Makita???

[Welder56]

been thinking of trying a Makita. I have a few bulletproof mini grinders that I use on a daily basis ( yes I know it's in a whole different spectrum of tools ). Specifically a 43cc or 50cc. As I understand they are essentially a dolmar but in blue.

What models should I keep an eye out for? Are parts half decent to acquire?

I'm use to the ease of getting Stihl parts. Anyways any help would be appreciated

 

[joe25DA]

Can't go wrong with makita/Dolmar. The dcs 520 or Dolmar 540 are great pro 50cc class saws. Newer versions are the 5100s and 5105

 

[lambs]

Just make sure you have a great dealer.

 

[joe25DA]

Just make sure you have a great dealer.

True. No sure but thevdealer where mine came from is small. He told me the other day he may not be able to get parts since Makita wants him to buy 200 saws. I find that hard to believe but who knows

 

[7sleeper]

True. No sure but thevdealer where mine came from is small. He told me the other day he may not be able to get parts since Makita wants him to buy 200 saws. I find that hard to believe but who knows

I have never heard of any dealer that Makita wants them to buy high volumes! I can only assume that it has to do with the local distributer.

Just make sure you have a great dealer.

Why would you need that? Pro members here have run hundred's of refill's through there 421 and not needed anything. I find the dealer argument highly questionable! What for on a brand new saw? For carb adjustments? Personally I would prefer going to any mom & pops store where carb adjustments have been done since decades, but any small engine mechanic should be able to do it easily! My Stihl dealer even does it for free on all type of brands.
Further there are enough great Dolmar dealers here in the forum that spare parts are one personal message away! So for me there is a lot of paranoia going on with the "need to have a dealer close by"...

... What models should I keep an eye out for? Are parts half decent to acquire?...

Personally I find the 421, 5105, 6100 & 7910 the most atractive. If you consider an older modell the 115i is still being made today! So that sure tells something about the following a saw has! Of course you could spend a small fortune on the dolmar wankel saw, etc.

7

 

[Welder56]

I'm Not really worried about a makita dealer being close to me but more for if I bought a saw that needed repairs, are parts easily ordered by a dealer or has anyone had bad experiences with parts ordering??

Thanks for the responses I'll be keeping an eye out for a decent score for sure

 

[Philbert]

Dealer / manufacturer support can be important. Do a Google search for Makita and Dolmar dealers in your area, and visit a few?

Over here, Home Depot rents Makitas, and can order most parts through their 'Pro' desks. Bailey's sells a number of parts.

Can't tell you how long it takes, or if there are issues shipping to Canada. They might be able to diagnose a problem. As 7sleeper suggests, an AS member who is also a dealer might be the best option for 'remote' support.

Philbert

 

[joe25DA]

I have never heard of any dealer that Makita wants them to buy high volumes! I can only assume that it has to do with the local distributer.

This guy has all the excuses. Shocked he still in business

 

[nstueve]

I'm Not really worried about a makita dealer being close to me but more for if I bought a saw that needed repairs, are parts easily ordered by a dealer or has anyone had bad experiences with parts ordering??

Thanks for the responses I'll be keeping an eye out for a decent score for sure

I have more than a few makita/dolmars...

The trick is to know a couple good dealers that you can call with a parts order. Edge and Engine, FordF150, 166, are all dealers I have ordered from. Edge and Engine has a nice online parts ordering page to work from if you dont want to call in for a parts order. The only hitch right now is that Makita is re-organizing how the parts distribution so I have noticed my last couple orders have been slower than normal but they still get me what I need.

Depending on what saw size you're looking for you will want one of the following
510
5100S/5105
420/421

I will caution that 5100/5105 chassis saws are notorious for sealed carbs, cat mufflers, and premature death from lean set factory carbs. They are super saws if you can do a little tinkering with them yourself.

420/421 (makita ea4300) saws don't have any factory flaws that I know of, start easy and are powerful and well respected 40cc saws.

The older 520/540 series are pretty bullet proof little saws. Very under rated in the 50cc saw class. They aren't as light and fast as some of the newer 50cc saws but a 16-20" 325 or 3/8 bar works great on them. Well balanced and are pretty maintenance free. They have the bar oil drip problem but the green oil supply lines are still available and an easy fix. You can see at least 8 of that saw chassis series above. They usually pop up as runners on ebay and the for sale thread here for $100-$150. Pretty cheap for a pro 50cc saw.

 

[pioneerguy600]

been thinking of trying a Makita. I have a few bulletproof mini grinders that I use on a daily basis ( yes I know it's in a whole different spectrum of tools ). Specifically a 43cc or 50cc. As I understand they are essentially a dolmar but in blue.

What models should I keep an eye out for? Are parts half decent to acquire?

I'm use to the ease of getting Stihl parts. Anyways any help would be appreciated

Well you know a guy that has been through a lot of Sachs Dolmars, great saws by the way and if hadn`t been for Makita taking over the Dolmar line I would still be using and running my SD`s. Since I have a dislike for Makita for the way they treated our SD dealerI won`t comment on their later offerings in blue other than I don`t own any!

 

[Welder56]

Well you know a guy that has been through a lot of Sachs Dolmars, great saws by the way and if hadn`t been for Makita taking over the Dolmar line I would still be using and running my SD`s. Since I have a dislike for Makita for the way they treated our SD dealerI won`t comment on their later offerings in blue other than I don`t own any!

For some reason I never clued into that jerry . How long ago did makita take over the SDs?? Don't know why but I'm tickled with the blue. Don't know if there's a difference in quality over the Reds.

I have more than a few makita/dolmars...

Holy. More than enough to compare models LOL

 

[Philbert]

How long ago did makita take over the SDs??

1991

Philbert

http://www.dolmarpowerproducts.com/company/history/80_years_dolmar.html

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/makita-taking-over-dolmar-brand-in-the-usa.282400/

 

[7sleeper]

For some reason I never clued into that jerry . How long ago did makita take over the SDs?? Don't know why but I'm tickled with the blue. Don't know if there's a difference in quality over the Reds.

If I remember correctly the takeover was around 1991. And if Makita hadn't taken over, dolmar would be history, just like a lot of other brands. Difference in quality? Absolutely none. All saws(although they had a short time that some saws were assembeld in china, but they pulled that rather quickly after disappointing results) are made in Germany. I will add I am unsure if the ps32 is still assembeld in another country.

7

 

[logeeland]

Great shop!

 

[joe25DA]

I have three Dolmar/Makita saws. 2 ps 540 saws and a Makita dcs6800 (120 super) and there is nothing I dislike about them. Also have a Dolmar 260 weed wackier that's been put thru hell. It needed parts last year but instead I bought a Stihl. It's okay but I just ordered the parts to get the Dolmar back to work...

 

[nstueve]

I have three Dolmar/Makita saws. 2 ps 540 saws and a Makita dcs6800 (120Si) and there is nothing I dislike about them. Also have a Dolmar 260 weed wackier that's been put thru hell. It needed parts last year but instead I bought a Stihl. It's okay but I just ordered the parts to get the Dolmar back to work...View attachment 495615

still waiting on a pic and list of the 6800i you have left... Also corrected you above

 

[nstueve]

If I remember correctly the takeover was around 1991. And if Makita hadn't taken over, dolmar would be history, just like a lot of other brands. Difference in quality? Absolutely none. All saws(although they had a short time that some saws were assembeld in china, but they pulled that rather quickly after disappointing results) are made in Germany. I will add I am unsure if the ps32 is still assembeld in another country.

7

Careful there tiger... there are some small top handles and other small rear handles that were not made by Dolmar... IF the saw below was made in red I would know about it. Although to be fair there weren't many of these release to the US market.

 

[joe25DA]

still waiting on a pic and list of the 6800i you have left... Also corrected you above

I'll take pics in 5

 

[nstueve]

Well you know a guy that has been through a lot of Sachs Dolmars, great saws by the way and if hadn`t been for Makita taking over the Dolmar line I would still be using and running my SD`s. Since I have a dislike for Makita for the way they treated our SD dealerI won`t comment on their later offerings in blue other than I don`t own any!

Yes some people are sore about how the Makita buy out went but it was a business deal and Makita had to make the changes to float Dolmar. Not to be a thorn in your paw about this but if Makita hadn't taken over we wouldn't have the new 6100, 7900/420 series saws and whatever they come up with next. If you buy a new PRO dolmar saw they are still great quality. I'm sure there are some cheap end saws Dolmar would not have origionally made with out the makita partnership but that's kinda what you get with todays "buy and throw away" consumers.

Also seeing that you are from Nova Scotia... You may want to look into a 5105H with heated handles for winter use. Makita equivelent is a ea5000 but dont think they have a heated handles model in blue.
http://www.dolmarpowerproducts.com/productcatalog/chain_saws_gasoline/ps-5105_h/index.html

 

[Welder56]

Thank you guys for all the comments and info. I wanna buy a new one now and get a difforce LOL

Not like I need the stihls I have now LOL. I like fixing saws and running them so I'll have to try to find one in a non running state