100% of the problem with ported saws is 99% of the people don't understand them. This is not me being arrogant and assuming I do understand them, just me offering up my view.
With all things in life balance is critical. I personally feel as we become more specialized, our range of success and impact diminishes, however our magnitude of success and impact in a certain specialized area increases.
Applying this to chainsaws, one could compare a race saw, a work saw and a stock saw.
A race saw can't cut timber or firewood, is costly to produce, burns expensive fuel in custom carburetors and operates on the ragged edge failure. Properly built, it is good at making high horsepower and going fast through a cant.
A stock saw, when cared for and maintained, will reliably fall timber and cut firewood for years at a relatively low cost of ownership. These are the machines that will allow a man to make a good living, heat his house, prune his trees, cut wood for a camp-fire. The jack of all trades, master of none.
A work saw occupies the void between a stock saw and a race saw, and can be on either end of the spectrum. One should look back at the legendary saws of the day and understand what it is that makes them apart from their competition. One must also understand the desired application of the saw, and build accordingly. A 5-cube with an exhaust at 105* is going to have high compression and not bat an eye at a ham-fisted operator dogging in a 36" bar. That same 5-cube isn't going to stand a chance against a like model saw with a 95* exhaust running a good chain and 20" bar through 18" wood. It won't turn the RPM, and the operator will still be sawing the face cut while the second saw is moving to the next tree.
It's my opinion that if you aren't trying new things, and figuring out what works for you, and WHY it works for you, you aren't progressing. You may one day realize all that you have missed while following the herd.
