Considering a Stihl? Here's something to consider

[jalan]

A year ago I bought a new MS260 and received help from this forum. Basically, it was "You got a great saw....stick with it." They were right, it is a great saw and I have enjoyed using it. BUT I recently had an eye opener that may help someone make some decisions. Just past the warranty period, the saw broke down. It had had problems starting off and on but I put up with it. After contacting 2 dealers and then the company, I was appalled by the rude and don't give a ---- attitude of the people I spoke with. I was not looking for anything free; willing to pay the going rate. Finally called a friend out west who works for them and he told me "Fix it yourself; here's how." Rebuilding the carb after finding the defective part, and it's working fine.
But here's the point. If you're considering a new saw, and hearing from someone "Stihl is number 1" you may want to consider that there are other fine makes with guys who love their saws. You're not just buying a tool because it cuts fast; you may need to have dealings with the company that made it. And when they grow to be number one, the little guy is just a speck. If they're rude to him and he goes somewhere else, who cares? So you might want to seriously consider that saw from competition if they can treat you with respect. Yes, I paid over $500 and got a saw, but I learned a lesson that you're buying more than just the saw! I'm certainly not saying the company is filled with bad people. But 4 in a row? To me, that's unacceptable.

 

[indiansprings]

It's a shame you had that expierence, I would write a letter to the President of Stihl USA, fortunately my dealer would have done the fix for free, just wrote a post about us tearing the chain tensioner out of one of our 261's, it ruined the chain when it did it, he fixed it that day and replaced the chain at the same time. It happens with all brands, last week similar situation with a Husky was posted. Doesn't matter what brand you will run into some jerks. The best thing you can do is write the letter to the President of Stihl USA, I don't believe that corporately either Stihl, Husky or Dolmar approve of dealer or some low level person at corporate giving customers the brush off. It can't be fixed if he doesn't know about it. The same with any company, the people in charge need to know when customer service is below par. Sorry you had a tough time, you do own a great saw, don't let the one bad expierence sour you.

 

[THALL10326]

A year ago I bought a new MS260 and received help from this forum. Basically, it was "You got a great saw....stick with it." They were right, it is a great saw and I have enjoyed using it. BUT I recently had an eye opener that may help someone make some decisions. Just past the warranty period, the saw broke down. It had had problems starting off and on but I put up with it. After contacting 2 dealers and then the company, I was appalled by the rude and don't give a ---- attitude of the people I spoke with. I was not looking for anything free; willing to pay the going rate. Finally called a friend out west who works for them and he told me "Fix it yourself; here's how." Rebuilding the carb after finding the defective part, and it's working fine.
But here's the point. If you're considering a new saw, and hearing from someone "Stihl is number 1" you may want to consider that there are other fine makes with guys who love their saws. You're not just buying a tool because it cuts fast; you may need to have dealings with the company that made it. And when they grow to be number one, the little guy is just a speck. If they're rude to him and he goes somewhere else, who cares? So you might want to seriously consider that saw from competition if they can treat you with respect. Yes, I paid over $500 and got a saw, but I learned a lesson that you're buying more than just the saw! I'm certainly not saying the company is filled with bad people. But 4 in a row? To me, that's unacceptable.

Confused. You mean you called two dealers and then the company instead of merely taking the saw to get it repaired?? Not to sound rude but why didn't you just take it in and get it repaired instead of making calls? A unit slightly out of warranty is usually covered under warranty provided there's no obvious fault of the operator, I know it is where I work. Curious too as to what was the defective part in the carb??

 

[Somesawguy]

Unfortunately, Stihl does tend to leave themselves to the mercy of the local dealer. I found the support when I bought my saw was good, and the local dealer is helpful. I'm glad you were able to get your saw fixed yourself, but it can be frustrating dealing with a bad dealer. There are probably others in the area that may be more helpful next time.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Seems odd.

I wonder how polite YOU were when you had a 50cc pro saw (which cost you $500) that had problems. Most people who pay top dollar for a quality product get their panties all up in a twist when the product doesn't work out the way they see fit.

What "broke down"?? How in any way is that an accurate description on what happened with your saw...??

You using wrong/bad fuel...?? If so then it's your fault. Did something silly like a clutch spring break...? Sometimes life happens....


That and you just admitted that the saw was past the warranty period. How can one expect the company to replace or fix something at their cost for a non warranty item. Doesn't make much sense to me....

But don't mind my response. I'm just one of the guys who you'll say is wrong about his claims / perspective anyways.....

 

[RAMROD48]

"Rebuilding the carb after finding the defective part"


Ummm WHAT? Please explain, I am dieng to know.

you rebuilt the whole carb for 1 defective part?

 

[THALL10326]

Seems odd.

I wonder how polite YOU were when you had a 50cc pro saw (which cost you $500) had problems. Most people who pay top dollar for a quality product get their panties all up in a twist when the product doesn't work out the way they see fit.

What "broke down"?? How in any way is that an accurate description on what happened with your saw...??

You using wrong/bad fuel...?? If so then it's your fault. Did something silly like a clutch spring break...? Sometimes life happens....


That and you just admitted that the saw was past the warranty period. How can one expect the company to replace or fix seething at their cost for a non warranty item. Doesn't make much sense to me....

But don't mind my response. I'm just one of the guys who you'll say us wrong about my claims / perspective anyways.....

Easy there ole wildcat,LOLOL From what I read he seems to be saying he made some calls about the saw and got treated rudely which is easy to take place on the phone, trust me I know. I get a few calls each and every year from customers that want a fix over the phone or want to know what is wrong over the phone. My honest answer that I always give is it could be this or it could be that but we won't know untill you bring it in. Then I get well how long is it gonna be in the shop, my reply is always the same, don't know but one thing is for sure, the sooner you get it in here the sooner I can fix it. Some laff, some get ticked, oh well, honesty is hard to accept sometimes I guess,LOLOL

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Easy there ole wildcat,LOLOL From what I read he seems to be saying he made some calls about the saw and got treated rudely which is easy to take place on the phone, trust me I know. I get a few calls each and every year from customers that want a fix over the phone or want to know what is wrong over the phone. My honest answer that I always give is it could be this or it could be that but we won't know untill you bring it in. Then I get well how long is it gonna be in the shop, my reply is always the same, don't know but one thing is for sure, the sooner you get it in here the sooner I can fix it. Some laff, some get ticked, oh well, honestly is hard to accept sometimes I guess,LOLOL

It's possible I'm takin' it wrong Tommy and I apologize to the OP if I'm doing so.

But the way I read it I'm seeing nothing but someone who's pissed they didn't get a free replacement or free parts and service for a saw that isn't running after the warranty is up. Maybe I'm being a harsh prick - but we've all been there before under false pretenses, which is why I said I'll apologize now for being a ********** if I'm wrong.

Seems odd like I already said but hey, I'm spoiled with Stihl and Husky guys. I've got BloodOnTheIce along with Spike and TK - all three make Stihl and Husky look pretty kick @$$ so it's tough seeing what the OP is gettin' at on my end....

 

[roostersgt]

Around my area all of the Stihl dealers are also Husky and Echo. Sorry you had such a bad experience. Mine have been the oposite.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Everyone Rep the n00b. :msp_thumbup:

 

[PA Plumber]

I'm curious about that defective part also.

 

[THALL10326]

It's possible I'm takin' it wrong Tommy and I apologize to the OP if I'm doing so.

But the way I read it I'm seeing nothing but someone who's pissed they didn't get a free replacement or free parts and service for a saw that isn't running after the warranty is up. Maybe I'm being a harsh prick - but we've all been there before under false pretenses, which is why I said I'll apologize now for being a ********** if I'm wrong.

Seems odd like I already said but hey, I'm spoiled with Stihl and Husky guys. I've got BloodOnTheIce along with Spike and TK - all three make Stihl and Husky look pretty kick @$$ so it's tough seeing what the OP is gettin' at on my end....

No need to apologise Chucker, I seen where you was coming from and you may be right on the money. I just figured he might want talk about those calls instead of just taking the saw in for repair, I find that kinda odd, hell very little ever gets repaired over the phone, trust me I know.

Had a guy call me one evening telling me his 066 quit while cutting, what could be wrong. He was very intent and wanted a list of things he should check. I gave him alot of things off the top of my head for him to check. He says thanks. 30 minutes later he calls again and says it still won't start. I ask how far away are you, he goes about 15-20 minutes, I go bring me that f-ing saw and quit messing around. He shows up in about 20 minute and sets it on the counter. I reach over, pull the rope and go welp now we know whats wrong, its fried. He goes whatttttttt, how can you tell that by just pulling the rope. I go its easy, no compression. He's still not buying it. I pop the muffler and show him a piston thats melted beyound belief and I got the pleasure of saying ya beleive me now. Now he's asking how did that happen and I got the pleasure of saying don't know yet,LOLOLOL He was good about it but point I'm making is his phone calls to me were a waste of time on his part..

 

[Mastermind]

I love Stihl......Husky too......Hell Echo ain't bad either. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[cjnspecial]

My dealer tells me what is wrong before I can ask any questions or even seeing the saw. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[TK]

I can't ever recall repairing anything on the phone, gotta have it in front of me to do that. I haven't (don't think so anyway) been rude to anyone over the phone, but occasionally it takes a stern tone to get someone to realize there's no "easy" button to push to get something fixed. If someone has owned the saw for two years im not going to play the "am I doing something wrong?" game, they know how to run the saw lol. Bring 'er in, git 'er fixed, and be on the way

I can only spend so much time on the phone before its wasting both mine and the customers time. That's my perspective from the other side.

 

[THALL10326]

Concerning the almighty phone, it can be at times a customers worst choice of rememdy. Had a young sassy cat about 40 yrs old driving a fancy car bring me a high dollar trimmer that would not run. First thing he says is I bought this FROM YOU and ITS STILL UNDER WARRANTY in a blunt tone. I whisper okkkkkkkkkk, don't hit me,hehe. It was almost 2 years old but yes it was still under warranty, sort of.

I noticed the fuel tank is filled to the hilt, smells fresh too, its got fire but it just will not fire, engine is not getting any fuel. Fuel hose looks good, fliter is tinted but not too bad, shoud allow fuel. I go welp seems you may be getting a new carb, its not getting any fuel to the engine. He's all smiles. I pull the carb and see this nasty green tint all under it and then I smell it, wowowow, talk about foul. I open it up and its clogged with old foul fuel, a green slimy mess. Now it gets interesting. I go buddy how long did you leave fuel in this thing. He goes I just filled it up with fresh fuel. I go I noticed that but how long was the fuel that was in the tank in there. Him not smiling anymore but proceeds to tell me again ITS UNDER WARRANTY. I go yes it is but warranty doesn't cover clogged up carbs from letting it sit for months on it with fuel going bad. Now him is getting angry. He starts preaching and I go hold up and listen for a second. I say I'm gonna call Stihl right now and if they approve a new carb your getting a new carb and installed free of charge. He goes good.

I hop on the phone, tell my man at Stihl what I have going on and exactly what I have found with the carb. My man says well thats not covered, I go so true, here talk to my customer. I hand my customer the phone and he gets the bad news. Now he's livid and hollering at the man on the phone. He hollers wants to talk to the president of Stihl, he apparently gets told no for he hangs up the phone.

I go welp whatcha wanna do, he growels put a carb on it. I do and to help his wounds I only charge him for the carb, not the install. He pays his bill and he leaves. So much for calling Stihl, he should have just been honest and said he left fuel in for lord knows how long and I wouldn't had to hand his hiny to him by way of the phone,LOL

 

[WoodChuck'r]

See Tommy that's why I brought up the part about politeness. Whether it's over the phone or not. I'm guessing the OP was prolly pissed because his 1 year old $500 pro saw **** the bed (the fact that it's his fault isn't too relevant but it seemed worth mentioning for the purpose of the conversation).

Most people in the OP's position would more than likely think "This is a pro saw, I paid damn good money for this. This shouldn't be happening. The company should pay for this, they made enough on the sale so they should replace or fix it for nothin'."

My point is nobody seems to want to accept responsibility.....

 

[RAMROD48]

See Tommy that's why I brought up the part about politeness. Whether it's over the phone or not. I'm guessing the OP was prolly pissed because his 1 year old $500 pro saw **** the bed (the fact that it's his fault isn't too relevant but it seemed worth mentioning for the purpose of the conversation).

Most people in the OP's position would more than likely think "This is a pro saw, I paid damn good money for this. This shouldn't be happening. The company should pay for this, they made enough on the sale so they should replace or fix it for nothin'."

My point is nobody seems to want to accept responsibility.....

From chainsaws to the economy...its the same in every facet of life. We are taught from a very early age if we whine enough we will get our way...its the "lazy liberal way"!

 

[THALL10326]

See Tommy that's why I brought up the part about politeness. Whether it's over the phone or not. I'm guessing the OP was prolly pissed because his 1 year old $500 pro saw **** the bed (the fact that it's his fault isn't too relevant but it seemed worth mentioning for the purpose of the conversation).

Most people in the OP's position would more than likely think "This is a pro saw, I paid damn good money for this. This shouldn't be happening. The company should pay for this, they made enough on the sale so they should replace or fix it for nothin'."

My point is nobody seems to want to accept responsibility.....

I'm with ya. The OP hasn't said why he choose to make calls instead of just taking the saw in for repair. I'm as curious as you. He may here in abit, should be a good read and who knows you may be 100% right, if so you can borrow my Wolverine steel toe, know what I mean,:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[GeeVee]

This all could have been aboided if only someone on the phone had told him the easy way to fix it was to hit it real hard on the side of the muffler bearing with a water hammer, and it would be fixed permanently, he wouldn't be here.....

I mean, come on, no one told him how to fix the defective part?

What was he expecting when it was hard to start, off an on, for a year? I guess it gets better on its own after the warranty runs out, whatever planet he lives.

Now that his warranty is up, anyone going to tell him where he can buy spare defective parts, now that his friend out west told him the real deal? Help a noob out.

Heck, he knows how to rebuild a carb now, thanks to his friend he called what? Fourth on the list?

You're right OP, shuffle on down to Husky Town, from there get a Echo and spew on it too.