DOLMAR 7900 - is it a piece of JUNK?

[forestryfun]

If by "piece of junk", you happen to mean one of the best chainsaws ever made, then you are correct.

 

[tdi-rick]

Went out today in the daylight to pull the plug. Put my spectacles on. Weird piece of flat rubber on the side, hmmmn. Had no idea it had a stinkin' primer thingy - did'nt think chainsaws had 'em. Too old school I reckon I am. Pushed that sucker a couple three times, choke, no throttle, Whaddaya know? It runs:msp_biggrin:

DANG that saw sounds nice!

I guess title of thread should have read: I AM AN IDIOT !

Thanks so much CTYank and to all others who gave their input.

Now instead of being a frustrated idiot I'm a happy idiot

Since when have 64/73/7900's had a primer ?

Piccies please.

 

[heimannm]

There is no primer on the 7900. My guess is the OP finally found the compression release and was able to spin it over fast enough to spark. My 7900 has only given me trouble starting one time, and that was due to the switch being in the "OFF" position.

For the record, that blue rubber dot is the compression release, press in to activate, and it automatically pops out when the engine fires.

Mark

 

[Fnfal]

I'd go with that, except look where he has himself living. Lester is a gated off deserted town up in the mountains near Stampede Pass. I thought it to be an abandoned town. I guess it isn't. Anyway, he would have to take a snowmobile to get to town. I don't think that trains go that way? That's how they used to get in and out of Lester in the winter.

Now that my problem is figured out, I guess I'll come clean w/my Lester residence mystery. It's God's country up there in the high Cascades. I used to be a log scaler at Maywood Junction(Maywood Turnpike) in the mid seventies, downstream a bit from Lester in the Tacoma Watershed where no-one is allowed except for people working up there and the few residents of Lester. Later on, in the 80's I was fortunate enough to haul logs out of Lester when there was only one resident left, Gertrude. Her niece was also allowed in to bring Gertrude supplies. It's unbelievably beautiful up there, hence my fibbing about living at Lester. I can only dream of living there.

Lester - Washington Ghost Town

 

[tdi-rick]

That's why I asked Mark, I've owned a Blue version for years and had a couple of 7900's of both colours in my hands over that time and none have had a primer, and the only time I've flooded one I had the kill switch off too

 

[Fnfal]

There is no primer on the 7900. My guess is the OP finally found the compression release and was able to spin it over fast enough to spark. My 7900 has only given me trouble starting one time, and that was due to the switch being in the "OFF" position.

For the record, that blue rubber dot is the compression release, press in to activate, and it automatically pops out when the engine fires.

Mark

Put on your spectacles Mark:msp_smile: Notice the little piece of black flat rubber hiding under your rope handle? I took off the cover and seen it is connected to the carb. Not like any "primer bulb" I've ever seen as they camoflage it quite well , but it works!

 

[tdi-rick]

Put on your spectacles Mark:msp_smile: Notice the little piece of black flat rubber hiding under your rope handle? I took off the cover and seen it is connected to the carb. Not like any "primer bulb" I've ever seen as they camoflage it quite well , but it works!

That's the access hole for the carby jet screws

I forgot to add in my post that it is easy to flood these saws as most people trying to start them keep pulling with the choke closed for far too long, they usually only need a few pulls with the choke, open the choke and they start the next pull, and it's very easy to miss the 'pop' sometimes.

 

[blsnelling]

Hey Fnfal, you better quit while you're behind, lol There's no decomp, and you must not have been pulling quite like the man you thought you were:hmm3grin2orange: I'm just messin' whicha! Glad you got it started. Now, go do some pullups, lol

 

[Fnfal]

That's the access hole for the carby jet screws

Well now I REALLY feel stupid. Maybe it was my positive attitude is why it started:msp_mellow: It was mentioned here earlier that it had one so I searched the saw and came upon this. You at least could'a let me go on thinking it was a primer button

Thanks for the info.:msp_thumbsup:

 

[slowp]

Now that my problem is figured out, I guess I'll come clean w/my Lester residence mystery. It's God's country up there in the high Cascades. I used to be a log scaler at Maywood Junction(Maywood Turnpike) in the mid seventies, downstream a bit from Lester in the Tacoma Watershed where no-one is allowed except for people working up there and the few residents of Lester. Later on, in the 80's I was fortunate enough to haul logs out of Lester when there was only one resident left, Gertrude. Her niece was also allowed in to bring Gertrude supplies. It's unbelievably beautiful up there, hence my fibbing about living at Lester. I can only dream of living there.

Lester - Washington Ghost Town

My dad worked for a while in that area putting the big powerlines through during the 60s. He used to take us up to pick huckleberries around Stampede Pass. The berries are better where I live now. In 1987? Or 88, I pitched my tent near the crackling powerlines that he probably worked on. I went on an engine crew and our fire camp was Lester. It took a few days before they'd let us go work on putting out smokes in the Tacoma watershed part of the fire.

 

[StihlyinEly]

There is no primer on the 7900. My guess is the OP finally found the compression release and was able to spin it over fast enough to spark. My 7900 has only given me trouble starting one time, and that was due to the switch being in the "OFF" position.

For the record, that blue rubber dot is the compression release, press in to activate, and it automatically pops out when the engine fires.

Mark

I bet the operator's manual that came with the saw covers this quite nicely.

 

[Fnfal]

My dad worked for a while in that area putting the big powerlines through during the 60s. He used to take us up to pick huckleberries around Stampede Pass.

I'm sure you remember the elk in that area. Herds of several hundred, amazing it was back in the day. HUGE bulls were all over!

 

[Fnfal]

I bet the operator's manual that came with the saw covers this quite nicely.

Yes Sir, I'll bet it does. Looked all over for it last night but it was misplaced along w/my memory:msp_smile:

 

[atlarge54]

Next time I have any problems I'll be sure to try the primer bulb trick.

 

[slowp]

I'm sure you remember the elk in that area. Herds of several hundred, amazing it was back in the day. HUGE bulls were all over!

I don't recall seeing any. I was probably whining about being hot and dusty. We also were not there at a good time to see elk. We would drive from Wenatchee for a day of picking and go home. A couple times my dad drove us over and pointed out Lester and told us the history of the place.

 

[ShaneLogs]

I feel your pain, I have had bad luck with saws before too.

 

[husq2100]

the saw is ok, it is just the primer bulb that is junk.....doesnt work 99% of the time so I woundnt bother pushing it.

 

[Fnfal]

I feel your pain, I have had bad luck with saws before too.

Thanks ShaneLogs, no bad luck. It was my naivety at the proper procedure for starting it when cold apparently. My old Stihl 056 was not finnicky whatsoever compared to this Dolmar at starting up cold. Once running it's a fantastic saw. Now I know how to easily start it. Thanks to ALL those who replied - some tried to help, some helped GREATLY and some were just jokers messin' w/me(I had it coming). I can take the jokes, I've dished it out myself before. All is good. I learned a great deal today and am now confident at getting this superb saw running. My biggest asset is to be willing to ask stupid questions and appear to be a fool along the way which I proved today bigtime looking quite stupid. In the end, I'm quite happy to have a great forum like this to learn from people who actually run the saws. I could not have learned 1/4 of what I did today by reading the manual(which I could'nt find) compared to these great members here willing to share their knowledge. Thanks to all for your input(even the smart@$$e$), thank you so much

 

[w8ye]

Got to remember to push on that black do-hicky behind the starter handle three times before I start pulling on my 7900's? If I remember it is hard to push on. You cannot tell when the carb is actually primed?

Seriously - - - -

The only trouble I ever had with starting my 7900's is that the starter switch is the reverse of some of my Huskies.

On my 7900's, when it kicks the first time with the choke out - it pops the compression release out. You have to push the compression release back in to then be able to pull the starter handle with the choke off.

Note - -

To start my 7900's when still hot - - I pull the choke "out" and immediately push it back "in" to put the carb on high idle for starting.

 

[dboyd351]

You mentioned that you went to get some ethanol-free fuel, if i'm not mistaken, we get this fuel from Canada and their standards are different.

Where do you come up with this information (or lack thereof?). Around here we've been running ethanol-free fuel in EVERYTHING (outboards, chainsaws, string trimmers, 2 stroke bikes, etc.) ever since they came out with the ethanol crap. Saves TONS of hassles with equipment used only seasonally.

Are you next going to tell me that 4-5 years ago, when ALL gas was ethanol-free, we imported all our gas from Canada?