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Stihl is a royal pain

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Stihl is a royal pain

Postby KE4AVB » Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:34 pm

Boy isn't Stihl a royal pain in the backside. They are refusing to sell Zama carburetor repairs that they have Zama listing them as purchase from a dealer only. I can't even get them to provide the Stihl PNs for the dealer to order the Zama repair kits for me.

Zama say must purchase from Stihl and Stihl says must purchased from Zama. What heck Stihl owns Zama. Why can't get their grits and gravy together?

Luckily I did manage to get the current two kits I needed out of China.

Maybe a class action lawsuit needs to filed against Stihl and Zama.
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Re: Stihl is a royal pain

Postby bgsengine » Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:48 pm

Or, just do like I do and simply refuse to work on Stihl, period.. eventually people start to realize it doesn't make sense to buy something you can't get parts and service for any more... I've actually downsized to the point I'll only take Echo,Shindaiwa,Makita and Dolmar for repairs, anything else they can find someone else to fix 'em.. That policy has actually resulted in a few "conversions" to Echo or Makita.. and those customers been much happier ever since..

However, there's still folks around here that are stuck in believing there's nothing better than a Stihl (even though that $129 trimmer is gonna cost them $99 in repairs a year later) or Husqvarna (One guy refused to believe that his low end Husky trimmer was just a weedeater in orange even though I was able to bolt up parts (in weedeater green) from an old weedeater to his orange junker..)... Then of course there's the made-in-china Homelite-Ryobi-MTD-Murray-etc box store $89 machines

Long story short, I know exactly what you mean and despite the loss of business / customers from the decision I made (as noted above), I'm dealing with far less stress and more profitable repair tickets.
How poor are they who have not patience. What wound did ever heal, but by degrees? - Iago (Othello Act II, Scene 3)
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Re: Stihl is a royal pain

Postby NO0C » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:48 am

bgsengine wrote:However, there's still folks around here that are stuck in believing there's nothing better than a Stihl


I'm one of those folks.

I have a 2000 FS46 trimmer, whose only repair since day 1, was a new $30 carburetor. I found the carb locally at Ace Hardware and after installing it, it never ran so well! The OE carb must have had a bug in it, and only got worse as time passed. I guess I did replace the spool bump button on the cutter head, but that's just normal wear and tear.

I also have a 2005 BG85 blower with the shredder attachment purchased as an afterthought. The only repair I have made to it was a new fanwheel (Stihl nomenclature) as I ingested a stick or two of too large of diameter that chipped off some pieces. Occasionally, I have to adjust the fuel ratio screws to make acceleration from idle to high smooth and non-hesitant. No big deal. In fact I just did that Tuesday. Sure-starting and they just keep on ticking and no cords to drag around.

I have to agree that literature and DIY technical support was a problem but that has gotten better with internet availability recently. It would indeed be nice to purchase parts online at possibly better prices, but I can live with that, as few of parts I have ever needed. I actually have 2 Stihl dealers in this small city and they seem to have a pretty good inventory of parts.

In short, I would have a hard time replacing what I have with anything but another Stihl product. I believe in Stihl oil and 100% real gasoline, no corn whiskey blends used. They hang all winter with fuel in them and have never failed to start in the spring.

Different strokes for different folks.
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Re: Stihl is a royal pain

Postby KE4AVB » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:47 pm

Yes Stihl makes very good product but their attitude lately Stinks. They think only the Stihl gods can repair them. Yeah right they couldn't even find a bad spark plug last spring.

I just got through repairing a FS106 straight shaft trimmer that is the smoothest running Stihl trimmer I ever repaired. Nothing like the newer units they make.
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Re: Stihl is a royal pain

Postby Arkie » Tue Apr 30, 2019 8:32 am

KE4AVB wrote:Yes Stihl makes very good product but their attitude lately Stinks. They think only the Stihl gods can repair them. Yeah right they couldn't even find a bad spark plug last spring.

I just got through repairing a FS106 straight shaft trimmer that is the smoothest running Stihl trimmer I ever repaired. Nothing like the newer units they make.


My experience with Stihl also.
I own several Stihl chainsaws plus few trimmers and work on Stihl chainsaws and I never ever go to a dealer for parts unless I know before hand what part number I need and the price. I also found a RARE Stihl parts place that does not have the Stihl attitude. (very to find a Stihl parts place that does not have the stinking smell of attitude)
plus I've been around them Stihl places enough that I can quickly detect a attitude and do a quick exit and not ever return.
Sometimes you can only find one good employee that is really helpful and does not have the attitude at a Stihl place (or elsewhere) and I always remember their name ask for that person FIRST.

Also when in a parts place and If several employees are just standing around and the employee that is helping me grabs a incoming phone call really fast, not giving the other employees a chance to even take the call, I'll leave, sometimes when the parts are laying on the counter but not paid for yet. They get a dose of my attitude then. ;)
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