Are northern Tool prices on Husky XP good?

[Adirondack]

I thought you could not buy XP from non dealer. If so is the price decent?

 

[Stihl-Pioneer]

I just looked on their website and didn't see any xp saws just avg homeowner versions.

 

[Under_Pressure]

I just looked on their website and didn't see any xp saws just avg homeowner versions.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=145368

The new catalog lists the XPs, with no listed limitations about picking up in store, "call for pricing," etc.

 

[mikefunaro]

No. The prices are not paricularly good. They are exactly list price in most if not all cases

 

[PA Plumber]

Here are some numbers to mull over...

 

[HuskyMurph]

i baught my 390 off the interent from a big chainsaw/logging company kind of like baileys. not sure if i can say where. but for PHO it was about 300 bucks cheaper then any place i called. so i figured the money i saved i sent it to treeslingr to work his magic

 

[mikefunaro]

To be fair I think the high prices make sense. If the prices are higher than at 90% of dealers, it creates little incentive for people to not buy at the local dealer. Instead, only those who are truly without a decent local dealer will buy through northern...granted, i'm not really taking tax into the equation.

 

[PA Plumber]

Here are a few more numbers...

 

[sunfish]

Those prices are higher than my local dealer.

 

[mdavlee]

The prices on the 576 and 390 are higher than the local dealer for me. They said $760 or so on the 576 and $930 or so on the 390. They can be had cheaper than that if you run up on a deal. I paid $830 for a 390 last year with a 28" b/c.

 

[Justsaws]

MSRP is what it is. Every dollar less than MSRP is coming out of your dealers pocket. There are some incentive programs and regional price differences but they typically do not amount to much unless the dealer/vendor moves a lot of merchandise. There have been times when this site has sponsors that sell current stocked items cheaper than the small regional dealers can get them from their own distributors.

Hence the "Call for the price" on many items, that gets them around the advertised price issue and keeps other vendors/dealers from having to honor a price match guarantees. If Northern/ETC. start advertising below MSRP the smaller shops will start whining again and the whole thing will get ugly.
Call Northern and start beating them up on their pricing if you do not like what it is, same with Lowes, Sears, TSC. Some will knock 5-10% off just for asking. That is why Sears has sales associates, it is not like they are there for the heavy lifting. Treat them like you would any other saw dealer. If you are shopping for the best price not the best dealer let the sales people know what you are looking for.

If you have a dealer that will budge off of MSRP than that is a good thing. Husqvarna is not helping you the dealer is and perhaps on the odd rare occasion the distributor assists as well.

Husqvarna NEEDS to sell some saws, alot of them.

 

[sawbid]

Every dollar less than MSRP is coming out of your dealers pocket.

...not true.

The manufacture SUGGESTED retail price is just that...the manufacture does not tend to do or care about market value. The manufacture will set a MSRP, typically high, so dealers can sell lower than MSRP and consumers think that they are getting a "good deal".

 

[mikefunaro]

...not true.

I disagree. Anytime a dealer sells for less than MSRP, they are indeed losing money over what they would by MSRP. I think that saw manufacturers play this game much less than many other industries. Electronics, for instance, are often half of MSRP. Books too.

But saws, MSRP on a mid range saw might leave a dealer to make $100 at best. Yes dealers can stray. Husky dealers seem to more than stihl but it's all an area thing.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

I disagree. Anytime a dealer sells for less than MSRP, they are indeed losing money over what they would by MSRP. I think that saw manufacturers play this game much less than many other industries. Electronics, for instance, are often half of MSRP. Books too.

But saws, MSRP on a mid range saw might leave a dealer to make $100 at best. Yes dealers can stray. Husky dealers seem to more than stihl but it's all an area thing.

100$ profit on a MS290 I'd kill to make that much!

 

[lawnmowertech37]

No wonder alot of the smaller companys are going out of business cause the bigger boys are getting all the sales

 

[Trigger Man]

100$ profit on a MS290 I'd kill to make that much!

I think Thall probably has. Sorry Tommy I could'nt resist.

 

[Justsaws]

...not true.

The manufacture SUGGESTED retail price is just that...the manufacture does not tend to do or care about market value. The manufacture will set a MSRP, typically high, so dealers can sell lower than MSRP and consumers think that they are getting a "good deal".

So if you dealer makes $120.00 on every sale of saw X sold at the MSRP of $950.00 what happens when he sells them for $830.00? Does the distributor or manufacture reimburse him for the difference? Is he expecting to make up the difference in all of the $15.00 20" loops of chain and $10.00 jugs of oil that he will sell to that customer?

Every dollar short of MSRP comes out of the dealers pocket with the exception of incentive programs and most of those are less than a serious lunch value.

How about the dealers that pay interest on the in store stock? Think the bank gives them a rebate to cover MSRP discounts?

I am editing to add that I have no issues with people price shopping or dealers selling below MSRP. However, at least acknowledge who you are putting the screw to when you are haggling for the $50.00 bill on a $500.00 purchase and if you enjoy the process beat up the vendors of merchandise before you beat up your "buddy" the local dealer. Otherwise known as hassle the crap out of Northern, Sears, TSC, Etc. before you beat up a local dealer over Fridays beer money.

I wonder if Husqvarna's new re-found love of Internet sales resolved the drop shipping issue? Does Northern have to take physical stock of any of these saws beyond the few token store decorations?

 

[sawbid]

So if a manufactor sets the MSRP to $950 and the saws will sell all day in the PNW at that price, what about in say Nevada they can only get $800 for the saw. Your telling me that ALL dealers across this great nation ALL pay the same price? It is suggested for a reason, only a suggestion. Some dealers use it as a ploy and say "Go on the website and look at the MSRP"...

I have never been a chainsaw dealer...maybe the chainsaw market is different from all others, I dunno...I am interested in one day, far down the road, in having my own small engine repair shop. I was looking at a post on AS the other day about becoming a Stihl dealer...that was quite a turn off if it was true. Seems like that route can be VERY difficult!

I am not looking to argue...just learn. opcorn:

 

[Justsaws]

So if a manufactor sets the MSRP to $950 and the saws will sell all day in the PNW at that price, what about in say Nevada they can only get $800 for the saw. Your telling me that ALL dealers across this great nation ALL pay the same price? It is suggested for a reason, only a suggestion. Some dealers use it as a ploy and say "Go on the website and look at the MSRP"...

I have never been a chainsaw dealer...maybe the chainsaw market is different from all others, I dunno...I am interested in one day, far down the road, in having my own small engine repair shop. I was looking at a post on AS the other day about becoming a Stihl dealer...that was quite a turn off if it was true. Seems like that route can be VERY difficult!

I am not looking to argue...just learn. opcorn:

There are some regional differences, East versus West so to speak. Different regions have different distributors and to a degree the distributors can offer their own incentive packages and "rewards" programs. Pricing also reflects regional "expectations", market growth, etc. MSRP is suggested because it is against the law to force them to all sell at one price, however the actual saws will cost the actual dealers very close if not the same amount with in those regions. Dealers can basically choose to sell high volumes at a lower per unit profit or low volumes at a higher per unit profit. Understanding that a $100.00 per unit profit is a nice one and that many dealers do not sell more than 100 saws in a good year.

I can currently retail mail order 100' rolls of chain, have it delivered to my door, and pay the sales tax on it cheaper than some of the small local dealers can get that brand of chain from their distributor. If I used that brand of chain, I would have a hard time paying the mark up to make it worth those dealers time to stock it. Part pricing is also different, almost always better to mail order unless the dealer is willing to discount MSRP heavily.

Do not get discourage about becoming a dealer because of what you read on this website. Find out who your regional distributors are and contact them. Just remember, they are not your friends, get it ALL in writing and hold them to it. I am convinced that unemployeed lawyers become distributors.

I am not nor have I ever been a chainsaw dealer. Looked into it and decided not to ruin a hobby with customers, distributors and banks.

 

[sunfish]

I would rather pay my local dealer a bit more, than order something. I want him to stay in business! The mom-n-pops are slowly going away, this is not good.

I will order stuff I can't get locally.