Doubling Stihl warranty not apply to pro saws?

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Finally got this done, saw is registered with Stihl, and has the extended warranty.

Dealer never registered the saw with Stihl, even 5+ weeks after purchase. Stihl customer service had to do it directly. Going to be an interesting conversation between Stihl corporate and that dealer.
 
Thats a tough one to prove.
They can't force you to use their oil and void the warranty. The oil you use may have to meet their specs (which isn't hard to do.) And you may have to prove it needs their specs but beyond that, the law is very clear on that subject.
 
They can't force you to use their oil and void the warranty. The oil you use may have to meet their specs (which isn't hard to do.) And you may have to prove it needs their specs but beyond that, the law is very clear on that subject.
Where might you find the language that specifically says it would be against the law for them to enforce usage? I have the same essential question/concern: I dont mind the point-of-sale upsell to their oil, but the using it might be another matter.....
 
The Stihl manual says "or equivalent" in regard to oil. Easy enough to prove.

The "buy a pack of oil and double your warranty" schtick isn't a warranty upsell trick, it's a sell more oil trick. Stihl knows that basically all the non commercial users will get through the extended warranty period without a claim, even if they use TCW3 boat oil. Stihl takes on almost no additional risk or burden by doubling the warranty for non commercial users, but they do sell plenty of oil that they wouldn't otherwise sell. Once you've bought the oil, Stihl doesn't care if you use it to start your burn pile, or run it in your saw.
 
Oh I'm quite aware it's a "sell more oil" upsell. I dont have the warranty language in front of me so the "or equivalent" was not known by me so thanks for the info
 
I haven't heard the
"double the warranty with their oil" schtick this year, but nothing I buy is covered anyway.

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Just kind of reading along in this thread and I'm quite amazed the Stihl warranty periods are so short. Like they have no faith in the products. I'll stick with my Echo saws and brush / weed trimmers. 2 and 5 on everything, no exceptions. Having said that however, I've never had a warranty issue in any of the saws I've owned or own presently.

One thing I am curious about and that is, how does a dealer determine if you use a saw for profit (as in a commercial arborist operation) or if you are just a homeowner? When I buy a saw, I always pay cash and use my name on the registration...?
 
Just kind of reading along in this thread and I'm quite amazed the Stihl warranty periods are so short. Like they have no faith in the products. I'll stick with my Echo saws and brush / weed trimmers. 2 and 5 on everything, no exceptions. Having said that however, I've never had a warranty issue in any of the saws I've owned or own presently.

One thing I am curious about and that is, how does a dealer determine if you use a saw for profit (as in a commercial arborist operation) or if you are just a homeowner? When I buy a saw, I always pay cash and use my name on the registration...?
I have not found that the warranty length has any correlation to how long a product would last. Many sellers require that you produce the original receipt and are counting on the fact that most people will not keep them or may lose them. Also, many warranties are pro-rated. That is, if you have a 2 year warranty and the product fails after 23 months, you get a credit of 1/24th of the original purchase price towards the purchase of another identical or similar product. The Sears Die-Hard battery is a case in point. I never had one that lasted the warranty period. Most died in less than 2 years. I finally quit buying them and found that the Everlast batteries at Wal-Mart were actually better. I get 5-7 years out of them usually. As for my StihlMS500i, I bought the Stihl oil to get the two year warranty, but I do not intend to use it. I will be using Amsoil exclusively.
 
Where might you find the language that specifically says it would be against the law for them to enforce usage? I have the same essential question/concern: I dont mind the point-of-sale upsell to their oil, but the using it might be another matter.....
The Magnusson-Moss act.
It's federal law.
 
The only Echo dealer I know personally told me Echo corporate tells all dealers to say, bad fuel and or more than 10% eth in the fuel used, its their best escape excuse, same as the water in the fuel excuse I heard this particular dealer tell anyone bringing in a saw for repair.
 
The Magnusson-Moss act.
It's federal law.
I don't think it does violate that act. The basic limited warranty does not require the use of Stihl oil. The extended warranty is granted by the purchase of Stihl oil, but there is no requirement to actually use that oil. Moreover, that act applies only to normal consumers, not those who use the product professionally or for profit. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/businesspersons-guide-federal-warranty-law
 
I don't think it does violate that act. The basic limited warranty does not require the use of Stihl oil. The extended warranty is granted by the purchase of Stihl oil, but there is no requirement to actually use that oil. Moreover, that act applies only to normal consumers, not those who use the product professionally or for profit. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/businesspersons-guide-federal-warranty-law
That's exactly what I was getting at. A mfg can't deny warranty based on you not using their branded oil.
 
That's exactly what I was getting at. A mfg can't deny warranty based on you not using their branded oil.
And Stihl is not denying the warranty based on the use of their oil or not. You get the standard warranty regardless of whether you purchase their oil or not. But if you buy their oil, you get an extended warranty. In essence, you are purchasing the extended warranty by buying the oil. I just wish I could find something useful to do with my Stihl oil. I sure as heck will not put it in my chainsaw!
 
And Stihl is not denying the warranty based on the use of their oil or not. You get the standard warranty regardless of whether you purchase their oil or not. But if you buy their oil, you get an extended warranty. In essence, you are purchasing the extended warranty by buying the oil. I just wish I could find something useful to do with my Stihl oil. I sure as heck will not put it in my chainsaw!
I think everyone understands that.
 
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