bigbearlogging
ArboristSite Member
i love my 5100s probley gonna pick up a 5105 i use my saws everyday i stick with stihl but i do grab the dolmars nvr had a problem with them at all
Dolmar 7900?
- Thread starter Fuzly
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jeepyfz450
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I think the price has come up enough that they are not the value they once were. I still have never ran one but would love to.
tallguys
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Stihl is pretty good with their sales promotions when they have them, including a free case and extra chain. Otherwise if comparing regular prices the Dolmars are about 20% less.
nmurph
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Regarding the 7900: the monetary value may not be what it once was, but the power to weight is still tops), and they are a tough, dependable saw despite the one comment to the contrary.
jeepyfz450
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I agree. my point was that they were once so cheap that it would have been crazy not to buy one compared to the competition. now they are much closer.
mingo
ArboristSite Operative
I have 2 7900's and they been norhing but trouble if your going to use on weekends it probably will be fine , but if your going to run 5 or 6 days a week all day long I would go with a sthil or husky.
gmax
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anodized
Hedgerow
HACK
And these troubles would be what? I'm curious... :msp_sneaky:
tallguys
Addicted to ArboristSite
:agree2: +1. That makes two of us. Claiming a saw is only good "to use on weekends" without details is bogus.
Hedgerow
HACK
I'd pay more for a 7900 stock than a 460, I like it so well... And I own a couple Stihl saws too, so I ain't a hater...
Much...
:hell_boy:
mingo
ArboristSite Operative
Hard starting, bearing problems, hd filter coming apart on the base,ring getting stuck under the pin. Read my last post on bought a 576 on the forestry forum.
Hedgerow
HACK
Junky old things... I'd be willing to take em off your hands for ya...:msp_sneaky: By the way, the thread was a decent read...
nmurph
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I was reading a post a couple of days ago where one of the big, well-known, Canadian builders had ported 7900's that were on their 6th year of use and were only now needing bearings...
WKEND LUMBERJAK
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Hedgerow
HACK
If you don't want them both let me know. the 7900s
I dig em'... But I'm just a firewood hack...:msp_sneaky:
Tim Carroll
Firewood Hack
I have had my 5100 since May of 2008 and have lots of time on it and it has worked great. I have had my 7300 for about a year now and do not have much time on it because I seem to get my firewood cut much quicker now. I would recomend the 5105 or 7900 any day!
WadePatton
ArboristSite Guru
value?
I cheated and bought mine rough-not-ready from the pawnshop for 200. it needed a bar and av mount...and later found out case gasket-which i did. so i have 300 in it. It was my BIG saw until I got a mill and started buying SIX cube saws.
Now the 7900 feels like a 50 and 50's feel like tophandles...relativity!
also
i think mine is an 01. started life as a logger (got busted up and dumped at pawn shop), now semi-retired as a part-time landowner's logger and bucking beast, plus firewood and some milling duties. I expect many more happy gallons of mix through it. Will gladly put bearings in when the time comes.
I cheated and bought mine rough-not-ready from the pawnshop for 200. it needed a bar and av mount...and later found out case gasket-which i did. so i have 300 in it. It was my BIG saw until I got a mill and started buying SIX cube saws.
Now the 7900 feels like a 50 and 50's feel like tophandles...relativity!
also
i think mine is an 01. started life as a logger (got busted up and dumped at pawn shop), now semi-retired as a part-time landowner's logger and bucking beast, plus firewood and some milling duties. I expect many more happy gallons of mix through it. Will gladly put bearings in when the time comes.
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Tim Carroll
Firewood Hack
$300 for a 7900 is a heck of a deal. When I bought my 7300 there was a guy at the dealer that was buying a new Stihl 362 (my dealer sells Stihl and Dolmar) and he paid more than what I gave for the 7300. After the guy walked out the dealer said that even though the 362 is a sweet saw, it was hard to argue that I got more bang for the buck because the 7300 is such a big step up in power.
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sawfun9
Addicted to ArboristSite
I ran my 7900 and my 460 dual port side by side in the same wood and While the AV of the Dolmar was much better, and cutting speed was about the same, I could lean on the 460 much harder. I just liked the Stihl's ergonomics much better. Parts for the 460 will be easier to come by for many more years I would suspect, and it will hold it's value much better. PNW loggers here use Stihl and Husky not Dolmar's. I've seen firewood and tree guys using 7900's and I suspect they work great for that. I had also read about bottom end failures and plastic parts in the oiler on the 7900. I don't know if any of that's true, but I kept the 460, I just like it's feel better. Like the 346, it's a great saw, but a bit over hyped.
Tim Carroll
Firewood Hack
I can not argue with anything you have said. If money were no object I would have a 460 or 660 Stihl. I think that the thousands of hours that pros put on them every year speaks for it's self. Even though I have a 5100 and like it, I believe that the 5100, 346 and 261 are all over hyped. After you run any saw over 70cc you wonder why you would use them for anything other than limbing and most smaller saws will do that. Don't get me wrong, the 5105, 346XP and MS 261 are all very good saws, just a little over hyped. I like my big Dolmar because of the value. I walked out the door with it for $650, that's pretty hard to beat for a new saw with a Total Super Bar and a extra chain. I cut wood to help with heating bills. I do this to save money and if I spend more on the saw it is counter productive to my goal. I also want a decend tool that will save time and money by being effecient enough to do the job. This is what I have found with the Dolmars, the sweet spot between price and performance. Sometimes you may really want a BMW but find that a VW fits your needs and budget better. Cheers.
