Stihl vs. Husqu

[Greener]

Everyone: thanks for all the great replies

I had no idea I would get the kind of feedback-and colorful commentary-on this thread. It has been very helpful in my future considerations for saw purchases.

 

[HILLBILLYREDNEC]

I think Hillbilly was speaking within the context of this thread, stihl, husky and so on. I don't think he meant a good dealer is going to make a wild thing a better saw.

Same is true in my business. Snap on, Matco, Mac, Cornwell is all just about the same now, and I say all the time, "we're buying the tool man" I buy from the guy that gives better service, has more selection, and gives quicker warranty replacements. In this example, sears craftsmen, harbor freight and so on are not even in context whatsoever. In this example, you put a Matco and Snap on ratchet next to eachother, they will have differences, but are both top of the line tools.

I would agree the better saw, speaking of quality brands, is going to be where you get better service. I have two Stihl dealers very close, and one is fantastic. I have no husky or others. If I buy a Husky saw at Lowes, what am I going to get for service compared to if I buy a Stihl? I bought Stihl, if the tables were backwards, I'd handle the husky, and most likely buy that instead of a Stihl if the service wasn't there.

yup my point was a dealer can be worth more then saw brand. As a example if Dolmar and Solo had a decent dealer network they would be a viable candidate to buy,because of lack of dealers they are not really worth the risk to buy for someone who depends on the saw to make money with them.

 

[Myarmistired]

I don’t think I’ll ever buy a Husky saw as long as I’m in this town.

My local Husky dealer left me very unimpressed when it came to service. They sell both Husky and Stihl, which is why I went in for parts. I can’t say I was treated poorly, but it seemed like the staff seems like they’re uninterested in being at work.

I finally went to the Stihl only shop on the other side of town and have been treated wonderfully. It’s not just the saw, it’s the service you get.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Saws are saws,it is dealers that make a brand good or bad.

yup my point was a dealer can be worth more then saw brand.

Once again, I think there is a lack of understanding on the part of the poster in regards to the term "brand". A brand resides at the corporate level and shapes the public perception of the company. Brands are used to differentiate products and services in the marketplace and brand components include name, logo, symbol, slogan or tagline and any particular commitment(s) or promises the company offers.

A brand is what creates value for a company and is simply the image it projects and the public perception of the company and its products. For some companies the brand name is synonymous with the product, such as Kleenex for facial tissues and Xerox for copiers. The brand is the most valuable asset a company has and as such a company goes to great lengths to protect it. Names are trademarked, marketing slogans are copyrighted and lawsuits are filed when a company perceives an infringement has occurred, whether it be in name similarity, product development or advertising. Company response to events can either help or hinder a brand, think of the Tylenol scare or the recent stumbles of Netflix.

Dealers or distribution channels are not part of this equation. There is no way that any dealer (or dealer network) is worth more than the Husqvarna, Stihl, Dolmar or even Poulan name in the marketplace. However, what a dealer network can directly influence is sales and customer satisfaction which over time can either serve to improve or tarnish a brand image.

A poor product is a poor product and sales through a "good" dealer will not make the product any better. In fact, a "good" dealer taking on a poor product may in fact see their their own brand suffer causing them to disassociate themselves from the product. What a "good" dealer can offer a product line is foot traffic and a knowledgeable staff that may lead to increased sales.

In summary, dealers are worth far less than a brand and are not what make a product good or bad.

 

[Greener]

Once again, I think there is a lack of understanding on the part of the poster in regards to the term "brand". A brand resides at the corporate level and shapes the public perception of the company. Brands are used to differentiate products and services in the marketplace and brand components include name, logo, symbol, slogan or tagline and any particular commitment(s) or promises the company offers.

A brand is what creates value for a company and is simply the image it projects and the public perception of the company and its products. For some companies the brand name is synonymous with the product, such as Kleenex for facial tissues and Xerox for copiers. The brand is the most valuable asset a company has and as such a company goes to great lengths to protect it. Names are trademarked, marketing slogans are copyrighted and lawsuits are filed when a company perceives an infringement has occurred, whether it be in name similarity, product development or advertising. Company response to events can either help or hinder a brand, think of the Tylenol scare or the recent stumbles of Netflix.

Dealers or distribution channels are not part of this equation. There is no way that any dealer (or dealer network) is worth more than the Husqvarna, Stihl, Dolmar or even Poulan name in the marketplace. However, what a dealer network can directly influence is sales and customer satisfaction which over time can either serve to improve or tarnish a brand image.

A poor product is a poor product and sales through a "good" dealer will not make the product any better. In fact, a "good" dealer taking on a poor product may in fact see their their own brand suffer causing them to disassociate themselves from the product. What a "good" dealer can offer a product line is foot traffic and a knowledgeable staff that may lead to increased sales.

In summary, dealers are worth far less than a brand and are not what make a product good or bad.

Guido, I tend to agree here. If suddenly, Husky had the dominant service and Stihl shops were inferior, that would not change the fact that the machine what you're after. To each his own though. If someone wants to run a john deere just because their shop is great, go for it. But I won't. I'd rather take the good machine and come up with a different way to get maintenance/service.

 

[Tree Pig]

Go on ebay find as many 20 year old Husqy saws that that you can. After an hour you may have 4 or 5 for sale that run. In 5 minutes you can find 50 stihl saws 20 plus years old, that run like the day they walked out of the dealer... That is the real difference. I guess you could take a chance that the new husqy saws are made to last, but the old ones sure werent.

 

[tree MDS]

I'd use either, though I primarily run husky's. Most real treeguys know that they're both good saws.

 

[Tree Pig]

Come on MDS you know very well that you only switched to Husqy because the dealer was in walking distance.

 

[topnotchtreehf]

I don't know if this thread is still active and I'm sorry for being late to the party. I used to be a Husky man, but I'm currently transitioning over to Stihl. The reasons for this is:

Husky has purchased other saw companies (like RedMax) and you can't be sure what you are getting.
Husky is now having Poulan build some of their saw (though they are under Husky's specs).
Husky has saws made in China.

My 246xp rolled out of the back of my pickup (tailgate was not latched properly). I went to my Husky dealer to buy a replacement saw (I could not afford a new 346xp at the time). He showed me a saw (new model), but it was made in China. I told him that I would try it out (it was the first one that he had sold). To be truthful, the saw ran a little better then the 346xp (more rpm) and was lighter. The problem was that after 4 - 5 months, training a new groudie and the saw came off the rope and fell about 20'. I took it back to my dealer and I could buy another saw for a lower price then it would cost to fix the saw (I paid $299.99 for the saw). So I brought the broke saw home in a box and went over to the Stihl dealer.

 

[superjunior]

Old thread but oh well. I've been a stihl guy for the last 23 years BUT lately I've been raising an eyebrow at husky. My local stihl dealer has been packing in new inventory with husky, and I would have great service through them regardless of brand. I refuse to buy another stihl product unless they change that piss poor oil and gas cap design. My stihl dealer told me that they know they effed up with that design and it IS going to be changed, but not any time soon. He's going to be getting in a new t540xp that just might have my name on it. Yes, I might be converting...

 

[tree MDS]

Old thread but oh well. I've been a stihl guy for the last 23 years BUT lately I've been raising an eyebrow at husky. My local stihl dealer has been packing in new inventory with husky, and I would have great service through them regardless of brand. I refuse to buy another stihl product unless they change that piss poor oil and gas cap design. My stihl dealer told me that they know they effed up with that design and it IS going to be changed, but not any time soon. He's going to be getting in a new t540xp that just might have my name on it. Yes, I might be converting...

I'm gonna be real interested in the new husky climber.. if they ever finally get here, that is. After listening to blakemaster's modded 201T for a couple days I'm thinking stihl finally dropped the ball on the climbing saw nitch. God, I can almost still hear that thing...

 

[lxt]

I really have no brand loyalty, I run stihl saws, echo power pruner & other power equip. the post of 20 yr old stihls on the web that run like new may be true, but then I have seen Homelite, partner, Mac`s, bradleys & many other brand names with the same track record........so whats that say?

certain Mfg`s just dont keep up......Homelite for example was a heck of a saw but then were bought out & basically became a plastic heap of crap........most outdoor power equip is made by MTD any way, so its not chevy & ford its more like mercury sable & ford taurus....same plant different style, numbers, etc...

if it comes from china.............well its prolly made by MTD or some mass producer of outdoor equipment & is for the home owner more than the pro! Husky is a good saw but have there problems/ Stihl same thing. I think its a matter of how a brand lasts & performs for the user that has them stand by one over the other, for me Husky`s gave me electronic ignition problems & just when I was in the heart of the job.........that problem never went away! Stihl.....on the other hand I have never had a problem with unless it was human stupidity, thats why I run Stihl..........they dont break, you have to break em, speaking in my situation...!





LXT..............

 

[superjunior]

almost forgot that part - if and when it gets here I'll keep you guys posted

 

[almondgt]

Go on ebay find as many 20 year old Husqy saws that that you can. After an hour you may have 4 or 5 for sale that run. In 5 minutes you can find 50 stihl saws 20 plus years old, that run like the day they walked out of the dealer... That is the real difference. I guess you could take a chance that the new husqy saws are made to last, but the old ones sure werent.

"In 5 minutes you can find 50 stihl saws 20 plus years old, that run like the day they walked out of the dealer... "

YOUR'RE FOOLING YOURSELF IF YOU STAND BY THAT COMMENT. Husky or Stihl 20 YEARS OLD, THEY ALL NEED FIXIN:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Greener]

I don't know if this thread is still active and I'm sorry for being late to the party. I used to be a Husky man, but I'm currently transitioning over to Stihl. The reasons for this is:

Husky has purchased other saw companies (like RedMax) and you can't be sure what you are getting.
Husky is now having Poulan build some of their saw (though they are under Husky's specs).
Husky has saws made in China.

My 246xp rolled out of the back of my pickup (tailgate was not latched properly). I went to my Husky dealer to buy a replacement saw (I could not afford a new 346xp at the time). He showed me a saw (new model), but it was made in China. I told him that I would try it out (it was the first one that he had sold). To be truthful, the saw ran a little better then the 346xp (more rpm) and was lighter. The problem was that after 4 - 5 months, training a new groudie and the saw came off the rope and fell about 20'. I took it back to my dealer and I could buy another saw for a lower price then it would cost to fix the saw (I paid $299.99 for the saw). So I brought the broke saw home in a box and went over to the Stihl dealer.

Welcome in, topnotchtreehf. In my experience, I have noticed the lower hp huskys are definitely inferior to comparable stihl models-both in terms of performance and reliability. I think as you go up the food chain, the huskys get better, but I'm not convinced yet.

 

[12valve]

The first saw I ever bought was a husky 3-somethin rancher from Lowe's. It was a great saw for the short time I had it, sold it to a buddy and used the money plus some to get me a Stihl ms310 farmboss. I liked the Stihl the more. I dont know if theres a difference between a dealer husky or a Lowe's husky. As far as I know that old husky is still clearing downed trees on fence rows and rolling around in a truck bed after 5 years, lol. But back to Stihl, Ive been hooked on them since I bought that first stihl. I dont know if its because its the famous name, color scheme, or the fact that I have a dealer down the road from my house, they just work for me.

 

[mic687]

I run Stihl saws with no reason to change because they have never let me down. That being said Husky XP saws look real nice and I would like to try one just to compare it and would have no problem owning one if I liked the feel.

 

[Greener]

Old thread but oh well. I've been a stihl guy for the last 23 years BUT lately I've been raising an eyebrow at husky. My local stihl dealer has been packing in new inventory with husky, and I would have great service through them regardless of brand. I refuse to buy another stihl product unless they change that piss poor oil and gas cap design. My stihl dealer told me that they know they effed up with that design and it IS going to be changed, but not any time soon. He's going to be getting in a new t540xp that just might have my name on it. Yes, I might be converting...

Yes, the Stihl caps. Never quite sure if they're on good or not. I like the old school straight threaded ones.

 

[Greener]

I'm gonna be real interested in the new husky climber.. if they ever finally get here, that is. After listening to blakemaster's modded 201T for a couple days I'm thinking stihl finally dropped the ball on the climbing saw nitch. God, I can almost still hear that thing...

Please expand on the "201T dropping the ball" bit. Sounds rough?

 

[KTM150xc]

stihl may not have "whored out" but their consumer saws are junk on a level par with or below a husky consumer model
companies with stock have a legal and moral obligation to the shareholders to make money
if you want a good stihl it needs to say made in germany
if you want a good husqvarna it needs to be an xp[/QUOTE

I wouldn't go that far as to it needing to be either a German made saw, or an XP husky. I have both, and i also have both american versions of their landowner, consumer grade whatever too and have no problems. Why not buy a pro saw if you can though, right? The key is though, make sure you buy them from a respectable, helpful dealer. They are no more expensive than the box stores and generally cheaper because of low overhead. I prefer husqvarna for a few reasons but my dealer makes all the difference when i switched back to husky from stihl. The owner is there everyday, with one mechanic and those are the two most dedicated guys i know to that business. They really go the extra mile to make sure i'm satisfied. When i bought my 365xt a few weeks ago, they not only sold it to me for nearly $100 off the msrp, but they realised it had a square ground chain, which they weren't supposed to be on there(i prefered it anyway) but husqvarna sent my dealer a brand new chain FREE to me for the saw because of the mistake. Also, I do enjoy the more advanced air filtration, anti vibration and lower weight of the Husqvarna's. But would take a stihl anyday as well. Like em both but husqvarna has the edge in a few places, Some people complain about the quality of new generation of husqvarnas but i believe they are great and have had nothing but production with mine. And they oil very well too. Also, the dealer sent out demo saws to the local fire departments who have been dedicated stihl users, well guess who just placed a big order of brand new Husqvarna's! That says something right there if you ask me.