Who has had good luck with ported saws?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
W

woodhog73

Minister of Fire
Jan 12, 2016
780
Somewhere cold !
I am so impressed with my 50cc jonsered 2252 I'm considering having it ported and muffler modded.

Curious to hear people's success stories or regrets in having a saw ported. Every post I've read on other sites are positive about the changes but I'm looking for additional updates from members here.

The Jred 2252 is same saw as a Husky 545 . Both are slightly detuned versions of Jred 2253 and Husky 550xp.

I'm pretty sure the output after the porting and muffler work will put this 50cc saw easily in the same performance area as a stock 60cc pro saw but with the super light weight and ergonomics the 2252 2253 / 545 550 are praised for.

I've got bigger saws including a 70cc so no I'm not trying to get away with too small a saw for too big of a job. I still make a part time income with my saws and I find myself using the 50cc saw 95 percent of the time. So I'm thinking it's worth the money to spice up the power output ? But I don't want to sacrifice reliability or longevity ?
 
Longevity and reliability will depend on how it's ported. Stupid amounts of compression will build more heat. Not something you want in a work saw imo. And hogged out ports will have greater ring wear. I'm not saying a properly ported saw will have these issues. Just pick your builder carefully. A good ported worksaw should last and be just as reliable as a stocker. I love my ported saws there a blast to run. Just remember that the most important thing for performance is a truly sharp chain.
 
I agree with Dairyman. Personally I would not consider porting unless engine needed a teardown for repair. On all the saws I rebuild, I concentrate on just smoothing out and polishing the ports and piston crown Muffler modifying and carb revisions. I can't comment on reliability but consider reliability is built into the saw by design. As with a lot of things, when you strengthen one thing something else may weaken.
Like a well respected fact--"No Substitute For Cubic Inches" and of course chainsaws can't be bored, but can have big bore kits installed.
 
Thanks this is the type of info I'm looking for. On your ported saws you mentioned did you see noticeable gains ?

Here's the thing I've been using that 2252 for work more lately on weekend jobs. For the trees we prune and remove in the cities it's perfect. If I've got to fell a tree I'll grab a bigger saw but mainly I spend several hours a day topping and cutting brush and logs so they can be put into the chipper or taken to the dump where they are used for energy.

In my case I don't want to swing my big saws around all day, lots of over head cutting etc. So I want the most power I can squeeze out of my 50cc saw without sacrificing reliability . This is only a part time gig for me mainly on Saturdays and occasionally during the week when I'm free. I still need my saws for my own firewood use so certainly don't want to prematurely wear it out.

If I was strictly cutting my own firewood I doubt I'd bother porting, infact had I known I'd be as busy helping this tree service I would have bought the higher output 2253

Totally agree on sharp chains. I'm going through enough chain these days I'm considering buying rolls and making my own. I touch up my chains in the field several times a day.

Thanks again for the good feed back. I'm handy and can rebuild small engines but I know nothing about high performance work. Thanks
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CTYank
I bought both of mine already done. That said my father-in-law has a 261 as well. And the difference between them is very noticeable. That being said it still won't pull a 20" 3/8 chain like a stock 440.
The best thing to do if your unsure is run one. Go to a gtg or get with someone close by.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fulkrum78
Dairyman said:
That said my father-in-law has a 261 as well. And the difference between them is very noticeable. That being said it still won't pull a 20" 3/8 chain like a stock 440
Click to expand...

I'm assuming one of your ported saws is a 261 ? That's good to know that the difference is very noticeable even on smaller 50cc saws. Sounds like a safe bet then that I would see performance gains.

It's interesting because I'm the only guy on a crew of 3 with a 50cc saw for ground use since I bring my own Besides the arborist saw that the climber uses and the bigger saws he has, the other 2 guys both run 60cc saws for general ground use and cutting tops and brush.

There are two older 036 Stihls and a new last year Dolmar 6100. All 3 are heavier than my 50cc and only the Dolmar is significantly faster but it's new and not abused yet. The two 036 s have 20 inch bars on them in 3/8. I run a lighter .325 chain with 18 inch on the Jonsered since it's only 50cc Given the chain weight advantage , and age and use disadvantage of the older saws, the 50cc cuts as fast as the older and beat up 036s on the truck which are 60cc. So I'm thinking a fully ported and modded 50cc with a .325 chain set up will be one heck of a ground work saw.

So now the guy I know says he's going to replace the ground saws with 50cc when the time comes because of the fact they are much lighter ( when your working with one all day )

Time to start looking for someone to do the port and muffler work. I'm fairly sure I've decided to do it.
 
woodhog73 said:
So now the guy I know says he's going to replace the ground saws with 50cc when the time comes because of the fact they are much lighter ( when your working with one all day ).
Click to expand...


Hmmmm nice time to get a 60cc saw cheep!
 
I think the porting would be advantageous to you. I wouldn't consider a heavy porting. Just a good cleanup and widening of the ports with a modded muffler and proper tuning should easily net a 25% power increase. There are tons of threads about porting you might want to get another cylinder and do it yourself. You don't need power tools. A couple files and some sandpaper is all that is required. It just takes a little longer, which is usually better for the beginner since there is less chance to mess up when going slow.
 
woodhog73 said:
I'm assuming one of your ported saws is a 261 ? That's good to know that the difference is very noticeable even on smaller 50cc saws. Sounds like a safe bet then that I would see performance gains.

It's interesting because I'm the only guy on a crew of 3 with a 50cc saw for ground use since I bring my own Besides the arborist saw that the climber uses and the bigger saws he has, the other 2 guys both run 60cc saws for general ground use and cutting tops and brush.

There are two older 036 Stihls and a new last year Dolmar 6100. All 3 are heavier than my 50cc and only the Dolmar is significantly faster but it's new and not abused yet. The two 036 s have 20 inch bars on them in 3/8. I run a lighter .325 chain with 18 inch on the Jonsered since it's only 50cc Given the chain weight advantage , and age and use disadvantage of the older saws, the 50cc cuts as fast as the older and beat up 036s on the truck which are 60cc. So I'm thinking a fully ported and modded 50cc with a .325 chain set up will be one heck of a ground work saw.

So now the guy I know says he's going to replace the ground saws with 50cc when the time comes because of the fact they are much lighter ( when your working with one all day )

Time to start looking for someone to do the port and muffler work. I'm fairly sure I've decided to do it.
Click to expand...

Yes. I have a ported 261c.
 
I have a ported 33cc saw that just rips through the wood. It sounds like a mad hornet. It could barely cut a 2" limb in stick form. Now I can bury the bar in oak and it keeps right on going. The ports are as wide as they can go and the intake and exhaust are as free flowing as possible. The idle can be a bit touchy in some temps, but it runs like a mean beaver. I am planning on porting my 390 next and seeing what it will do. Not a crazy port, but a good woods port.
 
I personally think this is a perfect opportunity to go out and get a bigger saw. I have a buddy that builds saws for competitions. It's not a bad thing to have done, but this is for a everyday cutter not a saw taken to a competition and used for show. My friend built his 044 it was a bad saw ran like a freight train, but it still was not as good as my 066. You can take a Honda Accord and modify it any way possible but at the end of the day it still won't beat an Indy car. Sometimes you just need a bigger machine for a bigger job.
 
heavy hammer said:
I personally think this is a perfect opportunity to go out and get a bigger saw. I have a buddy that builds saws for competitions. It's not a bad thing to have done, but this is for a everyday cutter not a saw taken to a competition and used for show. My friend built his 044 it was a bad saw ran like a freight train, but it still was not as good as my 066. You can take a Honda Accord and modify it any way possible but at the end of the day it still won't beat an Indy car. Sometimes you just need a bigger machine for a bigger job.
Click to expand...

No no you may not have read the entire post . I do tree work for a part time income. I've got saws in all sizes. Just thinking about spending some money to maximize performance of the size saw I use 95 percent of the time

For 95 percent of what I do while working with a saw ( for a living part time ) is best suited for a 50cc or 60cc saw. However I run a saw on the clock on production and can't just put it down to rest so I personally like a light weight 50cc for what I do.

70cc, 80cc saws etc etc are way too much saw in a production environment where energy and fatigue factor of the user counts and you topping and cutting smaller logs. I've got a 70cc Jonsered 2166 turned into a 2172 saw at home, and we have a 390xp and two 660s on the bucket truck. I can use one of those if I need to fell a tree but most of our removals are top down since this is city work.

Also I'm in the Midwest very rarely do we have big removals, big for us is 30inch diameter cottonwood. If I'm cutting and have to drop one of those whole and I'm tired, I'll sometimes just as quickly grab one of the 60cc saws with only the 20 inch bar on it before I grab a 80 plus cc saw wearing a 28 inch bar. Sure the big saw will do it quicker, but really a strong 60cc saw will work just fine.

I use my 70cc johnny at home for personal firewood and managing my woods, but it's heavy and I'm not production logging at home or anything so there are times on my land I'll use my 50cc saw to fell big oaks and buck big rounds even though I have a perfectly good and strong running pro 70cc saw sitting on the work bench. It's just that much easier to handle the small saw in my opinion..
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ReggieT
For what your talking about then porting Is not a bad option. Like I said my buddy did it to his 044 to get it closer to a 066. He was a small guy and couldn't use a big saw all day that is why he liked it. If done correctly it shouldn't hurt the saw, but like I said he builds saws. Are you planning on building yourself or having it done by someone.
 
heavy hammer said:
For what your talking about then porting Is not a bad option. Like I said my buddy did it to his 044 to get it closer to a 066. He was a small guy and couldn't use a big saw all day that is why he liked it. If done correctly it shouldn't hurt the saw, but like I said he builds saws. Are you planning on building yourself or having it done by someone.
Click to expand...

I'll have someone do it but not sure who. I'm waiting on a call back from someone. I don't want to ship the saw. If I have to ship it then it's getting to be more than I want to bother with. Just looking for an easy way to squeeze a bit more power out of it for under $200 bucks.

I totally understand where your buddy is coming from. It's a good size jump from an 044 to an 066 especially if the 044 will get the job done. When I cut my own stuff weight makes little difference to me if I need the bigger saw I'll use it, cause I can take as many breaks as I want . But the older I get the more I reach for the 50cc

In my case it's not my size I'm still sorta fit and weigh 200lbs etc. it's my age ! I'm in my 40s. I just help out the owner of the tree service once or twice a week as I'm friends with him. The other 2 guys that I ground cut with are in their early 20s. Young never ending energy types. So I need that weight advantage.

The guy would love to have me full time but I laugh because if I was doing it 60hrs a week my body would not hold up ! But I'd start using his saws instead of mine if I was doing it every day.

Anyways I'm going to take a chance and get the little 50cc ported. I'm hoping to bring it as close to a good running 60cc saw as possible.
 
Let us know how it works out my buddy loves his 044 I never ran it but It sounds and ran awesome. I believe you will be happy.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dairyman
woodhog73 said:
No no you may not have read the entire post . I do tree work for a part time income. I've got saws in all sizes. Just thinking about spending some money to maximize performance of the size saw I use 95 percent of the time

For 95 percent of what I do while working with a saw ( for a living part time ) is best suited for a 50cc or 60cc saw. However I run a saw on the clock on production and can't just put it down to rest so I personally like a light weight 50cc for what I do.

70cc, 80cc saws etc etc are way too much saw in a production environment where energy and fatigue factor of the user counts and you topping and cutting smaller logs. I've got a 70cc Jonsered 2166 turned into a 2172 saw at home, and we have a 390xp and two 660s on the bucket truck. I can use one of those if I need to fell a tree but most of our removals are top down since this is city work.

Also I'm in the Midwest very rarely do we have big removals, big for us is 30inch diameter cottonwood. If I'm cutting and have to drop one of those whole and I'm tired, I'll sometimes just as quickly grab one of the 60cc saws with only the 20 inch bar on it before I grab a 80 plus cc saw wearing a 28 inch bar. Sure the big saw will do it quicker, but really a strong 60cc saw will work just fine.

I use my 70cc johnny at home for personal firewood and managing my woods, but it's heavy and I'm not production logging at home or anything so there are times on my land I'll use my 50cc saw to fell big oaks and buck big rounds even though I have a perfectly good and strong running pro 70cc saw sitting on the work bench. It's just that much easier to handle the small saw in my opinion..
Click to expand...
Good info. Thanks for the thread. I replaced my Jonsered 2050 turbo last year with a 2250. The 2050 went a long time and cut a lot of wood. But, the 2250 doesn't seem to have the juice the older 2050 had. I was thinking about getting a 2166 this year for some of the bigger trees, although, the 2250 will get the job done.
Reading that you have the same equipment at your disposal, and still go to the smaller 2250 over the 2166.. Think I'll save the $700.
 
barmstrong2 said:
I was thinking about getting a 2166 this year for some of the bigger trees, although, the 2250 will get the job done.
Reading that you have the same equipment at your disposal, and still go to the smaller 2250 over the 2166.. Think I'll save the $700.
Click to expand...

Ya I honestly do go to the smaller saw most of the time. I'm not familiar with the 2250 but I looked at the Jonsered website and power output and weight is very similiar to my 2252 so I'm positive I'd feel the same with a 2250.

A smaller saw It's just much lighter and more nimble to handle in the woods. So when I'm cutting my own trees it's in dense over grown woods where it's easy to trip on buckthorn, briars thorns, brush, other stumps , rocks on the ground, etc ,etc, with bugs flying in your face and a running chainsaw in your hands, well it really makes a difference for me in those conditions to have a small light saw to work with. And when I'm doing tree service work although I'm not in the woods, I value efficiency for my body than I do a little but quicker times in the cut.

That said though if I could have only one saw I'd probably keep my 2166. If I had to limb with it all day I could. I could put a 16 or 18 inch bar on it and limb with it. But I can't put a 28 inch bar on the smaller 50cc saw so by default it's more capable in both ends of the cutting applications. But it's heavy and that weight and bulk naturally makes it more dangerous when your tired and tripping over tree stumps and rocks in the woods with bugs flying around your face, trying to cut limbs over your head with a big fat saw with a long bar on it where your constantly watching the tip in close limbing quarters so as not to hit something unintended, etc etc as anyone who cuts in the forrest would probably agree with.

Sorry I'm being long winded it's just I used to use a big saw for everything. Now I'm kind of the opposite.

That said if you get a 2166 remember it's the identical saw to a 2172. Only difference is the transfer port cover has a section in it that decreases the power slightly by about a 1/2 hp. It also doesn't come with the outside felling spike, only the inside. Same identical saw to a Husky 365. But $100 to $200 less depending on dealer. So you can grind out the extra metal in the port cover or pay someone they will probably charge you less than $50 to do it. Then you have a Jonsered 2172 / husky 372xp for less money.

If you have to have the outside felling spike it's probably $20. But your still ahead in pricing. And unless your felling big trees you don't need it the outside spike, and even if you are it's debatable. I'd place more value on a full wrap handle for big tree dropping than an extra spike. Just my opinion. It's just there to help support the saw in a horizontal position while felling. If all your ever doing is bucking rounds , some folks take them off anyways so they get a little extra usable bar length. Sure some guys I know say the extra spike helps them buck rounds but I just don't see it. Just my opinion. Other folks keep them on because they look cool but I could care less about looks. It's just a tool.

If you do the port cover work on the 2166 it does void the warranty which is worth mentioning also you will need to re tune the saw
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jon1270
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

W
  • Locked
Ported saw results big gains
Replies
3
Views
4K
The Gear
CrufflerJJ
C
Top Bottom
Back