Dolmar 5100 Cylinder Problem

[04ultra]

BTW I think you ment Tualatin OR..




.

 

[funky sawman]

last year we sold about 150 huskys but in 2007 we sold over 300. I just expect Dolmar to at least cover their saws like husqvarna does----Is that asking too much??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[funky sawman]

BTW I think you ment Tualatin OR..




.

Yep

 

[Andyshine77]

Funky I'm sorry but everyone is jumping on you because your story is just not holding up. It just sounds like you're just repeating what you've read on this site. You say you've had bad cylinder and filter problems. OK what caused these problems? What kind of problems did you have with the 9010? how did you handle your customers?

Believe it or not I've also spoken with Terry about the issues I was having with my 5100 and my dealer.

 

[THALL10326]

I agree with most of your post & points...and you and I, from what I can tell; really only dissagree on the impact of "websites for enthusiasts" on the sales of saws and in particular Dolmar saws.

I also agree and understand the "Big" companies aren't going to actively chase these threads...too many too little time. Part of the reason they don't like the "goings on" at places like this is simply because they can't control the message.

Husqvarna figured out the mass market thing with the Poulan's and Homeowner Husqvarna's. Dolmar rides the Makita brand, reputation, and sales channels for their mass marketing efforts. Solo is left out in the cold...The Chinese are just beginning to make their presence known with the Troy Built's, Yard Machines, and Oregon's on eBay etc. Big retail companies have huge exposure and Husqvarna EARNED has the right reputation in the Pro world to build on. Lowes, TSC, Sears can sell the crap outa them with the right pricing using the Internet for straight advertising and online selling.

Stihl seems to be reacting in a different way. Instead of developing a line of low cost homeowner saws to sell at box stores, they are buying into the John Deere sales channels..simply because its cheaper than expanding their existing one AND the type of person going into a John Deere store isn't as worried about price as they are quality. Taking this route Stihl can sell their current class of saw product along with the landscaping tools and stay at the higher price points. John Deere stores have always made a point of connecting with their customers with both follow on sales and service and this is similar to the way Stilh dealers typically work. Stihl rapidly expands the RIGHT kind of market exposure, compete with those Husqvarna stores..all for less cost than building that amout of exposure with their own resources. (Are there JD stores in your territory?)

As for Dolmar, they really don't seem to have a strong marketing presence ..anywhere..other than running under the Makita banner. I see blurbs in the trade magazines from time to time but the dealers along with places like this seem to be the "point of the spear" for marketing Dolmar Pro Saw products. Which is why I feel this type of place makes proportionally even a greater impact on Dolmar than most. To get a small business (dealer or Pro) to invest in a "off brand" product line..they are going to do a little research. 20 years ago that was done thru reference calls and typical stuff from that period of time, usually initiated by a sales type. Now that is mixed with Internet research....and that again leads to places like this. If I'm going to invest 5 digits in a product line & floor plan..I'm going to do a little home work!

As you said saws were being sold long before places like AS. The Internet is a relatively new technology, especially with respect to saws. So of course they were selling saw before AS. Companies used what ever communication technology was best in a given period of time.

Back to the homeowner who is the largest consumer of saws along with the the small contractor who is looking for specific tools for jobs...My premise is simply that as the Internet has become more prolific and a larger part of our lives, more research is happening for all types of things by those who are connected...choosing tools is included especially when they cross the $200 dollars line. There are more and more "Consumer Report" type places, Home& Garden type websites, Hobby websites along with the Box stores adding "review" spots on their more expensive products. This also leads more to use search engines to augment their research leading them to places like this. This a a rapidly moving target so generalizations don't work for anything but small slices in time. But since this is a Dolmar 5100s thread..I'm not nearly as interested in the Homeowners (or enthusiasts)..I'm more interesting in the reaction from Pro's and Dealers!

I hope your right, actually. As I said before I really like what Dolmar is doing in offering a really exciting performance oriented product. Your point about the economy again makes a case for finding less expensive ways for marketing types to cast out their "nets", "trolling" for interest...internet becomes yet again a focus.

My guess is even as a successful dealer, no matter how cozy you think you are with a Stihl sales/marketing employee; you only get the vision of Stihl's thought process they think is most benificial..to them. My guess is right now Stihl will make every effort to keep their core dealers from feeling threatened by the shifts in the sand from both the economy and the changing plans. They still need you to to forecast/buy saws and other products...probably right now.

I'm not fussing with ya, just pointing out there is a differance between people using the internet to get information before they buy verses them reading a site like this before they make a decision. Most folks interested in looking for information on Stihl will go to the Stihl website, not here, same goes for Husky and Dolmar. If they come here what can they get from it? Look at this thread, a war is going on over the 5100. Some say its great, others say it fails too fast. A potenial buyer wanting information would read this thread and go man those guys are nuts, look at em arguing over a dayumm chainsaw, who's right, who's wrong, who's lying, who's telling the facts, who's telling the BS.

I agree with you 100% the internet is a great tool and does bennifit both the manufacture and the potenial buyers. Forumns such as this bennifit those that want to argu, fuss, fued and fight and even help each other with problems. It has little to offer anyone that wants to buy a saw because just like this thread most buyers aren't willing to read and sort out all the bias and BS in it just to buy a chainsaw.

You got one thing wrong concerning Stihl and John Deere. Stihl hasn't spent a penny to go into John Deere. They've been in some John Deere dealerships for years. JD went to Stihl and asked them to be their main supplier of small handheld power equipment. Stihl jumped on it as any small power equipment maker would. Topping it all the new JD dealers that will sell the Stihl product have to sign up like any other Stihl dealer. They have to buy the displays, the equipment like anyone else. The one that got nailed in the deal was Efco. JD dropped the idea of having Efco make a product for them in green and yellow with the JD logo on it. Hopefully they will get those el cheapo green and yellow mowers out of Home Depot made by MTD soon as well. Stihl made out like a bandit in the JD deal. Husky and Dolmar sure would have loved JD coming to them with a sweetheat deal like that but JD chose Stihl because Stihl is the most reconised name in the small handheld equipment biz and because they don't cater to mass merchants. Who wants to compete with Lowes and Sears over selling the same product when you can have one not sold there at all. JD was wise and Stihl was wise as well.

I know your very keen in marketing, I've been reading your posts carefully and you know your stuff but Stihl is alittle differant than most companies. The strategies they use are quite differant than the others. Here's a piece that comes directly out the mouth of Peter Stihl talking about marketing.

"the success of Stihl is based on unique marketing strategies. Virtually all of our primary competitors have compromised their retail distribution strategies to accommodate mass merchants. While this approach may offer some near term advantages by way increased sales distribution, the long term effect can be a loss of identity and competitive uniqueness, this in not the Stihl way"

I think what that means is Stihl will not fall for the fast buck at the price of giving up the reputation they have built. Whats your take on what he means in that piece????

 

[funky sawman]

The 9010 had paint chips comming off the crankcase that clogged the impulse pipe. Then I couldn't get the saw in tune. I then inspected the cylinder and replaced the carb. It still wouldn't run so I pressure and vacuum tested it- no leaks. I then noticed a compression dropoff (after about 1.5 hrs of run time) so I inspected the piston and cylinder and found paint chips lodged between the piston and cylinder that was causing ring damage (weard wear patterns) When I pulled the fuel tank off the saw I then found a paint clogged impulse hose!!!
Why the paint was coming off is way beyond me, as I also happened to many customers saws also (5100's) Intake boot spring clamps were also failing because of not enough tension halding the boot on (I think) that was causing air leaks and piston failures. The air filters were getting fine dust past the filter halves and wearing the intake side of the piston skirt. Somthing I have not said yet is at least 5 saws were missing parts right out of the box. For instance: a 401 was missing a clutch spring, a 5100 was without a bucking dog bolt, two ps 460's were missing chain catchers and finally a 7900 was without a sprocket rim.

 

[THALL10326]

On another note me and Hoss got together today and hung out over at his shop for a change. I took along my 5100 and my 346xp. I let Hoss run em both and though they are close he felt the 5100 had a tad more balls than the 346. I agree. However he also commented on how lite and easy to handle the 346 is over the 5100. So he and me agree 100% on those 2 saws. Neither one fried in action and both performed lovely,LOLOL

Then he started whipping out the big iron. Its amazing just how slow the 346 and 5100 are compared to the big iron. We had a blast.

 

[funky sawman]

A good running stock 5100 was run with a 359 husky with the same 20" bar and 72 jgx chain cutting 13" doug fir. THE dolmar beat the 359 every cut, I was very impressed. That little dolmar is the most powerfull small saw I have ever seen.

 

[THALL10326]

A good running stock 5100 was run with a 359 husky with the same 20" bar and 72 jgx chain cutting 13" doug fir. THE dolmar beat the 359 every cut, I was very impressed. That little dolmar is the most powerfull small saw I have ever seen.

It is a mean little huzzy for sure. It outcuts the 346 by a half second or so in the block. In the limbs the 346 dusts the 5100 easily. The Sthil 260 doesn't come close to either one in power but I feel certain the 260 will still be running when those two fast cats are dead and gone. Speed kills but sure is fun.

 

[spacemule]

It is a mean little huzzy for sure. It outcuts the 346 by a half second or so in the block. In the limbs the 346 dusts the 5100 easily. The Sthil 260 doesn't come close to either one in power but I feel certain the 260 will still be running when those two fast cats are dead and gone. Speed kills but sure is fun.

Yeah, but the hotrods will have cut more wood in their shorter lives.

 

[funky sawman]

:agree2::agree2:

 

[THALL10326]

Yeah, but the hotrods will have cut more wood in their shorter lives.

Not according to this thread Space,LOLOL I really don't care who has the speed and blasts through the wood and apparently the buying public doesn't care either. I'm more interested in what sells and we know what sells,

 

[spacemule]

Not according to this thread Space,LOLOL I really don't care who has the speed and blasts through the wood and apparently the buying public doesn't care either. I'm more interested in what sells and we know what sells,

I'll bet you're also the kind of guy who drives 45 miles an hour on the interstate.

 

[bookerdog]

It is a mean little huzzy for sure. It outcuts the 346 by a half second or so in the block. In the limbs the 346 dusts the 5100 easily. The Sthil 260 doesn't come close to either one in power but I feel certain the 260 will still be running when those two fast cats are dead and gone. Speed kills but sure is fun.

Sorry old feller I have both those saws. A half second You guys need a new watch.

Here's one of those slow 346
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdMhlj4xF5w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdMhlj4xF5w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[Andyshine77]

Funky that was a good post. Everything you said sounds credible, and I've experienced some of these problems myself. The 5100 is a really strong smooth saw to run, but it's just not a fully complete design. It sucks to be a Beta tester.lol

I also would like to add, that I personally don't know anyone who doesn't do some research on the net before they make any purchase over $200

 

[THALL10326]

Funky I'm sorry but everyone is jumping on you because your story is just not holding up. It just sounds like you're just repeating what you've read on this site. You say you've had bad cylinder and filter problems. OK what caused these problems? What kind of problems did you have with the 9010? how did you handle your customers?

Believe it or not I've also spoken with Terry about the issues I was having with my 5100 and my dealer.

You talked to Terry, cool, I have too. I thought he seemed like a ok guy. I was thinking of trying to get Dolmar in our store. Terry gave me the run down but my bosses said no way. You won't beleive why, they, everyone of them, had never heard of Dolmar before and thats the main reason they said no. I coulda sold tons of Dolmar along with Stihl, no doubt in my mind. I coulda put Dolmar on the map in my area. The bosses turned it down flat and wouldn't even think on it, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

So finnish the story, what did he say concerning the 5100 of yours??

 

[THALL10326]

I'll bet you're also the kind of guy who drives 45 miles an hour on the interstate.

Nope, 54 mph,LOLOL

 

[funky sawman]

I get customers and PRO's that come in the shop all the time knowing exactly what they want after doing research on the net. A common phrase I here is:
" Well, I read on the internet that such and such saw has these features and that is the one I want." I tell them about certin saws and the say: "I heard really good things about that saw on the net"

 

[04ultra]

Here is video of a 346NE with 24inch bar modded by TsT.






.

 

[THALL10326]

Sorry old feller I have both those saws. A half second You guys need a new watch.

Here's one of those slow 346
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdMhlj4xF5w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdMhlj4xF5w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Don't need no stop watch or modded saw either, wink. Stock out the box the 5100 is a tad more powerfull than a 346. You make a vid opening up both out the box and running them and get back to me, hehehe