solo and efco chainsaw's.....let's hear some comments

18 years ago

I would like to hear some feedback regarding Solo and Efco chainsaw's. I hear the John Deere chainsaw's are made by Efco. That's Efco....not Echo. Again, let's hear some comments on these saw's.

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Comments (26)

hlw49
18 years ago
Both are decent saws but have poor parts support I would stick with the more know brands. Husqvarna, Echo, Jonsered or as a last resort Stihl. Later Butch
hippy
18 years ago
Husqvarna or Jonsered for chainsaws myself also.

Husqvarna for trimmers and other power equipment.

I do dont even consider Stihl products any longer. They have gone down hill in quailty so far that a winch could not even pull them back up.
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aesanders
18 years ago
What's wrong with Stihl? Last I bought they were the best available.
tommyw
18 years ago
After owning many saws and cutting 10 cords a year, IMHO the best saws are STIHL!
hlw49
18 years ago
I could cut 10 cord a year with a Poulan or a McCullough but it Stihl would not make it the best saw made. Pun intented. LoL Later Butch
jammer1
18 years ago
As a last knock to stihl;I had to fix a friends stihl chainsaw;the crankshaft BROKE OFF!!Right were the threads were; I could see why;the output end was long and skinny,a very bad combination,when it comes to handling stress.Instead of having the sprocket inside towards the engine,they put it outside at the very end of the shaft........only an idiot would make a design like that!If they want to do that,they should at least add 3-4 oz. of steel on the shaft to insure the shaft wouldn't get too much stress..........I don't know if stihl ever had a problem with shafts breaking,but I would bet they did
slimmarks
18 years ago
ive owned solo. good solid saw. ive owned and still do an efco 962. stock its as good a saw as ive owned. id compare it to an 036 that i owned. mines modified now so its a real cutter. but to be honest it was good before modifications. naturally not as fast as now. but still it was a fast cutter and durable. since im not a mechanic ,my thing is to get these saw rite then with good maintenance they keep running and running and running like the bunny. lol
kennyplay
16 years ago
hello, i am thinking about getting a cub cadet 5720 (efco?) does anyone know about it or have used one? I am thinking about that one or Dolmar ps5100s..thanks
mmyles
16 years ago
I have a stihl saw that I love.

Definately check out the Solo though, they are a great company and make excellant stuff
ladylake
16 years ago
I have a Cub Cadet 5720, nice looking saw fairly well built but I'm not impressed with the power or wieght for 56 cc. My Echo CS510 49.6 cc outcuts it by a lot and wieghts 3 pounds less full of fuel and oil both with 20" bars. Solo I hear good reviews but parts are spendy. Steve
computeruser
16 years ago
Stick with major brands that are well-supported in your area. Efco and Solo make solid machines but their dealer network is spotty. Dolmar is getting better and their machines are top-notch, class-leading products (especially 5100S and 7900).

Stihl and Husqvarna are always good choices, along with Echo and Jonsered.

The idiotic comments about inboard-versus-outboard clutch designs above really don't merit a response except to say that all brands have at one point or another gone both routes with favorable results. Outboard clutches do not per se expose the crank to damage. The occasional manufacturing flaw may cause crank failure, but usually it is user error or inept servicing more than anything else that contributes to crank failures.

For what it's worth Husqvarna still uses a lot of outboard clutches on their saws; Stihl and Dolmar do not.
rbtree
15 years ago
bump...

A new pro saw is the Solo 681.....made from the same mold as the 7900 Dolmar, but 2 cc larger....rates at the top of its class in power. Good word from several users.

I've never owned an Efco, used to want a 962C, which is reportedly very close to the 357 Husky and 361 Stihl in performance.

I have a Solo 651SP, which is an OK saw, but my least favorite of my 3 cube saws-----which are 346 Husky, 5100S Dolmar, and Shindaiwa 488. The outdated 260 Stihl is an excellent saw, but overpriced and slower than the 346 or 5100. Great longevity though! it's been made for 20 years or more.
ckr74
15 years ago
Lots of people knock Stihl but they are still a common benchmark when it comes to chainsaws. Wonder why?
ladylake
15 years ago
Stihl and many other companys use there name to sell cheaply made homeowner tools. Stihl homeowner saws are way better than Poulan or Mac ( both used to be good years ago)but nowhere near the quality of thier pro saws. At least they still make pro saws. Steve
pronoman
15 years ago
I know this is an old topic, but... Next time you are driving down the street and see a pro tree service somewhere, take a look at the Stihl saw's they are using. That's all I have to say.
davefr
15 years ago
I'd go with Stihl or Dolmar.

Stihl makes some very good saws like the 260, 361, 440, 460 and 660. They also make some pigs like the 290. You need to do your homework first. The saws I've mentioned have a wonderful reputation and have more accumulated time in the harshest field conditions then all other brands combined. The problem with Stihl is there antiquated dealer support model. It's impossible to get parts online.

However Dolmar beats Stihl in performance/weight ratio and price/performance ratio. The 401, 5100 and 7900 are world class in their categories.
jpauldunn
15 years ago
Since 05 when this question was asked the chains of distribution for both brands have changed for the better. Efco opened its own central office and warehouse and signed distributors in strategic areas of the US and Canada and Solo has done basically the same.
As far as the chainsaws themselves I am a fan of out board clutches as in most of the Husky models and all the saws of old,it keeps heat away from the oil pump as well as the PTO seals and makes chainbrake and oil pump repair and maintenance so much easier. For that reason I myself prefer the Efcos I find them to have the simplicity and ease of maintenance of the 90's ERA Huskys with the emission technology of today.Not to mention the performance and engineering the Italian's are famous for and with Husky and Stihl continually cheapening up their products to hit price points its nice to see some manufacturers staying the coarse.
As far as the Solo's go I know that they share a few models With Dolmar which are great performers in there own right,other than that I can't say that much about them.
Oh and FYI Efco will no longer be supplying JD with there saws JD just inked a deal with Stihl for all their hand held equipment,all JD dealers will be able to carry Stihl equipment no matter where the nearest Stihl dealer is.
plantman314
15 years ago
I have yet to meet anyone who regrets owning a stihl. I know many people who went with another brand, and they have all ssid they wished they had bought a stihl.
ladylake
15 years ago
The Dolmar 5100s and 7900 are the best bang for the buck, Stihl make Pro saws and homeowner saws, the Pro saws are just fine but spendy, thier homeowner saw are built way cheaper but seem to run good, with the power to wieght being not so good. Stihl saws shouldn't all be lumped together . Same with Husky. Steve
wood_101
13 years ago
I cut on average 40-50 cord a season. I have (2) Efco chainsaws. I use a 962 with a 20" bar and 945 with a 16" bar for tree tops. They are not to bad of a saw for the money. I run a 288 XP, 395 XP and a 3120 XP Husky for big stuff. I have had Dolmar saws in the past. I didn't like them real well. I recommend Husky for work but its $. If you aren't going to be cutting big stuff or boring with the saw I would say you can be safe to use Efco. I do however recommend having all of your 2-stroke engines adjusted to run on aviation fuel. I mix all my fuel 40:1 and use AV gas. You can leave it in your saw and not worry any. It has about a 3 year shelf life instead of gasoline having about 30-45 day shelf life. Once you switch you will like it. Truthfully a Stihl saw is only good if is one of the older ones which they were made in Germany. I have had some of the new ones and they aren't worth owning to my opinion.
ewalk
13 years ago
The Stihl Prograde are fine 260-Pro 360 / 361 ! But your correct that most of the American made Stihl and Husky for that matter are not the same . Any Unit with other than Metal Crankcase I steer away from . The Efco units are Walbro Old School Carbureted saws . Great Pricing for the sizing . Dolmar are rated very high , but part sourcing is always suspect . I guess each to his own . I have a Buddy with a Solo and he swears that it's the greatest saw going . I have ran it a few times and it cuts with a 348 XP and is light and vibration free .
rockyslayer_ht_com
13 years ago
I purchased a Dolmar 5100s and a 7900H and they have the best power to weight and power per cc. and cost hundreds of dollars cheaper than a Stihl or a Husqvarna and they also have a good parts availability in Ontario Canada. The company is as old as Stihl and makes all their good saws in Germany still. They like the others make cheap consumer saws in Asia. They make the bast saw for the buck and don,t charge the big bucks for the name. I understand they make Solo saws, seen an old one the other day and was curoius about the resemblance to Dolmar. Check them out you can not go wrong.
ewalk
13 years ago
Paul You are correct in that Dolmar Manufacture Quality Saws. Solo also has Quality Pro Grade Units along with Prosumer lesser Grade units . As far as economics of pricing I have seen Dolmar units priced as high as Husky and Stihl Professional Grade Saws . I'am in Northern Ontario , don't know about the potential for reduced pricing within Southern Ontario or perhaps Edmonton Alb. where there is no sales tax ..etc .
christian_seibel_hotmail_com
13 years ago
Solo chainsaws are still made in germany. even the small customer models. All Solo users I know swear on the great performance and robustness of Solo saws...
weepete
11 years ago
Can anyone explain why so many questions regarding chainsaw manufacurers and models gets turned into the boring argument about Stihl and Husqvarna. The original request was about Solo and Efco. May I suggest that if you know nothing about these makes you air your expert thoughts elsewhere.
User
11 years ago
2005 post - start a new one

solo and efco chainsaw's.....let's hear some comments

Comments (26)

hlw49

hippy

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