The 066/660 is a legendary saw as is the 390 there is no debate there. I've spent lots of time running an 066 not so much the 390. Lets not forget he's looking for something a little bigger than a 455 rancher. I'm sorry but suggesting a guy like Mike or the average firewooder should have to deal with the extra weight of such a saw is kind of silly. There is a reason most hoarders end up with a 50ish cc saw and a 70ish cc saw when using only 2 saws. Its understandable that your experience with the 6401/6421 has shaded your opinion, but let's compare apples to apples bud! No chit a 90+ cc saw is going to out perform a 79cc saw! The Dolkita 7900/7910 is comparable to the Stihl 046/460/461 which it will run with very well. That or an old 044/440 would be more sensible alternatives for what he'd likely be looking to do with the saw.
Actually my experience with the two I had did not shade my opinion at all. As I stated they are a nice saw, just nothing to write home about. Furthermore there is only a few ounces of difference between a flat top 066 and a 6421. I'm talking pure power for $ spent. Not really silly at all for a firewooder to run an 066. I stated that for $400 on the used market there are better options than a big bore kit on a Dolkita. If you or he still want to buy one, go for it.
Well I could certainly do that if I had a 6421 here still. It has been done on other forums and if I remember correctly it was 18oz difference. It's hard to determine what the best saw would be if you just want something a little bigger. Does bigger mean more power? Heavier? Longer bar? Any time the power goes up, the weight does as well. Going to any pro series 60+ cc platform will be a big step up from a 455, but a 6421 without a big bore simply isn't anything spectacular, with a big bore it is where it should be power to weight ratio wise, yet you're going to have $400 in it. It's obvious you are pro Dolkita, nothing wrong with that, I'm not against them, just stating the obvious that there are stronger $400 options in the used market. I own or have owned and ran nearly ever pro series Stihl, Husky, Dolkita, and Solo that is currently available on the used market. The ones that are still here are for a reason, the ones that aren't left for a reason. The reason I bought 2 6421s is because I had ran them and planned to put big bore topends on them. They are pretty good saws with the big bore, if that had panned out, they might still be here, I can certainly say without a big bore option, they wouldn't have even been considered.
Likewise, I don't find it cost effective to buy a runner 6421 with the intent of building a 79cc big bore. But here, we're talking about a toasted topend 6421 for $50. So, for $200, you have an 80cc saw.
Ive spent thousands of hours running saws for a living. I ended up hating the Dolmar 6100 I had for awhile. I'm not just pro Dolmar, but pro quality. I like my 7910 a lot. I liked it more than the stihl 460, and money wasn't an issue. Yours is the flatty 066 that's cool too. Loved my Stihl oughts back in the day. Specifically 044's and 066's. I also like my Echo 501 better than the Stihl 241 because it has more power. My buddy TurboDiesel likes the 241. But it's not a fair fight between the two power wise because they are a different size saw. My issue here is keyboard cowboys, not so much you, stating an 066 will walk all over this or that 80cc saw. Or this bigger saw will out cut that smaller saw. Well no chit Sherlock and thank you captain obvious to boot! In re-reading your post I see you've done less of that than most. Iirc the weight difference between an 066 and a 6401/6421/7910 is closer to 2#s. Personally I wouldn't want to swing that extra weight around for firewood all day. I wouldn't hesitate to grab an 066 for felling 40+" trees like I used to though. You are right about the 6421 being low on power for the weight. I understand why Dolmar made the 6400/7300/7900 all on the same chassis but the power to weight of the "smaller" saws doesn't make much sense to me.
Agreed, I am not brand biased at all really, they have their place. All of them make a good saw in a certain class, most of it is splitting hairs. I've never really been a MS460 fan either. Like yourself, the 044 and FT066 are probably my two favorite Stihl saws ever. I would venture to say that the majority of people will never put the big bore on the 6421. There are clearly better $300 used power to weight options in that class. While there are fewer competitors in the used $400 80cc class, there are still better options in my opinion. Some people like the way a Dolkita feels and handles compared to a Husky or Stihl, I'm not in that crowd. I do run my 5100, 5105, and 9010 pretty often. If the OP is going from a 455 to a 6421, he will probably be happy. If he were going from a 455 to a 044, 7900/10, he would probably be happier. Unfortunately with help from the EPA, saws just get heavier and bulkier for equal performance.
give that 6421 some relief in the muffler department and a bit of tune after that should wake up nicely. I have a 6400 and comparing it to the 6124 the new unit wasn't quite in the same league close but not quite there. A bit of muffler mod and a tweak on the carb hard to tell them apart now the 6421 is a hd purchase . For what ever reason my 7900vs my 79xx is almost impossible to tell them apart. Not immune to the benefits of other units such as the 084 which resides in my stable as well as small Echo units on the other end of the scale.
Around here, you'll never find any 80cc saws on the market for $400. As to rental saws, from what I see, most are run for a single tank of gas during the rental period, then returned. The stores I dealt with when looking for my ex rental dolkita, all ran their saws with 40:1 mix.
brenndatomu and the answer is No not yet It seems the tech has not had time to look at saw yet - had saw 2days now! Today the excuse was he had to make a service call. I didn't know they did that. I'm ready to pull the plug on this saw doesn't seem like the stars are aligned right. Don't forget I really don't need the saw. Used my Husky to cut up the last of the oak limbs I was saving to try the new saw on. It actually worked really well!! I'll call tomorrow and that'll be it. Got a bad feeling. If I give up on this one I'll look from time to time or maybe get an echo timberwolf.
I paid 300 for my great running 6421 ex rental. I still plan on putting a big bore kit on it. As I said, you can't, and won't find an 80cc saw around here for $400. Not unless it's trashed. My buddy got his used 460 Magnum stihl for $500, and it's much older than my 6421. That $500 price is nearly impossible to find around here for that saw. Usually they go for $600 for a used 460. So he got a deal.
HD doesn't make service calls. Trust me. I rented a HD trencher this summer and they rented it to me with bad belts that broke while less than halfway through my job. They told me I had to bring it to them. Lol. I fixed it myself, and berated the worker upon returning the trencher for renting equipment that wasn't up to snuff. That hd store was a different store than where I bought my dolkita from fwiw
Horkn you are right and I have had a similar thing happen to me with a rental of a big wood chipper Something fishy here!
I rented a wet saw that had a blade so dull it wouldn't cut through a piece of tile! Luckily for me I had a blade from a saw I sold to replace it. Complained to corpoate and got a $50 gift card.
I'll have to disagree with some of that, I've bought a lot of saws I shouldn't have bought for what I did in Wisconsin. Just have to put in the homework. I've bought at least 4 Stihl saws north of 100cc in Wisconsin and didn't pay $400 for any of them. I also don't agree with the saws running one tank and being returned. I am sure that's what they tell you when you're buying them. Ever buy a used car engine from a salvage yard? They almost always have 30k miles on them if they are already out of the car. I also didn't pay any where near $300 for the 2 HD rental saws I bought. In fact, I didn't even pay $200 for either one of them.
I don't know when you bought those HD rental saws, or from where exactly, but you won't, and can't touch them for under 300 now. Trust me, I tried. I have looked for years for saws 80cc and up, and you simply won't find them for under 400 here, not if they know what they are. There's the occasionial smoking deal you'll stumble across, that will fit that mark as well. I'm only talking modern saws with chain brakes too. I've seen a few old saws, 100cc that were not runners for a little over $100. Again, I'm not counting those because they could take time and money to get back to running.
Well, a 660, a 395, an 084, 2 394s, and a 288 all came from Wisconsin in just the last 6-8 months, all running, all from different locations. The only one that was over $400 was the 084. Saying someone won't find a saw in a certain size in a certain geographical area for a certain price is a pretty broad statement. I've found a lot of saws that "can't be found." Like I've said many times, it's all relative to the amount of homework you want to do. People will tell you that you can't find an 090G for even triple what I paid for mine. People will tell you that you can't find a new never fueled 090G, guess what, found that too, or a 10 cube Stihl, or 1/2" saw chain. I've done a lot of things that can't be done with chainsaws, it's simply because I'm willing to put in the work, and do the research that most people give up on. I march to nobody else's drum, I do it my way, if it can't be done it won't be because I didn't do my part. I'm 43, I'm newly retired, I have an addiction to chainsaws, I have an understanding wife, I've got the time, I'll do the homework... Both of the HD saws I bought, I bought from HD, has been a year or so ago.
