Gotta watch the saw shops, some will scam u if they can. In San Diego, there is a saw shop in Lakeside that u take a saw in for....lets say a linkage problem....they will turn and tell you its burned up due to bad fuel, then try and sell yo ua knew one. They take your old one, fix the linkage then put it one the used saw shelf. I busted them and turned them into Stihl. They tried telling me my says where burned up, even tho the other 20 or so saws used the same fuel. I took the saws from the shop, which he REALLY didn't want me to do, tried tap dancing around on how he would get them done right away. I took the same saws to a dude named Super Steve at Lawnmowers Plus, Jeffery L turned me onto, he went thru the saws, none of them where bad, all had minor issues that had nothing to do with fuel. They also talked to the Stihl rep about what they found. The the rep called me and took a statement. Not sure if they lost the dealership, but they should.
Had one here, a rental shop, that is a dealer. I took my pole saw to them and wanted the trigger shaft replaced. Dumbass excon that I had working for me was doing under cuts with it and was putting all his power into the cut, bending the shaft so it spun out of round. They told me I had to order a crap load of parts, so I did. Then when they come in, they tell me they don't want to mess with it, but your parts are in? I fix it and find that I don't need the parts they told me. As I am tearing mine apart, I realize that they never even broke mine down, so how did they know that I needed whatever? They didnt, just had me pay for parts I didn't need.Bout a hundy 50 in parts. I take them back, he says he will try and send them back and get me a refund. Time goes by and I hear nothing. I ask and they try to tell me they never got them form me. I had no proof. I wanted to go off, but they are the only place in town that has good rental equipment and I still have yet to buy a grinder. So I let it go....for now. I did stop buying there tho, I would spend a average on 10g's a year there with saws,oils chains and so on. No more, I spend no money other than renting a machine. As soon as I get one, they are done. Finding a good reputable/honest saw shop can be hard, so when you do, keep them happy.
I have a dude the I have known for years, he runs a mower shop at a hardware store downtown, dude is amazing and honest as they come. I gave him all my old saws and parts for his Frankenstein projects as I did Super Steve in SD. When I took him a truck load of old saws big green kept laying around, he was like a kid that just go his big brothers slot car track! The demon tweakers love old parts. So when ever I take anything in, I am a priority and get my stuff back right away and I never pre pay for parts. He tells me what he used and if its more than a little, he always calls first.
