Dolmar 5100s died
- Thread starter jeepstrapped
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
My 5100s has been fantastic and a few local "pros" (die-hard Husky and Stihl fans) are really impressed with it, even with the stock chain.
What's ironic to me when reading the 5100s bashing is that I have my BIL's smoked MS 360 on my bench waiting for a new piston. His dealer said it was from bad gas and wouldn't warranty it. I suspect a lean carb, on a cold day, with ethanol mix that sat for too long and took on some water, and maybe the oil separated some. These things can happen if you don't have time to babysit your saw (who does?).
These machines are light weight, high strung, leaned out by the EPA, and we want max performance from them. A few are not gonna survive what we dish out. They're not electronically fuel injected 4-strokes. We need to learn when and how to adjust the carbs or at least recognize when something's not quite right. In my experience with 2-stroke motorcycles and snowmobiles I've noticed that motors usually run better than ever just before they go poof.
Just my newbie $.02
What's ironic to me when reading the 5100s bashing is that I have my BIL's smoked MS 360 on my bench waiting for a new piston. His dealer said it was from bad gas and wouldn't warranty it. I suspect a lean carb, on a cold day, with ethanol mix that sat for too long and took on some water, and maybe the oil separated some. These things can happen if you don't have time to babysit your saw (who does?).
These machines are light weight, high strung, leaned out by the EPA, and we want max performance from them. A few are not gonna survive what we dish out. They're not electronically fuel injected 4-strokes. We need to learn when and how to adjust the carbs or at least recognize when something's not quite right. In my experience with 2-stroke motorcycles and snowmobiles I've noticed that motors usually run better than ever just before they go poof.
Just my newbie $.02
Last edited:
Fastcast
Addicted to ArboristSite
Must be an Ohio thing ...
Not in this part of Ohio.....Bought mine in Feb. of 06 and it has been an awesome saw!.....But than mine is tuned properly......The other fellow from Ohio, who usually only shows up in these Dolmar threads to bash the 5100, happened to smoke a couple of them in a matter of months.....That pretty much speaks for itself.
Of course there's always a lemon in every brand but the biggest problem with these 5100s IMO is dealers that apparently can't tune them correctly or just don't bother to tach & tune (before sending them out the door) and assume it's dialed in from the factory.
Fastcast
Addicted to ArboristSite
:agree2: :agree2:
I had to wait more than a 10 second phone call. Took over 2 months for an answer on a MS290 bearing failure. It was under warranty. It was replaced, Stihl isn't any faster than the other companies.
SawTroll
Information Collector
Maybe not, but Tommy sure is......
I guess there are good and bad dealer, and good and bad distriuters etc, with every brand.
Fastcast
Addicted to ArboristSite
Maybe not, but Tommy sure is......
I guess there are good and bad dealer, and good and bad distriuters etc, with every brand.
and also....good and bad owners! :chainsawguy:
that is the often the conclusion on the 'my dealer' threads...:deadhorse: :deadhorse:
SawTroll
Information Collector
Yes - sure! :agree2:
fredmc
Addicted to ArboristSite
would buy 510/5100 regardless
I would buy one of these saws based on what I've read in this thread. It sounds like there are going to be a few fried on ebay. It almost, almost sounds like user error or retards that don't know how to tune at the dealer level. I say learn to DIY-free yourself from the dealer.
From what I understand these saws are a screamer. I imagine with a little ingenuity, loctite and gasket goo they will make one helluva saw. See ya on ebay!!!
I would buy one of these saws based on what I've read in this thread. It sounds like there are going to be a few fried on ebay. It almost, almost sounds like user error or retards that don't know how to tune at the dealer level. I say learn to DIY-free yourself from the dealer.
From what I understand these saws are a screamer. I imagine with a little ingenuity, loctite and gasket goo they will make one helluva saw. See ya on ebay!!!
huskystihl
Addicted to ArboristSite
Not in this part of Ohio.....Bought mine in Feb. of 06 and it has been an awesome saw!.....But than mine is tuned properly......The other fellow from Ohio, who usually only shows up in these Dolmar threads to bash the 5100, happened to smoke a couple of them in a matter of months.....That pretty much speaks for itself.
Of course there's always a lemon in every brand but the biggest problem with these 5100s IMO is dealers that apparently can't tune them correctly or just don't bother to tach & tune (before sending them out the door) and assume it's dialed in from the factory.
Mine were tached at 14'000. The first thing I did was had the dealer pull the caps and richen it up simply because I dont think any saw should turn over 14k . Ill admit my ground guy can be hard on saws which is why I should fire him but my mom would be pi$$ed if I fired her son, not to mention I got a bad knee and he's a much better climber. Maybe it is an ohio thing. I know it seems like I show up on these threads but there also seems to be an awful lot of them, in fact I have a 575 in the truck that everyone bashes yet has far less bashing using the search function. I thought the 5100 was very impressive for 50cc but I think dolmar needs to look at the design simply beacause they need to toughen it up. I think the 361 is way overpriced and overhyped but they do have it right. I guess I look at it like this, my dad started out as a young man working in georgia logging camps and pounded into my head that your only as good as the saw u carry to work so always pick one thats better than u even on your best day. Do you get a bad one sure. My 192 had a stalling issue that took 4 trips to the dealer. my 361 came so pig rich that we had to take the caps off to get a full turn, my 026 just seized after years of quality service I had an 036 that wasn't skid loader reistant but honestly my 5100's were the only saws that ever quit that quick. My saws get used and used hard. My brother wont use a husky beacause he had one lock up on him startin out and had no money to feed his family let alone fix it. I understand, he makes his living with his tools and it failed him.
if i had a customer tell me how he wanted his saw set up i'd say ok, then tear up the warranty card.
Javelin
Addicted to ArboristSite
Again over 150 in the field only two failures both customer related! Both bad fuel and dull dull chains!
huskystihl
Addicted to ArboristSite
If a saw is running 14,500 walkin out of the shop where do u think it's gonna be at in ten tanks? My stihl rep and just about any saw dealer I know is gonna send em out a little rich. It's just common sense.
Plenty of the over here and all doing great ......
I have seen 2 346 NE burnt up ...Dealer wont let me take pictures of them .....Both running the cat mufs....Same owner ....bad fuel was the reason ....
Last edited:
THALL10326
The Champ
Details sir, lets hear the details, not a one liner. What was the long wait over? Was it Stihl or was it the dealer that made you wait? Bearing failure is very rare in fairly new saws, what was the cause?
I find Stihl to be very fast at addressing warranty issues. With me the call is made and the answer is ususally given within a few seconds, not two months, not two minutes, its within a few seconds like it should be far as I'm concerned.
huskystihl
Addicted to ArboristSite
Where is your shop out of thall?
THALL10326
The Champ
I'm down here in Northern Virginia, about 30 miles from DC. The folks we deal with is Mid-Atlantic Stihl in North Carolina. They treat us great..
they don't come from the factory at 14,500, every one i've gotten in has been set at 14,200 - 14,300 and have yet have one come back for any reason, but if you've fried 3 differant brands, 4 saws and the 2 5100 set at 14,000 doesn't sound like a lean problem or a brand problem but an op problem.( But thats hard to admit.)
