Stihl MS 362 C-M

[SliverPicker]

SliverPicker submitted a new Showcase Item:

Stihl MS 362 C-M

I had the non-computerized version of this saw for about a year. That saw put approximately 500 tons of logs on the truck before wearing out.

The new one never ran correctly from day one. Stalling. Very low power. Unpredictable behavior. Won't start. Running extremely rich.

The first trip to the shop I was told that there was a bad batch of solenoids. They said the air pressure in the CNC mill used during production of these solenoids was insufficient to keep the machined chips clear of the passages in the solenoid which caused holes that where out-or-round. No problem. Stihl approved that the dealer install a new solenoid from a known batch of good solenoids. First tank of fuel it was immediately evident that the saw was running completely differently. The problem is that is still wasn't running well. I brought the saw back to the dealer. I told him I wanted my money back or a new saw. He contacted the Stihl "tech" guy and was authorized to install a whole new carburetor and wiring. I get the saw back and it runs better than ever, but not nearly up to full power. This only lasts for two tanks of gas. After that the saw would die as soon as it dropped below (guessing) 8,000 rpm. I would just flat out die and would only start under full throttle despite not being flooded (trust me on this one). Finally Stihl said since I was past 10 days I could not get my money back, but they would send me a 100% new saw. I told the dealership "No way". The dealer said he would receive the new saw, put it on the shelf and when it sells give the proceeds to me. No other options being available. SO... my summary. My dealer is "the man". He went above and beyond the call of duty. Stihl? Not so much. The saw didn't work from day one and this was fully documented. Despite the problems and the documentation of same Stihl would not go good on their warranty.

For putting a computer in a saw just for the sake of being able to say it has a computer and in the process making a remarkable saw nothing more than a paper weight I give Stihl a grade of F.

My dealership, Precision Sharpening and Repair of Steamboat Springs, Colorado gets a grade of A for going above and beyond the call at significant expense to the business.

After many years with Stihl I am done. I make my living with my saws, but if the manufacturer can't stand behind its product I have no further use for that manufacturer.

Truly a useless product. Literally.

I have recently purchased an equivalent Dolmar (no...

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