldn't pull away from me until 80 mph when I backed off. BTW, I wasn't driving that hard either, but he sure was. I would have out accelerated him from 50-80 if I would have tried. He was many many dB faster than stock

Mark

 

[Woodie]

... And it sounds like to me tha dude who toasted the 385 wasn't tha brightest crayon in tha box...

Possible "burnt sienna" candidate, I would agree...

 

[oldsaw]

Read up and port it yourself! Under $50 of tools and an afternoon of your time is required. Once you run a ported saw you will be all grins

Don't forget the "thinking fluid". Sawinredneck likes to mod with a buzz on, and it seemed to work well.

Mark

 

[XJWoody]

appreciate all the advice / input in this thread, since I have a hankering to get my 371 woods ported.

The 'why' question is easily answered with 'why not?' I bought it purely as a 'fun' saw... making it louder would be easy. Making it louder with more oomph is the goal. It won't ever be my go-to saw (I don't think) but I got it just for self-amusement, and to let the neighbors know I love them hammering & skil-sawing from daylight to dark & beyond some nights. Several years ago, they had a D9 Cat, that couldn't move anywhere, but it could start, and start it they did... usually early on weekend mornings... We aren't close-by, but it shook the house! My daughter called it the bullzoder... On the other hand, I've had a couple Harleys with drag pipes... and I'd leave for work @ 0600 ) It was like a symphony up here.... The other neighbors must hate us all. But I suppose city folks got city noises to deal with.

As far as my 'new' 361... I considered sending it off too, but I'll try a simple muffler mod & re-tune first. Pick the low-hanging fruit and see how sweet that is.

 

[Lakeside53]

Aren't we always quick to assume that when saws are used by professionals (loggers, tree service people, etc.) that they are maintained well? Is this really true? Do the people out there servicing saws on a regular basis see different problems with the saws they see from homeowners vs what they see from professional users?

Way too quick... Consumers often neglect their saws, and occasionally destroy then in the process, but apart from dull chains, burned bars, dirty air filters and clogged fuel system, most are in excellent shape.. Pro saws on the other hand are some of the worst I have to deal with.. beaten, worn out, badly maintained, patched together and often multiple failures/problems... Most are "run them until they drop.."... then run more, then more... I have to twist arms to get them to buy a new air filter. So.. how long has that seal been leaking??

A small percentage of my pro customers "get it"; most don't and don't care. I keep all the broken air filter boxes, and other covers from the consumers saws.. A little duct tape - pro's snatch them up...

 

[woodfarmer]

ehp 2159

here's a pic of the 2159 i had modded, i don't work on my own saws, i'm a driver not a mechanic, so i have the guy who knows what he's doing mod. its ported and muffler modded. its an e-tech, wouldn't run worth a crap before it was modded. i asked lots of questions on as and waited a year before i sent it to be modded because it was new. what a waste of time from now on every new saw i buy will be modded right out of the box. no fear anymore.

 

[bcorradi]

Way too quick... Consumers often neglect their saws, and occasionally destroy then in the process, but apart from dull chains, burned bars, dirty air filters and clogged fuel system, most are in excellent shape.. Pro saws on the other hand are some of the worst I have to deal with.. beaten, worn out, badly maintained, patched together and often multiple failures/problems... Most are "run them until they drop.."... then run more, then more... I have to twist arms to get them to buy a new air filter. So.. how long has that seal been leaking??

A small percentage of my pro customers "get it"; most don't and don't care. I keep all the broken air filter boxes, and other covers from the consumers saws.. A little duct tape - pro's snatch them up...

Thanks Andy. I don't own or work in a service shop myself, but that is what I hear also from the servicing dealers I have talk to.

 

[bcorradi]

Woodfarmer,

Whats your reason for saying that? Is it because of how dissatisified you were with your 2159 before you had it modded? Are any of your other saws modded?

 

[timberwolf]

2159/359 e-tech is not impressive in stock form, but makes big gains from both muffler and engine modification.

 

[bcorradi]

Thanks Timberwolf I'm not too familiar with jonsereds or huskies.

 

[Woodie]

here's a pic of the 2159 i had modded, i don't work on my own saws, i'm a driver not a mechanic, so i have the guy who knows what he's doing mod. its ported and muffler modded. its an e-tech, wouldn't run worth a crap before it was modded. i asked lots of questions on as and waited a year before i sent it to be modded because it was new. what a waste of time from now on every new saw i buy will be modded right out of the box. no fear anymore.

I'm thinking of getting a Hearded 2152 myself...glad to hear you like your 2159.

One of Ed's selling points is the place he puts his second port, he says it reduces the amount of additional noise that gets bounced off the log and back at the operator. Would you agree? How much louder was your 2159 after you Hearded it?

 

[klickitatsacket]

There is always a difference between the Operator and the guy that Runs equipment (usually into the ground). One of the indicators or dividing line is having a shop modify your saw professionally. The operator will see the return on his investment and understands, the guy who runs his saw isn't willing to put the money into something he is going to run into the ground. He sees no value in it.

 

[bcorradi]

There is always a difference between the Operator and the guy that Runs equipment (usually into the ground). One of the indicators or dividing line is having a shop modify your saw professionally. The operator will see the return on his investment and understands, the guy who runs his saw isn't willing to put the money into something he is going to run into the ground. He sees no value in it.

I'm a little confused by your definitions. Are you referring to the
Business Owner = "Operator"
Owner's Employees = "Guy who runs his saw"

 

[spacemule]

I'm a little confused by your definitions. Are you referring to the
Business Owner = "Operator"
Owner's Employees = "Guy who runs his saw"

Marketing again.

 

[klickitatsacket]

I'm a little confused by your definitions. Are you referring to the
Business Owner = "Operator"
Owner's Employees = "Guy who runs his saw"

When I worked in construction there were guys who operated equipment. They did not abuse it or run it as hard as it went to try and make up for lack of skill. They listened to the machine and could feel it in their hands. Then there were the guys who just ran a piece of equipment as hard as it would go and tore things up. This can be any one pro or not. Just the difference between the two approaches.

 

[woodfarmer]

the 2159 was definately lacking out of the box
i hav'nt had any of my other saws modded yet, other than muffler mods i don't intend on getting any port modding done (famous last words)
they are louder, i always wear ear muffs so the noise is not bothersome it sounds awesome, goto youtube enter "ehp2159" and you should find my little video.
klickit, i think i get the gist of what your saying, i am therefore an owner/operator as i own all my equipment and am the only one that uses it.
i know of tree companies in my are that don't even sharpen their own chains, when they are done for the day they just don't have the desire to sharpen several chains every night