# Does Anyone Own a SOLO chainsaw or Have Opinions on Them?



## max2cam (May 12, 2003)

I rolled the dice and sprung for one of those "refurbished" SOLO 690 (90cc) chainsaws for milling purposes (lots of big red pine).

While I'm waiting for the unit I'd appreciate hearing any experiences, second-hand stories, rumors, or opinions on this brand of saw. Need not be the big 690 model, but any of them and how they shape up compared to Stihl and Husky. 

I already know that this is a discontinued model, and that there aren't many SOLO dealers around, but since I usually shun dealers anyway and do my own work, I accepted that potential headache.

When I get the unit running and test it on a big jackpine log, I will post a full account of my own findings. Being a "thrifty" person and in need of a BIG saw to mill with, I couldn't pass up this "refurbed" (actually demo/used) 90cc German-made red and black bargain for $449.

It would be interesting to hear what you other guys know or think, or think you know....


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## jokers (May 12, 2003)

Solo is a respectable name brand. My experience with them is limited to the 647 and 654 which are built on the same platform. Not super high performers but well made. I`m not sure if you got one of the 690s that I saw listed as refurbed, but the ones I saw were actually being marketed as such to go through the back door on epa regs from what I understand, FWIW. The 690 is reputed to be a very high quality saw with good power. Sounds like just the ticket for your mill.

Russ


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## Marky Mark (May 12, 2003)

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6731&highlight=solo


This Might Help,


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## rahtreelimbs (May 12, 2003)

I currently run a Solo 633 and 690. Really like them both. The 690 in particular is a fine saw. Loads of low end grunt. I run a 32" bar with 3/8 full comp. chain. 


Any further questions feel free to inquire.


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## tony marks (May 13, 2003)

yep my 634 is the first i pick up for quick stuff. had a bigger one ,that i adjusted too lean . it went poof. seem like well made tools .


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## racereric (May 13, 2003)

I've got a Solo 667 "Ebay special". Taking into account it probably never saw anything close to proper maintenance and still runs well, says a lot about how well they are designed. It won't hang with a 372xp but it's a good solid 70cc saw. Eric O.


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## max2cam (May 13, 2003)

*Refurbished or Just Plain Used?*



> _Originally posted by jokers _
> *Solo is a respectable name brand. My experience with them is limited to the 647 and 654 which are built on the same platform. Not super high performers but well made. I`m not sure if you got one of the 690s that I saw listed as refurbed, but the ones I saw were actually being marketed as such to go through the back door on epa regs from what I understand, FWIW. The 690 is reputed to be a very high quality saw with good power. Sounds like just the ticket for your mill.
> 
> Russ *



Glad to hear the positive comments.

The SOLO 690 I ordered is almost certainly from the same "refurbished" bunch you mentioned and that came from an online outfit in Penn. When I spoke to the guy there he swore up and down that SOLO actually "refurbishes" the units and brings them to like new condition with a 2 year warranty.

But later I spoke to the tech guy at SOLO and he explained it a little differently. While the 2 year warranty is true, they don't actually go over the saw and replace any part that looks scratched etc. What he said they do is check the compression and tune the carb -- that's it. They don't even change the plug if it runs and tunes okay. They are most likely demo saws used at trade shows, etc. They do come with a new bar and chain.


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## hadesfarm (Sep 27, 2011)

*i owned a Solo piece of junk!*

i bought a solo 656 and it worked 6 times, i smashed it, smashed it into an oblivion, if you want picks of this cheap piece nof german made crap let me know! this was my third, the first one lasted a week before they replaced it, the second i still nhave but its junk and only works when it wants to. the third i SMASHED it!!! smashed it real good, worth 800 dollars to!! but i rather smash it then give those germans another nickel for junk!!!!! don't buy one and tell all your friends, there service sucks real bad too!!! real sticklers for anything, their machines can't even cut friggin wood!!!! don't buy it!!!!!! you'll have so much wasted time, all i wanted to do today was cut 5 logs!!! thats it! and they are still sitting there, and i have a smashed chainsaw, will send pics ...looks good on therm!!!!














max2cam said:


> I rolled the dice and sprung for one of those "refurbished" SOLO 690 (90cc) chainsaws for milling purposes (lots of big red pine).
> 
> While I'm waiting for the unit I'd appreciate hearing any experiences, second-hand stories, rumors, or opinions on this brand of saw. Need not be the big 690 model, but any of them and how they shape up compared to Stihl and Husky.
> 
> ...


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## JimmyT (Sep 27, 2011)

I've the baby solo 643IP and really like it for small stuff.


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## Guido Salvage (Sep 27, 2011)

You do realize that you are replying to an 8 year old thread....?


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## JimmyT (Sep 27, 2011)

Guido Salvage said:


> You do realize that you are replying to an 8 year old thread....?


 
Yep, I needed the brownie point.


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## s219 (Sep 27, 2011)

hadesfarm said:


> i bought a solo 656 and it worked 6 times, i smashed it, smashed it into an oblivion, if you want picks of this cheap piece nof german made crap let me know! this was my third, the first one lasted a week before they replaced it, the second i still nhave but its junk and only works when it wants to. the third i SMASHED it!!! smashed it real good, worth 800 dollars to!! but i rather smash it then give those germans another nickel for junk!!!!! don't buy one and tell all your friends, there service sucks real bad too!!! real sticklers for anything, their machines can't even cut friggin wood!!!! don't buy it!!!!!! you'll have so much wasted time, all i wanted to do today was cut 5 logs!!! thats it! and they are still sitting there, and i have a smashed chainsaw, will send pics ...looks good on therm!!!!


 
Damn, that's one way to resurrect an 8 year old thread. I think you should probably use more exclamation points next time.


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## Guido Salvage (Sep 27, 2011)

s219 said:


> Damn, that's one way to resurrect an 8 year old thread. I think you should probably use more exclamation points next time.



Some capitalization, proper punctuation, sentence structure and utilization of a spell checker would probably make it understandable. My head spins when I see gibberish like this and I do not subject my brain to the task of trying to make any sense out of it.


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## JRepairsK70e (Sep 27, 2011)

not to mention his obvious anger management issues ay jk


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## racereric (Sep 29, 2011)

Shame. It was probably a good saw untill he got a hold of it. He probably doesn't know it needs premix. Straight gas and no maintenance tend to give those results.


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## Chris-PA (Sep 29, 2011)

Guido Salvage said:


> Some capitalization, proper punctuation, sentence structure and utilization of a spell checker would probably make it understandable. My head spins when I see gibberish like this and I do not subject my brain to the task of trying to make any sense out of it.


In this case, I don't think it would have been a help. There wasn't actually any sense to be made out of it.


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## Walker hindsman (Apr 24, 2018)

It’s time to bring this tread back to life. Another 7 years later


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## cus_deluxe (Apr 25, 2018)

Lol


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## tallguys (May 3, 2018)

Yup, 7 years later and Solo is out of the chainsaw game.


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## sawfun (May 3, 2018)

Well the Solo 680, 681, and Super Rex are supposed to be kinda strong, maybe even desirable.


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## cus_deluxe (May 3, 2018)

sawfun said:


> Well the Solo 680, 681, and Super Rex are supposed to be kinda strong, maybe even desirable.


I would say beyond “ maybe even desirable”. The 665 and 681( my main frame of reference) are modern, very well built, strong saws with outstanding power to weight. Allegedly there were some crank issues with some 6xx saws that were pushed far beyond the mfgr expectations in race applications. Super rex is ancient and totally unrelated, tho very desirable for a collector.


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## Richard L Yough (Oct 16, 2018)

My 647 is a nice saw , been heating my house for quite a few years .



Remember every day's a blessing!


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## Ohioriverrat (Feb 13, 2019)

Is this thread dead yet? I resurrected my 654 and I'm pretty happy with it. I needed something between my super xl and my xp1050, and this powerhead was 10 bucks















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## Flintknapper (Jul 28, 2019)

The only Solo I own is a 603. It has been an excellent saw. Mine is the 'West Coast' version (Full wrap handle, Free breathing air filter and large dog/spike).

I have 24"...32"....and 43" bars for it. Run it with both 3/8" and 404 pitch chains (depending on the need). 

Lots of torque. You can bury it in hardwood and lean on it....it really doesn't care.


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## Bob Hedgecutter (Jul 28, 2019)

I am about to get a "fixer upper" 633 in the mail shortly.......... be the only Solo I have ever handled, let alone run. 
I imagine parts are going to be hard to come by here......


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## Bob Hedgecutter (Jul 30, 2019)

Well, I now own a Solo 633....... for better or worse!
Faulty kill switch, shows all the classic signs of leaking crank seals, slight scoring visible on piston at the exhaust......... on the plus side everything is there.


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## North by Northwest (Jul 30, 2019)

Let's keep this old thread breathing . Actually much like Husky and Stihl , Solo has consumer grade saws and pro grade saws . They were a solid unit , dealer network was a little sparse though , to bad !


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## ncfarmboy (Jul 30, 2019)

I have a 665 converted to 681 it's an ANIMAL!!!!!!!!
Shep


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## Flintknapper (Aug 6, 2019)

Bob Hedgecutter said:


> I am about to get a "fixer upper" 633 in the mail shortly.......... be the only Solo I have ever handled, let alone run.
> I imagine parts are going to be hard to come by here......



https://store.chainsawr.com/blogs/illustrated-part-lists/1119822-solo-illustrated-part-lists


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## Deleted member 117362 (Aug 6, 2019)

Flintknapper said:


> The only Solo I own is a 603. It has been an excellent saw. Mine is the 'West Coast' version (Full wrap handle, Free breathing air filter and large dog/spike).
> 
> I have 24"...32"....and 43" bars for it. Run it with both 3/8" and 404 pitch chains (depending on the need).
> 
> Lots of torque. You can bury it in hardwood and lean on it....it really doesn't care.


Nice looking saw, but come on, do you really use it? That's a beauty.


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## Bob Hedgecutter (Aug 6, 2019)

Flintknapper said:


> https://store.chainsawr.com/blogs/illustrated-part-lists/1119822-solo-illustrated-part-lists


Yep, had found that previously and been in touch with the local "agent" who were not much help. Got on to the national importers of Solo products and they seem more promising- but for a very limited stock of parts. Can probably get seals and bearings, but not piston and ring. 
The saw is in line to be pulled down and a full list of needed parts assembled- hopefully the piston and cylinder are savable, or the piston can be swapped out for more commonly found parts here.


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## Iceboy (Nov 12, 2019)

......... 16 years later ............ and we are still alive!!!!!!!


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## opalxx (Jun 4, 2020)

I have had a Solo 636 for about 10 - 15 years. Bought it 2nd hand for AU$90. Love it. Lotsa grunt and really hammers. I go away for 3 or 6 months at a time and it will start up on the 3rd pull. I sold my stihls, huskys and macs and kept this. Still running like new. Looking to upgrade to more cc and will only get another Solo. Not sure who they were manufactured by before but i see they now come out of AL-Ko industries. I wonder if still German and if still so good?


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## pioneerguy600 (Jun 4, 2020)

Still running the 690 on a chainsaw mill, its a heavy brute but solid and powerful.


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## scottr (Jun 4, 2020)

opalxx said:


> I have had a Solo 636 for about 10 - 15 years. Bought it 2nd hand for AU$90. Love it. Lotsa grunt and really hammers. I go away for 3 or 6 months at a time and it will start up on the 3rd pull. I sold my stihls, huskys and macs and kept this. Still running like new. Looking to upgrade to more cc and will only get another Solo. Not sure who they were manufactured by before but i see they now come out of AL-Ko industries. I wonder if still German and if still so good?



Hey opalxx , my Solo 645 is a good step up to my 636 . Both saws are built similar to the Husqvarna 350 with the lower crank case half plastic molded in the chassis with the gas and oil tank .


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## North by Northwest (Jun 4, 2020)

This thread just keeps going . As I mentioned previously briefly owned a Solo 654 . I purchased it from a local shop used (demo) . It performed flawlessly as do most German built units. However the dealer network was really poor unfortunately . I have had a few blowers pass through the shop , saws are scarce lately .


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## Bob Hedgecutter (Jun 4, 2020)

Someone needs to start a new thread- Solo, the one that slipped through the cracks and got away!


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## CR888 (Jun 4, 2020)

A 681 Solo feels a lot stronger than a 461 or 372. The closest saw in power to weight is a 7900/7910 Dolmar (which looks surprisingly similar to a 681...wanna know why? cause Solo designed/engineered the 6400/7300/7900 series Dolmars). My 681 will run closer to my 660 or 390xp. They were at one stage THE best power to weight saw on the market. The 2009 catalogue was much bigger than both Stihl & Husky. They made great sprayers, brushcutters, backpack blowers and saws. Hedge trimmers were excellent too. We're making product in W/Germany since about the same time or earlier than Stihl. The factories were actually pretty close. If they were marketed as well as the major 2 brands Solo would be hands down number 1 in O-P-E.


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## Bob Hedgecutter (Jun 4, 2020)

CR888 said:


> A 681 Solo feels a lot stronger than a 461 or 372. The closest saw in power to weight is a 7900/7910 Dolmar (which looks surprisingly similar to a 681...wanna know why? cause Solo designed/engineered the 6400/7300/7900 series Dolmars). My 681 will run closer to my 660 or 390xp. They were at one stage THE best power to weight saw on the market. The 2009 catalogue was much bigger than both Stihl & Husky. They made great sprayers, brushcutters, backpack blowers and saws. Hedge trimmers were excellent too. We're making product in W/Germany since about the same time or earlier than Stihl. The factories were actually pretty close. If they were marketed as well as the major 2 brands Solo would be hands down number 1 in O-P-E.



Yep, think we do a lot better Solo wise than our "neighbours" across the other side of the Pacific. Not sure what it was like on your side of the ditch, but Solo did not manage to bust the Stihl stranglehold on the Pro market here- had they managed that, it could be a whole different story. 
Hell even if they had displaced the second runner Husqvarna here, they would have a stronger following, but even with a lower initial price, they still never took hold.
They still have a pretty good service dealership coverage this side of the Tasman.


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## RED-85-Z51 (Jun 4, 2020)

Solo...or, a company named Solo is still selling concrete saws and i can only advise against them. They are good looking and do run well if you can get them to start...the customer service is a joke...no help at all from them and they list shops on their site as dealers who have never heard of them.

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk


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## sean donato (Jun 4, 2020)

I've had the opportunity to run a solo once, was a friends dads saw. Coulnt tell you the number on it I think it was in the 50 to 60cc range. We were clearing out a tree line in one of their fields. I was running my 390xp and he had his dads solo. We decided to swap saws for a while. He started felling and I started limbing the trees up. I was rather surprised how well it felt in hand. I would have compared the power to a bit better then a 357xp, not close to the 390xp, but still strong and light. I was rather impressed by it. It was quite an old saw as well. I dont know where they got it, and I've never seen a dealer around for solo.


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## North by Northwest (Jun 4, 2020)

RED-85-Z51 said:


> Solo...or, a company named Solo is still selling concrete saws and i can only advise against them. They are good looking and do run well if you can get them to start...the customer service is a joke...no help at all from them and they list shops on their site as dealers who have never heard of them.
> 
> Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk


they are very capable units , diy service program !


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## The Lorax (Jun 6, 2020)

I have a 667SP that needs a P+C and a Muffler, its been sitting in the shed for a while now waiting for refurbishment.
Well built saws from what I can see.


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## 3fordasho (Jun 6, 2020)

RED-85-Z51 said:


> Solo...or, a company named Solo is still selling concrete saws and i can only advise against them. They are good looking and do run well if you can get them to start...the customer service is a joke...no help at all from them and they list shops on their site as dealers who have never heard of them.
> 
> Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk


I bought a Solo 880-14 concrete saw last summer through amazon. Couldn't get it started until I figured out the fuel pick up wasn't dropping to the bottom of the tank and I had only filled it half full. Once I figured that out it starts fine and has been fine since then. The price was right and I got my concrete work done.


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## RED-85-Z51 (Jun 6, 2020)

3fordasho said:


> I bought a Solo 880-14 concrete saw last summer through amazon. Couldn't get it started until I figured out the fuel pick up wasn't dropping to the bottom of the tank and I had only filled it half full. Once I figured that out it starts fine and has been fine since then. The price was right and I got my concrete work done.


This one was bought and delivered...filled up and used about 30 minutes. Then refused to start. He brings it to me...compression is great, good spark. Choke is automatic. I pulled and pulled...it would sputter every so often. He called the company...they said turn the idle in until it bottoms and then try. Did that with no change. They sent a return slip and next day expressed it...theyve had it 2 weeks and still no word. I think he's going to dispute the charges and buy a husqvarna or something. Dealing with Solo isnt worth it.

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## Otis B Knotknocker (Jun 7, 2020)

Yeah well to show you how smart I am while my first 680 was in the shop getting rebuilt I bought another. It dusted the piston and blew pieces out the exhaust port. I gave the rebuild to my kid to cut firewood.


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## Trailsawyer (Jun 7, 2020)

I had some memorable experience with a Solo about 50 years ago....... 
My dad gave me a Solo Rex to cut firewood, as I had moved into a house with a fireplace. He got the saw new in about 1962, along with a new Stihl! The Solo didn't get used much....
so it was still in pretty good shape when I got it. It cut a lot of wood for a couple years - but you had to be pretty motivated just to get it started - cranking a temperamental 125cc saw is something you will remember! I was bucking up a 3' fir when a piston ring broke - ruining the piston and the cylinder. I've been running Stihl saws ever since!


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## opalxx (Jun 17, 2020)

opalxx said:


> I have had a Solo 636 for about 10 - 15 years. Bought it 2nd hand for AU$90. Love it. Lotsa grunt and really hammers. I go away for 3 or 6 months at a time and it will start up on the 3rd pull. I sold my stihls, huskys and macs and kept this. Still running like new. Looking to upgrade to more cc and will only get another Solo. Not sure who they were manufactured by before but i see they now come out of AL-Ko industries. I wonder if still German and if still so good?


Sigh. Only get another Solo? Just bought a Shindaiwa 488 sight unseen. Has a missing spring and spacer on the chain brake.Looks good in pics so we'll see. Will still pic up a good solo if i see one. Talking of which i see a 672 in good nic....should i or shan't i?


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## chuckles71 (Wednesday at 5:53 AM)

My experience has been solo 647 and 654's. They are homelite 290 and 340's. As a rental mechanic back in the late 80's, homelite 340s were the thing. They ran well for a long time, but the ignitions seemed to be the weakest part. Ignition died long before the saw was worn out. Now I buy all of these saws I find on eBay, currently have 18. In various states of health. Have not worked on any of them due to time constraints, except to pull the cord and check compression. I think they are great medium duty saws for the casual user.


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