Where’s the best place or way to increase performance with a chainsaw.

[4570Man]

I’ve been running my stock 372XP for about 2 years but I feel like it could do better. I’m generally not a good 2 stroke mechanic but I wouldn’t be above doing it if it’s simple. Neither of the saw places in town can sharpen a chain worth a flip so I don’t trust them.

 

[atsah]

Muffler mod.. Doesn't cost anything and only requires a carb adjustment..

 

[Deere Dude]

Make sure you have good non ethanol gas with 90 octane or higher. Get a good chain sharpener. Many can do good by hand filing, but that ain't me. Sounds like you have a good saw.

Look at arborist.com in the chainsaw section. If you want to know anything about saws, they have some very sharp individuals ready to help.

 

[Rustyiron]

Prolly plenty of utube stuff out there on muffler mods.

 

[ruffdog]

How the chain is sharpened makes a world of difference. A muffler mod done right helps but will increase noise. Sometimes it's tough for people to find a good tuner.

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/

 

[4570Man]

Make sure you have good non ethanol gas with 90 octane or higher. Get a good chain sharpener. Many can do good by hand filing, but that ain't me. Sounds like you have a good saw.

Look at arborist.com in the chainsaw section. If you want to know anything about saws, they have some very sharp individuals ready to help.

I can’t buy no ethanol gas with 90 octane. 87 no ethanol is the best I can do. I have a timberline sharpener that works well but it’s too slow and tedious for my liking. I’ve been thinking of trying something different. I don’t think there’s as many people that can hand file a chain as there are that think they can. I’ve only met one person that can make the nice ribbon curls from oak with a hand filed chain.

 

[LouNY]

A sharp chain and a younger fellow to run it. :drink: then be a good supervisor

 

[ericm979]

Re: Where痴 the best place or way to increase performance with a chainsaw.

A nice sharp chain makes any saw cut faster. Use whatever tools work for you. I spent a couple seasons hand filing when I was on a thinning crew. I can do it reasonably well but last year I bought a bench grinder. It works well but takes longer than hand filing so I use it on really dull chains. I sharpen the chain frequently- two tanks at the most. I have at least a couple chains for every bar so I can swap chains and keep working.

A well tuned carburetor also makes the saw cut faster. Not everyone is good at hearing the different sound the engine makes when it's four stroking. Even if you can, it can be useful to tune with a tach. A good one is about $80.

Some saws have small outlets on the mufflers or internal baffles for noise reduction and can benefit from a larger opening or baffle modification if you're ok with making more noise. Some baffles actually improve performance so don't gut the muffler without doing research.

Most saws porting is a little conservative. More power is available by having someone good port the saw. It takes some knowledge of two stroke fundamentals, some experimentation and a steady hand. You want someone who had made their beginner mistakes already. Some of the porting pics posted on arborsite have been really dreadful.

E10 gas is fine if that's all you can get in the octane your saw requires. Ethanol has about 2/3 the BTUs of gasoline but it also cools the engine more when it evaporates, which is good for performance and would help compensate for the small reduction in BTU.

Most people who run saws all day every day stay stock and buy a bigger saw if they need more power.

 

[kthompson]

Buy several chains and swap them out when they need sharpening. Then when you have several that need sharpening take them to shop who knows how. Ask around it may be a travel of few miles but they are there. Unless you really need to sharpen a chain often doubt a motor power sharpener would make sense.

 

[IndyIan]

Re: Where痴 the best place or way to increase performance with a chainsaw.

I learned to sharpen by hand on the saw, don't know if I'm great at it but the saw always cuts faster when I'm done. On my 372 I pulled the spark screen, and bent open the deflector a bit, then tuned the carb and called it good, and I've had it for 16 years now and plan to have it for 16 more... For hardwood firewood 2' is about the sweet spot for the saw, IMO. If you are cutting 3'+ often then its time for a bigger saw. I've got a 36" bar with full skip for the odd big tree and it gets through, but it feels like work.

 

[4570Man]

This thread wasn’t about a sharp chain or not. It was about modifying the saw and how much power is really to be gained. And I’m pretty sure the carb on my saw needs adjusted rather I decided to mod the saw or not. It starts harder than it used to and doesn’t seem to reach as high of rpm as it used to. It also seems to smoke a little more.

 

[WranglerX]

Get best quality sharpener you can afford.... (Not HF piece of crap) ... Many chains sharpen at different angles and such, make sure any sharpener has ability to adjust at all angles....

As for time, do it in evening when things are quiet and you are not in rush to work while day light is wasting...

Also be sure all grinding/filing angles are proper for type of chain... Not all chains use same angles... And the anti-kickback bump is at or below recommended height...

Dale

 

[atsah]

So chain sharpening is easy... Just kidding..

I did the muffler mod on my 372, I removed the arrestor as well, not sure you would want to do that but it helped, I don’t cut wood in the woods, I cut tree length that a pulp truck brings to me, if I was cutting in the woods I would probably skip the arrestor delete.

 

[4570Man]

What’s a good electric sharpener? The high end Oregon model was like $600. That would buy a lot of chains and forget about sharpening. Btw, my current sharpener works well. I just don’t like it.

 

[4570Man]

So chain sharpening is easy... Just kidding..

I did the muffler mod on my 372, I removed the arrestor as well, not sure you would want to do that but it helped, I don’t cut wood in the woods, I cut tree length that a pulp truck brings to me, if I was cutting in the woods I would probably skip the arrestor delete.

My saw goes in the woods some, but I usually do the same thing you are.

 

[atsah]

Drilled two holes and cut out a small area towards the bottom center with a Dremel tool and then installed a screen in there. Sounds sweet and revs instantly. I can post a picture tomorrow if you want to see it, I just did a Jonsered 2171 which is basically the same saw came out perfect.

 

[sd455dan]

This thread wasn’t about a sharp chain or not. It was about modifying the saw and how much power is really to be gained. And I’m pretty sure the carb on my saw needs adjusted rather I decided to mod the saw or not. It starts harder than it used to and doesn’t seem to reach as high of rpm as it used to. It also seems to smoke a little more.

Somebody must do good woods porting and mods on the bigger pro Huskys...

i learned what i could watching some youtube vids for the Husky 350's

just for reference here are a couple
husqvarna 340 / 350 dyno runs at the ct gtg 2016 - YouTube

and the dyno charts from the previous video runs

the dyno runs husqvarna 350 challenge - YouTube

the 350 Huskys had a as much as a 3 hp difference up around 11,000rpm between one of the best runners ( over 5 hp) vs. a stock saw which had already signed off power wise and was down to barely 2 hp.


I did some of the mods suggested by a couple of the guys that did vids mainly dropping the crankcase down after removing the gasket (.045 to .017) piston to head in the side squish area and my own muffler mod.

anyone who says just a new- or super sharp chain is right that makes a big difference -

but... put that same chain on an identical appearing saw that is putting out a good bit more HP in the RPM range that most cutting is done and it is just a much faster cutting more capable saw.


i am planning on some more mods this winter - ( installing a flat top piston with new ring vs. the dished piston a original ring) Not sure if I am gutsy enough to port the 350 but I am thinking about it.

I did find some port timing #s posted to start from and I can practice on a new $30 top end kit to get a feel for it.


One thing I am sure of I will never run a stock Husky 350 again.
Actually think I have heard that from other posters - won't run a stock saw after owning a well modded/tuned one.

here is a (fleetcommand) 372 ish comparo
"Spike60 Special" Husqvarna 372 build, Simple Mods That Make A Difference - YouTube

maybe a Bob's spike special:thumbsup:

 

[4570Man]

The 372 isn’t a good lab rat for mods. I might start with my smaller and cheaper saws. I’ve got a $20 dollar polan that whatever happens to it is fine. I’ve got a 353 Husqvarna and a 540 Dolmar that don’t see much use anymore. Getting 5 hp from those saws would be a real game changer.

 

[ericm979]

I’m pretty sure the carb on my saw needs adjusted rather I decided to mod the saw or not. It starts harder than it used to and doesn’t seem to reach as high of rpm as it used to. It also seems to smoke a little more.

Tuning the carb just right will make more power and make the saw more pleasant to run.

Carb tuning isn't a set it once and forget it thing. The right tuning changes with ambient temperature- colder air is denser, leaning out the mixture. Fuel affects it too. On old fuel it won't rev out as well.

Like sharpening chains, it's worth learning to do yourself so you can do it when it's needed instead of waiting until you can get to the shop. Once the saw is hot it should four stroke when you lift the saw up when cutting. I don't know about Husqvarnas but Stihl manuals have specs for the idle rpm and free rev rpm so you can use a tach to tune them.

Leaking impulse lines or intake boots or crank seals can cause hard starting and poor running, and can also cause engine damage. It may be worth removing the muffler to check the piston skirt for damage. A clogged spark arrestor can cause poor running too but it's easy to fix by removing the screen and burning off the gunk with a propane torch.

 

[MossRoad]

90 octane ethanol free and 90 octane with ethanol is still 90 octane. It makes no difference. If your saw calls for 90 octane, use 90 octane. If you mess with the porting or timing and that causes a predetonation, higher octane may help with that. The only concern with gas with ethanol is storage long term. If you empty your saw after usage and don't let it sit for months at at time, you'll never have ethanol related issues.