My new (to me)372. What mods recommended?

[Josh B.]

I would tend to agree with you as evident in the 24" bar I have on my 72. Complimenting that is my 346 that has an 18" bar (soon to be 16") and my 357 that has a 20" bar. I could definitely survive with just my 357 but that wouldnt satisfy my CAD...lol. It really is based on personal preference / needs. And if all the OP needs is an 18" bar, I say let'r rip

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

I find the 24" to be spot on for my 372. Admittedly, I have not yet tried other sizes though. All I can say is I haven't had any instance where I was wishing it had a shorter bar on it for any reason and it has never seemed like it was too much.

If I don't need that size bar for what I'm doing, I use one of my other smaller saws with the shorter bars.

OP: Muff mod is cheap and easy to do. How far beyond that you take it is up to you. You won't find your stock 372 to be a dog in any way, especially running shorter bars. But it IS fun to start doing simple mods to hop them up a little bit.

 

[dustinwilt68]

Yes . I think just muffler mod. And then I going to run it for a while. Keep sharp chain on it and let it work. Needs to earn it's keep before any other mods.

 

[cus_deluxe]

Sure. Conventional wisdom is that a 60cc saw or strong 50cc saw will run an 18" b/c in hardwood just fine. Also, Stihl recommends a 20" bar for its ms362 model. 20" is the sweet spot for 70cc saws like a stock ms440 or 372xp in hardwood; 25" in softwood. 70cc's and 18" b/c combo doesn't make sense, especially if the saw is ported.

i agree with this 100%. 9/10 times i can easily manage my firewood cutting and trees at work with a 20" bar. 20" bar balances nicely, and is more maneuverable than a 24". but to each his own as they say and it depends on what you are cutting.

 

[CR888]

What would be wrong with having a range of bar sizes and fit the smallest bar you need for the application at hand. There are no rules here, but say at least two bars gives one options to make the most of their saw in most situations. Nothing wrong with 16-24" bars on this saw, what you pay for in pro saws is good power to wieght ratios, keep that thought in mind when buying accessories.

 

[malk315]

I have the same saw and like the 24" bar. I like the 20" on my masterminded 262XP. 18" on the murder 346 (muff mod and NE cylinder by nmurph).

I like the 372 as is stock. Having 2 other saws ported and one with just MM I think the 372 does well stock. My 372 has a muffler modded sound even though it is stock with plenty of power and seems to run plenty cool.

I also vote minimum 20" bar for that saw.

Once you get her broke in you are gonna have fun no matter what you do!

Congrats.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[treesmith]

Sure. Conventional wisdom is that a 60cc saw or strong 50cc saw will run an 18" b/c in hardwood just fine. Also, Stihl recommends a 20" bar for its ms362 model. 20" is the sweet spot for 70cc saws like a stock ms440 or 372xp in hardwood; 25" in softwood. 70cc's and 18" b/c combo doesn't make sense, especially if the saw is ported.

^^^^^this^^^^^

I have a very capable 50cc 261c ported by mastermind, it wears 18" 3/8 36RM and pulls it well in hard aussie gum, it will pull a 20" in a slower but still usable fashion.
The 362s at work run 20" as do the 461s though they can pull a 25 and that is in hard hardwood

 

[wde_1978]

Honestly I just zoomed through the posts in this thread, but the answer to Your questions in Your original post is pretty much answered throughout the first page of this thread!

A 70cc saw running "just" a 18" bar & chain setup?
Other then a muffler mod, if desired, this saw doesn't need any modifications.
Make sure Your 372 is tuned properly, always keep the chain sharp and run her as is!
I didn't look up the 372's specs, but I seriously doubt it will disappoint in any way.

For comparison, my, other then muffler modded, stock Dolmar PS-7900 is wearing a 20" main B&C, she's overkill for that setup and doesn't even blink with the bar burried in oak or beech!
But, it is a thrill to run her.

Good luck with Your new saw and Happy new Year!

 

[wde_1978]

Just read the whole thread and looked up saw specs.
At 5.3HP Your stock 372 will barely notice pulling a 18" bar and chain setup!

... That 18" bar is going to be fun on there. There is literally not enough cutters on that loop to slow that 72 down. It's gonna feel like a semi race saw...

Yes . I think just muffler mod. And then I going to run it for a while. Keep sharp chain on it and let it work. Needs to earn it's keep before any other mods.

It certainly is not a commonly recommendable suggestion, but the chain I run on my PS-7900 is more aggressive then it should be.
Instead of the recommended .020-.025" the rakers are down to about .035" and it is awesome in strong wood.
I do not recommend this for limbing though as it makes a rough cutting experience, but will work in a pinch.

I use Dolmar/Oregon round filed chisel chains, 3/8", .058", 20"/72DL, and they handle the additional bite very well.

NOTE:
When both my PS-6400 & PS-7900 wear chains with rakers set to recommended specs on their 20" bars, there is almost no noticeable difference in form of cutting speed between them (fresh oak, beech, cherry, hornbeam).
True, the PS-7900 can be dogged in really hard forcing her through the cuts - but that is not how a saw should be used anyway.
I mention this only to give an example of power to bar length behavior.
Your 372's 5.3HP will be more then You can take advantage of on a 18" B&C setup.
Lowering the chains rakers a little bit might give You the desired "wow" effect You are hoping for without modifying the saw.

Dolmar PS-6400 = 64cc , 4.8HP
Dolmar PS-7900 = 78.5cc , 6.3HP
Husqvarna 372XP = 70.7cc , 5.3HP

DISCLAIMER:
Don't go crazy on the rakers!
If You lower them much more then ~.040" the cutters will take too big a bite causing Your saw to constantly bog down and You will have rendered Your chain unusable.

You can try "playing" with raker heights on an old chain, 2/3 or 3/4 worn, that way You won't mess up a new chain!

 

[dustinwilt68]

Thanks for all the replies. I have decided on just the muffler mod for now. And might look at the same for my 359, I dnt think for my purposes that anything else is needed. Might look for a smaller saw to compliment these 2. Thinking a 51 or a 55 .

 

[Mattyo]

get a 350 .... i have two and I use them 90% of the time... parts are EVERYWHERE, and cheap and its easy to work on. having taken apart a 55....that intake is a pain.

 

[dustinwilt68]

Ok. Thanks for the advice. 350 seems like gd choice. I going to look for something g that runs gd but not new, so I can play with it a little, maybe MM and delete the gasket and see how that does.

 

[Mattyo]

You can do a lot more than that with a 350 easily...and if you make a mistake you won't break the bank

 

[dustinwilt68]

Sounds like what I am looking for. I being a newbie at modifying.

 

[Mattyo]

Follow the link in my sig for full breakdowns

Weimedog has good vids on his page too

 

[Rx7man]

I think the bar that was on it (24") is the "right" bar in most cases for that saw... that said, if you don't have any wood bigger than 18" the only 2 things a longer bar is good for is digging in the dirt or saving your back since you don't have to lean over so much.
I'm in softwood country, and most of my saws over 65cc have 24" bars,... There's only been one tree I had to work on that needed a 36". I don't see the point to a bar shorter than 20" unless the saw can't power it.. My husky 35 has a 16" from the factory and it'll keep it.

As many have already said.. keep it tuned, keep it sharp, and keep learning to sharpen better!!.. just run the thing, you're never going to be able to put any load on it!

 

[BGE541]

If the 372 is gonna be your go to saw these are things I would do:

Muffler mod
Base gasket delete
Stihl scrench holder
24" bar
Handle bar wrap
Unlimited coil
11 spline carb tuning screwdriver off eBay to tune your saw.

This will give you a good understanding of what's going on with your saw, how to take care of the basics, how to tune and get you a saw that can tackle 99% of what the average firewood joe most likely needs.

 

[malk315]

Mattyo's 350 is not your normal 350. I have direct experience!
Opened up a ** lot ** of eyes at the GTG in CT back in November!

I've got a 350 was using it yesterday always fun to limb with it and bury the bar every now and then. It's got an 18" bar which may seem like a lot but it works great for me!

 

[dustinwilt68]

Thanks I keeping my eyes open for descent 1 around here

 

[CascadeHusky]

In Western Oregon, where a decent bit of timber is produced annually, I'd say that the most common size saws used over the last 20 years by fallers are 70.7 -76.5cc. 272/371/372/372xpw, 044/046 and newer variants (440,461...etc)

32-36" bars are common. Plenty use full comp(if it takes twice as long to grind 10 full chains vs. 10 skip chains, you're an idiot). Falling is clean wood, so full chisel is preferred.

I'd bet there are far more 32+ inch bars used than 28" and smaller. Use decent oil and there's no issues.

And yet somehow the armchair experts around here have decided even 28" is too long!