I am probably the last to know this . . . . .

[TexasTimbers]

In fact there is probably a long thread on it already but you can no longer buy a chainsaw online from Bailey's. you can pick up the phone and get one, but no more online orders.  :(

The fella told me other changes are coming down the pike as well. I don't like what Husqvarna is doing tinkering with their distribution network. I wish they would either go completely to a Stihl type approach.

It seems to me that the Stihl dealers can sell their products at retail or less than retail if they want to. These online Husky "dealers" can too but Husky doesn't make it attractive for a guy to want to put in a Dealership when the Tractor Supply down the street or the Lowes or Home Depot or whichever sells them is taking a big chunk of the homeowner market the local dealer would otherwise get. Of course those guys are going to go down to their local walmart and buy a poulan wild thing not a Stihl or a Husky.

My buddy who runs the small engine repair shop I frequent told me he dropped husqvarna because their warranty policies and floor plan requirements became too onerous. he was having to take in warranty work for from a 50 mile radius from every store that sold husky equipment no matter what the equipment was. And in case you didn't know they have a wide range of products. He also said alot of the common failures would not be warranted under the fine print.

It's a mess if you ask me. I don't mind picking up the phone and ordering my 346xp from Baileys. But I would rather order it online with the rest of my order. I found a 346xp online for $399. Baileys is $409.95. For an extra $10 I am going to get it from Bailey's obviously, but from what I gather, I am wondering if Bailey's is going to quit selling Husqvarna altogether? That would suck. they are pushing Echo, Solo, and Makita harder than before it seems. I asked the guy if they would ever sell Dolmar (I thought Dolmay made Makita's saws) and he said at one time they had tried to work something out but it didn't happen.

When I trashed the tip on my 24" bar for my 372xp I have to order it from Bailey's because Tractor Supply does not carry the pro line of Husqvarna. I wish they would make it more attractive for small engine shops to be able to sell and service chainsaws without requiring them to carry lawn mowers and all the other equipment a shop might not want to carry, and have to do warranty work on everything sold from anywhere within a 50 mile radius like my buddy claims they do.

They should make it EASIER for a shop to target their customers' needs not harder for the little shops to become dealers.
Like I said, I think it's TARFU.

[WDH]

TT,

I agree with you 100%.  So, on my next purchase, most likely it will be a Stilh.  They (Stihl) have a much better business plan to provide service to their customers.  Customer support is as important as making sales if you are in it for the long haul. 

[Tom]

My last two Husky Dealers quit selling husky because of floor plan.  There is a new one now, down the road.  I went in to see him and his walls are lined with Echo.  I guess I'll join in with the Stihl shoppers too.  It's a shame because I sure have enjoyed Husky.  I have one other thing to try first.  There is a Jonsered dealer on the other side of town.  It's not easy to get to, but he has a good reputation.

[Corley5]

Huskys are just orange Jonsereds  ;) ;D ;D  I like my Jonsereds  8) 8) 8) 8)

[oldsaw]

Husky has screwed over their dealers by both requirements and distribution choices.  One of the dealers in my area also complains of no support.  They are still a dealer, but put no effort into it.  Another one has just started, and seem to have come to an "agreement", carrying Husky saws and a couple of mowers.

Choices have impact in how you are received in the marketplace.  I worked for a company that was sold and the new owner changed distribution policies.  What happened is that the top end of the line stopped selling, and the bottom part exploded.  They didn't make much money on the bottom end, and profitablity went into the tank.  The company I worked for bought it back at a huge discount, and tried to fix it.  Never really worked, they lost their place in the market.  Husky faces a similar fate in a large part of the country.  It's a shame that the only real support is in the NE and NW.

Mark

[SwampDonkey]

The Husky dealer here sells all kinds of garden equipment to. Even ECHO and Jonsered saws are sold. They sell about 80 riding lawn mowers a season and I never asked about tillers and blowers. They seem to be doing a brisk business and the Husky maintenance side has never suffered as far as I can see. My guys who have ECHO or Husky can go in and walk out with a fixed saw. The owner knows my crew and wanted one of them take a try the new Husky brush saw that came out for free, but another crew was using it and we finished our work for the season a couple weeks after. I had one guy whose Echo was on it's last legs while thinning the last strip of ground of the season and the dealer fixed his saw and said if it breaks again, fixed free of charge. The local boxed stores here don't sell anything serious enough for brush cutting or chainsawing. What they have on offer is laughable. ;D

[SawTroll]

Huskys are just orange Jonsereds  ;) ;D ;D  I like my Jonsereds  8) 8) 8) 8)

Actually it is the other way around, Husky makes all the Jred saws, except for the two cheapest ones (Poulan makes those)......... :D :D

[weimedog]

So whats the big deal? You can still call Baily's and order a saw. The price and shipping is the same as if you had the online ordering capability. I guess its sort of a senseless policy to not let them be ordered online unless the marketer's are fuguring "phone" contact might generate other additional. Having to make a phone call to order certainly isn't a "buy/sell" issue when preparing to shell out $500-$700 dollars! Actually it makes some sense to have a discussion to certain the order is correct before the bucks are sent and the package has something you didn't expect.

Anyone have a real clue vs. speculation on why this is policy?

[woodhick]

That's why I switched to Stihl a couple years back.  Haven't regretted it yet.  Huskey is taking advantage of the small dealers in my opinion.

[rebocardo]

I agree Texas. I really like how the bigger Huskys start and feel compared to the Stihl, plus the filter system. But, I guess my big saws from now on might be Stihl if I can't buy Husky  from my local dealer, who dropped them, or buy from Baileys.  I am just not willing to buy them anymore from other mail order sources.

[TexasTimbers]

weimedog. It's not a big deal just by itself. I can make a phone call about as easy as making the online clicks to order. Probably even faster on the phone even with my high speed access. What my "problem" is, is that these kind of changes are never the last of the policy tinkering. It's always a harbinger of more change. the only change I want to see is for Husky to start showing a little love for the small dealers instead of pulling further away from them. In the Movie The Outlaw Josey Wales there is a scene (and I will be brief I promise ;) ) when the Senator in charge of collecting the last of the rebel holdouts tells the Reb leader "We won the war Fletcher and there is a saying 'To the victor's goes the spoils' " and Fletcher responds "Well there's another old saying Senator; Don't pith down my back and tell me it's rainin".

That's what Husky is doing. There tellin the end customer that there distribution policy is in the best interest of the customer but they are just pithing down everyone's back. In the long term the customer is going to be left without a local service option. Most of us here can fix them ourselves, but we still have to wait for parts because we can't get them locally. So in the end, Husky is being short-sighted in my estimation trying to get as many saws sold as possible without thought to long term customer satisfaction and repeat sales. I think it will catch up to them.


Rebocardo, I do not know the official Bailey's stance on their intent to either continue to carry or drop the line. You should not base your opinion on my idea of what is going on, and I am sure you don't. Just thought I better clarify for any other readers especially new members who might later read this thread that I have no idea what the future holds for Husqvarna, but IMHO they are shooting holes into the bottom of their own hull and sooner or later you shoot enough holes, you run out of fingers to plug them up with.

[rebocardo]

I have been telling myself to buy a 372 or 385 from Baileys. Maybe I might be able to before the end of the year.

[TexasTimbers]

I would surely get a 372 if I were you. I plan to get another and just keep it in the box until until I wear mine out, or to have it to use while my current one ever needs a rebuild or major repair. .

I don't know the weight difference between a 385 and a 395 but if you are going for big, the power difference is significant I believe. I have never owned a 385, but I have been around two of them, and from my observations the 395 is worth the difference in weight and cost. Not necessarily for felling but for bucking big logs it's a joy.

[Furby]

I like my 395.

[RAS 323]

Unless I'm reading Bailey's website wrong-after December 21, 2007-Husky's will not be mailed-Ordered on line or phone-they'll have to be picked up.

"Due to a policy change at Husqvarna, December 21st is the last day that Bailey's will be shipping Husqvarna chainsaws via mail order. From now until Friday, December 21st you'll be able to order Husky saws directly from our website as we clear out our remaining inventory. After that date, Bailey's customers will be required to pick up Husqvarna chainsaws from our Woodland, California distribution center. "

[SwampDonkey]

Never could buy Husky or Stihl or parts for'm online in Canada. At least I never have found such a site because I was looking for a lock nut for my thinning saw. They want $10 for one in the shop. The guy opens up a bag of 6 or so and says $10. 'See ya'. 

[sawguy21]

Bailey's would not ship into Canada, it may have been part of their dealer agreement with Husqvarna. As a dealer rep, I am glad they are ending their on line sales, it hurt the servicing dealers although I do realize not everyone has easy access to one.

[TexasTimbers]

I have mixed feelings about it. I only like the convenience of being able to buy from Bailey's because of the great pricing and service, but only because i have no local Husky dealer. If Husky would make it attractive to become a dealer i wouldn't need mail order.

As it stands, it's going to become harder and harder over the coming years to remain a Husky guy. If I was unable to perform my own service (alot of guys just are not DIYers like most of us) I would be basically forced to buy Stihl so I could get local parts and service.

We'll see how it all plays out over the coming years. I think Husky is making a big mistake by implementing what looks like to me a catch as catch can type of distribution and service "plan".

[Furby]

Anyone know if the new policy/requirement at Bailey's includes parts?

[TexasTimbers]

I justgot an ear full of what is going on from a Bailey's employee. I don't wanna go too deep because some of it he might not want me to print. Just the brief facts of what he told me in random order as they come out of my memory bank:

• Today is the last day to buy any Husky saw from Bailey's mailorder period.
• Husky parts will still be avaialble via online or phone for the forseeable future.
• Husqvarna is owned by Electrolux (I didn't know that) and those homeowner grade saws will still be sold through Tractor Supply etc.
• Bailey's is selling Solo (German) and Echo (Japanese), and he believes the top brass is talking to Makita who actually owns Dolmar, who makes the Makita saws.  ??? Clear as mud?
• He has also heard via the water cooler that they are talking to J'red also, "...but I'm not sure about that." i said "I thought J'red was made by Husky!" He said "Well yes and no. Actually it's real muddy even to me how all that actually works".
• There are four saws that have Makita and Dolmar wrappers which are identical in every way down to the nut, except for the jug and piston.

This guy said Bailey's used to sell Stihl too and that Husky is merely doing what Stihl did about 10 years ago. ??? I never heard that before. I told him I actually looked into a Husky dealership not too long ago (I posted something about it here somewhere) and talked to my regional Husky rep and that from what I can tell now, they must be tinkering with those policies as well. He says he thinks they are going to do the same thing that Stihl does, give chicken scraps to the dealers and take the lion's share themselves.  I said heck that is what they do now. According to my local small engine shop buddy that's why no one wants to be a Husky dealer. And why he droipped Husky. You have to take in warranty work from all those Tractor Supply and Lowe's (or is it HD I don't remember) homeowner-abused saws and lawn equiment and it does not pay squat for that kind of mandatory warranty work.

There's more but I think I should stop here. If any of this is incorrect don't shoot me I am just the messenger.

[sawguy21]

I find your comments interesting. Electrolux owned Husqvarna and J'red for many years, a lot of parts are interchangeable. Husky is now independent with it's own board and stock market listing and is now the world's largest manufacturer of lawn garden and forestry equipment. Stihl has the lead in saws though.
Makita bought Dolmar from Sachs around 1990 but have since spun the division off. The line has a new distribution system and they are building a dealer network. Bailey's may be part of the plan.
H-D sells some Husky here but it does not hurt us. We get paid fairly for warranty and the service brings their customers to our store.

[SwampDonkey]

Around here it is 4:1, Stihl : Husky. But, that Husky shop is the busiest outfit around here. Most Stihl shops fix about anything with a small engine, one is a hardware store.

[TexasTimbers]

sawguy I'm glad to hear your comments. I never know how to interpret what people say and who has the latest (i.e. most accurate) info.

I was under the impression too that Husqvarna was its own company, and I know I read on their website before they say they are the largest man of lawn equip etc. and I know thier stock sells independent, and they have thier own board etc. All that is on their website. But do you wonder if sometimes, in the intricate and complex world of corporate ties if somehow a company is "indepently" run by a board, the board members of which, are the majority stockholders and also the CEO's of another company?

All I know is that they don't seem to make it easy for the average peon like me to know these things. :

If you could clarify, with any certainty, who owns who, and/or who runs who and/or who makes what for who, I for one would be interetsed.

It sounds like maybe the well-meaning guy at Bailey's, who seemed to speak with authority as if he were certain, could have a mix of old and new info.

I just know when I repeat something like this I always put the disclaimer in there as I did because I want it made clear I don't know any of it for certain. The purpose of my post was to illicit comment from guys like you who are much closer to the industry than me, and who hopefully has a regional rep who knows the true skinny about thier own company, and who will shoot straight with you guys. Stihl seems pretty easy to understand as they are their own independent company period. Right? But it seems like every other company is, or has been owned by another in the past or currently.

When you say that Makita "spun the division off" are you saying that Dolmar was sold to another company, or that they are now a stand-alone company?

[sawguy21]

From what I understand, Dolmar is a stand alone company with Makita as the majority shareholder. Ditto for Husqvarna and Electrolux.

[gharlan]

I hate the loss of online sales. When i bought the mill this past spring i knew i would need a big saw. I shopped all four local dealers. Only one had a big saw in stock and it was also the only pro model in town. It was an echo but the guy in front of me was buying it. It cost him about 1000 out the door. I was a little shocked at the price having already looked online. Of the local dealers I asked for a price on a bigger saw I got the bend over and grab your ankles quote. I bought the 372xp online for a little over half what I was quoted here in town. I did buy a new bar and chain for a 16" stihl from the local dealer at the same time. That was $90 out the door. I know everyone says support your local dealer but I do not share the love with the way i am always treated there. The question now is what to do for a new saw as my two stihls both have the oilers out. My local dealer quoted me 105 plus tax for each oiler. I just can not see spending it on older homeowner type saws(028,025).

[hydro2]

Here is an e-mail I sent to Husky.

I was getting ready to purchase another Husky saw. I have owned several of them in the past few years including a 357, 353 and a worn out 372.  I was looking at replacing the 372.  I have bought my saws from Alamia and Baileys.  Went to Bailey's website and found that Husky can no longer be mail ordered.  Looks like my 353 will be my last Husky purchase.  I am getting ready to purchase a Solo. Don't know if I will like it or not, however I am not going to get taken by the local dealer at over $100.00 more for a 372.  I am loyal, but not that loyal.  Hope your new marketing strategy works out for you, but I have my doubts. How many saws have Baileys sold for you? I bet they have generated a great deal of profit.  Combine that with all the other online dealers and I bet the amount of saws Husky moved online was huge, really huge.  Love the saw, but it comes down to the buck.  Bad move on the part of cooperate Husky, for you and me! Bet within five years you are back selling online. By then myself and others will have a loyalty to another brand. Really bad for you!  I will be happy with a new brand.   
I don't purchase that many saws in a five year period, just think about all the tree surgeons and loggers that purchased online and how many saw they purchase in a five year period.  Do you think they want to get taken any more than me?  Many of the local dealers don't even stock the 372.  They want to sell you some homeowner junk like the 455 that has a horrible power to weight ratio. Good Luck with the new marketing strategy!!!!! 

[Old TimberCutter]

What size solo are you looking at, and how does the price compare to husky?

[johncinquo]

You can still order and buy a saw through Baileys, and they still have some great prices.  You just have to pick up the saw at their shop.  And, you have to pay Kalifornia sales tax. 

I just made a new friend who lives nearby and will pick up and ship whatever I want.   8) :D

It sounds like a poor deal for us, the end consumers, but after hearing the complete explanation from another dealer, it makes perfect sense.  They want to protect all of their dealers, who sell a majority of their saws, rather than than 1 dealer who sells a lot of their saws. 

Baileys still sells and ships all saw parts.  I still love them, have an order on the way now for more goodies!    The margins on the saws Baileys was selling had to have been razor thin, just look at the prices compared to what everyone else is selling them for.  I am sure they make more profits on aftermarket and accessories sales. 

[johncinquo]

Here is an e-mail I sent to Husky.

I was getting ready to purchase another Husky saw. I have owned several of them in the past few years including a 357, 353 and a worn out 372.  I was looking at replacing the 372.  I have bought my saws from Alamia and Baileys.  Went to Bailey's website and found that Husky can no longer be mail ordered.  Looks like my 353 will be my last Husky purchase.  I am getting ready to purchase a Solo. Don't know if I will like it or not, however I am not going to get taken by the local dealer at over $100.00 more for a 372.  I am loyal, but not that loyal.  Hope your new marketing strategy works out for you, but I have my doubts. How many saws have Baileys sold for you? I bet they have generated a great deal of profit.  Combine that with all the other online dealers and I bet the amount of saws Husky moved online was huge, really huge.  Love the saw, but it comes down to the buck.  Bad move on the part of cooperate Husky, for you and me! Bet within five years you are back selling online. By then myself and others will have a loyalty to another brand. Really bad for you!  I will be happy with a new brand.   
I don't purchase that many saws in a five year period, just think about all the tree surgeons and loggers that purchased online and how many saw they purchase in a five year period.  Do you think they want to get taken any more than me?  Many of the local dealers don't even stock the 372.  They want to sell you some homeowner junk like the 455 that has a horrible power to weight ratio. Good Luck with the new marketing strategy!!!!! 

We'd like to think that is how it works, but its not even close.  The consumers input is limited to limited to how a corporation like that makes its final decisions.  If what we thought was important, they would do away with a saw like the 55 and the 372xp would be a huge seller, and the price would come down.   Instead they can pump out the 55 by the kagillions and make a better profit margin.    Sell to the masses, eat with the classes! 

[hydro2]

What size solo are you looking at, and how does the price compare to husky?

Don't even know yet really. Just know it won't be a Husky. What a shame.

[hydro2]

I never even got an e mail back from Husky (other than an automated one), but I did receive a survey asking how satisfied I was with the reposonse time and support.