mountainlogger
New Member
hey guys thinking bout buying a 7900 dolmar we log and usually cut 25 to 36 inch hard wood anyone have any info or have ran 1 im interested in your opinion:angry2:
dolmar saws
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Did you try searching? Lots of info here on the 7900. It's a great saw.
Anthony_Va.
XPW Fan Club
:agree2:
You can find piles of info on this site concerning the 7900. It's the saw that everybody likes.
Including me.
RiverRat2
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Hey is Cuttin Scott still a site sponsor here???? or 166 ???
nmurph
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they are a great saw. i just got my 5th one today.
stihl 440
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The 7900 isnt that bad of a saw......IMHO...i have ran four 7900's and none of them impressed me.....and they had 20" and 24" bars on them....i dont know...they just never impressed me at all. I know my 385 husky will eat it alive in 20"+ wood......they might be a tad lighter....but lack the grunt of my 385's. It all depends what timber your in too....and the bar length. Im not saying that if i found one cheap that i wouldnt buy it...cause i prolly would...but to go out and say that i would rather have one than my 385....NEVER. JMHO
nmurph
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i disagree. i HAD a 385. i couldn't tell any difference in the two, save the slightly smoother nature of the 385 and the 2lb weight advantage of the 7900.
Agree and stock vs stock the 7900 usually wins, but not by much.
stihl 440
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Im talking from my timber falling perspective....i have ran ALOT of saws....AND i am unbiased because i HAVE alot of hours on 7900's...my current boss has two....and i prefer 385's everytime....the 385 is just plain faster with a 24" bar....no doubt....my boss is a "BIG DOLMAR MAN" and he agrees with me that my 385 is definetly quicker...ill take the extra weight of a 385 for the smoother running and added power they offer. JMHO
stihl 440
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Im just stating my opinion...im not trying to offend anybody....BUT....i am a professional faller....and im giving my insight and prospective as to what saw works for me in hardwood and the occasional 5 or 6 acre pine stand...and like i said before i have ran BOTH saws for many upon many of hours....8hrs a day. You can take my opinion however you want to...but im just giving my HONEST opinion.
If you haven't timed the two I can totally believe the 385 feels faster, but in reality it's not, even with longer bars. One of the things I and many others like about the 7900, is how it does it's work quietly and without any drama. The Husky's on the other hand scream and shout. This is in no way saying the 385 is a bad saw, they're just different.
The power of the 7900 cane be very deceiving. Myself and a few others that have done quite a bit of saw testing have come to realize how strong prescription can be based on sound and feel.
When it comes to feel, yes it's a matter of what simply feels best to the individual.
With that said I've actually done testing in wood and the 7900 wins every time, but not by much. Now the 390 may outrun a 7900, I've never tested a stock 390 vs a stock 7900.
Here's a 7900 compared to a 390XP and MS660. The 7900 is modded while the other two are stock and brand new, so not a fair comparison.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bjqhqjFpjTE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/edrUhufZ0m8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here, they are all modded. The wood is Oak.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_2HL4d2K8g?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bjqhqjFpjTE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/edrUhufZ0m8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here, they are all modded. The wood is Oak.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_2HL4d2K8g?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
stihl 440
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I got 13sec dolmar and 12 sec husky 1st video.....modded dolmar to a stock 390. So in theory a stock 390 should be a muffler modded 385....well the 385 might have a few tenths more with a ported muffler...since usually a ported muffler is .5hp....kinda self explanitory......i know the dolmar will have the upper hand in 16" wood because of the dolmar's 13,500rpm vs. the husky's 13,000rpm....but with a non-limit coil you by pass the limiter. Hey im not trying to be a A$$ but its a ford,chevy,dodge thing....un-arguable...because you can argue it all day......everybody likes what they like. BUT as i said before....I am a professional timber faller that has ran the saws....im talking expirence...not cookie cutting....... Me and my boss are cutting on 500 acres right now......i have a timberjack 240 and a franklin 170 both with 453 detroit power running on me all day long(Yes two skidders)...and i keep them more than fed at all times......
nmurph
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i have a vid of a 7900 vs a 385 on here somewhere. nothing official, but the two saws were pretty much dead even. i ran both many times more bf i sold the 385 and i'm not a dolmar cheerleader. if you look in my shop you will see that orange saws outnumber the dolmars by quite a bit. BTW, i'm not a professional faller, but i did stay at a Holiday Inn last year.
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Sounds like you do good honest hard work.:msp_smile:
The old 385's didn't have rev limiters so tuning wasn't an issue with a MM, the new 390's are all limited. No doubt the 390's have the edge with the added displacement. The 7900's also gain little with normal port work, the Husky's respond very well. Now they're a few guys that can really make the 7900's scream, but what they do to them is a mystery to me, but I hope to be working on that in the near feature.
Yes very little in it between the two, and again the 7900 is 79cc the 385 was 85cc. This says a lot about the 7900.:msp_tongue:
nmurph
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If it only needs a piston, then that might be a fair price. But I would want to know why a 1 year old saw needs a piston. That might significantly lower the value.
Chopper G
ArboristSite Member
IIRC, a slug/jug for the saw is $200 for OE and $135 for a Baileys aftermarket 85cc. Apparently, the performance is very similar, and the warranty on the aftermarket item is a full year vs. 30 days for the OE.
You might be better-off buying a used 7300, 6400 or Makita 6401 for about $200, if the plan is to replace the top-end anyway (they are all the same exact saws except for the top-end) . . .
Regardless, you will end up w/ a fresh beastsaw or $350-$500 at the end of the day.
You might be better-off buying a used 7300, 6400 or Makita 6401 for about $200, if the plan is to replace the top-end anyway (they are all the same exact saws except for the top-end) . . .
Regardless, you will end up w/ a fresh beastsaw or $350-$500 at the end of the day.
