Here if its old or does not have a chain brake they will send you home.
For $65-100 an hour I can spend a lot of time on a saw,,,
BBB
For $65-100 an hour I can spend a lot of time on a saw,,,
BBB
Worthless stihl techs...or is it just me
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We're fortunate in this area. There are still a couple of old-style saw shops...with old style saw mechanics... that can and will work on anything you drag through the door. They prefer the old Macs and Homelites but they'll work on Stihl and Husky too. It might take them awhile and I think a lot of the work they do on the older saws is on their own time. They get it right and they get it right the first time. Both shops have collections of old saws hung on the wall and if they know you and trust you they'll let you fondle them a little. They might even let you take one out back and play with it a little on the test log.
Just across town is a Stihl dealer who, despite all the fancy titles of competence, obviously and knowingly hires morons. They can't find bar nuts unless they source them in the IPL first. Find them? We're lucky if they even have any in stock. I'm not kidding. I stopped in there one day because I was shopping next door and I wanted some extra bar nuts. They offered to order some. I declined. They cater strictly to homeowners and the local loggers won't even go near the place.
Edit...I said the old style guys work on anything that came into the shop. That's not quite right. They absolutely refuse to touch Mini-Macs or dime store Poulans. They're entitled.
Just across town is a Stihl dealer who, despite all the fancy titles of competence, obviously and knowingly hires morons. They can't find bar nuts unless they source them in the IPL first. Find them? We're lucky if they even have any in stock. I'm not kidding. I stopped in there one day because I was shopping next door and I wanted some extra bar nuts. They offered to order some. I declined. They cater strictly to homeowners and the local loggers won't even go near the place.
Edit...I said the old style guys work on anything that came into the shop. That's not quite right. They absolutely refuse to touch Mini-Macs or dime store Poulans. They're entitled.
rich450es
you can't fix stupid
i will work on anything that comes threw the door but i tell the customer if i use aftermarket or nos parts ........the stihl guys only want stihl parts but the pooplan and husky guys want it done for as cheeeeeeeeeeep as i can ....lol
dannyknapp
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It's gotta be a tough racket being a saw guy. I remember when I was 15 or 16 we pulled up to the local Stihl dealer with a couple pickups full of oak. That guy taught us how to sharpen our chains right, tune our saws, etc.. We just had an 024 and an 025 at the time. But we wound up having him sharpen chains after so many filings, bought chains and bars from him and eventually a few saws. Plus a couple friends had him do some performance work. I don't think he makes a killing, but it's funny how the fakers act like you ain't worth their time. But the guys who know their stuff always have time to talk saws and help you.
The other side of the fakers, the customers act like your service ain't worth there dime. It is a very difficult business to be in. In reality many times its isn't worth my time, nor your dime.
dannyknapp
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Yah, in hindsight I think he just liked us because there's really not enough profit margin on any of that stuff to warrant the time he spent with us. One cool thing was after we bought saws from him, if we had an issue he would move other saws off the bench and handle ours first every time. I don't know what he would have done if other saws were bought from him but he made a point that a saw bought from him had first priority. Sharp guy, I learned a bit about business from him too in retrospect.
watsonr
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A shop that takes the time to shoot the breeze, has coffee ready when you come in and a test log that has been cut on... that's the shop I stop at and always have.
LumberJack1940
ArboristSite Operative
The shop I'm near has been around since '76, always pleasant to deal with, know what they're doing and you can sit and BS with them while you wait on a part etc. when I bought my 660 earlier this week they had a super pro 81 on the bench waiting for a customer, they work on basically anything you bring in give or take. same place I got my 041 super from, they completely went through and replaced what needed replacing, they take older saws in and fix em up if usable and re-sell as used saws at a fair price occasionally. all the workers at the shop are stihl and husqvarna mechanic certified, they carry all models of husky and stihl, except the 880 and 3120 which you have to special order. The shop is tailored to loggers, homeowners, landscapers, wildland etc just an all around great place IMHO
Den69RS96
ArboristSite Operative
I wouldn't blame the stihl techs. They are part of a dealer that needs to make money. Repairing old equipment is time consuming. Finding parts is much harder and you will pay a lot in labor. Most people don't want to pay the high price to fix older item so it's just easier not to get involved. It's no different at any dealer. I can't take my 69 camaro to the chevy dealership(not that I need to). They have maybe a few replacement parts for my car so almost everything is aftermarket. They would probably charge me $300 just to change a couple tail lights.
Ironworker
Addicted to ArboristSite
Dealers are also afraid of eating time spent on trouble shooting a saw and costumer changes his mind after the sticker shock.
disorderly
ArboristSite Lurker
They don't want to sell you a $20 part to fix your old saw, they want you to spend $400 on a new one because you can't get parts.
Who's Gary?
Awww man I'm sorry, I try to keep names straight.
That would be great if there was actually a $20 part for an 075 available any more. It costs me more than $20 to just find parts for an 075.
No problem. Most of the Garys on here are pretty good guys.
Saw Dr.
Junk Collector
Wrong. Mark up on labor is 100%. Parts are about 30-35%. Units are about 18-22%. We make far more on service and parts sales than we do on new units. It is only out of concern for our customers that I replace carbs and short blocks. I could easily double my profits by rebuilding the old ones.
News Flash !!!!
STIHL techs are people...sometimes they have bad days too. Ya gotta remember walking into the front door of some shops is just like walkin in to their kitchen table unannounced. Techs are like cops and doctors and most strangers until they become "friends" ...it's a two way street....sometimes you might come at them a little stronger then needs to be and they are just reacting accordingly. Maybe walk up to the counter after all the "greenhorn" saturday weekend "sharpen my chains now" folks are gone and ask..."hey bud, I realize I got an older model but do you guys have any appetite to work on this old family saw " ...no problem...do you know anybody that's good with this old magnesium stuff ?
You guys prefer dunkin donuts or Coors lite ?
Kindness works ...don't be like every other SUV driver and try to executive shove your way around someone's kitchen and you might make a new friend who would gladly fix your saw on his own time next time..
Coffee and Cannolis go a long way for me at my local shop.
STIHL techs are people...sometimes they have bad days too. Ya gotta remember walking into the front door of some shops is just like walkin in to their kitchen table unannounced. Techs are like cops and doctors and most strangers until they become "friends" ...it's a two way street....sometimes you might come at them a little stronger then needs to be and they are just reacting accordingly. Maybe walk up to the counter after all the "greenhorn" saturday weekend "sharpen my chains now" folks are gone and ask..."hey bud, I realize I got an older model but do you guys have any appetite to work on this old family saw " ...no problem...do you know anybody that's good with this old magnesium stuff ?
You guys prefer dunkin donuts or Coors lite ?
Kindness works ...don't be like every other SUV driver and try to executive shove your way around someone's kitchen and you might make a new friend who would gladly fix your saw on his own time next time..
Coffee and Cannolis go a long way for me at my local shop.
Beer goes a longgggg...ways to get me working on an old saw 
I'm at the shop now, just got a Mac 10-10 going for a guy. He knew I didn't really want to work on it. He agreed to pay shop rate to see if it would run. I got it to run, but it needs a carb kit . He gladly paid the $20 to find out and the 6 pack of good beer he paid up front made me happy.
I'm at the shop now, just got a Mac 10-10 going for a guy. He knew I didn't really want to work on it. He agreed to pay shop rate to see if it would run. I got it to run, but it needs a carb kit . He gladly paid the $20 to find out and the 6 pack of good beer he paid up front made me happy.
ANewSawyer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ya know, I don't think any dealers around my parts have a test log. Doesn't matter if it is a Stihl or Husky dealer. Actually, there may have been a dealer like that but they just sold out. And are now under new ownership. Bleh, I have not yet found a dealer I like.
But, yes, the techs are people and they have to deal with mean customers alot more than you think. But I have met rude people behind all kinds of counters too.
But, yes, the techs are people and they have to deal with mean customers alot more than you think. But I have met rude people behind all kinds of counters too.
I fix a lot of old crap solely for the purpose that I want to, and I know that the parts are easily available as soon as I set my eyes on it.
Most of it is pretty simple, new lines carb cleaning and away ya go.
Relics with a story and history behind them, they get the work hours off the books. I know what it was like rebuilding my dads first saw, I enjoy passing the same feeling along to some of my customers. Usually they say "crap that things loud!".
Electric Craftsman with an earlier version of powersharp and a neat looking Oregon 91 chain on it, many times its just pure fun, cant wait to see what next week brings.
Most of it is pretty simple, new lines carb cleaning and away ya go.
Relics with a story and history behind them, they get the work hours off the books. I know what it was like rebuilding my dads first saw, I enjoy passing the same feeling along to some of my customers. Usually they say "crap that things loud!".
Electric Craftsman with an earlier version of powersharp and a neat looking Oregon 91 chain on it, many times its just pure fun, cant wait to see what next week brings.
