what should I get - Dolmar vs Stihl

[Henz]

YUP, the way I look at it is this...every logger that relies on their saw as their money maker that I know of in my area runs Husquvarna period. and we are talking about several dozen..If it is good for them then it must be good for us firewood guys

 

[Backroads]

Adirondack, I too know many loggers and what they run. Before I would recommend a Husqvarna home owners saw I would read this thread posted here back in August.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/21181/

 

[TMonter]

Meh. . . .

They are not saws of the same class.

Period.

The End.

Exactly, one is a homeowner/midrange saw the other is a pro saw.

If we're talking same power class the specs clearly say they are and the general real world experience I've heard and seen seems to confirm that.

I think it's perfectly valid to compare two saws of different displacement if they have similar power.

 

[smokinj]

Meh. . . .

They are not saws of the same class.

Period.

The End.

Exactly, one is a homeowner/midrange saw the other is a pro saw.

If we're talking same power class the specs clearly say they are and the general real world experience I've heard and seen seems to confirm that.

I think it's perfectly valid to compare two saws of different displacement if they have similar power.

its just a value question both saws have value witch saw is more bang for the buck...................... It depends on the end user

 

[clambdin]

If you are not afraid of a used saw you can pick up a makita 6401 @ home depot rental for around $200.00 more weight but a darned good saw< I bought one and had it tuned up put a 24 inch bar and full comp chain on it use it to buck logs with works great ! On another note I have a stihl 026 that i have owned for 13 years it has a 20 inch bar in my opinion the best firewood saw there is and lighter than the saws you are looking at !

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Meh. . . .

They are not saws of the same class.

Period.

The End.

Exactly, one is a homeowner/midrange saw the other is a pro saw.

If we're talking same power class the specs clearly say they are and the general real world experience I've heard and seen seems to confirm that.

I think it's perfectly valid to compare two saws of different displacement if they have similar power.

Why do we never hear the question: 260 Vs 310?

 

[smokinj]

Meh. . . .

They are not saws of the same class.

Period.

The End.

Exactly, one is a homeowner/midrange saw the other is a pro saw.

If we're talking same power class the specs clearly say they are and the general real world experience I've heard and seen seems to confirm that.

I think it's perfectly valid to compare two saws of different displacement if they have similar power.

Why do we never hear the question: 260 Vs 310?

the price point withe the 260 higher than the 310 and dolmer I think most people compare the price points! but your right 260 vs 310 is a good comparison as well

 

[burningbill]

The Dolmar 5100 is a better saw than the 310. It should be compared with a 260 or husky 346XP NE, the comprable saws from stihl and husky that are considered pro grade. I have heard of reliability issues with the 5100 on arboristsite. My local Husky/Jonsored/Dolmar dealer says the problems people are having with the 5100 is they (dealers and operators) do not know how to tune the saw and or are using bad gas i.e. with lots of ethanol. He says he has had to repair just as many 346's as 5100's. The 5100 leads this segment in power and is a bargain to boot. All that being said if you intend to use this as a homeowner to cut firewood I would go with the 310. The 310 is more forgiving of limited experience users and lack of maintenance that occasional use owners give them.

 

[zhukpavlo]

Thanks for all your comments, I think I will go with the Stihl 310. I have 2 Stihl dealers near me, the Dolmar dealer is 30 minutes away. I will go look at the Stihl again.

 

[zhukpavlo]

The Dolmar 5100 is a better saw than the 310. It should be compared with a 260 or husky 346XP NE, the comprable saws from stihl and husky that are considered pro grade. I have heard of reliability issues with the 5100 on arboristsite. My local Husky/Jonsored/Dolmar dealer says the problems people are having with the 5100 is they (dealers and operators) do not know how to tune the saw and or are using bad gas i.e. with lots of ethanol. He says he has had to repair just as many 346's as 5100's. The 5100 leads this segment in power and is a bargain to boot. All that being said if you intend to use this as a homeowner to cut firewood I would go with the 310. The 310 is more forgiving of limited experience users and lack of maintenance that occasional use owners give them.

Yes I read that as well on arboristsite. I will use it to cut firewood and I do have limited maintenance experience. Like I had already posted (before I read your comment) I will be going with the 310 (310 because it has the 3/8 chain).

 

[Highbeam]

If you are not afraid of a used saw you can pick up a makita 6401 @ home depot rental for around $200.00 more weight but a darned good saw< I bought one and had it tuned up put a 24 inch bar and full comp chain on it use it to buck logs with works great ! On another note I have a stihl 026 that i have owned for 13 years it has a 20 inch bar in my opinion the best firewood saw there is and lighter than the saws you are looking at !

Not so fast. You are assuming that the HD happens to be selling a used 6401 at the same time you are looking to buy one. This has not been my experience. The HD will always sell you a new 6401 at a good price of 537$ vs. the online price at baileys of over 550 plus shipping.

I want a good saw with an 18" min bar and 3/8" chain. I compared the 310 to the 6401 and the 6401 for an extra few bucks is a much better saw. Also of note is that the 6401 is the same saw as the 7300, 7900 that can make much more power with very large bars so that tells me that the chassis and bottom end are very significant vs. the 310 that is at the top of the stihl lineup for that powerhead leaving much less safety margin.

 

[TMonter]

Why do we never hear the question: 260 Vs 310?

Price.

As someone has pointed out if we were comparing the same class of saw in CC instead of solely on price we'd be looking at Dolmar 5100 Vs Stihl MS260 Vs Husky 346XP NE

Of the three I'd go for the Husky as I have used all three before I bought my Husky 346XP NE. I chose on the basis of the following: (No Particular order)

Quality
Price
Power
Weight
No Cat Muffler
Warranty
Local Dealer Support

Currently I have no complaints about my 346, great saw but I'm still confused about it having a compression release.

 

[TMonter]

zhukpavlo, ask these few questions to the dealer:

Will you set the saw up and jet it for me?

Will you readjust my saw for me in ~10 tanks?

What accessories do you recommend?

The responses you get should tell you a lot about what dealer to choose. A good dealer should offer to readjust the saw after the break in period. They should also recommend what files to use, Personal Protection Equipment, and a chain depth gauge.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

The Dolmar 5100 is a better saw than the 310. It should be compared with a 260 or husky 346XP NE, the comprable saws from stihl and husky that are considered pro grade. I have heard of reliability issues with the 5100 on arboristsite. My local Husky/Jonsored/Dolmar dealer says the problems people are having with the 5100 is they (dealers and operators) do not know how to tune the saw and or are using bad gas i.e. with lots of ethanol. He says he has had to repair just as many 346's as 5100's. The 5100 leads this segment in power and is a bargain to boot. All that being said if you intend to use this as a homeowner to cut firewood I would go with the 310. The 310 is more forgiving of limited experience users and lack of maintenance that occasional use owners give them.

So the 310 is more rugged and less picky, and therefore inferior to the Dolmer? I don't get it.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If you are not afraid of a used saw you can pick up a makita 6401 @ home depot rental for around $200.00 more weight but a darned good saw< I bought one and had it tuned up put a 24 inch bar and full comp chain on it use it to buck logs with works great ! On another note I have a stihl 026 that i have owned for 13 years it has a 20 inch bar in my opinion the best firewood saw there is and lighter than the saws you are looking at !

Not so fast. You are assuming that the HD happens to be selling a used 6401 at the same time you are looking to buy one. This has not been my experience. The HD will always sell you a new 6401 at a good price of 537$ vs. the online price at baileys of over 550 plus shipping.

I want a good saw with an 18" min bar and 3/8" chain. I compared the 310 to the 6401 and the 6401 for an extra few bucks is a much better saw. Also of note is that the 6401 is the same saw as the 7300, 7900 that can make much more power with very large bars so that tells me that the chassis and bottom end are very significant vs. the 310 that is at the top of the stihl lineup for that powerhead leaving much less safety margin.

Actually, it's in the middle.

 

[TMonter]

So the 310 is more rugged and less picky, and therefore inferior to the Dolmer? I don’t get it.

Actually it's just the saw isn't set as lean from the factory. Most pro series saws can use to be richened up a bit out of the box.

 

[Henz]

I am a homeowner who does my own firewood. I lloed at the Husky 350 rancher and the first step into the professional Husky saws being my 357xp. There was a cost difference of I beleive $100-$150 but that was definatly offset by getting a better saw with the 357xp. The way I see it, it will probably be the only saw I ever buy and I buy the best I can get in any piece of equipment that I rely on. So when it comes to skimping out and pinching pennies on these types of things, I just dont do it.

 

[burningbill]

The Dolmar 5100 is a better saw than the 310. It should be compared with a 260 or husky 346XP NE, the comprable saws from stihl and husky that are considered pro grade. I have heard of reliability issues with the 5100 on arboristsite. My local Husky/Jonsored/Dolmar dealer says the problems people are having with the 5100 is they (dealers and operators) do not know how to tune the saw and or are using bad gas i.e. with lots of ethanol. He says he has had to repair just as many 346's as 5100's. The 5100 leads this segment in power and is a bargain to boot. All that being said if you intend to use this as a homeowner to cut firewood I would go with the 310. The 310 is more forgiving of limited experience users and lack of maintenance that occasional use owners give them.

So the 310 is more rugged and less picky, and therefore inferior to the Dolmer? I don't get it.

Think Ferrari vs. Chevy. In the right hands and with proper maintenance the Ferrari will do wonders and be much more satisfying to its owner. Most people will not ever need the performance of the Ferrari so they would be better suited to the Chevy for there daily commute. The Dolmar is prograde which as I understand makes it more rugged and rebuildable than most home owner grade saws.

 

[smokinj]

Why do we never hear the question: 260 Vs 310?

Price.

As someone has pointed out if we were comparing the same class of saw in CC instead of solely on price we'd be looking at Dolmar 5100 Vs Stihl MS260 Vs Husky 346XP NE

Of the three I'd go for the Husky as I have used all three before I bought my Husky 346XP NE. I chose on the basis of the following: (No Particular order)

Quality
Price
Power
Weight
No Cat Muffler
Warranty
Local Dealer Support


Currently I have no complaints about my 346, great saw but I'm still confused about it having a compression release.

just makes it more of a pro saw not nessary but on them cold days can make it a little eaiser to start

 

[Brian VT]

I am a homeowner who does my own firewood. I lloed at the Husky 350 rancher and the first step into the professional Husky saws being my 357xp. There was a cost difference of I beleive $100-$150 but that was definatly offset by getting a better saw with the 357xp. The way I see it, it will probably be the only saw I ever buy and I buy the best I can get in any piece of equipment that I rely on. So when it comes to skimping out and pinching pennies on these types of things, I just dont do it.

Same here. You never regret buying the best you can afford.
I almost bought a 350 from my local Husky dealer and I really wanted to buy local. I'm sure it's a great saw but I got my heart set on a pro saw and
the 5100s caught my attention online and wasn't much more $ than the 350. I drove 1hr.+ to get it last November.
This saw really puts a smile on my face every time I run it and my more experienced buddies have been impressed with it too.
It turns out that my local guy just took on Dolmar last month. He's a 10min. drive from my house. LOL !

 

[lexybird]

I use both and i would take the stihl over the dolmar ,more options products parts and more service shops ,after a muffler mod and a quick tune the stihl is a whole new animal