Why are so many people drawn to Stihl is it because thats what dad used or the cool logger down the road who rolls his cigarettes up in his sleeve uses. Ya they have dealers in most counties. Is it because people think since the saws and saw parts are more expensive than others they should be better in quality?
PuppetMaster movie series... good cheesey horror films. Maybe the Blade puppet should have had a Stihl chainsaw instead of a knife?
In my case, my dad had Homelite chainsaws. Not many Stihls around here in those days. He did not smoke either, but my one brother and I did, and we rolled them in our t-shirt sleeves. We also used a pair of big old honki'n MACs with 36 inch bars on them. Then my other borther got a Stihl, and that thing was small and light and it ran good.
Fast forward 30 years and I was here managing 85 acres of trees on a 100+ acre property. GF had an Olympyk and a Stihl 290, and I had one of the old Macs in storage and a baby Echo 3000 TH saw. The best saw of that lot was the Stihl 290, by far. After using the Olympyk I decided I wanted a larger, more reliable saw in that size that would drive a 24 inch bar. I looked around. Never heard of Shindawa, or Solo, or Dolmar at that time. So I looked at Husky, Mac (old loyalty there). Echo and Poulon. Decided after reading stuff on this site to get a 361. Reasons? More than a dozen Stihl dealers within an hour of here. Did not like the Husky and larger Echo plastic-looking saws. Bought an MS361, and never regretted it.
Then decided to get a bigger saw. Looked around again. No Dolmar dealers within 100 miles of here. Supposed to be one in Salem, but that store is boarded up and has a chain link fence around it. So I have yet to look at Dolmar, except what they have to rent at Home Depot (Makita DCS). Anyway, I got a 460 on Ebay from an AS guy. Ran it a few days and decided to return it, due to condition (well worn) and he gave me a return it for any reason deal when I bought it. It was also to prone to a lot of vibration and is a gas hog. Cuts like mad through big wood though. I am still looking for a larger saw, and have my eye on a Dolmar 7900 to do large felling and bucking with. But no where to see one here within 150 miles!
Then last year we decided to do a thinning project here, and I wanted to get some smaller saws. The GF was using the Echo TH too much. I again looked at Husky, and Echo, but I do not like outboard clutches, and they both seem to have too much plastic for my likes. Again, no Dolmar dealers here... looked at the Dolly PS 410 online, but decided to get a Stihl 210 (170 and 180 were toys). Anyway, the 210 is OK, but has too much plastic, and not enough oomph. I also got an 025 and another 250 and 230 parts saws. After fussing and using these saws they do the thinning job OK, but they are too much plastic and not what I want. What I want now to replace these 210-250 Stihl series of saws with are the Dolmar PS350 and/or a PS420. New smaller lighter saws, with metal engine cases, low vibration spring mounted, inboard clutches, and adjustable oilers. They accept low-profile b&c, which I prefer to .325. But of course, they still cannot be had in the US. So.... no Dolmar saws here yet.
So in the end? It is not a dad used it with rolled up smokes in the t-shirt sleeve kind of thing. Yah, I like Stihl saws, but I am leaning toward Dolmar for larger and smaller class saws now. I do not think that there is a saw in the 361 class that can beat it. High Stihl parts prices are mathed by high parts availability around here. 15 minutes from here there is a Stihl/Husky dealer. 150 miles from here is the nearest Dolmar dealer. Supposedly...
). My Stihls (260 Pro and 440 Pro) are rock solid, literally unbreakable, and always, always, always get the job done. A fine product - no more and no less.
