Worlds No.1 Chainsaw

[Ma Barker]

. . . BTW, the Dolmar name is being phased out in many markets worldwide.

Makita has ignored Dolmar in terms of marketing for years, I'm guessing as they aren't teal blue. The marketing budget set aside for Dolmar has been minuscule and they don't support their dealers like, say Husky does, at least in this country.

Huh. That's a shame. May be due to hubris, or just not wanting to support two brands. But brand equity will be lost, as well as the cache of a German mark. While Makita enjoys a strong brand, I don't think most people really equate "Makita" with OPE. I think they risk being perceived as a new entrant, or "also ran", if they really get serious about communicating their product in a mature market. (I don't think they've really devoted the resources to it, but I could be wrong.)

 

[MCW]

I own Dolmars and love them but...
If I was a full time cutter I'd have a Husky only due to parts and service backup in my area. I can go to the local hardware store who can order me a Makita DCS7901 but I'd have to find it in the Makita catalogue for him. Until then he wouldn't have even known Makita sell chainsaws. God help you if you need it fixed - the turnaround would be months as they'd have to send it away etc etc.
My local Husky dealer has had no problem fixing my 7900 when needed but parts turnaround is too long. That's why I ordered a second 7900 from the US as a back up.

 

[Zero Gravity]

i have used many different chainsaws over the years stihl, husqvarna/jonserd dolmar/makita etc but have different views on them all, they all have there advantages and disadvantages, but i think in the next couple of years i think Makita will be world No.1 in saw e.g 7900 first saw to achieve 1kg per bhp power to weight and there always improving there saws to perform better, etc

Please have your say as this is my opinion and dont want to start a little war

Have your say, what you think and why?

I have more questions than answers about Makita. What do you think about Bailey's sale on Makita DCS6401 saw for $539.95. They offer a 84cc bb kit for another $100.00? I am not a Makita fan ,but this really got my attention! If I had not got my 372XP, I think I would give this saw a very close look. It sounds like the perfect saw for the firewood cutter or a ground saw. For that price I think it will open a lot of eyes. I am very happy for Bailey's. They are making noise in a quite market, good for them good for me!
ZG

 

[Adirondack]

Before I found this site I never heard of Dolmar, like most (general public) if I was shopping for a saw Husky and Stihl would be on the top of my list as I have heard of them through friends and advertising.

Plus I don't find the word Dolmar very sexy either..... *puts on flamesuit*

I agree. From the info on this site I found out about Dolmar. I would have been perfectly happy with Stihl or Husky Pro saw but all things considered Dolmar had the edge for me (have some dealers in the area). I got my dolmar 7900 and absolutely love the saw.

 

[Banshee]

IMO. A good saw has to have more than a good weight to power ratio. Good air filtration, good anti vibe, reliability and so on.
When you start talking about other factors IMO the Dolmar becomes no better or worst then the other brands.
And you have to wonder how the 2010 emmission is going to effect the 7900 in the future.

 

[rms61moparman]

Hey its cool if you like Dolmar, but when you look at sales numbers they are not going to be number one. Stihl probably sells something like twenty chainsaws for every one saw dolmar sells - I'm guessing here I'll find the exact number but its huge. Dolmar is a really tiny company compared to Stihl and Husqvarna. Really tiny. So, it's cool to like their stuff, but they're swimming in the kiddy pool while Stihl and Husqy are playing in the deep end.

Oh, and Makita isn't just "involved" with Dolmar. Dolmar makes Makita saws. They are just Dolmars with blue plastic. German saws with a Japanese brand name on them. Its just marketing, there is no relationship between Makita tools quality and Makita chainsaws quality.

Actually,


Makita OWNS Dolmar.

Makita contracted Dolmar to make their saws for years and as the old guy used to say in the Remington razor commercials, they liked them so well they bought the company.
I don't know about Makita being the #1 chainsaw company in the next couple of years but, I believe they will if they want to be.
They will just buy Stihl and put their name on them.
Now I know that there will be naysayers to this statement but before you get in a twist think about this

Winchester
Oliver
American Motors
Studebaker
Westinghouse
McCulloch
Poulan
Allis-Chalmers
Homelite
Chrysler
Jeep
Bell Telephone



Mike

 

[Ma Barker]

They will just buy Stihl and put their name on them.

Yup - I failed to mention (or even think of) that one! Especially in tough times, consolidation is the name of the game.

 

[Zombiechopper]

So Makita has owned Dolmar since 1991 and they are phasing out the Dolmar brand name. Just means they couldn't make a dent in Stihl and Husqvarvna after trying for 18 years.

The new sales strategy of making their saws uglier will surely help though

Guys, I actually don't really care much about brand bashing I'm just poking a little fun here and trying to point out that Dolmar/Makita are just small potatoes in the world of chainsaws. They just ain't contenders if ya know what I mean.

 

[rms61moparman]

So Makita has owned Dolmar since 1991 and they are phasing out the Dolmar brand name. Just means they couldn't make a dent in Stihl and Husqvarvna after trying for 18 years.

The new sales strategy of making their saws uglier will surely help though

Guys, I actually don't really care much about brand bashing I'm just poking a little fun here and trying to point out that Dolmar/Makita are just small potatoes in the world of chainsaws. They just ain't contenders if ya know what I mean.

I know EXACTLY what you mean.

I don't know how old you are but I remember a time when the same exact thing was said about;

Toyota
Volkswagon
Husqvarna
Datsun (Nissan)
STIHL
Kubota
Komatsu
Glock


I could go on but I know that you see what I mean. (if you are ever going to)

 

[Zombiechopper]

I know EXACTLY what you mean.

I don't know how old you are but I remember a time when the same exact thing was said about;

Toyota
Volkswagon
Husqvarna
Datsun (Nissan)
STIHL
Kubota
Komatsu
Glock


I could go on but I know that you see what I mean. (if you are ever going to)

The funny thing about the comparison of Dolmar, Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo is that it has already happened. Dolmar is not a new company. They've been around competing for decades and decades and have already come in a distant fourth. They aren't a young new upstart. They've already come in second last. All of the companies you listed were new and innovative and succeeded for it. Dolmar is not new and their innovations aren't selling like hotcakes....

 

[rms61moparman]

Dolmar is not new and their innovations aren't selling like hotcakes....

Where have you been for the last few years???

I'd like to have a dollar for every 420,510,5100,6400,7300, and 7900 that they have sold in the last 3 years.
I wouldn't worry about going to work tomorrow morning.

Mike

 

[Zombiechopper]

2. Dolmar is a tiny company compared to Stihl or Husqvarna. They're a 100 million dollar company. They shipped 550,000 units worldwide in 2008. Stihl shipped out almost 5 million units from VA Beach factory alone in 2008. Stihl and Husqvarna both play in the billion dollar club many times over. Dolmar products in my opinion are top notch but their brand reconition and sales doesn't hold a candle to Stihl or Husky. It will take a helluva lot more than the 5100 to ever put them on the same turf as Stihl and Husky.

Stihl outsells Dolmar 10 to 1 in Stihl USA production alone. Not even counting Stihl Germany production. Then we have to factor in Husqvarna and Echo before we get to little Dolmar.

All the power to you guys that love Dolmar saws. Variety is the spice of life etc. But reality is reality.

 

[Zombiechopper]

Where have you been for the last few years???

I'd like to have a dollar for every 420,510,5100,6400,7300, and 7900 that they have sold in the last 3 years.
I wouldn't worry about going to work tomorrow morning.

Mike

Stihl outsells Dolmar 10 to 1. That's what I mean by "not selling like hotcakes"

PS Mike, I'm just enjoying the debate here ok? Hope you don't take this too seriously

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[songofthewood]

Stihl is going to be #1 for along time to come. It has everything to do with dealer location and the amount of dealers along with parts availability in a reasonable amount of time if not at the time that the part is needed. Not to mention the dependability of their products.

:agree2:

 

[rms61moparman]

Naah,

I try to see the humor in everything.
I have just lived and watched long enough to see SOOOOOOOO many companies at the top of their game make one little mistake, or fail to see a change in consumer wants get their lunch handed to them by companies that were good enough, or lucky enough to do the right thing at the right time.
I remember in the 60s when Homelite and McCulloch were considered untouchable.
And then the undisputed "Kings of the Woods" rested on their laurels while Stihl came in and stole a little of the marketshare. Just a little at first, no big deal. The Kings had the dealer network sewed up with golden thread, you couldn't get parts for those "german" saws, and who in hell in their right mind would buy one of those things after all of the "boys" the Germans killed for us in WWII.
But the Stihls were lighter, started LOTS easier, required LOTS less maintainence, had faster chain speeds and had "power to weight" ratios that the Kings could only dream about. Most importantly tho' they made it EASY to be a dealer for them.

Everyone said it was just a "fad" and that the design flaws that made them lighter would start to show up in the "long run".
Every couple of years Stihl would come up with something to gain a little more marketshare and by the time the Kings realized that the threat was real......it was too late.
Oh they tried to reclaim the market but it was too little too late.


Where are the Kings now???
Relegated to selling "homeowner" saws in Wal-mart and Lowes.

This is not the first time I've seen this happen and it won't be the last.
Don't ever think that Stihl can't be next. All it takes is one or two bad decisions in some corporate boardroom and the buzzards will be circling.

Husky is on its way out right now and they don't even realize it.
If there were one more MAJOR player in the OPE market the death knell would have already sounded for them.
Maybe they can reverse some of their stupid business decisions before they are eased out of second place by Makita/Dolmar................but I doubt it!

Mike

 

[arborist]

very interesting posts/points rms61moparman.I'm enjoying them greatly.

 

[Biker Dude]

That is the world's number one chainsaw!
:greenchainsaw:

 

[madmax]

Why cant we all get along?

Just stay away from the crappy stihl and huskies and stick with either the Wildthing or the refreshing new Powerhorse, it should hopefully work out in the end.

 

[Zombiechopper]

Naah,

I try to see the humor in everything.
I have just lived and watched long enough to see SOOOOOOOO many companies at the top of their game make one little mistake, or fail to see a change in consumer wants get their lunch handed to them by companies that were good enough, or lucky enough to do the right thing at the right time.
I remember in the 60s when Homelite and McCulloch were considered untouchable.
And then the undisputed "Kings of the Woods" rested on their laurels while Stihl came in and stole a little of the marketshare. Just a little at first, no big deal. The Kings had the dealer network sewed up with golden thread, you couldn't get parts for those "german" saws, and who in hell in their right mind would buy one of those things after all of the "boys" the Germans killed for us in WWII.
But the Stihls were lighter, started LOTS easier, required LOTS less maintainence, had faster chain speeds and had "power to weight" ratios that the Kings could only dream about. Most importantly tho' they made it EASY to be a dealer for them.

Everyone said it was just a "fad" and that the design flaws that made them lighter would start to show up in the "long run".
Every couple of years Stihl would come up with something to gain a little more marketshare and by the time the Kings realized that the threat was real......it was too late.
Oh they tried to reclaim the market but it was too little too late.


Where are the Kings now???
Relegated to selling "homeowner" saws in Wal-mart and Lowes.

This is not the first time I've seen this happen and it won't be the last.
Don't ever think that Stihl can't be next. All it takes is one or two bad decisions in some corporate boardroom and the buzzards will be circling.

Husky is on its way out right now and they don't even realize it.
If there were one more MAJOR player in the OPE market the death knell would have already sounded for them.
Maybe they can reverse some of their stupid business decisions before they are eased out of second place by Makita/Dolmar................but I doubt it!

Mike

Ah, all valid points. However we are forgetting a few things.

Firstly, marketing is a huge factor. Dolmar/Makita are terrible at it. Stihl is a household name. For many people if you asked them to name a chainsaw brand Stihl is the only name that would come to mind. Nobody has heard of Dolmar. Those that know Makita remember that they use stupid size batteries in their cordless drills that cost 120 bucks to replace. Also, Stihl produces calendars with really hot German women. And German women are way hotter than Japanese chicks especially when they are wearing those Oktoberfest outfits. Man I love those outfits.

Secondly, the market is won by all the other products that are not chainsaws. Weedwackers, mowers, blowers etc are what make all the money and make up the biggest volume. Dolmar has no presence in this department at all. Even Echo is far far ahead in the game in this category; and this category is what makes or breaks these companies.

 

[madmax]

Naah,

I try to see the humor in everything.
But the Stihls , started LOTS easier .



Mike

I truly hate to argue with ya, but have to on that point.