Stihl vs. Dolmar
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If you want an 80cc saw are are going to run bone stock or a slight muffler mod go Dolmar. If you are going to port or mod the saw buy the Stihl.
Does porting a saw void the warranty? Also if this porting is so effective why doesn't the saw designer incorporate this into the design, emissions? You may want to add if price isn't a factor go Stihl. I imagine if someone is planning on modding a saw they would buy it used then rebuild it incoporating all the mods wanted which would bring the cost down.TMonter said:
My understanding is that even a muffler mod will void any of the manufacturers warraties. That is why people wait for the warranty to run out and then begin modding their saws.
I didn't mean to come across as defensive. I guess all the "it's a dog" things kinda got to me. Maybe I'm just happy with my Sthils because I don't know any better. I did notice that there is a new dolmar dealer that opened in this area. Maybe they are worth a look see.clarkharms said:
polaris said:
well, the person who said 290's are "dogs" are either too spoiled from running bigger saws, or they just don't know any better. Some people do have concerns about weight because of how long they run the saw in a day, which is certianly understandable... I will say this though, like I said before, if I were buying a new saw in that size range, and after comparing the two, I'd go with the Dolmar. With bigger saws, I'd stick with the Stihls, but that's a matter of personal preference.
FLASHMAN said:
That person was me.
I was only picking on the 290 because it's the most aged of the Stihl models.... I've never cut with it. I looked at it and held it at my local Stihl shop. I seriously considered it, then I read some reviews, and quickly moved on to other options.
Stihl's are just fine saws. But the best value you can get right now is Dolmar.
Still happy with my stihl no matter what i paid for it vaule is in the eye of the beholder when you had your dolmer for 10 years+ we will see how they are then.Hard for me to put dolmer on top until the track record is there
smokinj said:
81 years of trackrecord in Europe.
My father in law is a professional arborist in France, and strongly recommended Stihl, Husky or Dolmar. He owns all three.
He felt the Japanese saws were good, but a half step down from the 3 mentioned above.
S17vk, You repeatedly refer to them as "dogs" But then say you have never even started one, let alone cut with it? That's sorta like me me claiming the Dolmars are substandard clunkers even though I've never so much as pulled the cord on one. Hardly grounds for an intelligent unbiased review.
I don't have strong feelings for the 290 one way or the other but many of the guys on the arboristsite do and it ain't good. Just remember to put their reviews into context as many of them are proffessional users they will tend to be more critical of a saws short comings. Most of their critisisms would not be noticed by the average homeowner.polaris said:
Dolmar made the worlds first gas powered chainsaw, no other manufacture has made gas powered chainsaws for longer then them. The track record is there and with the backing of Makita they are in a good position to expand. Other than dealer network the other down side is lack of line up. The 5100 and 7900 dominate their respective classes but those two saws are the only real class leaders. Who knows what they may come out with next, hopefully a bigger saw to replace their 9 series something that will knock a 660 on its can. In the end we the consumers are going to benefit from this competition I just hope Dolmar keeps their pricing down.smokinj said:
polaris said:
I referred to the saw as a dog once.... and I clearly underestimated how personally some would take it.
The comment, as outlined above, was based on the feel (heavy) and reviews I had read.
My comments are worth the price charged, so take them for what they may be worth.
At the end of the day, we all get to spend our hard earned money on what we feel will be the product for our uses..... For me it was Dolmar, for many others Stihl, for others Husky, for others Echo and so on and so forth. There is no right or wrong here, only opinions.....
Had I known that referring to the MS290 as a dog, would ruffle more feathers then referring to someone's wife as a dog, then I would have, and will choose my wording more carefully in the future.
and thats the million $$ question if its a good one 200-300 more with good service fair enough for meclarkharms said:
clarkharms said:
Add to that the fact that no PROFESSIONAL arborist is going to be using a homeowner saw, and anyone that's been running 460's, 660's, 7900's or whatever is going to find ANYTHING ELSE underpowered...
A couple points:
1. Modifications to the saw, whether drilling holes in the muffler, removing a spark screen, or pulling the cylinder and doing porting work, will void the warranty. Period. For some folks this matters. For others, not so much. Every new saw I've ever purchased has been torn into before I ever filled it with gas, and I'm OK with that. Some folks aren't.
2. I'm sick of all this ignorant MS290/310 bashing. Yeah, 'Troll and a couple other guys on AS really like to talk smack about it. So f'in what. It gets the job done and has a tremendously good record for durability in the face of non-pro use, being left full of stale gas, and the sort of general neglect that occasional-use saws tend to experience. Having owned both, I'd take an MS290 over the much-loved MS260 for any purpose other than limbing super-small stuff; for what it's worth, though, I now own neither of those two models. For most guys, any incremental increase in performance derived from a fancier saw is negated by their inept chain sharpening, which makes a bigger difference than increased HP or decreased powerhead weight anyway.
3. Dolmar makes great products with terrible distribution. If this matters to you, buy Stihl or Husqvarna or Jonsered or Echo.
1. Modifications to the saw, whether drilling holes in the muffler, removing a spark screen, or pulling the cylinder and doing porting work, will void the warranty. Period. For some folks this matters. For others, not so much. Every new saw I've ever purchased has been torn into before I ever filled it with gas, and I'm OK with that. Some folks aren't.
2. I'm sick of all this ignorant MS290/310 bashing. Yeah, 'Troll and a couple other guys on AS really like to talk smack about it. So f'in what. It gets the job done and has a tremendously good record for durability in the face of non-pro use, being left full of stale gas, and the sort of general neglect that occasional-use saws tend to experience. Having owned both, I'd take an MS290 over the much-loved MS260 for any purpose other than limbing super-small stuff; for what it's worth, though, I now own neither of those two models. For most guys, any incremental increase in performance derived from a fancier saw is negated by their inept chain sharpening, which makes a bigger difference than increased HP or decreased powerhead weight anyway.
3. Dolmar makes great products with terrible distribution. If this matters to you, buy Stihl or Husqvarna or Jonsered or Echo.
clarkharms said:
The pricing being relatively low on the Dolmars is a temporary thing IMO... Remember, even though they are the oldest chainsaw company in the world, they're trying to break into the US market which has been DOMINATED by Stihl and Husky forever. That's why the US prices are lower than the prices in Germany where they're made right now. IMO, the Dolmars WILL go up in price, probably closer to Stihl prices once they establish themselves in the US market. In all likelyhood, unless dramatic changes are made, that will do a lot more to hurt Husky than Stihl.
All that said, maybe they'll make something COMPARABLE to the 660, but knock it on it's can??? that's going to br a tough row to hoe...
No one will knock stihl on its can with any of there pro saws just compete is all they are trying to do.what size bar you running on that 660FLASHMAN said:
smokinj said:
I have a 20" that I use primarily for bucking on the ground, and I also have a 28" with full skip chain that I can swap to if I have a really big trunk to buck or if I'm felling...
sl7vk said:
I don't have a 290 but take offense to the fact you judge a saw that you admit to never running!
sl7vk said:
Calling something a "Dog" for being heavy is a poor choice of words, but you admit to that.
Lastly, I NEVER base my personal comments about ANYTHING I haven't personally used. Just because someone once told me or I read somewhere that something was bad I wouldn't continue spreading that judgement. I base my comments on my own personal experience and so do alot of others here.
Best peice of advice to come out of this thread I think is this:
If you are in the market to buy something; see if you can go out and try it before you buy it!
computeruser said:
"For most guys, any incremental increase in performance derived from a fancier saw is negated by their inept chain sharpening, which makes a bigger difference than increased HP or decreased powerhead weight anyway."
This statement says it all when it comes to comparing saws.
smokinj said:
There's a pic of it here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/19836/ I'm gonna have Woodbutcher put together a video of me cutting with the 660 at some point... I'll post it.
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