Andrew Wellman
ArboristSite Operative
I am thinking of selling Solo saws. Are there an solo Dealers or mechanics on AS that can give me some contructive feedback. Please no rants or brand macho stuff from the rest of you.
andy
andy
I am thinking of selling Solo saws. Are there an solo Dealers or mechanics on AS that can give me some contructive feedback. Please no rants or brand macho stuff from the rest of you.
andy
If you're looking to pick up add a line or you're a new dealer just getting started, I'd avoid Solo.
For 5,000$ or less initial order you could pick up Dolmar, Echo, Jonsered, Red Max, or Kawasaki
and all would sell better than Solo.
I can't get dolmar, dealer conflict, can get echo dealer conflict, can't afford Husky/jred (you have to buy into more than saws), no one knows redmax or kawasaki saws and stihl dealer conflict and I don't want to wear a orange and grey tuxedo. :msp_tongue: I have a woodland int account and I'll just cherry pic saws from them.
why would you avoid solo?
I'm assuming that you are thinking a part time shop, so I have a few questions. What are your expectations? How many saws do you expect to sell a year? What type of customer do you hope to sell to? Pros? Firewood cutters? Homeowners? What brands are currently strong in your area? Husky? Stihl? Do those dealers have good reputations and a strong following?
Answering some of those questions will shed a lot of light on your own question.
I believe that Solo has dropped the 3 bigger Dolmar look-alikes, so that alone seriously limits what can be done with Solo. Parts support for a low volume dealer or brand is tough to do right and still make money. The reason is that the buyer of a particular saw expects a certain level of parts availibility, as he has a right to. It doesn't matter to him whether you've sold a hundred or a handful; if he needs a part, he needs it. If you load up on parts to support just a few saws, your going to lose money. If you always have to order it, you get a reputation of "He doesn't have parts". The only cure is to get the volume up, and I don't think anyone has a prayer with Solo.
I agree with Blood's suggestion that Jonsered or Dolmar would be better choices. With Echo, there would be much more preasure to take the full line.
But there's another option. I fully understand how a guy who wants to do a small saw shop can see the attraction in "having my own line" and being a "real dealer" with a sign on the wall and some catelogs on the counter. It's just an illusion. While having your own brand might feed the ego, it's more likely to bleed the checkbook. The best way to do a small shop is to take care of the gazillion Huskys and Stihls that most people are running. Dead saws can help you with parts along with many aftermarket suppliers. If you want to sell some saws, it's far easier to sell used or rebuilt Huskys and Stihls than any other second tier brand. You may already be doing some repair work, but I'd expand on this idea rather than bring in something like Solo.
Super thanks for all of your wisdom.
I am a half time shop looking to go full time. The folks I serve range from a state forester, full time logger, women looking for a light saw, fire wood processor, home fire wood cutter, nostalgic vintage saw owners, trail crew, and the home owner looking for a saw to clean up blow downs in the yard. I am going to skip on the new saw thing. I have been happy selling used saws, parts, supplies, safety wear and repairs. Labor seams to be were the money is.
I am learning the ropes of what works, for example. If you port a nice saw like an 026 it never sells for what it is worth, if you have an MS250 will sell for close to new:msp_confused: It is clear that I need to expand to trimmers and blower repair. Hell, I am working on a snow blower now.
Regarding brands in my area, all the big ones are saturated, Husky, jred, stihl, echo, Dolmar. That said most of the shops just are not friendly or not that reliable. I think I am going to use service as my hook and stick to it. The next big upgrade is heat in my shop, last week was -23 to 3 degrees F.
I am smart guy, but I know that I don't have all of the answers. Please feel free to bestow any wisdom you might have for some one in my position.
Andy
West Hill Saw House, VT
Theres an old guy up the street from me has been doing small engine repair (anything but saws) for decades. Does a great business from a shop right next to his house, doesnt sell a single thing new other than random parts he installs. Does repairs and sells rebuilt used, most anything.
Anyway, I am in a similar position as you, just accumulating repair expertise and used runners for now, I think a shop that just did saw repairs and sold used would sort of compliment this old guy up the street. I wouldnt touch anything but saws. Im friends with that old guy and would send other than saws biz to him, and I am sure he would reciprocate. If he wasnt there, sure, all small engines.
I have no interest in any expensive store front, high rents, new products or being a dealer, nor employees, just a simple basic low budget small shop doing repairs and selling used. Would have no need to charge 60 bucks an hour for labor either in order to make a few bucks.
Not sure if it will happen, but I am one third of the way to my goal of 100 runners and assorted parts. If it doesnt happen, meh, Ill just sell off saws then when the market is good, like off of CL or something.
I think this whole biz is something like firewood, either stay small, with very low expenses, or go whole hog huge. Skip trying to be middle sized.
Wow, 100 runners!!! I guess I will take my dolly and go home, I can't play at that level. I sell them as fast as I can put them together and test them. I can't have any asset that ties up funds for long. If I have a saw for a month I get nervous and so does my mortgage holder.
And in the meantime, I cut wood with all of them. Not just get them running, they have to go out each and every one and cut a load of wood before I am satisied they are truely runners. As in, some that I thought were runners..sorta didnt make it in the cut all afternoon. Back to the bench. Learn more, fix more. Getting better at it.
I do the same thing with the saws I raise from the dead. Gotta run a minimum of a full tank with no issues before it gets the seal of approval. We've all experienced a project that starts right up and seems fine at first, but then when you put it to work you discover something amiss. Back to the workbench it goes..........
I have a question while I have the attention of the people who know. Why doesn't Poulan have any dealerships. I know its the box store saw, but it seems that with the number of them that are out there, just the name would stirr up a lot of foot traffic. I know you would be selling saws on a small margian, but it seems the sign would draw in a lot of Wal Mart customers with $30 in hand wanting you to turn carb screws and buy chains and oil and trimmer line.
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