Any opinions on what would be the more reliabe saw? Trouble free operation is my primary concern, not necessarily the fastest. I understand the potential parts issues with the Dolmar, but I'm still interested. I've got a larger saw, this would be for 8" and under or locations where a loud modded saw might not be appreciated. If you know of another similar priced saw that I should consider, please let me know. I would go a little smaller, but not larger.
353 or 540?
- Thread starter Luke
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Go with the 353.
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
Either one will make a great saw. The 353 is a newer design, with better ergonomics. Even though the PS-540 is an older design, it is still a nice handling saw. I think it will depend more on what your looking for. If you're the kind of person who likes to be a little different, the 540 might fit the bill. I don't think you'll notice much difference in cutting speed, weight, longevity or price between the two. Maybe one strike against the Dolmar is the fact that it is likely to be phased out in favor of the PS-5000, if it is ever released!
SawTroll
Information Collector
I have a 353G with 15" narrow kerf bar. The saw both handles and cuts very nicely. Low vibrations. Easy to service. I have nothing bad to say about the saw, and as stated above by TonyM, it is a newer design than the Dolmar 540, with more nice features.
Be sure to get the NK bar and chain (95VP, H 30 or S 30) with these saws.
They are the same chain, with Oregon, Husky and Jonsered labeling (produced by Oregon, as all Husky and Jonsered chains - well at least I don't know of any exceptions).
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SawTroll
Information Collector
DO a seach!
Luke, have you tried to use the seach function?
There is a lot of info on these saws in ealier treads!
By the way, I think that the Husky 55(R) is more comparable to to the 540, than the 353 is. I think the 55 can be had at very good (low) prices at the moment.
I still would recommend the 353 though.
Luke, have you tried to use the seach function?
There is a lot of info on these saws in ealier treads!
By the way, I think that the Husky 55(R) is more comparable to to the 540, than the 353 is. I think the 55 can be had at very good (low) prices at the moment.
I still would recommend the 353 though.
I love the 353. Mine works every day as a climbing and limbing saw, im so impressed with it I have now got a 345xp which has only had a tank through.
Watch the screws that hold on the starter assembly, somewhere I lost one of mine.
Watch the screws that hold on the starter assembly, somewhere I lost one of mine.
Javelin
Addicted to ArboristSite
The Dolmar/Makita 540 is a great performer, Yes it is of older design but it is very proven saw! Either of these saws should work well for you. Hopefully you have good dealer support, of course the net eliminates a lot of parts issues these days! If you are just looking for the best bang for your dollar you might take a look at a Redmax G621 just another saw to take a look at!
I picked up a makita 540 for $300 from t**lbarn.com. It 's as nice starting a saw as you could want, and I like the 3/8 chain (on a 16" bar) for campsite and for limbing. (it sells with a 18" & 20" bar--I've buried the 20" bar with a sharp chain, and believe it or not, the saw pulled it thru the cut with no stalls) I pulled the bottom out of the inside muffler "insert," or whatever it's called, and filed the "cover hood" back, but left the spark arresting screen on. It looks just about like stock and it runs just as quiet at stock, but with noticibly more acceleration. I had to cut the restraining nibs off both carb needles to fatten up the settings-- in my case about half a turn on each. For me, I like having an 800 number for ordering parts. Don't have to look at all 'em "other" saws, and fret about how saw poor I am ...
540 muffler mod
if you pull the muffler you will see that the exhaust port discharges into a "cage" or insert inside the muffler. The bottom of this insert is pre-drilled with 3/16? holes and the top is solid. (This becomes the primary constriction in the system to the flow of hot gasses, and by restraining their expansion becomes a possible cause of heat buildup.) I grabbed a 1/8 drill and, working with the cage in the muffler, slant drilled the row of holes on each side until the inter-connecting steel broke. That left a small piece of steel at the front and back of the lower plate. I used an old wood chisel and hammer to slice thru the front piece, and a knife file to slice thru the rear piece (patiently). when free, the bottom piece drops down and can be pulled out. I left the top piece as is. Note that the two sides of the cage still interlock to form the structural "tubes" which hold the muffler bolts. This mod will pretty much put you at the limit of the Walbro WT carb. If you pull the whole cage, you'll need to cut some tubes to the same length to hold the muffler bolts, and you'll probably drop backpressure so much that you will need to add a larger carb or drill out the main jet, or bend the needle float upward. By that time, you'd want to get EH or Dan Henry or ? to play with one or both of the two transfer ports.
So now the exhaust gas can continue to expand straight out and downward into the fairly large main chamber in the bottom of the muffler. By that time the exhaust port is probably closed and the gasses would then equalize upward on the right side to the muffler port and out. I folded the cutout for the muffler port back out of the way. Using a bastard file, I filed down the removable cover for the muffler port, leaving a top length of about 1/4" That gives enough downward deflection the exhaust flow, to keep the cloud of gas away from my nose (to the extent possible)
If you get MX2T (colorless) and I use Amoco Supreme (also colorless, and it's supposed to be straight refined gas with no additives), you will notice you have almost no carbon exhaust munge buildup to foul up the screen (not true with Stihl, Husky etc 2-cycle oils - they will leave a trail of carbon grunge). and your plugs will be a nice warm brown.
the 540 seems to have the following timing, from TDC to BDC
intake port begins to close - 25.7 deg
intake port closes - 72.2 deg
exhaust port opens - 102.2 deg
transfer ports open - 121.3 deg
blowdown is only 19 deg, so there is potentially a lot of room here for some professional tuning. Also, the two transfer ports "aim" right at each other, so the two pulses of fresh gas would burst right "into each other faces" as it were, creating unnecessary turbulence. My suspicion is that the charge flow could be better organized as two complementary spirals, by angling the "roof" on one of the ports upward, leaving the other roof flat at its manufactured 90. the two pulses would now "wrap" around each other as they spiraled upward, one cw one ccw, upward from the back, pushing out the exhaust gas and reducing "mixing" by the wasteful mechanical turbulence caused by the current face-to-face construction. raising one of the transfer ports to angle its roof, would require raising the exhaust port, but it's probably already opening 12 degrees too late anyway.
if you pull the muffler you will see that the exhaust port discharges into a "cage" or insert inside the muffler. The bottom of this insert is pre-drilled with 3/16? holes and the top is solid. (This becomes the primary constriction in the system to the flow of hot gasses, and by restraining their expansion becomes a possible cause of heat buildup.) I grabbed a 1/8 drill and, working with the cage in the muffler, slant drilled the row of holes on each side until the inter-connecting steel broke. That left a small piece of steel at the front and back of the lower plate. I used an old wood chisel and hammer to slice thru the front piece, and a knife file to slice thru the rear piece (patiently). when free, the bottom piece drops down and can be pulled out. I left the top piece as is. Note that the two sides of the cage still interlock to form the structural "tubes" which hold the muffler bolts. This mod will pretty much put you at the limit of the Walbro WT carb. If you pull the whole cage, you'll need to cut some tubes to the same length to hold the muffler bolts, and you'll probably drop backpressure so much that you will need to add a larger carb or drill out the main jet, or bend the needle float upward. By that time, you'd want to get EH or Dan Henry or ? to play with one or both of the two transfer ports.
So now the exhaust gas can continue to expand straight out and downward into the fairly large main chamber in the bottom of the muffler. By that time the exhaust port is probably closed and the gasses would then equalize upward on the right side to the muffler port and out. I folded the cutout for the muffler port back out of the way. Using a bastard file, I filed down the removable cover for the muffler port, leaving a top length of about 1/4" That gives enough downward deflection the exhaust flow, to keep the cloud of gas away from my nose (to the extent possible)
If you get MX2T (colorless) and I use Amoco Supreme (also colorless, and it's supposed to be straight refined gas with no additives), you will notice you have almost no carbon exhaust munge buildup to foul up the screen (not true with Stihl, Husky etc 2-cycle oils - they will leave a trail of carbon grunge). and your plugs will be a nice warm brown.
the 540 seems to have the following timing, from TDC to BDC
intake port begins to close - 25.7 deg
intake port closes - 72.2 deg
exhaust port opens - 102.2 deg
transfer ports open - 121.3 deg
blowdown is only 19 deg, so there is potentially a lot of room here for some professional tuning. Also, the two transfer ports "aim" right at each other, so the two pulses of fresh gas would burst right "into each other faces" as it were, creating unnecessary turbulence. My suspicion is that the charge flow could be better organized as two complementary spirals, by angling the "roof" on one of the ports upward, leaving the other roof flat at its manufactured 90. the two pulses would now "wrap" around each other as they spiraled upward, one cw one ccw, upward from the back, pushing out the exhaust gas and reducing "mixing" by the wasteful mechanical turbulence caused by the current face-to-face construction. raising one of the transfer ports to angle its roof, would require raising the exhaust port, but it's probably already opening 12 degrees too late anyway.
ohio hunter
ArboristSite Operative
I have a 540 that was worked over by Dave Neiger. Molecule is right when ported these thing really come alive.
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