Dolmar ps-5105, good or bad?

[oldstihl]

Thanks everyone for getting me totally addicted to everything chainsaws. Two weeks ago my old saw finally gave out, after spending the last couple of weeks on this site, not only have I fixed my 031AV but I have purchased a new MS 290 and want to mod it. Did I need the saw? Probably not. But now I'm hooked. All I want is to cut more trees down, and faster. For me, it's a much cheaper hobby than race cars or mud trucks. Anyhow, now I want to buy another saw and I'm interested in a Dolmar PS-5105. Anything wrong with them? I have a local dealer to provide parts. Just wondering about the performance and reliability?
:chainsawguy:

 

[SawTroll]

Hopeless question - depends on what you compare it to!

Compared to a MS290 it is a stellar saw - compared to a 346xp it probably is far from stellar.......

The famous can of worms may be opened again..... :help:

 

[7sleeper]

..., after spending the last couple of weeks on this site, ......interested in a Dolmar PS-5105.....
:chainsawguy:

Your time been badly spent if you spent the last couple of weeks on this site and cannot answer that irrelavant question. Spend a few more and the answer will present itself.

Good luck and may we all be spared another one of these threads!

Amen

Good luck with your new saw and never forget ppe!

7

 

[oldstihl]

Hopeless question - depends on what you compare it to!

Compared to a MS290 it is a stellar saw - compared to a 346xp it probably is far from stellar.......

The famous can of worms may be opened again..... :help:

Your time been badly spent if you spent the last couple of weeks on this site and cannot answer that irrelavant question. Spend a few more and the answer will present itself.

Good luck and may we all be spared another one of these threads!

Amen

Good luck with your new saw and never forget ppe!

7

Sorry fellas, didn't realize there was another thread on this saw. Still forgetting to use the search function sometimes. Maybe it was one too many brews.

 

[mdavlee]

I like mine pretty good. It has more power than I thought it would have.

 

[rms61moparman]

An updated version of the greatest thing since sliced bread and shirts with pockets.



Mike

 

[DUGs-sawshop]

I use a ps5100 for myself personally cutting my own firewood and think its a very good saw. I gave it to my father this last week to try in the woods and give me his honest opinion. He has been a woodchopper for the last 40yrs and still cuts daily. His words were " its a damn nice saw but the gas tank is to small" . He couldnt make one twitch out of the woods becuase the saw would run out of gas. He said his Husky 357 will cut a twitch of wood on a tank no problem , thus he only has to fill the saw back out on the landing every trip. So I couldnt talk him into a Dolmar for that reason but he bought a Johny 2156 so all is good. doug

 

[oldstihl]

Thanks Mike and Doug for the info. I'm trying to talk my local dealer into letting me try one out. We'll see what happens.

 

[04ultra]

Just remember that the 346NE is better compared to a Poulan Wildthing .....








.

 

[jimdad07]

The only saw ever made according to the Troll is the 346xp, that don't make him a bad guy, just lonely in the saw department. As far as the 5105 goes, I have not heard a bad thing about it. I ran one at my dealer's shop and liked the way it felt. It seems to have good filtration according to most. I myself have gotten hooked on the saws 60cc and up, there is no substitute for a bad back and big saws! BTW this topic has had the tar beaten out of it many times, but it never hurts to revisit one of the best saw brands out there.

 

[THALL10326]

Hopeless question - depends on what you compare it to!

Compared to a MS290 it is a stellar saw - compared to a 346xp it probably is far from stellar.......

The famous can of worms may be opened again..... :help:

Sawtroll the more you down the 290 the more they sell, hint ole feller, no one is listening to that non-sense anymore, just a heads up for ya..



Stihl Sees 1st Quarter Positive Sales Increase


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., April 7, 2010 -- STIHL Inc. announced that first-quarter sales exceeded those of the previous year despite the softened handheld outdoor power equipment market. "We are sensing that in a challenging economy, consumers want to buy reliable, long-lasting products to make their dollars go further," said STIHL Inc.'s President Fred Whyte. "We are experiencing renewed optimism from our customers for continued economic recovery, and these results are certainly encouraging."


STIHL Inc., which employs over 2,000 people in its manufacturing facility and branch offices in the U.S., reported that sales of its handheld equipment were up over 5 percent for the first quarter 2009. The company credited its distribution channels and the release of several new products as contributing to the performance. "When money is tight, consumers buy from someone with whom they have a relationship and they trust," said Whyte. "The only place you can purchase our line of equipment is at a dealer who not only sells but services our product, assuring the buyer of quality and performance throughout the life of the product."

 

[Jtheo]

Dolmar Husqvarna and Stihl all built excellent pro saws.

Pick the saw you like and if you have a good dealer you will be fine.

I have seen no complaints on AS about the 5105.

 

[kodiakyardboy]

Who's the Dolmar dealer in your area?

 

[oldstihl]

Who's the Dolmar dealer in your area?

Denny's Lawn and Garden in Woodland.

http://www.dennyslawn.com

 

[porsche965]

The two complaints I have are the filter and the cat muffler on the 5105.

I ordered the air filter update, even though permatex red silicone makes a nice "gasket seal" that remains on the air filter neck to be used over again.

The Cat muffler weighs 18,5 ounces on my scale. The 5100 muffler which will bolt on weighs 10 ounces. After 5 minutes at idle I get 310 degrees off the cat, haven't tested the 5100 muff, it hasn't arrived yet. My 361 is 235 and the 440 is 190 degrees, both dual muff ported.

So, seal the filter, change out the muffler to get rid of heat and weight and this saw should be perfect, at least for what I know. 3/8ths chain on mine cuts well.

And I know the 346 is Mr. Perfect but the 5105 is a better looking and sounding saw IMO. Sometimes it isn't always about the speed of getting a job done but the experience. Especially when you don't make your living with a saw.

 

[MCW]

The two complaints I have are the filter and the cat muffler on the 5105.

I ordered the air filter update, even though permatex red silicone makes a nice "gasket seal" that remains on the air filter neck to be used over again.

So, seal the filter, change out the muffler to get rid of heat and weight and this saw should be perfect, at least for what I know. 3/8ths chain on mine cuts well.

Remember though, and it has been mentioned on this site many times, is that the filter problems associated with the 5100-S, 7900, some Stihls, odd Huskies etc, is from the finer particulates going straight through the filter media itself, not around it. Filter oil is the only way to stop it and works well, it's just that the filter blocks up faster. I have had these issues with my 5100-S and my 7900 before I fitted the HD kit and used filter oil to stop it.

 

[porsche965]

True concerning filter oil. What led me to believe that it was letting fines in at the neck was the lite grease I used to test the fitment, trapped the fines there between the connection and along the sleeve. I did forget to mention the fine mist of K&N filter oil spray that was applied to the media also. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

What I have found interesting is that the filter media seems to be of the same nature as the Stihls but they don't have a pass-through issue with the fines. Either way using both preventive measure ensures clean air.
One other point was that the 5105 feels of higher quality material wise to the touch than the 346xp, which feel more plastic to me.
I really like this little saw.

 

[birddogtg]

5105---50 cc of power. Will out cut many 60 cc saws.

 

[MCW]

What I have found interesting is that the filter media seems to be of the same nature as the Stihls but they don't have a pass-through issue with the fines.

The Stihl filters certainly seem better than the stock Dolmar filters but they have also had warrantable filtration complaints in Australia against some of our dead hardwoods. Some of our timbers like dead Redgum dust go straight through poorer filter designs. Stihl released an Extreme Conditions Filter Kit for Australia and South Africa to combat this for some of their models.

 

[EasternMass]

Dolmar-No Support

After 30 years my Sachs-Dolmar 118 gave out, and I contacted 4 eastern Mass. "dealers" listed on the Dolmar website to try to get a Dolmar 5105. Three said that even though they're listed as dealers, they don't stock (or even show any willingness to order) Dolmar saws because of lack of support. The 4th had a 5100S, and insisted that was the latest model in the catalogue. When I asked if he could check with Dolmar on getting a 5105, he said he wasn't going to chase something that didn't exist. A real shame, given the good reviews of the 5105. I now have a new Husqvarna 346XP.