Dolmar 6400 or Makita 6100 or Echo 620p

[smakdown]

My local dealer has a new Dolmar 6400 from 2012 with 20" bar or he can order a Makita 6100 20" or Echo 620p 20". I am leaning towards the 6400, is there a reason I should be looking at one of the others?

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[nstueve]

6400 leaves you the ability to jump to 79-84cc on future. 6100 is better power to weight and better balanced for 60cc. Really just depends on what you want/need now or in the future.

 

[smakdown]

6400 leaves you the ability to jump to 79-84cc on future. 6100 is better power to weight and better balanced for 60cc. Really just depends on what you want/need now or in the future.

I currently have a 421 and an Echo 500p. I am a firewood hack but am in need of a saw with more power for felling and bucking.

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[Poleman]

The 6400 like @nstueve is expandable to larger cc's if the future requiers it, with a smaller expendature and a little time required to change it over. It wouldn't requier the purchase of a new saw just an upgrade. The 6400 will give you the options if needed but is a good and larger saw in itself.

 

[nstueve]

I'd go 6400... 40cc, 50cc, 64cc or bigger if needed.

 

[CR888]

The 6400 while a good saw, is old and not a dedicated chassis 60cc saw. The 6100 is dedicated 60cc chassis and a much newer design.

 

[CoreyB]

All three will serve you very well. For me my order of choice would be 6100, and ....... wow um...... ya they are all good saws and I would be happy and willing to spend my money on any of the three.

 

[nstueve]

The 6400 while a good saw, is old and not a dedicated chassis 60cc saw. The 6100 is dedicated 60cc chassis and a much newer design.

I agree, but the 6400 is expandable for $100-$150 to 79-84cc and is also in before EPA changed carb and SLR muffler. Solid 24" bar saw by itself and ready for work right out of the box. I'd also give 6400 the power edge over 6100 and the echo.

 

[CR888]

I agree, but the 6400 is expandable for $100-$150 to 79-84cc and is also in before EPA changed carb and SLR muffler. Solid 24" bar saw by itself and ready for work right out of the box. I'd also give 6400 the power edge over 6100 and the echo.

Yes all true, but the OP is looking for best 60cc class saw, not 80cc. The 6400 (l have one) is great but is suffers from the smallest engine in its series therfore power to wieght suffers and handling. This is not the case in 7900 form, quite the opposite. So do we reccomend what perfoms best as a 60cc saw or what performs best as an 80cc saw? To answer the op's question best, the 6100 wins the race. Do you know the wieght differences between the 6400 and 6100? l have 5 60cc class saw.....and l don't really class a 6400 as one, similar to husky 365 more like 70cc class.

 

[CoreyB]

And the 6100 performance is top notch! Best fuel economy in any 60cc saw great air filtration , easy to clean, great AV, as well as best power to price ratio in the field.
Now enter husky fan boys in 3.......... 2........

 

[nstueve]

Actually the 6100 is nose heavy with a 24"+ bar. And the OP never asked for the best in the class... Read his posts! He was asking for a larger felling/bucking saw. So 24" 6400 fits that category very nicely with ability to upgrade should he need to fell and buck bigger wood than a 20-24" bar could handle.

6400 - 14.1 lbs
6100 - 13.3 lbs

Also not mentioned but worth noting both the 6100 and 6400 have excellent Air filtration. 6400 can also be upgraded to a HD filter system which is in no way needed for stock 6500-7900 saws. I don't know why we are arguing this point. He can decide himself with information available. Either way I hope he gets a dolmar!

 

[smakdown]

Actually the 6100 is nose heavy with a 24"+ bar. And the OP never asked for the best in the class... Read his posts! He was asking for a larger felling/bucking saw. So 24" 6400 fits that category very nicely with ability to upgrade should he need to fell and buck bigger wood than a 20-24" bar could handle.

6400 - 14.1 lbs
6100 - 13.3 lbs

Also not mentioned but worth noting both the 6100 and 6400 have excellent Air filtration. 6400 can also be upgraded to a HD filter system which is in no way needed for stock 6500-7900 saws. I don't know why we are arguing this point. He can decide himself with information available. Either way I hope he gets a dolmar!

I have been set on the 6100 until yesterday. The 6400 that my local dealer has been in the shop since 2012, he had priced the 6100 to me at $575 but called back today and said Makita had raised the price to $630 plus $25 shipping. [emoji107]

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[Franny K]

And the 6100 performance is top notch! Best fuel economy in any 60cc saw great air filtration , easy to clean, great AV, as well as best power to price ratio in the field.
Now enter husky fan boys in 3.......... 2........

On the fuel economy the grams per kilowatt hour the husky 555 is 438 on their website and the Dolmar 6100 (in their owner manual) is 430 which to me looks like less than 2%. Not sure what the margin of error is. Are these the figures you base the best fuel economy statement? I have trouble even finding the bore and stroke of echo product didn't look for their g/kwh figure.

 

[nstueve]

On the fuel economy the grams per kilowatt hour the husky 555 is 438 on their website and the Dolmar 6100 (in their owner manual) is 430 which to me looks like less than 2%. Not sure what the margin of error is. Are these the figures you base the best fuel economy statement? I have trouble even finding the bore and stroke of echo product didn't look for their g/kwh figure.

I think it would be very hard to prove one way or another which saw has better fuel economy given they are so close and no test on a saw will be 100% accurate. I think another user posted that the 6100 is the best power to $$$ ratio which was true until Makita consolidated price listings. Makita will want to boost prices to be closer to other "market comparable" saws. Keep in mind the Makitas listed below are the same as the Dolmar saws just painted blue.

Home Depot Makita 6100 = $618+tax
Home Depot Makita 6421 = $679+tax
Husqvarna 555 = $640
Stihl ms362 = $890

 

[nstueve]

I have been set on the 6100 until yesterday. The 6400 that my local dealer has been in the shop since 2012, he had priced the 6100 to me at $575 but called back today and said Makita had raised the price to $630 plus $25 shipping. [emoji107]

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Where is he pricing the 6400??

 

[smakdown]

Where is he pricing the 6400??

From the distributor of Makita

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[sunfish]

Cool, another 60cc saw thread.

 

[7sleeper]

I think it would be very hard to prove one way or another which saw has better fuel economy given they are so close and no test on a saw will be 100% accurate. I think another user posted that the 6100 is the best power to $$$ ratio which was true until Makita consolidated price listings. Makita will want to boost prices to be closer to other "market comparable" saws. Keep in mind the Makitas listed below are the same as the Dolmar saws just painted blue.

Home Depot Makita 6100 = $618+tax
Home Depot Makita 6421 = $679+tax
Husqvarna 555 = $640
Stihl ms362 = $890

Sorry but testing is possible without much of a problem. There have been posted test's on the Dolmar 421(=420sc in other parts of the world) in comparison to other saws, done in the stihl research lab. And as long as all saws tested are subjected to the same test routine, results do give one a pretty close idea of what is really going on. BTW the 421 needed, as a simple conventional 2 stroke, less fuel than a husqvarna 445 with "environmentaly friendly engine technology"...

7

 

[Tractorsaw1]

Surely he isn't asking list price for a 2012 saw? He should have a pretty good price on the 64, what is it?

 

[smakdown]

Surely he isn't asking list price for a 2012 saw? He should have a pretty good price on the 64, what is it?

$650

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