Favorite Chainsaw 'Builders' list
- Thread starter SeanKroll
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Are you logging to scale?
If not, I fail to see the value of porting.
I log to scale 7 months of the year and still won't use ported saws.
I'd like to keep the little of my hearing that is left after 45 years of running saws.
If not, I fail to see the value of porting.
I log to scale 7 months of the year and still won't use ported saws.
I'd like to keep the little of my hearing that is left after 45 years of running saws.
Iām more of a climber not a logger. Closest thing I get to logging is we do land clearing and grading where I might have an open area with 30+ trees I can drop. I run audio equipment for my church so I have to protect my hearing. I live with my protos helmet on, using the built in glasses so I always have a full seal on my ear pro. Plus we run Senas built in so no yelling either. The most modded saws I have is my 500i with the west coast kit on it and a 261 I bought from @davidwyby
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
I have been practicing/learning to swing leaners lately. I find I prefer a light, torquey off the line, responsive saw. And not too loud so I can skip ear protection at the end and listen for cracking. Once on the ground and bucking, a ripper is fun.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
You gotta YouTube?
pete mctree
Treehouser
As someone who has hearing damage from running saws and chippers despite using hearing protection every time I run one, I am still surprised when someone doesnāt. It just makes zero sense
Do you wear a helmet when doing treework?
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
Letās try again. āAt the end to listen for crackingā. I should add, one ear plug that is towards the tree and away from the saw only partially out. Iāve see plenty of fallers do it, itās actually where I got the idea. The saw is not running all out, just nibbling.
My grandfather was mostly deaf when he got older from unprotected hearing with guns and machinery, and it was a pain for him and everyone else. I have no desire to be the same. But if Iām taking the final trimming backcuts on a tree, I would rather hear it, get away, and hit my lay than risk getting smashed.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
Why do people have to be insulting?
I don't think anyone is trying to insult you, just simply trying to help you. Hearing loss will likely effect everyone here, and it isn't fun. I imagine you likely already have substantial injury, grinders and machining tools are very loud. I know I'm already in trouble. The guys commenting cut more trees in a year than you or i will in a lifetime, so when they doubt the advantages of a ported saw when they run one all day everyday that speaks volumes.
flushcut
TreeHouser
I use earring pro every chance I get working metal or trees. I wear plugs mowing the lawn. There are three open boxes of plugs in the shop so they are always close by. I like my hearing. The higher the decibel reduction the better.
I'm skeptical of ported saws, but I understand the appeal. Free performance. I used to hotrod computers. You buy cheaper chips, and make them go faster. I'm not inclined to do it anymore. Lost interest in computers, and don't do anything that requires high performance anymore.
Same with saws. If I need more saw, I'll buy more saw. It gets more interesting in the air. You have weight constraints climbing, and every saved ounce counts. Been meaning to muffler mod my 2511, and I'd consider a port job, especially if I were doing more of this. Something like a ported 261 would be cool as an aerial "big" saw. Get more out of less weight.
edit:
Oh, and I'm not interested in loud saws, especially with the bigger saws(>50cc). When I only had a poulanpro, I didn't wear hearing protection. It was dumb, but wasn't painful. When I got my 362, my ears were ringing after 10 minutes. I had to stop and go buy hearing protection. I wouldn't want anything louder than stock if it can be helped at all.
Same with saws. If I need more saw, I'll buy more saw. It gets more interesting in the air. You have weight constraints climbing, and every saved ounce counts. Been meaning to muffler mod my 2511, and I'd consider a port job, especially if I were doing more of this. Something like a ported 261 would be cool as an aerial "big" saw. Get more out of less weight.
edit:
Oh, and I'm not interested in loud saws, especially with the bigger saws(>50cc). When I only had a poulanpro, I didn't wear hearing protection. It was dumb, but wasn't painful. When I got my 362, my ears were ringing after 10 minutes. I had to stop and go buy hearing protection. I wouldn't want anything louder than stock if it can be helped at all.
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flushcut
TreeHouser
I have to say the gains made by modding a 2511 is pretty substantial.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
My job is loud, my truck is loud, my hobbies are loud. There are earplugs on my person at all timesā¦listening for a tree cracking a little with a stock saw for someone who doesnāt do it all the time isnāt going to make me deaf. Iām in my early forties and I still hear stuff others donāt. Just heard a slight hissing under my house yesterday no one else noticedā¦water leak.
Now ported sawsā¦most of mine are. Some are very loud. They are fun, but not sure they are worth it from a production standpoint except power to weight ratio and being able to run a longer bar on a lighter saw to reduce fatigue. Lately I have been felling on the edge of a bluff and I quickly switched from 288 to 60cc saws. Maybe if one was production cutting firewood the faster cut times might add up enough to make a differenceā¦
I would not buck all day with this setup, but itās handy for reach and pretty impressive. Once I lighten the bar with carbon fiber it will
be really handy.
Now ported sawsā¦most of mine are. Some are very loud. They are fun, but not sure they are worth it from a production standpoint except power to weight ratio and being able to run a longer bar on a lighter saw to reduce fatigue. Lately I have been felling on the edge of a bluff and I quickly switched from 288 to 60cc saws. Maybe if one was production cutting firewood the faster cut times might add up enough to make a differenceā¦
I would not buck all day with this setup, but itās handy for reach and pretty impressive. Once I lighten the bar with carbon fiber it will
be really handy.
I agree with John! Iām climbing or doing bucket work almost every single day and the wear and tear it has on my right wrist and shoulder becomes a lot sometimes. The two built saws I dream of is a nasty 2511 and a 261 that can pull a 25in bar with a wrap handle (I know they donāt make them). Unless Iām in a clearing job where Iām rocking my 500i with 32in bar. Those two sized saws see 90% of my work load. I do want to learn to port to be able to play with my barn finds and broken saws I can get from other companies we work with.
Nutball
TreeHouser
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
Nutball
TreeHouser
20" .050 new 3/8lp Oregon chain. That was a redo of a high torque port job after their previous one got stolen.
Really I hate loud saws. I stuffed up the muffler on one of mine, and luckily have another with stock muffler. They really are obnoxious unless a lot of work needs to be done quickly. Ported are too loud for me even with good ear plugs, but I haven't noticed any decrease in hearing sensitivity after all I've been around chippers and ported saws. I really try to protect my hearing as much as I can, and am more sensitive than most people. At most I have a harder time making out sounds over 18kHz.
Ported saws are really only good for lots of quick cutting where kickback and boring is no concern. So mainly cutting firewood and blocking a trunk for hand loading. They are good for long cuts too, but if an overly aggressive chain is no use to you, then ported saws probably won't be either.
I used my Mitch ported 2511t when climbing an oak recently running .050 3/8 and wish the saw was a lot faster. There's a lot more power to come from a 2511 with the right mods, but exhaust heat safety and obnoxious noise are the problem. Proper cooling might be a problem too.
I do enjoy my muffler modded 550 mkII with 24" bar. It would get fully ported if there was a worthwhile gain over the muffler mod.
Really I hate loud saws. I stuffed up the muffler on one of mine, and luckily have another with stock muffler. They really are obnoxious unless a lot of work needs to be done quickly. Ported are too loud for me even with good ear plugs, but I haven't noticed any decrease in hearing sensitivity after all I've been around chippers and ported saws. I really try to protect my hearing as much as I can, and am more sensitive than most people. At most I have a harder time making out sounds over 18kHz.
Ported saws are really only good for lots of quick cutting where kickback and boring is no concern. So mainly cutting firewood and blocking a trunk for hand loading. They are good for long cuts too, but if an overly aggressive chain is no use to you, then ported saws probably won't be either.
I used my Mitch ported 2511t when climbing an oak recently running .050 3/8 and wish the saw was a lot faster. There's a lot more power to come from a 2511 with the right mods, but exhaust heat safety and obnoxious noise are the problem. Proper cooling might be a problem too.
I do enjoy my muffler modded 550 mkII with 24" bar. It would get fully ported if there was a worthwhile gain over the muffler mod.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
Iāve been cutting my cookies with the logs vertical lately, somewhat simulating felling situations. Testing dog-in grunt, boring, chip clearing, bar pinch to some extent. This thing is an animal.
This seems to be working for chip clearance:
This seems to be working for chip clearance:
Nutball
TreeHouser
I think there's only .5hp left in my 550, so not worth the cost or effort when its already much stronger than most any stock 50cc, especially those from the older days.
davidwyby
Desert Beaver
I had a Snelling 2252. I felt like my stock Stihl 261 had as much or more grunt, maybe not as much zip. Iām a grunt guy.
Marc-Antoine
TreeHouser
So it seems that you're a good match with your truck !
