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GCJenks204

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I have had the pleasure of having 3 saws done for me by Randy. While I don't any of them anymore I will have another one soon (Randy soon so like a year??? )

Saw #1 A 044 that I won i the @Adirondackstihl raffle a few years back. This saw had been graciously donated by @hseII (Thank you again sir). Before Randy ported the saw we had quite a conversation about what I intended to use the saw for and that I planned on putting a 24" bar on it. Randy completed the work keeping me in the loop all the way along and shipped it to an alternate address in the USA where I had someone pick it up and bring it across the border for me.

I had few occasions to use the saw and it really ate up the chips. me being a relative saw newbie though I was always concerned about keeping the carb adjusted (not that it seemed to need it0 but I didn't want to french it up!!! This saw now lives in New York and at last check the new owner hasn't wiped the smile off his face yet...

Saw #2 A MS660 that Randy ported and donated to the @tree monkey raffles a couple years back. ( Not that I want anyone to need our generousity but when is the next raffle??? ). The process / story goes much like saw #1 but I picked it up myself in Minneapolis last summer. I was giggling like a school girl the first time I fired it up out back in the parking lot of our store.

I didn't really have a need for a saw this large and my friend @Ryan Browne so this now lives with him in Wi.

Saw #3 Realizing that 90cc was more than I needed I entered conversation with Randy about something in the 60cc range. We talked about different options and agreed on a deal that Randy would build me a 562Xp up from a set of cases that he had had repaired and powder coated. Saw was completed as promised, test videos or on his youtube page. I will never forget the PM he sent with the subject line Wow, Just WOW.

This is the part of the story that really tells Randy's character. We'd had a couple conversations about this saw and he knew I wasn't truly happy about it. Nothing wrong with the saw, just I am not a Husky guy. Randy offered to trade the saw back for something else (MS362CM) or he would take it back and sell it for me. Let's just say Randy refused to have an unhappy customer out there.

I can't wait for saw #4. It will be an MS462, unless I get really impatient and want something else instead...
 

CapitaineHaddoc

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I have 3 Masterminded saws, both of them are great runners. Never have an issue on any of them. And I'm a full-time logger.

I only bought one directly from Randy, my MMWS 562 XP. Randy bought a new saw from another sponsor (Spike60) for a good price, then he port it and sent it to me. As I live in another country, this was the best way to have a good priced saw and I know Randy did a great job, the muffler is just a piece of art.

I bought my MMWS 6100 from another member, but Randy helped us with the transaction. It was a bit difficult to have it tuned perfectly, but it's the strongest 60cc saw I ever run. Like on my 562xp, the muffler looks great.

I also bought my MMWS 346XP from another member, great little saw. I just had a few questions about it, and Randy answered all of them.

I won't hesitate to buy my next new saw from Randy, maybe a 572XP?
 

Jon1212

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I've had three saws from Randy.

A 261/262 that I bought as part of a fundraiser for Wigglesworth to get his back fixed. It was a strong saw, but I ended up donating it as a prize for the Tree Sling'r fundraiser after he forgot to let go of the branch he was feeding into a chipper.

Poulan 4000 that was super bad ass, but another Utah resident owns it now.

And last but certainly not least is my early MMWS MS390.....much maligned in stock form, but this saw is far from stock.
 

Definitive Dave

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I've done business with @Mastermind a number of times.
The first time I contacted him, based solely on reading done over at ArboristSite before the hacking and the crash, was for an MS362 that was slower than our MS360 pro and MS361.
He turned me down and sent me to a competitor @blsnelling and told me he had a better recipe for that model and was in my state and a good guy to deal with.

So when it was time to get a big saw ported and I asked Brad about an 064 I had gotten from another AS member, he told me Randy was the go to guy for that model.
This was to be the first of at least eight Mastermind saws to grace my garage.
Randy sent me an initial first time customer email letting me know when to send the saw, how to package it, when my tentative build date would be and how much it would cost and when to expect to be paid. At that time an initial payment of $100 was required and the balance when the saw was finished and ready to ship back home.
When he asked me what size bar this would be wearing I told him it was my biggest saw (which it was at the time) and that it would likely wear a 28" 3/8 .050 (again my biggest bar at the time), but if i ever needed a bigger bar it would also go on this saw.
He let me know about a few small issues he found with the saw that were why it was a cold-hearted-*b-word to start if it wasn't at least 70 degrees outside. New seals and gaskets, impulse and rebuilding the carb, which again at that time was voodoo sorcery to me. His price to fix everything he found was less than the diagnostic charge would have been locally and everything was fixed and on the way back to me, ported, in short order.

We cut down a butt-load of big dead ash that year and it has been my go-to big saw for work ever since. My climber was always eager to run the Snackie64 anytime the opportunity arose and we got a 32" bar for it when we ran across a tree with a 78" base and the dealer didn't have a 36".
It has been a couple years since i did any legitimate tree work, but in that time one of my neighbors who owned a custom car restoration garage and also formerly a tree service asked about borrowing a larger saw than his ms391 to take care of a large tree hanging over an elderly neighbor's garage and fence. I outfitted the Snackie64 with a 36" and new skip round chain and gave him a gallon of fresh fuel mixed 32:1 (think it was klotz benol).
When he brought it back a couple hours later he was giddy like a school girl and told me it ran like it was "mad at the wood". He said he could push it as hard as he was able and it still cut like a beast and really only cleaned up properly when he did really push it. I was astonished at how much wood he put on the ground and blocked up in the time he had it.
I actually though it was broken when he brought it back because it hadn't been long enough to get the work done, but nope, all was well.

I feel bad that this saw doesn't get used much now... It has sort of been for sale for at least a year but I want so much for it that it never seems to make it out the door, I am a relapsed recovering saw hoarder lol. At some point since it was ported I sent the minty top cover badge to somebody who needed it for a special saw, but I couldn't let snackie look that way so it has a new old stock 064 metal badge OEM top cover now, shining like a diamond.

Ill look for pics and maybe video of this beast running and update this post when i can.
Needless to say the MonkeyMan did me right on this saw (and all the others for that matter).
Dave
 

drf256

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I own one ported saw from another builder here, a MMWS 066.

I was new to the AS when I purchased it, and knew little about saws. I had bought my 066 at a garage sale for $15. It needed bearings, so I did the job. Fast forward 8 years later, I chose Randy to be the builder of my first ported saw.

I get a PM from him telling me the saw had an AM jug on it that he couldn't modify. No used parts were around at that time. He told me a new OEM P&C was $230, but if I sent him $200-that would be fine. I told him no, you'll get $230, that's what it cost.

The next interaction was asking me if it smoked a lot during use. He sent me a pic of the crankcase full of bar oil. I offered more $$$ for him to fix the situation. I was told, "Dont worry, I took care of it already. No additional charge. I added some nice Dawgs as well". I had removed the Dawgs for shipping and never told Randy. I explained this after the fact. His answer was "No worries Al, I wanted you to have a nice saw".

I got my saw back, fired it up, and ser it to the 15k all ported saws need to run at. It was fast, but it lacked torque. I pm'd Randy who told me to call him. He told me to tune it by ear, not the tach. The saw became a beast. I said I'd never imagine it would be that much stronger richer at low rpm to which he replied "Try to tell the guys on the forum that". Lol...

I've beat the hell out of the saw for 2 years now. It pops on the first pull and runs flawlessly. It even was dynod at the CT GTG last year. It made an honest 8hp. Another builder was beating his chest that his 066 made 1.5-2hp more than mine. We all stood back and looked at the power curves. The other builders torque curve looked like Mount Everest. Mine looked like a table for the entire useable rpm range. It had wayyyy more area under the curve than the other. Bill Corey looked at the curves, pointed to mine and said "Yup, that's a Randy saw. Not peaky and tons of real useable power".

Over the years I've become proud to call Randy my friend. Anyone that likes a saw I've done should thank Randy also. 99% of my saw knowledge comes from him being patient enough to answer my tiring dumb constant questions and from him being generous with information he gained through years of research.

Everyone here already seems to know that Randy is a class act. He'll say "I don't build the fastest saws"-yeah buddy, but you build the best ones.

There's a reason there's always a wait list at Cottle lane.

Kudos Pal.
 

trooney

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I'm not into writing alot and am not going to start now!!! Lol But I could write a piece like "War and Peace" about my transactionwith Randy. I sent him a 262 and assumed it was being worked on when I recieved a call from Randy asking about the whereabouts of my saw. I told him I sent it, the PO said it was delivered. Showed him a picture of the receipt. He tore his house apart looking for that saw. No go. What sets a good porter apart fromthe rest is how he handles himself faced with adversity. He told me he would build me my 262 from parts he had laying around, and proceded to do so. I even offered to send a spare 87 carb his way, and he declined and said he'll figure out something. He did, a 199 reverse engineered . So I'm the owner of the first (might be only) MMWS 262 with 199 carb! Randy went out of his way to make sure I was happy, while I appreciated his willingness to make me happy,I was concerned that he didn't make on dime on the build. Words can not express my gratitude for Randy and his attitude. We are friends today. The saw cuts excellent and I've since returned to Randy for some more help. Randy's honesty and integrity are at the top of the list. Thank you Mr. Evans for a great saw and an even greater example of how to be a great human being!
 

Greg Newman

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MMWS 346 & 395

Randy did an excellent job on both my saws top notch work. He is a awesome saw builder and even better person. I don't have time to figure out all the science of what makes saws perform better. Randy has spent the countless time & money in his R&D which is proven to work in the way my saws perform. That's why I send my saws to Randy.

My 346 pulls a 20" bar with 3/8 chain with authority. I use this saw the most of any. This saw will never be sold. It helped get my family to the hospital on November 30th last year when a tornado destroyed our home, which is a story for a different time.

My 395 is a total power house. This saw chews thru anything with ease I throw at it. This saw is a pleasure to run for whatever I'm using it it for.
 

Dustin4185

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I only have one MMWS ported saw for now. A lovely MS461 that is a joy to run. He also told me he doesn't build the fastest saws, but it is a very strong saw. Everyone (not many) that has run it has been amazed. You can lean on this saw and it just eats. We have a stock 461 at work and a few other guys have one as well. It is night and day when you compare the two.

Randy is a great guy and likes to talk a little. When I dropped the saw off, I was in my agency truck since I was on the way to a meeting in Crossville. After we talked WAY too long, he told me I needed to leave before the neighbors started thinking he was a poacher! I just contacted him about getting a few more saws ported for me.
 

ZERO

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Randy @Mastermind made me plunge into the port saw world. After watching countless videos, I did not know what to expect from a ported saw. Initially chatting with Randy, he explained what a woods port does as opposed to having a full racing saw. At the time, set a timeline of six weeks, and on the fifth week he emailed me that the saw was ready to ship out. Everything was packaged well for my international shipping, Randy promptly provided the shipping number the day the saw left. When the saw arrived, gave me instructions on proper break in and other minor details. Always answered any emails within a day, saw itself is a beast for a 60cc class, I could not be happier with how it performs. Randy gets an A+ on the initial transaction, the build, post build support, and the awesome torque this saw produces. I am so happy with his build, I would not hesitate to contact Randy for another project. Had so much fun with this saw, I totally forgot to document its carnage.

TKX8stu.jpg
 

dustinwilt68

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I have a 357xp MMWS and he has my 7910 currently and I have a 395 and another saw scheduled for later as well, communication with Randy is always easy and fast, he does very good quality work, doesn't let anything slide by, if there is something he hadn't expected on a saw, he contacts you and asks what you would like to do, I always look forward to sending him another saw, I know when I get it back it is going to run strong for a long time, he will tell you he doesn't build race saws, but they sure run pretty close to them. He builds quality saws that are made to last. He is even a better person then a builder and that says a lot! I consider him to be a good friend.
 

RyeThomas

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IMG_0837.JPG IMG_0838.JPG I just purchased a MMWS 461r, I had a 461 prior to that. This MMWS 461 is an absolute joy to run and just keeps pulling. My wife (who doesn't know it's a ported saw) said " that new saw is very loud and just sounds really different", lol. I'm ruined for life.

But those dual dogs sure make it heavy, LOL.
 

Onan18

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I am the lucky owner of two Mastermind Husqvarnas, a 272 and a 288.

The 272 was my first 70cc class saw, and was my goto saw for several years. I decided to have it ported and there was no doubt that I wanted Randy to do it. I split the case to give the saw a good once over, and took it up to Randys. I told him no rush as i have plenty of saws, and we agreed that i would pick it up at the 2017 GTG. As promised the saw was done and it is hilariously fast with a 20" 3/8 0.050" bar and chain setup. My buddy Michael was at the GTG with me, he has a very good running stock 272. There was absolutely no comparison, so much so that Mike thought there was something wrong with his saw. :risas3:

The 288 is the one from the tree monkey raffle, again I did a full rebuild on the saw before it went to Randy and we agreed that I would pick it up at the 2017 GTG. All I can say about that saw is HOLY $#1T!!!!!!!! I put a 24" bar and chain combo on and it was a joke, saw didn't even know it was there. I am looking forward to getting some bigger firewood to process so I can put some time on it.

I would never hesitate to recommend Randy to anybody, he was great to deal with and beyond patient with me; I consider him a true friend.
 

Jon1212

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I had a few spare moments today, so I went over to the wood lot with my MMWS 261C. As per instructed to reset the M-Tronic system, I let the saw idle with the choke on for 90 seconds, shut it off, then fired it back up.
I made a couple of dozen bucking cuts in some really hard stuff. Then a few noodling cuts in some big pine rounds. All with the Clearance tagged($25) Oregon 16" 325 063 Combo set.....
20180119_134156.jpg 20180119_134259.jpg 20180119_133822.jpg

"Wow!".....this thing is impressive.
 

Dustin4185

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I had a few spare moments today, so I went over to the wood lot with my MMWS 261C. As per instructed to reset the M-Tronic system, I let the saw idle with the choke on for 90 seconds, shut it off, then fired it back up.
I made a couple of dozen bucking cuts in some really hard stuff. Then a few noodling cuts in some big pine rounds. All with the Clearance tagged($25) Oregon 16" 325 063 Combo set.....
View attachment 107549 View attachment 107550 View attachment 107551

"Wow!".....this thing is impressive.
I love mine. It will probably become the most grabbed saw in my fleet. My son can run it with close supervision, and it weighs nothing. I'm running a Sugi 16" 3/8" setup on mine.
 

Tim N

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I have a 084 stihl that i bought a few years ago. I didnt really need it but it was priced right. I wasnt impressed at all. I didnt think it had much if anything over my flat top 066. I discovered Randy on another chainsaw forum and contacted him. We talked about what he would do with saw and i sent it to him. When i got it back i was amazed. Night and day difference. Saw is a beast. Love it now. Great guy to deal with
 

SteveinUT

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I've had three saws from Randy.

A 261/262 that I bought as part of a fundraiser for Wigglesworth to get his back fixed. It was a strong saw, but I ended up donating it as a prize for the Tree Sling'r fundraiser after he forgot to let go of the branch he was feeding into a chipper.

Poulan 4000 that was super bad ass, but another Utah resident owns it now.

And last but certainly not least is my early MMWS MS390.....much maligned in stock form, but this saw is far from stock.

Being that other Utah resident that now owns the Poulan 4000, I concur! It IS super bad ass! Fastest cutting saw I own. It cuts pine and aspen like a hot knife thru butter. Very strong saw. It made me such a believer in Randy's work that I am sending my 353, along with a new oem 346 p&c to him next month for porting and converting to 346xp. Good *s-word!
 
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