Dolmar or Stihl

[cmills]

I'm looking at getting a new saw in the 50cc range, I've always had good luck with Stihl but I was visiting a different dealer the other day that carried Dolmar and they started talking about how good they are, so I went home and did some research and have heard a lot of good things about them.  I'm curious what you guys think, are they as durable and reliable as the Stihls are?  From most of the things I've read they cut just as good if not better in a lot of comparisons but with that said I would rather have a little slower cutting saw that is reliable than a fast cutting one that has more problems.  I did read somewhere where they said that the Dolmars air filters didn't do quite as good as job as others, is this true?  The saws that I am looking at between the two are the Stihl MS 260 pro and the Dolmar PS-5100 S.  If anybody has any experience with these two I would appreciate your opinion.


               Thanks,
                           Cory

[sawguy21]

Both are good saws. Dolmar had some issues with pistons seizing but most were found to be due to the factory carb settings. The saws were set too lean out of the box to meet emission standards and not properly set up  before delivery. The 5100 has been replaced by the 5105.
The Stihl MS260 is a solid little work horse, has been around for years, but needs updating. The air filtration system is not the best for our conditions, it tends to ice up.

[cmills]

I assume they have corrected the Piston problem?

[Ianab]

I assume they have corrected the Piston problem?

Well the "fix" would be telling the dealers to tune them right before giving them to customers, and bringing them back after 5 or 10 tanks of gas for another adjust.

Factory tuning is never going to be perfect as it depends on temperature, altitude and the makeup of your local fuel.

I have a Dolmar and 2 Stihls, and would recommend either of them.

Ian

[ladylake]

 They,re both good saws. The Dolmars has a little more power, cost less and needs the carb tuned, if set with a tach around 13500 to 13700 shoud be safe, not the 14300 EPA setting. The 260 cost more is lighter and seem to have the carb set better as they come. It's a good idea to learn how to tune a carb no matter what brand you run, different gas, temps and alitude all make a difference.   Steve

[cmills]

Do all the Dolmars have issues with the tachs being set wrong from the factory or is it just the 5100 S?  I ask because I am also looking at the 7900 also.  I suppose if they all have issues it would be a good idea investing in a tach so I could adjust it.

[Mad Professor]

Stihl is replacing the 260 with a 261.  It's listed on their german website.

16 % more power, and weight

[boobap]

isn't the new 261 like around 5 cc's bigger as well, hence the power gain, but what would 5 or so cc's equate to in fuel cost increase?

[windthrown]

261 is a completely different beast. It will likely not be out here until the end of the year. The 261 looks like a more powerful saw with not much more weight. The 261 has the exact same displacement as the 260 does: 50.2cc. 261 weighs 1.9 kilos, and has 2.8 Kw power. The 260 weighs 1.8 kilos and has 2.6 Kw power. This is off the German Stihl site.

I would get a Husky 346xp if you want the best in 50cc class saw. I looked at the Dolmar 5100s here and they are all plastic. They also have a lot of problems (air leaks, need to be detuned from German gas, lots of them have been burning up here in the states). I have four 026s, and I love those saws. But they are an old design. I would pass up the new 260 "Pro" for the 346xp. And try to get the one w/o the cat in the muffler. $500 around these parts for either the 5100s and the 346xp.

[ladylake]

 The Dolmar 5100 is all plastic??    Steve

[Al_Smith]

As a general statement I think you will  find that most new saws are anemic right out of the box . I also think people rely too heavily on a tachometer .

[ladylake]

No tach here, just tune them so the cut the fastest in bigger wood and you won't be lean. Fuel makes torque and power.    Steve

[jteneyck]

isn't the new 261 like around 5 cc's bigger as well, hence the power gain, but what would 5 or so cc's equate to in fuel cost increase?

The new EPA compliant saws are said to be up to 20% more fuel efficient compared to the saws they are replacing.  So you won't see a fuel penalty on the new saws, at least out of the box.  If you retune it those efficiency gains may go away, but I would guess you would end up no worse than equal afterwards.

What saw you end up getting should be based on your needs.  If you're cutting 10 cords a year for heating you don't need a pro saw.  IMO, you're spending money needlessly.  If you're cutting 10 cords a week, well then, a pro saw is a requirement.  Good luck.   

[567paloggger]

I own 2 dolmar 5100s and i love the saws but i did have some problems with them right away they were shutting off when i would cut and i cut alot of trees 6 days a week. They are nice saws but i dont think i will buy another one again for the same amount of money id get the 346xp if you dont like husky go with the stihl it will last forever even if i was a firewood cutter i would buy a pro saw i like the adjustable oilers which you dont get with a mid range saw the 260 pro is nice firewood saw as well as the 346xp

[lumberjack48]

Any of these saw are as good as their owner, some need a little more care then others.

I'm a true logger by trade, if i wanted a saw for 20 cords of firewood a yr., in stead of buying one Stihl for $450.00 to $600.00, i would buy 5 Refurbished wild things, you would be set up for many years.

[windthrown]

A 'true' logger recommending a WildThing?  

 

I had a WildThing once. I would rather have one 260 than 10 refurbished (or even new) WildThings. The 260 will actually work. I put up 10-20 cords of firewood a year, and I use my 026s and 361s for that (and the 044 now and then).

I never saw a logger run a WildThing in the PNW. Or any Poulan saw for that matter. Ever. I have been living in logging country for most of my life. I was also a logger once... or twice. Now most of us are unemployed.  

[windthrown]

The Dolmar 5100 is all plastic??    Steve

The new black 5100s that I looked at had an all plastic shell. I was surprised. Those saws look cheap in person.

The 346 is also mostly plastic, but it has a completely tight and professional feel to it. Different world. Even the clear plastic 346 demo saw had a great feel to it. I wanted to buy that one, but they would not sell the clear demo model (they said that Husky owns them all and they cannot be sold).

[ladylake]

    Windy     Which saws now days have anthing but plastic on the outside?  Cheap plastic, expensive plastic?  Seems like you just don't like Dolmar saws, no need to bash them.   They're a good well built saw, lots of power and priced reasonable.  Steve

[peppone]

I have a ps 5000 dolmar and it works better than stihl 260. more power, more handable.

[windthrown]

   Windy     Which saws now days have anthing but plastic on the outside?  Cheap plastic, expensive plastic?  Seems like you just don't like Dolmar saws, no need to bash them.   They're a good well built saw, lots of power and priced reasonable.  Steve

I do not like Dolmar saws, or their distributors, or their way that they do business in the states. If you do not like my opinion about them, that is too bad. My advice to Dolmar is for them to get their act together regarding issues with the 5100s, and man do they need to work on their distribution in the USA. As far as Dolmar 5100s competition goes, the Stihl MS260 and the Husky 346xp II seem to have way better quality. But that's just my opinion. The Husky 346xp is also the exact same price here as a Dolmar 5100s. $500.00 for either one. In my book, that is a no brainer decision. And I am a Stihl guy....

Lots of plastic on saws these days, yes indeed. But lots of saws still have a lot of metal on them, like the Stihl pro saws. And there is cheap plastic, and there is plastic that holds up over the years. My 026s have a lot of plastic and they are 10 years old, and still running. The plastic has not given out, even with a lot of abuse. My Echo saws have all fallen apart on me now. Cheaper plastic, they are not built as well, and they simply do not hold up. Uh oh, now I am Echo bashing too... my bad!

Of course they are miles ahead of the Poulan WildThing...