Rejected 5100s warranty on 8 month old Saw.

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ElgBurner

Member
Oct 11, 2008
22
Concord, NH
Hello

Sorry to say I bought a 5100s.

Long story short, I used it 4 times and it died. I read the manual and followed it to the letter.

It died from the common scored piston failure.

I have been getting a major runaround from Dolmar. Absolutely the worst customer experience I have ever had.

http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/203420.htm

Buyer beware.

Elg
 
Do you have a Consumer Sales Practices Act in NH? If so, a $100 letter from an attorney will likely have you a new saw.

It likely came lean from the factory and your dealer didn't retune it prior to sale. Pretty common issue for them unfortunately.
 
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Yes, I am contacting the NHDOJ on Monday.

"Pretty common issue for them unfortunately."

Exactly, I don't understand why they are trying to dodge this well known issue.
 
Yes, I am contacting the NHDOJ on Monday.

"Pretty common issue for them unfortunately."

Exactly, I don't understand why they are trying to dodge this well known issue.
I've been following this over on arboristsite. Hope it works out for you.
 
Hello

Sorry to say I bought a 5100s.

Long story short, I used it 4 times and it died. I read the manual and followed it to the letter.

It died from the common scored piston failure.

I have been getting a major runaround from Dolmar. Absolutely the worst customer experience I have ever had.

http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/203420.htm

Buyer beware.

Elg

I, for one, can't wait till all the Kool-Aid drinking Dolmer fanboys show up and say the exact same thing happened when they bought a Stihl. . .
 
It's really just a problem with the 5100s.

Other threads suggest that the 2008 year was a bad run

with the common failure being scored pistons.
 
I, for one, can't wait till all the Kool-Aid drinking Dolmer fanboys show up and say the exact same thing happened when they bought a Stihl. . .

From the biggest Kool-Aid Stihl drinker we have. ;)
 
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Wendell, I agree that Redd's a Stihl fanboy, but when's the last time you heard of a systemic problem from Stihl? For that matter, Husky?

S
 
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I recently bought a stihl MS 211. I had consistent problems with it--just did not seem to want to run--the dealer took it back for full credit and I walked out with a MS 250--which has been great. I have no special loyalty to Stihl, but I'm starting to be a fan with support like that.
 
Prof - that's a good solution from your dealer.

I am just looking for them to fix the saw

BTW they sent the piston and cylinder to NY. then to GA. then to ..wait for it.. Germany!

Not to mention others have suggested there may have been bad gaskets in the carb, which is in NH.

Dolmar has been willfully negligent with this issue.
 
I hope you get the issue worked out, Elg. This is the reason, amoung others, that I look for used saws instead of buying new saws. If it's broken, I can buy it on the cheap, rebuild it and tune it the right way from the get-go. I also recommend richening up your oil mixture. It doesn't take too much power away to run your mix at 40:1 instead of the premeasured bottle of 50:1, plus it guarantees you a little extra lube in that cylinder.......just some thoughts. Keep us posted on how this all ends for you, I wish you the best of luck.
 
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Wendell, I agree that Redd's a Stihl fanboy, but when's the last time you heard of a systemic problem from Stihl? For that matter, Husky?

S

They're out there. Stihl had problems with 046 flywheels cracking, there have been recalls for the BR550 blower, MS311 saw, big one for flippy caps not being ethanol compatible.... The point is, nobody is perfect but how a manufacturer deals with quality issues such as these is what distinguishes the best from the rest.
 
Thanks Scotty

Next time I'll run it richer..even though the manual says 50:1

This EPA B.S. is just causing problems for us.

It probably wont be a Dolmar however.
 
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I recently bought a stihl MS 211. I had consistent problems with it--just did not seem to want to run--the dealer took it back for full credit and I walked out with a MS 250--which has been great. I have no special loyalty to Stihl, but I'm starting to be a fan with support like that.

MS250 is an old, time-tested, and repeatedly proven winner. Simple little 45cc animal that really makes you wonder why you'd want a 50cc-class saw. ;)
 
MS250 is an old, time-tested, and repeatedly proven winner. Simple little 45cc animal that really makes you wonder why you'd want a 50cc-class saw. ;)

Ha, yea, till you've run a 260.;)
 
Thanks Scotty

Next time I'll run it richer..even though the manual says 50:1

This EPA B.S. is just causing problems for us.

It probably wont be a Dolmar however.

If you bought at Mowtown in Hooksett and are going through them for help, try another dealer.
Way too many stories...
 
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I recently bought a stihl MS 211. I had consistent problems with it--just did not seem to want to run--the dealer took it back for full credit and I walked out with a MS 250--which has been great. I have no special loyalty to Stihl, but I'm starting to be a fan with support like that.

Wow, I have had three 211 saws and they all run/ran like champs. No issues with any of them what-so-ever. I love my 211. It is the only newer EPA saw from Stihl that I like. More power than a 210, and less weight. About the same as a 230, actually.

I have owned many 250/230/210 saws, and I have long since sold them all off and replaced them with a series of 026/260s saws. Which as the man from West MI says, you will like a heck of a lot better.
 
It's really just a problem with the 5100s.

Other threads suggest that the 2008 year was a bad run

with the common failure being scored pistons.

This 5100s issue is really old. Two big problems caused this failure on the 5100s if I recall right. One was that Dolmars are all tuned to German high octane gas at the factory and need to be re-tuned to US crappy octane gas by US dealers. Lots of finger pointing there on that one. The other issue is that the carb seals were a problem on certain lots of those saws. Supposedly that was all resolved long ago, but seemingly not. The warranty issue on Dolmars can also be a big problem, and it seems to depend on the dealer and distributor as to their being fixed or not.

Most Dolmar 'dealers' around here are mostly mom and pop, or rental outfits and they have few, if any, saws. I know a half dozen people that got burned buying 5100s saws, and two dealers that are still not talking about their bad experience with the PNW distributor, and/or Dolmar, and/or selling the saws, or the problems they had with getting parts or getting saws repaired under warranty. I know some others that have good 5100s saws. In the end, you would be better off getting a Husky 346xp. Better saw IMO.

BTW: of the 50 or so saws that I have bought new from Husky and Stihl, I have NEVER had to return one for warranty work. Well, wait a minute... I did have a 290 that had a gas line leak, and the dealer replaced it for free.

Edit: I also have bought (and sold) a lot of saws used, especially during the meltdown of the logging industry batween 2008 and 2010. On Stihl I always go OEM for engine parts.
 
This is the reason, amoung others, that I look for used saws instead of buying new saws. If it's broken, I can buy it on the cheap, rebuild it and tune it the right way from the get-go.
Do you always go OEM rebuild kits or would you buy a 3rd party kit?
 
Elg, I've also heard lots of crap about Mowtown. And when I was looking for a new saw I figured I'd give them a chance--after all, sometimes businesses get an unfair rap--but the two times I went in there I was turned off. I never bought a Dolmar because they were the only dealer close to me, and I got the sense they wouldn't care about my purchase and support one way or another. In fact, I got that feeling from a couple other dealers I called (in MA) and wrote about it a couple times here.

S
 
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