Advice Needed - Dolmar PS-540

HI all, Right now all we have for a chainsaw is a Poulan 14" Electric saw. Nice little saw, dont give me wrong, but pretty slow. I was looking at saws and knew that a Stihl or Husky would be my best choice, but the price on Husky's are out of this world and Stihl unfortunately has a dismal track record of not holding on to parts inventory very long...... Then I came across some Dolmar's at the local ACE Hardware.. It immediately piqued my interest being a German product (I LOOOOVVEE German stuff, that's why I own an old Mercedes!) and looked like a good quality saw. Internet searching, both here and on Google turns up that they're a really good value for a saw.... I found this one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Dolmar-PS-540-Chainsaw-w-18-inch-bar-54cc-motor_W0QQitemZ400001167109QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item400001167109&_trkparms=72:1205|39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 It seems like a steal, should I jump it or beware or is it just not that great of a deal.....

Thanks for any help!

The 540 is a decent saw but beware of buying on ebay as a lot of damaged saws that look okay are sold. I'd ask the owner for a compression test and carefully check his feedback.

Also be aware that the 540 while a decent saw is a fair step down from the Dolmar PS5100. Also keep an eye o your local Craigslist, that way you can at least look before you buy.

Hi, thanks for the update. I will check with the seller and see what he has to say about this saw as far as runablilty......

As for the saw itself, while I'm sure it's a step down from the PS5100, I'm sure it's many times better than the run of the mill Poulan or cheap Stihl..... Which is really what's in my budget right now.

Cheap Stihl...LOL

The three digit Dolmar model numbers are their "homeowner" grade models, the four digit numbers are the Pro saws. That said, a Dolmar homeowner grade will probably still be a good step above a "big box" grade Poulan or cheap line Husky / Stihl - think midline saw.

I haven't seen as many comments on the PS 540 as I have on the 5100 (which is considered a great saw by all accounts), but the ones I've seen have been positive...

I would second the previous cautions on E-bay saws, and add that lately there seem to be few bargains there. I would check online prices for a new Dolmar, or if you want used, check your local saw shops for trade-ins and used saws... The pro's upgrade pretty regularly and their trades can get you a reasonable condition pro-saw w/ lots of life left in it for a homeowner saw price.

Gooserider

Good solid saw--usually. But people even abuse Mercedes. I think I would want to see it.

They're decent saws, but for that price I'd sooner buy new. They really require some work to get them up to their potential (muffler as a minimum, cylinder porting preferably), as they seem a bit choked-down in stock form.

You can still get the same saw in blue (Makita) from time to time, or the 510 (or 5100s, if you want to go crazy) for $300-350. Definitely the better choice, short-term and long-term. Dollar for dollar, a new 510 would probably be your best bet.

Again lol