How many of you are running ported saws

1savagehunter

1savagehunter

Treehouser
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
135
Location
Alberta
I'm interested in how many of you are running ported saws in the work environment. I'm debated getting my 460 done up. I want a ported saw but don't want to shorten the life of the saw. Any feel back would be most appreciated. I'd be getting a woods ported job done.
 
Ported Husky 350, ported Big bore 046, love them both!
Huge gains in power, they run cooler but use a little more gas.
My 350 is eight years old, I ran it four before I ported it. I tear it down now and again, just to have a look at it. Piston still looks new, jug is nice and smooth, no problems. I think I've had the 046 five years now, don't run it as much as the 350, but runs like a scalded ape when I need it!
But I don't skimp on oil or fuel! I buy the highest octane fuel I can get and I run Royal Purple synthetic two stroke mix in all my two strokes.
 
Every saw I own is ported except for my top handle 200Ts. I won't waste my time running a stock saw any more. My ported stable consists of:
2- Husky 346xp (2001 and 2002 vintage)
4- Husky 372xp (1997-2007)
1- Husky 395xp
1- Stihl MS880

I've had saws ported by a half dozen builders, some good, some not so good, a couple were exceptional. The best guy I could recommend today is in Canada and uses the screen name Timberwolf on the forums. I haven't seen much of him around here lately but I can point you to his Youtube videos as well as forward his contact info if you like.
 
Butch, a woods port is aimed toward higher production in a working environment and long life. A race port will cut a lot faster but cannot run under load for long periods of time without overheating. The saws used at the race competitions run too hot to use at work (in the woods).
 
I'm running five ported saws for work, three huskies and two Stihls. All have gotten a lot of hard use and are holding up fine. Valued improvement in performance by all of them. Actually, one Stihl isn't ported, I just took out the cylinder base gasket to raise compression and modded the muffler.

I think that I have yet to hear of a well done woods ported saw ending up having it's life shortened by doing the mod. Opinions may differ, but some greater attention to oil mix ratio may be desired with a modified saw, I run 35 to one and use synthetic with premium gas.
 
I'm buying a MS 460 today that was woods ported, coming from a commercial feller. Have used a friend's woods ported 460 one day. DONE. Looking to mod the rest. I can't tell how much I may have gained from losing the spark screen on my MS 192 (I know, I know, next saw new saw will be a MS 200 for removals).

Who removes their spark arrestor screens?
 
I remove the screen on the 200T because it is also a restrictor plate. All my bigger ported saws have screens fitted over the (much larger) exhaust outlets.
 
Those screens in a 200 suck, they get more even restrictive as carbon builds up on them.
 
They even left a little tab on the 200T screen so you can get ahold of it with pliers. Ported 460 here with no problems. I hear Stihl is cracking down on dealers that offer to mod their saws though, making it harder to find.
 
Three ported saws here. 361, 460, 660. Stock saws suck bigtime in comparison imo. I'll never go back.

Spark arrestors? What's that? Lol.

Savage, Timberwolf did my latest 460 and it's an absolute beast. I have two other 46's and they're not anything close to the TW460.

I'm betting on a new saw if you do basic maintenance (filters) and keep it sharp that a modded saw will have a longer life because they breath so much better.
 
Bounce said:
They even left a little tab on the 200T screen so you can get ahold of it with pliers. Ported 460 here with no problems. I hear Stihl is cracking down on dealers that offer to mod their saws though, making it harder to find.
Click to expand...

Stihl should wake up then, because their new saws are gutless in factory trim. My 660 was very dissapointing until it was modded.
 
I'm sure Stihl is more than aware that their current models are less than stellar power-wise. Emmissions restrictions are the culprit, nothing any manufacturer can do about that.
 
Still, they shouldn't lean on dealers who are trying to help their customers get a properly running saw. I mean emissions control on a freaking chainsaw is really quite a joke when you look at all the giant ass chipped diesel grocery getters that are cruising around.
 
I'm glad the subject of screens, which leads to the subject of opening up stock mufflers, has come up. One need not think that one must go all the way to porting and increasing compression to achieve improvements in performance. Sure, that way leads to the most, but simple increases in exhaust volume and matched carb tuning can perk up most saws significantly, and cheaply too.
 
That's true, and you can like Skwerlyman does still fashion a screen over the larger or additional outlets in the exhaust cover. But I still think just factor the cashola into what a saw costs, and voila! Have the best.

Honestly for most people/saws I've run into a consistently clean air filter and sharp chain is what most should be worried about. Not saying The Treehousers are in that category as I've met precious few, but most saws I've seen at other companys are badly in need of some basic, basic maintenance.
 
I've been in that category a long time Squish. I run stock saws, sharp chain and clean filters. I learned to file (properly) right here on this website and nothing makes a bigger difference to me than sharp chain.

But this thread has me wondering how much porting my 440 would cost. The muffler is already open and I run a Max-Flow on it.
 
I have never removed a screen from any of my saws.
For the simple reason that they don't have any.

The spark arrester screen seems to be a North American invention.
 
Woods porting is usually $150 - $250.

The highest I know of is $300 out west and then you dont get a degree wheel on your saw and some generic porting with a pop up and cylinder milled.

Woods porting is also measured on a yard stick IMO. Two ends of the scale as to what you want. ;)
 
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