Husky, if you keep going this way I am going to buy Stihl from now on.

[avalancher]

I am one of those brand loyal nutcases. Cant help myself. Maybe its because I like to walk in my shop in the morning all bleary eyed and be able to find the chainsaws by color, I dont know. Maybe I just like carrying around just one size of scrench, who knows. But after a recent visit to my Husky dealer last night, I may be wearing a Stihl hat before long.

It started out as any other afternoon. I unsaddled in front of the shop(meaning I swung the door open, hauled my butt out, and stopped to pick up the pop can that fell out with me) and sauntered in and spotted my usual stool in the corner. Gerald knows that if he wants to sell me any parts, he has to allow me to park my butt at least for fifteen minutes on a stool, try on a hat or two, harass his wife behind the counter if it even looks like she has a different hairdo than from the last time I was in there, and offer at least three customers with unsolicited advise on how not to let their clutch covers get junked up before bringing them in and complain about how poorly they are cutting.

My cue to shut the hell up and order my parts generally comes in three parts. Gerald hands me a cold Mt Dew, Darlene's blood pressure shoots up to the point that her face turns red, and Gerald tells me, "okay Ed, shut the hell up and lets see your list".Just as I was popping the top on my drink, I noticed a nice brand new Husqvarna front tine tiller sitting over there in the corner, and decided to take a look. After all, if Husky built it, its got to be good, right?

Squatting down for a peek, I obviously implied to the shark behind the counter that perhaps a sale was pending, and Gerald hustled over and started rattling off its finer points. "Ed, this baby is fuel injected, turbo powered, powder coated, lifted six inches, primed and painted to match your saws. Dual cassette, air conditioned, leather interior, you name it.And for a mere down payment of $7000 and monthly payments of $400 for the rest of your life, you can have this baby loaded up in that fine looking truck you got parked out front."

But luckily for me, I saw right through that sales pitch, and recognized a sales pitch lie when I saw it.I dont drive a nice truck. But as I looked over this tiller, I was struck by one serious problem.It was the cheapest built anything I have ever seen in my life with a gasoline engine on it.It was seriously as if Yugo themselves built this thing.

I told Gerald that I wasn't interested in buying something that would simply break down the minute I used it, and started to get to my feet.Turning a little red in the face himself, Gerald asked "what are you talking about, cheap?Its a Husky!"

"Well Gerald, you really want me to show you what is so cheap about this thing, really?"
He really wanted to know. I pointed to the shroud covering the tines, and told him that the first time that tiller picks up a stick, its going to bend that cowl like a pretzel, in fact I could bend it in half with my bare hands.
Insisting that the cowl was ten gauge sheet metal and unbendable by bare hands, he wanted me give him a demonstration. I bent that 14 gauge cowl like it was warm chocolate.After bending it back, the paint popped right off.

The cover over the drive belt was made of plastic.Even the brackets were plastic. As I pointed out, the first time that cover gets hit with anything, including pushing it into the tractor shed and you nick the doorjamb, its going to break.I offered a demonstration, he declined. Moving right along, I pointed out the tines.Bending one all the way over so that it could touch the other tines, and then bending it back again, I asked him how in the world did anyone expect that thing to hold up to even hitting a missed potato, much less a rock?

Down my list we went.Foam hand grips. Ever run a front tine tiller?You spend most of your time holding the thing back from rocketing across the yard and climbing the fence, and you put foam grips on the dang thing?What do you moron engineers lasso wild horses with, yarn?

The exhaust points straight back at the operator.What, you think I till the garden in the dead of winter and wear a gas mask while I am at it?The term "winter" should not be used in the same sentence as "rototiller" except in "I killed a Husqvarna engineer last winter by dropping a rototiller on him."

What the hell are "self sharpening tines"? How does anything that gets crammed through dirt, rocks, and a six year old's sandbox toys self sharpen itself?

Husqvarna, I am disgusted.I overlooked that cheap leaf blower at Lowes, well, because I found it at Lowes. I expect to find cheap tools there. I overlooked that you put your name on the tractor that I bought five years ago and have replaced the head gaskets on four times now.I know Kohler built the engine, not you.

But getting cheap has gone far enough with this tiller. It really cant be used as described, and I dont give a rats butt that you got a nice little blond bimbo to demonstrate how nice it is in the sales flyer. Husqvarna, you keep putting your name on cheap junk like this, and I will have to jump ship like the rest of the rats and start hauling creamsickle looking saws around. At least they dont stamp their name on anything that makes noise and try and pawn it off on some nitwit that buys a new saw everytime the chain gets dull.

Even the 372 weeped a little bar oil this morning when I told her all about it. The 357, well, he just snarled and hocked a loogie out of the clutch cover to remind me to clean him up better next time I am done cutting.

 

[beerman6]

 

[cnice_37]

 

[Guido Salvage]

Probably a rebranded Earthquake....

 

[hanniedog]

Only 7 grand down and 400 a month hmmmmmmm very tempting, self sharping tines is a good selling point.

 

[TreePointer]

Years ago, I was told that Husqvarna aims to have a broad spectrum of OPE in the USA to compete with MTD. That's the problem--to compete, they seem to think they have to go down to their level.

BTW, the Vanguard engine in my Husqvarna lawn tractor blew a rod at 69 hrs. I know Briggs built the engine, not Husqvarna .

 

[promac850]

Years ago, I was told that Husqvarna aims to have a broad spectrum of OPE in the USA to compete with MTD. That's the problem--to compete, they seem to think they have to go down to their level.

BTW, the Vanguard engine in my Husqvarna lawn tractor blew a rod at 69 hrs. I know Briggs built the engine, not Husqvarna .

A Vanguard? I thought that is the best Briggs you could ever buy.

 

[TreePointer]

A Vanguard? I thought that is the best Briggs you could ever buy.

I did, too!

 

[CJ1]

A Vanguard? I thought that is the best Briggs you could ever buy.

It is, just think it lasted 69 hours before it blew. Not bad for a briggs and scrapiron. At least my Kohler went 100 hours before the headgasket blew. And just a tip on that overtorque the headbolts and it will last alot longer. About 15lbs extra was all I used. CJ

 

[GeeVee]

Husky Self sharpening hasn't made it over to the other equipment lines yet. Its coming, but they're phasing it in slowly so they don't collapse the Saw market all at once.

(Gerald is probably pissing all over the case of Mountain Dew in the back room)

 

[Evanrude]

I never get tired of your posts!

 

[sunfish]

Tiller?

My 22 year old Troybuilt will out last me, But they now make some crap too.

Well, Husky does chainsaws right. I don't even look at the other stuff.

And you'll have to pry my 346xp out of my cold dead hands, to get it. :msp_biggrin:

 

[Cerran]

Just goes to show companies should stick to what they know.

I have a Ariens Rocket V tiller (1976 I believe) I wouldn't trade.

 

[avalancher]

My 22 year old Troybuilt will out last me, But they now make some crap too.

Well, Husky does chainsaws right. I don't even look at the other stuff.

And you'll have to pry my 346xp out of my cold dead hands, to get it. :msp_biggrin:

And that right there is what burns my biscuits. They make some dang fine saws.But why would they want to tarnish their reputation by stamping their name on something that will break the second you use as intended?
Lets face it, some tree guy shows up at your neighbors and whips out a wild thing, you can dang well sure most of us will be doing some frantic whispering in our neighbors ear.Get that guy off your property pronto. The new Poulans are synonymous with junk, the words are interchangeable. Does Husky want the same thing?

There hasnt been a month go by that I dont find myself knee deep in conversation with a homeowner of one sort or another as to why my saws start at $500 and go up from there.An explanation of quality, good engineering, reliable parts network, all cost money.

I have been brand loyal for Twenty five years, not because I feel that Husky's are better than Stihl, but because I am a loyal kinda guy.Give me faithful service, stick by me when the chips are down, and I am your friend to the end. The minute Husky comes out with a saw stamped with an XP on it and it comes with a latte coupon for the local yuppy hangout, I am done. Might as well stick a Jenny Craig sticker right alongside the XP and be done with it. Hell, paint the friggin thing pink and stick some wild thing lightening bolt stickers on while you are at it.

Husky, shame on your for venturing out in the junk crap Chinese stamped out and shipped across the big lake arena.We got enough junk in this country, we dont need this!

 

[Davej_07]

Repped ya........for removing the brand-loyalty blinders and giving a realistic opinion of the tiller.

Dave

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

I haven't noticed it too much on Stihl saws yet, those Germans may know that once you loose your rep for quality it's all down hill from then on.

Remember a few years ago when John Deere started selling the Sabre line of mowers at the big box stores? I haven't seen them recently so I'm wondering if they now just put the Deere name on them. I needed a small rider with a 38 inch cut and got a Deere. Too many things broke and cracked up in my opinion. On one parts run I asked the counter guy if the particular parts break was common. He looked at me and said I should have gotten a "true" lawn tractor instead of a homeowners rider. I asked him if he was trying to imply that it was JUNK, why did Deere put there name on it? No reply.

It getting even worse with car parts. I have learned to have my parts guy test alternators, starters and batteries before leaving the store. I installed a "rebuilt" starter before going to this only to find out it was bad. Hot lead bolt in solenoid was completely arced off and they never they even changed the contact disc. The least they could have done was to flip it over. The last alternator I got he went through 3 till he found a good one. One had low charge and the other 2 had bad bearings.

I even got a rebuilt head for a Chevy V8 from NAPA that had a visible, with the naked eye, crack. I didn't even get it out of the shrink wrap and took it back and I was HOT. Owner of the store said no way and we walked back to magniflux it. It WAS a HUGE crack and he got on the phone to his supplier. Supplier said it was due to improper installation and until the store owner cusssed him out and told him I never even put the such and such thing on. Wasn't Napas fault and he made it right but I get all my heads magnifluxed BEFORE walking out with them now. It's just sad.

 

[8433jeff]

I haven't noticed it too much on Stihl saws yet, those Germans may know that once you loose your rep for quality it's all down hill from then on.

Remember a few years ago when John Deere started selling the Sabre line of mowers at the big box stores? I haven't seen them recently so I'm wondering if they now just put the Deere name on them. I needed a small rider with a 38 inch cut and got a Deere. Too many things broke and cracked up in my opinion. On one parts run I asked the counter guy if the particular parts break was common. He looked at me and said I should have gotten a "true" lawn tractor instead of a homeowners rider. I asked him if he was trying to imply that it was JUNK, why did Deere put there name on it? No reply.

It getting even worse with car parts. I have learned to have my parts guy test alternators, starters and batteries before leaving the store. I installed a "rebuilt" starter before going to this only to find out it was bad. Hot lead bolt in solenoid was completely arced off and they never they even changed the contact disc. The least they could have done was to flip it over. The last alternator I got he went through 3 till he found a good one. One had low charge and the other 2 had bad bearings.

I even got a rebuilt head for a Chevy V8 from NAPA that had a visible, with the naked eye, crack. I didn't even get it out of the shrink wrap and took it back and I was HOT. Owner of the store said no way and we walked back to magniflux it. It WAS a HUGE crack and he got on the phone to his supplier. Supplier said it was due to improper installation and until the store owner cusssed him out and told him I never even put the such and such thing on. Wasn't Napas fault and he made it right but I get all my heads magnifluxed BEFORE walking out with them now. It's just sad.

The Sabre by Deere was the start of a corporate change by what I call Mother Deere. The name alone is worth so much, and we will protect the name. Anything that has Deere's name or mark on it costs the manufacturer and seller a licence fee. And the name is what they are protecting, not the quality of the item.
Buy yourself the cheaper Toro, Cub Cadet, Husquavarna, and the entry level Deere. Same mower, made by MTD. The last two Craftsman tillers (rear tine) I tinkered with, made by Husquavarna. Now the real Deere's, the ones the part guy says are still made by Deere, were still built in Horicon (sp), WI last I knew. The expensive Cub Cadets, MTD, but they seem to stand up better than the the cheap ones. The entry level zero turns from both Deere and Toro are very similar, not alot of difference.
To Ed: Why this would surprise you about a company that threw the Poulan name under the bus, and has rebadged the little saws in the line up for anyone who will pay to have their name put on?

 

[cheeves]

I am one of those brand loyal nutcases. Cant help myself. Maybe its because I like to walk in my shop in the morning all bleary eyed and be able to find the chainsaws by color, I dont know. Maybe I just like carrying around just one size of scrench, who knows. But after a recent visit to my Husky dealer last night, I may be wearing a Stihl hat before long.

It started out as any other afternoon. I unsaddled in front of the shop(meaning I swung the door open, hauled my butt out, and stopped to pick up the pop can that fell out with me) and sauntered in and spotted my usual stool in the corner. Gerald knows that if he wants to sell me any parts, he has to allow me to park my butt at least for fifteen minutes on a stool, try on a hat or two, harass his wife behind the counter if it even looks like she has a different hairdo than from the last time I was in there, and offer at least three customers with unsolicited advise on how not to let their clutch covers get junked up before bringing them in and complain about how poorly they are cutting.

My cue to shut the hell up and order my parts generally comes in three parts. Gerald hands me a cold Mt Dew, Darlene's blood pressure shoots up to the point that her face turns red, and Gerald tells me, "okay Ed, shut the hell up and lets see your list".Just as I was popping the top on my drink, I noticed a nice brand new Husqvarna front tine tiller sitting over there in the corner, and decided to take a look. After all, if Husky built it, its got to be good, right?

Squatting down for a peek, I obviously implied to the shark behind the counter that perhaps a sale was pending, and Gerald hustled over and started rattling off its finer points. "Ed, this baby is fuel injected, turbo powered, powder coated, lifted six inches, primed and painted to match your saws. Dual cassette, air conditioned, leather interior, you name it.And for a mere down payment of $7000 and monthly payments of $400 for the rest of your life, you can have this baby loaded up in that fine looking truck you got parked out front."

But luckily for me, I saw right through that sales pitch, and recognized a sales pitch lie when I saw it.I dont drive a nice truck. But as I looked over this tiller, I was struck by one serious problem.It was the cheapest built anything I have ever seen in my life with a gasoline engine on it.It was seriously as if Yugo themselves built this thing.

I told Gerald that I wasn't interested in buying something that would simply break down the minute I used it, and started to get to my feet.Turning a little red in the face himself, Gerald asked "what are you talking about, cheap?Its a Husky!"

"Well Gerald, you really want me to show you what is so cheap about this thing, really?"
He really wanted to know. I pointed to the shroud covering the tines, and told him that the first time that tiller picks up a stick, its going to bend that cowl like a pretzel, in fact I could bend it in half with my bare hands.
Insisting that the cowl was ten gauge sheet metal and unbendable by bare hands, he wanted me give him a demonstration. I bent that 14 gauge cowl like it was warm chocolate.After bending it back, the paint popped right off.

The cover over the drive belt was made of plastic.Even the brackets were plastic. As I pointed out, the first time that cover gets hit with anything, including pushing it into the tractor shed and you nick the doorjamb, its going to break.I offered a demonstration, he declined. Moving right along, I pointed out the tines.Bending one all the way over so that it could touch the other tines, and then bending it back again, I asked him how in the world did anyone expect that thing to hold up to even hitting a missed potato, much less a rock?

Down my list we went.Foam hand grips. Ever run a front tine tiller?You spend most of your time holding the thing back from rocketing across the yard and climbing the fence, and you put foam grips on the dang thing?What do you moron engineers lasso wild horses with, yarn?

The exhaust points straight back at the operator.What, you think I till the garden in the dead of winter and wear a gas mask while I am at it?The term "winter" should not be used in the same sentence as "rototiller" except in "I killed a Husqvarna engineer last winter by dropping a rototiller on him."

What the hell are "self sharpening tines"? How does anything that gets crammed through dirt, rocks, and a six year old's sandbox toys self sharpen itself?

Husqvarna, I am disgusted.I overlooked that cheap leaf blower at Lowes, well, because I found it at Lowes. I expect to find cheap tools there. I overlooked that you put your name on the tractor that I bought five years ago and have replaced the head gaskets on four times now.I know Kohler built the engine, not you.

But getting cheap has gone far enough with this tiller. It really cant be used as described, and I dont give a rats butt that you got a nice little blond bimbo to demonstrate how nice it is in the sales flyer. Husqvarna, you keep putting your name on cheap junk like this, and I will have to jump ship like the rest of the rats and start hauling creamsickle looking saws around. At least they dont stamp their name on anything that makes noise and try and pawn it off on some nitwit that buys a new saw everytime the chain gets dull.

Even the 372 weeped a little bar oil this morning when I told her all about it. The 357, well, he just snarled and hocked a loogie out of the clutch cover to remind me to clean him up better next time I am done cutting.

This is exactly why the last chainsaw I bought was an Efco.

 

[rottiman]

A Vanguard? I thought that is the best Briggs you could ever buy.

It is, so whats that tell you about Briggs? They quit making good engines about 10 years ago.

 

[danrclem]

My 22 year old Troy Bilt will out last me, But they now make some crap too.

Well, Husky does chainsaws right. I don't even look at the other stuff.

And you'll have to pry my 346xp out of my cold dead hands, to get it. :msp biggrin:

I agree. I'll buy the things that work and forget the rest. If every product that Husky has is flawed except for their chain saws doesn't mean that I'll quit buying their saws unless they mess those up too. I'm probably set up for life anyway unless I find a 390 for cheap.

The rototiller that I bought earlier this year is 6' wide and is made by King Kutter. I think it'll last me a lifetime too.