dolmar saws

[Andyshine77]

More like 70% to 80% of the day for us...and we run 8hr days...unless its a contract job and nice days sometimes we put in 10's. 600hrs seems really short...i know the amish logger that i talk to all the time..he has 066's and 660's that have 4years of logging on them..and they still run real strong.....never had the top ends off of them...and i know they run their saws pretty hard all day long....they also have a 460 that i think is 3 years old...never touched it either...he said he used to run 395's and he go 4 years out of them as well.......he was gonna trade in the 066 and buy a new one just beacuse of its age...i said he11 no!!...run it till it quits...and let me know when it does ill buy it!!..lol And my boss has a 046 in the woods truck and i think its 7 years old...it has ALOT of logging hours on it...and it still runs strong! Sad part of it is...he braggs up the dolmars pretty heavy but we all use the stihls more..lol I dont know...to each his own...im a husky and stihl man...mainly huskys but i dont have anything really against stihl either.....but i can honestly say that the dolmars dont impress me...they arent a poulan...but they aint a husky or stihl either in quality and reliability.but if you ask me 7900 vs 385xp=385xp wins every time.....7900's have the rpm for the small wood...but not the raw grunt power of the 385xp for the big trees. I've seen it and ran both ALOT....385 always comes out on top..regardless of what any cookie cutting movie tells you....

Bull.

 

[stihl 440]

Bull.

afraid not

 

[Andyshine77]

afraid not

Like before I respect the fact you work as a faller, but the evidence is against you. You have a right to your own opinion, but not your own facts, as facts are facts. To make it clear I'm not a really a cookie cutter, I honestly think saw racing is a bit silly.

One thing I do dislike about the 7900 is the limited coil, it can make tuning very difficult even if you have ample experience, and likely why the 7900 you run is less than impressive. Again the 385/390 is how many cc's?

 

[J.Gordon]

Like before I respect the fact you work as a faller, but the evidence is against you. You have a right to your own opinion, but not your own facts, as facts are facts. To make it clear I'm not a really a cookie cutter, I honestly think saw racing is a bit silly.

One thing I do dislike about the 7900 is the limited coil, it can make tuning very difficult even if you have ample experience, and likely why the 7900 you run is less than impressive. Again the 385/390 is how many cc's?

+1 good post

 

[CountryBoy19]

I got 13sec dolmar and 12 sec husky 1st video

You must be using that funky PA math. Because I watched multiple times and got 11 seconds on the Dolmar and 13 seconds on the Husky (the 2nd Husky run was close to 12 sec). That seems pretty clear to me.

I got a chance to check the compression today after work. It is only about 160. The saw starts and runs just fine but I am thinking that 160 is a little low. It pops on the third pull with the choke set, then it starts with the fourth pull with the choke off. It isn't pristine but I have seen much worse. :hmm3grin2orange: Do any of you know what the lower compression limit is on one of these things?

160 psi using a long-hose compression tester, you're fine. Your actual compression will be higher than that tester shows you.

im a husky and stihl man...mainly huskys but i dont have anything really against stihl either.....

So earlier you claimed that you were unbiased, and now you tell us you're a Husky and Stihl man. Which is it?

So far the only thing you've actually been able to give us is, "I think this" and "I think that", and "My opinion is this", but you haven't presented any actual numbers yet.

Of course your opinion is valued, but when several members here say they've timed the cuts and the 7900 wins, and then somebody comes along and says his opinion is that the Husky is better which would we be inclined to believe?

 

[CentaurG2]

Never had any problems with my dolamr 7900. Both my 7900 and 5100 have proven as durable and reliable as my huskys and more reliable than my stihls for my applications. Air filters are not the best design but work well if properly maintained. The 7900 is light weight and even in it stock form, it runs very strong. It is an excellent felling saw.

The topic of the numbers of hours a chainsaw will run before a rebuild has come up before. I asked my marina owner how many hours they get out of two stroke boat engines before rebuild and he indicated the magic number is between 1000-1200 operating hours. They get twice that out of a four stroke model. It would think a similar number of hours would be a reasonable for an air cooled 2 stroke chainsaw.

 

[stihl 440]

You must be using that funky PA math. Because I watched multiple times and got 11 seconds on the Dolmar and 13 seconds on the Husky (the 2nd Husky run was close to 12 sec). That seems pretty clear to me.


160 psi using a long-hose compression tester, you're fine. Your actual compression will be higher than that tester shows you.




So earlier you claimed that you were unbiased, and now you tell us you're a Husky and Stihl man. Which is it?

So far the only thing you've actually been able to give us is, "I think this" and "I think that", and "My opinion is this", but you haven't presented any actual numbers yet.

Of course your opinion is valued, but when several members here say they've timed the cuts and the 7900 wins, and then somebody comes along and says his opinion is that the Husky is better which would we be inclined to believe?

HAHA!!! i believe YOU have mis-counted!!! I am un-biased...but when you have ran both of these saws for the period of time that i have you realize what the real winner is...385xp everytime. Numbers..numbers..numbers...that dont mean anything when your logging....when your falling everything changes....i can make a 7900 win too by putting a square filed chisel on it and a round tooth on a 385....its a video.......i run them and I know....yea the 7900's are light...but thats about all they have on a 385...in the wood the 385 comes out on top. 7900's are a 20" bar saw..a 385 is a 24" bar saw in hardwood.....the 7900 will do fine with a 20 but with a 24" the 385 finishes first. :msp_biggrin:

 

[stihl 440]

Like before I respect the fact you work as a faller, but the evidence is against you. You have a right to your own opinion, but not your own facts, as facts are facts. To make it clear I'm not a really a cookie cutter, I honestly think saw racing is a bit silly.

One thing I do dislike about the 7900 is the limited coil, it can make tuning very difficult even if you have ample experience, and likely why the 7900 you run is less than impressive. Again the 385/390 is how many cc's?

I didnt say i would never buy one....which i prolly would if i found one used.....but it still wont "beat" a 385...it might come close to it sometimes but thats it.....and yes your definetly right the 385 has the displacement advantage.....the 7900 is light and snappy with a 20" bar but when it comes to a 2' bar the 385 is more torquey..and holds more rpm in the cut...so its a stalemate...:msp_biggrin:

 

[Andyshine77]

Are you really saying the 7900 is best with a 20" bar and chain? Sounds like you've never even ran a 7900.

How about a 32" bar full comp chain with an 8 pin sprocket in some of the hardest driest wood on earth.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FtAHBuJFoMw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[wyk]

The 7900 is a GREAT saw. I like it a lot, but I AM biased against Dolmar a bit because they just aren't proven yet. All the local guys use 460's, 660's, 385's and 390's for falling and timber work. When I see more Dolmars and get some info on how they do in the field, that will probably change. But that's not why I posted here:

The 385xp has a tad more grunt than the 7900. It should, it has a tad more displacement. It also has a tad more weight, too. I have only ran a 7900 with a 28" bar, so can't say how it does with a 32-36" bar. But I do know a 385xp pulls them fine. The only video I have that's pertinent is that recent comparo when I have them both in a 26-28" chunk of fir I am bucking. You can derive your own opinions from it - the Dolmar's at about 5:30 and I have nothing but praise for it:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0u2iIHfImGI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That's not a BB 6401, it's a 7901. I was muscling the saws a lot that day, too, as you can tell by the bogging.

 

[mdavlee]

After owning 2 390xps and 2 7900s I think with a 24" bar you have to be really heavy handed to notice a difference in them. If that was all the bar I was going to run a 7900 would be the choice of the 2. I've run 28" b/c with full comp in oak and maple and the 7900 was right with the 390 both with 8 pins at that. They weren't stock but they were almost dead even.

 

[rms61moparman]

HAHA!!! i believe YOU have mis-counted!!! I am un-biased...but when you have ran both of these saws for the period of time that i have you realize what the real winner is...385xp everytime. Numbers..numbers..numbers...that dont mean anything when your logging....when your falling everything changes....i can make a 7900 win too by putting a square filed chisel on it and a round tooth on a 385....its a video.......i run them and I know....yea the 7900's are light...but thats about all they have on a 385...in the wood the 385 comes out on top. 7900's are a 20" bar saw..a 385 is a 24" bar saw in hardwood.....the 7900 will do fine with a 20 but with a 24" the 385 finishes first. :msp_biggrin:

There ya go!!!
It is obvious to me that 440 is correct and everyone else here is wrong!
Stick to your guns 440!

I do however, have to take exception with your inference that Brad or Andre manipulated the video for some underhanded reason.
That was over the line of gentlemanly debate and I think an apology is in order!


Mike

 

[Andyshine77]

The 7900 is a GREAT saw. I like it a lot, but I AM biased against Dolmar a bit because they just aren't proven yet. All the local guys use 460's, 660's, 385's and 390's for falling and timber work. When I see more Dolmars and get some info on how they do in the field, that will probably change. But that's not why I posted here:

The 7900 has been on the market since I think 01, so it has proven itself for the last 10 years.

 

[wyk]

The 7900 has been on the market since I think 01, so it has proven itself for the last 10 years.

Proven itself to loggers and fallers, or consumers? I mean, don't get me wrong - I am not some super pro logger guy. But I do keep it in mind when the local pros that use their saws hard 5 days a week tell me what works and what doesn't. You may have different standards, but I would say if they give glowing reviews on a saw, that it probably works. No one I know who cuts professionally in my area uses a Dolmar, so I have no opinion on how proven they are. And, until they do, I don't see any reason to jump on that bandwagon yet. You seem to be on the ball, so let me know how that Dolmar does with hard work in a few years in your hands?

 

[mdavlee]

There's actually quite a few loggers in the east that run the 7900s. I know a few here in va that use only dolmars. They seem to like the power and the price of them. They seem to get just as much reliability as the stihls and husky.

 

[Andyshine77]

Proven itself to loggers and fallers, or consumers? I mean, don't get me wrong - I am not some super pro logger guy. But I do keep it in mind when the local pros that use their saws hard 5 days a week tell me what works and what doesn't. You may have different standards, but I would say if they give glowing reviews on a saw, that it probably works. No one I know who cuts professionally in my area uses a Dolmar, so I have no opinion on how proven they are. And, until they do, I don't see any reason to jump on that bandwagon yet. You seem to be on the ball, so let me know how that Dolmar does with hard work in a few years in your hands?

There more popular in the east from what I hear. There has been quite a few loggers and fallers that have ran them with success, a lot of people just don't want to give them a try , and some simply don't like change, and loggers seem to be the worst about that.

 

[wyk]

There more popular in the east from what I hear. There has been quite a few loggers and fallers that have ran them with success, a lot of people just don't want to give them a try , and some simply don't like change, and loggers seem to be the worst about that.

I hear ya. We really have no support for Dolmar out here. Afterall, I suspect with Husky and Stihl around hard since it was crazy seriously logging out here that Dolmar would find it ridiculously tough to break in to this market. And as you stated, when folks find things that work, or that they are used to, it is very difficult to introduce anything new to that fold.

A good indication of the market saturation is the craigslist. Just do a search in the PNW for 'stihl' on portland or seatle areas to see who wants to sell them or trade for them or has parts for them:

portland all for sale / wanted classifieds "stihl" - craigslist

seattle all for sale / wanted classifieds "stihl" - craigslist

Here's the 'Dolmar' search. As you can see, it's gonna be an uphill battle:

portland all for sale / wanted classifieds "dolmar" - craigslist

 

[AUSSIE1]

There more popular in the east from what I hear. There has been quite a few loggers and fallers that have ran them with success, a lot of people just don't want to give them a try , and some simply don't like change, and loggers seem to be the worst about that.

And considering so many people and possibly more so with the logging industry, dealer support could play more of a reason to not be running the Dolmar rather than the saw itself.

 

[Andyshine77]

I hear ya. We really have no support for Dolmar out here. Afterall, I suspect with Husky and Stihl around hard since it was crazy seriously logging out here that Dolmar would find it ridiculously tough to break in to this market. And as you stated, when folks find things that work, or that they are used to, it is very difficult to introduce anything new to that fold.

A good indication of the market saturation is the craigslist. Just do a search in the PNW for 'stihl' on portland or seatle areas to see who wants to sell them or trade for them or has parts for them:

portland all for sale / wanted classifieds "stihl" - craigslist

seattle all for sale / wanted classifieds "stihl" - craigslist

Here's the 'Dolmar' search. As you can see, it's gonna be an uphill battle:

portland all for sale / wanted classifieds "dolmar" - craigslist

Yup from what I know it's pretty hard to find any Dolmar support out west, hopefully that will change.

 

[Andyshine77]

And considering so many people and possibly more so with the logging industry, dealer support could play more of a reason to not be running the Dolmar rather than the saw itself.

:agree2: Support plays a big part when it comes to logging operations.