For what it is worth, I just checked with a local A.S. member who is a Dolmar dealer. He quoted me a retail price of around $200 for the equivalent saw in red (ES-173 A).
Philbert
Thats better yet. (the price) I could have got the green one Yesterday for about $215.00 with free shipping. (President day - 15% code)
Best I have seen otherwise was Amazon. $229.99 & FREE Super Saver Shipping.
Well I called them Back, and was talking to this one guy, He was pretty cool, But then he put the guy on that works on them.
I tried to explain that I knew what I was talking about, and tried to get him to get an OK to ship me the brake drum.
Remember, this is an hour trip each way.
He started acting sort of smart, and told me, "they still had to look at it" "They can't just start shipping parts"
Told me they did not have it in stock, and to bring it in, and leave it, and they would call me when it was done.
I said "Now were up to 3 trips up, and 3 trips back" asked if he had an e mail I could e mail the picture, said They didn't (I don't believe that)
He just kind of made me mad, I have been an auto mechanic for years, and besides, it don't take a rocket scientist to tell the gear was bad.
Said I didn't want to drive up and back 3 times, he said "worse comes to worse, they could swap one off one of the rental ones."
I said OK, if they could do that, I would be up.
Then I got sort of mad, and decided to drive up there tonight, I was just gonna return it, but I was talking to the 1st guy, (The mechanic was gone)
I showed him how it was slipping, and showed him the gear, (We took it apart) He looked at another 4030A they had there, So anyways, he finally
swapped it out with a brake drum off one they had there.
He said it was the best one, It is not perfect, it is starting to show some wear, but it looks pretty good. Might have to buy a drum someday.
And yes, the teeth are supposed to run from the drum solid up to the "washer stack"
Still don't understand why they have that "washer stack" looking configuration on them.
Did not take the time, as it was getting late, to try it tonight, but I am sure it will be OK.
I told him to be sure and show that other guy, and I also told that chainsaw should have never been signed off on, weather rental, or sales or whatever.
BTY, I understand the newer ones are china made now, the older ones were German made.
Anyone know if the new generation china made saw is just as good?
Thanks for all the help.
Oh Yeah, I asked him how many drive links those chains had, (57) and he went and got a new chain, and read it on there.
He gave me the chain too.