New Chainsaw Question

[sixdogs]

To put my hands on a dolmar is almost a two hour drive. it's not out of the question but it would also mean if I needed a part I'm going for a ride or I'd have to order it on-line. Not a deal breaker but something to think about.

I'm only incidental in this thread with one earlier post but I have a couple more points regarding (Sachs) Dolmar. I used to live north of Bangor, Maine and dealt with a lot of woodcutters--mostly logging business owners--that cut a lot of wood and buy a lot of saws. Probably the most popular saw today in that market is Dolmar. I have owned several of them and would like to give that a vote. I'd also give a vote to Stihl because they start easy.
Husky saws used to be the saw but you don't see them as much anymore. See my earlier post. Their big saws may be different but if a guy is only cutting 10 or 20 cords a year they don't need a monster saw. It's too tiring and risky from fatigue. And it's not what people say so much as what they do and the saws in the mixed growth Maine woods are (Sachs) Dolmar and to a lesser degree, Stihl, which is a great saw. Some Husky, especially with older guys and Echo for limbing. Some Efco and Jonsered..

For me, I wanted a quality "pro" woods saw with no problems so I bought what I heard and saw the best things about. I don't cut much wood on the plains of Ohio now but I have my Dolmar 115 (15" bar -- typical smaller woods saw) and a small Stihl for pruning. Both start every time. In fact, the Dolmar sat for five years and started with a couple pulls. By the way, I only use high test gas and no ethanol.
These saws don't break like the old days and service really isn't an issue if you drain the fuel for winter. I run mine dry in the fall and when it's almost dry spray fogging oil in the gas tank. And if you need a repair, mail order is cheaper than mileage. Few good saws need repair with farm usage.
In Maine I bought from R D Faulkner in Brewer, Maine. They are a big distributor, import directly and do a big mail order business. Here's the Dolmar saw page with prices. RD Faulkner Corporation
Anyway, consider Dolmar. Good luck and wear safety equipment.

 

[Storm56]

I too and am late on this thread, but can heartily recommend the Dolmar/ Makita line. They converted me from Stihl. Also have a Jonsered that I like. For the present though, Stihl is off my list and I have owned their products for 27 years.

 

[LD1]

I am really starting to like all of these Dolmar/makita owners comming out of the wood work.

Usually I mention them in a saw thread on here and I think I just get ignored. No comments, no nothing. Everyone else just goes on recomending stihl and husky.

This thread is a bit refreshing.

Even around here locally, I am amazed at the "pros" that say they never heard of dolmar. Just this past week, Asplund tree trimmers were in my area doing the power lines. I got a chance to talk to several of the guys (there were 5 crews within 1/4 mile of my house). Out of about 7 that I talked to, Only one had even heard of them. And he said "I didn't know they were even still around".:confused2:

O well. even if they haven heard of dolmar, at least I got 8 loads of chips out of em.

 

[westbrooklawn]

IMHO this is a no brainer... the 372xp feels good in your hands... only you can vouch for that. As far as performance I can guarantee you it will cut as well as you could possibly want... If you can pick one up for $750 do it. They are a proven workhorse, and it will be the last saw you will ever need to buy. You will never regret your decision.

Husqvarna top end saws have always been good to me. I own a 30yr. old L65, an older 50, a 359, and a 365. They all perform exceptionally well. I have owned Husqvarna, Homelites, Echos, and Stihls. The Stihl would be my second choice, but the Husky is by far the winner.

 

[arrow]

Mof, if you end up with a 372, get one with a 28" bar if you will also be using it to limb. Its going to get heavy but at least your back will get a bit of a respite with the longer bar. Personally, I'd rather see you with a 357 or a similar variant from other companies. A 70 cc saw is not an all around saw for the occasional user especially that your job you described is one off as far as stem thickness. You need two saws with a 372 so if you were keeping your Echo for limbing and smaller work, that would work out better . If not, I'll stick with my above advice. Sure it can be done and arms can get used to just about anything if you do it steady enough, otherwise for what you are used to and how you describe yourself, a smaller saw or a combo plan will make you happier in the long run. A saw will feel lighter depending on its balance even if it is not. I've hefted many a saw that actually felt better with a longer bar which may have been what you were running into hefting other saws.

Dkrug.... A top handle saw is considered an aborist saw. It can be handled with one hand if you were on a ladder or cherry picker and needed to reach a limb you were pruning. They cut well but a good one is quite expensive and not an all arounder,as you might need. I don't like em without having the leverage advantage of a longer handle.

Someone earlier mentioned Husky is owned by Electrolux. Husky is no longer an Electrolux company. They are Husqvarna and with numerous other acquisitions, are now the largest outdoor power equipment supplier in the world

 

[picker77]

Santa left me a nice slim little 9-lb 16" Husky 435 under the tree this morning to go with my much-more-than-9-lb 28" 372XP, which I love to use but isn't much fun to limb with--at least not for long. I'm a happy camper now and my poor old back will appreciate it. This should make a nice little limb/trim saw--I might even put a 14" bar on it.

 

[Chilly807]

Mof, if you end up with a 372, get one with a 28" bar if you will also be using it to limb. Its going to get heavy but at least your back will get a bit of a respite with the longer bar. Personally, I'd rather see you with a 357 or a similar variant from other companies. A 70 cc saw is not an all around saw for the occasional user especially that your job you described is one off as far as stem thickness. You need two saws with a 372 so if you were keeping your Echo for limbing and smaller work, that would work out better . If not, I'll stick with my above advice. Sure it can be done and arms can get used to just about anything if you do it steady enough, otherwise for what you are used to and how you describe yourself, a smaller saw or a combo plan will make you happier in the long run. A saw will feel lighter depending on its balance even if it is not. I've hefted many a saw that actually felt better with a longer bar which may have been what you were running into hefting other saws.

My thoughts are much the same. I got my 044 Stihl because someone had bought two of them in parts at a yard sale. I paid $25 for two big boxes that had enough parts to build one saw. Cost me about $100 in bearings and seals, and it's a great saw. I never would have parted with almost $1000 for a 72 cc saw, I just don't need that kind of power every day, always found a way to make the smaller saws I had do the job in a bit more time. It's fun to use once in a while, that kind of acceleration and power puts a smile on my face. After about 10 minutes of limbing I shut 'er off and reach for the 242. If the 044 quit tomorrow I wouldn't replace it.

I'll say this, if you're only going to have one saw, a 372XP isn't a good choice, nor is an 044. It's a great saw to have when you have big wood in front of you.

Another thing to think about, any big saw can kick back hard, if you're tired to boot it's bad news.

My 2 :2cents:

Sean

 

[DieselnHooters]

got myself a brand new Shindaiwa 757 last month, 73.6 cc. on sale at half the price of the overpriced husky 372xp

my dealer carries both brands and steered me to it, he says the shind is better quality even disregarding the price tag

shindaiwa is popular up here and gaining market share and a slew of dealers

the burgeoning kubota of chainsaws

 

[gladehound]

I've owned or spent considerable time using a JD ~56cc, Echo ~56cc, Stihl MS290 (again 56.5cc), Stihl MS250 (~45cc) and a Dolmar 7900 (78.5cc). Each of these saws was the only saw I had when I was using them. Unless I'm going to climb, I'd take the 7900 every time. It may be a little heavier (esp. with the 28" bar) but when the job takes less than half as long, the weight seems like a non issue. Plus the vibration control is awesome. And I just love a 28" bar, perfect for cutting smaller stuff on the ground without bending over. If I had all of these saws at once, I would probably use the 7900, 95% of the time and the MS250 5% of the time (for climbing & overhead limbing) and never touch the others.

 

[dfkrug]

Dkrug.... A top handle saw is considered an aborist saw. It can be handled with one hand if you were on a ladder or cherry picker and needed to reach a limb you were pruning. They cut well but a good one is quite expensive and not an all arounder,as you might need. I don't like em without having the leverage advantage of a longer handle.

Yes, a top-handle saw is a tree-climber saw. I don't climb trees, but I
do climb slopes, many of them 100%, or 45-degrees. Light weight, and
easy starting is paramount. One handed use? Yes, occasionally. I also like
that the TH saws sometimes have lanyard attachments. (You can not
set a saw down on 100% slopes.)

As noted above, I have a big saw, too, but I never use that on slopes.

BTW, I am going to look at a Shindaiwa 377 tomorrow. It is lighter than
my Makita, which now must be fixed. I heard that Shindaiwa is part of
Echo now.