looking to buy a 50 cc firewood saw, either husky pro 50cc sthil 261 or dolmar 5105

[Ozhoo]

KWF test data... sorry no Echo's

 

[Matt Hogden]

have you tried the new echo 501 its keeps right with the 261, more money here in bc though

No i havent. I would love to though. I love Shindaiwa/Echo. My favourite saw brand!

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[Matt Hogden]

IMHO, the MS261C version II is the best 50cc saw on the market.

Yep!

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[Matt Hogden]

The new cm is rated at 4 hp here in the states.

Same here in Oz

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[dave mclennan]

KWF test data... sorry no Echo's

View attachment 603065

the brochure my dealer gave me says the 5105 dolmar is 11.9 lb looking at it right now my brother just told me the echo 501 weighs 10.3 is that the lightest pro 50 cc saw now

 

[Greenerpastures]

An adjustable oiler on a 50cc saw seems a bit overkill anyway to me. As long as the manufactory calibrated it to be able to oil 16-20" bars then who needs adjustability. Makes more sense on something like an 066 which may be called upon to oil anything from a 20" to a 42"

Well am glad there is an adjustable oiler on my Shindaiwa 490, that saw would pour oil out if I could not adjust it back, I think though this saws oiler is
over kill.

 

[Greenerpastures]

my son has sthil ms 250, 46 cc saw with 18 in bar, and it blows my mind how strong that little saw is, he use to cut about 5 to 7 cords yearly with it, he lives in new Brunswick Canada and he cuts a lot of maple down there, and some oak to, sthil saws are so TUFF!!

It annoys me that saw on paper has same power than my Shindaiwa 490, which has more cc's.

 

[Greenerpastures]

KWF test data... sorry no Echo's

View attachment 603065

Certainly enough information there to make a call on which saw suits, just factor in the financial cost, and the
equally significant factor that is dealer dependability / availability / for both parts and labor.
I think you are in the right ball park regarding cc 's and long hours working.

 

[Axlerod74]

You could use all of your old husky 51 bars with a 5105 as they have the same bar mount. That stuff is getting more expensive all the time...........

 

[dave mclennan]

You could use all of your old husky 51 bars with a 5105 as they have the same bar mount. That stuff is getting more expensive all the time...........

great point by the way I didn't have a lot of extra money for a new saw for quite awhile,, and had to make due with the husky 51, that little saw helped keep 3 or 4 homes warm for many years, It got rebuilt 1 time, probably cut 100 cords with it. and it took me awhile to learn how to sharpen it properly, so it worked more than it needed to in the early years, I must say I really enjoy having a brand new 5105 though, man it cuts nice, great torque.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Hi dave mclennan
I wish you all the best with your new saw, she should have torque and at the lowest
rpm of the bunch, should make her last a while too.
If the 5105 is like the 7900, and it may be not, but just want to mention if it is, be careful
when cleaning where the bar sits up against the saw, there is a light steel plate on the saw
face, make sure to push it towards the saw when you are cleaning around it or behind it,
as if some small ingress gets in behind it, you will have a time keeping the oil going
where it should, the 7900 also has a painted face on the inside of the housing that you
take off to remove the bar, obviously the inside of this housing lays against the outside of
the bar and get pressed onto it when you tighten the nuts, just be careful not to chip the
paint surface as it rests against the outside of the bar.
I would lots of people may not worry about the above, but I would rather mention it if it helps.

Hope you get lots of nice clean wood to get stuck into.

Regards, john

 

[dave mclennan]

Hi dave mclennan
I wish you all the best with your new saw, she should have torque and at the lowest
rpm of the bunch, should make her last a while too.
If the 5105 is like the 7900, and it may be not, but just want to mention if it is, be careful
when cleaning where the bar sits up against the saw, there is a light steel plate on the saw
face, make sure to push it towards the saw when you are cleaning around it or behind it,
as if some small ingress gets in behind it, you will have a time keeping the oil going
where it should, the 7900 also has a painted face on the inside of the housing that you
take off to remove the bar, obviously the inside of this housing lays against the outside of
the bar and get pressed onto it when you tighten the nuts, just be careful not to chip the
paint surface as it rests against the outside of the bar.
I would lots of people may not worry about the above, but I would rather mention it if it helps.

Hope you get lots of nice clean wood to get stuck into.

Regards, john

thanks john I will check it out I need to make this saw last and I'm fanatical about servicing

 

[dave mclennan]

KWF test data... sorry no Echo's

View attachment 603065

the graph is wrong the 5105 weight is 11.9 lb

 

[Ozhoo]

the graph is wrong the 5105 weight is 11.9 lb

I'm just the messenger Dave. Here's the full test.

 

[dave mclennan]

I'm just the messenger Dave. Here's the full test.

thanks gary

 

[makey98]

Don't want to steal the thread but I am looking at the echo cs-501p for my first firewood chainsaw as well. Same price range as the Dolmar we just don't have any dealers around here. Is the general opinion that dolmar and echo are both similar that they are reliable and solid for the money? The Stihl 261 seems really impressive but 200-300 more than the others....

 

[dave mclennan]

Don't want to steal the thread but I am looking at the echo cs-501p for my first firewood chainsaw as well. Same price range as the Dolmar we just don't have any dealers around here. Is the general opinion that dolmar and echo are both similar that they are reliable and solid for the money? The Stihl 261 seems really impressive but 200-300 more than the others....

the echo is lighter than the dolmar and the ms261 ive tried the echo 501 a real nice saw great 5 year warranty, but I dosent have the torque of the dolmar but the dealer is very important our dealer is just great I even enjoy going to his store, the sthil is awesome but not worth the extra money, now way the 501 is a great choice for a firewood saw, I wonder why no one mentions the husky 550 in this thread regarding 50 cc firewood saws,,, I see a few here in bc and jonsereds to,,, personally I like the german saws I did run a husky 51 for a long time but ive noticed that the folks I know who have the husky 550 have it in the shop a lot and our dealer wont touch Swedish saws he just started selling the jap saws, for financial reasons, and echos are gaining ground in western Canada, I think a lot of firewood guys like the 5 year warranty,

 

[Greenerpastures]

Echo 501 and Dolmar are both good saws, if you have a Dolmar or Makita dealer, then get the Dolmar,
if you have an Echo dealer get the Echo.
On another note, the Maruyanma 52or Marugama 51, not sure how to spell it, is a Dolmar in different
colours, there is a US distributer, but if they are not in your area, then probably stick with the Dolmar.
If you can import it cheap, which I doubt as a lot of people know they are Dolmars in disguise will
have put the prices up.

Where I am it is easier to get Makita bars, as opposed to Echo, Echo I can only buy online,
which does not help the local economy.

Regards, john

 

[mrpotatohead]

[

KWF test data... sorry no Echo's

View attachment 603065

The torque figures on that Dolmar mean more than people realize. The RPM it is made at and the amount. Torque is what is going to drag that chain through the wood, not HP. It is making it's torque at a lower RPM, therefore it will more than likely have the broadest power band. The Husky 555, is looking good too.

I like my old saws, and have some that make about three HP, and will shred through a log with a 24" bar. You will be hard pressed to find a three HP modern saw that will pull a 24" bar...

 

[Greenerpastures]

[


The torque figures on that Dolmar mean more than people realize. The RPM it is made at and the amount. Torque is what is going to drag that chain through the wood, not HP. It is making it's torque at a lower RPM, therefore it will more than likely have the broadest power band. The Husky 555, is looking good too.

I like my old saws, and have some that make about three HP, and will shred through a log with a 24" bar. You will be hard pressed to find a three HP modern saw that will pull a 24" bar...

Completely agree, when I used to cut a lot, I kept that in mind when buying, but I took a break, came back,
and people were all into HP, when KW would have been better, and Torque figures better still.
For cookie cutters, speed is what matters most, for real work its Torque, a saw needs torque to start up again
in the cut, as when we stop to hammer in a wedge, and start again.

The EPA and the EU have caused the characteristics of the saw to change, a lot of carbs are designed
to only apply enough fuel at high rpm, this is because the engine is more efficient at burning when
a bigger charge of fuel and oxygen is present, this happen at higher rpm 's, thus the modern saws
suffer in the lower range just to keep the EPA and EU happy.
Certain carbs help this, but if the saw is not designed with Torque in mind as opposed to speed, there
really is nothing you can do. That Makita the OP got is good in this respect.