This is my philosophy on chainsaw modding and performance. In no way am I claiming to be the king of modders, or that others philosophies are wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just like my philosophy is personalized, so are your needs. Choice is a beautiful thing. This is simply what I like in a saw and how I believe they should perform. Yes, I've been beat in races before, and will be in the future. However, this is what I strive for when I build a saw.
First of all, it's all about chain speed. After all, that's what cuts the wood. I believe that a modded chainsaw should have both torque and RPMs. Neither one should eclipse the other. It takes both to make a fast saw. IMHO, if I haven't figured out how to get both out of a saw, I'm not happy and don't feel like I've mastered that model yet. If the saw doesn't make more RPMs than stock at the same load, then it's not going to cut any faster. If the saw is making RPMs, but only at a lower load, then torque is insufficient. I demand both.
So, how would I describe a good saw? Well, I've seen you guys definite it as angry, or nasty, or as I like to call it, with an attitude. I love a saw that feels like it's just desperate to get through that log. That requires more RPMs AND the torque to maintain those RPMs under load. A good saw will be both respectable in a cant race and be capable of pulling a long bar.
How do I get there? Well, I really don't care to get into the details of build design. Just like philosophies are different on how a saw should run, so might be how I build them. Again, this isn't to say I'm right and someone else is wrong, it's just how I build them to make them run like I like them.
My builds do not take fuel consumption into account. If it takes more fuel to make a saw run as I want it to, so be it. As the saying goes, "ponies (read horsepower) like to drink". My build criteria is to maximize chain speed, not fuel conservation. This is another example of personalized needs. I understand the remote logger that is concerned about fuel consumption. He's certainly not wrong to have that concern.
I'm not concerned about super low RPM torque. That's not how today's saws are intended to be run. By the same token, a good saw will have a sufficiently wide powerband that it is easy to operate and maintain chain speed. A saw that constantly bogs is totally unacceptable. Again, it takes both torque and RPMs to make this happen. I'm far more concerned to see a saw make good power from 9K-12K than I am from 7K-10K. Again, this is just me, and your opinion may vary greatly. For some, it's a matter of what you're used to. If you're an old timer that still wants to operate modern saws as you did your old school Mac, well, saws run differently today, IMHO.
Break-in. Now there's a current hot topic, lol. Personally, I think it's over rated. IMHO, a good saw will be good right out of the box. Take the 461 in the vid below for example. It's still on it's first tank of fuel. It runs fantastic! Sure, it'll loosen up a little during the next few tanks. But, I don't see break-in making a dog of a saw run good after a few tanks. Just my opinion now guys!
I don't expect all of you to agree with me. I expect that and get that. I'm OK with that. We all have different needs, different expectations, and different ideas. This isn't to knock anyone else's ideas or expectations. This is simply how I believe and what I strive for.
Post up. Keep it on topic. Keep it NOT personal! What do you like in a saw?
Here are a few of my saws that I ran yesterday. Actually, the 461 is for a customer. This saw is going to an arborist with decades of experience. It will be delivered tomorrow. The saw is still on it's first tank of fuel here. The wood is dead and dried hardwood. The biggest piece is a crotch. Just before the actual crotch, I cut about 4" slabs that will be made into tables. The rest was blocked up to be used for wood turnings, specifically custom made pens and similar.
This here is my personal 390XP. This saw is unbeaten in cant racing at Wiggs, however, it'll still pull a 36" full comp chain buried in hard crotch wood. Yes, the chain is sharp, and rakers are right at .025. The wood is just that hard.
This here is my custom 2188 bored out with a 2100 thin ring piston. It doesn't make quite the RPMs of the 390, but has a little more torque. I prefer the 390. Many of you might prefer this 2188, another example of personal differences , likes and needs.
First of all, it's all about chain speed. After all, that's what cuts the wood. I believe that a modded chainsaw should have both torque and RPMs. Neither one should eclipse the other. It takes both to make a fast saw. IMHO, if I haven't figured out how to get both out of a saw, I'm not happy and don't feel like I've mastered that model yet. If the saw doesn't make more RPMs than stock at the same load, then it's not going to cut any faster. If the saw is making RPMs, but only at a lower load, then torque is insufficient. I demand both.
So, how would I describe a good saw? Well, I've seen you guys definite it as angry, or nasty, or as I like to call it, with an attitude. I love a saw that feels like it's just desperate to get through that log. That requires more RPMs AND the torque to maintain those RPMs under load. A good saw will be both respectable in a cant race and be capable of pulling a long bar.
How do I get there? Well, I really don't care to get into the details of build design. Just like philosophies are different on how a saw should run, so might be how I build them. Again, this isn't to say I'm right and someone else is wrong, it's just how I build them to make them run like I like them.
My builds do not take fuel consumption into account. If it takes more fuel to make a saw run as I want it to, so be it. As the saying goes, "ponies (read horsepower) like to drink". My build criteria is to maximize chain speed, not fuel conservation. This is another example of personalized needs. I understand the remote logger that is concerned about fuel consumption. He's certainly not wrong to have that concern.
I'm not concerned about super low RPM torque. That's not how today's saws are intended to be run. By the same token, a good saw will have a sufficiently wide powerband that it is easy to operate and maintain chain speed. A saw that constantly bogs is totally unacceptable. Again, it takes both torque and RPMs to make this happen. I'm far more concerned to see a saw make good power from 9K-12K than I am from 7K-10K. Again, this is just me, and your opinion may vary greatly. For some, it's a matter of what you're used to. If you're an old timer that still wants to operate modern saws as you did your old school Mac, well, saws run differently today, IMHO.
Break-in. Now there's a current hot topic, lol. Personally, I think it's over rated. IMHO, a good saw will be good right out of the box. Take the 461 in the vid below for example. It's still on it's first tank of fuel. It runs fantastic! Sure, it'll loosen up a little during the next few tanks. But, I don't see break-in making a dog of a saw run good after a few tanks. Just my opinion now guys!
I don't expect all of you to agree with me. I expect that and get that. I'm OK with that. We all have different needs, different expectations, and different ideas. This isn't to knock anyone else's ideas or expectations. This is simply how I believe and what I strive for.
Post up. Keep it on topic. Keep it NOT personal! What do you like in a saw?
Here are a few of my saws that I ran yesterday. Actually, the 461 is for a customer. This saw is going to an arborist with decades of experience. It will be delivered tomorrow. The saw is still on it's first tank of fuel here. The wood is dead and dried hardwood. The biggest piece is a crotch. Just before the actual crotch, I cut about 4" slabs that will be made into tables. The rest was blocked up to be used for wood turnings, specifically custom made pens and similar.
This here is my personal 390XP. This saw is unbeaten in cant racing at Wiggs, however, it'll still pull a 36" full comp chain buried in hard crotch wood. Yes, the chain is sharp, and rakers are right at .025. The wood is just that hard.
This here is my custom 2188 bored out with a 2100 thin ring piston. It doesn't make quite the RPMs of the 390, but has a little more torque. I prefer the 390. Many of you might prefer this 2188, another example of personal differences , likes and needs.
