Dozerdan's Frankenstein: Dolmar PP7900

[geofore]

First?

I was going to get the 372 from Dan till he told me the 7900 would be better. I sent the check for the 7900 and glad I did, one impressive saw in the woods. The pictures were nice but nothing like having one in your hands to run. The air filter stays clean and in place, who'd of thunk it would work the way they said it works. You know me Dan, I ordered the second filter just in case, Doubting Thomas that I am. Raining here again today, pouring rain right now. Dang, new tool, Holiday, and the weather won't cooperate. I'm going to miss a whole day of fun.

 

[jsikkema1]

Rained all w/e

Well, Labor Day W/E has come and gone.
I was all ready to try out a Dolmar PS7900 with a 24"er on her but it rained (hard) from mid day Saturday till now Monday night... So I guess I'll have to wait.

 

[ClearH20Scott]

Man oh man, you guys have got to stop pimping the 7900, it looks
so goooood!!!!!!!!, My wife is due in two weeks and I'm trying to
stay fokusssd. If I buy another saw before the baby is born I'm
dead meat on a stick. Nice photog Jeff, sure makes the heart grow
fonder.

PS.....the KD651 is a runner. I want a fully modded 346 for
comparison, rats, now that makes two saws in the forseeable
future.

 

[rbtree]

Rocky, if you take your 346 to bed with ya, it won't be the first time....Gypo did it every nite..till he found Suzy.

Danno,

That is disappointing, to say the least. But at least my 335 is still running ok. It is just hard to start in the morning, but now with the different carb, it doesn't require choking when warm---for several minutes...go figure.

Um, let me think.... Money has been rolling in lately. Soon I'll be getting an Efco 962 C and want you to build it. Plus I could send you my new 346......or use the $ as d.p. on a 7900. Oh such choices!!! For now, just hold the check, or if you cashed it, don't spend it all in one place....and don't use it to buy parts for gypo's 2100.......that would cost $965--or $13412.66 Cdn anyhow, eh....How else are ya gonna wring 43.347 hp out of that thin ringed piston little toy?

 

[Tony Snyder]

rbtree,

It is interesting that you like the 962. As you know, they are not real common. I have never had one built up, but I can tell you that they are a good saw for the money in stock form.

All Efco needs to sell better is a recognized brand name. I've always thought they could market them better as Partners. I have been told that they market them overseas as Pro Mac's, but I don't know if that is true.

 

[Sethro]

Rich&geofore
Thats great! The 7900 is one sweet stock saw.And after Dans port work,sounds like they scream. The other orange saw. Seth

 

[jokers]

The 7900 is probably the nicest out of the box saw that I have run based on weight, power, and smoothness, but if you guys want to run it against modified saws and call it King, you`ve got another thing coming. I`ll run my Greffardized 357 against any of these modded 7900s and don`t forget that I`m giving up 20cc. If you want a real eye opener, run a modded 7900 against a modded 372 which gives up nearly 10 cc to the 7900. Also note that Dan did not say that a PP7900 would outcut a PP385 in any wood. I am not trying to discredit anyones ability in any sense. I am planning on having Dan build me a saw as soon as I decide which one. I`m just saying that I have good reason to believe that the 7900 has most of it`s potential tapped at the factory. I`d like to see a Clearwater East or something of that sort to get together and hash out some of these issues.

Russ

 

[Marky Mark]

Russ,
Remember what happened last time Dan tried the east coast thing in the spring. Maybe the best thing to do is post some videos of the saws running. Now that I just settled into another new computer I have decided to keep it for more than a week. I am going to start post some videos. The 2100 hundered that Dan built has some amazing power, after running the saw with a 20" bar I put a 36" on with skip chain and in big wood it has no hesitation to cut like hell.

As you know I had another 2100 built and it doesn't compare.

 

[jokers]

Hi Mark

Glad to hear that the PP2100 is kicking a$$. I`m pretty anxious to have Dan build something for me, but since I don`t need any more saws of any size at this time, I`m not sure what to send him. Maybe a 357xp. My dad really likes my Greffard 357 and uses it almost exclusively when we are cutting together, I could really show him up with a similar saw and a sharp chain, LOL. But all kidding aside, he`s my dad, he`s 68 yrs old, and I love him, and if he gets a break every so often while I sharpen his rocked out chain, it`s probably a good thing. But a Husky 346, 357, 372, or 385 will be what Dan builds for me, if he is willing.

About posting video? Unless we are all cutting the same size cants of the same species with the same moisture content and similarly sharpened chain, can video be considered honest? Seems though I asked Doug about this onetime and he explained that digital video has to run at so many frames/second in order to work, or something to that effect, but what happens if you convert analog video to digital? Can I time cuts by watching the reordings on my tv or computer without special software? I`m still awed by what I had heard transpired when Dan announced his plans for Clearwater East.

Russ

 

[dozerdan]

Russ
I will take you up on the 357 against the 7900.
The 7900 take to porting more like an 066 Stihl.They do run a lot stronger,after porting but you cant achieve the same gains as some other saws.The port timing numbers that they have in stock form are actually better then the 066.
I have witnessed the 7900 out cut the 385 Husky,both in stock form.After porting work is done on both saws,the 385 will have the advantage.
I would be more the happy to port any of the above saws you mentioned.
How far away do you live from Gypo? I might have to make a saw run one of these days.He is starting to fill my shop with his saws.
Later
Dan

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Originally posted by jokers
But if you guys want to run it against modified saws and call it King, you`ve got another thing coming.

Russ

I started this thread with absolutely no intentions of calling the PP7900 king. This is merely my impression of how well this saw runs. In the modded saw arena I am lost. This PP7900 that I own is the only full modded saw that I have seen run. Sorry if this was misunderstood.

 

[jokers]

Hey Rich
My point is, if my post wasn`t entirely pointless, is that the 7900 comes out of the box hotter than a similar sized saw like the 385, but where you can expect gains in performance of up to 50% from the 385 when built by someone like Dan, I don`t think that you will see such a dramatic improvement with the 7900. Dan`s 066:7900 analogy was good. I`m sorry I posted what I did because I did not mean to offend you or anyone else. I read where someone said that a PP7900 would outcut a 385 and I took that as implying that the 385 would be PP`d also and I just don`t feel that is true. Dan, in his very diplomatic reply, stated what I believe in that case.

Dan
I`m probably about 4-4 1/2 hrs from Gypo. I`m about 35 miles north of Syracuse, right in the SE "corner" of Lake Ontario. I`d like to get together with you and any other AS members and dispense with the BS, but primarily to have fun. Now that my marital bliss is nearly over I expect to be able to host guests who happen to be passing through and look forward to getting better acquainted with anyone who is interested.

Russ

 

[bwalker]

The main thing that I like about the 7900 is the fact that it packs the punch of a 385 while weighing the same as a 372. Face it most of use do not need the extra power above a 372, but when that power comes without extra weight why not? Plus they are a underdog going against the big two which is cool also.

 

[jsikkema1]

I got to run one today

I am really impressed by the Dolmar 7900. I got to run one today and burned up about 3 tanks of fuel. I have to say that this is one nice saw and really pulls. I had 24" GB Hi-Tech ProTop running 3/8 .050 full chisel skip chain and it was awesome...

I'm gonna make some notes and report more when I can...

Jeff
[email protected]

 

[Sethro]

Hi Jeff
Cool picture,that Cottonwood smells so good doesn't it.

 

[geofore]

right saw

Not offended, it is the right saw IMHO. My veiw may be tainted as I have one in my hands and don't have to dream over the pictures, though the pics are pretty. If I could carry all the weight Elvis did I'd have gone for 100+ cc's and bought a jumpsuit to go with it. It is not about who's the king of saws because you can always go for more cc's if you want more weight to carry around. I got the PP7900 for a work saw and it knows how to work without leaving me numb at the end of the day. Smooth running, lots of power, less noise and can do the job and then some, for those who like to go faster. Did I say less weight to carry? Yeah that too. Power Porting may not get 50% increase but this is one sweet saw, ask me, I'd know cause I have one.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Re: right saw

Originally posted by geofore
Not offended, it is the right saw IMHO. My veiw may be tainted as I have one in my hands and don't have to dream over the pictures, though the pics are pretty. If I could carry all the weight Elvis did I'd have gone for 100+ cc's and bought a jumpsuit to go with it. It is not about who's the king of saws because you can always go for more cc's if you want more weight to carry around. I got the PP7900 for a work saw and it knows how to work without leaving me numb at the end of the day. Smooth running, lots of power, less noise and can do the job and then some, for those who like to go faster. Did I say less weight to carry? Yeah that too. Power Porting may not get 50% increase but this is one sweet saw, ask me, I'd know cause I have one.

Real good explanation. I couldn't have put it better myself!!!

 

[jsikkema1]

yet more pictures

Ok I know enough is enough...

 

[jsikkema1]

and....

Dozer Dan would have been proud of that little John Deere

 

[jsikkema1]

tools of the trade

got to love that Dolmar 7900...