My Stihl Nightmare

[doc henderson]

I got a 660 and it would have issues starting and would run fine for the dealer.  after a year and 4 visits to the dealer, and then I bring it home and it would run and then not start.  My dealer contacted the district rep and I got a full refund since He trusted I had the problems I spoke of.  I got full credit towards and 880.  not the electronic stuff, that may be fine now but was a pain when it came out.  the diagnostics did not pick up on the hot start stuff.

my 261 had issues starting, and I went back, and they replaced the solenoid, and it has run fine since.  they did not recognize the issue then and it tested OK, but later realized the problem.

[Spike60]

100% agree with Stihl for not getting involved with your situation regarding the promise that dealer made. Who else should get involved? The town planning board that allowed him to open his store? 

Granted, none of us were there, but I agree with Ixskllr that it's pretty unlikely any dealer on the planet would tell a customer he could run a saw for 2 weeks and bring it back. Seems to me that you misunderstood what he said. Probably because there was some uncertainty/discussion at time of purchase whether or not you were buying enough saw. But you went with price, didn't ya?

Sorry that comes off a bit harsh, but playing the "little guy" against Goliath doesn't make you right. If that Chinese clone saw acts up, you'll be getting another lesson in dealer support. 

[Al_Smith]

I've seen the clones in action but it's highly unlikely I'll ever own one .Then again  the so called "modern saws " you need a danged computer to work on would ever be in my shed unless they were freebies .
In the last twenty years I've had to do a lot of research on how to work on an automobile .Had to put my 57 Chevy mind set aside .I have no intentions of doing that for a tool like a chainsaw .If I can't wrench them I'll never own one no matter who built it .

[barbender]

Oh Al, you ol' grump😁😁

[Magicman]

Win, loose, or draw, Al's mindset is why I chose a non-CM MS362.  I don't get rid of nor sell anything.  When it comes here....it stays.  When I upgrade, etc, the old one goes to family or the farm.  I could not visualize buying something that had to the dealer's computer for diagnostics.

That being said, my F250 is in the shop as I speak having a #4 coil replaced.  Yup, there are many things beyond my control. 

[Al_Smith]

The coil packs are one thing I figurered out without  using an analizer .In addition found 6 replacements for the price of one GMC oem part for Georgie girls 2002 GMC Envoy. Which BTW in spite of the fact it's one of the nicest I've seen it will be for sale but not on this web site .She replaced with a 3 year old Buick Envision which is as close to a Cadillac as it gets without the price .Talk about bells and whistles ,wow .

[sawguy21]

Regarding the exchange policy Stihl will allow a tool to be returned in decent condition within 7 days if the customer isn't happy with it regardless of the reason. The dealer then gets a credit allowing him/her to resell it at a discount but some dealers including one I worked for won't honor it, they don't want to be bothered with the time and paperwork even if it costs them future business. The op really needs to find a dealer who will work with him.

[Spike60]

Husky has the same 7 day deal. Only did it once. You will LOVE this story.

372 that kept flooding. Choke was on when it came in. Guy was a tree pro and knows how to run a saw. (We found out later that it was his inexperienced helper that was flooding it.)

So he comes in at 4:30 after contacting Husky and printing out something about the return deal. Demands the refund. Never having done it, I wanted to call tech and find out what I needed to do. Nobody there after 4:30, and I close st 5:00. Bare in mind I had known this guy for years. Told him I'd figure it out tomorrow and do whatever we needed to do. He was turning red and said he wasn't leaving without the refund. Clock hit 5 and I said, I'm leaving. Either you leave, or I'm calling the cops. Thought I was bluffing. Picked up the phone and said, last chance.

So, I called them. Gal on the phone asked about any potential violence. By now, I'm having fun with this and said, "John, they want to know if you're going to get violent." Assured the gal there was no danger, and the guys can come in relaxed.

So 2 guys answered the call, trooper and a local. And just like the earlier post, the goof tries getting the trooper to play referee and make me give him a refund. Tried keeping a straight face, but me and the local looked at each other and started laughing. He embellished the story by including that his truck was broken and the smell of the flooded saw in his SUV was a health hazard.

Anyway, got the details and did the refund. Forget the actual discount, but I did good. There was no time on the saw, cause they hardly ever got it started. Cut a deal with another regular, with full disclosure, so a happy ending.

[DHansen]

When all else fails, read the instructions!  Education can really be a big help.

[Al_Smith]

I had a neighbor bring me a brand new 290 the chain would not turn---he had the brake engaged . :D.

[Spike60]

Al, did you wonder if you did the right thing when you handed it back to him?  ;)

[Al_Smith]

That guy is story itself .One example he was out of town for two months working  and that crack head he was married to sold off about 50 white oaks for next to nothing . His property is just about like my two 5 acre plots .Parts of an almost old growth woods with tall veneer grade white oaks 3 to 3-1/2 feet in diameter and over 100 feet tall .She O-Ded and he just passed afterwards but before so sold that property for 50 cents on the dollar .i didn't know about it or now I would have 15 acres of woods .

[Al_Smith]

Back to chainsaws and what nots like trimmers ,blowers .I'm the guy they go to when a shop won't work on them .I've seen the most simple of problems like  air fliters plugged up .Can't breathe .Choke won't close ,won't start .Oil fouled spark plugs,leaking bar oil ,change the danged plug .No air filters eats up the cylinder . I mean it's not rocket science ..

[sablatnic]

Air filter clogged, one of my friends found a cure for that - just cut some holes in it, and the thing will run again!! :'-(

[Spike60]

Air filter clogged, one of my friends found a cure for that - just cut some holes in it, and the thing will run again!! :'-(

Had a landscaper toast a 14hp Kohler by doing that some years back. So much for "professionals should know better" argument.  :laugh:

[Al_Smith]

Air filters .I've had them come in with just the wire screens and no flocking left  .They breathed all right while ingesting large amounts of sawdust which combined with mix oil makes a nice rubbing compound .It polished them up so nice there wasn't much compression left .Those cylinders looked like it had been ran on soft coal relegating them to door stops or anchors for small row boats .

[Spike60]

"Nice rubbing compound" 👌 

[Al_Smith]

Now this is no nonsence about rubbing compound .Ford motor company who I worked for 29 years hot tested engines gave them a run .Oldsmobile never ran those tests .On the first fire up they dropped a tablespoon of Bon_Ami down the carb to seat the rings.Olds built a pretty good engine .I did that once on a tractor engine but must sucked  a half a pound of it through the carb to breather hose .It smoked like a steam engine and thus I rebuilt the engine.Too much is exactly that ---too much .--Duh ---