STIHL Smart Connector - yes or no

[northernswede]

Came across the Stihl smart connector which seems to be a fancy hour meter more or less. I'm wondering if it's worth picking one up, or a few, to stay on top of maintenance intervals or at minimum to track how many hours one has put on a piece of equipment.

Obviously using one on of these connectors on previously run equipment can't pick up and tally previous hours so it'd be best to install these before any new piece of equipment is run.

Just curious on if anyone's used one and found it worthwhile for the short amount of money that they go for? Or is it beneficial for some Stihl equipment over others, like say a saw vs weed whacker that may see more use?

 

[oldfortyfive]

I got one to play with. Generally not worth the trouble. Maybe if you have a lot of equipment.

 

[northernswede]

Was the setup process a pain or just generally not worth the 20.00 to be reminded of maintenance? Just curious, maybe I'll pick one up and see if it's worth it for some bits of Stihl I have, or not

 

[J_Ashley]

I was given one of these by a Stihl employee at a tradeshow last year. I could not for the life of me, get it to connect to my phone/app. I gave up after multiple attempts.

I like the idea however. It would be interesting to see the used hours on things like my String trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. Honestly, it would help with labor/time tracking. I'm a solo worker, so it would help me with evaluating time spend on jobs, how to bid, etc...

 

[oldfortyfive]

Was the setup process a pain or just generally not worth the 20.00 to be reminded of maintenance? Just curious, maybe I'll pick one up and see if it's worth it for some bits of Stihl I have, or not

Set up was easy. Just didn't find it all that useful. The app for my Honda generator on the other is handier. Mainly because it monitors oil change time.

 

[northernswede]

Well my local shop did not even what it was when I went in and asked about it a few days ago. Had to actually show them. Another case of why Stihl could offer some of their products online. I don't see the harm in selling something like this via the web and have it shipped, especially for folks who are tech savvy and mechanically inclined.