Dolmar 5105

   / Dolmar 5105 #1  

chike

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Jul 19, 2010
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My 25 year old saw (Sachs-Dolmar 110) has finally died (actually, it still runs - I just have a hard time finding parts). Its the only saw I ever owned (gift from my wife) so have no other experience to compare it to. I have friends who swear by Stihl and a brother who swears by Huskies. I went to the dealer fully intending to buy one or the other. To my surprise he recommends the Dolmar 5105 ($435). He says its the equal to a $600 Husky or Stihl. He sells Huskies, Stihl, Dolmar, and a few others.
Does anyone know if they are that good? Could he be recommending it because he is the only Dolmar dealer around, and if people start hearing good things about them, he will have the market cornered. Does that make any sense? Any thoughts? Is it truly a good deal?
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #2  
Looks to be a good price to me and they are real screamers, just be sure after a few tanks of gas through it, get it tuned again with a tach. They turn a lot of RPMs and if too lean they can score a piston same as other screaming saws.
 
   / Dolmar 5105
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks Milkman.
Do you have experience with any of the other brands to compare it to? Is it as good as a Stihl or Husky?
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #4  
The 5105 is a really fast saw, I would consider it as a Pro level saw with the Stihl 260/026 and he Husky 346XP, although the Husky is faster than either the Stihl or the Dolmar, just because that's what I got.:D:D
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #5  
I have a neighbor that bought one 2 years ago and compared it to his brothers 034 stihl and he claimed it cut faster and had more power than the 034
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #6  
I have 3 Stihl saws and 3 Dolmars, although I do not have the 5105 model. I do have a 510 which is just a detuned 5105. The 5105 also has a magnesium crankcase which saves a few ounces on weight.

Bottom line is I prefer the Dolmars to the Stihls. The 5105 is a high performing screamer. As is customary, high performance does come with a price. The 5105 runs higher RPM and you have to watch your carb tuning a bit closer. Some that have not paid attention have paid the price of a burned up saw. If you are an occasional user the 510 may work better for you.

I have 1 Jonsered which is supposed to be the same as a Husky, no complaints on that saw either.
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #7  
I have a Makita DCS510, which is a Dolmar 5100, just blue instead of red. Great saw, I'm very pleased with it. I didn't have it long before I snipped off the limiter tabs on the carb screws to richen it up for proper running, EPA can kiss my can....I want this saw to last.:thumbsup:
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #8  
I just purchased a 5105, to complement my Husqvarna 455 Rancher. They both can take the same bar and chains, so I need less spare parts to keep. I run the 3/8" chain on an 18" bar on both.

The Dolmar weighs just over 11 pounds, where the Husky weighs over 13 pounds. The weight difference is notable. Also, the Dolmar has almost 4 HP vs. 3.2 HP on the Husky. This also makes a big difference. I like the power curve a lot better on the Dolmar.

Bad thing about it is that it has that stupid sprocket that roasts the chain the minute it gets thrown. I don't know what rocket scientist came up with that sprocket, but it drives me nuts. I just need to keep a close eye on it with the new chain, as it stretches fast.

Interesting info on the carb tuning. This is the first screamer saw I have had, and I didn't know that they were more sensitive.

One interesting tidbit - the dealer told me to only use super unleaded in the Dolmar saw. In the manual it specifically recommends 87 octane. I pretty much always defer to the manual over some redneck chainsaw dealer, but I would like to hear everyone's opinion.
 
   / Dolmar 5105 #9  
For a 50cc saw you can get a Husky 346XP for 500 clams. I don't think you could go wrong with this. You would be hard pressed to find anyone that has run one have a bad word to say about it.

I have not run the Dolmar5105 but its precursor (5100) was not without issues, although they have supposedly corrected some of these in the 5105.
 
   / Dolmar 5105
  • Thread Starter
#10  
The Dealer did say I should only run premium gas due to the ethenal stuff burning hotter. He said the previous models of this saw had an over heating problem. They apparently solved this with a bigger fan and more clearance.

The chains getting toasted sounds a bit troubling. Does this happen often?

Thanks to all for all the good info. At least now I have enough info to compare it to a Stihl or Husky.:)
 
 
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