shallowwatersailor 3,213 #1 Posted February 23, 2014 I made my decision yesterday on my new chainsaw with a 20" bar. Although I have bought Stihl products for the last few years, after reading other forums specific to timber I decided to buy a Dolmar. I had initially thought of the next model up from what I bought which is their PS-6400. The Dolmar dealer, after lengthy discussion, led me to rethink my actual needs. I rarely fell a tree (I have large trees and will go to a pro for that) so do more limbing and bucking. The Stihl MS 261 C-M was what I compared the Dolmar PS-5105 to. To start, the Stihl was $180.00 more than the Dolmar. The horsepower is lower on the Stihl by .15 and the Dolmar's weight is .3 pounds heavier. The Dolmar is easier to maintain the top end as the cover is one piece covering the filter and cylinder head. This Dolmar model also has a one-touch lever by the right thumb similar to the Stihl. This last item is actually better than the Stihl as "Stop" is actually a downward movement. Both can take a 20" bar. Bottom line though is that the Dolmar has nice balance and "feels" right to me. So I bought the PS-5105. This is considered a "Pro" saw as the crankcase is made from magnesium instead of aluminum. This lightens the saw (powerhead) by .4 pounds and has an increase of .6 horsepower over their PS-510. Later on into the two-year warranty and just to make sure that there are no problems, I plan on replacing the muffler with a non-cat type plus doing some port work as well. That should bump the performance a bit more. It also helps that it is red and the dome is black! I plan on using it today. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,937 #2 Posted February 23, 2014 Congrats, nice lookin' machine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KC9KAS 4,741 #3 Posted February 23, 2014 Nice looking saw. I have never heard of DOLMAR, but I am not in the market for a saw, therefore not active looking at them. I have had a Stihl 028 with 20" bar for 25+ years, but do not use it very often. The ex got the fireplace, and I got the saw! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chazm 412 #4 Posted February 23, 2014 Looks like there's room for a decal on the one side. Good looking machine 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SgtBob 27 #5 Posted February 23, 2014 I have been looking at saws lately and have also looked at Dolmar. I thought they offer a lot better saw for the money than some of the other brand names and it is great to hear you thoughts are similar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shallowwatersailor 3,213 #6 Posted February 23, 2014 Just got finished clearing away the rest of the problem trunk. It was on a slope and I needed to make sure I had sound footing with each cut because there is quite a bit of weight involved. The Dolmar was great for being a new saw out of the box and had plenty of power. My "real" Blackhood also helped out, and then a shot of 2/3rds of my timber arsenal. This should all be nicely seasoned for next fall. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,967 #7 Posted February 24, 2014 A bit of trivia for you Dolmar fans. A gentleman by the name of Emil Lerp, the founder of Dolmar, developed the worlds first gasoline engine powered chainsaw in 1927. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C-101plowerpower 1,589 #8 Posted February 25, 2014 nice saw, mate of mine has an old dolmar and that thing is a absolute beast! 30" blade big spikes at the machine for gripping the tree Koen 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #9 Posted February 26, 2014 I'm a Stihll guy (and Vintage Homelite) chain saw guy myself but I must admit, that looks like a pretty nice saw you got there and I wouldn't mind trying one out. Be safe in your tree work... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oaktown1987 82 #10 Posted February 28, 2014 It was originally Sachs dolmar Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shallowwatersailor 3,213 #11 Posted March 1, 2014 It was originally Sachs dolmar Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk And they were yellow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites