Makita 6401 upgrade 84cc?

[lowboy2200]

Makita DCS6401 64cc Chainsaw with 20" Bar & Chain & 84cc Upgrade Option for $599 from Bailey's worth it? Makes it bigger then the 7901. What would the power be?

 

[howellhandmade]

Makita DCS6401 64cc Chainsaw with 20" Bar & Chain & 84cc Upgrade Option for $599 from Bailey's worth it? Makes it bigger then the 7901. What would the power be?

Also voids the warranty. Worth it to some people, evidently, or it wouldn't sell. Personally, since I have an ex-rental 6401 that's merely running perfectly as it is, I wonder if it's a better choice to get the BB aftermarket kit or to get the Dolmar OEM p/c with its acclaimed quality casting. The BB is cheaper and bigger, but I wonder if it really yields that much more power.

Jack

 

[cpr]

Also voids the warranty. Worth it to some people, evidently, or it wouldn't sell. Personally, since I have an ex-rental 6401 that's merely running perfectly as it is, I wonder if it's a better choice to get the BB aftermarket kit or to get the Dolmar OEM p/c with its acclaimed quality casting. The BB is cheaper and bigger, but I wonder if it really yields that much more power.

Jack

I've hasd similar thoughts about it. My main question is, with such a massive jump up in capacity, I have to believe a carb change should be in order, too. Do the 6401 and the 7900 use the same carb? Seems to me, with porting, you'd be backing the needles out 2 full turns.

 

[blsnelling]

Same carb. Bolt it on and go. Many have made this swap already. It's not an issue.

 

[lowboy2200]

Might be better off going with a used 6401 and ordering the big bore kit.
I'm looking at a uaed 046 stihl and saw on ebay they have big bore kit for it to make it into a 066.

 

[nmurph]

Might be better off going with a used 6401 and ordering the big bore kit.
I'm looking at a uaed 046 stihl and saw on ebay they have big bore kit for it to make it into a 066.

i don't think it makes it an 066 by a stretch....the 7900 is more powerful than an 046, lighter and smoother, too.

 

[howellhandmade]

Same carb. Bolt it on and go. Many have made this swap already. It's not an issue.

Brad, with your port jobs like the ones for MCW, are you working with the the Bailey's BB jug or the Dolmar 7900 jug? If both, which do you prefer?

Jack

 

[blsnelling]

Brad, with your port jobs like the ones for MCW, are you working with the the Bailey's BB jug or the Dolmar 7900 jug? If both, which do you prefer?

Jack

Dolmar jugs.

 

[blsnelling]

I'm looking at a uaed 046 stihl and saw on ebay they have big bore kit for it to make it into a 066.

Hardly. To begin with, the 066 has a different stroke.

 

[lowboy2200]

i don't think it makes it an 066 by a stretch....the 7900 is more powerful than an 046, lighter and smoother, too.

Your right about makes it 8 or 9cc less then a 066 my bad. But still would be an improvment over a stock 046 especially if it has a portjob and muffer mod.

 

[Javelin]

The factory dolmar jug is a work of art!

 

[blsnelling]

The factory dolmar jug is a work of art!

You won't find anything nicer, from what I've seen!

 

[rms61moparman]

You won't find anything nicer, from what I've seen!

The factory 7900 jug is indeed a thing of beauty.
I have been impressed with the BB kit 7900s I've run though, and you can dangned near have 2 of them for what I paid for my OEM 7900 kit.


Mike

 

[93Dakman!]

I have liked my bb6401 since i upgraded. It took a tank or so to completely break in. then i started having starting issues here recently that i immediatly assumed was something i did but ended up being worn out carb internals. rebuild kit fixed it right up. I havent taken my bb6401 out with the stock 660 or my ported 660 yet to see how they compare but it seems to me that power wise, percieved cut times and amount of pressure you can put pulling up on the handle, I would say at the bottom of the list is a stock 660, next is the bb6401 and then not far ahead the ported 660. thats just opinion from running the saws, i have no videos or numbers to back this up. I will say that its all been in near bar lenght (24 in) oak with fresh ground chains so the conditions are near equal.

in my honest opinion, seeing as how a new ms660 is over 1000 dollars and a bb6401 is about half that at 599, i would go for the makita, and buy a extra bar and a few loops of chain. heck at that price you could also buy a makita dcs34 dcs34 and still have 200 left over as compared to the stihl and have a very nice 2 saw combo.

 

[93Dakman!]

oh yeah forgot to mention, the makita is also 2.6 pounds lighter than the 660

 

[Teddy.Scout]

I know! Every issue of Baileys, screams MAK big bore set-up!
Man it looks tempting!!!!!!!!!!!!
Plus what has been said here! Real tempting!!

 

[bayshorecs]

Waiting on my 84cc jug to show up to install it. I need to find some big wood to get a couple cuts on the 64cc jug to time compare the two (and to tune the 84cc swap).

If you swap, watch the squish/compression. Most are seeing around .050 running gaskets which is a little high. I plan on assembling a few different setups to try for the .021-.030 range.

Concerned with the edges on the ports with the rings hanging. Did they start putting a bevled edge on the ports in the 84cc jug? If not, think it would void warrenty of the jug if I cleaned them up prior to install?

 

[385XP]

Dolmar jugs.

Does the big bore stock make at least as much as much power as th 7900 oem stock?

 

[blsnelling]

Does the big bore stock make at least as much as much power as th 7900 oem stock?

The prototype I tested was a hair stronger than stock.

 

[385XP]

The prototype I tested was a hair stronger than stock.

Im thinking about getting one and giving it a try for 600 it seems like a steel as long as they hold up. thanks for the help