Are all of these modded saws reliable, dependable, and will they last?

[Work Saw Collector]

I cant speak for how long they will last. I can say I like running Modded saws.

I like modded, stock, new, old and heavy, saws they all have there place. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Simonizer]

I have a video I have shown here where my ported 385xp is slicing through 32" wood at nearly twice the rate it did while stock, and that 385 was fairly strong stock. A ported saw allows you to run a longer bar per chassis size than non-ported, and simply pulls the chain more aggressively through the wood, especially big wood with the 70-90cc saws. It is everything a pro or even a casual user can easily appreciate in any decent-sized piece of wood. The last time a bud of mine was watching me box some Fir that was ~30" in size with my ported 385xp, he literally said "That thing cuts through that Fir like butter". And it did, and he owns about 20 saws, so knows what saws can and should do stock. I have also posted a video for all to see where a ported 372xp is absolutely burying a non ported 76cc Stihl saw - cutting more than twice as fast.

Porting makes it far easier to box large tensioned/compressed wood, fall it, buck it, etc. It's not a small difference, not at all.

As for longevity, I can't say yet myself. There is the argument of efficiency, heat, wear, etc. I have taken a few physics and engineering courses in college, but I am no engineer. However, one thing we did learn is wear is wear. If something turns faster, harder, longer, it wears more, all things being equal. Yes, it may get more work done, but it will not last as long. But, all things are rarely equal...

I did ask a few guys whom I knew had owned these types of saws for several years how theirs were doing before I decided to put one of mine up to port. I also asked a few professionals I knew in person and on the internet what their feelings were. The answers I got lead me to porting my 385xp. For a 16lb powerhead, this ported 385XP has no business doing what it can do. And that is a good thing.

The fallers I build for run a saw for a year, then it becomes a back up saw because they buy a new one. The next year the back-up is sold. That is how Dave K got that 372. Other than that, most pro saws I build either meet their demise by being crushed by a tree, (sometimes the same day they are built), or stolen from a site or truck.

 

[CentaurG2]

Sorry the West Coast lingo confused you. Appearently there are many things you do not understand. Did I type slow enough for you?

A little slower type and larger font would be good and if you could please, dumb it down a bit so us east coast folks don’t get too lost. Mucho Gracias.

See, I am learning already.

 

[Terry Syd]

I don't know Rick, that Saw Weight thread is starting to sound like a bunch of mates at a pizz-up.

 

[wyk]

The fallers I build for run a saw for a year, then it becomes a back up saw because they buy a new one. The next year the back-up is sold. That is how Dave K got that 372. Other than that, most pro saws I build either meet their demise by being crushed by a tree, (sometimes the same day they are built), or stolen from a site or truck.

That's the story I got. Spending $3-400 on a saw to get it ported is a no-brainer when you are falling 2-4' dbh trees all day long for weeks, sometimes months at a time, and can write off some of your equipment.

 

[Simonizer]

That's the story I got. Spending $3-400 on a saw to get it ported is a no-brainer when you are falling 2-4' dbh trees all day long for weeks, sometimes months at a time, and can write off some of your equipment.

Westcoast fallers earn $550-$600 a day based on a 6.5 hr day. Had a friend over on Monday that just did a 21 day shift in camp, now taking 2 weeks off.

 

[mdavlee]

The guys getting paid by bushels all use modded saws. It gets them more wood on the ground in a day and more money in their pocket. There's quite a few in the F&L section that run them.

 

[RandyMac]

Gologit is using a "Slingered 660 and is probably using it right now.

 

[AUSSIE1]

The guys getting paid by bushels all use modded saws. It gets them more wood on the ground in a day and more money in their pocket. There's quite a few in the F&L section that run them.

Oh Dave your telling porky's! A modded saw won't increase production! :msp_w00t:

 

[AUSSIE1]

This is a forum, not romper room.

Really? Hard to decipher from some of the responses in this thread.

 

[CentaurG2]

Really? Hard to decipher from some of the responses in this thread.

Aussie, aussie, aussie; oy vey, oy, vey, oy vey. That lame response demeans both of us.

YouTube - ‪Tom Waits Waltzing Matilda live 1977‬‏

 

[Taxmantoo]

The guys getting paid by bushels all use modded saws. It gets them more wood on the ground in a day and more money in their pocket. There's quite a few in the F&L section that run them.

Reminds me of something I read a few years ago, something to the effect that he got paid $80 a truckload and 7 truckloads with a modified saw paid $560 when 6 truckloads with a stock saw only paid $480 a day.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

I've asked a couple of professional timber cutters about this.
Most guys will only get about 2 years of use out a saw before it's worn out, and needs to be replaced. So if in than 2 year time frame you can cut 40% more wood with a modded saw than stock. The one guy said he's about 50% more productive with his ported 460's over the stock ones he had. You're money ahead even if you're paying 250$ for a woods port job.

 

[Chris J.]

...
Now how many of the fast 372's in the AS build to you think would out cut a stock 372 with a good chain? I have a number for you and it's 0.

Andy, I can't believe that you actually wrote the above quoted comment. So in your opinion a modded 372 (let's say one built by Brad Snelling) with a good chain will not cut faster than a stock 372 with a good/equal chain?

IIRC, Terry posted that he has a stock 372XPW available to be ran at the AS GTG on 06-18-11.

 

[Simonizer]

Andy, I can't believe that you actually wrote the above quoted comment. So in your opinion a modded 372 (let's say one built by Brad Snelling) with a good chain will not cut faster than a stock 372 with a good/equal chain?

IIRC, Terry posted that he has a stock 372XPW available to be ran at the AS GTG on 06-18-11.

LMAOopcorn:

 

[CJ1]

I am sorry but anybody who thinks a modded saw, wait let me rephrase that, a correcty modded saw will not outproduce a stock saw is flat out fooling himself [or herself for that matter] or has no real experience to back up the claim. I had my eyes opend up recently and really wished I had it done sooner. The saw is in my hands less time, it is faster [by quite a bit] through the cut, it requires less effort to pull through the cut, it gets more work done for the fuel it consumes. I have never cut a cookie before in my life until I got my 372 back, then I had to prove it to myself that the 372 is faster than my 390 so I guess that yea now you can accuse me of cutting cookies!! CJ

 

[CJ1]

I've asked a couple of professional timber cutters about this.
Most guys will only get about 2 years of use out a saw before it's worn out, and needs to be replaced. So if in than 2 year time frame you can cut 40% more wood with a modded saw than stock. The one guy said he's about 50% more productive with his ported 460's over the stock ones he had. You're money ahead even if you're paying 250$ for a woods port job.

We always replaced our saws every year. We tried to rotate 1 saw in to the second year and found that it was unreliable and we were farther ahead to buy 2 new saws each year. The woods mod would still be way worth it. Think about it $250 is less than a days work and if the saw is 20% more productive anything after a few days is additional profit. I don't know about everybody else but I was paid for production. Still am on the weekends. CJ

 

[2stroked2smoke]

Aussie, aussie, aussie; oy vey, oy, vey, oy vey. That lame response demeans both of us.

You have demeaned this O.P.'s whole thread. He didn't ask about wich cut faster or was more productive. He simply asked if modifying a saw made it finicky or shortened the life of the saw. I take it that the O.P. is a homeowner that just cuts firewood for himself and wants to try a modified saw for fun. All this productivity crap is just your guys ego's talking and not answering the original questions. I think the people who run modified saws are qualified to answer these questions, not someone that only has stock saws and has an axe to grind.

 

[MacLaren]

Aussie, aussie, aussie; oy vey, oy, vey, oy vey. That lame response demeans both of us.

You have demeaned this O.P.'s whole thread. He didn't ask about wich cut faster or was more productive. He simply asked if modifying a saw made it finicky or shortened the life of the saw. I take it that the O.P. is a homeowner that just cuts firewood for himself and wants to try a modified saw for fun. All this productivity crap is just your guys ego's talking and not answering the original questions. I think the people who run modified saws are qualified to answer these questions, not someone that only has stock saws and has an axe to grind.

Your kidding right? The original questions were answered. Then productivity was brought into question and gone over as well. It may have not been brought up by the OP, but nonetheless the original questions were answered. BTW, why so angry about the productivity question? This is a chainsaw forum.

 

[indiansprings]

Imho the term modded saw is a pretty broad stoke definition.

I remember several references to saws that have been "modded", "ported" or whatever term is being used where the owners have been disappointed with the performance of the saw after the mods have been performed, that they expected more.

I do agree that a saw that has been modified by a competent, detailed, meticulous saw "porter" will definetly out perform a stock saw of the same model. It's no different than any other engine, to quote Simon "horsepower cost money" to get the most out of a saw you better be sending it to someone with access to a machine shop. Dremel tools will get you so far, put to get to the level of performance that most of the enthusiast on here will expect, it's going to take some money and a someone with some level of machinist skill to get the most out of a saw.

I got into a interesting conversation with my cousin who has been logging hardwoods for a living ( his sole income) for 35 years, he has run some modded saws, but today he doesn't own one. He stated he's never outworked any of the pro saw's capabilities he has. His opinion is at the end of the day he can only load so many logs, and his body will only go x amount of hours. His statement was if he averages 4 minutes falling a tree, with a 35% improvement it only saves him a little over a minute. He said if he were doing nothing but falling it would prolly make sense, but when your a two or three man company and you do everything from falling, to running the skidder to loading etc, the time spent actually falling is pretty minute in the scheme of things.
His belief is that a sharp( and this cat can file a chain as well as I've ever seen) chain is the most important aspect of running any saw. It was interesting to get his perspective. I also asked him why they have never run Huskies, his reply was pretty simple, great saws, no local dealer worth a damn, that he has had the best support he could ever get out of a dealer from the local Stihl dealer and why screw up a good relationship.

Also, he's just a simple logger, and farms on the side, he rebuilds all his own saws, only goes to the dealer for parts or to buy specialty tools and of course new saws,rolls of chain.

I think people have to remember to keep the term modded relative
as a saw I grind on for sure will not run with guys like Simon's or TLandrums and many other skilled guys that port saws.