Dolmar/Makita

[Newfie_1986]

Hey all ! I am interested in getting another saw with more power than my 55 Husky ! And I am wondering about the Makita/Dolmar saws... My brother had a Makita DCS 400 That was junk ! Did he get a bad saw or what ? The two Makita models I am interested in are the DCS 540 and the DCS 7900...
I know there is a fair bit of power difference between the two ! Does the 540 have any more power than the 55 Rancher ? How will these two saws hold up to use and abuse ? I find with the Rancher when I bury the 18 inch bar in a spruce it will bog a bit and I dont want that (now the rancher isnt broke in yet)... I may start a comercial saw mill set up in a few months (I have to look into the permits and stuff). I will need a rough and tough powerful saw ! The local mill uses 55 Huskys but I will be cutting further away from the city so I will have access to larger logs than that mill does. I will be cutting logs from 8" in diameter up to 20" or maybe 25". Closer to the city you will only find logs up to 14" in diameter..
Thanks for any advice !

 

[TonyM]

The 540 is only slightly faster than the 55, but a little lighter. If your looking for a bigger saw, the 540 might be a disappointment.

Why was the DCS 400 junk? Those are pretty good little saws.

I would recommend looking at either the 7300 or 7900. They are very competitive in their respective classes.

 

[Newfie_1986]

Well the DCS 400 hardly had any use on it and the bolts holding the cylinder on backed out and had to be torqued down.. The clutch went, clutch sprocket snapped off the hub. And lastly the engine went ! I think he got a bad machine because he didn't have much use on it. He probably cut 4 cord of wood with it... I sold that saw on ebay a couple of months ago for $16 Canadian lol !

Well I am more interested in the 7900 because it isnt much heavier than the 7300 so I would think it would be just as well to go for that one (if I decide to get a Makita/Dolmar).... oh and also I would like to be able to put an 18 or maybe a 16 inch bar on it.

 

[pallis]

I wouldn't think the 55 or the 540 would be suitable for milling. You should look into the 7900, if your budget permits. Tony M could get you lined up, and you'd have a good source for parts.

You can get a bad saw from any maker. I've had great luck and satisfaction with Dolmars. They are tough, well made saws, every bit as dependable as Huskies or Stihls IMHO. Just don't expect to find a dealer on every block or even in a hundred mile radius.

 

[zombywoof]

The DCS6401 Makita is a good choice.

 

[Newfie_1986]

No im not getting the saw for milling im getting the saw to drop the logs. Im gonna purchase a circle mill or maybe a band mill (havent decided).. Id love to purchase a saw from Tony M... Thing is I only have a Makita dealer here but if I Could get all my parts through him it would be great (and if I needed a part right away I could just get it from the Makita dealer)! TonyM you got a web site or somethin or could you give me a price on a 7900 ?

I still have to look into the apropriate permits to start the mill first... It will be a while before I am ready to start purchasing items I am just looking into it now... But it would be nice to get a price on a 7900 so I have an idea of what kind of $$$$ I will need to get up and running proper.

I was looking at baileys and they are selling DCS 7900's for $599.95 I dunno if thats a good price or a bad one lol... Oh I was looking at the 6400 too its 16.6 lbs the 7900 is 16.9 for the extra .3 lbs id prefer to go with the bigger saw (no replacement for displacement)... Even though the price may change my mind hahaha... TonyM if you would like could you give me a quote on a 6400 too ?

Thanks guys !

 

[Elmore]

What is the difference between a Makita DCS400 and a DCS401?

 

[TonyM]

Their were/are several different models that vary in that they have decompression valves, primer bulbs, etc. The Dolmar PS-401 has a decompression valve, but no primer. I don't remember what all the others are.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

The 7900 has Lots of power. I got one from Tony last spring. That thing wails! 12-24" ash,elm,mulberry 20" bar= no problem. I prefer it over the stihl 066/660. The dealer thing. When I bought mine, there were NO dealers anywhere near me. Tony takes care of ya. Now Im am seeing quite a few places carrying Dolmars.(at least 3 within 40 miles). Every person that has ran my 7900 has been VERY impressed, to say the least. Has anyone ran the new 5100??

 

[jwvert]

Maybe Luke will chime in here, he has both the Dolmar 401 and a blue Dolmar (Makita) 540. The 401 is a great limbing saw, the 540 at first try seemed a little anemic for the 18" bar.
JW

 

[Elmore]

Hey jwvert, I spoke with Luke a couple of weeks ago about availability of DCS 520i. I told him to open up the muffler on his 540. I wonder how it runs after break-in and minor muffler mod?
Tony, why don't you lend me a 401...I'll limb up these Red Cedar, evaluate it and do a review of it on the forum...yeah that's the ticket.

 

[tonka]

Not to long ago, I purchased a 7900 through TonyM. I was extremely pleased with dealing with Tony and extremely please with the 7900. If your used to a 55, your going think the 7900 rips.

 

[TonyM]

Sure Elmore, I'll lend it to you with a non refundable deposit!

Tonka, glad the 7900 worked out well for you.

 

[Elmore]

Sure Elmore, I'll lend it to you with a non refundable deposit!

heh heh heh sounds good...so far you have had the best price I've found. I'll talk to the money manager.

 

[Elmore]

Anyone know anything about a Makita DCS 430?

 

[SawTroll]

Anyone know anything about a Makita DCS 430?

I don't really know, but my logic tells me that it probably is the PS-109 (43cc, 2.8hp) in Makita color.