Modifying a case for a dolmar makita 6400-7901

[buckwasp]

Hello everyone. In case some of you read my post from a few weeks ago...I had lost a shindaiwa 490 and a makita 6401 out of the back of my truck on a major highway. 6 days later after putting out signs and checking craigs list and police departments I got a phone call from a guy letting me know he had seen my signs and had my saws! Talk about making a guys day! I met with him that night and gave him a $100 dollar reward for what would have been a thousand dollars worth of new saws, cases, bar oil, plugs, plug wrenches, extra chains and files. Both saw came out of the back of my dodge onto the highway and suffered absolutely no damage what so ever. This is in part due to both saws being in cases and having the bar/chain covers on them.

Anyways...I "think" there was past confusion on the question if a dolmar/makita 6400+ would fit in a standard chainsaw box. The answer is yes, but not without a little carving. The box I used for my makita 6401 is a shindaiwa box. The exact same size that came with my 490. This box "I believe" is used for husqvarnas and echos and probably unbranded boxes that employ this same design. I don't have time to do any step by step pics or draw out the modifications I made via 4 inch grinder and razor knife, but I think you should get the idea from the pics. The boxes are double walled and only one of the walls needs to be modified. The chain brake does need to be activated or pushed forward to properly fit. The pics show my saw before the h.d. filter, but it still fits with the h.d. filter/cover installed. I believe if I did this correctly there will be 4 pics of the mods on this post and I will shoot one more post with the saw in the box. The other mods I need to make are scribing my name and number into the boxes (wish I would have done that before they came out of my truck and took 30 years off of my life) and to make some mods to properly hold screnches, plugs, files etc etc. I don't lock the boxes and usually put a scrench through the lock hole in order to keep a scrench handy. Hopefully this isn't redundant and helps a few guys out there.

Buck

P.S. Thanks to everyone who posted their sympathy and generous offers to help me out during my 6 day long chrisis. Also thanks for the wealth of info on mods to all saws, but especially the makita/dolmars. I have the 7900 p&c in my garage awaiting a port job by myself. I'm still trying to make sure I have all necessary info gathered before I start filing and grinding.

 

[buckwasp]

pics of the makita 6401 in it's case or " box "

This is the other two pics:

Hello everyone. In case some of you read my post from a few weeks ago...I had lost a shindaiwa 490 and a makita 6401 out of the back of my truck on a major highway. 6 days later after putting out signs and checking craigs list and police departments I got a phone call from a guy letting me know he had seen my signs and had my saws! Talk about making a guys day! I met with him that night and gave him a $100 dollar reward for what would have been a thousand dollars worth of new saws, cases, bar oil, plugs, plug wrenches, extra chains and files. Both saw came out of the back of my dodge onto the highway and suffered absolutely no damage what so ever. This is in part due to both saws being in cases and having the bar/chain covers on them.

Anyways...I "think" there was past confusion on the question if a dolmar/makita 6400+ would fit in a standard chainsaw box. The answer is yes, but not without a little carving. The box I used for my makita 6401 is a shindaiwa box. The exact same size that came with my 490. This box "I believe" is used for husqvarnas and echos and probably unbranded boxes that employ this same design. I don't have time to do any step by step pics or draw out the modifications I made via 4 inch grinder and razor knife, but I think you should get the idea from the pics. The boxes are double walled and only one of the walls needs to be modified. The chain brake does need to be activated or pushed forward to properly fit. The pics show my saw before the h.d. filter, but it still fits with the h.d. filter/cover installed. I believe if I did this correctly there will be 4 pics of the mods on this post and I will shoot one more post with the saw in the box. The other mods I need to make are scribing my name and number into the boxes (wish I would have done that before they came out of my truck and took 30 years off of my life) and to make some mods to properly hold screnches, plugs, files etc etc. I don't lock the boxes and usually put a scrench through the lock hole in order to keep a scrench handy. Hopefully this isn't redundant and helps a few guys out there.

Buck

P.S. Thanks to everyone who posted their sympathy and generous offers to help me out during my 6 day long chrisis. Also thanks for the wealth of info on mods to all saws, but especially the makita/dolmars. I have the 7900 p&c in my garage awaiting a port job by myself. I'm still trying to make sure I have all necessary info gathered before I start filing and grinding.[/QUOTE]

 

[warjohn]

I missed the post telling us you got your saws back. Congratulations, You are a lucky man.

 

[buckwasp]

first post since getting my saws back

Hey warjohn....this is my first post since getting them back. I had been a little busy to post that I had got the saws back and too busy to get these pics posted til now. My dad felt sorry for me while the saws were still missing and picked up a home depot makita for $150 in pretty good condition. After getting mine back he said he was going to keep the makita for himself! LOL. I put a 24" dolmar bar and 84 links oregon 72lgx and he is loving life.

Buck

I missed the post telling us you got your saws back. Congratulations, You are a lucky man.

 

[luvsaws]

:biggrinbounce2: Congrats on the recovery!

Sure is nice to see their is still some honest people out there!!


the case mod,great pics

 

[tdi-rick]

Well done !

Having measured one of those boxes years ago I would have thought you'd have no chance of fitting the Dolly/Makita in the Husky/Shinny case. I might have to re-evaluate the custom HD canvas bag I was going to get made.

 

[Kemper]

Glad you got your saws back!

The case looks good too..

 

[Nemus Talea]

Congrats on getting your saws back. Don't bother buying lottery tickets for a while, you just expelled a great deal of good luck.

+1 on Dolmars fitting in Powerboxes - I didn't cut mine to fit though. I used a heat gun. Made the plastic in the tight places a little gooey and squeezed it shut. "Ta-da!" Perfect fit. (Brake engaged, as you said.) A hairdryer might work too.

A Husky 385/390 might fit, but even with the brake engaged, it might be too tall.

I was once a guy who thought saw cases were for lace undie wearing suburbanites. Then, 20 years ago, a dealer threw a case in on a Husky 55. To this day people who know how much I have used this saw are surprised by its good condition. Saws are protected from heavy tools like axes, cant hooks and climbers being blindly dumped on them in a truck bed. Less UV fading. No water and mud slopped on it when in the ATV trailer. No broken brake levers, air cleaner covers, controls as a wood load shifts. When sitting on a customers lawn their dog whizzes on the case not the saw. Etc...

Saws take a beating in use whether up in a tree or limbing firewood but it seems many saw "tragedies" occur in transport.

Cases are bulky PITAs but remember its all crumple zone. The bigger silhouette makes them more likely to be seen in poor light and not be driven over or forgotten.

My brother in law needs a case for his 660. Too long, tall and more than 2" too wide for a Powerbox. A medium size beverage cooler may do.

 

[iowa]

Glad you got them back!! That's great to hear. What major hyw was it?

 

[oldsaw]

Congrats on getting your saws back. Don't bother buying lottery tickets for a while, you just expelled a great deal of good luck.

+1 on Dolmars fitting in Powerboxes - I didn't cut mine to fit though. I used a heat gun. Made the plastic in the tight places a little gooey and squeezed it shut. "Ta-da!" Perfect fit. (Brake engaged, as you said.) A hairdryer might work too.

A Husky 385/390 might fit, but even with the brake engaged, it might be too tall.

I was once a guy who thought saw cases were for lace undie wearing suburbanites. Then, 20 years ago, a dealer threw a case in on a Husky 55. To this day people who know how much I have used this saw are surprised by its good condition. Saws are protected from heavy tools like axes, cant hooks and climbers being blindly dumped on them in a truck bed. Less UV fading. No water and mud slopped on it when in the ATV trailer. No broken brake levers, air cleaner covers, controls as a wood load shifts. When sitting on a customers lawn their dog whizzes on the case not the saw. Etc...

Saws take a beating in use whether up in a tree or limbing firewood but it seems many saw "tragedies" occur in transport.

Cases are bulky PITAs but remember its all crumple zone. The bigger silhouette makes them more likely to be seen in poor light and not be driven over or forgotten.

My brother in law needs a case for his 660. Too long, tall and more than 2" too wide for a Powerbox. A medium size beverage cooler may do.

Use the rubbermaid two piece totes. I've got one my 066 fits into quite nicely. A bit of padding/organized storage is possible, but it doesn't slide around much. Seals up well. I'm going to cut a plywood bottom for it so I can transport it to the farm and not have the wife complain about fumes.

 

[warjohn]

The weekend you lost your saws my son was traveling to Indianapolis. Between the 2 of us we called over 90 home depots between here and Indy with no luck. Our local Home Depot did put 2 up for sale so he got his second and I got one for myself. He has one with the 84cc kit on it but it won't cut with his 7900.

 

[buckwasp]

h.d. makita's

Warjohn....I remember you saying you did a bunch of calling with out any good luck. I called every h.d. in St. Louis County and then some and finally I found one in St. Louis that gave me a "maybe". He told me to wait a few days and then call back. I told the ole man about the conversation and he stopped by there the next day. They had a 6401 in good working order. They told him $187 at first and then said sorry...it's $197. My dad told him of my situation and the guy from h.d. remembered talking to me and said "I'll tell you what....how about $150 and I'll throw in a new chain and spark plug. My dad said "sold" and brought it home. That was on a Wednesday evening. That next morning was when I got the call that the guy had my saws. My dad was happy that I got my saws back, but was even more happy that he got to keep the 6401 for himself. He has an old burnt up 034 av super and currently runs a John Deere cs56. He said the 6401 is one of the best running saws he's ever used and now owns....lol. My 6401 is wearing the h.d. air filter right now and will be running a 7900 p&c very soon. I'm excited to get it up and running. The stock 64 is probably all I need. I've been running it with a 28" b&c and it still pulls pretty damn good. I've had it buried in some fallen oak and hickory and it pulls just fine. Can't lean into it, but you could theoretically hold it with one hand and let the weight of the saw it eats way through. So anyways...that's my story. Have a good one.

Buck

The weekend you lost your saws my son was traveling to Indianapolis. Between the 2 of us we called over 90 home depots between here and Indy with no luck. Our local Home Depot did put 2 up for sale so he got his second and I got one for myself. He has one with the 84cc kit on it but it won't cut with his 7900.

 

[tdi-rick]

Following on from this excellent thread I acquired a Husky Powerbox but have waited a few weeks while I fabbed some new dogs.
Bounty Hunter's recent thread on fitting a 660 into one galvanised me into action, so here's another Dolkita in a Powerbox without cutting.

Judicious use of the heat gun, re Nemus Talea's post above and it even fits with the new big spikes.
I have some crazy foam (expanding urethane foam in a can) in the truck, so may even inject some of that into the walls for some added strength.

While it looks a little warped around the spikes, everything closes and fits, including the scabbard.