So my local dealers.....

[lmbrman]

Two more fulltime saw shops closed here in 2014, still a few good ones around.

Find a good dealer, local or here on AS and treat them how you want to be treated. Doubt it will get easier.

 

[cuinrearview]

My first impression of this same shop I stop in occasionally was the same thing... they couldn't give me the right answers up front, so I stopped going up front. The first trip to the back, they asked what I needed and assumed I was just some guy wanting to get a quick fix cheap without paying the shop fee or whatever, maybe to get a diagnosis before I fixed it myself..... you know what I mean. I asked him what he took in his coffee and brought him one next time I stopped by.

The guy in the back and I are friends, we talk saws. If I need a part up front, I give the numbers or the guy in back gives me a used part. Ask him what he takes in his coffee and bring him one next time you stop.... goes a long way.

Have gotten the feeling from what I've read here that this may be the only way to get some use from a dealer around here. Problem is I don't need a dealer's service until I do, and then it's an emergency. To me at least.

 

[lambs]

I go to my dealer every few weeks and buy something, even if just a bottle of oil. It pays to have good rapport with them. When I really need them, they help me out.

 

[cuinrearview]

170 is normal for a MS460. Sounds like your already know that.

I do. If I use it and it's not what I think it is could you recommend anyone that could build it for me?

 

[watsonr]

The shop I hang around now has a bunch of old coots in the back, put cigarettes out in the left over oil can, spit on the floor and tell the boss to not come back and bother them... Just like the shop my father used in the 60's and 70's, where I learned how to drink black coffee and pronounce the really good words correctly! Except the floor was dirt then..

 

[redoakman]

The shop I hang around now has a bunch of old coots in the back, put cigarettes out in the left over oil can, spit on the floor and tell the boss to not come back and bother them... Just like the shop my father used in the 60's and 70's, where I learned how to drink black coffee and pronounce the really good words correctly! Except the floor was dirt then..

the sad part is those are the guys that know there stuff and will put there head down and get the job done . very sad that they are geting older now and retiring. im not saying there is no young guys that do this but there starting to become very small few of them .

 

[JBA]

The shop I hang around now has a bunch of old coots in the back, put cigarettes out in the left over oil can, spit on the floor and tell the boss to not come back and bother them... Just like the shop my father used in the 60's and 70's, where I learned how to drink black coffee and pronounce the really good words correctly! Except the floor was dirt then..

Sounds like the shop that fixes my Harley. Private mechanic. Very knowledgeable and cool as hell. I can smoke cigars in there and the vending machine is full of Budweiser. I trust this guys work with my life and he gets 100% of my business. Wish the local Harley dealer was half as good to deal with.

 

[watsonr]

Customer service is still customer service, whether a cup of coffee or a few choice words to share, those guys get my business every time!

 

[mu2bdriver]

Outside of online vendors for obscure or small parts, I travel 90 minutes each way to a dealer when I need something done right the first time. It's a second (or maybe third) generation shop, does great work, knowledgeable, and doesn't treat me like garbage if I only head in there once a year. I don't complain about a shop rate and pay cash. By comparison, there is another dealer within walking distance and several others within a 15 minute drive that I wouldn't send anyone to.

 

[redfin]

Im fortunate to have a couple local dealers that know what they are talking about and take the time to chat. Heck one of my local Stihl guys has let me use his shop and tools. One of the Husky guys is the same way.

 

[Franny K]

You guys on here seem to need way more parts than I have over time. For Stihl since they don't distribute their ipl or parts sheets and don't sell parts on line they are a bit different the way I look at it. The original poster here should think about the John Deere dealers as they have people who are looking up parts all day and do not seem to have a large turn over of employees. I haven't had to get many parts and the only problems with Stihl stuff I have had was basically problems with the Stihl documents not at really dealer or their employee, though some of them came up with clever reasons for wasting both of our time.

 

[MrGiggles]

I like how this thread turned from bad dealer experiences to your favorite dealer experiences.. Way to keep it classy guys.

 

[rob066]

I have a dealership that is near me. It is a ACE Hardware that sells Stihl. I don't even ask for parts there. I only get stuff like chains, oil, files etc stuff I can pick myself. The guys behind the counter are like circus clowns running around. They don't know what the h**l to look for. You try to tell them what to look for and they wont listen. Very frustrating! No wonder I mostly run Huskies around here atleast the dealer knows what is going on.

 

[Guido Salvage]

When I went to the second shop today to replace the chain catch the guy asked me if it was a magnum or not. Stupidly, I told him it didn't matter. I thought these guys are supposed to be above vato-zone grade. Still one more shop I'm holding out hope for.

It always amazes me how people blame others for their problems and refuse to take accountability for their actions. Apparently you were asked a specific question about your saw and did not provide a specific answer and now you are complaining about the part you received? Take the time to learn what model saw you have, get an IPL for reference purposes and in the future walk into the shop with the part number you need. Problem solved.

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Around here, everyone outside of town has a chainsaw or two, with good Husky, Echo & Stihl dealerships to service them. Order parts from the Stihl shop early Monday morning with delivery from the distributor on Wednesday. For pro's I've seen them cannibalize a new saw for a coil to keep a guy running. The Husky shop services the tree companies, mostly with 372xp's. They call 'em "high speed saws".

 

[Vibes]

Sounds like the shop that fixes my Harley. Private mechanic. Very knowledgeable and cool as hell. I can smoke cigars in there and the vending machine is full of Budweiser. I trust this guys work with my life and he gets 100% of my business. Wish the local Harley dealer was half as good to deal with.

Those are the guys I use for bike service. He used to be my neighbor and he worked out of his garage. I spent a few nights at his place helping him out with small services while he pushed my bike through an emergency. Only problem I have with him now is he's too busy and can't work on any of my Jap bikes anymore.

Sad to think that he's really the only good shop around these parts anymore. If you know of another one fill me in.

If you are from this area then you can relate to some of the chainsaw shops then. I call them weed wacker shops. We were working on a tree job years ago out near the state line. The guy had this big old McCulloch that he used as a stumper. We rocked a 28 inch chain and had to get a replacement to finish. There was a Stihl dealership close by so that's where we went. He made the mistake of taking the saw into the shop and asking, "can you spin me a chain for this?" The counter guy says " They don't make those saws anymore and he can't get parts" He tells them its a 3/8ths chain and the number of links and he says "They don't carry that size, all we have is Stihl chain." Even though he had Oregon signs posted.

He ended up driving halfway home to that womens shop down on the Red Belt. (speaking of good old dirty shops). The oldtimer I was working for said something about wasting time trying to talk sense to azzholes.

 

[redfin]

I like how this thread turned from bad dealer experiences to your favorite dealer experiences.. Way to keep it classy guys.

Can I have your phone number. I'm having a really crappy day and need to complain to someone. I would make a thread about it but the subject would just get changed and I would be left with nothing.

 

[1Alpha1]

I have a dealership that is near me. It is a ACE Hardware that sells Stihl. I don't even ask for parts there. I only get stuff like chains, oil, files etc stuff I can pick myself. The guys behind the counter are like circus clowns running around. They don't know what the h**l to look for. You try to tell them what to look for and they wont listen. Very frustrating! No wonder I mostly run Huskies around here atleast the dealer knows what is going on.

I have a local ACE Hardware that I deal with from time to time. Once in a while I'll need a part. I know exactly what I need, I have the part #, and I have a very good idea as to how much it should cost.

They've always been friendly, courteous and helpful. They prefer to place an order when they have enough items to get a better price on the shipping. That usually means you'll wait an extra week or so. No big deal for me. I've yet to use their service dept., and hope that I never do. It could be good or bad, I just don't know.

They will give me a discount off MSRP if I need OPE. And, they don't bend you over a barrel if you ask. The last time was when I had them order an HT-131 for me. They gave me 10% off and didn't even require a deposit of any kind. Just my name and phone #. They had it for me in about 8 days.

 

[JBA]

Those are the guys I use for bike service. He used to be my neighbor and he worked out of his garage. I spent a few nights at his place helping him out with small services while he pushed my bike through an emergency. Only problem I have with him now is he's too busy and can't work on any of my Jap bikes anymore.

Sad to think that he's really the only good shop around these parts anymore. If you know of another one fill me in.

If you are from this area then you can relate to some of the chainsaw shops then. I call them weed wacker shops. We were working on a tree job years ago out near the state line. The guy had this big old McCulloch that he used as a stumper. We rocked a 28 inch chain and had to get a replacement to finish. There was a Stihl dealership close by so that's where we went. He made the mistake of taking the saw into the shop and asking, "can you spin me a chain for this?" The counter guy says " They don't make those saws anymore and he can't get parts" He tells them its a 3/8ths chain and the number of links and he says "They don't carry that size, all we have is Stihl chain." Even though he had Oregon signs posted.

He ended up driving halfway home to that womens shop down on the Red Belt. (speaking of good old dirty shops). The oldtimer I was working for said something about wasting time trying to talk sense to azzholes.

That dirty old engine repair place on the red belt is about 6 miles from me. My bike mechanic is on 19 between Cranberry and Zelienople. Pm me if you want that guys #. What area do you live in Vibes?

 

[cuinrearview]

It always amazes me how people blame others for their problems and refuse to take accountability for their actions. Apparently you were asked a specific question about your saw and did not provide a specific answer and now you are complaining about the part you received. Take the time to learn what model saw you have, get an IPL for reference purposes and in the future walk into the shop with the part number you need. Problem solved.

Never said I got the wrong part, but then again I didn't say I got the right one either. Guess I assumed people would know that I would get the right part whether I told the guy my saw had the magnum sticker on it or not. Sorry for the confusion. As for your other suggestion, I in fact do have the IPL for my saw and can take a number to my dealer of choice, I just want to make sure I take it to one that deserves the business.