The Stihl MS661 C-M recall
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Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
The prices seems to be what I am seeing across the board more or less. I know in Germany they have a big demo day where you can try out stihl viking products are they any adverts on TV there for the same thing?
CapitaineHaddoc
European Westcoaster
I do not know, I almost never watch French television.
I have a "half-uncle" who works for Stihl / Viking in Austria, I will ask him if he knows anything. It would be interesting, especially since I live close to germany.
I have a friend who sold the largest number of Stihl chainsaws in France in 2013, he went to a weekend in Waiblingen in a few days, he may be able to get information as well.
I have a "half-uncle" who works for Stihl / Viking in Austria, I will ask him if he knows anything. It would be interesting, especially since I live close to germany.
I have a friend who sold the largest number of Stihl chainsaws in France in 2013, he went to a weekend in Waiblingen in a few days, he may be able to get information as well.
Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
It is good to have a Stihl connection! LOL Mine are in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Hesse, and Thueringen with quite a few dealers having the Newer saws and accessories. I am not sure what personal goodies I will bring back from my next trip!
CapitaineHaddoc
European Westcoaster
You often go? Makes you a nice trip!
One of the sellers who has 661 in stock sell two for cheap, he has loaned them for a sculpture festival in his town. But he reserve them for their usual customers, and I usually go elsewhere
windthrown
361 Junkie
All quiet on the western front...
My German friends still say that their dealers cannot order the 661 in their Stihl ordering systems. Also according to them the 661 inventory at the distributor was all sent back to the factory. Some 661 saws have been declared 'demo saws' but they cannot be sold by the dealers, just played with. That is what I hear from Germany anyway. In the UK they still do not have any 661s available either, which is the same as here in the US.
My German friends still say that their dealers cannot order the 661 in their Stihl ordering systems. Also according to them the 661 inventory at the distributor was all sent back to the factory. Some 661 saws have been declared 'demo saws' but they cannot be sold by the dealers, just played with. That is what I hear from Germany anyway. In the UK they still do not have any 661s available either, which is the same as here in the US.
Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
You often go? Makes you a nice trip!
One of the sellers who has 661 in stock sell two for cheap, he has loaned them for a sculpture festival in his town. But he reserve them for their usual customers, and I usually go elsewhere
I saw a program on Satellite this afternoon of a competition where the 661 was shown running. I believe there were several people in the crowd with the mythical saw. On a lighter note The dealers I am in contact with said they have stock on the saw and i is selling well. There was a fellow from Hungary last week with a brand new 661 that wanted to post a few vids. Hopefully he will .
windthrown
361 Junkie
People that I know and converse with in Germany and Austria say that they have not have not been able to order the 661, nor have they seen any in stock there. They say that they will be able to order them again in July, 2014, and they expect delivery in August. So the revised edition 661 will be out soon in the EU.
Stihl working hard
Is it Friday yet
I love it when you talk dirty I can't wait to get mine
Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
And yet I was posting ads for stores with the saw, a price for said saw.. I have to ask why am I able to find it in stock so easily? Funny things is of those that have PM'd me and asked for a location for this saw not 1 has written back saying nope could not find it. or none is stock. I even had a bloke from Greece ask for for a location and he was over the moon with his new 661 I encourage him to do a unboxing video. I think perhaps someone is having fun with you.
How bout you go on a road trip and see if in fact they actually have the saw in stock? The posting of adverts found on the internet are completely irrelevant.
I had marketing material for the 562 almost 2 years before it was even available in the US. Believe nothing you are told till such time as you can hold one in your hands.
windthrown
361 Junkie
Amusing. I have Rocky on my ignore list now, as he is the only person I have heard from who's opinion is completely contrary to what I am being told by dozens of sources about the 661 worldwide. The fact is that there are first edition 661s floating round out there as many were sold before the 'not a recall' recall. I never said that there were not. In fact there were (and maybe still are) some number of original edition 661s in saw shops out there. As a 'non-recalled' saw, owners and shops were allowed to keep them if they wanted to. There may be a few dealers/distributors that ordered and kept a large number of 661 saws, but I have no confirmation of that. However, those are the exceptions to the otherwise overwhelming rule here. Most of the unsold 661 saws in the US, UK and Germany were returned to the factory in Germany where they were all made. Most, if not all of the problem and failed 661 saws that were returned to dealers in the US, UK and Germany were also returned to the factory. Any photography of those failed saws were not allowed by Stihl.
As I have posted earlier in this thread, from 3 different Stihl factory/corporate sources in the US, UK and Germany, the 661 failed internal quality assurance testing and were withdrawn from this markets. Stihl stopped production on the 661 saws earlier this year to work on a redesign of the cylinder. They also restarted production of the 660 saw as a stop gap to provide to customers during the 661 redesign. The redesigned 661 saws will not be made available until the August/September timeframe of this year (2014). They may be available as early as late July in Germany. That is consistent with what I read and heard from friends and associates in the US, UK and Germany, as well as Denmark, France, Austria, Italy and Greece, and even Australia. It is also consistent with what I have been told here by several dealers in this area. They also warned me: "You do not want any of the 661s that are out there now."
The 661 remains on many Stihl web sites and in ads, as the ads were already released at the end of last year when the 661 made its debut. There are even ads for the 661 in Australia, but it was never released or sold there. They were tested there before they went into production though. They were also tested here in the western US by people I know personally. I did not test one (nor any other Stihl prototype saw in the past), so I did not have to sign any non-disclosure agreements, which testers had to do. So I can flap my yap about the 661 whereas many that know a lot about it cannot. Which is a big reason why there is little information on this; Stihl does not want any negative publicity about their new flagship 661 chainsaw failure. In many cases the Stihl dealers know little or nothing about any of this.
As I have posted earlier in this thread, from 3 different Stihl factory/corporate sources in the US, UK and Germany, the 661 failed internal quality assurance testing and were withdrawn from this markets. Stihl stopped production on the 661 saws earlier this year to work on a redesign of the cylinder. They also restarted production of the 660 saw as a stop gap to provide to customers during the 661 redesign. The redesigned 661 saws will not be made available until the August/September timeframe of this year (2014). They may be available as early as late July in Germany. That is consistent with what I read and heard from friends and associates in the US, UK and Germany, as well as Denmark, France, Austria, Italy and Greece, and even Australia. It is also consistent with what I have been told here by several dealers in this area. They also warned me: "You do not want any of the 661s that are out there now."
The 661 remains on many Stihl web sites and in ads, as the ads were already released at the end of last year when the 661 made its debut. There are even ads for the 661 in Australia, but it was never released or sold there. They were tested there before they went into production though. They were also tested here in the western US by people I know personally. I did not test one (nor any other Stihl prototype saw in the past), so I did not have to sign any non-disclosure agreements, which testers had to do. So I can flap my yap about the 661 whereas many that know a lot about it cannot. Which is a big reason why there is little information on this; Stihl does not want any negative publicity about their new flagship 661 chainsaw failure. In many cases the Stihl dealers know little or nothing about any of this.
Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
have your sources in Germany and Austria send me a pm. Then they can report back to you that they indeed have seen the saw, picked up the saw, bought the saw and are enjoying the saw. This whole silliness of no photos, no official comment and the fact that people are mentioning that they have the saw, and have seen it still for sale must mean something. Unlike the US and Canada you can not place an advert for a product that does not exist or is not available. But if you insist on photographic proof then I will ask some of the blokes in Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Greece to post photos.
ignore list indeed.
ignore list indeed.
Rockjock, you're missing the point. We all know that there are 661s out there. The fact of the matter is that Stihl pulled them back. Call it a recall or whatever you like, there's no question that they were requested back. We have too many sources world wide to believe anything else.
Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
I guess my problem in all this is that when I asked I was told recall? what you mean I have them in stock. Then others came forth and said what do you mean I just bought one. I just ordered one and it arrives in a week. When I would ask for something, any little tidbit of proof all I was ever told was this person said that their cousin said there was a recall. I dunno I will be in lower Bavaria in a weeks time so I suppose when I walk into my local dealer he will not have a single one on the shelf. The dealer network in Waiblingen all verify they have stock or can get it. That is as you know stihl territory.
But hey we are all enthusiasts here so until I visit the dealers myself and see with my own eyes that the saws are on the shelves I will not take what the dealers say as fact.
Cody
ArboristSite Guru
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Was at one of the local Stihl dealers yesterday inquiring about the 661 and was told that they won't sell any until the 660's are all gone, no new information there for most of you. I'm from NW Iowa so not sure where the dealer gets their saws from, but they were told that they have 60 660's to sell first. I half ass searched but didn't see any updates, and this is just purely FYI for those who aren't aware.
I know many dealers kept selling non M-Tronic 362s for months after the M-Tronic versions were available.
Mastermind
Work Saw Specialist
Believe me fellers.......when they are available, I will have several.
Didnt jasha get into some **** for posting pics of the 461 he got to work with prior to its release ?
My dealer still has one (non M-tronic 362).....
