Dolmar saws

[Timbercruiser]

Just wanted to ask you guys about the dolmar pro series saws ? Seem to have pretty good prices please let me know what you guys have heard on the bigger sizes and if they are any good ?? thanks

[scully]

I have a 5105 ,6400,7910 . The 5105 has a hot coil wich was only produced for a short time but the saw turns a sickly 13500 rpm and cuts like crazy . I bought a 7910 because of disapointment with the former brand that I used for years . This saw is good I noticed that it runs better when cutting agressively and once good and warm . I installed the optional breather kit on it and it seems to have perked up a bit . I then bought the 6400 , this thing blows me away ! I never used a saw that size that performs as well ! It is rated for up to a 32 in. bar and with a 20 on it the thing just begs to be flogged ! Since spring I have put a few gallons of gas through them all and so far I am sold on them ! They are less money size for size with the competition as well . I'm not saying I won't go back to another brand saw ,but right now these Dolmars are makeing me smile ! As a side note the Makita saws are the exact same thing only a differant color . I only run ethynal free 91 octane in them If you bake one under warrenty they test the fuel ,anything over 10% and your on your own .

[Ianab]

I have a 7900, which is the 79cc model before the 7905.

Great saw, I would buy another in a heartbeat.

The 64-7900 series is basically the same saw, just with a larger bore. So the 7900 is the one to get, same weight, more power. Nothing wrong with the smaller ones, just they don't stand out like the 7900 does.

As long as you have a good local dealer, go for it.

Dolmar are now owned by Makita, hence the models are the same. But Makita is a serious tool company. They have bought Dolmar to give themselves a useful presence in the OPE market, not to just run the name into the ground by re-badging cheap junk as a famous brand.

Ian

[mad murdock]

Haven't had the privilege of running one of the newer ones, but the older Dolmars I have used logging were all top shelf!  Ran dependably and cut like nobody's business 8)

[NCFarmboy]

Dolkita=Dolmar in blue Makita.  1-Dolkita 6401/7900, 2-Dolkita 6401BBK 84cc, 1-Solo 665/681, 5-5100S, 1-510 looking for a 421.  That said I used to be a Hardcore Husky man til I got these Dolmars.  Still love a Husky buuuuut!  Solo is basically a Dolmar with a 1mm stroker crankshaft most parts interchange with Dolmar.  The 6400 is with out a  doubt the best bang for your buck.  It cuts way bigger than 64cc.  Can't go wrong with one easily and economically upgradeable to 79cc or 84cc.
Shep

[limbrat]

I have a 401,5100,540 and a 7900. They are bone stock and very good saws. I had problems with the chain brake on the 401 but it is a old and no longer used design. I had a 510 but a older neighbor was looking for a smaller saw so we traded for his 440, that was a couple of years ago and he still uses the saw.

[clww]

I have a 5105 ,6400,7910 . The 5105 has a hot coil wich was only produced for a short time but the saw turns a sickly 13500 rpm and cuts like crazy . I bought a 7910 because of disapointment with the former brand that I used for years . This saw is good I noticed that it runs better when cutting agressively and once good and warm . I installed the optional breather kit on it and it seems to have perked up a bit . I then bought the 6400 , this thing blows me away ! I never used a saw that size that performs as well ! It is rated for up to a 32 in. bar and with a 20 on it the thing just begs to be flogged ! Since spring I have put a few gallons of gas through them all and so far I am sold on them ! They are less money size for size with the competition as well . I'm not saying I won't go back to another brand saw ,but right now these Dolmars are makeing me smile ! As a side note the Makita saws are the exact same thing only a differant color . I only run ethynal free 91 octane in them If you bake one under warrenty they test the fuel ,anything over 10% and your on your own .

Holy Cow, scully! After reading your excellent, descriptive narrative, I'm ready to go out and get one! 8)

[1270d]

We ran a couple of the 7900 dolmars a few years back.  They feel light and comfortable and run good.  We did break a lot of motor mounts though.  I still have a bag of them in the truck door even though we haven't run them in years.
Went back to huskys because the support was better.

[bandmiller2]

I got an old Sacs/Dolmar and that's one fine piece of machinery,may try a new one if I can wear out the half dozen saw I use now. Frank C.

[Corley5]

Weak mounts on the 7000 series.  I wouldn't waste money on another.

[jayhawkinmi]

Great saws and easy to work on.  Parts are readily available online if you don't have a local dealer.

[cuterz]

I really want to buy one but no local support hinders that.

[RSteiner]

I had the older 119 and 123 Sachs-Dolmar chainsaws and liked both of them. They were a bit on the heavy side compared to the more plastic saws today. Four or five years ago I got a 5100 Dolmar which is a fast cutting lighter saw. Seems the Dolmars are more popular in some areas of the country than others.

Randy

[ahlkey]

I have used a 7900 for the past three winter seasons cutting a lot of wood and it is still my go to saw for 80% of my work when you consider the weight to power ratio.  The other three saws I own are all pro husky saws but this 7900 has performed well and with a 20-24 inch bar is not far behind my higher end 395XP saw. Dealer here still has two new 7900's in stock?  Anyone here know when then switched to the new EPA models?  I tempted to purchase one of these given the higher power ratio on the older model and the derating of the new models. 

[Peter Drouin]

My 7900 will cut like hell, just hold on :D

[ladylake]

Have to agree my 7900 is light and cuts better than it should for 80cc.  Steve

[Corley5]

The 7900s I had were great cutting saws but anything gained by their engine performance was lost to down time associated with changing mounts  >:(  A failed experiment here.  The dealer I got them from still has Dolmar but doesn't push them anymore because of the mount problem.

[AdkStihl]

The 7900s I had were great cutting saws but anything gained by their engine performance was lost to down time associated with changing mounts  >:(  A failed experiment here.  The dealer I got them from still has Dolmar but doesn't push them anymore because of the mount problem.

Hmmm.....1st I heard of a AV issue

Isolated incident perhaps  ???

[Corley5]

Every logger he sold them to has gone back to Jonsered because of the mount issue with the Dolmars.

[Corley5]

The same operator who has issues with the mounts on a Dolmar rarely has trouble with mounts on a Jonsered or Husky.  It's not operator error.

[ladylake]

Never had trouble with the mounts on mine but I don't yank on the saw much as I run a sawmill, not logging every day.  I'd think Dolmar or someone would come up with a fix, quite a few saws have positive stops after the mounts gets stretched quite a bit.   Steve

[Corley5]

We feel that it's the severe service in northern hardwood timber.  It's a problem that makes them undesirable to myself and others who work in this kind of timber.

[Peter Drouin]

I'll have to look at my mounts.

[Corley5]

Typically they show no signs of breaking until they do.  It seems to be the quality of metal in the springs.  The steel has a crystalized appearance on the face of the break.  I had four Dolmars at one time, two 7300s and two 7900s with four different operators.  All saws and operators had the same issues.  The engines were great.  One of 7900s burned up and needed a piston and rings.  It went as a parts saw when I liquidated them and went back to Jonsered.  The prices on the Dolmars were really good.  I could buy three Dolmars for the price of two Jonsereds.  I wanted to like them but it didn't work out  :-\

[1270d]

We had the same experience with the mounts.  Keep a bag of them handy at all times.   They are super easy to change but its still a pain.   Ours were used purely for limbing at topping northern hardwoods.  Two or three gallons of gas a day limbing behind a bunches.  Nice slim design and whatnot but we re back with 390's

[bandmiller2]

Has anyone brought this problem back to the manufacturer.??If its strictly a metallurgy problem it should be easy to correct.Are any outher mounts close enough to use. Frank C.

[Corley5]

My dealer took up the issue but everyone up the ladder claimed there wasn't a problem.  The mounts are unique to Dolmar and the same in the new series from what we've been told.

[ahlkey]

My local Dolmar dealer claims the AV mount issues was taken care of sometime ago?  How long ago was it that you were having problems with the mounts?   I have one PS-7900 that is my favorite go to saw running a 24 inch bar.   Everything else we run is pro saws from Husky with the 395xp saw the top end saw for larger hardwoods.   We log commercially northern hardwoods during the winter from November until April and for the past three years the 7900 has performed better than I expected. 

I found a remote dealer far away that I stopped while on vacation that had two NEW 7900's leftover from 2011 in stock?  He was a new owner that now only sells Stihl. He offered me a package deal on both saws to move them at a good price which I am considering as the older 7900's without all the new EPA changes have advantages.  Thanks.

[Corley5]

  I got rid of them a year ago this past spring.  The issue was still there then    The cost advantage on them is lost quickly buying $12 mounts,  lost production and labor to change them.  My dealer tells me the problem is still there.  I'll never buy another anyway.

[ahlkey]

Thanks for the update as I need to check it more often. The only reason I am considering another purchase is that the performance of the 7900 the past three winters seasons has been great.  I typically handle all my repairs so the labor is not an issue nor the cost of the mount but downtime would be bad.