Actually the 7900 has been at least as problem free as the 460 and it weighs less and costs less.
Stihl vs. Dolmar
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Well i guess its nice to have people compare there saws with a 460 must be a great bench mark. Bought mine becase there is 3 dealers in my town.No other dealers at all i frist started looking at the huskey and i am not good at working on chainsaw so best bet is to have a dealer close.
I am not trying to knock the stihl brand, they are good saws however there is another option that few have heard of i.e. Dolmar that may be better. A couple hundred years ago people thought the world was the center of the universe and that it was flat. The earth is round and it doesn't revolve around Stihl. One thing I did want to point out is if you had bought the 7900 and a 179 you could still where your Stihl hats and belt buckles.
Like I said I am trying to be objective and give an honest opinion of the different offerings strengths and weeknesses. That sadi I have owned Huskys, Stihls, and now Dolmars. I did own a Mckulluuuug which I won't mention here. IMO nothing beats the Dolmar 5100 or 7900 in their respective class.smokinj said:
It is hard to do an exact match up. Here is what I think match up best from the two companies:LEES WOOD-CO said:
Sthil MS650 6.4HP 16.5# Cost $959 w/20" bar
Dolmar 7900 6.3HP 13.6# Cost $639 w/20" bar
The 5100 is much harder to match up because Stihl has a big gap in their pro saw line up in this HP range. I will list the two offerings from Stihl that are closest to the 5100 and you can interpulate the difference.
Stihl
MS 260 3.2HP 10.6# Cost $489 w/18" bar
MS 361 4.4HP 12.3# Cost $599 w/18" bar
Dolmar 5100 3.9HP 11.2# Cost $399 w/18" bar
I am quoting Stihl MSRP pricing which is what many dealers are charging. The Dolmar pricing reflects what dealers are actually charging. People could bring up the MS 310 which is very close in HP to the 5100 but is not considered a pro saw. The numbers for the MS 310 are: 4.0HP 13# $430.
Wow i hope people are smart enough to know price isnt everything in a saw, you rise very good points. The same points that a car dealership would make to sell you a car. If you cant make your repairs, you will lose your savings to the post office.imo
When considering a new saw I certainly didn't look at just price, I also considered power, weight, reliability, etc etc. I am not sure what you are implying. I am not trying to sell anything, just pointing out facts and providing unbiased information so people who read these posts can make informed decisions. I believe that is in keeping with the spirit of this site. Unless you have hard evidence to the contrary, your implication that Dolmars are less reliable than Stihl are unfounded and unwarranted. Please state facts not biased ignorance.smokinj said:
That was my point they dont have dolmer dealerships here(hell i like the solo husky echos )Dolmer new to me,but sthil has 3 dealerships in my town so thats what i went with. Service is the most inportant to me
smokinj said:
Then you made the right choice. As for the original poster's question, I think Dolmar presents a better value then Stihl. How is their distribution in his area? Can't say for sure....
I have both a MS310 and a 5100. The 5100 gets a lot more use. I cut firewood to heat house so they don't get much use. For a home owner I don't think that a saw needs dealer surport, but I don't make a living with a
saw.
saw.
clarkharms said:
Not for nothing you are quoting two very different prices. That is a bais comparison if you ask me because I know for a fact that certain dealers are asking well below list for all of the Stihl saws you list. You could easily shave $30-60 off each of those prices of the Stihls.
Backroads said:
Not where I live!
MSRP for all Stihl's except that dog of a 290.
Everything else is MSRP, and I visited 3 dealers!
sl7vk said:
I'm new to the forum but have been looking for a new saw as well, I was curious, why is the 290 considered a dog? It's one of the models I am considering, along with the 310 which I can get for $365 having been a good customer of a local dealer. I'd also mention that here in southern CT, the best price I can find on the dolmar PS 5001 is $425 with most in my area around 460-495 8-/ . So I wonder how prevalent the price point of $400 is for the dolmar. I was leaning toward the 290 which I could get for $325, but the dog description has me curious? any thoughts would be appreciated.
Regards
Sledge⋀ said:
It's the oldest design that Stihl .... parden this... still uses. It's time tested, but heavy and slow IMHO. 13 pounds is a lot to lug around for a saw that will get destroyed by a 5100... The 310 is more of the upgraded and modernized 290 and I think is just fine. But if you're toying betwen the 290 and 310, you may as well through in the Husqvarna 455 to consideration.
Must be location.........location..........location...........In SW Michigan, Stihl rules. I hear that Husky is the saw north of here. As far as Dolmar, I have never heard of them till a month ago here, let alone seen a part in a shop. I love my Stihl 310 and have 4 shops within 15 miles.....gotta admit, the Dolmar owners here seem to love them....not so much the Husquvarna owners lately.....
Sledge⋀ said:
I can't believe dealers are bumping the price of the 5100s to $460-$495....even $425 is high. I paid $379.00 back in May and my Dealer has only bumped the price to $399.00 which is still good.
Your asking about the MS290.....Well go handle it and then handle the 5100s. The 290's big, bulky and has got alot of plastic where the 5100s has an aluminum body (including the bar oil chamber) and is more the size and weight of my Craftsman.
WoodButcher
I was very clear on the pricing I used for this reason. The Dolmars are easy to price because regardless of location you can buy them for the prices listed plus shipping because you can buy a Dolmar mail order. I can't possibly give pricing on Stihls because it has to be bought from a dealer and a dealer sets the price. Read the thread and you will see many people are saying their Stihl dealers are charging MSRP. Further, the Dolmars would also tend to be cheaper because shipping cost can be cheaper than sales tax on the saw. Regardless $30-60 off a Stihl is not enough to get down to Dolmar pricing.Backroads said:
Sledge⋀ said:
The price I quoted for the Dolmars is valid anywhere in the US, plus shipping which is generally less than tax. Another sight for chainsaw reviews is arboristsite.com You will hear many complaints about Stihl and Husky over there. That sight has a great trading post, not many Dolmars advertised though. Plenty of adds that say “Wanted Dolmar model **** will pay top dollar” Stihl adds read “Stihl saw for free, will wrap in $5 bills and ship to you for free” LOL
Regards
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