Echo CS-490 advice please

As some of you know, we're doing our own clearing on the building site we have in VT. Last year I did a bunch of research on a saw that would fit the bill for me now and going forward to feed our stove. None of the trees we have to fell are bigger than 24". For a bunch of reasons, I chose the CS-490 with a 20" bar... budget and quality were high on that list. I know there are simple mods that will maximize that saw all over the web. I want to get it performing at it's best. I also don't want to make any mistakes trying to achieve that. I would appreciate any advice you folk have to offer.
BTW I'm not new to operating a chainsaw. For years I fed a wood stove, down here, with a 14" Craftsman happy home owner special circa 1970. Time for an upgrade.

 

Muffler mod & re tune is the go to on those saws I think.

 

Thanks for the reply. I've seen the muffler mod done different ways, on the web, and have heard that the carb needs to be reset carefully to match the extra breathability the muffler mod provides. I'm handy, have tools, and am not a small machine mechanic by any means. Guess I'm looking for specific advice on best practice with this particular saw. (i need a little hand holding here)

 

short of mods amateur cutter suggested, keep running a non e fuel and keep the chain sharp. A sharp chain adds a lot of hp to the sum of the work

 

Yeah, I'm all about non E gas. That's all I run in my outboard, leaf blower, weedwhacker, genny, and saws.
This is how much (little) I know. What is an "re tune"? A carburetor tune?

 

For 24" wood I would have bought a bigger saw. But since you have 50cc saw and want a little more the easiest is a muffler mod.
Take the muffler off and open up the diffuser or baffles inside the muffler and then open up the exit hole larger. You can go a big as the exhaust port on the cylinder.
You can remove the spark arrestor but I do not recommend that. I always try to leave the spark arrestor in.
When done blow out the muffler real good with some compressed air to get out all the little metal chips out.

When the muffler is opened up it will get rid of the exhaust much easier and so it will draw more intake. So you will probably richen up the mixture a little on both high and low.

 

The 490 has an empty can for a muffler there are no baffles. Pull the deflector off remove tube under it and cut the front of the deflector out.
It will take longer to get the screws holding the deflector on out then to do the muffler mod. Those screws are a bitch.

 

Muffler mod allows for more btu’s through the saw, if you add more btu’s. Making the change allows for more air, make sure the air filter is clean, and because of more air, you add more fuel to maintain the right fuel to air ratio.
Should be able to richen up, lefty loosy, on the H and L screws and rightly tighty on the idle screw. Small changes.
Lots of good tuning videos on the netw

 

Thanks to you all for the advice. I will take it.

 

Youre going to need a special tool to remove the stupid limiter caps fyi.

 

Drywall screw won't work?

 

I have seen u-tubes of the limiter caps pulled out by driving a screw into them and using needle nose plyers to pull 'em out.

 

I've adjusted the idle on my Kawasaki outboard and my Husky weedwhacker but I've never adjusted the carb on anything before. Any handy advice for a small engine newbie?

 

Well it has been a while but I'm back. Spent all last summer clearing our building site with the 490. I did the muffler mod and carb adjustment. I dropped, limbed and bucked up over 5 cords with it. I'm 63. My knees and back are prone to flairing up if I'm not careful. That saw is light enough for me to work all day with only minor aches and pains. Thanks for all the help guys.