Stilh Buying Experience?

[ducatiti]

I will be making my very first Stihl Purchase of which is a HS 56 Hedge Trimmer. As the norm, one would prefer a merchandise to be new in a sealed box.

So do purchase your Stihl products off the shelf, gas it up, and test it prior to leaving the authorized retailer? Or ask for a sealed box and fire it up at home?

It may just be a case of OCD but I do not want a product that has been held and/or tested by dozens of people that may have been dropped or mishandled. Thus making me prefer purchasing one from a sealed box. Could the display models can even be a returned item?

 

[efb16acrx]

Stihl dealers are required to take it out of the box, set it up, and run it before you take it.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Stihl dealers are required to take it out of the box, set it up, and run it before you take it.

That's cool. My Ace Hardware carries the ?lower? line of Stihl, from what I've read on here.

I actually wouldn't trust those extremely good looking young women to set up a chainsaw. (I don't know who the hiring manager is, but I like him. It's like a model agency in there. lol)

 

[Bobcat753]

That's cool. My Ace Hardware carries the ?lower? line of Stihl, from what I've read on here.

I actually wouldn't trust those extremely good looking young women to set up a chainsaw. (I don't know who the hiring manager is, but I like him. It's like a model agency in there. lol)

That's the same for my local Ace. One of them has taken a liking to me. But the stihl line there is quite comprehensive. They have the cutoff saws and some larger saws.

 

[wvrailroader]

The local Stihl dealer here gets an assembled model from the back. The only time you get the display model is if it is the last one. The display doesn't get ran anyway, it just sits there. I have bought the one off the shelf before and it still looked brand new. I have no qualms about buying the display model at all.

 

[Lx460]

Having been around a large landscaping company, I can tell you for do certain there's not much that can be done in a showroom to harm the equipment. Just imagine the abuse these go through on a daily basis. First hand, I can tell you they are run full throttle, screaming for minimum 8 hours a day, tossed around without much regard, and the fuel mixture is not always precise. For the most part, they will run without issue. Biggest repair item by far is broken triggers followed by bent shafts due to dipshits running them over. I have seen hundreds of new pieces of equipment come in and I didn't even think the came in a box, or at least I've never seen one. If you are using it as a homeowner, it will likely last you forever.

 

[malibu101]

I bought a Stihl leaf blower last year from a "real" turf maintenance store.
I told them the model I wanted and they brought out a new box from the back, opened it in front of me, gave me all the papers after they registered the warranty through their computer, filled it with some gas, took it and me outside for a test run. After the test run they had me start it and use it.
Went back in to pay and was asked if there was anything else I needed. I asked for the box so I could store the machine in it over the winter and they also gave me a bottle of Stihl 2-cycle oil and sent me on my way.

I was impressed.

 

[redwrench60]

I've bought several pieces of new Stihl power equipment. I have a good local dealer and the experience is always good.

Every time I've bought something the Tech comes out of the shop with a new one from the back, (not the display) fills the tank with high octane 100% gas/oil mix, fires it up and tunes the carb till he's satisfied. He'll answer any questions and go back to work. I even deal with the same parts man who knows his product line well.

I rate it a 10.

 

[Dust Devil]

No such thing as a "display" model at my Stihl dealership.

Machines get unpacked and assembled, put on the sales display.

Stihl stuff moves fast so nothing sits around long. Waiting to unpack and assemble until time of sale would jam things up.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

When I bought my chainsaw they opened the box in the back, set it up, fueled it up, showed me how to start it up outside and sent me on my way with a pack of fuel mix and documents. I didn't even get a box. A very good experience.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Saw, string trimmer, and pole saw -- all came from a tractor / power equipment dealer. Prices where all comparable when considering the good service they give -- all test ran / adjusted and ready to use - not the cheapest, but not the highest - one warranty recall handled in seconds just for walking in the door and asking.
I'll admit, though, I don't buy Stihl for the "buying experience", I buy their stuff cause it works.....especially important when a tree falls across the driveway in the middle of the night....

 

[ducatiti]

Thank you all for your comments. My Stihl dealer is going to give me a $20 discount. I thought they were pretty much set with their prices but still asked just in case, and the owner said yes

 

[Wizzard]

I have a couple Stihl dealers near me (that also sell commercial mowers). One of them keeps some of the Stihl displays gassed up (for demos) and sells those off...then replaces the display. The other has permanent displays that are not used as demos, they bring you a new one out the back and run it and tune the carb before sending you off with it (the dealer I chose to use). Some dealers are nicer than others and will work with you on price as you found out, especially if they think you will come back for other Stihl products (very likely after you buy your first). Just be sure to let them know you appreciate it and will come to them because of it, it doesn't hurt to build a personal relationship with these smaller dealers.

 

[manrmark]

Like everybody above said. They send you out the door with a product that is ready to go. I would hate to get home take it out of the box, put it together and find out something is wrong and then have to turn around and take it back to the dealer. Stihl is a great product. I use their trimmers and blowers.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Threads like this have me scratching my head ...But then I can see why and how the big box's can sell OPE... some of you guys are scared of dealers? My 5 year old knows how to handle dealers..I let him "work the deal" on his John Deere PowerWheel Gator.
IMHO big difference between a DEALER and a RETAILER.

High end products come from dealers, 2 things come to mind... kids and city-slickers aren't left alone to fiddle and break items on the shelf...a salesman would be there to help. And secondly, I cant envision anything at a dealer being able to break it. Not to mention the whole sales process is very different then just grabbing a box, scanning the UPC and walking out the front door.

 

[platform389]

Like everybody above said. They send you out the door with a product that is ready to go. I would hate to get home take it out of the box, put it together and find out something is wrong and then have to turn around and take it back to the dealer. Stihl is a great product. I use their trimmers and blowers.

Great product indeed. Dealers? Not so much... As a serious user of their chainsaws in a variety of locations, I have dealt with quite a few dealers. The experience has been instructive and resulted in frequent communication with Stihl corporate, and not in a positive way.

A couple of examples...

-A stop a John Deere dealer that also sold Stihl to pick up a replacement air filter. Not on the shelf... Ordering took several days and put my project behind as a result. Stihl HQ and regional manager got involved in that one.

-One of my saws became difficult to start, so off to a pro saw shop/Stihl "Master" dealer for repairs. Carburetor needed replacement. Back to the woods and the saw ran extremely poorly. Pulling the cover found the cause and resulted in an irate trip back to the shop.

With the cover off I asked them to tell me what was wrong with the picture. The dumb facial expressions were priceless. It was then I pointed out the incorrect type of carb installation that left a port on the air filter completely open to dust and trash! Filter and carb were filled with dirt and sawdust and ruined. Another email and phone call to Stihl corporate over that episode.

-Stopped at another dealer to order a replacement chain stop. As expected the $5 part was not on the shelf. What was not expected was the $5 "freight charge" on top of the $5 the part actually cost. Told the counter guy to frame the $10 bill as it would the last he would see from me.

The Stihl product itself is likely the best power equipment available. The dealers themselves? Not so much. I will certainly buy Stihl again, just not from some of the people that sell it.

 

[ducatiti]

I have a couple Stihl dealers near me (that also sell commercial mowers). One of them keeps some of the Stihl displays gassed up (for demos) and sells those off...then replaces the display. The other has permanent displays that are not used as demos, they bring you a new one out the back and run it and tune the carb before sending you off with it (the dealer I chose to use). Some dealers are nicer than others and will work with you on price as you found out, especially if they think you will come back for other Stihl products (very likely after you buy your first). Just be sure to let them know you appreciate it and will come to them because of it, it doesn't hurt to build a personal relationship with these smaller dealers.

Thanks for your input. So what kind of a discount have you received? 10% at least?

 

[ClineWrench]

So I have a suggestion.

Get the FS90 and the 135 degree Hedge Trimmer head for it. You can thank me later. In the meantime, browse all the other heads you can put on the FS90...it'll knock your socks off.

I use my FS 90 for Hedge trimming, weed eating, Pruning saw (real chain saw blade and chain on it!), and am purchasing the edger head in the next month or so.

Oh, and the FS 90 or larger models have plenty of power - you wont find many things to bog it down.

 

[ducatiti]

So I have a suggestion.

Get the FS90 and the 135 degree Hedge Trimmer head for it. You can thank me later. In the meantime, browse all the other heads you can put on the FS90...it'll knock your socks off.

I use my FS 90 for Hedge trimming, weed eating, Pruning saw (real chain saw blade and chain on it!), and am purchasing the edger head in the next month or so.

Oh, and the FS 90 or larger models have plenty of power - you wont find many things to bog it down.

Thanks for your suggestion. I heard that using these machines with various attachments will not do their best at each task compared to a dedicated tool. I like the extended reach it has for the the hedge trimmer attachment though. How is the weight of this machine?

 

[Dust Devil]

All my customers that buy the Kombi system LOVE it.

 

[jpinca]

I've had a KM130R with the trimmer and pole saw attachments for a few years. I'm just residential user with largish lot and got tired messing with the cheap consumer-level junk. I plan to get the hedge trimmer and straight edger this year. Overall been happy. Ethanol gas has killed one carb so far, but I didn't drain the tank.

I don't think the performance is really any different from the dedicated units. Most of these products are modular and built out of the same building blocks. I went with the Kombi so that I could get one of the long extension shafts and swap onto the trimmer head. Now I can trim will standing up straight. Its also cheaper. Downside is that when the motor is down, everything is down.

 

[Dust Devil]

Way eaiser to keep one motor running VS 3 or 4.

Gas is so bad these days there is NOTHING you can do to prevent the hardening of fuel lines and diaphrams in the carb. If you can get ethanol free that is good, if you can afford motomix that is even better.

 

[DekeT]

I have bought Stihl exclusively for years. I own thousands of dollars of the stuff. I also have lots of Husqvarna equipment. The huskie stuff is more reliable, starts better, and is less fickle with less than stellar maintenance. I would not hesitate to buy Husqvarna over a Stihl. In fact my wife has told me not to bring any more of that Stihl **** home again. Only Huskie, for what that's worth.

 

[Dust Devil]

oh please....

 

[ncfh]

So, KM110 or KM130?

 

[Dust Devil]

Only buy the big gun if you really need it. It ***** to carry around the weight if you dont need it.

 

[Wizzard]

Thanks for your input. So what kind of a discount have you received? 10% at least?

No, just a fair market price with good service. They sold me a Stihl hard chainsaw case at their cost and will cut me a small break on trimmer line. It is the service that matters. I don't think there is much profit margin to begin with. But like mentioned there are some bad dealers out there, many just want to make money on their repair department (that is where the profit is). But the latter dealer I mentioned did offer me a killer deal on a Gravely commercial mower...but I wanted Exmark and they didn't sell those there.

And if you ever need a pole saw don't get Stihl (their driveshafts like to twist easy)...Echo makes a much better pole saw.

 

[PugetDude]

So, KM110 or KM130?

130- I have it with the string trimmer, pole saw, hedge clipper, blower and carbon fiber extension pole. Weight difference between the 110 and 130 is negligible, power difference is noticeable, especially with the saw and blower.
I've used mine for three years and it's never stabbed me in the back.

 

[NY_treeguy]

Great product indeed. Dealers? Not so much... As a serious user of their chainsaws in a variety of locations, I have dealt with quite a few dealers. The experience has been instructive and resulted in frequent communication with Stihl corporate, and not in a positive way.

A couple of examples...

-A stop a John Deere dealer that also sold Stihl to pick up a replacement air filter. Not on the shelf... Ordering took several days and put my project behind as a result. Stihl HQ and regional manager got involved in that one.

-One of my saws became difficult to start, so off to a pro saw shop/Stihl "Master" dealer for repairs. Carburetor needed replacement. Back to the woods and the saw ran extremely poorly. Pulling the cover found the cause and resulted in an irate trip back to the shop.

With the cover off I asked them to tell me what was wrong with the picture. The dumb facial expressions were priceless. It was then I pointed out the incorrect type of carb installation that left a port on the air filter completely open to dust and trash! Filter and carb were filled with dirt and sawdust and ruined. Another email and phone call to Stihl corporate over that episode.

-Stopped at another dealer to order a replacement chain stop. As expected the $5 part was not on the shelf. What was not expected was the $5 "freight charge" on top of the $5 the part actually cost. Told the counter guy to frame the $10 bill as it would the last he would see from me.

The Stihl product itself is likely the best power equipment available. The dealers themselves? Not so much. I will certainly buy Stihl again, just not from some of the people that sell it.

Don't paint all dealers with the same brush. The bad ones are out there....but so are the good ones. I drive past 2 dealers to go to the one that treats me best. Never had to bring anything back for improper repairs in 4 years. Never waited more than 2-3 days for parts, never paid freight for saw parts, and he is willing to take parts off my "parts saws" and use them. Find a good dealer and bring him all of your business.

 

[ducatiti]

Blade sharpening: one Stihl dealer requires me to uninstall the blades for them to sharpen for $30 while the other will sharpen and clean the hedge trimmer for $45.

Sound about right?

 

[ClineWrench]

Its interesting to read through these comments. Its almost as polarized as the Snap-On Harbor Freight Roll Cab comments.

There's no doubt that some people will prefer Stihl and some will prefer Husky. What's interesting is just how bashing people get towards Sthil. I just don't get it. If Stihl was equipment was as bad as some of these guys say it is, how on earth could it become the 800 pound gorilla of the industry?

For example; I own a Stihl FS90 with 3 different attachments, an MS271 saw, an MS 270 saw (1 year older), and a Stihl Blower. Never had any trouble with any of them that was Stihl's fault in any way. The 270 did need to be replaced due to a local fuel station accidentally putting E-85 in the non ethanol tank - I heard they had a gazillion complaints including mine.

Last thing I noticed is sever people recommending the KM and fitting accessories. Great idea. The only reason I went with the FS90 is its actually longer right out of the box and fits the exact same attachments as the KM series. It helps a ton on the hedges!

Anyway - that's my 2 cents.

 

[Fugio]

Best trimmer I've ever owned. Although I still can't start it by myself each season. Gas quality just *****, even the pre-mixed stuff.

 

[DekeT]

oh please....

I am sure this has nothing to do with your being a Stihl dealer.

 

[american21]

To be correct echo are the best made product under 400 bucks. Pro grade still is good stuff though but cheap echo is pro grade at a cheap price

 

[cagullett1]

So I have a suggestion.

Get the FS90 and the 135 degree Hedge Trimmer head for it. You can thank me later. In the meantime, browse all the other heads you can put on the FS90...it'll knock your socks off.

I use my FS 90 for Hedge trimming, weed eating, Pruning saw (real chain saw blade and chain on it!), and am purchasing the edger head in the next month or so.

Oh, and the FS 90 or larger models have plenty of power - you wont find many things to bog it down.

When I had a landscaping company running 8+ hours straight, we ran the FS90's. When I sold off all my equipment, I kept one and my dad got one. It's needed tuning due to bad gas, but this thing is a beast. I've used a few attachments on it and I can't see how someone would need something much bigger

 

[justme-]

Cheap Echo is NOT pro grade. Pro grade is pro grade - big box store products are not pro grade OPE. Echo was the first pro grade OPE company to sell out to a price point in a big box retailer to increase market share and it really hurt their reputation around me... no pros touch them here.

We don't have space or time to store assembled units (or assembled in the box) until a customer makes a purchase... it's all out on the floor and all setup by the same staff who have been doing that job for years in house. Stihl has a certification class for it online now...I'm the only employee new enough to need the online portion, they all predate it in their training.

So far I don't see demos in our store or market, but all dealers can do that if they choose. You can't, as was said, paint all company dealers in the same light - we're all different and we're all independent. That's kind of the point. Occasionally some customer is going to come in looking for a part for their beloved OPE that we simply don't sell enough of to justify stocking...sorry, need to order it. Occasionally it takes time to build an order high enough to hit minimums with your vendors...and if you need it fast you pay the shipping since it costs more than waiting. A week isn't all that bad in many cases - we have 1 major vendor I'm lucky to see enough to order from in a month... and they carry major brands parts so sometimes it hurts.
You also have to expect occasionally you might need a part that was just sold out in a local store, or may be on back order from the vendor or manufacturer... chainsaws and air filters are not exempt from that. I'm waiting for a connecting rod for my snow blower's Tecumseh which has been on back order since the beginning of Feb from my vendor and likely from the OEM to them. Wrist pin clips were in hand in 2 weeks, head gasket in a couple days...

FWIW, I work on both orange brands and while I think both are quality machines when the correct choice is made for the intended application I definitely see how one company is much harder to service (at least in saws of all kinds) going back from new to old, and how different the quality and volume of service information and support is from both of them. I've received more and better information from Arborsite than from the Swedes, and we're dealers for both.

 

[redwrench60]

I don't know man, I love my FS250R. True piss and vinegar 2-stroke. I don't give a **** how much it weighs. I trim lots of areas with tall thick grass and weeds inaccessible by mowers and this things an animal! I'll never own a ***** little gas trimmer again.

 

[boiler7904]

My local dealer sells Stihl, Echo, Toro, Honda, Scag, Exmark, and Wright equipment with a strong reputation from homeowners like me and landscape contractors alike. The older guy I deal with is always able to answer any questions and help guide a decision on buying a new machine based on planned use. He's also really good with my 3 year old who likes their shop more than Toys R Us. Sales guys do complete demonstrations of operation and some maintenance like replacing line or maintaining filters once your unit is assembled and fueled - applies to full line they sell. Parts department is always on top of things when I buy from them - out of stock orders are usually in within a couple of days if I order on a saturday so no long waits that have left me high and dry so to speak yet. They also do rentals if that need ever arises.

When I bought my father in law a Stihl leaf blower for Christmas, my sales guy gave me the option of a new one still in the box or a new one gassed and ready to go since I had bought myself the same model earlier in the year. I chose ready to go but it wouldn't have mattered either way.

Stihl is like a lot of other companies and sets retail pricing for all dealers from what I've been told so don't expect much of a discount unless you're buying in high volume. I do get coupons from them for $10 or $20 off a purchase of $** in my email around Father's Day and Thanksgiving along with other occassional promos for free gas cans, or other accessories.

If you buy a Stihl, I'd also pick up a 6 pack of their HP Ultra 2 cycle oil or pre-mixed fuel since it doubles the warranty to 4 years on residential grade tools and make sure they note that on the purchase receipt / online warranty registration that they do in the store before you leave.

 

[ducatiti]

Can someone explain to me Ethanol and its effect to our tools? Does gas in California even contain this?

 

[ClineWrench]

Answer to question 1. Click below

http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...-small-engines-from-the-wear-and-tear-of-e10/

Answer to question 2: yes, and it's probably worse here in Cali than most places. I had a gas station put E85 (15% ethanol) fuel in the tank marked as non ethanol and it downright killed a chainsaw in 4 hours of cutting.

Zero question about it...if you have a 2 stroke, buy ethanol free fuel if you can.