So my local dealers.....

[cuinrearview]

seem to be lacking. Dealt with the "guy" at both. First one told me the MS460 that I bought the other night has to be carboned up to blow 170 psi. "It has not been used enough for that", I said. He flat told me I'm wrong. Ok. 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.

 

[kyle.kipple]

For fathers day I went to the local stihl shop to get dad a 25" ES bar for his 460 only to be told by the "certified stihl technician" that it would not fit on that saw.......Since he didn't believe me I polity read the yellow label on the bar packing.

I don't go there anymore unless its a must....douche-bag

 

[Jeff Lary]

I guess you shoulda bought a Partner I haven't been to the repair shop since 1984

 

[stihlaficionado]

Has nothing to do with brands. I can tell you some laugher's about Husky dealers as well. So when you do find a shop that knows it's products give them your business. Or buy online from some of the sponsors here.

 

[HarleyT]

You guys seem to be wound a little too tight, I am the same way myself. You really expect to find many folks there that know what
they are doing??????? They refuse to pay anyone that knows, enough to make a decent living..... If they have anyone that knows,
he is in back working on saws, not wasting time futzing with kids that are trying to shoot him down!!!!!!!

 

[cuinrearview]

I guess you shoulda bought a Partner I haven't been to the repair shop since 1984

Wasn't there for a repair. Bought a plug at one and a chain catch at another. Mostly sniffing around for if I get in a bind. Use the saws to provide fuel for heat here. Will look into the Partner brand though......

 

[1Alpha1]

It really is sad that dealers don't know more about what they are selling. Dedicated dealers don't seem to be all that much better than hardware stores that sell saws.

All I know is that if I'm looking to buy a new saw or parts for an existing saw, I better do my research and homework before I go shopping. You are better served if you know as much as possible. Having the part # you need can save you some grief and time. If you are looking to buy a saw, do your homework on it. Chances are, they won't tell you as much as you might want to know.

I have found that hardware stores can offer discounts off MSRP. Dedicated dealers seem to feel that their prices are carved in stone and can't be changed. One of their most popular excuses is that Stihl Inc. won't allow MSRP deviation. I don't feel that 10-20% off MSRP is unreasonable. Of course, if you buy more extras / accessories for the saw / OPE at the time of purchase, the better the chance at 20% off.

And, if they tell you something that just doesn't sound right, trust your gut. The person you are talking to, might be a damned good plumber, but that doesn't mean he knows all that much about chainsaws.

 

[cuinrearview]

You guys seem to be wound a little too tight, I am the same way myself. You really expect to find many folks there that know what
they are doing??????? They refuse to pay anyone that knows, enough to make a decent living..... If they have anyone that knows,
he is in back working on saws, not wasting time futzing with kids that are trying to shoot him down!!!!!!!

Only reason I started this thread was because of all of the "whichever dealer you like" answers to questions. I know a fair number of members on here don't depend on the saws they work on and can wait and order anything they need from the web. For the most part I can too but if I get in a bind I want to have a place that I can trust. Like I said, I got one more place I can try.

 

[stihlaficionado]

You guys seem to be wound a little too tight, I am the same way myself. You really expect to find many folks there that know what
they are doing??????? They refuse to pay anyone that knows, enough to make a decent living..... If they have anyone that knows,
he is in back working on saws, not wasting time futzing with kids that are trying to shoot him down!!!!!!!

Yes. I do expect to find folks that sell a product know enough about it to answer questions intelligently. And if they don't know, they should ask.
I went through 3 local Husky dealers until I found a dealer that knows his products thoroughly.

 

[HarleyT]

True, but you need to edumacate yourself, get the Stihl parts lookup, and just see if they will stock the parts you will need, without raping you on shipping, then you will be way ahead of the internet route.....

 

[Deleted member 83629]

i only buy from my echo/stihl dealer now , they know there stuff and they don't try to cheat anyone they are usually a little cheaper than anyone else. usually 15-25$ cheaper than other stihl/ echo dealers and they carry every make and model stihl and echo make available and has knowledge about most any made saw made now and 40 yrs ago but he has been in business since 1967.

my local husky/redmax dealer is a greedy smarta$$ and thinks he is right and everybody else is wrong
and the prices are through the roof wouldn't take my dog there if i had one.

 

[HarleyT]

No Husky dealers left around here, but we are not in big wood country....

 

[HarleyT]

i only buy from my echo/stihl dealer now , they know there stuff and they don't try to cheat anyone they are usually a little cheaper than anyone else. usually 15-25$ cheaper than other stihl/ echo dealers. my local husky/redmax dealer is a smarta$$ and thinks he is right and everybody else is wrong i wouldn't take my dog there if i had one.

You have something against dogs?????????

 

[HarleyT]

park city? where is that?

 

[watsonr]

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.

 

[Str8six]

Just remember, that guy that's working in the saw dealer today was asking you if you wanted fries with that yesterday.

 

[HarleyT]

Just remember, that guy that's working in the saw dealer today was asking you if you wanted fries with that yesterday.

Ow........ They are glad when the boss makes you stay in the truck, eh????

 

[blsnelling]

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

 

[gary courtney]

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.

one of the shops I do business with quit allowing customers in the back because of "insurance" truth is mechanic was spending too much time talking to customers. this guy was a treasure trove of knowledge, he was a dealer in PNW during muscle saw era. know they call him up front to talk.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Up around here this has been my observation and guesstamation of the shops. I am talking all shops not just saws. Maybe ,mayyyybe 1 or 2 techs that are skilled. The rest are clerks, computer guys, the "Wiz" who has owned everything ever made and walks around the front of the shop telling the new customers how badly they need to buy a new great super wild fast ripping thrashing jumping up and down rig that they just got in. Then the guy that is entertaining the " hang arounds" the guys with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cell phone in the other. I have a guy that I can call and a guy to order parts for me ....took me 35 years to find them and I aint giving them up neither!!!