Going to an auction Saturday that has a Makita chainsaw, no idea which model or the condition. Just bought myself a stihl at an action for a great price, after being to a few more auctions and looking on ebay I get the feeling there is a chance to make some $ on these things. Are Makita saws good? If so, which would you rather have a Stihl or Makita, assuming they are about the same size?
Makita
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Guido Salvage
Supreme Saw Whoreder
I hope this is taken in the proper vein, but you need to know what you are bidding on before you head to the auction. As with any product there are variations in the quality and size between models and when buying used equipment condition is paramount. If you are reselling, you need to know what is in demand in your area and what is not so you are not stuck with "dogs".
In an auction environment you usually can't gain a true understanding of the condition of a saw as I doubt you will be able to pull the muffler to check the P&C or do a compression test. In addition, you can get caught up in "auction fever" and pay far too much for an item.
Making money on used OPE is a risky proposition at best as you are dealing with fairly low prices and margins. The only way to do it is to perform all the work yourself and to buy any equipment dirt cheap. One scored cylinder and you could wipe out the profit from several saws.
ncfarmboy
Addicted to ArboristSite
Makita saws are blue DOLMAR saws. The Stihl guys will be along shortly to tell the DolMaks are junk. Best Makitas are DCS6401S, DCS510, DCS460 just my opinion. Which would I rather have Stihl or Makita is dependant on the model. 6401 is best bang for buck.
Shep
Shep
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
The Makita saws are as good as any and better than most.
They have a "homeowner" line that is on par with everyone elses homeowner saws.
One easy way to get a handle on their quality is by their numbering system.
GENERALLY;
If a Makita saw has 2 numbers in the model (i.e. -DCS-45) it is a homeowner saw.
If there are 3 numbers (i.e. DCS 520i or DCS 540) They are farm, ranch, type use saws and Makita is unsurpassed by ANYONE in this category.
And if there are 4 numbers in the model (i.e. DCS 6401, or 6800i) that is a professional quality saw and a good one at that!!!
Hope this helps.
Mike
They have a "homeowner" line that is on par with everyone elses homeowner saws.
One easy way to get a handle on their quality is by their numbering system.
GENERALLY;
If a Makita saw has 2 numbers in the model (i.e. -DCS-45) it is a homeowner saw.
If there are 3 numbers (i.e. DCS 520i or DCS 540) They are farm, ranch, type use saws and Makita is unsurpassed by ANYONE in this category.
And if there are 4 numbers in the model (i.e. DCS 6401, or 6800i) that is a professional quality saw and a good one at that!!!
Hope this helps.
Mike
JustinM
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yes.
Size/power is one consideration but the difference will also depend on if they are pro vs. consumer grade models.
General rule of thumb for me: If i am keeping them, i am pretty 50/50 on either - love both brands. If i am trying to re-sell then Stihl all the way. Dolmars (Makita), as good as they are, do not hold their value as well as stihl. Nothing does, really.
tallguys
Addicted to ArboristSite
As the others have mentioned, Makita chainsaws are actually Dolmar chainsaws in blue (ok then, teal). The ranch/farm saws are built better than everyone else's and their true pro saws are at the very least, everyone's equal. That being said, depending on the region, Dolmar and Makita are not always that well known, as is the case in my area. Here, any Stihl will get you a lot of responses, regardless of what model it is... as long as the asking price is within reason.
Warped5
WingNut
I had a Sachs Dolmar 111i that I loved .... but sold (I can be such a knucklehead) ....
But I have a Dolmar 6800i and DCS390 and DCS520i Makitas in the garage now and the love is back!
For me, the 'feel' is just better than a Stihl, but if I'm reselling it's Stihl all the way.
But I have a Dolmar 6800i and DCS390 and DCS520i Makitas in the garage now and the love is back!
For me, the 'feel' is just better than a Stihl, but if I'm reselling it's Stihl all the way.
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
With the exception of the 520/540 which hold their value REALLY well and with good reason!
They rarely bring less than $225-250 on the bay.
Mike
russhd1997
Innocent By Stander
I'm a Stihl man and if I could get a good deal on a Dolmar or Makita saw I wouldn't hesitate. I love my Dolmar 114.
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jus2fat
Two Harley Fatboys
Maybe it's just me...but NO WAY I would buy a saw at a public auction.
I want to pull muffler - do compression check - start it up - and run in some wood...!!
Otherwise - you're just just buying on looks and hopes - like a Russian bride...LOL..!!
And not knowing anything about Makita saws really ups your risk...imho.
Best wishes to ya though..!!
J2F
I want to pull muffler - do compression check - start it up - and run in some wood...!!
Otherwise - you're just just buying on looks and hopes - like a Russian bride...LOL..!!
And not knowing anything about Makita saws really ups your risk...imho.
Best wishes to ya though..!!
J2F
JustinM
Addicted to ArboristSite
Maybe it's just me...but NO WAY I would buy a saw at a public auction.
I want to pull muffler - do compression check - start it up - and run in some wood...!!
Otherwise - you're just just buying on looks and hopes - like a Russian bride...LOL..!!
And not knowing anything about Makita saws really ups your risk...imho.
Best wishes to ya though..!!
J2F
Depends what it sells for. I'd happily spend less than $100 on any 50cc or larger saw from one of the major 3 brands on looks alone. Plenty of 'safety' room there even if it has major issues under the hood.
If they want $300 or something then yes, id be leery of buying it without testing first. Many auction houses will not let you test something, but do stand by the product . IE: if they sell it as "running" and does not run, you will be refunded. Others will sell 'as is' and usually the bid prices are set accordingly.
IMHO the best deals on saws at auction will come from lots - 10+more saws in one lot - where you have to do some work to weed through stuff & possibly fix things, but the profit is pretty clear cut at the end of it.
mikereynolds
ArboristSite Operative
if it is a DCS 6401 or DCS 7901 you will get a quality saw usually worth more than you can sell it for. A Stihl is a good saw but can resell for more. But as said previously you have no idea as to what you wre getting so if you can get it dirt cheep like waw under $100 your chances are better you can make repairs necessary to resell it as ling as it is one of the two I mentioned above.
Makita/Dolmar---Makita is the parent company and has been since 1991 but they don't allow two of their best saws (DCS7901 & DCS5030) to be sold in the U.S. They are available in Europe.
Ok then, so there's two things you really have to sort out before you spend your money.
They are among the 4 best brands there are, counting Dolmar and Makita as the same fourth brand. Choice is depending on model - regarding both Stihl and Makita!
My take on best Makitas, DCS-: 5001, 4631, 5031, 6401, 7301, 7901. Model numbers ending in "1" means they have a decompression valve, otherwise they end in "0", which also make most model number identical to the corresponding Dolmar model.
Hear, hear!
That's about what's worth to know!
I have a 5001 (which I think is the old 5031), 6401 and a 7901. And a Dolmar 5100. They are all great saws, and my oldest, the 6401, while not being a tech.spec. champion has become almost like an old dog. Not the most agile and powerful on paper, but he always wants to come with you, and he's rock solid reliable so he's usually the one I just grab, although I would get more power in the same package if I just took the 7901 instead. Go figure...
Warped5
WingNut
Wouldn't the 7901 be comparable to the 7900 sold here?
russhd1997
Innocent By Stander
Yup! Same saw different color.
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thats the truth Mike! My dad has been using my 540 off and on for about 2 weeks, I know he wants one cause every time we talk saws he says how much he likes using it! Id like to get him one for Christmas but the cost used is almost what I paid new!
That depends on which make you refer to. The difference between a Makita 7901 and a Makita 7900 is the latter lacks a decompression valve, but the difference between a Makita 7901 and a Dolmar 7900 might be only colour or colour and the lack of a decompression valve, as the Dolmar vill use additional letters to describe it's fancier extra functions.
