WHY do you modify saws?

[Jim Colton]

What are the primary pros and cons of engine and muffler modifications for saws in particular and equipment in general? I see equipment selection as a balance of cost, weight, performance, ergonomics, durability, even status. It seems to me the manufacturers would recognize what was desired in the market and offer that as an option. Why is it then that new saws need to be ported and have mufflers opened if those enhancements are so clear to see as desirable? Is it that safety and environmental constraints have dummed down more important standards? Why are high performance saws not available off the shelf? Looking for perspective here.

 

[Stihlproincky]

The epa is who we thank for restricted mufflers. As far as porting goes, saw manufacturers build cylinders based on what their engineers design. The engineers design things based on metal hardness/strength and whatnot, they really don't want a saw that will fail, so they err on the side of caution, using thicker metal. When we port a saw we accept that if we go too far, it could fail. Also when a saw is designed, all the ports, exhaust, intake and transfers are designed by the expected performance of the saw. So like I said, when saws are ported, you are running the risk of messing something up with the trade off that if all goes well, you'll end up with a better performing saw.
BTW, I mod my mufflers and will definitely port saws when I get the money.

 

[NSEric]

The sound and emission restrictions on new saws hold back the power a bit and make the saws run hotter then they could.
On new saws like the husky 550 or 562, I just open up the muffler to get the heat out and skip the porting.
On old cheaper saws I go nuts porting them as I like to tinker with stuff and parts are cheap if I screw up.

 

[Jim Colton]

Are there no models being manufactured with the idea in mind they will have shorter lifespans but be lighter and more powerful than their competition? I am thinking of what I would want in a limbing saw rather than a felling saw. Or are climbing/limbing saws already leaning toward those goals?

 

[fields_mj]

The epa is who we thank for restricted mufflers. As far as porting goes, saw manufacturers build cylinders based on what their engineers design. The engineers design things based on metal hardness/strength and whatnot, they really don't want a saw that will fail, so they err on the side of caution, using thicker metal. When we port a saw we accept that if we go too far, it could fail. Also when a saw is designed, all the ports, exhaust, intake and transfers are designed by the expected performance of the saw. So like I said, when saws are ported, you are running the risk of messing something up with the trade off that if all goes well, you'll end up with a better performing saw.
BTW, I mod my mufflers and will definitely port saws when I get the money.

There's also the the issue that these things are mass produced and therefore there is some variation in the components. With today's machining technologies, manufacturers can hold some pretty tight tolerances on the machined surfaces, but the castings still have a fair amount of variation. Variation in the castings can also drive the manufacturers to be more conservative on their dimensions.

 

[James Sawyer]

Mod saws give you more power in a lighter package. Depending on what type of cutting you do... you can gain more horsepower or torque and chain speed. But you burn more fuel... more power higher fuel usage. Getting the heat out with a muffler mod helps reliability is my opinion.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I mod them simply because I can but always within reason.

 

[Jim Colton]

I mod them simply because I can but always within reason.

This sounds like a hobby machinist perspective. Sometimes I choose to make a part that takes two hours and $1 in materials when I could have bought the part for $1.95. There must be a lot of cheaper models not worth the effort to mod that get modified for this type of thought process.

 

[Jim Colton]

Mod saws give you more power in a lighter package. Depending on what type of cutting you do... you can gain more horsepower or torque and chain speed. But you burn more fuel... more power higher fuel usage. Getting the heat out with a muffler mod helps reliability is my opinion.

This is the basis of my original question. Are there no quality saws that are well enough designed and manufactured that modifying them other than polishing a bit simply is silly? Something you tear down and admire the build quality while reassembling without any inclination to reconfigure it? I guess restrictive mufflers will always be a point of dissatisfaction.

 

[Sidecarflip]

This sounds like a hobby machinist perspective. Sometimes I choose to make a part that takes two hours and $1 in materials when I could have bought the part for $1.95. There must be a lot of cheaper models not worth the effort to mod that get modified for this type of thought process.

I'm not what you term a 'hobby machinist'. I own and operate a short run machine and fabricating shop and have 2 full time tool and die makers on my payroll. My climate controlled shop is 40 x 80 and even has 2 overhead cranes for moving heavy items as well as a Shop Saber 5 x 12 foot CNC table that I'm pretty sure is way beyond you financial means to own. That and numerous machine tools, both CNC as well as manual.

I only modify saws I feel need modified and most of that is allowing them to breathe better (both intake and exhaust).

I guess I'm a hobby machinist in a way, a hobby machinist with very expensive machine tools and precision measuring instrument's and a Journeyman's card in Tool and Die making and design plus AWS certifications in TIG welding.

Modding saws is just a hobby with me, nothing more.

 

[Mac&trees]

What are the primary pros and cons of engine and muffler modifications for saws in particular and equipment in general? I see equipment selection as a balance of cost, weight, performance, ergonomics, durability, even status. It seems to me the manufacturers would recognize what was desired in the market and offer that as an option. Why is it then that new saws need to be ported and have mufflers opened if those enhancements are so clear to see as desirable? Is it that safety and environmental constraints have dummed down more important standards? Why are high performance saws not available off the shelf? Looking for perspective here.

Emissions have the saws running to lean, opening the saws up and fatten the fuel air mix will have to ur saw performing and cooling better.

 

[Exophysical]

What are the primary pros and cons of engine and muffler modifications for saws in particular and equipment in general? I see equipment selection as a balance of cost, weight, performance, ergonomics, durability, even status. It seems to me the manufacturers would recognize what was desired in the market and offer that as an option. Why is it then that new saws need to be ported and have mufflers opened if those enhancements are so clear to see as desirable? Is it that safety and environmental constraints have dummed down more important standards? Why are high performance saws not available off the shelf? Looking for perspective here.

At one point I ran all my saws stock, then I started doing basic mods to most of them, now I'm starting to drift away from it.

The modded saws are more fun to run, but I recently realized that when I'm doing any major work I tend to gravitate to the ones I've left stock. Main reason is the increased noise, I take hearing protection pretty seriously but you inevitably do end up running a saw without once in awhile, and if your dog likes to come along the problem is pretty much self explanatory. Also, while I wear hearing protection even with a stock saw, other people helping with the project dont necessarily need to (I'll often bring the family, or pay one of my kids a few bucks to help with packin' and stackin')... with a modded saw anyone in the vicinity is also stuck dealing with the excessive noise, which isnt really fair IMO.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

There is also marketing and separation of product classes. They could make a factory "ported" 50cc saw that would run with a 60 class, but then why would anyone buy a 60cc saw just to carry more weight around?

 

[Paul Bunions]

I think it would be nice to get heavy-saw performance out of my new small saw, and I would like to get the heat out to make the saw last longer, but truthfully, I think fooling with saws is going to be more like a sickness.

 

[cookies]

Its done for increased production and reduced fatigue, modern saws are designed with epa regulations in mind to stay within their emissions ratings for 50 hours or 200 hours etc not full performance capabilities per cc. I know im spending 17 seconds cutting through a 18 inch log instead of 25 seconds, repeat that by 15 times a hour for 5 hours a day, it adds up!

 

[Agrarian]

This is the basis of my original question. Are there no quality saws that are well enough designed and manufactured that modifying them other than polishing a bit simply is silly? Something you tear down and admire the build quality while reassembling without any inclination to reconfigure it? I guess restrictive mufflers will always be a point of dissatisfaction.

For me, that would be the early (1990 - 1992) Husky 262xp that had the KS cylinder and Walbro HDA-87 carb. It predates EPA so that didn't come into play.