WoodButcher having fun cutting through some white oak........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmKWhsg6UkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmKWhsg6UkU
Dolmar 5100s video
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Woodbutcher,
Is white oak a hard wood? I'm just curious because the saw goes thru pretty easily. I'm trying to relate it to something I'd cut in Oz.
Is white oak a hard wood? I'm just curious because the saw goes thru pretty easily. I'm trying to relate it to something I'd cut in Oz.
Apprentice how did you make out with your chain and bar problem? I was looking for your post a couple of days ago and couldn't find it ... just figured your back in business and all was well.
savageactor7 said:
thx for your interest, i did some work on the bar, and when flipped, the new bottom is better than the old bottom, so it cuts straighter. Still has a tendency to want to twist tho, but now I know why - the chain a bit loose in the bar - I can counter slightly in technique and improve the cut.
However, no doubt the chain is too loose laterally in the slot, and it certainly seems it's because the stihl chain (5 on link) is .058" whereas bar is definitely .050" so chain sits a bit high. I haven't returned to dealer to confront yet - reluctant to. I'll post this in my original thread, sorry woodbutcher for the diversion.
$tihl doesn't have a comparable model to a Dolmar. The $tihl in the same price range would be way under powered, in the same power range the $tihl would be way more expensive. Also Dolmar has the edge in power to weight ratio.woodconvert said:
woodconvert said:
I’m not going to bad mouth $tihl they are a good saw and I do own one. However Dolmar tends to beat them out on every point except dealer network and number of saws in their line up. You can’t compare the 5100 to a 290. The 290 is a good homeowner saw but is not a proffesional saw and the power to weight ratio sucks. For a weight penalty of only .6 pounds more than the $tihl 290 the Dolmar 7900 will let you pack 6.3HP rather than the 3.8HP of the 290. I am not surprised the prices of Dolmars is going up they were underpriced. I had already posted that the saws are actually cheaper here in the states than in Germany, obviously they are trying hard to get into this market. Also if you go to their website you will see Dolmar is actively looking for dealers here in the US. With Husky sounding like they are dropping the ball on the one yard line it would be a great time for a husky dealer to pick up Dolmar and drop Husky.
clarkharms said:
I used the 290 as it was a close in HP and that's all I looked at for reference as i've never seen a Dolomar. As far as weight goes, it's only an issue when limbing (to me anyhow) and a total non issue to me when bucking (which is most of my cutting).
Like I said i've never seen a Dolomar much less run one but how is their quality?. And if I can't drive a short distance to get parts then it doesn't matter to me if it's free and weighs a pound...it does me no good if I can't use it when I need to.
I notice weight the second I pick up a saw. granted certain operations weight is not as big a factor but weight is always felt. Going from a 359 to the 7900 was a weight gain of about 1.5 pounds and I noticed it, surprisingly so. When you asked for a comparable saw to the 5100 in the Stihl line up I don't see anything they offer that lines up perfectly. There is a good eval someone wrote up comparing a MS260 to the 5100, don't know if you read that but it is worth reading. The problem is the Stihl 260 is less powerful and costs significantly more so there is always going to be something that doesn't match up.woodconvert said:
Like I said the achielles heal of Dolmar is the shortage of dealers. As far as parts they are very available through places like Baileys and Amicks. Personally I am never in a position where a little down time will hurt me as I always have a surplus of wood on hand and do not rely on my chainsaw for my livlihood. It comes down to personal choice. I never need dealers of anything to work on any of my equipment as I have never found something I can't fix myself. So long as parts are available I can get it to run. People who need dealers to service their equipment should factor that into their purchase decision.
Apprentice_GM said:
That White Oak was green, nasty and its some of the hardest/dense wood to find around these parts (next to hickory)
Also, I might add ( and this has been tossed around a few times here ) that some were questioning the use of "Oregon Chains" in that video, I'm using an Oregon 3/8 chain thats seen 2+ cords already without a touch up in the sharpening department....and thats a mix of Pignut/Shagbark Hickory, Red/White Oak.
WoodButcher
I don't pay attention to weight but I don't do much limbing and I primarily buck with a 046 so weight, to me, isn't noticed that much.
As far as having a local dealer, I don't need them to wrench, I need them for parts. If I can't get what I need with a 40 minute round trip, that's a hassle to me. Currently, I can go 15-20 minutes in any direction to get Stihl stuff (and granted, i'm centrally located to a few small towns). It's all about time to me. My time is limited and I do need to make time to cut firewood. To be able to walk out the door at the drop of a hat and get at it is a necessity. To have to drive out of my way a considerable distance and cut into that time is a deal breaker for me. If the Dolmar quality is up to snuff and you never or rarely need replacement parts then that's a different issue.
As far as having a local dealer, I don't need them to wrench, I need them for parts. If I can't get what I need with a 40 minute round trip, that's a hassle to me. Currently, I can go 15-20 minutes in any direction to get Stihl stuff (and granted, i'm centrally located to a few small towns). It's all about time to me. My time is limited and I do need to make time to cut firewood. To be able to walk out the door at the drop of a hat and get at it is a necessity. To have to drive out of my way a considerable distance and cut into that time is a deal breaker for me. If the Dolmar quality is up to snuff and you never or rarely need replacement parts then that's a different issue.
- Jun 12, 2006
- 1,053
Dolmar - Sachs Dolmar - I've seen in the woods on commercial sites since the early 1980's. The one's I know of on farms are running still. I have no concerns with durability. IMHO Makita wouldn't have boiughrt them if it wasn't good technology.
Mike P
Mike P
In less time than it took you to write that post you could have ordered all the parts you could ever want online and saved yourself the 40 minute round trip, as well as the gas your car would use.woodconvert said:
clarkharms said:
And waited two days for shipping (unless I overnight it). OR, jump in my truck and get what I need and be back and be cutting in less than 40 minutes or get it while i'm already out. I'm not kiddin', I can drive 15 to 20 minutes north, south, east or west and be at a Stihl dealer.
Provided your dealer has exactly what you need and his prices are reasonable. For me a little down time is acceptable i.e. the two days which would be too much for you. The down time is certainly more acceptable to me than paying hundreds more for a comparable Stihl. Is Dolmar reliable? I can't say I just got mine but from what others have said they are at least as reliable as Stihl.woodconvert said:
Three of the four dealers are top notch . They have a huge showroom and excellent parts departments plus all the safety gear, wedges, files, chains, bars, etc.. In the 8 years i've had my 046 they have yet to not carry what I've needed. I realize I may be lucky having 3 real good dealers very close but it is what it is. As for down time, that $200 difference is not much, as in my case i've had my saw for 8 years (and will have it for years to come) so if you amortize it across the life of the saw it's not much. Sure, everybody is on a budget, $200 is $200 and that can be a deal breaker for a guy that has to have a saw right now. I understand that.
If nothing else i'd be interested in running one of those saws (preferably one a wee bit bigger..or a LOT bigger than the one in the vid) as well as i'd like to take one apart...field strip it and see how it compares.
I too would like to run a 460 and 660 head to head against the 7900. The 7900 on paper has a huge edge on the Stihls in power to weight ratio and initial cost, I don't know how that translates into actual feel in the field. The 7900 reminds me a lot of my 359 in how smooth it is. I know some people have complained about the handles angle on the 7900, I haven't noticed it. I have heard nothing negative about reliability of the saw, only time and running hours will tell.
$200 is a large chunk of change. That is a limbing saw to support the large Dolmar. I already went over this but for the cost of a 460 you could buy:
Dolmar 6400, upgrade kit to 7900, AND a small limbing saw such as a Stihl 179, And have money left over to buy some accessories; bar, chain, oil, gas, whatever. I doubt any one 460 would give more reliability than having two saws and a complete piston and jug on stand-by
$200 is a large chunk of change. That is a limbing saw to support the large Dolmar. I already went over this but for the cost of a 460 you could buy:
Dolmar 6400, upgrade kit to 7900, AND a small limbing saw such as a Stihl 179, And have money left over to buy some accessories; bar, chain, oil, gas, whatever. I doubt any one 460 would give more reliability than having two saws and a complete piston and jug on stand-by
One of the guys I cut wood with has a 460 and last year bought a 7900 he also owns an 056, 044Mag and 260. He uses the 7900 as his primary saw now and he's a Stihl guy.
The one thing that the Stihl does offer is that it ports better than the Dolmar, but bone stock the Dolmar is a better performer.
The one thing that the Stihl does offer is that it ports better than the Dolmar, but bone stock the Dolmar is a better performer.
Apprentice_GM said:
Bro, if you're able to do your splitting with a 7 ton electric, you'll RIP through it with that saw... White Oak is a VERY hard wood...
woodconvert said:
As far as quality goes, Dolmar is right up there with the Stihls... They have been around for more than 80 years, but they are relatively new in this country. Comparing Woodbutcher's 5100 to the MS290 is a fair comparison in terms of power. The Stihl is almost a full pound heavier though, and has a LOT more plastic. The one thing I liked better about that Dolmar is the fact that even on the smaller saw, the body and frame are all aluminum, whereas with the 290, there's a LOT more plastic on the body and frame... I'm personally a Stihl man, I run a big ported 660, but Dolmar makes an excellent product without a doubt...
clarkharms said:
A 460 maybe, but I'll SMOKE you all day long with my 660. There's no question that Dolmar makes a great saw, but you're getting a little big for your britches pitting a 7900 against a 660...
I wouldn't expect the 7900 to beat out the 660 in a race. It would be interesting to see how much of a difference the 10% more power the 660 has really makes vs the lighter weight of the 7900. In other words "smoke me all day long" may not reach fruition because your day may end much sooner due to operator fatigue.FLASHMAN said:
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