7oaks
DRUGSTORE LOGGER
Contra history
Some interesting Stihl Contra history I was able to dig up. Sorry if this has been posted previously:
Key Dates in the history of Stihl Chainsaws and more specifically the ground breaking Contra:
1926: German engineer Andreas Stihl designs a prototype of an electric "cross-cutting chain saw," marking the founding of the company that would bear his name.
1927: Stihl opens his first factory in Stuttgart.
1929: Stihl begins selling the first gasoline chain saw, called the "Stihl tree-felling machine."
1934: Automatic chain lubrication system is introduced into the Stihl chain saw.
1936: First foreign sales and distribution center is opened in Vienna.
World War II Years:Stihl plant is destroyed by bombs; production is moved to Waiblingen; German surrender brings halt to Stihl production.
1947: Factory in Waiblingen resumes production.
1948: First Stihl Service Center is opened.
1950: Stihl's first one-person saw is introduced.
1959: Revolutionary Stihl Contra chain saw debuts.
1965: Company adds an antivibration system to its chain saws.
1971: Andreas Stihl's son, Hans Peter, takes over as head of the company.
1973: Production begins at Stihl's first overseas plant in Brazil.
1974: Chain production is shifted to plant in Wil, Switzerland, and a U.S. plant is opened in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
1980: Diversification of product line begins.
1986: Company begins producing protection apparel and accessories.
1989: Production of trimmers and blowers begins.
1992: Stihl gains 100 percent ownership of Viking GmbH, an Austrian maker of lawn and garden power equipment.
2002: Hans Peter Stihl steps down as chairman of the management board, although he continues to head the advisory board; Harald J. Joos becomes the first nonfamily member to head the company.
2003: Joos resigns; Bertram Kandziora is named spokesperson of the management board.
Yet the true revolution in chain saw technology--and the development that led to the worldwide acceptance of the chain saw--was the Stihl Contra, introduced in 1959. The Contra, which featured a direct drive and diaphragm carburetor, weighed only 26.65 pounds, yet achieved 6 hp. Stihl's sales boomed, and production rose from 104 to 500 saws per day by 1964. By then, the company was outgrowing its plant, and a second facility was built in Neustadt. The company's workforce grew to over 1,000. U.S. and Canadian demand surged with the introduction of the Stihl Lightning saw, prompting the company to open its first North American warehouses.
In 1965, Stihl introduced an innovation in chain saw design with its antivibration system, which absorbed the impact of the saw's vibration, allowing steadier and less fatiguing control. This design change was quickly copied by Stihl's competitors. Three years later, Stihl added an electronic ignition system to its saws, improving their reliability. Other design changes included a more efficient chain lubrication system, an inertial chain braking system, which stopped the chain in the event of kickback, and a master control lever, which allowed the user to control the saw's starting and stopping functions without releasing the saw's handle.
...Carl
Some interesting Stihl Contra history I was able to dig up. Sorry if this has been posted previously:
Key Dates in the history of Stihl Chainsaws and more specifically the ground breaking Contra:
1926: German engineer Andreas Stihl designs a prototype of an electric "cross-cutting chain saw," marking the founding of the company that would bear his name.
1927: Stihl opens his first factory in Stuttgart.
1929: Stihl begins selling the first gasoline chain saw, called the "Stihl tree-felling machine."
1934: Automatic chain lubrication system is introduced into the Stihl chain saw.
1936: First foreign sales and distribution center is opened in Vienna.
World War II Years:Stihl plant is destroyed by bombs; production is moved to Waiblingen; German surrender brings halt to Stihl production.
1947: Factory in Waiblingen resumes production.
1948: First Stihl Service Center is opened.
1950: Stihl's first one-person saw is introduced.
1959: Revolutionary Stihl Contra chain saw debuts.
1965: Company adds an antivibration system to its chain saws.
1971: Andreas Stihl's son, Hans Peter, takes over as head of the company.
1973: Production begins at Stihl's first overseas plant in Brazil.
1974: Chain production is shifted to plant in Wil, Switzerland, and a U.S. plant is opened in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
1980: Diversification of product line begins.
1986: Company begins producing protection apparel and accessories.
1989: Production of trimmers and blowers begins.
1992: Stihl gains 100 percent ownership of Viking GmbH, an Austrian maker of lawn and garden power equipment.
2002: Hans Peter Stihl steps down as chairman of the management board, although he continues to head the advisory board; Harald J. Joos becomes the first nonfamily member to head the company.
2003: Joos resigns; Bertram Kandziora is named spokesperson of the management board.
Yet the true revolution in chain saw technology--and the development that led to the worldwide acceptance of the chain saw--was the Stihl Contra, introduced in 1959. The Contra, which featured a direct drive and diaphragm carburetor, weighed only 26.65 pounds, yet achieved 6 hp. Stihl's sales boomed, and production rose from 104 to 500 saws per day by 1964. By then, the company was outgrowing its plant, and a second facility was built in Neustadt. The company's workforce grew to over 1,000. U.S. and Canadian demand surged with the introduction of the Stihl Lightning saw, prompting the company to open its first North American warehouses.
In 1965, Stihl introduced an innovation in chain saw design with its antivibration system, which absorbed the impact of the saw's vibration, allowing steadier and less fatiguing control. This design change was quickly copied by Stihl's competitors. Three years later, Stihl added an electronic ignition system to its saws, improving their reliability. Other design changes included a more efficient chain lubrication system, an inertial chain braking system, which stopped the chain in the event of kickback, and a master control lever, which allowed the user to control the saw's starting and stopping functions without releasing the saw's handle.
...Carl
. That makes 4 times he's tried to get to Anchorage and been stopped. I told him not to sweat it. I know it's in good hands and will be here soon enough. I'm plenty busy with my other projects anyway.
...Carl
