JustinM
Addicted to ArboristSite
So it's coming down to the MS290 OR the Dolmar 5100. I'll be leaning heavily toward the Dolmar if the guy will put a 20" B&C on it while beating the Stihl dealer price.
Stay tuned ....
If this is indeed your 2 saw race right now, I think you'll find 9 out of 10 guys telling you to go with the Dolmar (and I would be one of them too).
The 290 is a fine saw for what it does, but you are comparing a consumer grade stihl with a professional grade Dolmar.
A fairer fight would be the 290 vs a Dolmar 510 - and i think it would be a much closer battle, although the Dolmar would likely win that because of a better value. Up here, at least, the 5100 sells for the same as the 290 and the 510 actually sells for about $100+ less than either.
End of the day you probably wont be sorry with any of those, but I think you'll find the 5100/5105 has better power to weight, better anti vibe and overall better handling than the 290, for roughly the same $$$. The 'advantage' the stihl usually has is parts/dealer availability but if you've already got a good dolmar dealer then you're halfway there.
Good luck & tell us what you end up with!