4 stroke chainsaw is it in the future?

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Duke Thieroff

Fill your hands, you SOB!
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Does anyone have any opinions about this?

I'm asking that no arguing goes on here, seriously.


Or, with the EPA standards will they go all electric?

Pros?

Cons?

Is direct injection a possibility on a chainsaw?


Chris
 
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I dont doubt we'll be seeing a 4stroke fairly soon probably a 4-mix type first in the next few years with a full straight gas and oil lubed 4-stroke shortly after. I dont think the industry will ever support an all electric alternative due to weight and portability problems.
 
My Dolmar dealer has held the prototype in his hot little hands!!!

Yes it is on the way and sooner than one might think!


Mike
 
I have a 4 stroke string trimmer....I saw a Honda 4 stroke string trimmer today too. Now if Honda starts making chainsaws....you better look out.
 
My Dolmar dealer has held the prototype in his hot little hands!!!

Yes it is on the way and sooner than one might think!


Mike

I have a 4 stroke string trimmer....I saw a Honda 4 stroke string trimmer today too. Now if Honda starts making chainsaws....you better look out.

Elaborate. Both of you, now!


Chris
 
Couple of years back, Dolmar got tongues to wagging with a 4 cycle saw.
It was some sort of one off for R&D, somebody saw the thing, and folks started guessing and talking.

I wonder what happened with that one?

Stay safe!
Dingeryote
 
Elaborate. Both of you, now!


Chris


I have a Troy built 4 stroke trimmer....this sucker has alot of torque. Only thing I dont care for is i cant store it like I want to. Oil will get into the crankcase and smoke.

I am not sure Troybuilt makes this engine or they buy it from someone else.

I will be honest I bought this before I had an understanding of what a good 2 stroke engine was. Knowing what I know now I would probably have bought a Stihl trimmer instead.

I am not sure that this in the info you were looking for.


Here it is..http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_1503932_55009_-1
 
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The Honda 4-Stroke Engine Advantage

Honda trimmers feature Honda’s GX25 and GX35 mini 4-stroke engines.

The GX25 and 35 are among the lightest and quietest 4-stroke engines on the market today. But don’t let their small size fool you: these engines are both powerful and durable.

The GX25 and 35 have many other advantages, including:

No mixing
Honda trimmers use regular unleaded gasoline. You never have to worry about mixing gas and oil. That saves time, effort, and hassles.

And with a Honda trimmer, there’s no chance for ruining an engine by using improperly mixed fuels. That’s a substantial advantage over 2-stroke models.

Better fuel efficiency
The Honda mini 4-stroke engine is also considerably more fuel-efficient than a similar 2-stroke engine. Less fuel means less cost to operate. Learn more

And of course, you’re being more environmentally conscious when you’re using a fuel-efficient 4-stroke engine.

Easy starting
Honda engines are famous for easy starting, and our trimmers are no exception. The superior design of our engines makes them extremely easy to start. Ask your dealer for a demo. You’ll be impressed.

No smoke or smell
Honda trimmers are virtually smoke free, and there’s no unpleasant 2-stroke smell to ruin your day outside. And Honda trimmers have fewer emissions than a comparable 2-stroke trimmer.

Superior performance
The GX25 and 35 have ample power to get the job done. These engines perform even in the toughest conditions. Strong low-end torque characteristics allow many jobs to be performed at partial throttle, increasing fuel efficiency.

Reliable, commercial grade engines
There’s a reason that Honda engines are legendary for durability. We pair a superior design with high quality components and meticulous manufacturing. The result: reliable, trouble-free engines and equipment.

Quiet
2-stroke engines sound harsh and raspy, like a chain saw. But Honda’s mini 4-stroke engines are far more quiet – another great advantage of our trimmers.

Low vibration
Low vibration means Honda trimmers are more comfortable to use.

Operate in any position – even upside down
Honda’s mini 4-stroke engines are 360° inclinable. They can be used and stored in any position.

Honda Trimmers: 4-stroke String Trimmers and Brushcutters
 
Couple of years back, Dolmar got tongues to wagging with a 4 cycle saw.
It was some sort of one off for R&D, somebody saw the thing, and folks started guessing and talking.

I wonder what happened with that one?

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Last I heard they were not going to be price competitive and so there was no plan to move with them until the market would support them. I think there's quite a bit more time to go with regs as well until the regs get that strict. it's not clear that they ever will. I think they've accomplished a lot at the new strato/4 mix level and seems things will stay that way for a while.
 
Stihl makes their KM series of power heads. I would imagine they have made 4-stroke chainsaws prototypes. I can't weight for a battery saw like an MS200T-E.

I doubt this, as Stihl is going away from 4 strokes altogether. Dolmar does and has had a working 4 stroke saw, some here have even ran them, but as of now it doesn't look like they will be put into protection.
 
But if the chain saw guys get creative and steal Ski-Doo's engine management system for the clean 2 stroke engines it might not happen. The 2 stroke can be made to run as clean as a 4 stroke when held to very exact combustion parameters. Due to the nature of a chain saw use, W.O.T. I think it would be a fairly easy thing to do.:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

But I love the sound of my 525 KTM:hmm3grin2orange:


Bombardier did not originate this technology, either. They now own it because they bought it, fair and square when they acquired Puch. Puch invented this very novel intake/scavenging scheme back in the late '70's for their twin carburetor race dirt bikes, with one carb feeding a piston port arrangement and the other a rotary valve setup. The two carbs were not identical, and one ran much leaner than the other. The bike was very powerful for its day, but the system was too expensive to compete with the Japanese dirt bikes, which were starting to be very good and way cheap compared to anything from Europe or the USA.

The technology languished for years until Bombardier got hold of it, updated the concept and is using it in most if not all their two-stroke engines. The Evinrude engines are just thrashing Mercury in the outboard market because of the E-Tech system. I got all this from a close friend that worked for Bombardier for 16 years before getting layed off at the end of 2008, Christmas, in fact.

Jimbo
 
Echo will be the first on the market with a four mix. With the purchase of Shindiawa Echo has all of the technology at it's disposal. Shinny has had four mix trimmers on the market since around 2006, I worked for a shop was one of the development shops for Shinny, we got to hand them out (string trimmers) to a couple of commercial users and see how they held up.
I can easily see Echo taking advantage of this in the near future.
 
The 4 stroke saw has been around for several years. Makita ( Dolmar ) launched it around 8 years ago. I saw it at the APF show in UK then it sounded a bit strange and it never seemed to catch on so perhaps the Dolmar "prototype" is the same saw updated and ready to relaunch ? Search back and you will find the old posts.
 
Here are a few pics of the 4-stroke Dolmar PS500V, for those who haven't seen it.

As far as I know the specs were 50cc, 14.3lbs and 3.4hp

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I dont doubt we'll be seeing a 4stroke fairly soon probably a 4-mix type first in the next few years with a full straight gas and oil lubed 4-stroke shortly after. I dont think the industry will ever support an all electric alternative due to weight and portability problems.

I agree. :)
 
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