chainsaw selection opinions

i'm close to being back in the market for a light to medium duty saw as a secondary to my heavy duty (by my standards) saw, and two that i have my eye on are the stihl ms241, and dolmar ps421. just curious if anyone can sell me on getting the dolmar over the stihl. i have no experience with dolmar, it's always been stihl, husqvarna and box store specials. i have 5 stihl dealers within about 10 miles, and all of the dolmar dealers are 25 miles away or more. i haven't visited any of those dealers yet, and that would play into the equation. i'm a little disgruntled with my previous stihl dealer, and i'm shopping around to see which one will be my new one. the one i did use no longer has anybody that knows anything about anything. the main fella retired, now the only people there are teenage girls who want to stand around and gossip and not offer assistance (along with not having a clue how to assist someone) and other lazy employees who try to hide from you. not sure they still have anyone that knows the products well enough to find a part even when i give them a part number. anyway, that's the background on why i even thought about dolmar, bad experiences putting me back in the dating game for a dealer.

on paper, the 241 is the clear winner over the 421, with the most significant difference (and the main reason i want my lightweight saw to be in the 40cc range, rather than 50cc) being the difference in weight. the dolmar seems to be a pig compared to its competitors. the biggest benefit to the dolmar is, with the money i would save, i could buy a replacement bar, 5 chains, and still have $100 left for gas, oil and whatever else. or, would i spend that money on parts and maintenance on the dolmar sooner than the stihl? any input would be appreciated. btw, the reason a 543 xp isn't in the running is because if the price and specs are pretty much the same, i'm going to pick stihl. not for blind brand loyalty (as i'm considering a dolmar) but i'd like to see a clear advantage in something to switch over from what i'm used to.

btw, can anyone clue me in on why the ms201 is so expensive? it's not pro grade, but is priced about the same as an ms361 that has nearly twice the power, and more expensive than other pro grade saws, and far more expensive than the rest of the farm and ranch grade saws it's classed with. wasn't ever in the market for one, but thought it was strange that it was more expensive than the ms241, ms261, ms271, and ms291 that were all sitting by it.

ps421:
42.4 cc (2.5 cu. in)
2.2 kW (2.9 HP)
4.9 kg (10.8 lbs)
ms241
42.6 cc (2.6 cu. in.)
2.3 kW (3.1 bhp)
4.5 kg (9.9 Ibs.)

anyway, thanks for reading my blinding wall of text, and for any responses.

 

I say save your money. I have a 241 and it is a good saw, but if you are not expensing the cost on a business it is not that much more in weigh and performance for a significant increase in cost. I have not owned a Dolmar, but I would think they are dependable. The 421 is on my list for when the 241 has to be replaced.



I watched this video and I can see where the weight difference is compared to the 241. It is in little things like two bar studs and the metal shroud under the clutch cover that adds a little beefyness. It looks like a well built saw from the video.

 

The MS201T is a compact top handle saw designed for arborists and tree climbers. It can be used with one hand, though you'll always want to have 2 on it whenever possible. These kinds of saws are what brings home the bacon for those guys. I think those are the main reasons it's priced so high comparatively. Good luck on the saw search!

 

Wrong. The 201, like the 200 it replaced, is a pro-grade saw. The 193 is the current non-pro counterpart. I've never run a 201 or 193, but I have owned both top and rear-handled versions of the 192 and 200, and there's a substantial difference in performance and overall build solidity between them. The 200's are great machines, but power-wise aren't on par with the 241.

I've read a lot of good things about the Dolmar 421.

What model is your primary/"heavy duty" saw?

 

I agree but for some reason stihl has the 201 rear handle listed with the farm saws.

 

Oh, ok. Weird. The top-handle version of the same saw is listed as "professional use only." Anyhow it's a marketing distinction; it's built and runs like a pro saw, albeit a small one.

 

thanks for the replies fellas.

i can't even find the top handle version of it on their site, i only see the listing for the rear handle one. which kept confusing me when googling about it, because people kept talking about how they were offering it rear handle.
my primary saw is an ms361. that's why i mentioned by my standards, lol. i only cut maybe 3-4 cords a year.

 

STIHL MS 201 T Arborist Chainsaw

 

So this is all about saving your back and arms. Weight and balance do matter. But maybe not as you expect.

The best way to reduce your load is to have multiple saws. You can choose the saw with the perfect power level and bar for each task. I would take two or three midrange saws of various sizes over one or two pro grade saws.

Second would be having a selection of bars and chains. The right size and type of bar will give the balance and the right chain will have you making chips more of the time.

Last would be having the lightest possible saw. It comes after other things like a properly sharp chain. I like the idea of the Dolmar and spare bars/chains. A Dolmar is at least midrange if not pro quality - it's a better value than a Stihl, and overall quality is not far behind.

 

ah, i only checked the farm and ranch, and pro sections. still makes me wonder why the rear handle version is $680-$700

i've always just kept two saws at once, i guess master and apprentice like sith lords, lol. the 361 is about all the saw i really need as far as cc for anything i cut, but i like staying in the 40cc range for the small one, as an in between for weight and ability in case i have to wait 2 weeks for a sprocket washer or something that nobody seems to have, or can't get in fast and i upgrade the duties of the secondary saw. still can't believe a washer could put it out of commission for an extended period. i tend to only use 16" and 20" bars, but if i get a 241, i may try the 12" bar. i always get oregon or stihl. as far as chains, pretty much always oregon, and pretty much always semi chisel, since i tend to not be very delicate. i may just go with the dolmar if one of the dealers i check out seems to know what they're talking about. i'm sure a muffler/cat mod would put it a lot closer to the stock 241 in performance.

the quandary i'm in (the one i'm always in) is i'm cheap with expensive taste. i could get the dolmar and be happy about saving money, but think about what might have been with the 241. i could get the stihl, but think about the the things i could have bought for another toy that i took away from the budget of. either way i'll end up waiting months longer than i should making a decision because i don't want to spend the money, lol.

i guess one of the biggest factors in the decision between the two would be serviceability of dolmar. if i can work on one of them as easy as a stihl pro grade, it would be a huge selling point. for me, a dealer is primarily for parts. more of me being cheap, i guess, but i'm not paying someone else to do something i can do. this has been the toughest thing to find through searches.

 

I have no experience with either saw. I have all stihls and I would consider a dolmer but there is only one dealer close by to me and they barely qualify as a dealer.
That said, I would have no problem giving dolmer a try but if I need parts or service I'm on my own. I've not had problems with my stihls just normal wear and maintaince.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not but the dealer I use is a platinum dealer for stihl. We have several dealers around here and they to me are the most knowledgable and service driven around here. Yes they sell a lot of saws but they also back up what they sell with good service and honesty. I think the good service and honesty is what gives them their high sales.

My dealer too has teenagers and girls who like to sit and yap. Let one of the 4 owners catch them ignoring someone they light them up
I've heard them tell their young employees, their father opened this business and it didnt become what it was by poor service. and they won't let his and their hard work be tarnished by workers standing around gossiping when customers are in the store.

However they do take care of their employees I've witnessed that as well they buy their lunch breakfast and every time I've seen one ask a question they didn't know the answer to ice watched the owners teach them the answer and help the customer at the same time. Must be working because most of the kids there have been there a while

Sorry for the long rambling

 

I can tell you that the only Dolmar/Makita I've worked on (6401 --> 7901 conversion) was very nicely designed and easy to work on. In the case of the saws you're considering, the M-Tronic nature of the 241 might make it the more difficult of the two. I also found Dolmar parts to be easily mail-ordered, and to arrive faster than Stihl parts that my local dealer orders for me.

 

I kind of wonder if there isn't a bunch of overlap with a 241/361 combo?
If you're looking for light weight pick up an MS170 next time your at the dealer and feel it compared to a 241.

I know it's not "pro-grade" but consider how much work a secondary saw will see, and the 170 is very capable for a lot less money

 

Easy answer- what does the best dealer in town sell, if you do not do your own repairs.
My mid size 50-80cc are all Dolmars, little Echo 33cc on the bottom and a 084 122cc on the max.

 

I would definitly go with the 421 Dolmar. There is misconception about Dolmar and what kind of brand they are. They come from German engineering and are actually and older brand than Stihl. Quality of product is dead even. And don't let the the stock specs fool you... If you take the CAT plate out of the muffler and tune it properly the 421 will easily be neck and neck if not beat the Stihl. The CAT plate can be removed by taking the 3-4 screws off the front of the muffler. The front cover will come off and you can pull the plate behind it with the Cat out and put the front cover back on. 3 min job for more power. If the saw breaks you can put the cat back in and take it to dolmar shop for warrenty... That's a big IF on the breaking. I have the Makita ea4300 which is the exact same saw in blue and I use it for cutting everything 10-12" and under which is 70% of what I cut. It's done 4-6+ cords a year for me and not failed me yet. You can get a new 421 off ebay for $299/obo. There are plenty of online Dolmar dealers that can send you small parts for easy fixes. Nate (FordF150 and MillerModdedSaws are two online AS members that can get you parts pretty quick along with Edge and Engine out of NY state.

People get too tied up in brand loyalty and don't look at the product and value/quality they are getting. The only difference between Stihl and Dolmar as a company is that Stihl charges all it's dealers a huge marketing fee every year so they can spend $1billion on advertising.

I also want to put it out there that most of the time when I go to the Stihl Premium Dealers around Des Moines... NONE of them stock parts that commonly break on a chainsaw unless it's a fuel cap. Everytime I go in for parts you are going to be waiting for 2-4 days for your parts to arrive anyhow so why not just order them online and have them at your door in the same time for less money. Also fixing your own saws will make cutting wood cheaper and easier so you don't have to run to the dealer every time you need a spark plug, fuel lines, etc... I guess I fall into that category of guys that like to know how to fix a tool you're using so you're not dependent on someone elses time and availability get you going again.

 

FWIW my lightweight saw for limbs is a 180c. I did a muffler mod and put an adjustable carb on it. It's no pro grade saw but it's my go to for 6" and under.

Say what you will but parts are plenty and cheap, it's good on gas and they're all over Craig's list in the $150 range. You could buy 3 used 180's and have money left for chains and whatever else for the price of one new 241 plus tax.

 

for the price they are ok but I still wouldn't give over $75 for a running one. The tool less chain tensioners and flippy caps break and their overall construction doesn't lend itself to being a long term saw. And lets not mention that a carb swap is needed on practically all of them so you can fully adjust it. That and their tiny 3/8lp 043 bar's and chains just don't last that long since those are being aimed at intown home owners that use them once every 3 years. It's true that you get what you pay for... if you really want a good limbing Stihl I would look for a 023/025/250. They usually sell for $150 around here.

 

Don't the 241's run lo pro chain and have flippy caps as well?

 

I believe they do, but generally the 0.050 gauge version, not 0.043.