Anybody else satisfied with stock chainsaws?

[CR888]

Some builders just look at rpm and increased cutting speed, M/M has an approach I like which includes whether the saw can oil cutting 2k above spec, whether it will make your ears bleed, whether it has a forestry appoved spark screen, whether you can cut plenty of wood per tank, will it dislocate operators shoulder when starting cold, whether it will have a good service life and last and can have parts replaced by the owner instead of having to be shipped back to the builder when a new piston is needed. All these things need consideration on a true daily driver worksaw. Three cookies in a cant race...not so much.

 

[czar800]

Advance the timing about 6° and open the exhaust hole up and your 192 will be a different saw.

It dose need a little more pep! It's not on my bench...... Yet!

 

[KenJax Tree]

It dose need a little more pep! It's not on my bench...... Yet!

It takes about 15-20 minutes start to finish

 

[WOODS]

Philbert,

I had no problem with stock until Terry Landrum worked over my MS361. It is hard to believe the difference. EPA or no EPA it is also hard to believe that Stihl would leave so much performance untapped. It is a little loud for my taste and takes a few more pulls to crank when cold but it runs great.

Other than a little smoothing on some, my many Macs are stock (or a combination of stock parts) though I been waiting for MM to do something with his PM850. Through the grapevine I heard something about him recommending shaving a 1/16" off the piston skirt on the intake side which I tried but the saw seized before I could put in the wood.

Ron

 

[czar800]

It takes about 15-20 minutes start to finish

Hmm,but it's in the detached garage and it's cold outside!

 

[KenJax Tree]

Hmm,but it's in the detached garage and it's cold outside!

I did mine on the kitchen table when the wife was gone[emoji1]

 

[Cut4fun]

I know that it makes me sounds boring,

And it could get me ostracized on a fan site like this.

But it's an election year, so a good time for all opinions to be heard.

Anybody else satisfied with stock chainsaws? Happy if they start and run the way that STIHL or Husqvarna (or other) engineers intended them to? I never heard of 'modded' saws until frequenting sites like this. And a few have been fun to try at GTG's. But I have had plenty of frustration with saws that wold not start, or were dirty, or poorly maintained. So give me a clean, well maintained saw that starts, runs, and has a sharp chain, and I am probably going to be a happy camper.

(flame on)

Philbert

Yep I went from stock. To all ported work and race. Now back to all stock. The wood dont care.

All I want and all the firewood cutter wants around me I take care of. Is a saw that will start, cut, idle all day and have a sharp chain.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Best stock saw I have run would be an 044, 10mm. That saw was really strong. Have an 034, and 7900, 7300 that are stock and run well enough to leave alone. Stock 200t runs great also. Sharp chain makes all the difference, IMHO

>Best stock saw I have run would be an 044, 10mm.

good to hear by any standards, imo...

>Sharp chain makes all the difference

my thots exactly! I proudly stand tall for my other saws remaining stock. I don't ask too much from them and visa versa, although they come out best! lol and as I was reading some of the "change it, change anything, change for change's sake!" I said, I just want it to run well, and cut wood! when my chain is sharp it's like I modded the exh, intake and deflashed some casting part lines"

each to his own. I don't have the time nor real desire to become that involved with so many saws ad to mod them all... the 044 is fine enough. I will master it, first. before I tackle any of my others, I will find me another 044!... well, maybe 066! I can pop the jug n slug on the 044 with ease, on the others I have I don't even know where to start!!

but I can enjoy seeing everyone else's mods to their fleet... and am!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Some builders just look at rpm and increased cutting speed, M/M has an approach I like which includes whether the saw can oil cutting 2k above spec, whether it will make your ears bleed, whether it has a forestry appoved spark screen, whether you can cut plenty of wood per tank, will it dislocate operators shoulder when starting cold, whether it will have a good service life and last and can have parts replaced by the owner instead of having to be shipped back to the builder when a new piston is needed. All these things need consideration on a true daily driver worksaw. Three cookies in a cant race...not so much.

I have heard the term worksaw, but not daily driver worksaw... to me any saw that runs is a work saw, I suppose ya'll mean cut hard, all day long, per specs above. to me, a true daily driver worksaw is 100% stock... stock, in good tune, running great and boasting an effective, sharp chain... tuned to ease the load on the powerhead...

my motto for such saws as I own like that: a reliable service utility

 

[Gypo Logger]

All my saws are deported, because the faster the saw is, the better the dirt works. Lol

 

[Homelite410]

The super ez homelite is pretty stout out of the box, 40cc pulling full size 3/8 chain!

 

[RocketRoss57]

I love my stock sp81! The saw is is a beast IMO.

 

[CR888]

I have heard the term worksaw, but not daily driver worksaw... to me any saw that runs is a work saw, I suppose ya'll mean cut hard, all day long, per specs above. to me, a true daily driver worksaw is 100% stock... stock, in good tune, running great and boasting an effective, sharp chain... tuned to ease the load on the powerhead...

my motto for such saws as I own like that: a reliable service utility

Just mean a worksaw, l have some old shelf queens, some NOS in box saws, some older saws that are cool saws but to heavy and vibrate too much, a modified saw for fun and the rest get used daily for work. Some worksaws are ported and modded, most are near stock. One of my most impressive saws is bone stock and will outcut similar displacement modded saws....the 681 Solo I have had since 2009. One saw I use a lot is a T/H 23cc makita 231t its the lightest gas saw on the market but N/A in the US...2.5kg with b/c!

 

[skidooguy]

I currently have two saws and both are bone stock. I use a Stihl ms230 for daily farm use and it's kind of my pickup saw. It gets used and abused but that's it's job. My Jonsered 2171 is used for firewood and taking down big cottonwoods mostly. I love my 2171 and it is very reliable but I will buy another saw that is the same or of similar size and have a reputable builder work his magic on it. Then i will be able to tell how much I gained and if it really was worth it or not. Saws come from the factory just like cars they are usually choked up can't breathe and are detuned. I have hopes for improvements in performance without sacrificing all of the saws reliability and longevity.

 

[Mastermind]

Yep I went from stock. To all ported work and race. Now back to all stock. The wood dont care.

All I want and all the firewood cutter wants around me I take care of. Is a saw that will start, cut, idle all day and have a sharp chain.

I'm right there with you. Over the years my tastes in saws has changed too Kevin. At one time I wanted to get everything I could out of every saw I touched. It was when we were cutting day after day a couple of years ago......things changed. We had a bunch of modded 372XPs, and after 6 or 8 hours of running those things I hated them. The pitch of the exhaust was terrible......they ran out of fuel too soon......starter pawls broke, etc, etc......

I just wanted a quieter saw.......can I get a better muffler????? PLEASE????

It was then that I started trying to build saws that got better fuel economy, were not so damn loud, and started a little easier. Sure, running a bad ass saw is a blast.......for awhile. But what if the starter breaks? What if your freakin ears bleed? Am I gonna need a damn fuel truck to follow me thru the woods?

I want a good running saw......and I want a bump in performance......but I want to think it though when I start making changes to an already damn good machine.

 

[mdavlee]

I haven't ported most of my own saws. I'll test someone else's ported saw but for milling a stock saw with the exhaust directed away is fine. I do run my 046 which is ported but no machine work for dropping trees. Its not super loud as is so I don't mind using it a lot.

 

[the GOAT]

Whenever I run one of my husqvarna saws I'm just grateful that I don't have to use a ms362.

 

[Dieselshawn]

I agree with mastermind in the post above.

I do the same with my 1997 Dodge Ram Cummins truck. Stock is so .... The Truck has so much difficulty trying to pass even slow moving traffic that's going below speed limit on a busy highway. It was pathetic.

So the P7100 pump was adjusted... What follows was amazing... I can pass cars with authority! I had so much fun that i forgot to look at the fuel gauge until to late.... out of fuel... Then auto trans started dying... Dana 70 rear end is at risk of snapping a pinion.

Manual trans went in, dual disc clutch, big dana 80 went in, new performance injectors, modified the stock turbo, tweaked the pump for more, a little more timing...

Now I have a truck that makes around 400 hp, pours on big torque like a big rig, gets 3 mpg better towing heavy loads than stock or just the pump modified. Now I can compete in sled pulling events without much worry about breaking stuff and just have fun ......

The truck is a joy to drive now, I will never have left it stock... Also when I work with it, I get paid more to haul the heavier loads that would've left stock weezing...

Some things, I do like to keep stock, but some things really do need the extra oomph.

 

[the GOAT]

I agree with mastermind in the post above.

I do the same with my 1997 Dodge Ram Cummins truck. Stock is so .... The Truck has so much difficulty trying to pass even slow moving traffic that's going below speed limit on a busy highway. It was pathetic.

So the P7100 pump was adjusted... What follows was amazing... I can pass cars with authority! I had so much fun that i forgot to look at the fuel gauge until to late.... out of fuel... Then auto trans started dying... Dana 70 rear end is at risk of snapping a pinion.

Manual trans went in, dual disc clutch, big dana 80 went in, new performance injectors, modified the stock turbo, tweaked the pump for more, a little more timing...

Now I have a truck that makes around 400 hp, pours on big torque like a big rig, gets 3 mpg better towing heavy loads than stock or just the pump modified. Now I can compete in sled pulling events without much worry about breaking stuff and just have fun ......

The truck is a joy to drive now, I will never have left it stock... Also when I work with it, I get paid more to haul the heavier loads that would've left stock weezing...

Some things, I do like to keep stock, but some things really do need the extra oomph.

Wouldn't it have been easier to just buy a chevy?

 

[fossil]

Most of my saws are old ones. I like them for what they are. I have run some great ported saws and they sure do have that wow factor.
I don't get much of a chance to use them so no point cutting down on the the time I have.
The noise that some of them make gets a bit tired after a while. Especially the Macs and some of the older Homelites.
Keeps the neighbors on their toes though.

I do like to fix them up and then fiddle with them a bit to get them running their best.

The sharp chain thing is the deal. I cut with eight guys clearing trails and I was using an Echo 310. It was the fastest saw there. There was a lot of dust and not too many chips flying around.