What are the tradeoffs with a modded saw

[bwalker]

When your married hearing loss can be a advantage.

 

[cbfarmall]

My grandpa is an expert at "not" hearing my grandma. I'm taking lessons from the master. I have a double advantage since I already have a 50% hearing loss so people never know when I can't hear them and when I "can't" hear them.

That said, I'll never use my saws without ear protection. Especially my 045. I used it for 45 minutes straight, and could barely listen to my own voice for a week without wincing.


Chris B.

 

[Ryan Willock]

If your not smart enough to use hearing protection then you shouldn't be running a saw in the first place!! Besides, its not just the motor that gets your hearing its also the high pictched whine from the sprocket on the end of the bar.

 

[Crofter]

StevIE;

Are you telling us you got hearing loss despite wearing hearing protection. I have a husky with modified muffler that I feel warrants both ear plugs and muffs if you were going to run it steady bucking all day, but I cant afford to lose any more hearing. A lot of us lost hering 20 or 30 years ago before noise induced hearing loss was generally accepted as fact.

Question; with the same muffler on a standard unmodified saw and one with advanced exhaust timing, will both have the same noise output.

Frank

 

[Sylvatica]

Foam plugs AND muffs for me all the time. With a saw, in the loader, or at the range.

Got way too much money tied up in classical and classic jazz music CD's to go deaf now.

 

[songercarving]

Huh? It could be just coincidence that the hearing went at the same time as running the saw. I don't know? It's not that it's that loud, it's just that same deep drone pitch ??? for several hours a day held up close to the body.
StevIE

 

[Crofter]

StevIE; YOU ARE NOT LISTENING-----WERE YOU WEARING HEARING PROTECTION DURING THE TIME YOU SUFFERED THE HEARING LOSS? or have you just started wearing it since?

Frank

 

[songercarving]

I TOLD YOU I CAN'T HEAR!!! lol. Yes, I wore ear protection during the time I suffered hearing loss. I have worn ear protection from the beginning.
StevIE

 

[Crofter]

Originally posted by Crofter
Do you honestly give up nothing when you have a saw ported and internally modified? No question ultimate horsepower should be up but what happens to idle rpm, flexibility, kickback, vibration at low rpm or perhaps other considerations I haven't thought of.
Granted there are many levels of modication from quite moderate to extreme and the higher end would be more prone to negatives. What thoughts?

Frank

Now that I have a modified 372 husky, and have played with it a bit, I can answer some of those questions I had. Idle is normal and smooth, no tendency to drag the chain. Throttle response is immediate. The kickback I had in mind was about starting. The pull is a wee bit stiffer but no prob. with decompression button in. Once warm restarts in the air nicely and certainly easier than a stock 066 Stihl. I requested a woods saw level of modification not racing level. Ed Heard, the builder tells me there is more to be had, but I am very happy as is. Modifications were done after muffler mods were made so gains made did not come from that. Have not tried it in same wood but feel cut times would be at least 20% quicker. Spool up is so much quicker that when you are limbing it seems you just have to point the saw at the limb and it is off. Gypo says he has a video clip he took while he and EHP were test driving it.

Frank

 

[tony marks]

noise is the only drawback to a moded saw that i know.. as to somebody catching me with it. and telling me about some regulation. ill just bury him behind my still.

 

[Crofter]

Noise?

Tony, I had already opened the exhaust, but that raises a question I have never heard discussed- whether you would be able to raise power with internal modifications if you didn't also open the exhaust to noisy levels. I always use hearing protection now but go the end of the month to pick up my hearing aids. No problem hearing saws, but conversation is becoming a bit difficult. Like with a lot of other things i learned my lesson a bit late!
Frank

 

[cbfarmall]

Crofter,

Have fun with the hearing aids!! Just kidding. I've had them for over twenty years, since I was 5. Some kind of ear infection. I have trouble with conversations, just like you, but especially when people look away and start talking to the wall.

While not modded, my 045 Super scared the hell out of me. Used it for an hour shortly after I got it. Next day, every sound made my ears hurt to the point where I couldn't even talk without wincing. Now, I won't run it, or any other saw, without protection. Lost too much hearing already, have to guard what I have left.

Lots of luck with the aids, Chris B.

 

[tony marks]

guess we oughta be glad they gottum, hearing aids i mean. had one son with a similar problem to chris. like to a worried us to dath. but hes alrite now,, an u cant even tell he wears an aid.good luck frank. its probably like any tool ,just a matter of learning it..

 

[Bobcat]

I do not buy this "noise problem". My first mod has been with a Walker muffler on a Husky 346xp. No doubt that that has a little more noise than before, but of so little increase that there is no problem. I always wear ear protection and never have any hearing problems during or after saw use.

So for a little more sound effect, I get: more HP, more torque range, and a saw that just runs easier/smoother than before the muffler mod. And I only changed the muffler to get these improvements ! bob

 

[cbfarmall]

Changing the muffler makes a big impact on the sound. Maybe it's louder and maybe it's not, but the quality (for lack of a better word) can change.

Case in point:

I mentioned my 045 Super earlier. That muffler has only the factory front port cover. Kills my ears. It's as if the sound is drilling in. Move over to my 056 Magnum. Same muffler body, same front cover, but it has the side exhaust pipe--factory dual-ported setup. Not nearly so hard on my ears. It certainly isn't quieter, but the pitch changed. Not saying this applies in all situations, but change one feature and the sound is altered dramatically. I guess it depends on the saw.

Nevertheless, you should be wearing ear protection whenever you run a saw. Who knows how much money has been spent on my hearing over the last twenty years? Probably over $20,000, plus batteries. That's a lot of saws.

Chris B.

 

[rbtree]

I know my ported saws are very loud!! The 3120 is much louder than when stock, as are all the others. The PP 7900 is not as loud, nor are my little 335/338 Huskys.

I wear ear bands and they do not cut off enough sound. My ears were ringing till this morning from yesterday's log job. Got to go to double ear pro when doing lots of bucking with the big boys.

 

[Crofter]

Jusst kicking this to the top again to see if anyone has come up with any bad experiences with modified saws. I had some reservations which I listed at the start of the thread. Since then I have had two saws, a 260 Stihl and a 365 Husqvarna modified and can say that I have not experienced any loss in user friendliness.

Frank

 

[Husky372]

Re: Re: What are the tradeoffs with a modded saw

Originally posted by Crofter
Now that I have a modified 372 husky, and have played with it a bit, I can answer some of those questions I had. Idle is normal and smooth, no tendency to drag the chain. Throttle response is immediate. The kickback I had in mind was about starting. The pull is a wee bit stiffer but no prob. with decompression button in. Once warm restarts in the air nicely and certainly easier than a stock 066 Stihl. I requested a woods saw level of modification not racing level. Ed Heard, the builder tells me there is more to be had, but I am very happy as is. Modifications were done after muffler mods were made so gains made did not come from that. Have not tried it in same wood but feel cut times would be at least 20% quicker. Spool up is so much quicker that when you are limbing it seems you just have to point the saw at the limb and it is off. Gypo says he has a video clip he took while he and EHP were test driving it.

Frank

dont meen to be nit picky here frank but which is it a 372 or a 365.
i would like to add that i have a pp346xpg i got from dan and it is a great saw. no disadvantages that i have noticed yet. but i haven't had it that long. i will also be getting my 372 back from him shorthly cant wait to try it with the new mods.

 

[Crofter]

Husky 372; Well the sticker on the side says 365. Before I gave it to Ed, I installed a new 372 jug and piston, keeping the same Zama carb. It is well broken in now, having cut a fair bit of firewood and a few hundred cookies. Have not had it up against another 372 directly but it will cut with a muffler modded 066 Stihl at least up to 14inch wood.

Frank

 

[Husky372]

o.k thanks for clearing that up. my dealer says that the 365 is just a waterd down version of the 372 so my quess is it is a 372 now.