Solo 650

[yeager31]

Hi All,

I'm new and looking to get a saw. I have ~ 5 acres that I will be working on as time is available. I want to get a quality saw, but obviiously don't need a sledge to drive a 16 penny.

Is the Solo 650 a quality saw @ $199.00 and do you think it would serve my purposes. Will be taking out mostly pines, but most of them are good sized.

Entry level pro saws are:

Husky 353
Dolmar?
Stihl?
John Deere?

Recommendations welcome.

Thanks,

Anthony

 

[TonyM]

The Solo 650 is in the same class as the Stihl MS250/025 and Husqvarna 350. It is a good quality saw, but has some compromises in construction that lend itself more to the heavy consumer/farm user more than the proffesional user. Mostly it is the plastic cranckases or crankcase bottoms, but other things like spur sprocket and plastic chain catcher built into the clutch cover are items that come to mind with the SOLO.

SOLO builds quality equipment. They have to in order to offer a 2 year warranty. The 650 is a far cry from a Poulan or McCulloch that you by at Wally World. The power to weight and dispacement you get from the 650 makes it pretty attractive at $200. It probably will not have as good of anti-vibe as the Husqvarna 350, and there is not much better than the Husqvarna air injection for keeping the filter clean, but other than that, I would put the 650 right in the hunt.

Standard features on Solo Saws: **High power-to-weight ratio **Nikasil, silicon carbide coated cylinders for durability **Anti-vibration system for comfort and reduced fatigue **Easy-start primer **Eco-matic oiling system - Delivers no oil at idle and increases delivery along with higher RPM. Fully adjustable too! **Finger-tip choke and throttle controls **ANSI safety features including chain brake, hand guards, chain catcher, throttle interlocks, and reduced kickback bars and chains. **CD Ignition **Automatic half throttle choke setting for starting ease **Compression release included on 636, 645 and 650 saws **Two piston rings on models 645, 650, 651, 662 and 694.

Check out SOLO USA site

The Solo 651 would be the model to compare against the Husqvarna 353 or Stihl MS260/026.

Dolmar builds only saws with magnesium crankcases. It is hard for Dolmar saws to compete pricewise with the middle of the road saws like the Stihl MS250/290/310/390, the lower end Husqvarnas 340/345/350, or the lower end Solos like the 650.

The Deere saws (CS series) are made by EFCO/EMAK in Italy. They are a pretty good saw. Magnesium cases, good power to weight, good warranty, but have sort of a cheap feel to them, and lack some of the modern ergonomic designs of Stihl and Husqvarna.

 

[pallis]

I put a piece of water hose on the plastic chain catcher and put a rim sprocket and clutch cover from a 651 on mine. In my opinion it's a better saw than my neighbor's 350 and not as good a saw as my Olympyk 951.

 

[TonyM]

The Deere saws are built by the same people that built Olympyk.

So what do you like better about the Solo 650 than the Husqvarna 350, and what makes the Olympyk the best of the three?

I'm not disagreeing, just curious.

 

[pallis]

My Solo out cuts my neighbor's 350, even when I sharpen both chains. It starts easier, usually by the second pull, and sometimes on the first. I know the 650 isn't a pro saw, but it is still high quality. My complaint is that Solo dropped the screw type chain tensioner and used the intenz bar. I called up Solo and they sent me a screw tensioner free of charge. My other complaint with mine is that it has a Bing carb that is harder and more expensive to get a kit for. My Olympyk is the same as the Oleo-Mac 951 F, and it is a pro saw. It came with the rim clutch and has a magnesium case. It is light, 50cc, runs fast and still has plenty of torque in a cut. I cut about fifteen or twenty cords of firewood a year, and when it's under fifteen inches, I go to the Olympyk. On larger stuff I use my 7900 with a twenty inch bar. The Solo gets used for limbing most of the time. Like I say, this is all just my opinion. I like the Italian saws and Dolmars. I bought the Solo on a whim. For the $199 the eBay guy is asking, the Solo is a great buy. Having explained, I confess I haven't used the Huskey much. I rebuilt the carb on it, changeed the bar and chain, tuned it up and played with it some. To me it cuts on a par with my little Jonsered 525 that's retired. Hope this helps.

 

[TonyM]

For $199, I'm tempted to buy one of those Solo 650s. I can't even buy them for that from my distributor, not by a long ways.

Sounds like the 650 is a good cutting saw. I've always liked my Solo 651 Pro. I was just out ripping some Locust chunks with it. With a few mods and some square chisel, there isn't much at 50cc that will touch it.