ASEMASTER
ArboristSite Operative
I just watched a very good stihl saw commercial on the tv. about why you shouldn't go to the box stores to buy your equipment. do you suppose they been reading our posts?
Last edited:
Stihl commercial
- Thread starter ASEMASTER
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Justsaws
Addicted to ArboristSite
Not the posts, just your mind. Plus all of the little cameras and bugs have yielded a wealth of useful information. That is why so many die hard Stihl fans get headaches(implants) when they go to a Husky dealer.
begleytree
H. sapiens moderatus
ASEMASTER said:
You can pretty much count on it.
Now I'll be able to tell if they were listening when they do away with those POS tool-less gas and oil caps (aka, leg lubers)
-Ralph
Like The Woods!
ArboristSite Member
I had the opportunity to visit a wannabe box store this past weekend. I was in Bath, Me. (as in Bath Shipyard), and went into a rather large Ace Hardware store.
They sell homeowner type saws. Husky and Stihl. I needed some of the nylon chain guides that pop into place both sides of the bar. Both my 260 and 034 use the same one, so I figure this must be used by a lot of saw models, and should be easy to purchase anywhere.
Instead of me walking the isles, I asked a fellow that seemed like he might know something about saws. He leads me back to the two saw isles, and stops before entering either. Looked at me and said "if we have it, it will be here someplace". He actually started to walk away after that line. I said to him "thats the best you can do?". So he was shamed into actually entering the saw space, muttering and sputtin how they probably don't have it anyway. I told him that "I would go to a real dealer". Then walked away.
Holy Ole' Baldface! What a stinkin' store! I can't believe that they set up, and demo a saw when making a sale. Absolutly bad dealer from what I experienced.
They sell homeowner type saws. Husky and Stihl. I needed some of the nylon chain guides that pop into place both sides of the bar. Both my 260 and 034 use the same one, so I figure this must be used by a lot of saw models, and should be easy to purchase anywhere.
Instead of me walking the isles, I asked a fellow that seemed like he might know something about saws. He leads me back to the two saw isles, and stops before entering either. Looked at me and said "if we have it, it will be here someplace". He actually started to walk away after that line. I said to him "thats the best you can do?". So he was shamed into actually entering the saw space, muttering and sputtin how they probably don't have it anyway. I told him that "I would go to a real dealer". Then walked away.
Holy Ole' Baldface! What a stinkin' store! I can't believe that they set up, and demo a saw when making a sale. Absolutly bad dealer from what I experienced.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
Like The Woods! said:
I am not defending the treatment you received but you were looking for a part and not a shelf item. I would venture a guess had you went to the parts desk you would have gotten the part you needed.
Bill
oldsaw
"Been There, Milled That"
Bill G said:
Not a good sign that the clerk didn't run him up to the parts desk to get rid of him. Kind of tells me that there really wasn't a real parts desk guy.
I don't buy parts without my IPL anymore. Even with my good dealer. Saves them work and headaches, and my nice, but worthless Husky dealer knows what to order that way. I've made up for much of their lack of knowledge with knowledge gained for myself.
Mark
STIHL-KID
ArboristSite Operative
Times have changed........
I recently saw a T.V. commercial for Stihl Chainsaws. The commercial featured the MS180 "wood-cutters special". Hhhmmm, why does Stihl market this as a firewood saw? There are many posts by members on AS explaining how worthless these saw models are (underpowered). I also thought it was interesting in the commercial how they said for an additional $40. you can get the "wood-cutters kit". The kit consists of a plastic case, couple of files, chainsaw multi-tool, Stihl ball cap, etc. My father and grandfather both told me of the good ol' days when that stuff came standard, no extra change. But hey, we live in a world now where we pay extra for tarter dipping sauce going through the drive-thru. :bang:
I recently saw a T.V. commercial for Stihl Chainsaws. The commercial featured the MS180 "wood-cutters special". Hhhmmm, why does Stihl market this as a firewood saw? There are many posts by members on AS explaining how worthless these saw models are (underpowered). I also thought it was interesting in the commercial how they said for an additional $40. you can get the "wood-cutters kit". The kit consists of a plastic case, couple of files, chainsaw multi-tool, Stihl ball cap, etc. My father and grandfather both told me of the good ol' days when that stuff came standard, no extra change. But hey, we live in a world now where we pay extra for tarter dipping sauce going through the drive-thru. :bang:
Like The Woods!
ArboristSite Member
Bill G said:
There were some - not many - parts for sale along side the saws. I don't beleive they had a parts desk/guy. If they did, and this bozo didn't send me to it/him, then it's even a woorster
dealer than I thought,AJLOGGER
ArboristSite Operative
Like The Woods! said:
I went to my Stihl dealer last week to get some mix and bar oil. While talking to him, he said that he had just got back from talking with a district Stihl rep. He said that the rep. told him that Stihl was going to start limiting the farm implement dealers and the Ace Hardware type stores from carrying the Stihl brand. I guess the rep. told him they were getting to close to being like the box stores and the service was not what Stihl liked. He said in the furture Stihl was not going to grant dealership status to these type stores.
Lakeside53
Stihl Wrenching
STIHL-KID said:
Hmmm,,, Most AS posts say the MS170/180 is a great little saw... Not everyone is cutting 20 inch rounds. And it's $29.95 for the case, chain etc..
NYH1
Tacticle Chainsaw Operator.
I went to a Stihl dealer a few years back around here. It was a large construction company listed in the phone book as being a Stihl dealer. They also had a nice sign hanging outside the place. I walked in and asked the lady where they keep their saws. She said what saw are you looking for. I said an 026 with a 16 inch bar. She grabbed a catalog opening it, gave me the price and asked if I wanted her to order it for me. I said I'd like to see and hold the saw before I buy one. See said we don't stock any saws we order them. I said how can you be a Stihl dealer if you don't have ANY saws? I left and never went back. I don't even know if they still claim to be a Stihl dealer or not. We have nine other Stihl dealers in the area anyway's.
vapnut257
ArboristSite Operative
I would love to buy a brand new Stihl chainsaw. It may well be the best saw made. But I won't because I believe in competition. I don't like Stihl's marketing strategy that artificially keeps inflated prices high by limiting where consumers can spend their money. I like the idea of being able to purchase parts, service and accessories from whatever source I choose, unlike Stihl who tells me I have to go to a certified? Stihl dealer. Thank America for aftermarket parts because if you are forced to buy all of your parts, service and or accessories from one source, they will inflate the prices even more than they do now. So you can choose to be brainwashed by these commercials all you want, but the bottom line is Stihl's marketing strategy is designed to control and protect their network of inflated prices and service dealers. And, by the way, thank America for independent service dealers that will work on all major brands of equipment without penalizing the customer for not "buying" from him. I'm glad I have the choice to buy a Stihl saw from a StihL dealer or any other major brand of saw from just about any source I choose. The dealers that post on this forum offer compelling reasoning for buying a Stihl or any saw from a local dealer and even I am slowly being convinced of the value in doing so. I just hate the truth that if I buy a Stihl chainsaw, I can't shop around and buy Stihl parts or accessories from anybody else.That's the flaw.
BLACKeR
ArboristSite Member
^^^^ i kinda agree, i really dont understand all the ranting about "box stores" if you dont like those stores dont go in there. the larger stores fill a need. if dealers are valuable, and needed they will stand on their own. large "box stores" have allowed a lot of people to buy a better saw. most folks cannot afford stihls dealer prices. each store offers its own benifits. its up to the buyers to descide what benefits they like.
Wes
ArboristSite Lurker
vapnut257 said:
This is the way all cars and trucks have been sold since, oh, the 1930s. I take it you won't be buying a new car or truck of any brand ever again until you have the option of buying it at Home Depot? Just kidding, of course, but Stihl's dealer network strategy works pretty well for the niche product they carry. Yes, I think premium brand chainsaws are a niche product.
W
AJLOGGER
ArboristSite Operative
BLACKeR said:
I would agree with you but........ Stihl is the #1 seller of chainsaws and their sells keep increasing year after year so they must be doing something right. Second, tell that to 90% of the mom and pop shops who have gone out of business because of the box stores. When I was a little kid my dad always used Homelite saws. They were a great saw, however they sold out and then started selling to the box stores and completely lost their dealer support and tanked. Same with a lot of other major brands like Mac. I have a feeling that Husky will do the same in the future. You can't sell a mechanical piece of equipment like a saw and not offer any service what so ever and expect it to survive. If Husky looses their dealer support, they are done. Jo blow homeowner wants to buy a Husky Rancher. He goes to the dealer and prices one out and then goes to Lowes and sees that it is $50 cheaper. So he buys from Lowes. Now compound that by thousands and then add in trimmers, lawn mowers, blowers etc, and now your dealer is gone. So one year later your Rancher needs a new clutch, but he is now out of business. So you thought you saved $50 but you didn't. You just threw away $300 because you can't work on it yourself and you can't get the clutch you need to begin with so your saw is usless. When you buy from a dealer, you might spend $50 more initially, but you will save in the long run when you need something. Don't always think that your dealer will always be there so you can run to him if you have a problem. Like I mentioned before we don't have any Homelite dealers anymore. And there have been several other shops close also. That is a major reason why I will not buy a Husky saw. I don't care if they have a model that is supreme, I will not buy it out of protest. My father owns a small machine shop, I know how much it tears my dad up when a big shop undercuts him. Even if he does a better more efficient job.
vapnut257 said:
Maybe if Chevy Dealerships offered Fords and Nissan started selling Toyotas then it would all be fair.
Dont forget youll need to get Audi parts from the Saab dealership.
oldsaw
"Been There, Milled That"
vapnut257 said:
That's some pretty short sighted thinking. I sell primarily higher end electronics, and have to choose my dealers carefully. I want a dealer who can sell the customer the right components, accurately represent them, and who will take care of the customer after the sale. If the can't do that, I don't sell any of my lines to them. I don't want to buy a chainsaw from someone who doesn't know anything about chainsaws, nor hi-fi from someone who doesn't know anything about hi-fi.
I don't use my chainsaw dealers to ask too many questions anymore, that's what I use AS for. I've taken apart enough saws that I consider myself fairly competent at most repairs, and just need the part. Those not as schooled in the art and science of chainsaws need someone to help them learn a few things before sending someone out with something that could take off a leg in a quick moment. In this, the box stores fail, since the person selling you a saw in a box store has probably never used a saw before, and is relying on the "GRR-Animals" color coding scheme to make sure that you get the right bar and chain. Maybe not right for your situation, but "it will fit because the colors match". People buying a saw have different needs, almost none of them addressed by a big box store. Inexperienced people need advice and guidance, pros need parts availabililty and fast service.
In your model, you have the potential for having a dealer selling Stihl saws, who only carries a couple of models, but won't sell or service others. What a cluster party for a consumer. What the consumer needs is a dealer who can outfit any customer, service their needs, and keep their equipment running. They don't need someone who cherry picks equipment lines and won't support the brand. Stihl looks for and gets, long term dealer stability, and a stable dealer base is what best benefits owners of their products.
BTW, I have a bad Stihl dealer close to me, and a great one about 10-12 miles away. I choose to do my business at the good one. I have to suffer with a Husky dealer that has great people, but no saw experience or expertise. I really don't need it, I just need parts availability, and they provide that. However, this is in large part due to Husky's distribution policies which have made it impractical to be a Husky dealer near a big box. My next closest dealer is 80 miles away.
Mark
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
Livin' in an area where saw shops cater to loggers is a big plus. Good service techs, parts availability, and a big lineup of saws on the shelf. Guess I am just lucky to have 3 very good dealers within a 1 hour drive. Andy (Lakeside53) is one of them.
Gary
Gary
