Stihl return policy

[Goofaroo]

I have never been told that when buying new *** from a dealer either. Won`t have to worry about that in the future, won`t ever have to buy another new saw.

I bought a new Craftsman top handle back in the late eighties and a Cs450 about ten years ago. This was before my chainsaw “collecting” started about three years ago. The Craftsman and the Echo are still great saws but I’ll never buy a new saw again.

 

[Be Stihl]

I would like to hear someday that they,Stihl, actually took a saw back and gave a refund or replacement, sure has not been my experience or any other I have heard or read about. Not even the best Stihl dealer I ever dealt with would once the saw went out the door.

I had to talk to a rep, but I got them to take back an MS261C and they sent me the Version 2. This was due to the dealer having the Spec’s for ver2 listed and sold me ver1. After I realized the difference I came here for advice and was told to contact a rep, problem solved!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dmb2613]

most of the hard starting issues are do to flooding the saw, Either the dealer did not go over the starting procedure or the owner did not read the manual or both.
We have taken saws back after a month and replaced with a new one. I would be willing to bet I could solve the guys problem PDQ.
I guess that is why their are no Husky dealers near us other than the big box stores and I don't think of them as being dealers.

 

[Goofaroo]

Getting back to the OP about the 311 starting issues and no disrespect for the owner but stihls can/are a little different in starting. My story. I went to look at/buy an 036. The owner told me it was always hard starting and had it back to the dealer numerous times but they could never find a problem. Only reason he was selling it was because he was moving to FL. I put the saw on choke,pulled it and heard it burp,flipped the lever up and pulled again and it fired right up. The owners jaw about hit the floor. He said he had about pulled his shoulder out of joint trying to get it started.

I just called the owner and discussed the starting procedure with him in detail. He’s going to try again this weekend and report back to me. If he can’t get it started he’s going to bring it to me Monday. I didn’t intend this to turn into a Stihl bashing thread and before I have the customer go back to the dealer I want to see this saw for myself. It could be as simple as educating him on the starting procedure but there does seem to be several threads online about 311s being hard to start.

 

[dmb2613]

I would like to add that the most of the saws that were replaced had a real problem and some that the owners just did not have the hump to start them lol

 

[holeycow]

I bought a new Craftsman top handle back in the late eighties and a Cs450 about ten years ago. This was before my chainsaw “collecting” started about three years ago. The Craftsman and the Echo are still great saws but I’ll never buy a new saw again.

Occasionally brand new saws go for sale at really low prices. Like just as low or very close to "mint" used prices. I am on the lookout for those from time to time..usually it's a closeout or an old stock thing.

I had good luck on my cs590 and my ps5105 that way.

Though I guess those deals didn't really come close to the used price I got on my cs2152..

 

[Goofaroo]

Occasionally brand new saws go for sale at really low prices. Like just as low or very close to "mint" used prices. I am on the lookout for those from time to time..usually it's a closeout or an old stock thing.

I had good luck on my cs590 and my ps5105 that way.

Though I guess those deals didn't really come close to the used price I got on my cs2152..

I will never actually need another saw. I buy them just for the fun of bringing them back to life.

 

[Mad Professor]

Getting back to the OP about the 311 starting issues and no disrespect for the owner but stihls can/are a little different in starting. My story. I went to look at/buy an 036. The owner told me it was always hard starting and had it back to the dealer numerous times but they could never find a problem. Only reason he was selling it was because he was moving to FL. I put the saw on choke,pulled it and heard it burp,flipped the lever up and pulled again and it fired right up. The owners jaw about hit the floor. He said he had about pulled his shoulder out of joint trying to get it started.

I still have cars/trucks/tractors will manual chokes. They work fine.

Youngsters , most of them, are befuddled on how they work or how to use them.

 

[holeycow]

Ahhhhh, that's a little different. So far, i buy running saws whether new or used

 

[Husky Man]

I just called the owner and discussed the starting procedure with him in detail. He’s going to try again this weekend and report back to me. If he can’t get it started he’s going to bring it to me Monday. I didn’t intend this to turn into a Stihl bashing thread and before I have the customer go back to the dealer I want to see this saw for myself. It could be as simple as educating him on the starting procedure but there does seem to be several threads online about 311s being hard to start.

Starting procedure can be very important, and vary from one saw to another

My 3120XP being nothing short of a Bastard to start when I first got it is WHY I found AS

First step to starting a 3120(at Least Mine anyway) is to Ignore the section in the owner’s manual on starting

Choke On, Throttle Lock OFF(this is where you Ignore the OM)

2-3 pulls, she Snorts, Choke OFF, 2-3 more pulls, she’s waking up the county

My “Old Reliable “ 266XP Likes Choke AND Throttle Lock, the 3120, Not so Much

Now that I know just how to tickle her to make her Smile, no problem, but even with a Decomp Button, it doesn’t take too many pulls on that Beast to Flat Wear a guy out


Doug

 

[holeycow]

Lo screw adjustments make all the difference in starting. It's a pita that newer saws require far more attention to that than old saws. In my experience, anyway.

 

[SEAM]

...unfortunately, a lot of owners do not read the instruction manual or listen to the instructions at the point of purchase - their minds are usually somewhere else ahead, imagining what they will do with the saw. I know a number of people using Stihls without ever discovering the "choke" lever position, causing Stihl bad starting rumors. Some never pull the trigger when choking, causing bad wear or breakage in the mechanism.

 

[Goofaroo]

He just brought me the saw. I couldn’t get it to start. I pulled the plug and cleared the chamber. I also verified spark. I replaced the Bosch with an NGK and tried again. No dice. So I pulled the plug and cleared the chamber again and put a little fuel in the cylinder. Still nothing. It sparks fine but won’t start or even pop. I’ve tried it with and without the decompression engaged and I get nothing but a wet plug.

He’s going to take it back to the dealer and try to return it or exchange it for an Echo. I loaned him a saw so he could finish what he was working on.

If the dealer won’t make this right I’m going to contact the regional office that Harley recommended in Texas and see if they will help him. This was not an inexpensive saw. Hopefully he’s not stuck with it but if he is I’m open to any ideas on how to make this thing start reliably. I didn’t want to pull the limiters and risk voiding his warranty but that would probably be my starting point if I have to try to fix this thing. Then verify that the timing is right. Are these known to shear flywheel keys?
It has had less than one tank of fuel run through it.

 

[farmer steve]

@Goofaroo. I can't remember off the top of my head but there are some things covered for 2 years on the saw. EPA rules. The info is in the back of the manual in the warranty section. Carb,coil and maybe some other stuff. Just Tossing it out to ya at this point.

 

[Goofaroo]

@Goofaroo. I can't remember off the top of my head but there are some things covered for 2 years on the saw. EPA rules. The info is in the back of the manual in the warranty section. Carb,coil and maybe some other stuff. Just Tossing it out to ya at this point.

Thanks. I’ll let him know.

 

[Justsaws]

Before messing with the limiters, pull the muffler. Look for scoring.

 

[Justin Taylor]

My stock 311 is 2 pulls every time

 

[grön ek]

He just brought me the saw. I couldn’t get it to start. I pulled the plug and cleared the chamber. I also verified spark. I replaced the Bosch with an NGK and tried again. No dice. So I pulled the plug and cleared the chamber again and put a little fuel in the cylinder. Still nothing. It sparks fine but won’t start or even pop. I’ve tried it with and without the decompression engaged and I get nothing but a wet plug.

He’s going to take it back to the dealer and try to return it or exchange it for an Echo. I loaned him a saw so he could finish what he was working on.

If the dealer won’t make this right I’m going to contact the regional office that Harley recommended in Texas and see if they will help him. This was not an inexpensive saw. Hopefully he’s not stuck with it but if he is I’m open to any ideas on how to make this thing start reliably. I didn’t want to pull the limiters and risk voiding his warranty but that would probably be my starting point if I have to try to fix this thing. Then verify that the timing is right. Are these known to shear flywheel keys?
It has had less than one tank of fuel run through it.

Check the gap at the coil, and double check the fuel, I had one that I was servicing with the same symptoms,,, the plug was moist, but upon closer inspection it was wet with water. Obviously there was some non-ignition as a result. Yes, there was spark and fuel, but water in the crankcase,,, (hmmm, I didn't even ask, I just rinsed it with dry gas a few times, then ethanol fuel, then premix fuel, then fired it up)

 

[vtfireman85]

Once out the door it was considered a used saw, they would say, WTF am are we going to do with a used saw. Take it up with Stihl corp if you want. No real warranty either as there was always the excuse of improper useage or bad/straight gas.

You sure you aren’t talking about Subaru?

 

[toadman]

They warranted my 193T, for a scored cylinder from the bar oil tank leaking through the divider & into the fuel tank, (turns out bar oil doesn't burn well as fuel) and did warranty work in my name on my 460 before it was mine. Replaced several parts, although that place has since closed. I haven't had warranty work done on my personal saws in a couple years.
The dealership even gave me a loaner both times.