Bingo..I want one. LOL!
Certainly ...I just thought i would go down the "underdog...less main stream " path as a start. Thought it might take Walts fancy and tickle the interest
You have a few folks on OPE who could help you out in your part of the world.
Certainly ...I just thought i would go down the "underdog...less main stream " path as a start. Thought it might take Walts fancy and tickle the interest
Your base line by the way is 2.3 hp....with the cat in the stainless steel can.
Looking forward to THAT video. One of my favorite saw videos is the one where you and @afleetcommand compare vintage saws to the throw away homeowner units.What I like about this discussion is that guys are pointing out the different aspects of the hobby that appeal to them without finding fault with other's preferences. To people who aren't into the saw thing, saws are saws. But when you think about it there are some distinct tangents that you can focus your energy on. Old, new, stock, modded, 100cc muscle saws, 50cc screamers. 70cc work saws. Ugly saws for firewood and collector grade saws that you hate to get dirty. It's a more diversified hobby than would be apparent to those on the outside.
Modding saws is just one of them, and even when doing that, there are variations as to how sophisticated you get and how much time you can allocate to building a saw. I passed on a free lathe a couple years ago, cause I was having fun with the basic mods we were doing and didn't want to go the next step which I figured could double or triple the time involved. But it was also a matter of being happy where I was and not wanting to change it.
I think I get the most fun from the dead saw salvage "junk pile" projects that Walt and I started out with 6-7 years ago and continue to do. Stock at first, but then we began working in some mods. Saws like that Jonny "636" I mentioned earlier. It's not just how much power you can get out of a saw; sometimes it's as simple as how much work you can get out of a saw. Especially one that's been left for dead.
And I'm also into some of the old stuff that doesn't get much mention on this site, but I suspect there are more guys who share this interest. After my Huskys and Jonnys, I'm into the McCulloch and Homelite American classics. Have about a dozen of each. I've always read a lot of history so saw history is a natural fit for me. As you move back on the timeline to the Jonsered 70E's and Husky L77's, you are going back to an era where the Macs and Homies still outsold Husky and Stihl by a wide margin. At least once a year I like to drag out some of these saws and have a vintage cutting day. Fun to run something different and these saws have a few unique exhaust notes that sound great echoing through the woods. Walt and I are planning a day where we take some of them into the woods and get some of these classic saws on video. Better in my mind to enjoy some old saw experiences than to just tell old saw stories.
When considering a 'mini' saw with a pro construction build our choices are very few due to the fact most 30-40cc saws of this size are made for the homeowner market. A few years ago I wanted a saw that I could pick up when my 550xp or MS261 was 'too much saw' for delimbing branches when the size got to the 12" and less. I wanted the lightest setup possible with the most power that was a significant difference in size/weight to a 50cc pro saw....and i was prepared to pay for it. After some mods, a couple of reduced weight bars I ended up spending about $600usd on a rear handle MS201 with both 12 & 14" light picco bars. Well it definately does what i wanted it to do, I can work so fast with this setup on small wood, it is super light & manuverable. I also bought a MS150 rear handle too but that saw is much better in top handle configeration. I wish there were more options in the sub 9lb size for the pro user. I had to pay dearly for what I needed.Are we talking current models, or anything out there? Guess we have to give this group a name, so how about "mini saws"? 35cc and less? And the debate ought to be framed around what do we want or expect "mini saws" to do..............better than other saws.
Echo has some good saws in this range with the cs-310 and cs-352 at 30 and 34 cc. Husky 543 and Stihl MS241 are lighter than the 550 and 261 yet stay above 40cc, BUT...............and you knew there'd be a "but", right? What are you giving up in power for the lighter weight?
The only saw family that is smaller than the 550/346 class that has any appeal for me is the 242 chassis. Everything else IMO gives up too much power/capability for the slight improvement you get in weight vs a good 50cc class saw. Not the case with 242's, which are a class unto themselves.
