This is my first post, and I'm starting this thread to tell my story and thank everyone here for helping me, even though none of you knew I was studying the threads on this site to get my info for the purchase. You just never know who is reading what you have posted here!
Anyway, I figured it was time for me to get a chainsaw. I have used some saws before, by borrowing some friends' saws, or getting a junky saw at a yard sale, or whatever. Mostly not very satisfying results.
So, this time I asked a buddy who has a Stihl 180 about some advice, and he said he liked his Stihl and that it started better than any of the consumer junk he previously had, and that it does about everything he needed to do around his yard(which is like my yard).
So, I set out to the Stihl dealer to look at the saws there, with the idea of getting an MS180 as the probable result.
And I also did the typical thing and went to Lowe's to see what they had too, and it was a few models from the Husqvarna consumer line.
They all looked okay, but I wasn't really "wowed" by most of what I saw in both places.
However, I'm not exactly like my buddy, and I'm a bit more fussy about equipment than he is, and after looking at the low-end Stihl line-up, I decided that I really liked the high-end Stihl professional models a lot better. Except that I couldn't afford the German-made ones. And that sort of bummed me out.
So, I came home and started looking on the internet for information about professional quality chainsaws, and it didn't take long to find this website, and I started reading.
I read for several days, during any free time I had. It was very interesting, and a lot of different perspectives.
My perspective was that I needed a saw that might see many different kinds of work, but nothing with really big wood. I don't have much here with large trunks that are going to be taken down by me. But I may need to take down some 8"-10" stuff, do some limbing, and be ready for firewood season every year. So a general purpose mid-size saw was my direction.
And I'm an equipment nut, who likes high quality gear, and so I really wanted to get a good one, even if I could do with a regular consumer grade product. I just like good gear. I know that there are others on here who are like that too.
I soon found that there were only a few professional saw lines that were around, and each had its fans, who aren't too shy about cheerleading either!
I knew about Husqvarna and Stihl before, but this one name kept popping up that I hadn't heard about before, and that was Dolmar. It was always being mentioned in the Stihl and Husqvarna pro threads as being a contender with good value and price. You have all read those things many times here, so I don't have to go over it now. But the thing is that I got curious and studied this Dolmar product line here, and in the spec sheets and price sheets on the web, and it seemed that it was the professional contructed saw that was made in Germany that I could afford.
I read quite a bit about the Dolmars here, and learned about them, and I was almost settled on ordering a 420 or 421. So, I found a dealer about 40 miles from me, who was the closest one, and called him up, and he said that all he had was a 510 and a 5105 on the wall, but he could order the 421 if I wanted it. And so I drove over there today to just look at what Dolmar saws he had on the wall, to get a feel for them, and probably order a 421.
So, I get there, and I walk in, and I see the 2 Dolmars hanging on the wall. A little bit of dust on them. They had been there for a while.
I picked up the 5105 to see how it felt, and how the weight and size felt.
Then it hit me.
This slightly dusty 5105 had no sticker on it saying "Easy Start". I asked the owner if this was an Easy Start model. He said "No".
I realized that I had an early 5105 in my hands, with no Easy Start, and the non-limted coil, with the 14500 rpm range. It was brand new, and had never had a tank of gas in it. The price was in the $440 price range, and it had an 18" bar with 3/8" semi-chisel chain on it, and a bar scabbard on it.
I said, "I'll take it", and the owner called the service tech up to the desk, handed him the saw, and said "get it ready to go".
While he worked on that, I bought some PPE and some accessories at the desk.
I heard the saw running in the back room, and it was not really loud, but then I heard some zinging acceleration.
Then the tech came out with a smile on his face and said, "14300 rpm on the tach. She runs good".
I was happier than a pig in slop. I was grinning all the way home!
My first saw is an early 14500rpm Dolmar 5105 that tached 14300 on it's first run on dealer set-up and looks and feels like a dream.
I would never have even heard of these Dolmar saws if I hadn't searched around and found this site, and read the stuff that all of you have written here.
That made it possible for me to get a professionally constructed German-made hi-performance saw at a price that I could afford.
I want to thank you all very much for what you do for people that you don't even know are out here.
Just so you all know I've been reading a lot here, I want to tell Saw Troll that I think the 5105 feels very well balanced, and doesn't need a kickstand to keep it from falling over in my truck, like a 346 would! Ha! Just kidding!
Now, I can get ready to do some sawing on the week-end! It's going to be fun finding stuff to cut!
Anyway, I figured it was time for me to get a chainsaw. I have used some saws before, by borrowing some friends' saws, or getting a junky saw at a yard sale, or whatever. Mostly not very satisfying results.
So, this time I asked a buddy who has a Stihl 180 about some advice, and he said he liked his Stihl and that it started better than any of the consumer junk he previously had, and that it does about everything he needed to do around his yard(which is like my yard).
So, I set out to the Stihl dealer to look at the saws there, with the idea of getting an MS180 as the probable result.
And I also did the typical thing and went to Lowe's to see what they had too, and it was a few models from the Husqvarna consumer line.
They all looked okay, but I wasn't really "wowed" by most of what I saw in both places.
However, I'm not exactly like my buddy, and I'm a bit more fussy about equipment than he is, and after looking at the low-end Stihl line-up, I decided that I really liked the high-end Stihl professional models a lot better. Except that I couldn't afford the German-made ones. And that sort of bummed me out.
So, I came home and started looking on the internet for information about professional quality chainsaws, and it didn't take long to find this website, and I started reading.
I read for several days, during any free time I had. It was very interesting, and a lot of different perspectives.
My perspective was that I needed a saw that might see many different kinds of work, but nothing with really big wood. I don't have much here with large trunks that are going to be taken down by me. But I may need to take down some 8"-10" stuff, do some limbing, and be ready for firewood season every year. So a general purpose mid-size saw was my direction.
And I'm an equipment nut, who likes high quality gear, and so I really wanted to get a good one, even if I could do with a regular consumer grade product. I just like good gear. I know that there are others on here who are like that too.
I soon found that there were only a few professional saw lines that were around, and each had its fans, who aren't too shy about cheerleading either!
I knew about Husqvarna and Stihl before, but this one name kept popping up that I hadn't heard about before, and that was Dolmar. It was always being mentioned in the Stihl and Husqvarna pro threads as being a contender with good value and price. You have all read those things many times here, so I don't have to go over it now. But the thing is that I got curious and studied this Dolmar product line here, and in the spec sheets and price sheets on the web, and it seemed that it was the professional contructed saw that was made in Germany that I could afford.
I read quite a bit about the Dolmars here, and learned about them, and I was almost settled on ordering a 420 or 421. So, I found a dealer about 40 miles from me, who was the closest one, and called him up, and he said that all he had was a 510 and a 5105 on the wall, but he could order the 421 if I wanted it. And so I drove over there today to just look at what Dolmar saws he had on the wall, to get a feel for them, and probably order a 421.
So, I get there, and I walk in, and I see the 2 Dolmars hanging on the wall. A little bit of dust on them. They had been there for a while.
I picked up the 5105 to see how it felt, and how the weight and size felt.
Then it hit me.
This slightly dusty 5105 had no sticker on it saying "Easy Start". I asked the owner if this was an Easy Start model. He said "No".
I realized that I had an early 5105 in my hands, with no Easy Start, and the non-limted coil, with the 14500 rpm range. It was brand new, and had never had a tank of gas in it. The price was in the $440 price range, and it had an 18" bar with 3/8" semi-chisel chain on it, and a bar scabbard on it.
I said, "I'll take it", and the owner called the service tech up to the desk, handed him the saw, and said "get it ready to go".
While he worked on that, I bought some PPE and some accessories at the desk.
I heard the saw running in the back room, and it was not really loud, but then I heard some zinging acceleration.
Then the tech came out with a smile on his face and said, "14300 rpm on the tach. She runs good".
I was happier than a pig in slop. I was grinning all the way home!
My first saw is an early 14500rpm Dolmar 5105 that tached 14300 on it's first run on dealer set-up and looks and feels like a dream.
I would never have even heard of these Dolmar saws if I hadn't searched around and found this site, and read the stuff that all of you have written here.
That made it possible for me to get a professionally constructed German-made hi-performance saw at a price that I could afford.
I want to thank you all very much for what you do for people that you don't even know are out here.
Just so you all know I've been reading a lot here, I want to tell Saw Troll that I think the 5105 feels very well balanced, and doesn't need a kickstand to keep it from falling over in my truck, like a 346 would! Ha! Just kidding!
Now, I can get ready to do some sawing on the week-end! It's going to be fun finding stuff to cut!
oke: at Saw Troll is a nice touch 
. 
