So, insomnia or indigestion strikes again... and here I am. What are the different levels of saw porting? And what do they mean? I see terms such as woods port, work saw port, race, etc. I think that I get the general gist that they are levels of aggression and modification. Or, are the terms possibly also regional with minimal actual differences. (Insert, Days of Thunder quote, "there is nothing stock about a stock car" here.) I also wonder about durability after the fact. Are most of these ported saws still good for hours of cutting and years of firewood service? Or, do these beauties get pulled out to settle a bet with a buddy and put a smile on your face for a few cuts only? Not that I am looking to drop a ton of coin, but ... who am I kidding with the group I am asking? I've watched a ton of YouTube videos and most of them show strong saws or sometimes before and after comparisons. And cost? What range are we talking? A little dough or is it better to just buy a Husky 372 or Stihl 461 70+cc saw and not bother with porting? I guess durability comes into play there too. I hear lots of claims about "xyz will cut with a 10 cc larger saw" etc. Honestly, my 50cc 346xp and 60cc ms361 already outcut most of the similar sized saws I come across. Though, lots of my firewood cutting mates could stand some chain sharpening on the Granberg to fix some of that gap... And of course the feel of the pro grade saws compared to the farm/ranch and homeowner options becomes pretty obvious when you lean on them in the cut. Don't get me wrong , I am not bashing those. Just, asking if the difference in a stock pro saw to those is similar to the difference in a pro saw and a ported pro saw? I am not adverse to trying this myself either, being fairly mechanically inclined, but maybe I should buy an old 026 in rough shape to experiment on as a first victim...
I've been to a few GTG's and it seems there are more ported saws out there than not ported. The OEM manufacturers are building saws for the masses and are tuned to satisfy the EPA regs and run fine for the average Harry Homeowner. Its like any other segment of fuel burning machines. Most are good enough but some people want just a little more power. [insert Tim Allen grunt here] I think you'll find that most of the port jobs are to free up a little more power and make the saw gain speed and efficiency. And better power to weight ratio. While still being dependable and lasting a good long time. These shouldn't be confused with race saws...
For me, its the power to weight ratio that makes porting (and pro saws in general) look more attractive Oh! i forgot! This wood burning hobby saves me a lot of money, so throwing some of that money into a better saw is easily justified.
I’ve got several ported saws. Some were just a clean up and to help things flow a little better. Others well...they’re just mean. Not full on race port job but there’s a considerable difference. Unless you get plum carried away and don’t get the carb etc tuned right there’s not really any reason a ported saw won’t run as long as stock. Heck they may even live longer. My go to everyday saw is a 440 with the 460 top end, a little port work and squish. Comfortable weight and plenty of power with a 28” bar. I don’t run into big wood often, the longer bar eliminates some of the bending over when I’m limbing and bucking.
A woods ported saw is meant to cut firewood. A race port is to cut cants - no extended cuts, and not all day long. The latter would be more aggressive and therefore you'd expect the lifetime before repair to decrease. My understanding at least. Is a $300 woods port on a $100 saw worth it? Well, I doubt it. I have bought all my ported saws used, as plenty of guys like to try them all and are constantly upgrading; myself included. So it's like buying a loaded vehicle, either you do or you let someone else and buy it used. If you wait it out, the right deals pop up between here, AS and OPE. Saw gains are usually: chain, muffler mod, and then port/timing. Luckily, gains are found cheapest first! 346xp is like gold, I regret selling mine but it was for a ported 50cc saw... just not a 346xp which was damm fine stock, never run a ported one.
I've got 3 woods ported saws. 026, 036, & 044. I find I grab & run those the most. I fully expect them to last a good long time. I make a lot of firewood & like the most power for the least weight. Run a ported saw & you'll be wanting one real soon. Like TurboDiesel said, I've saved thousands heating with wood so I don't feel bad about having a big saw collection & paying for some good port work.
Woods port / work saws are made for everyday use like full time loggers, arborists, etc. so they are plenty reliable for firewood making. Some of them even run cooler after removing/modifying EPA emissions-based features. A complete "port" job including muffler mod, ports opened, cylinder base and squish machined, timing advanced... will range widely from ~$200-500, mostly in the $300-400 range. For "race saws, the sky is the limit. As my buddy's sign in his drag-race shop says: "Speed costs money... Tell me again how fast do you want to go?"
Thanks for the info and insight folks. I wonder if this just isn't something that dealers in my region offer, or if I've simply never heard of anyone around having one... I'd think considering the region where I live and forestry being a major industry, that there would be plenty of demand.
Ported saws may be more popular in your area than you think. No one ports saws in Alaska that I know of. I send my to huskihl. He does a really good job with a good turn around. Whats nice is he videos your saw when he gets it cutting what ever log he has handy. Then once its ported, you get to know what the improvement was. For example going from say 3@ cuts that took 17-20 seconds each now make 12-15 sec. Until I get a firewood processor, a ported saw is a life saver with the volume wood I need. It is amazing how fast a ported saw with square grind chain can make a cut compared to stock saw and round file chain.
I've had a few saws modified, all by different builders. Variety is the spice of life, so they say. All were in the 200-350 range. Your best bet is to follow a few recommendations you read here. There are plenty of trusted guys that will do it for their asking price. Typically it'll cost you $25-40 to ship them your saw, and in a few weeks you get it back. I've seen gains as much as 40%, so before sending I timed several cuts in a log, had the saw ported, then with the same bar and chain and log, timed the cuts again with a 40% decrease in the average time those cuts took. ECsaws does one helluva mean 346xp btw! Before: After: Once you run a ported saw, you tend to want them all modified. Then you need more saws... to port.
