Any one blow up their Dolmar PS5100 yet?

[peter nap]

Stupid question I guess....but how do you tell when it's adjusted right.
I run 32:1 in both my dolmars, one on an Alaskan and haven't noticed any problems. Don't want any either.

[weimedog]

I'm glad I found this posting...I'm about to buy a 50cc saw and after over analysis came to the conclusion those little Dolmar's (5100's) win the spec sheet wars.

BUT this is primarily for my bride and will be used for cleaning fence/hedge rows, tops and small trees.
She also does a fair amount of carpentry work where part throttle operation is the norm.

I have been talked out of the "Consumer" grade Stihl's over at the other site and boiled down to the Dolmar and new echo CS-530 ....should I reconsider my origional first choice? The Stihl MS250? How about the MS-250 Easy start?

Does the fact that a LOT of the work to be done with this saw selection is, in fact; part throttle and brush work take the Dolamr out of the best choice column?

[ladylake]

I don't think running it at part throttle burnt it up, if your running part throttle it's on small stuff that might take a second or two to cut. Running lean on long hard pulls is what burns them up.   Steve

[RSteiner]

Does the fact that a LOT of the work to be done with this saw selection is, in fact; part throttle and brush work take the Dolamr out of the best choice column?
[/quote]

I have done a lot of brush clearing with my PS5100.  Actually for brush work I want a saw that will rev up quickly and cut the stems rather than pull the saw with a slower moving chain.  Last Saturday I helped a farmer friend cut brush and small trees along the edge of one of his fields.  I used the Dolmar for about 6 hours.  Rarely did the saw run at full throttle for any more than a couple of seconds on the small stuff.

I find it a great saw to use for both brush and larger trees.

Randy

[SawTroll]

Yes, more oil will make the fuel to air mixture leaner!   ;)

I don't understand how the air to fuel ratio changes when the oil to fuel ratio is changed.   ???

I guess I assumed that the oil and gas together became fuel and that the carb adjustments determined the richness or leanness of the air to fuel ratio.  I can understand that the detenation charasteristics of the oil fuel mixture may change a bit as the oil to fuel mix ratio changes.

So, should the carb be readjusted to run a little richer if the oil to fuel mix is changed from 50 to 1 to 40 to 1?

Randy

Yes, at least in theory, as more oil means less fuel......

[TexasTimbers]

Mine didn't blow, but this last Sunday my wife and I were in the midst of the largest full scale boxelder harvest we have ever undertaken. We put our saws, our loader and equipment, or chain sharpener even, all of it was pushed to the limit and even abused. Especially our bodies.

Everything held up except the 5100. Have no idea what is the problem but all at once while limbing with it, it died suddenly. I figured what the heck we don;'t have time for precautions and I am not walking through all this brush for another saw I pulled the cord and she purred like a kitten. Pulled the throttle to go at it again and she died dead as heck. Pulled the cord again and let her idle for 30 seconds or so and all was fine. Revved her up again - bogged down this time and died.

Long story short she won't run WOT. Idles fine. later that night back at the shop I palyed with her on the L snd H throttle settings but to no effect. Of course I made sure the filter wasn't clogged, changed the fuel even though I knew that wasn;t it. Can't figure it out.

I'll take her back to Raymond and let him check her out. Seems liek a lot of problems with these 5100s maybe. Hope I don't have to break down and get a 346xp sooner than I was planning. That would absolutely break my heart. ;D

[SawTroll]

Mine didn't blow, but this last Sunday my wife and I were in the midst of the largest full scale boxelder harvest we have ever undertaken. We put our saws, our loader and equipment, or chain sharpener even, all of it was pushed to the limit and even abused. Especially our bodies.

Everything held up except the 5100. Have no idea what is the problem but all at once while limbing with it, it died suddenly. I figured what the heck we don;'t have time for precautions and I am not walking through all this brush for another saw I pulled the cord and she purred like a kitten. Pulled the throttle to go at it again and she died dead as heck. Pulled the cord again and let her idle for 30 seconds or so and all was fine. Revved her up again - bogged down this time and died.

Long story short she won't run WOT. Idles fine. later that night back at the shop I palyed with her on the L snd H throttle settings but to no effect. Of course I made sure the filter wasn't clogged, changed the fuel even though I knew that wasn;t it. Can't figure it out.

I'll take her back to Raymond and let him check her out. Seems liek a lot of problems with these 5100s maybe. Hope I don't have to break down and get a 346xp sooner than I was planning. That would absolutely break my heart. ;D

When was that 5100S made?

..there was an important update nov '06 or so.... ;)

[TexasTimbers]

She's an '08 model.

[Max sawdust]

TT,
Keep me abreast on the resolution with your saw.  Not sure when mine was made, but I bought mine that I had a problem with 11-07. Glad I smoked it in 10-08, lower crank and the whole works gone : WARRANTY CLAIM!

Dolmar and my dealer are awesome, new saw in my hands.  ;D  Not sure what happened with TT's saw but I liked the saw for felling and limbing, working it hard with 4-6  tanks a many days of the year, before I started ripping laterals with partial and full throttle on log work.

346xp is a nice saw, lasts for a few years with continuous use.  (Home owners and guys cutting a couple dozen trees a year for firewood I suspect the saw would last a very long time..)  Personally feel the 346xp is a little less troublesome than the 5100.  (ie starts hot or cold and idles well at all temps..))
max

[snowman]

Texastimbers said he cleaned filter and changed gas, didn't say which filter though, gas or air. I had same thing happen with my little dolmar and it was a clogged air filter.I have never had a saw refuse to rev from a clogged air filter before, sumpin new for me.I still like this dang little saw but she sure is a finiky thing.

[TexasTimbers]

snowman, I cleaned the air filter but did not pull the gas filter out of the tank (I assume that's where it is). The air filter was about 70% covered so i figured that might be it, but to no avail. I still have not got this saw dropped off to my shop and he is about 4 minutes away. :

[snowman]

After my coffee kicked in i gave a Homer Simpson DOOOH! As far as I know you can't clean a fuel filter. Anyway, yes its in fuel tank on end of a rubber hose that you can snag with a bent wire or sometimes just turn saw over and shake. Easy to replace and relatively cheap.

[weimedog]

Sounds like this saw needs a few years of time and upgrades before its ready to compete with Stilhs, Echo's, and PRo Husky's.

[Rocky_J]

No, it sounds like a carb problem. And Dolmar uses the exact same cheap Zama carbs as Husky and Stihl.

And EVERY problem seems like a big deal until after it's fixed and you (sorta) understand what happened and why. Until then, it's always "oh, the saw is no good, better stick with the pro brands".  :

[TexasTimbers]

Raymond wasn't there a couple weeks ago when I picked it up. The tech said he didn't do anything major to it. Didn't write up a ticket but said he didn't know exactly what. I need to stop by again and pay for the new chain he put on it anyway (didn't make a ticket for that either) so I'll ask him.

It's running fine but I have a feeling I shoul dhave gone with the 346xp. I am going to ask raymond if he will order one for me. He doesn't like selling saws anymore but probably will for me. I think.

I am not "unhappy" with the Dolmar yet, just hate to have problems with a brand new saw. I have never had any serious issues with my Husky's and only one with Stihl. So I may have to gravitate back toward orange and light orange.

[Max sawdust]

Update on replacement PS5100 saw:
Runs fine, using it for firewood and wood lot clean up.  Got to thinking, it could be that the failure on 30 foot ripping cuts could be the fact that the saw is a high RPM (14,500) saw, and ANY high RPM 50cc class saw would have a problem with big long ripping cuts.  With that said.. I went and bought a Husky 372XP for ripping laterals in log work.  (It is a proven saw for log work.)

The PS5100 is a fine general woodlot saw that has a couple of nicer features than the 346XP. (I like the sprocket and the fact that the 5100 runs 3/8 pitch chain instead of .325 chain)  I do feel the 346xp was more "even tempered" and started a little easier when some warmer than cold.  Again, for me dealer support  is important and I have a great dealer for the Dolmar.

[ladylake]

Any saw should be set richer for 30' ripping cuts including you 372

[SawTroll]

[RSteiner link=topic=33665.msg492554#msg492554 date=1226945469]


I have done a lot of brush clearing with my PS5100.  Actually for brush work I want a saw that will rev up quickly and cut the stems rather than pull the saw with a slower moving chain.  Last Saturday I helped a farmer friend cut brush and small trees along the edge of one of his fields.  I used the Dolmar for about 6 hours.  Rarely did the saw run at full throttle for any more than a couple of seconds on the small stuff.

I find it a great saw to use for both brush and larger trees.

Randy
[/quote]

If you want fast accelleration, get the 346xp, it revs up much faster than the 5100 - but don't run it on part throttle - "blipping" is the right way on small twigs.     ;)

[John Mc]

If you want fast accelleration, get the 346xp, it revs up much faster than the 5100 - but don't run it on part throttle - "blipping" is the right way on small twigs.     ;)

Saw Troll -  I've heard that statement about not running part throttle a few times now. I do try to follow that recommendation. Just curious why that is. What does part throttle operation do to a saw? I assume it's got something to do with the mixture being incorrect at part throttle, but doesn't the reduced power output offer some protection?

Is it still a problem if you run part throttle when not under load? I've got one saw that's a bit cold blooded. In cold weather, when first started it dies if I let it come back to idle. If I run it at part throttle for a minute or so it's usually OK. I don't like to rev it way up when cold, but I'm wondering if this type of part throttle operation is a problem.

John Mc

[beenthere]

John Mc
I've a friend that I sometimes cut with, and he is a "part throttle" cutter. I often thought it was why he has so much clutch trouble. Seems at part throttle, the chain bites and catches a lot. Seems he doesn't have engine problems. Running a Stihl, 028.

[Tom]

I've been told that it is the chain speed that is important more than the engine RPM's.  The saw is designed to drive the chain at the proper RPM for efficiency.

Reving a chainsaw to its designed limits,unloaded,isn't supposed to hurt them.  As a matter of fact, it's a way to determine if the oiler is functioning properly.  Reving one to its designed limits, under load, is the proper way to use one.

I don't really know, just reiterating what I've heard.  I've always been more suspect of someone who continually "gooses" the throttle.  That can't be good on any engine.  I don't know why folks do it.  They do it with motorcycles too.  Most seem to have gotten away from the habit when driving cars and trucks, except for some drivers in big trucks.

[TexasTimbers]

I have a buddy who works for Clark Forklift who told me not to "work" my skid steer at low RPM's. Daid it was hard on the hydrostatic pump, among other engine vitals. Said it was cool to let it idle sitting, or to "half-idle traverse" as long as it isn't doing work or using hydraulics. Maybe putting a load on any type of combustion engine is not a good idea, under most circumstances.

I have never goosed my engines, but I sneak up behind my wife every now and then and goose her in the sides with my index fingers while simultaneously making a loud quacking sound. She pretends to dislike it, but i know it is just an act. The slaps to the cheek sting a little when they connect though.

One time she was taking out the Thanksgiving dinner. What I discovered was, if you goose the chick who is removing the turkey, you better duck or it could be your swan song.

I had to eat crow that year, and it was a very unpheasant experience.

[John Mc]

Where I got the mixture assumption from was hearing someone say that most chainsaws are set up to run with a good mixture at idle and at full throttle. They also claimed that in between those two extremes, the mixture could be off (too lean). It did not make a lot of sense to me, since I thought that was what a carb was for... blending fuel into the airstream in the right proportions, regardless of throttle setting. I figured maybe a chainsaw cab was just a little different - optimized for full throttle operation.

I was aware of the chain speed issue (always fun to watch someone in the level 1 Game of Logging class try to bore cut "carefully" at part throttle the first few times they do it. In this case, what they think is being careful is actually what's causing them problems).

John Mc

[pallis]

I bought a modded 5100 that had been run with a pipe for awhile, opened up the muffler, had to rebuild the carb and fool with the intake to make it quit leaking, but it was worth the effort.  I run 32/1 mix, in all my other saws, and this 5100 runs great, better than great.  I've never blown up or burned up a saw, and I hope this amazing little jewel doesn't change that.

[RSteiner]

The part throttle thing has me wondering just what "part throttle" is.  I bought my first chainsaw in 1976 a Mini-Mac 25 followed the next year by a Mac 10-10.  Since then there have been a couple of Stihl's, two Sachs Dolmars, and a couple of Husky's, and now the Dolmar 5100.

I have run all the saws basically the same way and have not "blown" one up, yet.  Some of them just plain wore out, especially the Mac's after about 5 or 6 years of moderate use.  One Dolmar had to be retired because parts were no longer available for the ignition.  The Stihl's and the Husky's are still in running condition.

That said, there are times when I run the throttle full open as well as there are times when I may run them with the throttle just under full open without bogging down or lugging the saw.  I think the problem with running at half throttle would be one of engine cooling as the flywheel is not moving as much air across the jug and the load on the saw would cause it to run hotter.  More RPM more air flow to cool the engine.

Just a theroy at this point. 

Randy