STIHL Vs HUSKY and WHY???

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OK, I've just spent the afternoon at the dealership, had a good look at all the machines (mainly STIHL) and I have come away with a 10 yr old Stihl 036 that has been owned from new by a baker and brought it in as a trade in for something much smaller. The paint has chipped in places but the bar is original and in good condition. I payed 400€ which works out to exactly 508.88$, I got a free extra chain, the two tools for the chain and the cover and 3 files for the chain. I bought the Stihl primarily because the Huskys were too big (xp 575 being the smallest) as I am still training to be a logger/feller and will use the saw for fire wood this year. The Huskys are better looking, I find and probabily more chic but the casing is more flimsy and the saw seems less solid than the more basic rugged Stihl which is less to look at, again in my opinion. The dealer who deals mainly in Stihl but Husky and Solo aswell said that he rarely has to repair a Stihl saw, never in his career (he is in his mid thirties) has he repaired an 036 and the eventual parts are easier to find on an older Stihl than an older Husky.
 
I just found this site and was thinking....Hmmm. Where to put my first post....make a good impression....avoid controversy....not piss anybody off....:laugh:
The short version: I've got both brands, and the Stihls always worked for us all day every day without drama or breakdown issues and MUCH easier to start. My guys pretty much just stopped picking up the Huskys because those saws seemed to be a little bit on the finicky side. That may very well be due to the emissions/carb./fuel issues we're saddled with here in Cali., I don't know:dunno:
 
I just found this site and was thinking....Hmmm. Where to put my first post....make a good impression....avoid controversy....not piss anybody off....:laugh:
The short version: I've got both brands, and the Stihls always worked for us all day every day without drama or breakdown issues and MUCH easier to start. My guys pretty much just stopped picking up the Huskys because those saws seemed to be a little bit on the finicky side. That may very well be due to the emissions/carb./fuel issues we're saddled with here in Cali., I don't know:dunno:

You need to be spesific about the models involved! :msp_wink:
 
REJ2 said it, options are better for Husqvarna OEM parts. I have a lot of places I can go on the internet and easily see illustrated part breakdowns with prices and part number updates. I can also enter an OEM part number and see what models use the part. IPLs, operator manuals, and safety manuals are free and easy to find on Husqvarna's website. I have even found shop manuals online. Stihl tries to protect their local dealers by hiding this information and ability to buy parts online. In my case, both the local Husky and Stihl dealer sucks. Husky seems like an obvious choice since I don't have the local support and I like to fix saws. I have a good dealer for both brands 35 miles away, but it's difficult for me to get there during operating hours. Stihl's .063 gauge chain is an oddball that doesn't help the aftermarket parts situation. Another point, I can use the bars from my 266SE and 61 on my Makita 6401.
 
REJ2 said it, options are better for Husqvarna OEM parts. I have a lot of places I can go on the internet and easily see illustrated part breakdowns with prices and part number updates. I can also enter an OEM part number and see what models use the part. IPLs, operator manuals, and safety manuals are free and easy to find on Husqvarna's website. I have even found shop manuals online. Stihl tries to protect their local dealers by hiding this information and ability to buy parts online. In my case, both the local Husky and Stihl dealer sucks. Husky seems like an obvious choice since I don't have the local support and I like to fix saws. I have a good dealer for both brands 35 miles away, but it's difficult for me to get there during operating hours. Stihl's .063 gauge chain is an oddball that doesn't help the aftermarket parts situation. Another point, I can use the bars from my 266SE and 61 on my Makita 6401.

That is mostly true, but far from all dealers suck.

Stihl parts mostly are more expensive, and the options regarding where to get them fewer. The initial price for the saw is much lower with Stihl here, regarding pro saws - but I mostly am willing to pay the extra money for the Huskys.

The price picture is quite different with non-pro saws, but I am not interested anyway.
 
I'm trying to figure out what to buy and quite frankly, it's driving me mad!! I put myself on Husqvarna's side, inexplicably, but over the past few days, I've spoke to a couple of guys who hate Husky and swear by Stihl but can't tell me why, oh, one guy said Husqvarna was the budget option so his testimony should probabily be stricken from the record! I figured out that Stihl are probabily slightly heavier and that Husky have a nicer feeling handle and accelerater trigger. I'm 49% Stihl and 51% Husqvarna but can't tell you why :bang:

Hi Jac:

Any new saw you buy today, regardless of brand or model, is going to be a pretty darn nice saw. We're fortunate to have to many really excellent choices. I have Stihl's, only because there are lots of Stihl dealers around me, and nothing else. But I wouldn't call myself a "Stihl guy". I'd buy another brand if the price were right and the service was close. Buy what ever you like, suits your purpose, and fits your budget, and you will be more than please with it. Don't get all caught up in that Stihl VS Husky thing. They're all really fine saws.

Don <><

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That is mostly true, but far from all dealers suck.

Stihl parts mostly are more expensive, and the options regarding where to get them fewer. The initial price for the saw is much lower with Stihl here, regarding pro saws - but I mostly am willing to pay the extra money for the Huskys.

The price picture is quite different with non-pro saws, but I am not interested anyway.

Like I said, I have a good dealer for both brands 35 miles away. I don't think I said or meant to imply that all dealers suck. If someone has a great dealer convenient for them, they should lean that direction.
 
What about Ford vs CHevy, John Deere vs CaseIH, Pepsi vs Coke, and Bud Lite vs Miller Lite? And why?
 
Dealer

The only Husky dealer in my valley is ~8 miles from my house, and the only Stihl dealer ~30 miles. I went to the Stihl dealer seeking a Farmboss, didn't have any in stock and didn't carry that model. But he did have plenty of bad things to say about the Rancher. I didn't walk, I ran.

Prior to that encounter I was neutral on both brands.
 
Dodge, Allis-Chalmers, Double Cola and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald!

Dodge has come a long way since I was younger. I asked one old boy near our farm why he always had Dodge trucks, and he said it was because the dealer was the only one who'd buy a used one.

His favorite joke was: "Herpes, VD, and a Dodge truck. Which is the one that doesn't fit?"
 
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