New Solo model, the 681

[wadelong]

Solo haven't been submitting their saws to the independent DLG and KWF testing regime so far - one can only suspect the reason for that, beeing a German brand.......

am not brand loyal either. I have a Jonsered 2171 and a Husqvarna 357XP and a Husqvarna 346XP. At this point I have no intetion on buying another saw. I am just tell you the way it is.
Weigh a 7900 and a 681 and tell us the difference in weight. You will find that Solo isnt lying about the weight as bad as Dolmar. You better look at the specs on the saw again. The 681 is rated at more power then the 7900.
Bailleys sells the 681 for 699.95. I can buy one local for 720.00 with a 20 bar and chain. Can you buy a Dolmar with a 20" bar and chain for 620.00. The Solo may not interest the arm chair cutter or the man that reads about saws and he is now an expert or the guy who cuts a small amouny of wood each year to heat his house. They are intended to be sold to the Pro cutters that is why they offer a 2 year warranty for those people. Show me any other saw that will offer that kink of warranty. To a logger it is money well spent. Yea no one has ever heard of Solo. They only started to build two stroke engines in 1948 and they still do. They biult the first back pack blower in 1950. Until the last few years noy many people knew about Dolmar in the US. Look at them now the 7900 get lots of praise. It a shame that they didnt design all of it.
Wade

 

[Edge & Engine]

am not brand loyal either. I have a Jonsered 2171 and a Husqvarna 357XP and a Husqvarna 346XP. At this point I have no intetion on buying another saw. I am just tell you the way it is.
Weigh a 7900 and a 681 and tell us the difference in weight. You will find that Solo isnt lying about the weight as bad as Dolmar. You better look at the specs on the saw again. The 681 is rated at more power then the 7900.
Bailleys sells the 681 for 699.95. I can buy one local for 720.00 with a 20 bar and chain. Can you buy a Dolmar with a 20" bar and chain for 620.00. The Solo may not interest the arm chair cutter or the man that reads about saws and he is now an expert or the guy who cuts a small amouny of wood each year to heat his house. They are intended to be sold to the Pro cutters that is why they offer a 2 year warranty for those people. Show me any other saw that will offer that kink of warranty. To a logger it is money well spent. Yea no one has ever heard of Solo. They only started to build two stroke engines in 1948 and they still do. They biult the first back pack blower in 1950. Until the last few years noy many people knew about Dolmar in the US. Look at them now the 7900 get lots of praise. It a shame that they didnt design all of it.
Wade

It's a shame that Solo didn't design all of the 681

 

[wadelong]

It's a shame that Solo didn't design all of the 681

I know that. Solo and Dolmar worked together on the newer models of saws. I dont think that I ever said that Solo designed all of it, did I.
What is a shame is that Dolmar will take the credit for things they didnt build or design. That Dolmar cycle with the 7900 engines hanging all over it was not designed or built by them.
Why do you guys want prices on the new Solo saws if your Dolmars will out cut them.
Wade

 

[Edge & Engine]

I know that. Solo and Dolmar worked together on the newer models of saws. I dont think that I ever said that Solo designed all of it, did I.
What is a shame is that Dolmar will take the credit for things they didnt build or design. That Dolmar cycle with the 7900 engines hanging all over it was not designed or built by them.
Why do you guys want prices on the new Solo saws if your Dolmars will out cut them.
Wade

Do you think that DOLMAR should put a large banner on their webpage, over the 7900, reading "SOLO HELPED US BUILD THIS!"? I'd like to see a mfg that does that.

 

[romeo]

I am also anxious to hear a little more about this saw. I don't care about a .0002 pound difference, or if it vibrates too much. Does it have a rev limiter? If these things are anything like a 680, there is some massive potential for a r@ce$@w in there. I have never come across any Solo 6X1 series saws yet.

 

[wadelong]

Do you think that DOLMAR should put a large banner on their webpage, over the 7900, reading "SOLO HELPED US BUILD THIS!"? I'd like to see a mfg that does that.

You never answered my question about the new Solo saws.
You said they wont cut with the Dolmar, they vibrate more they weigh more. Why would you even consider the pricing them ?
I dont think that Dolmar should run that ad on their web page. I think Solo should run one that says they helped design the 7900 that were to be sold in a joint venture. Dolmar backed out and Solo got nothing for there work.
Wade

 

[wadelong]

I am also anxious to hear a little more about this saw. I don't care about a .0002 pound difference, or if it vibrates too much. Does it have a rev limiter? If these things are anything like a 680, there is some massive potential for a r@ce$@w in there. I have never come across any Solo 6X1 series saws yet.

If you have ever seen the inside of a 7900 then you know what the Solo looks like. The jug is taller to make up for the longer stroke, bore is the same.
The coil does have a limiter.
Wade

 

[Edge & Engine]

You never answered my question about the new Solo saws.
You said they wont cut with the Dolmar, they vibrate more they weigh more. Why would you even consider the pricing them ?
I dont think that Dolmar should run that ad on their web page. I think Solo should run one that says they helped design the 7900 that were to be sold in a joint venture. Dolmar backed out and Solo got nothing for there work.
Wade

You're confusing me with someone else
The way I heard it, Solo asked DOLMAR for some help...the deal fell through before they finished.
Around here, I think Dolmar & Solo have about the same brand recognition. Once in a while you talk to someone that owns/is familiar with the name. But I'm not sure where the nearest Solo dealer is...

 

[Festus Haggen]

The 681 is rated at more power then the 7900.
.

Well, 1/10 HP isn't a stunning amount, guarantee you couldn't tell by using the saws. Also, specs are never correct, or at least the method of deriving those numbers varies from company to company. Like I said, until both are tested by an independent authority, we'll never know for sure.

..... The Solo may not interest the arm chair cutter or the man that reads about saws and he is now an expert or the guy who cuts a small amouny of wood each year to heat his house. They are intended to be sold to the Pro cutters that is why they offer a 2 year warranty for those people. Show me any other saw that will offer that kink of warranty. To a logger it is money well spent

I don't cut armchairs, and I haven't seen anyone claim to be an expert on saws, although many of the folks here are.

Pro cutters? I doubt it. There isn't a servicing Solo dealer within 100 miles at least, and there are certainly plenty of loggers here. I don't know a single logger that uses anything other than Stihl or Husky. And all of the loggers I know want to drop their saws off for service, not ship them across the country or drive an excessive amount to the dealer. So no, it's not money "well spent", it's money "not spent" because they don't have time to screw around with a saw they know little about, they need to be out cutting, especially with the timber market as slow as it is now.

So you still haven't shown at all how this saw is significantly better than the 7900, only made vague ad hominem attacks and quoted specs off a website that are probably not even close to correct. I'm not saying this saw is junk, or even not better than the 7900. It may well be, but coming from a company that is less well-known than Dolmar (and that's saying something), with no servicing dealers that I can find in my state, it just isn't a good gamble for the homeowner or pro. Show me how it is, I'd like to see some real numbers, or even a video.

I'm going to buy a 7900, but there are many guys here who don't care so much about dealer service, so if it's a stellar saw for good money, especially if it has no limited coil, I'm sure people will jump on it.

 

[Zodiac45]

You're confusing me with someone else
The way I heard it, Solo asked DOLMAR for some help...the deal fell through before they finished.
Around here, I think Dolmar & Solo have about the same brand recognition. Once in a while you talk to someone that owns/is familiar with the name. But I'm not sure where the nearest Solo dealer is...

They are both fine saws.
In reality Solo had a presence here maybe before Dolmar did, but sort of faded. Dolmar when with Sach's established themselves as a top brand of saw. In the last 10 years they have made a concsious attempt too get market share in the USA. As people hear of them and try them they realise that they are every bit the quality of a Stilh or Husqvarna equivalent. Solo also falls into this catagory.
What does this all mean for the operator? It's good, it competition and should help get us better equiptment and fair prices. What has too come into play is the availability of service, parts, and the like. For the Pro, this is important because you're earnings are dependent on it.
For the firewood cutter, not so much. You are not running the saw every day of the week, putting 5-6 hours a day on it. I think that Solo's offering is 2 yr warrentee is a step in the right direction and will make up for (somewhat) their lack of dealer network (for now). It may (if it works) force other's too compete and offer the same warrentee.
Bottom line is, if you're a pro a dealer close by is a deal maker/breaker. If you are not using the saw to earn your living day in and day out then it's not that big a deal. I have a Husky/Stihl dealer 2 miles down the road and own/have owned both. But I currently run Dolmars because I like them. I'm only putting maybe 5-10 hrs a week max on them so it's not a big deal. We harvest/limb mechanically so most of it is when needed or for my own personal wood. If I was a faller using chainsaws, it would be a different deal and the Dealer support would be a must.

 

[Festus Haggen]

Dolmar when with Sach's established themselves as a top brand of saw.

That was my dealer's comment, after Sachs-Dolmar pulled back, there were a lot of guys holding saws that they couldn't get parts for. Now he can order parts for those older "orphan" saws, but a lot of guys are "gun-shy" for good reason, not knowing if Dolmar is here for the long run this time or not. He says he has a couple loggers using Dolmar, but I haven't heard any feedback, or know what kind of work they actually use them for.

I've never run a Solo, but I've seen them around, I could get one in about 10 minutes, since the dealer is a mile away, but they don't provide service of any kind. They sell many more Shinnys than anything else. I can only run so many saws, I only cut 5-10 hours a week.

 

[Zodiac45]

That was my dealer's comment, after Sachs-Dolmar pulled back, there were a lot of guys holding saws that they couldn't get parts for. Now he can order parts for those older "orphan" saws, but a lot of guys are "gun-shy" for good reason, not knowing if Dolmar is here for the long run this time or not. He says he has a couple loggers using Dolmar, but I haven't heard any feedback, or know what kind of work they actually use them for.

I've never run a Solo, but I've seen them around, I could get one in about 10 minutes, since the dealer is a mile away, but they don't provide service of any kind. They sell many more Shinnys than anything else. I can only run so many saws, I only cut 5-10 hours a week.

Yep, you're the same as me. For us it's a matter of preferance ( a nice luxury). We can use what we like and if it goes down, well so be it, grab another saw, order the part and two weeks later the "offender' is back in the fold.

 

[PB]

That was my dealer's comment, after Sachs-Dolmar pulled back, there were a lot of guys holding saws that they couldn't get parts for. Now he can order parts for those older "orphan" saws, but a lot of guys are "gun-shy" for good reason, not knowing if Dolmar is here for the long run this time or not. He says he has a couple loggers using Dolmar, but I haven't heard any feedback, or know what kind of work they actually use them for.

I've never run a Solo, but I've seen them around, I could get one in about 10 minutes, since the dealer is a mile away, but they don't provide service of any kind. They sell many more Shinnys than anything else. I can only run so many saws, I only cut 5-10 hours a week.

Dang 114 gave me a bad feeling for Dolmar. I am sure they make good saws, but I won't ever buy one. Jonsereds have always given me and my family outstanding reliability and performance, so I have no desire to switch now. That is all we have ever ran continuously for the past 30+ years.

My uncle, a professional firewood cutter, has a Solo that he bought many years ago and it finally quit on him last year. I think it had a hard life, so from my limited experience I think they are alright saws, or they were.

 

[SawTroll]

am not brand loyal either. I have a Jonsered 2171 and a Husqvarna 357XP and a Husqvarna 346XP. At this point I have no intetion on buying another saw. I am just tell you the way it is.
Weigh a 7900 and a 681 and tell us the difference in weight. You will find that Solo isnt lying about the weight as bad as Dolmar. You better look at the specs on the saw again. The 681 is rated at more power then the 7900.
Bailleys sells the 681 for 699.95. I can buy one local for 720.00 with a 20 bar and chain. Can you buy a Dolmar with a 20" bar and chain for 620.00. The Solo may not interest the arm chair cutter or the man that reads about saws and he is now an expert or the guy who cuts a small amouny of wood each year to heat his house. They are intended to be sold to the Pro cutters that is why they offer a 2 year warranty for those people. Show me any other saw that will offer that kink of warranty. To a logger it is money well spent. Yea no one has ever heard of Solo. They only started to build two stroke engines in 1948 and they still do. They biult the first back pack blower in 1950. Until the last few years noy many people knew about Dolmar in the US. Look at them now the 7900 get lots of praise. It a shame that they didnt design all of it.
Wade

Did you notice where I am?

Those prices are pure fantacy here, and none of those saws are availiable to weight.

Most brands are off with the advertised weight now and then, but Solo is known to be very optimistic about power output as well - unlike Stihl, Husky and Dolmar........

 

[Austin1]

Dang 114 gave me a bad feeling for Dolmar. I am sure they make good saws, but I won't ever buy one. Jonsereds have always given me and my family outstanding reliability and performance, so I have no desire to switch now. That is all we have ever ran continuously for the past 30+ years.

My uncle, a professional firewood cutter, has a Solo that he bought many years ago and it finally quit on him last year. I think it had a hard life, so from my limited experience I think they are alright saws, or they were.

I have a 7900 and a Solo but two totally different saws in many ways! The Solo is 45cc the Dolmar 79. It's not even a ''Pro''grade Solo but it is a good little saw, I have a dreaded 295 poulan the closest saw to the Solo, power wise they are the same as far as I can tell except the Solo is the better quality feeling saw and construction wise is better also.As far as my Jred goes it is not a real Jred just a Husky with the much better looks and a proper handle(wish my Dolmar had a strait handle)
Just my 2cent's worth just saying Solo's seem to be well built I imagine there ''Reel''saw's are even better.
P.S I also herd on here that Jreds get the top 10% of good parts manufactured by Husky put on them. lol:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[2000ssm6]

P.S I also herd on here that Jreds get the top 10% of good parts manufactured by Husky put on them. lol:hmm3grin2orange:

It's true, that is the only way elux could make them run 30% close to a Stihl. Build quality on the other hand is down 50% from it's rival Stihl.:greenchainsaw:

 

[PB]

It's true, that is the only way elux could make them run 30% close to a Stihl. Build quality on the other hand is down 50% from it's rival Stihl.:greenchainsaw:

Stihl's: 60% of the time, they work everytime.

 

[cuttinscott]

So Who wants or Needs a NEW SOLO 681?????

Ready to ship





Scott

 

[spike60]

So Who wants or Needs a NEW SOLO 681?????

Ready to ship





Scott

This ought to prove interesting. Let's see how many guys can open their wallets as easy as they open their mouths.

Did you get them from Faulkner or Kimbers?

 

[PB]

This ought to prove interesting. Let's see how many guys can open their wallets as easy as they open their mouths.

Did you get them from Faulkner or Kimbers?

Faulkner's had some sitting on the shelf up here. I can deliver.