I have been surprised that in all the old posts about good values on quality saws there was no mention of what may be the best deal on saws on the market today: the ex-Home Depot Rental saws! So I guess it is my civic duty to share this with those folks who may not be in the know.
Home Depot's rental department rents these saws until they have recouped roughly 200% of the saw's purchase price, which nets out to roughly 40 hours of actual use. They then sell them for $205+tax, complete with a used 20" bar and a new chain. Sometimes they throw in a few extra chains, and sometimes (rare) they will even throw in a helmet w/ear protection AND a set of safety chaps. Most of these saws are in decent to good condition. I am aware of only two saws that had problems that required attention, and even then it was at most a $20 part (broken antivibe spring). None of the 6401s I have purchased have required anything other than a new drive sprocket.
These saws are 64cc pro-grade saws which develop an honest 4.8hp. They are made by Dolmar but wear Makita colors. They are also able to directly accept a 79cc piston and cylinder from the Dolmar 7900, which puts them into the 6.3+hp range; this swap costs less than $200 and twenty minutes of your time. Even in its 64cc form they are capable of pulling a 20" bar respectably and a 24" with skip chain. For most firewood cutters this saw would be a good alternative to a Stihl MS361 or Husqvarna 357xp, with the only drawback being that the Dolmar/Makita is a slightly heavier saw. Anti-vibe and air filtration are superb.
Hope this information helps someone out! Attached are a couple pictures of an ex-Rental Makita 6401 I bought last year for a friend. It cost $217.30 with tax, plus the new bar I had laying around already. Heck of a deal on a darned good saw!
Home Depot's rental department rents these saws until they have recouped roughly 200% of the saw's purchase price, which nets out to roughly 40 hours of actual use. They then sell them for $205+tax, complete with a used 20" bar and a new chain. Sometimes they throw in a few extra chains, and sometimes (rare) they will even throw in a helmet w/ear protection AND a set of safety chaps. Most of these saws are in decent to good condition. I am aware of only two saws that had problems that required attention, and even then it was at most a $20 part (broken antivibe spring). None of the 6401s I have purchased have required anything other than a new drive sprocket.
These saws are 64cc pro-grade saws which develop an honest 4.8hp. They are made by Dolmar but wear Makita colors. They are also able to directly accept a 79cc piston and cylinder from the Dolmar 7900, which puts them into the 6.3+hp range; this swap costs less than $200 and twenty minutes of your time. Even in its 64cc form they are capable of pulling a 20" bar respectably and a 24" with skip chain. For most firewood cutters this saw would be a good alternative to a Stihl MS361 or Husqvarna 357xp, with the only drawback being that the Dolmar/Makita is a slightly heavier saw. Anti-vibe and air filtration are superb.
Hope this information helps someone out! Attached are a couple pictures of an ex-Rental Makita 6401 I bought last year for a friend. It cost $217.30 with tax, plus the new bar I had laying around already. Heck of a deal on a darned good saw!
