Worthless stihl techs...or is it just me

[macstrange]

I have a Stihl 075 that I bought a year and a half ago on eBay. It ran good out of the box for a while. I started having some issues with it though, and through the help of this site I could work through them. At times I would take it to one of the local shops for repair because of time constraints or, more accurately, I'm not a small engine guy, I'm not any kind of engine guy. Anyway, each time the Stihl tech would say "I can't fix it", "its to old", "I can't get parts". Each time I would get my saw back in a box of parts. I would go home, come to this site, learn, get "new old-stock" or aftermarket parts and fix it myself. I'm not a small engine guy and I can fix the thing. It seems like these "Stihl techs" only care about selling OEM parts. They could care less about having a satisfied customer or actually fixing a saw for someone. Is it just me? I'm off to order a piston and rings and whatever else I might need.
Thanks for all the help from everyone here.
Shawn

 

[pioneerguy600]

It does not make economic sense for a Stihl dealership tech to work on obsolete models that Stihl does not support with replacement parts. Don`t take your old obsolete Stihl saws to a dealership, take them to a regular small engine shop, they are set up in a better situation and they may help you, maybe not. A tech can`t justify searching outside of Stihl supply to find obsolete parts that they cannot supply any warranty for. You wouldn`t want to pay the costs involved even if they would take the project on.

 

[Gologit]

It does not make economic sense for a Stihl dealership tech to work on obsolete models that Stihl does not support with replacement parts. Don`t take your old obsolete Stihl saws to a dealership, take them to a regular small engine shop, they are set up in a better situation and they may help you, maybe not. A tech can`t justify searching outside of Stihl supply to find obsolete parts that they cannot supply any warranty for. You wouldn`t want to pay the costs involved even if they would take the project on.

Well said. There are guys on AS that could fix any issue that saw has. It would make more sense to box it up and send it to one of them.

 

[opinion]

We don't install or sell aftermarket parts.

 

[redfin]

My dealer won't even rebuild a carb. He said its cheaper just to replace with a new one. I agree with Gary, next time find someone on here to fix your saw if you can't.

 

[1Alpha1]

What others have said. Even if they did agree to work on old saws, the cost of the service would most likely be much higher than the value of the saw. Your average chainsaw guy on the street would not want to pay that kind of money.

There's a ton of knowledge and experience to be had from members on forums such as this. As long as you have the $$'s and the time, there's someone that will be able to steer you in the direction of the parts you need, as well as walk you thru the repair process.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Well said. There are guys on AS that could fix any issue that saw has. It would make more sense to box it up and send it to one of them.

Good advice there!!

 

[SEAM]

Dealers have to warrant for their work - and are not allowed to use used oder aftermarket parts. Part nla --> equipment scrap.

That's what forums like this one are for...

 

[Gologit]

My dealer won't even rebuild a carb. He said its cheaper just to replace with a new one. I agree with Gary, next time find someone on here to fix your saw if you can't.

Who's Gary?

 

[1Alpha1]

Who's Gary?

I think he was radar on M*A*S*H.

 

[macstrange]

Wow..It is just me

 

[Guido Salvage]

Who's Gary?

Someone call?

 

[Dilly]

I met radar from M*A*S*H once he was a pretty cool guy seen him at a RV show in Arizona or Florida can't remember.

 

[1Alpha1]

I met radar from M*A*S*H once he was a pretty cool guy seen him at a RV show in Arizona or Florida can't remember.

Never met him in person, but I know two that had. They said the same thing you did.

 

[lesorubcheek]

Wow..It is just me

Shawn, you're not alone. I visited a stihl dealer several years back to try to help out a friend with starter trouble. Memory is getting fuzzy, but think it was an 032. Very simple problem, and I just wanted to try to get the parts needed. The attitude was that I was a stupid idiot and incapable of repairing such a sophisticated example of German engineering. They may have been correct in regards to the stupid idiot aspect, but they are sure as heck were incorrect regarding a normal human having the capacity to repair a simple starter problem. Not only would they not support me in ordering the part needed (unless agreed they would perform the service), they treated the IPLs like a top secret government document.

This incident turned me forever against being a huge fan of cream-sickles. Can't deny there's some very nice saws, but I can't support their business model. I realize it was one isolated instance, and it may be very different at another dealer, but it was what it was, and bad stuff sticks. Again, not trying to slam stihl. I ain't a professional logger, and can clearly see how their model works great for the average homeowners as well as for professionals. It just doesn't work as well for a guy that likes resurrecting dinosaurs and doing it himself rather than taking everything into the shop. It is what it is.

Dan

 

[Dilly]

Never met him in person, but I know two that had. They said the same thing you did.

When I was younger my parents traveled across the country working saw a lot of cool things that way. If I recall correctly he was promoting a campground.

 

[1Alpha1]

Always felt that radar and klinger pretty much made the whole show.

 

[Kfd518]

There are quite. Few parts that are no longer available for 051/075/076 but many parts are still available due to recent production of TS 510 and ts 760 cut off saws being produced until fairly recently, but the dealer doesn't see the part on their regional distributors parts list. Sometimes the part is on a shelf but in very limited stock they just have to submit the part number when they make an order and the distributor will let them know if on hand at all. I have run into this many times, but i also have a great dealer/ mechanic. Most of the time if it looks foreign to them they won't touch it. I have to agree I wouldn't let 3/4 of the Stihl techs out there touch my older saws… me myself and I or local independent shop.

 

[Saw Dr.]

Well said. There are guys on AS that could fix any issue that saw has. It would make more sense to box it up and send it to one of them.

We would take it in at our (Stihl gold) dealership, and get it right. It would not be done quickly, and you'd pay $65/hr for me to find the OEM parts since I refuse to install anything else on a Stihl. Luckily, I happen to have a pretty nice personal stash to pull from (if so inclined.) I totally understand other dealers passing over it, though. Most would.

 

[ttyR2]

...then you have the saw shops (not limited to Stihl) with guys who don't know how to tune a saw. Killed an 031 owned by a friend of mine because they tuned it way too lean, and the friend didn't know what a saw should sound like when running properly. I rebuilt it for him and it runs awesome to this day. Spin your own wrenches...it's worth the effort!