Stihl being sold in box stores now.
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Bill G
ArboristSite King
Well have you heard of Mac, Homelite, or Poulan???? What happened to them????? Of yeah sold out to box stores.
Over the years I've bought a number of saws new and used. From yard sales to servicing dealers. If I'm buying new it's going to be a servicing local dealer. The best saw shop around here is a Echo and Husqvarna they used to carry Dolmar. Without naming names they're probably the biggest Wolfe Ridge splitter dealer in the SE. They test run every saw before it goes out the door, they say nearly every Echo that comes in is too lean. Our biggest Stihl dealer I can't can't deal with the person in charge of that place, not sure how they're still in business.
Smitty Smithsonite
ArboristSite Operative
Will they follow Husqvarna's, and EVERYONE else's lead and allow service information outside their dealership network now?
I won't hold my breath on that one. So, they'll be junk, AND impossible to service! Just like I'd expect in the 21st century.
I won't hold my breath on that one. So, they'll be junk, AND impossible to service! Just like I'd expect in the 21st century.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
What the hell is a unlicensed homeowner? What is a licensed one?
In Australia they’ve been selling them at John Deere dealers and hardware stores for years now. A lot of service providers I’ve spoken to have lost money because they are stuck doing warranty repairs without getting any of the sale money.
A licensed homeowner wears stupid oversized leather gloves for everything! watering the garden include
Dennis Gauge
ArboristSite Operative
Not even close.
The Stihl and Husqvarna (and Echo) saws you see in the box stores today are the SAME saws you find on dealer's shelves.
McCulloch, Homelite, and Poulan (among many others) are companies that failed to keep up with the times, to maintain an image that was attractive to the customers, so the customers went elsewhere. Namely Stihl and Husqvarna.
The companies that manufactured the "good" saws under those names were long gone before the big box store was even a glimmer in some CEO's eye.
What you saw in the big box stores under McCulloch, Homelite, Poulan are LICENSED products. Someone took a cheap offshore saw, slapped the once-great name on it, and tried to pawn it off as the real thing.
Saw, because I don't know if the big box stores are even doing that anymore. I haven't see a new Chinese McCulloch in a box store ever. They tried to bring the name back but I think it failed. Home Depot might still carry a couple of Poulan models but they sell "real" Echo saws now.
Sold out OF box stores is much different than sold out TO box stores...
Dennis Gauge
ArboristSite Operative
Will they follow Husqvarna's, and EVERYONE else's lead and allow service information outside their dealership network now?
I won't hold my breath on that one. So, they'll be junk, AND impossible to service! Just like I'd expect in the 21st century.
Well when you have to pay a guy $150/hr to work on the saw and he's going to spend 3 hours fixing your saw, and a new saw is <$300, what makes more sense financially?
Wow, so much wrong with this post.
Dennis you need to go brush up on your history.
Long Bar 60
ArboristSite Operative
When I read this thread I keep hearing Bob Dylan in my head, "For the times, they are a-changin'..."
When I was in grade school we had "flash cards". I doubt that a grade school child today has any idea what they are.
The saw shop that I use has been around for almost 70 years. I remember when they sold Mac's and Homelites and lots of them. We had 5 sawmills in our area and hundreds of timber cutters. It seemed like almost overnight that the European saws took over. They were better saws. We wanted "Made in America" but we wanted even more to make money and that meant cutting logs which could be done better with the German and Swedish saws.
The old growth was mostly cut out. The mills closed one by one and slowly the timber started being cut by machines. Our saw shop that used to cater almost exclusively to the timber industry now sells mostly to homeowners and they have more leaf blowers and weed eaters on their shelves than saws. Yes, the times are changing and they always have. But the basic human condition is the same.
When I was in grade school we had "flash cards". I doubt that a grade school child today has any idea what they are.
The saw shop that I use has been around for almost 70 years. I remember when they sold Mac's and Homelites and lots of them. We had 5 sawmills in our area and hundreds of timber cutters. It seemed like almost overnight that the European saws took over. They were better saws. We wanted "Made in America" but we wanted even more to make money and that meant cutting logs which could be done better with the German and Swedish saws.
The old growth was mostly cut out. The mills closed one by one and slowly the timber started being cut by machines. Our saw shop that used to cater almost exclusively to the timber industry now sells mostly to homeowners and they have more leaf blowers and weed eaters on their shelves than saws. Yes, the times are changing and they always have. But the basic human condition is the same.
local Ace has a 500i, Sthil dealer never had anything bigger than a 362
,
Hah. Surely you meant to say a 75k lawn mower purchase.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
I agree 100%
Bill G
ArboristSite King
As Mark said you need a lesson in history.
You said.....The companies that manufactured the "good" saws under those names were long gone before the big box store was even a glimmer in some CEO's eye................
Do you even have a clue when Mac, Homelite, and Poulan were sold in box stores? I doubt it
You say...............What you saw in the big box stores under McCulloch, Homelite, Poulan are LICENSED products. Someone took a cheap offshore saw, slapped the once-great name on it, and tried to pawn it off as the real thing..............
Once again do you have a clue what you are saying? It is obvious you do not. Do you know what models were sold in box stores and when.?
So is a Homelite SXL or XL-12 in your words a a cheap offshore saw, slapped the once-great name on it, and tried to pawn it off as the real thing..............
There are countless other examples involving Mac and Poulan. I will assure you others can give you specific examples of Mac and Poulan. All three companies were equally strong and abandoned dealers in favor of cash and carry box stores. Go speak with a shop owner who had REAL Homelite,. Mac, and Poulan saws come into for service in the 70's that were bought at box stores. I will assure you box stores did sell REAL Homelite. Poulan, and Mac saws and they did not service them. It was dumped on the shoulders of hard working dealers the companies pissed on.
Batt4Christ
ArboristSite Lurker
The majority of Stihl retailers in my area are within other retail businesses - The biggest in our market is in an Atwood's (apparently one of the top Stihl dealers in the region). Great service - the Stihl service department is managed by a legit guy (I like to stop in an visit with him regularly).
Other Stihl retailers include a local Ace Hardware (they do not have a service shop, but apparently have contracted with someone). A large local John Deere dealer is also a fairly significant Stihl dealer (and they do about half of their servicing in-house).
StihlPotlicker
ArboristSite Operative
I have an ACE that i have bought a few of my saws from, but they are Stihl certified techs too. I knew you could buy husky's from TSC stores, but thought they kept Stihl out of big box stores that didn't have certified techs
StihlPotlicker
ArboristSite Operative
what part of western NY are you from? I have boughten a few saws from a Stihl/husky dealer in western NY.
