Sounds more like the Salem witch trials.
A saw blows up and there is talk of a "universal problem". Universal is a mighty strong word, as it caries the implication that there is something wrong with all 5100's. The 5100, like most new designs, from all OEM's, is not immune to some teething problems. There are some areas that can be improved on the intake side, and Ii'm sure Dolmar will address them, as everybody else does.
For the record, all of the popular Huskys, have had improvements/changes to their intake systems since their introductions. The changes were improvements to intake boot clamps, partition wall and intake block materials, and such. That's why there are such things as service bulletins. I'm sure a Stihl dealer would say the same thing. I'd bet that there isn't a saw out there that doesnt't a few service bulletins on it.
You also need to keep in mind that in most cases, these improvements are to address a very small failure %. There are thousands of earlier saws, that never received the updates, yet never experience the problem. So, don't spook yourself into thinking that it's just a matter of time until your 5100 blows up.
My personal experience: We have only had one 5100 failure. The throttle plate came loose and got sucked into the saw and tore it up. This isn't something that you could blame on Dolmar; the blame should really fall on Zama. But, never the less, Dolmar warrantied the saw. The only issue that I see on some Dolmars is that you should keep an eye on the carb screws being tight, as they can loosen up. I have a 2 year old 7300 in the shop that toasted itself for that reason.
This thread has gotten a bit carried away with itself to the point that some people are afraid to buy a Dolmar. That's both unfair and unreasonable.
