Stihl Warranty Rant

[JimWalch]

Well I bought my FS45 string trimmer April 2012. Never let it set with fuel in it longer than a week or two without running it. The gas cap started leaking this month and all the gas lines turned to chewing gum. It gets the same fuel I use in my other 3 Stihl products. (chain saw blower tiller) I also have several other 2 cycle motors. No other problems.

Was going to have the authorized Stihl repair shop fix it (where I bought it) under warranty but 8 weeks wait time. So I ask for the parts under warranty to fix it myself. That will be $27.52. WHAT its under warranty. I have to pay for the parts under warranty? Yes -unless we fix it. No thanks on the 8 weeks of no trimmer! So much for a warranty much less getting 2 extra years for buying a 6-pack of oil. Makes me rethink my future purchases!

 

[murphy1244]

They get ya coming and going

 

[newbury]

Did you use ethanol free gas?

 

[murphy1244]

Did you use ethanol free gas?

You can't find that here, you telling me you need that to run a Stihl?

 

[rekees4300]

Is there another Stihl repair shop nearby that could fix it quicker? Warranty isn't limited to where you purchased.

 

[mud23609]

For what its worth very few manufactures will just give joe blow off the street parts to repair their machines on warranty. The fault if any lies with the shop itself for having too few mechanics and a large backlog. But even then there is other shops.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

You can't find that here, you telling me you need that to run a Stihl?

If you buy Stihl premixed gas it is ethanol free premium. There is not a maker of 2 cycle engines that I know that prefers you to use ethanol blends.

STIHL MotoMixｮ - Premixed Fuel - YouTube

 

[creekbend]

I have a Stihl weedeater and brushcutter. After purchasing it, a letter came to my address informing me of possible faulty gas caps. I took it to the dealer and he put a new gas cap on it. BTW, where you aware that if you use the Stihl brand oil, this doubles the warranty? I was told that it isn't advisable to use ethanol gas in a small engine.

 

[rekees4300]

If you buy Stihl premixed gas it is ethanol free premium.

Appreciate your post. Just bought a new Stihl chainsaw and had no idea MotoMix existed. Definitely going to try it! :thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

For many MotoMix is the way to go and protect their engines at the same time. It would be nice to have a can or two should a tree blow down, etc to insure your saw is ready to go in an emergency. Often our 2 cycle mix is a year old and I wind up burning it in a car or truck.

The guy that burns 5 gallons of mix a week does not have a stale fuel issue but he may have an ethanol related issue.

 

[2458n]

yOU CAN NOT BUY FUEL AROUND HERE WITHOUT THE ETHANOL. Sthil is bad poulan and craftsman bad. Have used Marine Stabil with some success. My parts man has 10 spools of different size fuel line. Need to take a piece each time I go, as well as the carb no. because the diaphram is also shot. Lots of items out there cheap because it only runs one season.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Locally the parts stores even have the NO ethanol cans of two cycle mixed gas. Not a cheap choice for power users but if you live near a body of water with marines they typically still pump pure gas.

 

[murphy1244]

Locally the parts stores even have the NO ethanol cans of two cycle mixed gas. Not a cheap choice for power users but if you live near a body of water with marines they typically still pump pure gas.

After all these years the Manufactures can't make tools that can run on pump gas?

 

[Coyote machine]

After all these years the Manufactures can't make tools that can run on pump gas?

NO. Not really. ALL 2 cycle engines are susceptible to ethanol gas damage. It causes carb issues that CANNOT be fixed and a new carb needs to be installed in most instances. ALL brands, everywhere are prone to failure now, and the only real solution is to burn the highest octane ETHANOL FREE gas available or buy the pre-mixed gas- wicked expensive, for sure.
It's because of the EPA and CARB,(California air resources board) requirements for emissions and ridiculously small orifices through which the gas has to pass in the machine(s). They rust due to moisture absorbed by ethanol, phase separation, of the alcohol and the octane in the mix from the refinery, after the fuel sits for a very short time, etc. Ethanol in underground tanks may have sat around prior to being sold so it's not just how long one has it in their saw, weedeater, lawnmower, etc.

The whole ethanol thing wreaks havoc- especially in seasonal use of outboard motor boats. I personally drain any saw or run it till it runs out of gas when I think it will not be used for any amount of time, especially over the winter, etc. I try to run E10 FREE gas whenever I can- and now it is available as premium ONLY almost year round due to motorboats in summer and snowmobiles in winter.
Bad for tourism if everything breaks down during tourist, (boating/snowmobiling seasons).

 

[newbury]

yOU CAN NOT BUY FUEL AROUND HERE WITHOUT THE ETHANOL. Sthil is bad poulan and craftsman bad. Have used Marine Stabil with some success. My parts man has 10 spools of different size fuel line. Need to take a piece each time I go, as well as the carb no. because the diaphram is also shot. Lots of items out there cheap because it only runs one season.

I doubt it is that dramatic that you have to use caps.
I bought the quarts of premix, ethanol free, at Lowes, WalMart, and the Stihl dealer.

I've got 6 chainsaws and 2 brushcutters, 6 of them Stihl. Years ago if I let them sit for a month they would be hard starting. During 1 period about 4 years ago I had been running most of them, suddenly had to have back surgery, got laid up. All sat for about 2 or more months and "gummed up" badly.

I put ethanol free gas and SeaFoam in them and went thru a routine of pulling them once a day for weeks. They all finally started to fire and now, after a strict adherence to ethanol free gas, all are running like new.

I have to drive about 70 miles for ethanol free gas. It's banned in Northern Virginia and around DC. Instead I buy it in Mississippi and bring 5 gallon jugs back. These I immediately treat with Stabil. If I run out I get a can of premix at Lowes.

Here's a site showing ethanol free gas stations:
pure-gas.org : ethanol-free gas stations

 

[mikehaugen]

You can't find that here, you telling me you need that to run a Stihl?

My manual says they suggest less than 10% ethanol. I for one have not really had all of the ethanol related issues others claim. I don't have much choice, only ethanol free gas around me is 45 mins away in a direction I rarely travel.

 

[Bird]

I've had no problems with my Stihl string trimmer, my Mantis tiller, or my Toro ZTR (Kohler engine) using gas with ethanol. I do only buy the mid-grade, with the old original Stabil added, and of course Stihl Ultra 2-cycle oil for the 2-cycle engines. Of course my Stihl string trimmer is over 8 years old, and always has gas in it, ready to go, so maybe the newer ones are not as good.

 

[murphy1244]

NO. Not really. ALL 2 cycle engines are susceptible to ethanol gas damage. It causes carb issues that CANNOT be fixed and a new carb needs to be installed in most instances. ALL brands, everywhere are prone to failure now, and the only real solution is to burn the highest octane ETHANOL FREE gas available or buy the pre-mixed gas- wicked expensive, for sure.
It's because of the EPA and CARB,(California air resources board) requirements for emissions and ridiculously small orifices through which the gas has to pass in the machine(s). They rust due to moisture absorbed by ethanol, phase separation, of the alcohol and the octane in the mix from the refinery, after the fuel sits for a very short time, etc. Ethanol in underground tanks may have sat around prior to being sold so it's not just how long one has it in their saw, weedeater, lawnmower, etc.

The whole ethanol thing wreaks havoc- especially in seasonal use of outboard motor boats. I personally drain any saw or run it till it runs out of gas when I think it will not be used for any amount of time, especially over the winter, etc. I try to run E10 FREE gas whenever I can- and now it is available as premium ONLY almost year round due to motorboats in summer and snowmobiles in winter.
Bad for tourism if everything breaks down during tourist, (boating/snowmobiling seasons).

Doesn't ALL manufactures cover ALL 2 cycle machines.?

 

[murphy1244]

I've had no problems with my Stihl string trimmer, my Mantis tiller, or my Toro ZTR (Kohler engine) using gas with ethanol. I do only buy the mid-grade, with the old original Stabil added, and of course Stihl Ultra 2-cycle oil for the 2-cycle engines. Of course my Stihl string trimmer is over 8 years old, and always has gas in it, ready to go, so maybe the newer ones are not as good.

I'm with you Bird, I have a 79.00 Homelite that's been lurking in my garage for 12 years that runs on corn gas

 

[DFB]

For years I used Sta-bil and now have been using Startron We recommend it down at the motorcycle shop to keep new gas from gumming up fuel systems. I believe it does what it says it does and works well. May be even better than the old fuel stabilizers. I use it in the fuel on every piece of equipment I run.