The Uninformed Buying Public

[LarryRFL]

Last week, a customer came by the store looking for a fuel cap for his 161 Husky (he had given his to a friend who had a 2065 Jonsered). All the Husky dealers he called didn't have one, but they would order one for him. He called me and in looking up the part found that the 2139T cap would work and I had a saw in stock. Told him to bring in the saw and I would see if it would indeed work, and I would sell that one to him and order a replacement in which would get his saw back in service.

After selling him the cap, we started discussing a new saw for him. In the course of the discussion he asked me something that startled me a little. He told me that he had been under the impression that manufacturers consigned stock to a dealer and the dealer paid for it once he sold it. I pointed around the showroom and told him that everything he saw, I paid for out of my pocket and that it took people like him that wanted a good dealer like me to stay in business, they needed to come in and do business with me. He sat there a minute looking around and told me you're right. He was back in just today to have a chain sharpened and looking for a muffler for a Husky 61. (If any of you have one, let me know. They are showing as obsolete and none in stock.) We're also working on a deal for a new MT7200 with a 24 inch bar.

Are we really not teaching our customers how our business works?

 

[TK]

Husky 61 mufflers are still available - 503599205, standard side outlet spark arrestor model.
There are also aftermarket versions available, I have a tube style muffler - no spark screen unless modified - for like $20. OEM is list is $78.

 

[ErikTheRed]

.......

Are we really not teaching our customers how our business works?

Larry, No most Dealers are not teaching the general public how business actually works.:msp_w00t:

 

[LarryRFL]

Husky 61 mufflers are still available - 503599205, standard side outlet spark arrestor model.
There are also aftermarket versions available, I have a tube style muffler - no spark screen unless modified - for like $20. OEM is list is $78.

The part number I had showed as obsolete, no superseded number and none available. Thanks for the new number.

 

[barneyrb]

I think I have a NOS muffler that I got when I bought out a saw shop if interested.......

 

[mattaggie]

Sadly, I don't think most people care how our business works. We sell Stihl. When they see our prices (Stihl MSR), many think we are ripping them off. They dont realize we are pratically giving equipment away. They Return on investment on the equipment is not much, especially when you consider how much inventory we carry. Money is made on parts, chains, add-on purchases, etc. But again they often think those prices are too high. But I guess thats human nature, to want to pay the least for products and services, but get paid the most for one's own products or services.

 

[LarryRFL]

Sadly, I don't think most people care how our business works. We sell Stihl. When they see our prices (Stihl MSR), many think we are ripping them off. They dont realize we are pratically giving equipment away. They Return on investment on the equipment is not much, especially when you consider how much inventory we carry. Money is made on parts, chains, add-on purchases, etc. But again they often think those prices are too high. But I guess thats human nature, to want to pay the least for products and services, but get paid the most for one's own products or services.

One reason I never cared for Stihl is how much they dictate to the dealer what to charge. I have always preferred companies that say, "Here's our products. This is what it will cost you per unit and here is the MSRP. Get whatever the market will bear." One of the reasons I went Efco and Jonsered (with Tilton for the second time) was the freedom to stock what I want according to my customers. And most of my customers are not "brand arrogant". Price, availability and performance is first in their mind, with price being dominant. Besides, Stihl had about a dozen dealers in my county, alone. They are primarily competing with themselves for customers who only want Stihl. Husky has almost no presence right now. With three TSC's in the county, Jonsered will have more presence than Husky. Tried to get Echo a couple years ago, but too many dealers close by. Contacted the distributor for Red Max who said he would come by. Never did. Now he's my Jonsered rep. Yeah, I'm thrilled. All I really want is a product line that is affordable for my customers, hold up for their job and is durable enough for rental, and has good unit and parts availability. Efco with their current distributor in my area became that product line. Besides, the salesman comes by every few weeks keeping me up on everything he reps and never pressures me. I buy a good portion of my stuff from him because of it.

 

[Greenland South]

Just want to say I very much appreciate my local dealer. I have bought 2 husky saws and a Stihl trimmer from him over the years. Always willing to help with advice and usually has parts in stock, except for my 1988 268xp wich are usually just a few days away. If you want quality dealers you need to support them.

 

[Fish]

One reason I never cared for Stihl is how much they dictate to the dealer what to charge. I have always preferred companies that say, "Here's our products. This is what it will cost you per unit and here is the MSRP. Get whatever the market will bear." One of the reasons I went Efco and Jonsered (with Tilton for the second time) was the freedom to stock what I want according to my customers. And most of my customers are not "brand arrogant". Price, availability and performance is first in their mind, with price being dominant. Besides, Stihl had about a dozen dealers in my county, alone. They are primarily competing with themselves for customers who only want Stihl. Husky has almost no presence right now. With three TSC's in the county, Jonsered will have more presence than Husky. Tried to get Echo a couple years ago, but too many dealers close by. Contacted the distributor for Red Max who said he would come by. Never did. Now he's my Jonsered rep. Yeah, I'm thrilled. All I really want is a product line that is affordable for my customers, hold up for their job and is durable enough for rental, and has good unit and parts availability. Efco with their current distributor in my area became that product line. Besides, the salesman comes by every few weeks keeping me up on everything he reps and never pressures me. I buy a good portion of my stuff from him because of it.

You want us to believe this?

You willingly went with Efco and Jonsered? Give us the "skinny" on the "Husqvarna" option while you are at it!!!

 

[LarryRFL]

You want us to believe this?

You willingly went with Efco and Jonsered? Give us the "skinny" on the "Husqvarna" option while you are at it!!!

When I talked to the Husky rep (before I made my decision) there was three different types of Husqvarna dealers, each with limits on what they could or could not buy, plus the rental dealer option. Each required a lot more investment than I was comfortable with. Ocala was hard hit with the housing crash. Economy really tanked bad. Laid off from my job as a roof truss designer after five years with them when they shut down the plant. Was "between employment opportunities" until my best friend (one of the best mechanics I've ever known) started running a small engine shop for a friend of his. Worked with him for a year and decided to go back into a rental/sales business at the same location. Second time I've started my own business of this type. Last time around I made several mistakes, the worse being that I incurred too much debt too early. This time around I'm building it in small increments avoiding a lot of debt, so I am being extremely frugal.

Last time around I sold Jonsered chainsaws and Efco trimmers from Tilton. By the time I sold out to another company, I was starting to do very well with each. This area does have a lot of pros who are brand arrogant, but most have no real brand loyalty and only want good equipment that's going to last and a dealer they can trust. I initially wanted to go Husky. Just could not see the cost to become a dealer. I also talked to the Dolmar rep and worked up the cost. (I sold and rented them at the place I cut my teeth in this business until the distributor went belly up.) Talked to the Echo rep. No go because there are two other dealers close by. Tried to talk to the Red Max rep, still haven't heard from him and that was two years ago. Now he's my Jonsered rep.

So, I did my homework. A lot of it was absorbing everything on this site about Dolmar and Efco. Been a Jonsered dealer for almost two years now. With this screw up with Husqvarna/Jonsered and Pace, I needed another line that I could rely on. My rep for Efco I have been dealing with for three years. His company reps Oregon, Efco and a lot of other companies. They have a complete line of arborist equipment. They sell Poulan, Briggs, MTD and several other brands of parts. They have Powermate and Powerhouse generators. I do quite a bit of business with his company, but he never pressures me. Just gives me the best information he has and lets me make my own choices. And he used to be in the rental business behind the counter so he and I talk the same language when it comes to business. The first question I ask him about any piece of equipment is "will it hold up in rental?" I will not sell any equipment I would not be comfortable renting to a customer. I don't know how many of you even think about the rental business, but it is the hardest on equipment. That's why rental customers get only a ninety day warranty on equipment. Even Efco, with it's two year professional warranty, only gives rental customers ninety days.

Don't get me wrong, I like Husky. I was the top salesman for a company that was the number one Husqvarna retailer in the southeast for several years. I believe that Husky screwed up when it went into big boxes, but that is my opinion and doesn't mean squat. My decision was based on experience with local buyers (where price is the most important thing to most of them), the quality and support of the equipment and supplier and the limited means that I had to employ. I intend to be in this for the long haul. I don't want to tie up a lot of capital and debt, so I made my choices. Now, I will have to make it work like any other dealer. If I screw up, it's my choice. It will not be because I chose poor quality merchandise. Efco offers me a great quality product, backed by a great distributor, with margins that allow me to make give my customers great value for their hard earned dollars and the flexibility to make creative deals.

 

[spike60]

Husky 61 mufflers are still available - 503599205, standard side outlet spark arrestor model.
There are also aftermarket versions available, I have a tube style muffler - no spark screen unless modified - for like $20. OEM is list is $78.

Maybe yes, maybe no. :msp_smile:

The only mufflers generally available for this chassis are the taller second generation types for the single coil saws. The shorter muffs for the twin coil saws are NLA through either Jonsered or Husky. Tilton does have an aftermarket muffler in the Total catelog for the early saws.

For the Husky 61, the white or grey top saws are the early models needing the older muffler. The newer muffler can be bolted on the older saws, but it will be in contact with the top and likely melt it.

 

[opinion]

At the end of the day, the brand isn't as important as the business man. If you're a chitty businessman, it doesn't matter what lines you carry. Can't turn **** into gold. What all the major brand names do is, draw customers in your doors, then it's up to you to keep them there or make them look at something else. The dealer makes the brand, not the other way around.

 

[TK]

Maybe yes, maybe no. :msp_smile:

The only mufflers generally available for this chassis are the taller second generation types for the single coil saws. The shorter muffs for the twin coil saws are NLA through either Jonsered or Husky. Tilton does have an aftermarket muffler in the Total catelog for the early saws.

For the Husky 61, the white or grey top saws are the early models needing the older muffler. The newer muffler can be bolted on the older saws, but it will be in contact with the top and likely melt it.

Sounds like we need a top cover spacer mod