What happened to Husqvarna?!!!

[Huskybill]

Decades ago the dealer cost on my new 266se was $350. Depending on how many saws you purchased at one time to get the buyers discount. When I was in business I did a lot of whole sale buying. It was 100% mark up. Round saw files listed for $12 a dozen I bought for $6.00. With buying whole sale new saws it was a numbers game I had to buy ten at a time.
Everything was 100% markup.

 

[Cycledude]

Yes it often is very sad how some of these big companies treat dealers.

 

[Jkstihl]

Stihl dominates the south east.

 

[Paul Silvestri]

Stihl also spends the most dollars on advertising I'll bet.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[MaddBomber]

Stihl dominates the south east.

And most of the Northeast as well. I know of a dozen dealers in 3 different New England states that have gone to only Stihl and Echo. Husky seems to have completely evaporated from the right coast. Jonsered was all you ever seen in the woods, with very few 044/046 or 371/372 here and there, but it was predominantly red. Then it was all orange. Now it's Stihl country. Arborists use some Echo top handles.
It's heartbreaking. I really wanted the 572, as it seems much more robust.... but dealer support swayed my final decision.... Not for the dealer end, but to support a local business.
I'm not bad mouthing the 462 in any way. It's a phenomenal saw. Definitely a game changer. Like the 346 was.
The newest 550 is outstanding, but has nothing over the MS261. Both seem so portly when compared to the previous gen of 50cc.
And I love how Stihl "copied" Husqvarna with the air injection/turbo... So does that mean husky "copied" Stihl with inboard clutches and T27 bolts? Lol.

 

[MaddBomber]

My 385 Xp been running the 32” bar on big diameter trees. No problems yet but I’m running them oil rich. 38:1. Husky Xp+ oil. We were cutting saw mill rejects. This wood was shoulder high on the ground.

My 385 was a lemon. That saw was a beast when it ran, but just spun the bearings. I think it was a faulty case half.
After it's 3rd set, it really wallowed out the bearing pockets.

 

[MaddBomber]

To be completely honest, I wanted the 572xp to turn it into a Jonsered hypothetical saw... Maybe a CS3072 or CS2372....?
Get the case stripped and powdercoated red then dye the plastics black. Get some stickers made up.
Just a dream. Lol.

 

[Derrick Sawyer]

The Jonnys were already harder to come by when i got into saws, when my dealer who is Menonite started in the late 1970s he used to carry them but the support was diminishing, of course they do still service them. I did have a 630 at one time but sold it. Back then Tractor supply still had the 2166 and 2172. I picked up some custom lumbar at a Mill in Lancaster, PA where its Amish country. The guys had long beards and hats, and either used a horse drawn wagon or bicycle or foot scooter to get to work, but they did use forklifts and i a chainsaw there, which was a 2171, that's how you know a brand is good

 

[full chizel]

Decades ago the dealer cost on my new 266se was $350. Depending on how many saws you purchased at one time to get the buyers discount. When I was in business I did a lot of whole sale buying. It was 100% mark up. Round saw files listed for $12 a dozen I bought for $6.00. With buying whole sale new saws it was a numbers game I had to buy ten at a time.
Everything was 100% markup.

Dang you’ve had a busy life. Mechanic, machine builder, saw shop owner, what else?

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I have more than a dozen saws that run. About a third of them were Stihls bought brand new from a dealer, but never again. I have never in more than fifty years taken a saw to be serviced repaired or adjusted. I got from my father a MS 270 that was still under warranty to have a dealer check it out why it would not run. They suggested it was abused so just buy a new one. They said if they found a factory defect they would honor the warranty or if they found an owner error they would charge $200 for diagnosis and then make the repairs. That was about fifteen years ago. That has been the only dealer issue ever had. So I buy saws that I can order online as well as parts on line with out exception. I buy saws that are popular so I know there are parts available. Husqvarna products are more available than most others so it gets my support. It is much cheaper for me to buy new saw that I get a good price that to mess around with dealers. Thanks

 

[Deleted member 117362]

This thread is very similar to oil thread, which oil and ratio are the best. Ford, Dodge, Chevy? This area you purchase Stihl at no knowledge Ace hardware or John Deere dealer who's repairs go to local Husqvarna dealer. That Husky dealer handles all of Husqvarna products, plus eco-log processing equipment, LG and Duetz tractors, side by sides, guns, hardware, another high end zero turn I forget name and more. Almost forgot to mention they sold Stihl awhile ago and disliked their corporate structure.

 

[OM617YOTA]

My local Stihl dealer is in an Ace Hardware.

If I buy a new saw, it'll be an Echo, because it'll be plenty good enough for my needs and just about half the price of a comparable Stihl.

 

[Philbert]

This area you purchase Stihl at no knowledge Ace hardware or John Deere dealer who's repairs go to local Husqvarna dealer. That Husky dealer handles all of Husqvarna products, plus eco-log processing equipment, LG and Duetz tractors, side by sides, guns, hardware, another high end zero turn I forget name and more.

If you take your repairs directly to this dealer do they treat you right? Know what they are doing?

Philbert

 

[Lionsfan]

Dang you’ve had a busy life. Mechanic, machine builder, saw shop owner, what else?

**** star? Maybe they call him Husky Bill for more reasons than one.

 

[Lionsfan]

This thread is very similar to oil thread, which oil and ratio are the best. Ford, Dodge, Chevy? This area you purchase Stihl at no knowledge Ace hardware or John Deere dealer who's repairs go to local Husqvarna dealer. That Husky dealer handles all of Husqvarna products, plus eco-log processing equipment, LG and Duetz tractors, side by sides, guns, hardware, another high end zero turn I forget name and more. Almost forgot to mention they sold Stihl awhile ago and disliked their corporate structure.

Not to mention some pretty good bacon, unless you're one of them tofu and alfalfa sprout eatin' fellers.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

If you take your repairs directly to this dealer do they treat you right? Know what they are doing?

Philbert

Yes they do.

 

[rarefish383]

Dealers need support from the manufacturers and distributors. When customers can buy saws and parts on-line for less than the dealer's cost, how long can shops stay in business? Plus, they are expected to do warrenty work at manufacturer determined flat rates.

I don't have much of a business mind, but that model seems to value volume over service. And the same mindset runs the company.

Husqvarna has always seemed a bit more 'detached' as a company, to me as a consumer. Harder to get information, specs, etc. But they have made some really nice saws.

That MS462 is also a really nice saw, especially for its weight. Will be interested to hear how they hold up over time, compared to the 046/460 legacy saws.

Philbert

In the late 70's, when I got out of college, my buddy and I wanted to open a gun shop. We had our business name, FFL, and a shop picked out. The intial conversation withthe rental people sounded good. We could afford the rent. Then, as we read the contract, if we went over a cetain amount in sales the rent increased to a percentage of our gross. We were still going to make a go of it. Then we started getting our prices from the major manufaturers. We could go down to K-Mart, and buy everything the dealers offered, cheaper. I remember when Dad got big enough that the major chainsaw dealers started coming to him, they gave us all sorts of advertising stuff. Trying to open a gun shop, they wouldn't even give us a counter cover to lay a rifle on, we had to buy it. That broke our back, we gave up. As bad as every one gets on BATF, they treated us very well.

 

[Huskybill]

Dang you’ve had a busy life. Mechanic, machine builder, saw shop owner, what else?

Not a saw shop owner I worked there on n off.

 

[Huskybill]

**** star? Maybe they call him Husky Bill for more reasons than one.

Every recession since ‘83 I lost my job everytime business got slow, cutting and selling firewood kept me surviving. I had a lot of experiences job wise. It wasn’t my fault. Don’t make fun of me. It sucks when you want to work and can’t find a job.

 

[Huskybill]

Now back to the oil thread. Think about it to spin a bearing in the case the bearing has to lock up or drag to make the outer race spin. Sounds like lack of oil to lube and cool it. Ever think that 50:1 ratio is too lean?