Two Years Of Improvements In Meteor Cylinder Kits (Brad's Pics)

[dozerdan]

I like sprinkles on my ice cream

 

[edisto]

Meteor really could rule the aftermarket..just make consistent cylinders like they do their pistons.
Up the price if need be..it would still pay-off BIG and they would get more sales...

Meteor could absolutely OWN the aftermarket if they would just somehow match Mahle quality.
But they choose not to..??

They might own the AS market, but they'd lose the other 99.99% of their customers to the cheaper guys.

My guess is that they have accountants who have figured out that they can keep their price point competitive by producing "acceptable" cylinders, and that the costs of producing Mahle-like cylinders would put them into a competition with OEM that they won't win.

I could be wrong though...you should call and see if they are hiring.

 

[edisto]

I like sprinkles on my ice cream

I used to be able to sprinkle on my ice cream. Now I'm old...I'd have to put it on the floor and wait an unacceptably long period of time.

 

[Scooterbum]

I don't do very many piston/cylinder jobs - But when I do it's it's gonna be new or used Mahle
or the customer takes the saw to another shop. I just won't do anything else. But that's just me.

I won't charge a customer $40 an hour to "clean-up" a crappy cylinder period.

I can get them used on eBay or chainsawr...sponsor here.
You might have to wait for a good one to come up..but so be it.

I just do neighborhood work soo..it's very important to me that what I service works well..
If you have a good reputation and something goes wrong...you probably still have a good reputation
If you get a bad reputation (and bad news travels fast) you gotta do a whole lotta good to get back..!!

Mahle is quality..and you pay for it..so be it - the exhaust on the Mahle is perfect..on the Meteor..well...

Meteor really could rule the aftermarket..just make consistent cylinders like they do their pistons.
Up the price if need be..it would still pay-off BIG and they would get more sales...

Meteor could absolutely OWN the aftermarket if they would just somehow match Mahle quality.
But they choose not to..??

J2F

My feelings are Meteor is getting their feet wet. If the market is there then they will get the R&D guys busy.
Producing top quality cylinders like that takes quite a bit of resources.

 

[Zombiechopper]

I used to be able to sprinkle on my ice cream. Now I'm old...I'd have to put it on the floor and wait an unacceptably long period of time.

I'll give you my doctor's number. He even trims his finger nails first.

 

[Justsaws]

How much do these Meteor kits actually sell for? Kind of wondering how much is really saved over OEM pricing. Compared to list, maybe a lot. Compared to some more reasonable pricing, there may not be enough savings to bother with the AM kits. I sell a 372XPW or 346NE kit for $200, so why mess with AM at that price. I do understand what Indiansprings and some guys are saying regarding giving customers an alternative besides an expensive rebuild and a brand new saw. I have done a few jobs where I've cleaned up a jug and used an aftermarket piston to keep the cost down and get someone going. And I've had much better luck cleaning a used jug than using a complete aftermarket kit.

I think you need to look at the savings as a percentage of the complete project cost. A do it yourself guy can save a lot percentage wise. But add in the rebuild labor at a shop like mine, or the port work of any of you builders, plus shipping, and the percentage saved decreases; along with the liitle more risk that everything could be for nothing. Put another way, if you're going to have several hundred $ invested in the project, does it make sense to shave $100 by going with an aftermarket kit?

I don't see anyone being right or wrong here. We all have a comfort level based on our own personal experiences. If you've had good luck with them, there's no reason not to continue to use them. If they haven't held up, you shy away.

In my personal experience using Forester and Mako kits, (likely the same thing), consistancy just wasn't there. In fact, it sucked. (The Meteor stuff may well be better.) Some are still going, and some went kaboom right away. So, I came to the conclusion that I don't want to mess with them anymore. I'm the one that has to stand behind them, and no matter what you tell the customer before hand, you still get the "you did it" look if something goes wrong. Plus, I don't like uncertainty, so why add it to the equation if it doesn't need to be there?

The last OEM P/C that I priced local were $250.00-400.00, 357, 372, 395 and a 3120. If people have dealers that will discount parts then that is great, most that I am aware of locally do not and will not in general. Not saying that it does not happen but if some customer walks in the door with a desire to purchase a 372 P/C it will be MSRP plus any shipping charges and tax.

For some the Meteor kit is a better deal if they get all worried about the non meteor pistons. I do not. Most folks do not need to replace a P/C because it wore out but because they broke the saw, at that point a 100% difference maybe worth the effort, certainly in a sub $600.00 saw. How many of these aftermarket kits are going to end up in a saw that burns 20 gals of fuel a year?

 

[Justsaws]

My feelings are Meteor is getting their feet wet. If the market is there then they will get the R&D guys busy.
Producing top quality cylinders like that takes quite a bit of resources.

I would rather suspect that a distributor got tried of replacing kits from iffy pistons, rings and clips and sourced Meteor as a new line of kits since they could dump the main problems and still sell the more profitable cylinders while producing happy smiles for everyone involved.

 

[edisto]

I'll give you my doctor's number. He even trims his finger nails first.

That's because you're in Canada. Down here you need the expensive insurance plan to get that kind of treatment.

 

[jus2fat]

They might own the AS market, but they'd lose the other 99.99% of their customers to the cheaper guys.

My guess is that they have accountants who have figured out that they can keep their price point competitive by producing "acceptable" cylinders, and that the costs of producing Mahle-like cylinders would put them into a competition with OEM that they won't win.

I could be wrong though...you should call and see if they are hiring.

I guess I could be available as CEO for a few years..if the salary was right..!!..:msp_wink:

J2F

 

[edisto]

I guess I could be available as CEO for a few years..if the salary was right..!!..:msp_wink:

J2F

It always is...and it seems to go up if you tank the company, so stick with it long enough to get us some primo cylinders for next to nothing, and then pull the rip chord on your golden parachute.

 

[Arbonaut]

I want Gillardoni replacement cylinders. Now that would be something worth buying

I want Bugatti.

 

[jus2fat]

It always is...and it seems to go up if you tank the company, so stick with it long enough to get us some primo cylinders for next to nothing, and then pull the rip chord on your golden parachute.

Damn right on the "golden parachute"..!!!! - I wanna go out like Ken Lewis did at Bank of America..!!
You're very astute..!!!

J2F

 

[Arbonaut]

I'm with Nik on the steak subject. Ain't no Filet gonna taste like a good Ribeye or T-bone cooked right. The Marbling and fat is where the flavor comes from. Thats why they wrap bacon around a filet; to give it some artificial flavor. :msp_biggrin:

I didn't know you was suppose to cook it.

 

[edisto]

Damn right on the "golden parachute"..!!!! - I wanna go out like Ken Lewis did at Bank of America..!!
You're very astute..!!!

J2F

Most people leave the "tute" part off...

 

[Zombiechopper]

ribeye is the way to go. Fat is flavour.

Now I'm hungry. Dangit.

 

[huskydude]

I didnt read this whole thread as I couldnt do it after reading the other one. I am not a porter, but I take pride in what I do. I fix saws because I enjoy it and it keeps me busy during the crappy winter months.

My opinion is that if you need a top end, it is too easy to search around and find a good used factory cylinder. That is what I do, I look for a good oem jug and buy a meteor piston. I would rather spend 100 bux on a nice factory used jug (I'm certain I would find one cheaper though) and 35 on a new meteor piston.

I just rebuilt a 350 husky and traded some parts for an OEM jug and slug and put a new caber ring in it. I felt good about the saw when I sold it knowing it was OEM.

If it is not possible to find a good OEM cylinder, than I can see buying a meteor one. But they still need a lot more work to be right based on what I have seen in these pictures.

 

[indiansprings]

You might be able to find a cheap used cylinder for a cheap saw like the 350, but try finding a cheap used oem one for a 70cc+ pro saw, in our area we can't keep them on the shelf at half the price of a new oem. Most are 290.00 and up, I have to look them up for folks every week. Last week we sold a used 034 Super Mahle jug and slug for 170.00 and the buyer didn't even hesitate. He also carried out a new MS 362 to replace the 034. He straight gassed his late father's 034 Super, we quoted 450.00 to rebuild it with a new jug/slug base gasket and upper rod bearing. Since he bought the saw, and the used top end, he can come in and use one of our benches and I'll walk him through the process of repairing the saw at no charge. I'm sure it will mean more to him that "he" fixed his dad's saw, and I'll have a customer for life. You just gotta use old Tommy's tatics every once in a while, although we play country and bluegrass instead of Elvis and 80's Rock on Saturdays.lol

 

[jus2fat]

Indiansprings....Just too cool..!

You let the customer..use your bench.. to repair his saw..and with instructions..

You're working at a "first class" dealership..for sure..!!

Tom is just..'da cheese"..all Stihl dealers should be like him..but most aren't..

J2F

 

[dozerdan]

I used to be able to sprinkle on my ice cream. Now I'm old...I'd have to put it on the floor and wait an unacceptably long period of time.

They have pills now that temporarily help that condition. It is my understanding that they now have those pills in AM but I have heard that the AM pills have a flow problem. It had something to do with small ports and not enough transfer.

Later
Dan

 

[Mastermind]

They have pills now that temporarily help that condition. It is my understanding that they now have those pills in AM but I have heard that the AM pills have a flow problem. It had something to do with small ports and not enough transfer.

Later
Dan