ok before i tell the whole story i want to know if my dealer was telling the truth. Does it sound right that a certified stihl tech would take 20 minutes to adjust the carb on a ms181? it was bught from the east coast, and so it stumbled a little here in the midwest, so not much adjusting had to be done. also is it true that the EPA has these saws so regulated that you could not do these little adjustments without the limiter caps being removed?
thanks in advance,
jake
I wouldn't be surprised, especially if the tech thinks that the limiters need to stay on, the saw needs to be set to OEM specs, etc. It is tough to hit the "sweet spot" on saws when in reality the caps should be pulled, muffler opened up, and the thing tuned properly.
Further, it is entirely possible that the saw simply bills all work in 1/3 hour increments, or something like that. I can't begrudge a shop for choosing to do this, though it would be nice to have it known beforehand.
In any case, I think that this whole situation illustrates the following:
1. Learn to tune your own saws.
2. This shop does not want your business.
3. If you're Harry Homeowner, that's one thing. But you are out buying $700+ saws and still can't tune your own? Learn to tune your own saws.
4. You don't want to do business with this shop in the future.
I agree that this may not be "fair" or that your expectations were not understood, met, or respected. But you know what, you're only out $20-the actual value of having your saw set up right, and got a valuable lesson out of the deal. It is frustrating, but the honest truth is that many OPE dealers (possibly the majority) are idiotic and marginally competent, whether as salespeople, as techs, or as businesspeople. I don't know why this is, somehow these folks are able to stay in business. Don't help them. No more splitting business with these folks. Take your business elsewhere, make sure friends/family are aware of your dissatisfaction, and vote with your feet and your dollars.
A couple years back, I sent an old snowblower in to get fixed. The shop called and said that they could do the work (quite a list, much of it ignition-related with NLA parts) but it would cost quite a bit. I asked what the cost of a repower would be, because I had a grip into a sandblast/repaint already. They said that they couldn't repower it because the machine had an oddball crank size. I didn't believe that, but deferred to their judgment - I wanted the thing finished and back, and they have a good reputation around town. So I paid a few hundred bucks and I had them do the work. When I got the machine back, I read the invoice - the engine had marginal compression and was on its way out, one of the valve guides was almost worn away, and the taper on the cylinder walls was incredible; the folks had not told me any of this over the phone. And best of all, I looked at the crank - normal size, but because the pulley was a closed-end pulley (1/8" lip, to set the depth on the crank) it made the 3/4" crank look like a 1/2" crank when viewed from the end. Idiots. Suffice it to say, I drive 20 minutes to the good OPE shop for my lawnmower parts, instead of 5 minutes to this one, and gladly let ANYONE who will listen know why I make this choice.
