Sometimes being a rookie is expensive.

[Bushmans]

So I needed a new sprocket for my saw. I went to the local Stihl dealer and told him I needed a sprocket for a 029 Super. He asked what drive I had. I said I have no idea but my bar is 20 inches and I have a 3/8 chain on it. He said Ok, looked it up in the book and gave me my part.
I took the part home, installed it and headed for the woods.
Long story short the saw did not operate worth a dang and after a few rounds the chain was hanging up in the bar.
I was told that an old chain will not work well with a new sprocket but this chain was only a few hours old so I figured it would be Ok. It wasn't. I chalked it up to my inability to listen and swallowed my pride and headed in to the dealer again today to purchase a new bar and chain. This time I would be downsizing to an 18" bar but wanted to keep the 3/8" chain.
So I'm standing in front of 50 bars and 300 chains and trying not to look the least bit confused when the same cat that sold me the sprocket asks if I need help. Sure do I'm looking for an 18" bar and chain. What saw he asks me. 029 Super. He hands me a .325 chain. I said I don't want the .325 I want the 3/8. He says well they don't come that way. I say mine does. Someone must have retrofitted it he tells me. I told him no one has touched it since it came off the showroom floor brand new. Then I proceed to tell him I was in 5 days ago for the sprocket and my problems I had with the saw and he vaguely remembers me. He heads to the computer and looks up the sale from before and says oh I gave you a sprocket for a .325. That won't work with your 3/8. That is what screwed up your gear because the teeth won't line up. (even drawing me a picture)

Well jiminy, jump my bedazzled behind I told him what I was running and trusted him to give me the correct parts. So now I'm out a chain and bar and need a new sprocket if I want to continue running the 3/8 set up. I ask him if he will exchange the 3/8 for the .325 because he gave me the wrong one. He insists that the saw was modified, regardless of the fact I told him my set up, but if I want to bring it in he will inspect it to see if it is returnable but in the meantime is there anything else I can get you?
$92.17 later I walk out the front door.
Perhaps if I was a bit more seasoned I could have caught his mistake and saved some cash.
The price you pay for learning!
:beat_brick:

 

[Yoopermike]

Im sure you will find that alot of people learn this way as no one starts off a pro! I know ive had my share of "doh" moments and Id bet that EVERYONE on this site has had some kind of "doh" moment as well. It goes with the territory. Just the same its like getting knocked down in a fight, it happens but, its how you get up and dust yourself off afterwards that counts. Definitely a learning experience

 

[Bushmans]

Im sure you will find that alot of people learn this way as no one starts off a pro! I know ive had my share of "doh" moments and Id bet that EVERYONE on this site has had some kind of "doh" moment as well. It goes with the territory. Just the same its like getting knocked down in a fight, it happens but, its how you get up and dust yourself off afterwards that counts. Definitely a learning experience

Thanks Mike! and Say Yah to the UP eh?

 

[Ductape]

I feel your pain..... I still feel I learn something new about saws every day. Stinks about the miscommunication, but I'd chaulk it up to a learning experience and move on.

 

[Yoopermike]

Thanks Mike! and Say Yah to the UP eh?

Youbetcha!

 

[hanniedog]

He gave you the wrong part and should make it right. If you have to drive farther find a dealer that listens to what you say.

 

[Bushmans]

He gave you the wrong part and should make it right. If you have to drive farther find a dealer that listens to what you say.

I must say if he won't take the sprocket back, which I believe he will, then I will talk to a manger but I really like the place and they offer buy 2 chains get the third free. They have everything I need and are cheaper than the other Stihl dealer in town. I can swallow this one but I believe I will research things better next time.

 

[discounthunter]

took a square ground 5degree cut milling chain to the dealer to be sharpened,told them it was a speciallty chain, got back a 30degree round ground.doh!

 

[Bucko]

he gave you the wrong part and should make it right. If you have to drive farther find a dealer that listens to what you say.

youbetcha!

 

[J1m]

How I learned to cope with situations like this: Bring the saw with you EVERY TIME you buy hardware for it. Placing the saw on the bench should give the dealer exactly ZERO excuses to sell you the wrong parts.

 

[4seasons]

I have never had this problem with saws because I learned my lesson years ago with auto part stores. I walk in with the part I am replacing in my hand. Then when I lay the worn out sprocket, chain, bar, etc.... down on top of the new part I am buying I am sure it will work. But then I am also the guy that gets odd looks when I tell them "I don't care if your computer says it fits a 81 Chevy 3/4 ton I am putting it on a 85 Toyota."

Although I will admit one time I took a spark plug into a saw shop to get a new one and when the dealer saw what I wanted he ask me what saw I was using. When I told him he got me the right plug for that saw and I haven't had to replace it since. Turns out that someone had replaced the plug in my saw before I got it with whatever they could find and it was the wrong heat range. Took me 3 plugs in 6 months to get the right one.

 

[CWME]

I did the same thing until I knew what was what for the most part.

How I learned to cope with situations like this: Bring the saw with you EVERY TIME you buy hardware for it. Placing the saw on the bench should give the dealer exactly ZERO excuses to sell you the wrong parts.

 

[1project2many]

It's a very, very good idea imo to take the time to find a parts manual for your saw before ordering parts. It's also a good idea to learn more than a passing knowledge about chains. There are often less expensive and / or more appropriate parts to be selected than what a dealership parts guy will recommend. If you do find a good parts guy remember that they're not so common and find ways to say "thanks" from time to time.

But then I am also the guy that gets odd looks when I tell them "I don't care if your computer says it fits a 81 Chevy 3/4 ton I am putting it on a 85 Toyota."

I've gotten tired of the arguments so I just let them think I have an 81 Chevy 3/4 ton.

 

[Quacker152]

Just cause BubbA is standing behind the counter doesn't mean he knows it all,,,, like he thinks he does. Reminds me of the hardware store expert when I asked for a 3/4 pipe plug to replace my Partner S50 bar oil plug, he said over and over aint gona work!! Well thats been 4 to 5 years and many cords of wood later, still working!!
"Thats what the computer says", is right next to Assumption which is beside Stupidity. He should have suggested to make sure this is the same number/size that is on it now.
Remember he gave you the wrong part,,, give it back to Him!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Somesawguy]

He really should have made it right by replacing the sprocket. His error ruined a good chain. It sounds like he gave you the part for a regular 029.

 

[3000 FPS]

You tell him it is a 3/8 chain and he gives you a .325. I would take it back and ask for another sprocket and then find another dealer.

 

[Rob1276]

Some dealers are just odd sometimes the one I go to I like them they good for the right parts. However I like to buy my oil in the two gal mix but all they carry is one gal mix or 2.5 gal mix

I asked if they could get the 2 gal mix in and they said we don't sell enough of it but you can use 2.5 gal mix for. 2 gal it will just run richer and may clog your screen in the muffler and foul out a plug on occasion I was like why would I want that headache for the engineers designed it to run 50:1 and that what it gonna be

 

[firewood guy]

My way to try to keep it simple

Don't know what was OEM on a 029 super, but 290's and 390's that I've bought came with .375 / .050 chain and of course sprockets or sprocket rims and the corresponding nose gear pitch on the bar. It's all gotta match!! So having said that, I pretty much use .375 / .050 on everything except a few exceptions I.E. RD carbide for Stihl and .404 on the the 3120xp. But it's very easy to see the difference with those. And having said that I don't use that RD very often, so that bar hangs on the chain on it's own special peg on the wall to keep them a unit. That Husky is a way different color bar!!

 

[firewood guy]

So I needed a new sprocket for my saw. I went to the local Stihl dealer and told him I needed a sprocket for a 029 Super. He asked what drive I had. I said I have no idea but my bar is 20 inches and I have a 3/8 chain on it. He said Ok, looked it up in the book and gave me my part.
I took the part home, installed it and headed for the woods.
Long story short the saw did not operate worth a dang and after a few rounds the chain was hanging up in the bar.
I was told that an old chain will not work well with a new sprocket but this chain was only a few hours old so I figured it would be Ok. It wasn't. I chalked it up to my inability to listen and swallowed my pride and headed in to the dealer again today to purchase a new bar and chain. This time I would be downsizing to an 18" bar but wanted to keep the 3/8" chain.
So I'm standing in front of 50 bars and 300 chains and trying not to look the least bit confused when the same cat that sold me the sprocket asks if I need help. Sure do I'm looking for an 18" bar and chain. What saw he asks me. 029 Super. He hands me a .325 chain. I said I don't want the .325 I want the 3/8. He says well they don't come that way. I say mine does. Someone must have retrofitted it he tells me. I told him no one has touched it since it came off the showroom floor brand new. Then I proceed to tell him I was in 5 days ago for the sprocket and my problems I had with the saw and he vaguely remembers me. He heads to the computer and looks up the sale from before and says oh I gave you a sprocket for a .325. That won't work with your 3/8. That is what screwed up your gear because the teeth won't line up. (even drawing me a picture)

Well jiminy, jump my bedazzled behind I told him what I was running and trusted him to give me the correct parts. So now I'm out a chain and bar and need a new sprocket if I want to continue running the 3/8 set up. I ask him if he will exchange the 3/8 for the .325 because he gave me the wrong one. He insists that the saw was modified, regardless of the fact I told him my set up, but if I want to bring it in he will inspect it to see if it is returnable but in the meantime is there anything else I can get you?
$92.17 later I walk out the front door.
Perhaps if I was a bit more seasoned I could have caught his mistake and saved some cash.
The price you pay for learning!
:beat_brick:

If that bar is an original Stihl, it is stamped with pitch, gauge, length, and the number of drive links. Any reputable dealer can give you the right chain with that info ( even a Husqvarna dealer selling Oregon chain).

 

[mattfr12]

So I needed a new sprocket for my saw. I went to the local Stihl dealer and told him I needed a sprocket for a 029 Super. He asked what drive I had. I said I have no idea but my bar is 20 inches and I have a 3/8 chain on it. He said Ok, looked it up in the book and gave me my part.
I took the part home, installed it and headed for the woods.
Long story short the saw did not operate worth a dang and after a few rounds the chain was hanging up in the bar.
I was told that an old chain will not work well with a new sprocket but this chain was only a few hours old so I figured it would be Ok. It wasn't. I chalked it up to my inability to listen and swallowed my pride and headed in to the dealer again today to purchase a new bar and chain. This time I would be downsizing to an 18" bar but wanted to keep the 3/8" chain.
So I'm standing in front of 50 bars and 300 chains and trying not to look the least bit confused when the same cat that sold me the sprocket asks if I need help. Sure do I'm looking for an 18" bar and chain. What saw he asks me. 029 Super. He hands me a .325 chain. I said I don't want the .325 I want the 3/8. He says well they don't come that way. I say mine does. Someone must have retrofitted it he tells me. I told him no one has touched it since it came off the showroom floor brand new. Then I proceed to tell him I was in 5 days ago for the sprocket and my problems I had with the saw and he vaguely remembers me. He heads to the computer and looks up the sale from before and says oh I gave you a sprocket for a .325. That won't work with your 3/8. That is what screwed up your gear because the teeth won't line up. (even drawing me a picture)

Well jiminy, jump my bedazzled behind I told him what I was running and trusted him to give me the correct parts. So now I'm out a chain and bar and need a new sprocket if I want to continue running the 3/8 set up. I ask him if he will exchange the 3/8 for the .325 because he gave me the wrong one. He insists that the saw was modified, regardless of the fact I told him my set up, but if I want to bring it in he will inspect it to see if it is returnable but in the meantime is there anything else I can get you?
$92.17 later I walk out the front door.
Perhaps if I was a bit more seasoned I could have caught his mistake and saved some cash.
The price you pay for learning!
:beat_brick:

ya that sounds like a crappy dealer. i blew the sprocket out of my 36 inch bar on my 880 2 days after buying it and my stihl dealer gave me a new bar because i was just using it under normal conditions was not bent or anything out of the ordinary. didn't even have to ask they just did it when i took it back to get another sprocket tip put on.

their always super fair priced also I've trashed saws and never had a unreal bill.