husky chainsaws from lowes

[stihlfan]

I'm sure we'll all agree that the 2 best commercial chainsaws out there are Stihl and Husky my question is why does Husky sell there saws at Lowes but Stihl refuses to sell at a mas merchant shop there lower end line I mean if it's good enough for Husky why not them and it's not like the quality on there magnum line will suffer just look at Husky there are still a lot of pro's buying ther stuff

 

[2Coilinveins]

I believe it's because Stihl requires their equipment to be fueled, cranked up, and tuned before it leaves the dealership. At a box store, you're lucky to find someone who knows that it needs 2 stroke mixed gas, much less take the time to fuel + tune.

 

[NWCS]

at big box stores, you are NOT going to get parts, service.. advice, you dont get anything other than "umm.. its a chainsaw.. it takes gas" from a service standpoint, its a very bad idea for husky.. more returns due to improper use and straight gas. where a real dealer is at least going to tell you you need mix.. heres some good stuff.. put this much oil in this much gas..

it all comes down to.. do you want to learn about proper maintenence of the saw and have it LAST? do you want safety gear? accessories? lots of questions like this. most dealers can actually answer customer questions and steer them in a safer smarter direction.

 

[Bob Wright]

I think still has the right plan using only dealers. I thought that was a stupid idea when Echo went to the box stores, made it harder on us dealers. But they don't sell the bigger saws. Pretty soon you will find Huskys and Echos at Wally Mart...Bob

 

[keith c raymond]

I agree totally, I always preach to stick with a dealer you trust.

 

[Lobo]

A lot more home owners buying saws out there than pro's.
Stihl probably believe it best to have purchasers talk with experienced knowledgreable saw dealers to advise and train them in proper assembly, maintenance, safety and usage versus selling a saw directly out of the box to someone with no knowledge of assembly, care, maintenance, use and safety. Long term we will see which is best.

 

[kf_tree]

I agree totally, I always preach to stick with a dealer you trust.

that is the whole dam problem.........over the years i have frequented about 7 different dealers in a 70 mile radius. they all suck. i was forced to learn how to repair my own stuff. i now have a dealer that gets me good deals on parts and saw's. but now all the repairs and prep i do myself. so i really don't care where they are sold at.

 

[Patrick62]

I would never buy a saw from a large box store. Reasons already mentioned. New stuff off the web is okay, I will do the starting, tuning, etc.
Maybe Stihl is like a new car, you want a new one, you go to the dealer. Maybe at the dealer the weekend warrior who thinks he wants the 088 to trim his apple trees will get directed into something a little more appropriate. Plus, they get the chance to check proper operation, and if it ain't right it don't go out.

 

[pbtree]

I think still has the right plan using only dealers. I thought that was a stupid idea when Echo went to the box stores, made it harder on us dealers. But they don't sell the bigger saws. Pretty soon you will find Huskys and Echos at Wally Mart...Bob

And the problem with that would be what?

The box stores cater to the market other than the tree industry. There are quite a few homeowners who are served quite will with a moderately priced Husky geared towards their needs, who want a higher quality product that a Craftsman.

If I want a 395XP, I am not going to find it at the box stores, as this is a saw geared towards the tree care industry.

It sounds to me that Husky is marketing to a variety of products to a wider variety of markets - perhaps Stihl is just to stuffy to care about other markets.

what do I know? I just see nothing wrong with different product lines, geared to different market segments, being marketed in various ways. Face it, they are all in business to make money, and the most successful company in doing so is the winner...

 

[pbtree]

A lot more home owners buying saws out there than pro's.
Stihl probably believe it best to have purchasers talk with experienced knowledgreable saw dealers to advise and train them in proper assembly, maintenance, safety and usage versus selling a saw directly out of the box to someone with no knowledge of assembly, care, maintenance, use and safety. Long term we will see which is best.

And again my question is - WHY?

There are quite a few buuyers out there who do not give a darn abuot how a chainsaw is put together nor how to maintain it. These people are going to buy a saw whether Stihl gives a dam about their business or not - it is their own loss to ignore that fact.

 

[West Texas]

I like our local dealers, that's the good news. But, they employ 'hired help' just like the box stores and there is sometimes a high turnover, that's the bad news. The dealer handles a lot of Stihl products and these 'counter guys' are not always knowledgable on chainsaws. I prefer to talk to the owner or the guy in the back who works on the chainsaws when I have a serious question.

 

[pbtree]

I like our local dealers, that's the good news. But, they employ 'hired help' just like the box stores and there is sometimes a high turnover, that's the bad news. The dealer handles a lot of Stihl products and these 'counter guys' are not always knowledgable on chainsaws. I prefer to talk to the owner or the guy in the back who works on the chainsaws when I have a serious question.

Sound wisdom!

 

[tenacrewoods]

I agree with PB TREE in last post,alot of people only need a saw
once in awhile and would never spend $300 on one.I don't see
anything wrong with them buying a cheap box store saw for that
purpose.Alot of people,even a few that come to this site are only
looking for advice on one to use occasionally and at low cost,because
they don't need and can't afford a high priced saw.So please try and
give the best advise you can,let them know box store saws may not last
as long but should serve their purpose,Istead of telling them their pick
is crap and they should spend acouple hundred more.You'll catch more
Bee's with honey! I'm only saying this because before I found Arborist
Every place I went said Don't spend less then $350 I was shocked I
couldn't afford THAT! NO WAY! I'll find another site where everyone's
not trying to sell me on a high priced chainsaw!!SO here I am and You
Guys talked me into a Husky 353 or did I talked my self into it? Ha! Ha!
BUT you know what I mean Vern!!

 

[Lobo]

And again my question is - WHY?

There are quite a few buuyers out there who do not give a darn abuot how a chainsaw is put together nor how to maintain it. These people are going to buy a saw whether Stihl gives a dam about their business or not - it is their own loss to ignore that fact.

Well perhaps in the advent of an accident they won't be getting their corporate arss sued off by an ambulance chasing laywer who will be the only one learning anything and benefiitting financially from someones elses mishap.

 

[aokpops]

if want a saw that shacks apart buy it from a dealer that can put it together .if not go to lowes an get one that will stay together .

 

[aokpops]

if want a saw that shacks apart buy it from a dealer that can put it together .if not go to lowes an get one that will stay together .

if like Bush you like being broke

 

[pbtree]

Well perhaps in the advent of an accident they won't be getting their corporate arss sued off by an ambulance chasing laywer who will be the only one learning anything and benefiitting financially from someones elses mishap.

Actually from the standpoint of creating liability, the more of a role you take in instructing someone and showing them how to use a potentially dangerous product, the more liability you create for yourself.

Box stores have a more defensible position that a small dealer who shows you how to run the saw. The products l;iability claim to the manuafacturer may even get shifted to the dealer for faulty instruction...

 

[asb151]

Here is my opionion, for whats its worth. Its along the lines of dedcow's comments. There are a lot of people who have no idea what they are getting into when they buy a saw. As we all know a chainsaw is a serious piece of equipment. Its not like buying a weedtrimmer or cordless drill. You can get into trouble quickly if you don't know what you are doing. I bet many people buying these saws couldn't even tell you what "kickback" is. The guy working at Lowes might not even know. Thats scary.
If you buy at a local dealer (assuming you have one nearby) there is a better chance the saw will be set up properly and you will get some basic safety advice. Some common sense do's and dont's. That won't make you an expert but it might prevent someone from taking their leg off.
Thats just my 2 cents on the issue.

 

[Ax-man]

The one thing that has always made me partial to a dealer verses a box store is the atmospere of a dealer that only sold saws and didn't have a line of lawn mowers.

Shops like this are just about a thing of the past. The owner, dealer was extremely knowledgable, plus many times you would run into other guys who were in the tree biz in some way. You could strike up a conversation and talk a little shop, catch up on some gossip about the competition, in general just plain bull????. and have somewhat of a good time while you there.

You won't find this in a store, no way. Seems retail sales are being geared more and more to big volume to get the lowest price possible. Atttitude being OK you want this, we have it, plunk your money down and get out of line to let the next guy through, your on your own after that. Good luck.

Larry

 

[pallis]

My local dealer is enough to discourage anyone from buying from a dealer. They are pretty good with lawn mowers, but you better have a healthy bank account if you want to buy saws, parts or chains, and then expect a run-around and long wait if you want something fixed. Fortunately, I enjoy working on my own saws, and can normally get parts over the Internet. This is nothing against dealers or buying from dealers. There are a lot of good ones out there and on this site.