I'm still trying learn all these terms...but if porting makes a saw better why aren't they made that way?
The epa has a hand in it, along with sales, lawyers, production costs, and a host of other things. If they made them all as good as they could be, you'd only have a few saw models to choose from, because the rest would be obsolete. I have a ported 33cc saw that makes as much power as a stock 50cc, and a ported 50cc that is on par with 70 cc saws.
Look at stihl's lineup and what the horsepower numbers are. You could replace all those saws with just a few "good" ones (ported) and have a very simple selection, but they overlap power, quality, durability, weight, etc... let's overwhelm the customer....
Most of the new generation will never touch a saw, unlike the years past where everyone owned one. I would not want to hand a ported saw to anyone without experience, and even some with experience for that matter. A stock saw is very mild tempered. They rev slowly and don't make a lot of power for their weight. That helps reduce kickback and helps the user "keep up" with what the saw is doing. A ported saw can make 50% more power and revs instantly, making it more dangerous if used by someone without the knowledge of how to use and control it. Watch a few youtube videos of stock vs ported saws and you will quickly realize how much more power these saws are making. It's like dropping a race motor in a family car. It's not for everyone and you need to be careful with it.
The epa has emissions limits on saws, but that's measured in "quantity over time", so the saw makers choke them down so they make less exhaust per unit of time. All that does is hold heat in and reduce power. A ported saw will cut more wood faster, so the emissions are probably better overall than the stock saw. I can easily cut 6-8 cord of wood on a gallon of gas with my ported 350, but it would take at least 2-3 gallons with a stock saw. That much wood is easily 1-2 YEARS of heat for us, and it was cut with one gallon of gas. Not all ported saws are that efficient. My ported ms390 has a drinking problem and is only used when needed to break down large pieces.
The noise is another factor. Ported saws are loud, because you have to move air and fuel to make power, and that means more open exhaust. Most people don't like loud tools. You should wear hearing protection with any power tool, but most do not. I have hearing damage from running saws, shooting, etc... without hearing protection. I wear it all the time now. I was at a get-together last spring and we ran some big saws with "bark boxes" on them. It was just like being at the drag strip when two of them started cutting. Our muffs would vibrate on our ears and the ground shook. Those saws were bought as stock chainsaws and were ported, but the difference in power and noise was incredible. The bark box makes them even louder, and is not really needed, but it "sounds cool", so people use it. It's like pipes on a harley or a car/truck. Ported saws are louder, but they don't have to be THAT loud.
I don't like to run a ported saw early in the morning or late at night in town because it is so loud. A stock saw is fine though. I have both.
A ported saw is more productive and people like that. "Joe homeowner" doesn't need or want a ported saw to clean up a branch that fell when he can drive over to the local store and buy a "throwaway" saw for a couple hundred bucks. He feels good about running a chainsaw and feels like more of a man. He may or may not have saved any money over having someone else do it, but he did it himself and that's what he wanted to do. He will either stash the saw in the garage for 5 years or sell it. If he stashes it, chances are it won't start the next time he wants to use it, so he will buy another one or pay someone to fix it. That's how it goes. I have seen guys with 3,4,5, even 10 saws in their garage because they buy a new one whenever a branch/tree comes down and they want to do it themselves. That's probably why they make cheap saws.
I'm in the same boat. Considering porting my 024 and 026 so that they run a little better with the 18" bars they wear. Been interested in the topic for years, but never had the time or a spare saw to work on that I could afford to trash. Now that the 024 is back in my stable, I'm thinking about picking up an aftermarket replacement jug and cylinder for it so that I don't trash the OEM parts. It's an 024AV, so I'll have to stick with the smaller P&C diameter. If it goes well, I'd probably do the same for the 026. If that goes well, I'd consider doing it for my 036 as well. Working on getting a 2nd 036 as a back up. Which ever one has less compression would probably be the candidate for a new ported after market top end. Not really interested in changing my timing on anything, or changing my squish. Just want to let them breath a little better and see what difference it makes.
