So you want a ported chainsaw.....

[Definitive Dave]

So you want to buy a ported chainsaw……..

It is always a good idea to talk to prior customers of a particular builder, read reviews of their work and communicate with the builder themselves before deciding on where to send your chainsaw for porting.

A few things you should discuss with any builder you choose before sending money, parts or chainsaws to them. The more information you exchange ahead of time, the smoother things will go and the less chance of unpleasant surprises.

1. What saw do you want ported and who supplies the saw.

2. Has the builder done that model saw before and how many?

3. Any references from prior customers?

4. What condition is the saw in, some porters prefer only brand new saws and some are willing to do complete rebuilds for a fee.

5. What do you intend to use the chainsaw for after it is ported? What bar length and type chain? A chainsaw built for milling will likely not be a great cant saw for racing and vis versa.

6. What is the total price? When is payment made? Who pays for shipping?

7. How will things be handled if additional work is needed once the porter has the saw? Who provides the needed parts and will they be aftermarket or OEM?

8. How long will the process take? If there is a waiting list, when should the saw be sent?

 

[rocketnorton]

subbed just to see where this goes. lasted 5 pg on the 1500 one. have one [zcs] ported saw.

 

[dall]

dave maybe have a sub section for each builder as needed ?

 

[Wolverine]

First hand experience is the best advice to get too. Not some "I heard" BS.

 

[Ryan Browne]

What happens if the saw grenades on the first tank after it comes home? How about a year down the road? How about after it's sold to your buddy?

 

[Definitive Dave]

What happens if the saw grenades on the first tank after it comes home?
The review should say that along with what the builder did about it when you told him

How about a year down the road?
The review should say that and can be updated by the buyer when problems and solutions pop up.

How about after it's sold to your buddy?

Then I guess it's your buddy's turn to post

 

[Definitive Dave]

dave maybe have a sub section for each builder as needed ?

I think all the threads can live here unless we end up with a billion of them and then we can organize them differently.
If a dozen different Miller Mod Saws owners all post in the same thread that would work out great for a new guy wanting opinions about MMS to be able to find and read them easily. Same for any other builder/porter.

 

[Dub11]

I think another point to bring up is how familiar are you with internal combustion engines. Can you rebuild a saw? Do you know whats going on in there. And most importantly can you keep a chain sharpe

 

[Ryan Browne]

What happens if the saw grenades on the first tank after it comes home? How about a year down the road? How about after it's sold to your buddy?

Then I guess it's your buddy's turn to post

Sounds good. I also meant that these are good questions to ask the builder during the courtship, err, I mean interview, err decision making process...

 

[MattG]

What happens if the saw grenades on the first tank after it comes home? How about a year down the road? How about after it's sold to your buddy?

That just sounds analogous to taking your car to a decent car repair shop.

FWIW, we rarely do (usually I do it myself). But whenever the shop does do the work, we expect, and usually get..

1. that they gave it a test ride after the work, so it doesn't "grenade" too soon.
2. but should they guarantee all work (not parts) after a year? I'm not so sure on that one. A hell of a lot can happen to both a car and a chainsaw in a year.

Goes without saying that guarantee of external sourced parts is very mirky water, you make yer choices and you take yer chances...

 

[stihl_head1982]

Sounds like some good guidelines. There are several along the way that have "hung out a shingle" on the sites I've been a part of.
Some of the recent postings indicate that not all are absolutely honest. Would this qualifying thread be a help to those who may be wading out into the world of porters?

 

[Mastermind]

David, how about the builders? Are we gonna have a way to keep them from commenting? As in, locked out? Or are we gonna just ask them to stay out of it? Or.....do we cross that bridge as we run up on it?

Also........should I even be posting here? lol

 

[dall]

David, how about the builders? Are we gonna have a way to keep them from commenting? As in, locked out? Or are we gonna just ask them to stay out of it? Or.....do we cross that bridge as we run up on it?

Also........should I even be posting here? lol

get off my lawn your aerating it

 

[GCJenks204]

What happens if the saw grenades on the first tank after it comes home? How about a year down the road? How about after it's sold to your buddy?

I hope you aren't asking because you have a problem with a saw I sold you. If so please let me know and we'll get it back to the builder and taken care of.

 

[angelo c]

I do not understand why anyone would want anything more then your run-of-the -mill Piltz performance worksaw. Power of an 066- weight of a ms 180...
Call me when you "porter" dudes can top that !!!!

 

[Mastermind]

I hope you aren't asking because you have a problem with a saw I sold you. If so please let me know and we'll get it back to the builder and taken care of.

Yes.......yes we will.

 

[Ryan Browne]

I hope you aren't asking because you have a problem with a saw I sold you. If so please let me know and we'll get it back to the builder and taken care of.

Yes.......yes we will.

Oh no, certainly not! Didn't mean to give you guys a scare. I just meant that these are good questions for a feller interested in port work to ask another feller who offers that service.

I think it'd be reasonable for a builder to only offer any type of "warranty" to the guy who commissioned the work, but the customer should know that. Or maybe a warranty for a year, perhaps, or maybe the lifetime of the saw, I think that's up to the builder, but potential customers should know what to expect.

My MMWS660 runs superbly. It was a great tool to have when I helped out with some storm cleanup a month ago. Nice to be able to buck up that 36" pine from the uphill side, and make the final cut from a nice safe distance. Plus, everyone was very impressed by it, which is a little fun, and I enjoyed letting people pull the rope a time or two. Just gotta warn them not to hurt their shoulders.

 

[dall]

Oh no, certainly not! Didn't mean to give you guys a scare. I just meant that these are good questions for a feller interested in port work to ask another feller who offers that service.

I think it'd be reasonable for a builder to only offer any type of "warranty" to the guy who commissioned the work, but the customer should know that. Or maybe a warranty for a year, perhaps, or maybe the lifetime of the saw, I think that's up to the builder, but potential customers should know what to expect.

My MMWS660 runs superbly. It was a great tool to have when I helped out with some storm cleanup a month ago. Nice to be able to buck up that 36" pine from the uphill side, and make the final cut from a nice safe distance. Plus, everyone was very impressed by it, which is a little fun, and I enjoyed letting people pull the rope a time or two. Just gotta warn them not to hurt their shoulders.

i dont see the good of having a year warranty or much less lifetime warranty seals ,rubber hoses and consumables wear out
its always good insurance to replace seals and rubber hoses when having a saw ported unless it is a brand new saw

 

[redoakneck]

Very difficult to warranty any saw, ported or not, because of operator error.

I repair and tune stock saws that come back with the mixture screws turned in, no mix in the gas, old gas, left in the rain, blah, blah

I do them for trusting friends and run the saw with them after it is repaired, or I run it myself with a mutual friend so I know it is running well when returned.

Lots of guys just don't keep chains sharp enough and will force a screaming saw throwing dust thru cut after cut, then wonder why the piston is burned up!!!

Good post.

I haven't had any problems with the ported saws I have.

Be happy to throw thumbs up to Joe Stanley, Brad, and Randy!!

 

[Definitive Dave]

David, how about the builders? Are we gonna have a way to keep them from commenting? As in, locked out? Or are we gonna just ask them to stay out of it? Or.....do we cross that bridge as we run up on it?

only the customer will be allowed to post, a mini-mod will have to approve each one and we will respectfully decline to post other commentary

Also........should I even be posting here? lol

you are fine Randy, post a review of a saw you got from another guy