Within hours from buying it and without starting it, we took it back to the Town and Country hardware store. They wouldn't take it back. I was astonished. Store guy said Stihl only takes returns if you exchange it for something of equal or greater cost.
The clerk said to my wife "didn't you see the return policy"? Insulting. I read it and it subtly says they'll take care of defective stuff. No mention of a return of a non-defective product.
Anyway, I said I'd swap for a smaller saw that could be held in one hand. He said that was the smallest they had. Then I saw a little one with a 4" chain. Clerk said those were pruners, not chainsaws, so he didn't think to show us those.
I got a pruner + extra battery for about $200 so I'm ok with the final outcome but that's a very expensive pruner.
Chainsaw was $200, cheap for a Stihl. I mentioned that to the clerk and he said Stihl is going after the homeowner now. The little saw we first bought had plastic dogs (claws at the base of the bar). Wow! Cheapo. Made the saw look like a toy. Those things need to be metal.
The store had a huge display of only Stihl products. No cheaper alternatives and believe me there are cheaper alternatives. I'll bet the deal with Stihl is that the store can only sell Stihl products.
Getting back to the return policy, I went to the Town and Country website and their return policy is basically that they'll take back anything within a time period if accompanied by the sales slip.
So the store's return policy is different from Stihl's.
I went to Home Depot's site and they'll take back anything, and they specifically mention gas powered tools. That's the return policy I'm used to.
I think their exclusive Stihl commitment will fail. The stuff is too expensive and any customer that's shopped around will know that.
Sounds like the store policy to me.
Maybe the warning should be “caution when buying at town and country.”
I dint know that chain but speto the store manager helps sometimes.
I've seen this several times before.
Thanks for the warning, it is exactly what you should do, and what social media is for.
“I went to Home Depot’s site and they’ll take back anything, and they specifically mention gas powered tools.”
Problem is home depot doesn’t carry still.
When I did my research it came down to stihl v/s Echo...which home depot does carry....if you get out from under your stihl maybe consider echo.
I know a lot about Stihl Chainsaws and products.
what was the model number of the one you bought?
I know an arborist who has stopped buying Stihl products due to dealer policies. He now only uses Husqvarna saws. I personally don’t patronize the dealer because they are total a$$holes. Problems must come from the manufacturer.
Battery powered chainsaws are the way to go for trimming trees around the yard. So much cleaner and easier than a gas motor.
Store policy should trump the Stihl policy. Store staff stiffed you and it seems you could have gone over their heads.
And it sounds like this was an opportunity to make the credit card company earn their cut. They are really not nice to retailers.
Stihl has made itself a joke, hasn’t it?
New Stihl stuff ain’t like the old Stihl stuff.
You’re not gonna leave it to your grandkids.
Might get through 3 seasons, with lots of pricey maintenance.
Buy burners. Keep spares on hand.
They’re cheaper in the long run.
It is what it is.
> they’ll take back anything
I think there are enough people around who will buy these “refurb” items for a minor discount.
This spring, I bought a Stihl commercial backpack blower for my yard use. It is easy to start, easy to handle, comfortable, quiet, and turns down to a soft breeze. It is a GREAT product. The only problem is I’m almost 71 and it will no doubt outlast me.
I bought a Stihl Farmhand chainsaw. It ran for twenty years. I think my permanent neck damage came from trying start it all those years. Used to be, Stihl service was a selling point. Around here the dealer is great. Sounds like Town and Country is where your main problem is.
I have had bad luck with the Stihl ranch hand saw. Moved to Husqvarna and am very happy.
Sounds to me like you got a crap clerk who didn’t feel like doing work.
Sorry for your bad experience. I have two Stihl chainsaws, the electric hand trimmer and the Kombi system with several different attachments.
I have had good luck and know several commercial tree cutting companies in my area who use Stihl exclusively.
The one thing I will comment on is to use the prepared gas blend product instead of doing the gas mix route. The stuff is incredibly expensive but Stihl will stand their warranty.
I’m pretty sure they are exclusively dealer distributed products... I don’t know if they require the independent dealers to be exclusive to Stihl or not, but it would not surprise me.
They have a great reputation in the commercial realm, I can’t say how good or bad their non professional/commercial grade stuff is.
Getting good quality anything anymore, is next to impossible sadly....
Off topic somewhat, but in regard to corporations destroying their brand:
I’ve had Makita for about 12 years. My last battery was finally going out (3ah) and I took advantage of a sale about 6 months ago in anticipation of the need for the tools this Spring & Summer.
I had projects the past couple of weeks and was astonished at how fast the new 5ah batteries (18v Lithium LXT) were draining. In fact, I lost count at how many times I was atop the ladder to have a tool quit. As it stands right now, I’m of the opinion that they last half as long as my 3ah batteries which came with my first kit, if not as low as 30%. This was the polar opposite of my expectations.
I’m curious if anyone else has had this experience. I’ll concede that I didn’t do any research, buying solely on my prior experience (I should have known better, AND - on-topic somewhat - I’ll be returning the kit after the next project if my experience is repeated...assuming the store return policy will permit me to return after more than 6 months...and leaving rotten reviews everywhere I can find).
Never buy any computers, home electronics or specialized tools for anyone unless you know exactly what the person really needs.
I like to be generous, but there's always a challenge when buying these things because I usually don't know the capabilities or the needs of the people who are receiving these gifts.
Buying a power tool for some people in my life is like buying a motorcycle for Joe Biden.
I watched a youtube of a guy turning an entire tree into firewood on the same battery and I was sold.
Stihl was good stuff back in the day. The consumer grade Stihl stuff now is no better than most other brands sold at big box stores.
I paid $150 for 30 year old Stihl chainsaw a couple of years ago that runs like a champ. It was previously owned by a Forest Service fire fighter who took care of it like it was his child.
It is sad to see Sthil going down in quality but they are. It is a dealer network and won’t go online or big box for the most part. Once upon a time you could take a saw to the hardware store here and get it fixed by a trained tech. They had lots of business and did good work. People didn’t mind paying for that. When the good work and quality went away and down people did mind paying for it.
A friend is a woodsman and has old Sthils that still serve him very well but they are old ones.
I still have some Sthil products but have not bought one in ages. Husqvarna commercial models work well for me. I have a backpack blower that has to be approaching 30 years old. I have never done a thing to it but adjust the throttle linkage that keeps popping ot of the slot. I have not used it since last fall. Bet I can go start it now in just a few pulls.
I also have the largest Sthil backpack blower that has never worked well in spite of everything I can think of to fix it and one Sthil chainsaw in the bottom of the pond where I carried it and threw it one day.