dolmar

coxy · March 08, 2018, 12:26:41 PM

are they any good or as good as a jonsered I'm looking in the 65-70cc range you guys can say a husky is the same but ill argue the point ;D never had crank bearing go out of a red saw i would still buy another but dealer became a real donkey and the next close one is 40miles away i was getting them from tsc but they went to husky

starmac · March 08, 2018, 12:47:04 PM

I tend to think they are a good saw, several of the loggers I worked with here tried them, and liked them, but they all went back to husky.
I ask a couple about it and they claimed they seemed great when new, but they didn't get the life out of them. This is second hand info, so take it for what it is.

Now, check the bearing numbers between the husky and the jonsered, if checking the sister saws, they will be the same.

Ianab · March 08, 2018, 01:34:48 PM

The 7901 is the model to get. The 64, 73 and 79 cc saws all share the same basic body, and weigh about the same. But naturally the 79cc version has the most power.

You may also find the same saw sold as a green Makita. (Makita own Dolmar)

I can't comment about their longevity as I don't use mine full time so I haven't worn it out. I just needed a saw to pull a 28" bar properly. It does that fine, and I have had no problems with the saw

mike_belben · March 08, 2018, 02:36:10 PM

Id say around 2008 i came into some easy money, so i bought my best friend the dolmar 7900 he'd been lusting for so long, as thanks for a lifetime of being able to count on him. It cuts around 10 cord of firewood annually and a lot of times thats noodling big HW rounds into quarters to hand load. He is not one to maintain things so ill say its had a somewhat hard life. It has needed nothing that i ever heard about.

I had the hood open once or twice for routine maintenance and did not curse it like a farmboss. Ive had a 395xp for just as long and they have both been interchangeable in terms of great saws, IMHO. The proliferation of parts is about all i could call a leg up by the husky.. Just that theyre dominant. Dolmar is lighter for sure. I had a 385xp that was a little closer in comparison but it was kinda hammered. Also was a good saw to me.

Note i have never owned any of stihls bigger flagship saws and tend to be hard on the brand from fixing so many clamshells, which i dislike. Stihl gave me a german engineering allergy that working on a dolmar did not set off, surprisingly. Maybe swedes infiltrated dolmar R&D

coxy · March 08, 2018, 04:14:23 PM

eeeerrrrrrrrrr just typed a long post and hit the wrong thing and lost it >:( >:( >:( well i didn't get the dolmar wasn't going to spend a grand on a 7900 no not going to happen wound up buying an orange saw against my better judgement but as for the red saw being the same bearing as the orange saw in my case no the orange saw has Teflon/plastic for the cage all the red saws i took that far down for other parts i seen a metal cage maybe there older don't know the dealer told me they have been having trouble with the bearings and husky told him there working on it :D he also told me its just not the pro saw its the home owner saws to he said in his experience with them its been extremely cold or extremely hot that's when hes sees the most trouble with bearing failure

starmac · March 08, 2018, 04:44:23 PM

I can't say about the older saws, but at least some of the new saws use all the same internal parts, they will interchange, the top covers and air cleaners have some differences, but even they will change. My dealer has one with the opposite cover on it as a display.
I can't say on the bearings having trouble. I keep hearing about it, but the loggers here are still running huskys, with no problems that I know of, and I doubt they get used much colder than here anywhere.

I do know of one husky a pro logger has that he did have trouble a couple of times, the dealer rebuilt it for him twice, then he just used it as a backup saw, It was not a popular saw at all up here and actually the only one I know of, I want to say it is a 385, but may be off on that. the last couple of years his son has been using it for a firewood saw, and so far so good, it may have just been a lemon when new.

coxy · March 08, 2018, 04:56:02 PM

a 385 or 394 it must be nice to be young they are heavy i had 2 394s when i was in my 20s but they went by by a long time ago ;D work smarter not harder :D jmop but everything made today is made of cheap junk and costs twice as much

mike_belben · March 08, 2018, 08:22:58 PM

No it costs the same as it always has. Its the money thats worth less.

Corley5 · March 08, 2018, 08:27:04 PM

Experimented with Dolmars once upon a time. The engines were great. Lots of power. The mounts were weak and were constantly breaking. Went back to Jonsereds.