Makita EA4300 (Dolmar PS-420) vs. Makita DCS5121 (Dolmar PS-510)

[AlfA01]

Hi Dan,

Congratulation to your new saw.

Just for clarification, only the ps 32 is currently produced in china as fas as I know. The rest are made in germany/hamburg.

And yes the current 420sc = 421.

7

Thanks. I'm really liking it a lot. I've burned 3-4 tanks of gas through it and now and got both of the new chains stretched in. They were 484 064 chains made in Canada. They are stamped in the chain "Dolmar", but the packaging said "Product of Canada". They tended to be grabby at first, wanting to almost pull wood with them that doesn't have any amount of significant weight. Now they they've gotten a little broken in, I think they are cutting well.

 

[AlfA01]

So, after 2-weeks of owning this magnificent saw, I have a few pros and cons to report if anyone is interested, or if the original poster is still debating whether to buy one of these saws.

Pros:
Really strong for the rated HP
Good fuel efficiency
Well balanced (weight distribution)
Love the On/Off switch
EASY Start is an overstatement...easiest chainsaw I've ever started. Not the easiest cord pull, but the engine fires with the slightest tug
Anti-vibration is real....it works
Air filter intake location is perfect...after two weeks of use, the filter had a small layer of fine dust on it


Cons:
Gas and oil caps--they are recessed and allow sawdust to fall in if you don't clean around them before opening
Catalytic converter (don't hate me "go green" guys)...I'm all about the environment, so I'll make up for it by recycling more...I took mine out!
On/Off switch... I say this as a Con because there is no full OFF(there is, thanks 7, but it's a pain). The switch is spring loaded to the ON position. That means if you only want to cycle the engine, it may fire up, which is very possible given the Easy Start

That's it in a nutshell for me. I don't find any other nuances about the saw so far. It really rips after removing the catalytic converter. Needs a little fine tuning for the carb, but not much at all. If you buy the kit version with the box, files and oil like I did, you will receive an Oregon file and file guide. Don't use the 30 degree side of the file guide, unless you like making wood powder. I use the 25 degree angle and it's been really good for me so far.

Cheers,
Dan

 

[7sleeper]

Hi AlfA01,

the 420sc/421=4300EA has a off position. If you push it down far enough it stays in the bottom position = off!

7

 

[AlfA01]

Yeah. You're right. Glad I put that in the Cons section, because it's not as favorable as the rest of the switch positions. It's more of a pain than a plus!

 

[AlfA01]

Found this today...

 

[r3dpuma]

Hey guys
I'm from Romania. I got my makita 5121 /dolmar 510 just 3 weeks ago. It is such an awesome saw. But... After reading a ton of topics here about 510 vs 5105 I get restless nights because I didn't got the 5105. I really like my saw and it's more than enough for me and the extra money for the 5105 wasn't in the budget anyway. And in my country we don't even have Dolmars, we have only makita and its the 5000p model which is the dolmar 5100.
In my country the money I played for the 5121 is a month's Sallary. I'm afraid I'm gonna sell my saw with a lesser price then buy the 5000p and won't feel much difference anyway. The weight doesn't bother me. And I hear that if I muffler mod it it's gonna be on par with the 5000p. It really feels like a pro saw and more of a saw compared to my friends 455 rancher.
Please make me love my saw again.

 

[AlfA01]

Hey guys
I'm from Romania. I got my makita 5121 /dolmar 510 just 3 weeks ago. It is such an awesome saw. But... After reading a ton of topics here about 510 vs 5105 I get restless nights because I didn't got the 5105. I really like my saw and it's more than enough for me and the extra money for the 5105 wasn't in the budget anyway. And in my country we don't even have Dolmars, we have only makita and its the 5000p model which is the dolmar 5100.
In my country the money I played for the 5121 is a month's Sallary. I'm afraid I'm gonna sell my saw with a lesser price then buy the 5000p and won't feel much difference anyway. The weight doesn't bother me. And I hear that if I muffler mod it it's gonna be on par with the 5000p. It really feels like a pro saw and more of a saw compared to my friends 455 rancher.
Please make me love my saw again.

I bought the EA4300F Makita/ 421 Dolmar. I fall in love every single time I pick it up. You've got a 50CC model, so I can only imagine that it has great power. These saws are awesome. If I need a larger one, I would consider buying one later. I understand about the $$$$$, it's more difficult to come by these days, so you should really appreciate the saw.

I too look at some of the other saws and think of buying them, but then I realize my needs and wallet aren't on the same level as some of the bigger saws.

 

[7sleeper]

@r3dpuma,

I would have financially absolut no problem buying the whole Stihl line, but I am absolutely happy with my dolmar 420. Further I am more happy to buy a "economy" model and save the money compared to the super duper model that would not put a single more twig on my firewood pile. Cutting technique, proper carb settings, correct maintenence, etc. have MUCH more impact on your fire wood pile than any magic machine.

g,

7

 

[r3dpuma]

Thank you for your responses. I appreciate my saw a lot anyway. Just the versus talks pisssed me off

 

[7sleeper]

Thank you for your responses. I appreciate my saw a lot anyway. Just the versus talks pisssed me off

Absolutely no reason to be pissed off. Just the same talk when little kids discuss who can piss the farthest...



7

 

[r3dpuma]

Maybe in the USA
But here money has different value. A saw like the 5121 is an effort.

 

[AlfA01]

@r3dpuma,

I would have financially absolut no problem buying the whole Stihl line, but I am absolutely happy with my dolmar 420. Further I am more happy to buy a "economy" model and save the money compared to the super duper model that would not put a single more twig on my firewood pile. Cutting technique, proper carb settings, correct maintenence, etc. have MUCH more impact on your fire wood pile than any magic machine.

g,

7

Agreed. Ran circles around some folks with bigger saws and I was using an MS 170 Stihl. The guy at the shop used to call it the "toy", but I brought the same amount of wood home from the mountain as they did!

 

[r3dpuma]

Used to have a Jonsered 2234. Husqvarna /jonsered 's equivalent of the ms 170. That little saw was good to me and it did good. But now after I switched people call the makita 5121 little and homeowners saw. ... Who knows. Maybe when you have a 90cc ppl won't find something to point at

 

[AlfA01]

Maybe in the USA
But here money has different value. A saw like the 5121 is an effort.

What about eBay? I bought mine from eBay directly out of Germany.

The crazy thing I have to tell about the German produced saws is that they are cheaper in the US than here in the EU. You can get a 5121 in the US for the same price as 421 over here in Europe.

 

[Sepia]

Hey guys
I'm from Romania. I got my makita 5121 /dolmar 510 just 3 weeks ago. It is such an awesome saw. But... After reading a ton of topics here about 510 vs 5105 I get restless nights because I didn't got the 5105. I really like my saw and it's more than enough for me and the extra money for the 5105 wasn't in the budget anyway. And in my country we don't even have Dolmars, we have only makita and its the 5000p model which is the dolmar 5100.
In my country the money I played for the 5121 is a month's Sallary. I'm afraid I'm gonna sell my saw with a lesser price then buy the 5000p and won't feel much difference anyway. The weight doesn't bother me. And I hear that if I muffler mod it it's gonna be on par with the 5000p. It really feels like a pro saw and more of a saw compared to my friends 455 rancher.
Please make me love my saw again.

There is absolutely nothing "homeowner" about the DCS5121, when compared to the EA5000. The only difference is the cylinders are of a slightly different design, giving the 5000 a bit more KW/HP. The rest of the 2 saws are identical - I have held both saws side by side in the dealership and removed the covers on both. Same coil, filter, muffler and carb.

Do a muffler mod to your 5121 and richen the carb up a bit, and you will notice little difference between your saw and the 5000, and you will have saved quite a bit of money in the process that you can put towards some safety gear.

 

[r3dpuma]

I did some light cutting today. Check it out. Thanks!
Ps: I know about the safety gear. Here in Romania we don't really give it much thought. Chaps are very expensive. I Do have metal boots. Glasses. Gloves. Military pants. Ear protection.

 

[Sepia]

Nice vid! Looks like you are enjoying the Makita and I love the blue saws.

 

[r3dpuma]

Here's a new one

 

[cedarhollow]

My DCS520i is about 20 years old and continues to amaze me. It allways starts right up, 1 pull with the pull out choke, starts on second pull every time. Never a problem with anything, I have just rewarded it this year with a new 18" prolite and a stihl RS chain not that anything was wrong with the stock 20" bar. Keep sharp chain on it and it just keeps on cutting. Lent it to a neighbor and he got it stuck trying to fell a big ash. he had the clutch smoking so much it looked like as fog bank moving in. We cut it out with a Stihl and it was thrown when the tree came down. I was thinking it was toast. Searching Google for a new clutch in anticipation of what it might need, put it back in the shed, went back to it a couple days later to access the damage. The bar was still straight so I cranked it up. Chain still good and I was off to the races cutting up another rick of hardwood. Amazing saw

 

[Sepia]

Be mindful that when a clutch gets that hot, that it can melt other parts on the pto side of the saw. There is a plastic cage bearing inside the clutch drum, and a plastic worm gear on the crank that drives the oil pump. It could even affect the crank seal if it got hot enough.