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

[0zarks2]

Newbie question I know but a serious one.....I'd like to have a saw modded but worried it'd let me down when I needed it most.

Do they start and run like they're unmodded counterparts? I know they'll scream when they're running but are they temper mental or are they finicky to maintain their performance.

This would be a work saw and I need it to be reliable as well as dependable.....how about longevity.....is the life cycle of the saw compromised as a result of hot rodding it?

 

[mdavlee]

There is trade offs in life of modded vs stock. Maybe muffler modded doesn't shorten the life any. Modded saws will do more work in the same amount of time as a stocker. It all depends on how important productivity is. I just cut firewood and will probably take me a long time to come close to wearing one out that's modded. If you can use a saw for production as in selling firewood then maybe it's worth it to you. If you're a production cutter than I'm sure it's worth it. If you just want a smile on your face the whole time your using one then it's worth it.

 

[DG2244]

opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:

 

[w8ye]

The best long term satisfaction comes from conservative mods as related to what is called a woods porting and the muffler mods.

Also success is more assured to those that are attuned to the operation and well being of their saw.

 

[Taxmantoo]

The best long term satisfaction comes from conservative mods as related to what is called a woods porting and the muffler mods.

Also success is more assured to those that are attuned to the operation and well being of their saw.

Just have to watch out for feelings of "this woods ported saw by Mr. A. is stronger than that one Mr. B. woods ported, so Mr. A. is a better saw builder than Mr. B." Maybe A did a better job, or maybe B did a less extreme job because his was truly a woods port.
With race saws, just look to see who's carrying the biggest trophy at the end of the day. Woods ports are a bit harder to compare, but we all want to have the strongest saw at the GTG.

 

[Ambull]

Modded saws have more power, but they tend to use more fuel too. The saws were conservatively designed to handle their stock power level, and by increasing that it puts more strain on the drivetrain components. Running wider ports puts more strain on the piston rings as well.

It is like anything else though. Some saws seem to just run forever, and some have premature failures. Modding the saw and then running it hard will increase your chances of a premature failure.

 

[komatsuvarna]

A modded saw won't last as long as a stock one. Any time you put more stress on parts, its not going to last as long. A fire wood hack like myself would take a long while to wear out a modded pro saw.

...and it is worth the smile on your face.

 

[tlandrum]

theres only so many revolutions in a saw from the factory. so if it turns faster it will reach that number faster. in my opinion they dont wear out faster thanstock, they just come to the end of there life cycle sooner.

 

[2dogs]

Many modified saws are designed to run wide open as in falling and bucking but don't work so well in jobs like limbing and and tree service/firewood work. Open up the muffler and maybe change the air filter and see what gains those two changes make. A saw in stock form is not a bad thing. A sharp chain is the most important component.

 

[AUSSIE1]

A sensibly modified saw's decrease in longevity would be negligible.

 

[CentaurG2]

Most pros just want the saw to run when you pull the handle. Everything else can be made up with a sharp chain and good cutting techniques. You can save yourself a lot of money by learning to sharpen and run a saw efficiently.

 

[dave k]

I run two modded saw's by builders on this site,Brad and Simon, and although I agree with what has been said about sharp chains and good sawmanship Im now doing a days work with saw's that weigh two thirds of the saw I would have used before and that in it's self has to be a big plus which also means Im using less fuel as Im no longer using a 90+ cc saw all day. As for the life of a modded saw, well if you are prepared to spend the extra on such an endevour you are most likely a person who would look after a saw well and use top class oil's etc so as already said I don't see a modded saw coming to an end much quicker than a standard saw ?

 

[AUSSIE1]

Most pros just want the saw to run when you pull the handle. Everything else can be made up with a sharp chain and good cutting techniques. You can save yourself a lot of money by learning to sharpen and run a saw efficiently.

A properly sharpened chain go's without saying and good cutting techniques!

Why is it that some think that modifying and a sharp chain are not related?

 

[mdavlee]

Some people will run semi sharp chain with modded saws. Off the roll chain is semi sharp. I think it all benefits from sharpening even when brand new. Oregon chain seems to have real high rakers when new also. I like to atleast lower them a lick or two before I use it. If I've got time I'll touch up a brand new chain.

 

[enjoys cutting]

tried to tell my buddy that u can sharpen new chain and make it better.didnt believe it myself until i learned to hand sharpen after lots of practice

 

[AUSSIE1]

Some people will run semi sharp chain with modded saws. Off the roll chain is semi sharp. I think it all benefits from sharpening even when brand new. Oregon chain seems to have real high rakers when new also. I like to atleast lower them a lick or two before I use it. If I've got time I'll touch up a brand new chain.

Some people will run semi sharp chain with unmodded saws. No different.

It's those comments "just run a sharp chain instead". Running a sharp chain, regardless of whether the saw is ported or not, goes without saying.

 

[mdavlee]

It amazes me at the people that see chips not dust are like wow what kind of chain is that? It blows their mind that a chain can cut like that. I guess most have never lowered the rakers on their wildthings chain.:bang:

 

[Andyshine77]

No!! a modded saw will not last as long as a stock saw. When you cut the metal in the ports you're removing some of the plating as well, plus the wider the port is the harder it is on the ring. Now add in 2,000+ rpm, extra heat and it all comes down to the saw not lasting as long.

 

[0zarks2]

Thanks for the replies.....

Thanks for all the replies fellas. It's pretty much what I thought for the most part. I only cut firewood and not a lot of it at that. I think it would take a really long time for me to wear out a saw so maybe some mild mods for my saws wouldn't be a real issue as far as longevity. My main thing is that my saw start when I pull the cord....that's the number one thing for me. I haven't been around this game long so I don't know the in's and out's of keeping a saw up mechanically....not yet anyway. I think the carb settings are what intimidates me at this point.....I don't wanna burn up a saw because I ran it too lean.

I guess I'll start with modding my muffler first. I honestly don't think I want to do much more than that right now. When I equate this to cars, I can see how beneficial it would be to upgrade the exhaust. It would let the saw breath but really wouldn't effect the lifespan of the saw. But, that's where that carb tuning comes in....lol.

Oh yeah, I forgot I need to become a master of the chain file.....lol. I haven't tried to sharpen my chain yet. I bought two when I got my saw....I threw on the second one when the first one got dull. I've got the file but gotta learn how to use it........

 

[indiansprings]

A muffler mod is a safe way to enter the "modded" world. It's kind of like sticking your toe in the water to see what the temperature is.
It will give you imho a 10-15% increase in performance. After a muffler mod you just need to retune your saw. Mdavlee hit the nail on the head, the most important thing you can do to increase the performance of a saw is to really learn to sharpen a chain. There is a whole bunch of people out there who do not really know what a truly sharp chain is. I know I can file a chain to a point where it is sharper than factory out of the box. It took a lot of time and patience to get to that point, the key is not giving up. Find someone who can sharpen and have them give you some pointers if you feel like your not a good filer.

Like in anything else in life there are people who are very proficient in their trade and others that aren't, it's no different in the saw modding world. If your going to have it done do some serious research before having it done. There are work saws and there are cookie cutters. You don't want a leaned out high reving saw that sacrifices torque and bottom end.

Unless your cutting for a portion of your income, or just an enthusiast that has the extra cash to burn on a modded saw I really don't see much of a need to go past a muffler mod for increased performance. A good pro grade saw will cut more than fast enough for most people.

Thats another huge factor in how "fast" a saw gets the job done.
For people that run the 290's and 455's with the average chain, it shocks them to pick up our 361 or 044 with a really sharp chain and cut with it. The same with our 200T, most people cannot believe how fast the little saw cuts.