slammer
Silver Member
Agreed. Some dealers don't appreciate their customers and take them for granted. The customer cannot be blamed for a dealers shortcomings.
Slam
Slam
Chain Saw recogmendations
- Thread starter SPIKER
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beenthere
Super Star Member
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I just bought two MS361's (my son was getting one, and I couldn't resist getting one too, because he may ask a question and I would only have my old trusty '75 Stihl 041 farm boss for answers) from my local Stihl dealer of 30 years. He gave me a good deal, which was about $65 less per saw than the bigger dealer another 5 miles up the road (and over $100 less than the suggested retail price). Also, the dealer further up the road said that the new saw (MS361) wasn't available to them yet (apparently had the old saw line in inventory and wanted to sell those first) but the price would be $565.
I want to see him stay in business, but the stories you hear make it tough on him.
I had the old Stihl since '75, and have never had a problem for my dealer to 'make' any money off it. I dropped it out of a cut in a high log once and cracked the handle. Other than that, its just been chains and sprockets, and an occasional chain grind to get the teeth back behind some stone damage. Point being, the Stihl doesn't require much in the way of service. Now with the new one, I have been back to bug him a couple times about little things that I notice, and want his advice on (such as the fine tuning, etc). These are things that take his time but he can't charge for that time. It is donated. So if I had bought the saw on the net, he might not be too excited about helping me out - knowing that it wasn't his saw sale.
I had a buddy who bought his Stihl off the net, and I looked at that site, but found out they could no longer sell the Stihl saws, and suggestion to buy local. That was okay with me.
I have bought a Stihl brush trimmer and a Stihl tree (extendable pole) saw as well from this dealer.
I want to see him stay in business, but the stories you hear make it tough on him.
I had the old Stihl since '75, and have never had a problem for my dealer to 'make' any money off it. I dropped it out of a cut in a high log once and cracked the handle. Other than that, its just been chains and sprockets, and an occasional chain grind to get the teeth back behind some stone damage. Point being, the Stihl doesn't require much in the way of service. Now with the new one, I have been back to bug him a couple times about little things that I notice, and want his advice on (such as the fine tuning, etc). These are things that take his time but he can't charge for that time. It is donated. So if I had bought the saw on the net, he might not be too excited about helping me out - knowing that it wasn't his saw sale.
I had a buddy who bought his Stihl off the net, and I looked at that site, but found out they could no longer sell the Stihl saws, and suggestion to buy local. That was okay with me.
I have bought a Stihl brush trimmer and a Stihl tree (extendable pole) saw as well from this dealer.
DAP
Veteran Member
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- JD LX288 and a B7800
This post is ALSO based on experience. I received a Poulan Wild Thing (pretty green and purple with 18" bar) for a house warming gift. (Major Irony there).
It was great. Lightweight. Pretty. And the worst machine driven device I've ever owned. I GAVE it away after 5 months.
It was replaced with a Stihl MS310.
It is a waste to even attempt to compare these saws. From stock chain to power-weight to starting to maintenance. The difference is laughable. Lastly ... to clean the air filter on the Poulan, you have to dissassemble (3 bolts) the body top. One should ALWAYS clean the air filter before each use. Turn a knob the on the Stihl, swipe the filter a few times, elapsed time - 20 seconds. 15 minutes on the Poulan.
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
It was great. Lightweight. Pretty. And the worst machine driven device I've ever owned. I GAVE it away after 5 months.
It was replaced with a Stihl MS310.
It is a waste to even attempt to compare these saws. From stock chain to power-weight to starting to maintenance. The difference is laughable. Lastly ... to clean the air filter on the Poulan, you have to dissassemble (3 bolts) the body top. One should ALWAYS clean the air filter before each use. Turn a knob the on the Stihl, swipe the filter a few times, elapsed time - 20 seconds. 15 minutes on the Poulan.
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
DAP
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pcat ... since it only takes 15 seconds, I know my machine likes that fresh air. See page 12 of the manual! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Besides, although I know not how, my shop is magnet for every bit of small dust partical this side of the Ohio ribba.
The straw the broke this camels back:
I had a huge section of a 100 yo maple come down in a storm a while back. 2 neighbors showed up, one with a MS260 and a B2910, the other with a MS290. This tree section blocked the drive for 20 yards.
I had my trusty 2 month old Poulan Wild Thing. All gassed up, bar oil full, filters clean, brandy new machine.
They spent 2 hours bucking and stacking. I spent 50 minutes trying to start the Poulan - gave up and endup stacking their cuts. Apart from the embarassment, it also cost me 400 clams. The 400 clams was spent 10 hours later on the ms310 with an extra chain.
Besides, although I know not how, my shop is magnet for every bit of small dust partical this side of the Ohio ribba.
The straw the broke this camels back:
I had a huge section of a 100 yo maple come down in a storm a while back. 2 neighbors showed up, one with a MS260 and a B2910, the other with a MS290. This tree section blocked the drive for 20 yards.
I had my trusty 2 month old Poulan Wild Thing. All gassed up, bar oil full, filters clean, brandy new machine.
They spent 2 hours bucking and stacking. I spent 50 minutes trying to start the Poulan - gave up and endup stacking their cuts. Apart from the embarassment, it also cost me 400 clams. The 400 clams was spent 10 hours later on the ms310 with an extra chain.
Gatorboy
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DAP
Veteran Member
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- JD LX288 and a B7800
Geez Dave, the bar is 'unscathed'.
polecat
Platinum Member
I hear ya dude!!!!!....When i was bout 16 i had 3 paperoutes combined into one...so every morn b4 school i'd deliver almost 300 papers...On my route i also had a lot of older people who were always asking me to do different things.....I mowed lawns, our own had bout 3/4 an acre of grass,and i mowed 4 others everyweek, cutting brush and hedges too....now all my parents ever had for a saw was an electric craftsman witha 14" bar..it cut ok for round the house but that pesky cord really limited u /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Now at this point i had bought my snowmobile,my big toro weedwacker with 2 blades and the harness,my little ol honda 3 wheeler,and my schwinn predator with my paperroute $$...one of paperroute customers had a small maple that needed cutting and i was sick and tired of an axe plus our trails out back were seriously expanding and we needed to build some new bridges way down back!!!
So off i go to Yerxa's garden center ..bout a mile by bike /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif and went and talked to the mgr.(i had worked for him b4 unloading railroad cars full of 50# bags of lime) and asked him if i put $200 down on a saw if he would let me make the rest in payments /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
So went home with a brand new homelite super 2 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Rode in the driveway with this great big plastic case on my bike and my mom comes out of the house and says!!"watcha got there" ..i say ..o nuffin ..jist sumfn i bought!!...u c my mom was the handyman at our house...she was her fathers(my grampa built plywood rowboats and all kindsa stuff together with my mom even tho she had an older brother she was the helper for grampa /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif) daughtter and i new she jist wanted to c what was in the case...i popped the 3 latches and there was the liddle red beauty..my mom says "where can we test it out" with a sparkle in her eye..i knew jist the place /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifdow in the back of the property an old swamp willow had fallen years ago...but was still alive...so off we went /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif got out there and fired her up and started cuttin...bout 1 1/2' leader.............man this doesn't cut anywhere like i thought it would...adjusted the jets...still no real honkin power...this was my first experience ownin a gas saw now guys!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gifmy mom tried it ...she liked it and approved ......not me ..put her back in the case and back to yerxa's we went......i talked to Mike again and told him it wasn't big enuff.......he has me go out back with a jonsereds (i think it was a 2051...1054???i still cant memba??) and that was much better...another $100..but this one cut!!! rode back in the yard and mom comes out and i show her the much improved model!!! we go out back and she says "boy that one sure is louder"...and i can still remember my comment to her...it's not louder !!! its jist higher pitched....i remember her thinking look come on when i said that..and thats how i started Really throwin the dust!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
So i know how u feel when u feel out gunned /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif doesnt happen to me much in this topic anymore /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If yer gonna cut wood u need a saw...not a saw"ette"
heres a pic of my 3...husky 41...for climbing and limbing.....stihl ms290..paid $250 jist bout new....jonsereds2094 with my short bar...dickered with yard sale guy from $225 to !!!!$150 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
who said it didnt run any more...one pull and i could barely pull this beast over...and with that kinda compression i knew she jist needed a liddl tlc!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Now at this point i had bought my snowmobile,my big toro weedwacker with 2 blades and the harness,my little ol honda 3 wheeler,and my schwinn predator with my paperroute $$...one of paperroute customers had a small maple that needed cutting and i was sick and tired of an axe plus our trails out back were seriously expanding and we needed to build some new bridges way down back!!!
So off i go to Yerxa's garden center ..bout a mile by bike /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif and went and talked to the mgr.(i had worked for him b4 unloading railroad cars full of 50# bags of lime) and asked him if i put $200 down on a saw if he would let me make the rest in payments /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
So went home with a brand new homelite super 2 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Rode in the driveway with this great big plastic case on my bike and my mom comes out of the house and says!!"watcha got there" ..i say ..o nuffin ..jist sumfn i bought!!...u c my mom was the handyman at our house...she was her fathers(my grampa built plywood rowboats and all kindsa stuff together with my mom even tho she had an older brother she was the helper for grampa /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif) daughtter and i new she jist wanted to c what was in the case...i popped the 3 latches and there was the liddle red beauty..my mom says "where can we test it out" with a sparkle in her eye..i knew jist the place /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifdow in the back of the property an old swamp willow had fallen years ago...but was still alive...so off we went /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif got out there and fired her up and started cuttin...bout 1 1/2' leader.............man this doesn't cut anywhere like i thought it would...adjusted the jets...still no real honkin power...this was my first experience ownin a gas saw now guys!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gifmy mom tried it ...she liked it and approved ......not me ..put her back in the case and back to yerxa's we went......i talked to Mike again and told him it wasn't big enuff.......he has me go out back with a jonsereds (i think it was a 2051...1054???i still cant memba??) and that was much better...another $100..but this one cut!!! rode back in the yard and mom comes out and i show her the much improved model!!! we go out back and she says "boy that one sure is louder"...and i can still remember my comment to her...it's not louder !!! its jist higher pitched....i remember her thinking look come on when i said that..and thats how i started Really throwin the dust!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
So i know how u feel when u feel out gunned /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif doesnt happen to me much in this topic anymore /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If yer gonna cut wood u need a saw...not a saw"ette"
heres a pic of my 3...husky 41...for climbing and limbing.....stihl ms290..paid $250 jist bout new....jonsereds2094 with my short bar...dickered with yard sale guy from $225 to !!!!$150 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
who said it didnt run any more...one pull and i could barely pull this beast over...and with that kinda compression i knew she jist needed a liddl tlc!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
polecat
Platinum Member
nice saw dude!!!what did u give 4 that and did they throw the gloves in?????? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
have u had a chance to use it yet????
have u had a chance to use it yet????