# 288 XP Lite project completed



## Firewood Bandit (Dec 20, 2014)

Well the 288 is done.  It's not a cosmetic queen but is a very capable saw.  My dealer has been tutoring me on saw repair.  We ported it, new piston, brake band, new carb, deleted base gasket, removed a directing baffle and opened up muffler.

It is a very capable saw and could use more bar.

It starts easily, runs up well and idles like a dream. 




























It took 28 rounds to make a load.


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## D8Chumley (Dec 20, 2014)

Lookin good FB


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 21, 2014)

I got that same saw done nothing to it as it cuts like heck as is. Have had it about 3 years got it from
CL as some sob stole my 372 I got new. This 288 lite cuts faster,little heaver but is a cutting saw.

                     Good luck your saw must rip with what you have done.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 22, 2014)

Whitepine2 said:


> I got that same saw done nothing to it as it cuts like heck as is. Have had it about 3 years got it from
> CL as some sob stole my 372 I got new. This 288 lite cuts faster,little heaver but is a cutting saw.
> 
> Good luck your saw must rip with what you have done.




I haven't had a chance to run it side by side with my 372.  It should be quite a bit stronger especially with a longer bar.

I am surprised your 288 was only a little faster than the 372.


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 22, 2014)

What I said little heaver cut lot faster. I want to think they did me a fever as it;s a overall better saw.
One fellow from West coast said this was the best felling saw made I gotta agree I like it just a little heavy but you get used to it. I think the 72 turns up faster but just don't have tork the 88 has no way.
Let us know what you think as you have both.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 23, 2014)

Whitepine2 said:


> What I said little heaver cut lot faster. I want to think they did me a fever as it;s a overall better saw.
> One fellow from West coast said this was the best felling saw made I gotta agree I like it just a little heavy but you get used to it. I think the 72 turns up faster but just don't have tork the 88 has no way.
> Let us know what you think as you have both.




My 372XPG is one of the new X-Torque designs.  They don' rev as fast as the old school but have real good mid range torque.  I am beginning think the old school 2xx series Huskys are starting to look better.

I am real fond of the heated handles though.


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 23, 2014)

I think you are right about the 2xx saws at least from my experience. I had an I think it was a
E-72 or 74 Jonny for 20 some years she could cut well may-be still could have not used it in years
but cut about 100 cords real cords a year and it never skipped a beat. Never had a heated handle
but you like it may-be next time. However at 71 might not have a next time. If one takes good care of
their saws they will last for years you gotta be on them all the time,good oil,gas and sharp chains.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 23, 2014)

Looks good FB, what do you think you have in it? I'll have to look up the original specs on the saw ie. CC's


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 23, 2014)

WiscWoody said:


> Looks good FB, what do you think you have in it? I'll have to look up the original specs on the saw ie. CC's




The above pictures are the first time I have run it, seems like it is going to be significantly stronger than the Dolmar 7900 and will make the 372XPG look like a red hair stepchild.


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## Mag Craft (Dec 24, 2014)

Good job on your saw.   I work for a small engine repair shop part time.   I do all the chainsaw work there.
They can never take away the knowledge once you have it and now you have seen first hand there is no magic to it.
Congrats on modifying and repairing your saw.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 24, 2014)

Mag Craft said:


> Good job on your saw.   I work for a small engine repair shop part time.   I do all the chainsaw work there.
> They can never take away the knowledge once you have it and now you have seen first hand there is no magic to it.
> Congrats on modifying and repairing your saw.




You are right on there.  Getting the nerve to tear into something is the big part.  I have been taking apart saws that come in to diagnose the cause of the problems.  This is getting me much more familiar with how  things go  together.

I am waiting on parts right now.  Friday I hope to have my 357XP together.  It had bearing/seal failure.  The saw was shut   off before damage was done.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 25, 2014)

I looked up the specs on the 288 XP lite. It sure is close to a 390 XP saw... Just one CC smaller engine and a little less listed HP.  Being that yours is ported your prolly in the 8.5+ HP range which is what I figure my 390 modded has. now I can see why you have a dedicated raker grinder!


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 25, 2014)

WiscWoody said:


> I looked up the specs on the 288 XP lite. It sure is close to a 390 XP saw... Just one CC smaller engine and a little less listed HP.  Being that yours is ported your prolly in the 8.5+ HP range which is what I figure my 390 modded has. now I can see why you have a dedicated raker grinder!




Well I weighed a few saws today just for laughs.

The 288XP Lite weighs 12 oz more than the Dolmar 7900 and1# more than my 372XPG.  All had 24" B/C and the amount of fuel and oil was whatever was in them at the time.  For an 88cc saw, the new ones don't aren't any stronger.


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 25, 2014)

WiscWoody said:


> I looked up the specs on the 288 XP lite. It sure is close to a 390 XP saw... Just one CC smaller engine and a little less listed HP.  Being that yours is ported your prolly in the 8.5+ HP range which is what I figure my 390 modded has. now I can see why you have a dedicated raker grinder!


O ya I take my rakers down plenty,it's a little grabby but when it gets into the log it can cut.My cousin
down the road has a dolmer big saw and he used mine a few weeks ago and couldn't believe
how fast the 88 cut I like and this is a stock saw as far as I know.


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## Mag Craft (Dec 25, 2014)

Whitepine2 said:


> O ya I take my rakers down plenty,it's a little grabby but when it gets into the log it can cut.My cousin
> down the road has a dolmer big saw and he used mine a few weeks ago and couldn't believe
> how fast the 88 cut I like and this is a stock saw as far as I know.



I like aggressive cutting chains also.  Square grind and drop the rakers a little.


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 25, 2014)

Mag Craft said:


> I like aggressive cutting chains also.  Square grind and drop the rakers a little.


Can't beat it just gotta be a little more careful but consider that a chain saw is dangerous in itself and know your limits.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 26, 2014)

There is a happy medium regarding the height of rakers, (depth gauges)

Go a little too far and it generates excessive vibration and the workability of the saw goes away.  For example you can't bore cut with real low rakers.

Since I have a dedicated raker grinder, it is real easy to go too far.  The difference between a 1/4 turn and an 1/8th is all it takes between excellent and real bad.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 26, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> There is a happy medium regarding the height of rakers, (depth gauges)
> 
> Go a little too far and it generates excessive vibration and the workability of the saw goes away.  For example you can't bore cut with real low rakers.
> 
> Since I have a dedicated raker grinder, it is real easy to go too far.  The difference between a 1/4 turn and an 1/8th is all it takes between excellent and real bad.


I've never dropped my rakers on my chains but the 390 should be able to handle some grinding of them now that it's modded. So your saying that I can carve an 1/8" off of them in your opinion?


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## Mag Craft (Dec 26, 2014)

The rakers should be no lower then .025"  then the cutting tooth.    That will cut fast and smooth.   If you decide to go lower then it will get grabby and lose the smoothness.    I have gone lower then the .025" but it does get real aggressive.  It also depends on the wood you are cutting.   Softer wood is more forgiving with lower rakers then hard woods.   I cut a lot of pine where I am and can get away with aggressive cutting chains.


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 26, 2014)

WiscWoody said:


> I've never dropped my rakers on my chains but the 390 should be able to handle some grinding of them now that it's modded. So your saying that I can carve an 1/8" off of them in your opinion?


I don't know if you want to go an eighth but just take off what you feel is good for your saw take some and try it if too much after a few sharpings you will find a comfort zone that you can live with of course
you gotta have a saw that's got the mustard to pull it through,just play with it I thing you will like it.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 26, 2014)

I'll have to experiment a little. I'll put the saw in a vise and do some filing sometime soon and like I say my 390XP has a Tree Monkey, Scott Kunz woods porting job on it plus a Tilitson carb upgrade so it wants to go!


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 26, 2014)

WiscWoody said:


> I'll have to experiment a little. I'll put the saw in a vise and do some filing sometime soon and like I say my 390XP has a Tree Monkey, Scott Kunz woods porting job on it plus a Tilitson carb upgrade so it wants to go!


Well now you're all set let her run wild I don't think you will go back when you see the full bar just
settling down through a stem.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 26, 2014)

Mag Craft said:


> Square grind and drop the rakers a little.



Are you talking true square ground chisel chain as opposed to round ground chisel?  If so, how are you sharpening it?  It takes a very seasoned hand to file or a specialty grinder like a Simington or Silvey SDM4 or a swing arm.  Square ground does cut like a madman.


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## Mag Craft (Dec 26, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Are you talking true square ground chisel chain as opposed to round ground chisel?  If so, how are you sharpening it?  It takes a very seasoned hand to file or a specialty grinder like a Simington or Silvey SDM4 or a swing arm.  Square ground does cut like a madman.




Yes you correct on the square grinder.    I have a Simington square grinder, a Oregon 511a and , a Tecomec 510.

I have converted a number of my chisel chains over to square ground in 3/8ths and in .325.    I cut a lot of beetle kill pine and those chains are like a hot knife thru butter.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 27, 2014)

Mag Craft said:


> Yes you correct on the square grinder.    I have a Simington square grinder, a Oregon 511a and , a Tecomec 510.
> 
> I have converted a number of my chisel chains over to square ground in 3/8ths and in .325.    I cut a lot of beetle kill pine and those chains are like a hot knife thru butter.




I have watched the videos on the Simington web site.  Looks like the learning curve is pretty steep on getting proficient with the square grind.  Unreal how they cut though.  Got a picture of that by chance?

I like this for the round grind:


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## Mag Craft (Dec 27, 2014)

Really nice set you have there, and clean.     

I filed a few chains square before I got the grinder and had a good idea of what the results should look like.
So the learning curve was not to bad.    I do not believe you would have any problem picking it up your self.

I will try and get a few pics today.


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## Firewood Bandit (Dec 27, 2014)

Mag Craft said:


> Really nice set you have there, and clean.
> 
> I filed a few chains square before I got the grinder and had a good idea of what the results should look like.
> So the learning curve was not to bad.    I do not believe you would have any problem picking it up your self.
> ...




Thanks, the pics I posted was the day I made the new mounting bench.  Everything is at chest level so you can really see what is going on.

With the Simington, not only are the angles critical, profiling the wheel correctly is too?


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## Whitepine2 (Dec 27, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> I have watched the videos on the Simington web site.  Looks like the learning curve is pretty steep on getting proficient with the square grind.  Unreal how they cut though.  Got a picture of that by chance?
> 
> I like this for the round grind:
> 
> Gosh I though I had lots of lights but I think ya got me beat. One needs the light so you don't get shadows and the old eyes ain't what they used to be. Nice neat area to work in well thought out and made.


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## Mag Craft (Dec 27, 2014)

Here are a few pics.  
The last picture is my Husky 272 with a 20" bar 72 dl chain that I converted to square grind.
I like the saw because it cuts the noodles fast and clears those long chips good,


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## Mag Craft (Dec 27, 2014)

I just moved into this house about 3 months ago and I am still unpacking.


Those pics were taken today.   We had about 7 inches of snow yesterday.


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