Did you know that Stihl products aren't expensive??

[mudcat]

I like Echos 5 year warranty. Talked to my local dealer and asked if the Echos sold at The Home Depot where of lesser quality and he said absolutely not. If they are the same model # then they are the same model #. What ever makes you feel better.

 

[Gravdigr]

I would love to be able to afford a couple stihl trimmers for the cemeteries but a $600 outlay is just a lot of money for the cemeteries to foot (unless our workers wouldn't mind not getting paid for a week or 2). We get bolens trimmers from the blue box store and while the quality is not very good if the trimmer breaks in the first 3 months (which if they will break that's usually when it happens) we return it to the store and for some reason they just charge the trimmer back to our credit card then we buy a new one, with a new warranty. If they last longer than the 3 months they are still covered by a 3 year warranty. We returned trimmers 3 times in 3 years so far. We spend under $100 per year. We would have to use the stihl ones for over 6 years to consider it a good investment.

When I strike it rich I'm sure I will have all stihl trimmers and chainsaw, John Deere commercial mowers, and a garage full of snap on tools. Until then Finances force us to exploit the blue box.

 

[yazooman]

working for a stihl dealer our shop is full of tore up stihls who wants to pay 300.00 for a weedeater and spend so much keeping them repaired also parts for older stihls are non existant for a homeowner i would stick to a cheaper brand

 

[CurlyDave]

montanaman,
Since we are farmers and use all our tools in our business we only buy from a dealer and we only buy Stihl. In order to get the leaves out of the olives we use a Stihl leaf blower/vaccuum. We work that tool all day long for 6 weeks. When the tool goes down, and it has we hop in the car run over to our dealer and the repair guys stop what they are doing and fix it on the spot. When that one tool is down we have a crew of 6 people who can't work. This is what a good dealer does for you he knows when to drop everything and fix your machine and when to ask you to leave it. FWIW i really like the Stihl chin saws, they jsut cut better and wear longer.

rox:

The thought of six guys standing around and sucking their thumbs while I am paying them is enough to make me cry.

It seems to me that a spare leaf blower would be a good investment, probably less than six hours of labor costs with no work done.

 

[Captinjack]

I agree that the Stihl is a quality saw as my 031 still works today, but that is because I have to use salvage parts to keep it running. Parts are no longer available. What use is a quality saw when you need parts that they are no longer available? I couldn't even get a pull cord mechanism!

My local "good reputation" Stihl dealer told me to junk my perfectly good 031 and buy new because the optional clutch mechanism was broken and wouldn't go into gear. It ran just fine.....just wouldn't turn the chain.

Griping about this in a bar, a patron said that it could be converted to a normal clutch which he did and it's running fine once again. That dealer just wanted to sell a new saw rather than provide a service that they knew could be done.

Needless to say, I now just buy throw away saws because the price of parts and worse......labor has just gone out of sight. I can shop around and buy 3 saws for the price of the stihl and not worry about getting hosed by these service centers.

I also had to throw away a McCullough? saw because I couldn't get a muffler for crying out loud. At least it didn't cost like the upper end stuff.

In the past, I've always bought the best that I could afford believing that quality products are less costly over time. No more. I hate to join the throw away society, but after getting screwed enough, I've finally feel better when I stop beating my head into a wall.

The only time a Stihl may be worth the price is if you are going to use it enough that it's end of life time is within the seven years that the companies are obligated to provide replacement parts.

 

[J.Walker]

From what I read last week it looks like we will now be able to get Stihl produts at the John Deere dealers. Hope that will not undercut the local Stihl dealers to much. Now we'll have 6 guys standing around behind the counter all wanting to sell you a $100,000. dollar tractor, but can't be bothered to get you a $20. dollar chain!

 

[skargo]

From what I read last week it looks like we will now be able to get Stihl produts at the John Deere dealers. Hope that will not undercut the local Stihl dealers to much. Now we'll have 6 guys standing around behind the counter all wanting to sell you a $100,000. dollar tractor, but can't be bothered to get you a $20. dollar chain!

Our local JD dealer has carried Stihl for awhile. I am buying 2 saws this week, and won't be going to them. I'll be going to the NH dealer, they are a Stihl Elite delaer and so far, have beat everyone by $10 on the MS 260. Since I just bought a TC30 recently, I'll go to them for my tractor and saw needs.

 

[vsteel]

On the chainsaw board I hang out on, even the Stihl guys don't recommend the trimmers. Names for trimmers are Echo, Shindaiwa, RedMax. I personally have a Shindaiwa trimmer and I have to clear a lot of irrigation ditch with it. I fill the tank and run it empty wide open the full time. I also put a blade on it and go clearing thick weeds and saplings. Its the 272T model.

Shindaiwa | Products | Trimmers & Brushcutters | T272 & T272X

I also used to have an 039 farm boss saw that I couldn't get to run very well. (yea I know its a lower end one.) It would run for a bit and then start to bog. I tried to take the saw in for warranty work and the dealer would let it idle for about 3 min and then tell me it was fine and they couldn't find the problem.

I had a buddy who bought a 044 with a 20 inch blade and had the oiler turned up all of the way and it burned up the bar because almost no oil would come out. He took it back to the dealer and they said they fixed the oiler but not before he had to take it to the western USA manager to get them to fix it under warranty. (Saw had 30 min of cutting on it one week after he bought it.) It still doesn't oil right.

Around here, I have found that the Stihl setup quality is not the best, but the worst part are the dealers who think they are high and mighty and can't be bothered to talk to you after you leave the store with your new product.

I got rid of my 039, stopped messing around and bought a Husky 372 with a 24 inch bar and have loved it ever since. When I go in for normal wear items (saw has run great and not needed any kind of work so far.) the dealer is always happy to see me and is just as eager to help me with a 50 dollar item as he is a 1 cent item.

I know some think that Stihl are the best products in the world and that is fine, its just my personal experience that there seems to be a lot of issues.

 

[jinjimbob]

I bought a Stihl chainsaw recently, I personally do not think its worth paying twice the cost of another one.

Not worth it, but I don't use mine for any work.

 

[Willl]

I bought a Stihl chainsaw recently, I personally do not think its worth paying twice the cost of another one.

Not worth it, but I don't use mine for any work.

What brand of saw did you have before the Stihl ?