What's faster, a 262xp or a 357xp? (answers inside . . . kind-of) - updated after 5 tanks

[MERR6267]

Ladies, Gentlemen, Riff-raff,
I've been a bit absent from my chainsaw stuff for a little while and it seems CAD has me gripped again. I bought a nice 357 from a user here back in 2017, and it's basically sat in a case since then- Not because there is anything wrong with it, but it seemed that my other units came out more often. Well, I spotted a well-used 261 a few weeks back locally and did a little reading about conversions to a 262. I bought a Duke's moly-coated 262 piston, opened the muffler entirely under the deflector and gave it a little run time.

Then I decided that I should know, back-to-back which saw was actually faster in its current state using the same b/c and same wood.

Both saws have a modest muffler mod, base gasket delete, and aftermarket pistons.

Here is a cut in 12" red oak that was harvested back in March and sat in firewood length in a pile since.

Here they are in 18" Maple that was live cut last month.

By my stopwatch the 357 is faster in both logs, by maybe a second in the larger maple and by about .5-.8 second in the smaller oak.

Now, the 262 isn't really broken-in yet and it's still running the 2 shoe clutch, but I don't think slippage was any trouble here. Both saws were loaded pretty well by the chain, 3/8-/.050 LGX, hand filed with only a few cuts to trim the dry ends off the logs before the video. You may see me "floating" my hand over the handle bar on a few cuts letting the chain self-feed the whole way. I wasn't putting any force on the bar on any of the cuts.

I think I'll try to get a few more tanks through the 262 and see what kind of changes might happen in the same maple log. With the pile I have, I think the 262 will have to pretend that it's my splitter in order to have anything for it to cut. I've already noodled most of my logs into manageable size . . . and I have quite a pile that needs processing.

Somehow I've grown from 14 to 21 saws just in the last 3 months. I'm not sure what's happening.

Phill

 

[PA Dan]

Ladies, Gentlemen, Riff-raff,
I've been a bit absent from my chainsaw stuff for a little while and it seems CAD has me gripped again. I bought a nice 357 from a user here back in 2017, and it's basically sat in a case since then- Not because there is anything wrong with it, but it seemed that my other units came out more often. Well, I spotted a well-used 261 a few weeks back locally and did a little reading about conversions to a 262. I bought a Duke's moly-coated 262 piston, opened the muffler entirely under the deflector and gave it a little run time.

Then I decided that I should know, back-to-back which saw was actually faster in its current state using the same b/c and same wood.

Both saws have a modest muffler mod, base gasket delete, and aftermarket pistons.

Here is a cut in 12" red oak that was harvested back in March and sat in firewood length in a pile since.

Here they are in 18" Maple that was live cut last month.

By my stopwatch the 357 is faster in both logs, by maybe a second in the larger maple and by about .5-.8 second in the smaller oak.

Now, the 262 isn't really broken-in yet and it's still running the 2 shoe clutch, but I don't think slippage was any trouble here. Both saws were loaded pretty well by the chain, 3/8-/.050 LGX, hand filed with only a few cuts to trim the dry ends off the logs before the video. You may see me "floating" my hand over the handle bar on a few cuts letting the chain self-feed the whole way. I wasn't putting any force on the bar on any of the cuts.

I think I'll try to get a few more tanks through the 262 and see what kind of changes might happen in the same maple log. With the pile I have, I think the 262 will have to pretend that it's my splitter in order to have anything for it to cut. I've already noodled most of my logs into manageable size . . . and I have quite a pile that needs processing.

Somehow I've grown from 14 to 21 saws just in the last 3 months. I'm not sure what's happening.

Phill

Are you running the stock base gasket on the 261? Check its thickness and check your squish. If its where i think it is you may want to tighten it up some. Then test again.

 

[MERR6267]

Are you running the stock base gasket on the 261? Check its thickness and check your squish. If its where i think it is you may want to tighten it up some. Then test again.

Both are BGD. Squish was in the neighborhood of .020 on the 261. I didn't measure the 357, but before I bought it it had a compression of 180psi. (I can't keep my o-ring sealed on my tester lately)

 

[ayoungtexan]

Somehow I've grown from 14 to 21 saws just in the last 3 months. I'm not sure what's happening.

The CAD is getting to ya

 

[Wolverine]

I bought a brandy new 357 xtree pee in '10. It would be the last saw of my 12-13 to go.

 

[MERR6267]

I bought a brandy new 357 xtree pee in '10. It would be the last saw of my 12-13 to go.

I bought a brand-new tree-fordy-6 x-tra pee back in 2013 . . . it's the second-to-last saw I'd let go. Mister Master-brain made it extra-angry.
Grampa's S25CVA will be here forever.

 

[trooney]

My figuring has a three shoed clutch having more mass therefore at the same velocity it would increase the chainspeed exponentially therefore negating that 1 second deficit and put the 262 where it belongs, up about 2 seconds. Jeesh.......

 

[PA Dan]

My figuring has a three shoed clutch having more mass therefore at the same velocity it would increase the chainspeed exponentially therefore negating that 1 second deficit and put the 262 where it belongs, up about 2 seconds. Jeesh.......

Good thinking Tom! The 262 should be ahead!

 

[MERR6267]

My figuring has a three shoed clutch having more mass therefore at the same velocity it would increase the chainspeed exponentially therefore negating that 1 second deficit and put the 262 where it belongs, up about 2 seconds. Jeesh.......

Well, in a few days I'll have a 3-foot clutch from "ol' Dook" and a "kind of" NOS washer from Deluxe_Custard and we can test this "theory."



Also, I'll have a brand new Chinese plastic clutch cover to replace the badly warped unit that's currently on it. You may not have noticed the chips flying upward, but my arm hair was extra dusty after that two-six-too.

 

[dustinwilt68]

Don't forget the 357 is on 56cc but it does have newer design improvements, given the choice the 357 is my choice, well a sexy ported red and black heated version is.

 

[Wood Doctor]

You need to compare both with two identical chains, two identical saws, and two identical operators cutting two identical logs. That's not easy to arrange.

 

[MERR6267]

You need to compare both with two identical chains, two identical saws, and two identical operators cutting two identical logs. That's not easy to arrange.

Yeah, Gauge R&Rs are tricky in variable wood. That's what dynos are for.

These did use the same bar and chain. I swapped them while the camera was paused.

 

[Kiwioilboiler]

Ladies, Gentlemen, Riff-raff,
I've been a bit absent from my chainsaw stuff for a little while and it seems CAD has me gripped again. I bought a nice 357 from a user here back in 2017, and it's basically sat in a case since then- Not because there is anything wrong with it, but it seemed that my other units came out more often. Well, I spotted a well-used 261 a few weeks back locally and did a little reading about conversions to a 262. I bought a Duke's moly-coated 262 piston, opened the muffler entirely under the deflector and gave it a little run time.

Then I decided that I should know, back-to-back which saw was actually faster in its current state using the same b/c and same wood.

Both saws have a modest muffler mod, base gasket delete, and aftermarket pistons.

Here is a cut in 12" red oak that was harvested back in March and sat in firewood length in a pile since.

Here they are in 18" Maple that was live cut last month.

By my stopwatch the 357 is faster in both logs, by maybe a second in the larger maple and by about .5-.8 second in the smaller oak.

Now, the 262 isn't really broken-in yet and it's still running the 2 shoe clutch, but I don't think slippage was any trouble here. Both saws were loaded pretty well by the chain, 3/8-/.050 LGX, hand filed with only a few cuts to trim the dry ends off the logs before the video. You may see me "floating" my hand over the handle bar on a few cuts letting the chain self-feed the whole way. I wasn't putting any force on the bar on any of the cuts.

I think I'll try to get a few more tanks through the 262 and see what kind of changes might happen in the same maple log. With the pile I have, I think the 262 will have to pretend that it's my splitter in order to have anything for it to cut. I've already noodled most of my logs into manageable size . . . and I have quite a pile that needs processing.

Somehow I've grown from 14 to 21 saws just in the last 3 months. I'm not sure what's happening.

Phill

@markds2 this will be me in a few weeks down at the neighbours....." I think it's time I cut up some more of that wood for you"...

262~359~357 and repeat....

 

[markds2]

@markds2 this will be me in a few weeks down at the neighbours....." I think it's time I cut up some more of that wood for you"...

262~359~357 and repeat....

Also add in a MMWS 346xp and 353....You need more hands

 

[Kiwioilboiler]

Also add in a MMWS 346xp and 353....You need more hands

Don't derail the thread bro.....

 

[EvilRoySlade]

I vote yes

 

[drf256]

The 262 is larger in displacement with a tiny little carb.

Convert a 357 carb over to work on the 262 and rerun. Betcha the 262 walks all over the 357.

 

[trooney]

The 262 is larger in displacement with a tiny little carb.

Convert a 357 carb over to work on the 262 and rerun. Betcha the 262 walks all over the 357.

Doc, thats why you have the degree!! I didnt think of that. I have a 357 carb on my 346, but forgot the size...

 

[MERR6267]

The 262 is larger in displacement with a tiny little carb.

Convert a 357 carb over to work on the 262 and rerun. Betcha the 262 walks all over the 357.

This may have to happen . . . though I haven't spent much time comparing the details of each. Heck, I think I've only had the cover off the 357 one time.

 

[MERR6267]

Also add in a MMWS 346xp and 353....You need more hands

Well, I do happen to own both of those as well. (well, the j-red version of the 353