Local Shop - Such A Dissapointment

[madmarksolomon]

I've had pretty good luck with small mom and pop saw shops over the years, the trouble is finding them. And usually the good stihl shops were old saw shops before they became dealers.

 

[striderzz]

I have been both cursed and blessed I suppose...

When I bought my last saw I couldn't decide between a 460 and 660. My local shop didn't carry them in stock but the one 1.5 hours away did. So I go, compare and buy my 460. Also purchased a spare chain. When I get home, I check the chain and find that where he joined the chain, he made my full skip a double full skip, 1 cutter was completely missing. I call and the same guy answers the phone, tell me it doesn't matter (i disagree) and he will replace it if I want but it will just waste his time and money. His attitude royally pissed me off and I have not been back since.

So I took the chain to the local shop and am glad I did. This guy added a cutter for free, made me a few more chains and gives me a "buy 1, get 2nd 1/2" off of all my chain purchases. Also ordered parts for me, takes only a few days, is friendly and knowledgeable. Hell the only thing missing is the hot daughter behind the counter! He also has just about every parts book you can imagine behind the counter. He tells me he gets people from 3+ hours away since he is the only guy who knows his sh*t with old saws, no matter the manufacturer. My biggest regret is not purchasing my saw from him! Needless to say, he is my go to guy now.

-n

 

[apn73]

My local shop sucks too. Sadly I bought 2 saws and a blower before I figured that out. He's 5 minutes from my house which makes it even more painful.
The gas cap on my blower went (yea I know, damn flippy caps) and I called him about it "Bring the whole blower in, not just the cap. If it's not a recall they're under $10". Really? The two other shops I called said it's under $5 and they'd replace it for free anyway even though I didn't buy it there. Oh yea since it was a recall why the hell didn't you call me?!?
A friend bought a Honda generator there, he sold her two transfer switches, one for the panel and a small one for the furnace. Then he wouldn't take back the unnecessary small furnace switch.
He didn't call me before he did an expensive repair on my snowblower.
Since I'm in northeast mass there are several other stihl dealers within 30 minutes of me, that guy isn't getting another penny from me.

Don't know how close you live to the NH border, but there is a good saw shop in Derry (East Derry, on the Hampstead side of town), NH called Eddie's Saw Service. It's actually a saw shop (Stihl dealer) with small engine repair, not an OPE. He' the only guy in the area that I care to do business with and I've been 'round with a few of them. Drop me a PM if you want the physical address.

 

[clintonior]

Found out today my goto saw shop closed its doors. Its a shame he was always more than fair to deal with. Now i'll have to find a shop likley much further away.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

We're fixin to move south soon. Probly NC.

That's not really a step up... but there is less traffic! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[apn73]

That's not really a step up... but there is less traffic! :hmm3grin2orange:

Not so sure that I agree with that, northeast is going to the dogs in my opinion and you won't find anybody more yankee than me. If my work situation keeps going the way it's going (due to the dogs and I think you know what I mean) I may very well wind up in NC or VA. I'm not hijacking this thread; I promise!

 

[zogger]

Not so sure that I agree with that, northeast is going to the dogs in my opinion and you won't find anybody more yankee than me. If my work situation keeps going the way it's going (due to the dogs and I think you know what I mean) I may very well wind up in NC or VA. I'm not hijacking this thread; I promise!

Lower pay on average in the south, but cheaper to live, slightly less government crapola, especially as regards second amendment (with the exception of Vermont of course)(coolest NE state)

Milder winters, but cold enough to have a heating season and burn wood, tons of nice hardwood trees all over. Bugs are a wash, skeeters and blackflies and ticks are bad in NE, down here..no blackflies that I have seen, but the other bugs are the same or similar. Lot more snakes, but it keeps you in situational awareness mode all the time, a good thing..

some areas are slap fulla wild hogs to hunt....

Do NOT tell the locals all about what it was like or how you did it "up north"..it just ain't appreciated at-all


One of the major perqs is..no rust used vehicles!!!!! Cheap!!!! And most areas the roads are good, not all beat up with frost heaves/potholes/bad patch jobs.

Long gardening season...

Saw and small engine dealers the same, some suck, carry nothing, bad or meh attitude, others are great.

 

[elanjoe]

No way!! The best Stihl dealer is in Sedro-Woolley! :msp_thumbup:

actually it is where I work !!!

 

[RiverRocket]

Good luck finding a Stihl dealer in NJ who isn't a d-bag. I been searching for 15 years.

I thought everyone in NJ was a d-bag...:hmm3grin2orange:
Garden State my a#2#@ I wouldn't eat anythig out of that garden:biggrin:

 

[z71mike]

I thought everyone in NJ was a d-bag...:hmm3grin2orange:
Garden State my a#2#@ I wouldn't eat anythig out of that garden:biggrin:

Yup, pretty much. There are a few of us out in the sticks that are overrun by the majority. Time to leave. They'll be signing the 50cal ban any day and I'm not re-barreling to a 416

 

[TK]

I only wish I had a good Husky dealer around here. Closest one is nearly a couple hundred miles away. Sad really.

 

[MRCo.]

Good point. We're fixin to move south soon. Probly NC. Just don't know anyone there :/

Come down here to the mountains, we're real easy to get along with!

Dealers like this make customers for big box stores as much as anything...they are reverse ambassadors for small dealerships in a way. As I see it, small dealers need to ensure the best possible delivery of the goods and services they offer if they want themselves and others like them to stand a chance against the bulk sellers.

 

[stihl023/5]

I have 3 one sells stihl and husky and they wont see me again. One stihl and small JD and the owner is a :censored: The 3rd sells stihl and echo and is the best of the 3.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I have a couple of Stihl dealers in town, one is at the back of a rental outfit. Wend in needing parts for several saws and the guy behind the counter asked if an 075 was a hedge trimmer. They are only a couple of miles away but I have never been back. I now go across town to the JD / Stihl / Echo dealer. They have half a dozen counter helpers and there is always a line. The only problem is that they are too busy to answer the phone.

 

[hamish]

You have such bad experiences at dealerships, because 80% of the customers are douchbags themselves. Whinning about the cost of everything, saying well I can get it cheaper over there, and is that the best you can do etc....

Then when its my turn to go to your business do I get a break? Hell no. Do you go to the grocery store and try to get a nickel of a couple apples, then drive away in your Escalade?
Go eat a turd sandwich.


The dealer in my town is terrible too, but makes 80% of the income from that "other 20%", and has a load of repair business from the other brands that 80% bought and cant get fixed /serviced.

 

[Mike_C]

Don't know how close you live to the NH border, but there is a good saw shop in Derry (East Derry, on the Hampstead side of town), NH called Eddie's Saw Service. It's actually a saw shop (Stihl dealer) with small engine repair, not an OPE. He' the only guy in the area that I care to do business with and I've been 'round with a few of them. Drop me a PM if you want the physical address.

Thanks I found him. I'm in Haverhill so he's not too far. At least I have plenty of choices, Grantz in Salem nh, East Coast lumber in hampstead, rosencrantz in Kensington, someone in north Hampton too I forget his name. They're all about 20-40 minutes away.
I would much rather go to someone who knows what he's doing and a recommendation from someone on this site is great to hear.

 

[bcaarms]

Dealers beware of AS

My local Husky dealer is ok, straight by the book. He was knowledgeable and nice enough to point me towards the 365 X torq as the best deal in saws while they lasted.
I did a little research and figured out that you could easily convert the saw to a 371 XT. I didnt feel comfortable doing the modification myself so I found AS. With a little reading I found Mastermind. I am now a repeat customer of Randy, and plan on doing business with him in the future.
Through Randy I met Terry Landrum and his wife Anne at the ET GTG which they hosted. I have purchased saws from Terry and plan to continue to use his expertise.

I dont see how anyone would put up with less than civil treatment when AS provides an easy alternative. The expertise is way above big box stores, and the product is backed better than any warranty on the market.

I enjoy being able to walk in to a store and come out satisfied with my purchase. If that is not available, then communicate with some of the people here and just find out what service is really about.

 

[lambs]

I promise I had not seen this thread when I wrote "support your local dealer"......

 

[lambs]

Good point. We're fixin to move south soon. Probly NC. Just don't know anyone there :/

Well let us know when you move, and where you ended up! You do know a few people there, you just didn't realize it until now!

 

[slowp]

No way!! The best Stihl dealer is in Sedro-Woolley! :msp_thumbup:

Nah, they are in Chehalis.:msp_thumbup::msp_thumbup: Don't move here.