Dollmer 510 good- bad?

[old guy]

I've spotted a 510 that looks like it has very little time on it, are these famous fer anything.

John

 

[mitch95100]

Their a hell of a good saw. Profesionally built and extremely durable and reliable. Their the pretty much the same saw as the 5105 but turn 1000 rpm slower at WOT.
10 times better than a stihl ms-290 or comparable and for roughly the same price

 

[MRCo.]

Built like a tank, just a firewood chunking machine that'll get 'er done for years. Great saws.

 

[fordf150]

Looks and feels just like a 5105. Only 3 major differences. .4 pounds heavier , .6hp less, and can be had for $100 less.

 

[SawTroll]

They really are too heavy for the power (the case is aluminum, not magnesium) - but many seem to "forgive" that because of the low price.

 

[old guy]

Thanks Guys, that's kinda what I thought, I'm a little heavy on saws like that so i'll pass and wait for a 353 or 346.

John

 

[nmurph]

Thanks Guys, that's kinda what I thought, I'm a little heavy on saws like that so i'll pass and wait for a 353 or 346.

John

Yes, good choice. Both are about .75lbs lighter. The 353 is somewhat stronger, the 346 is a different league. Both are also more expensive.

 

[old guy]

A friend has a 353 and I'm thinking of trading him my 357xp for it as I have a 361 Stihl to cover the 60cc area, I will then throw a 346 top on it.

John

 

[SawTroll]

A friend has a 353 and I'm thinking of trading him my 357xp for it as I have a 361 Stihl to cover the 60cc area, I will then throw a 346 top on it.

John

Make sure it is a real 346xp top end, not some aftermarket stuff that just is advertised as it!

 

[MRCo.]

A friend has a 353 and I'm thinking of trading him my 357xp for it as I have a 361 Stihl to cover the 60cc area, I will then throw a 346 top on it.

John

Makes no sense. The 353 would be completely obsolete with a 346 around. Just sell the 357 for the 346 money.

 

[Matt81]

Nothing wrong with a 510. As Sawtroll pointed out it is heavy for it's power, but who cares??

-It is marketed in the price point of a homeowner saw (think MS290 & Huski 455) but is built far better than both.
-Robust build quality and good power and handling for 50cc saw

Sure some are going to point out saw XYZ is lighter and better at something but these 510's are built tough and perform really well and are much cheaper than say a 346xp or 550xp.
There is nothing to forgive this saw for. Not everyone has the time or money to debate the detalis of a saw and choose the best and lightest one. Heaven forbid sometimes we must just pick up the saw and go and do some work instead of just talking about it. If it is 0.5 lbs or 0.75 lbs difference to some expensive saw i don't own, i honestly don't think about it or care while i am cutting.

 

[old guy]

Makes no sense. The 353 would be completely obsolete with a 346 around. Just sell the 357 for the 346 money.

Aparently you misunderstood, I would convert the 353 to a 346 as there are no 346's for sale in my neighborhood, heck there was a real nice 350 on craigslist, it was gone in 3 hours.

John

 

[old guy]

Nothing wrong with a 510. As Sawtroll pointed out it is heavy for it's power, but who cares??

-It is marketed in the price point of a homeowner saw (think MS290 & Huski 455) but is built far better than both.
-Robust build quality and good power and handling for 50cc saw

Sure some are going to point out saw XYZ is lighter and better at something but these 510's are built tough and perform really well and are much cheaper than say a 346xp or 550xp.
There is nothing to forgive this saw for. Not everyone has the time or money to debate the detalis of a saw and choose the best and lightest one. Heaven forbid sometimes we must just pick up the saw and go and do some work instead of just talking about it. If it is 0.5 lbs or 0.75 lbs difference to some expensive saw i don't own, i honestly don't think about it or care while i am cutting.

Actually I care quite a lot, I have a whole stable of heavy underpowered 50cc and 60cc and 70cc, I just turned 73 and have enough steel plate and screws in me to make a couple of 16" bars and a clutch cover.
I was young & strong once like you and ran big heavy saws too but now want the lite stuff. now go cut some wood!

John

 

[Matt81]

Actually I care quite a lot, I have a whole stable of heavy underpowered 50cc and 60cc and 70cc, I just turned 73 and have enough steel plate and screws in me to make a couple of 16" bars and a clutch cover.
I was young & strong once like you and ran big heavy saws too but now want the lite stuff. now go cut some wood!

John

Easy there i am not looking to offend, i am speaking in general not specifically to your situation and choice. The 510 is neither too heavy or underpowered. I am simply saying that there is too much debate about a few ounces here and there. There are many different models from many different brands and nothing is going to be the same weight as something else. Plus we all know the manufacturers cheat by publishing weights without the clutch cover and so on. When you get it home i can guarantee a saw will not be what the published weight was. When you buy a saw you look around and make a choice based on advice, needs and budget. I for one am not going to sell all my saws because someone tells me i can save a few ounces with a new expensive model that has just come out. I would go broke real quick.

If you want one of the best 50cc saws there is go get a 346XP NE. If weight is your primary concern over all else it is the saw to go for. I own one and have nothing but good things to say about it.

Btw i am not young or strong and don't run any big heavy saws. I don't know where you got that idea from. I try to work smarter not harder. Being on a saw all day is hard enough without having overweight equipment also!!

 

[SawTroll]

just curious, on another thread some guy got his panties all in a knot because the power head of his 50cc saw weighed more than the published data. Do you happen to know how much a dry 346XP power head weighs?

Around 11.2 lbs, which is roughly a pound less than the 510. Weight distribution also is much better on the Husky, making it a much more nimble saw to handle. The 353 is the same as the 346xp, except for a lower performance engine.

 

[MRCo.]

Aparently you misunderstood, I would convert the 353 to a 346 as there are no 346's for sale in my neighborhood, heck there was a real nice 350 on craigslist, it was gone in 3 hours.

John

Ah, I thought you were getting both. Wups.

 

[SawTroll]

thanks SawTroll that is a full pound less than my Efco 152.
I can understand why they are so popular. I have a 350, it seems light but I have never weighed it.

I never weighted a saw myself, but a lot of results have been posted on different forums trough the years. My saws are mostly heated versions, so weighting them would not produce the results that most people are interested in anyway.

Btw, I didn't know that the Efco 152 is that heavy - are you sure?.

 

[SawTroll]

Advertised weight is not supposed to be without the clutch cover, as that is part of the powerhead.

 

[SawTroll]

It is the only way I can think of to come up with some of the numbers I have seen. Being a motorcycle enthusiast for 48 years I have become accustomed to published numbers being significantly different from reality. It seems many motorcycles have been weighed in the same gravity altering environment as some chainsaws. I have learned to just ignore the numbers and go with what feels good.

A 1.3 lbs deviation isn't normal, nor accidental - it has to be a blatant lie,