# Stihl & Husky finance options



## jimmycrackcorn (Mar 8, 2014)

Do any of you ever use either of the big two's promotional financing? You know, promos like 6 months no interest if paid in full within 6 months..etc

If you have the ability to pay it off in 6 months, is this a good option for someone who doesn't have the instant cash available to buy a saw during the off season? 

If your trying to build some A+ credit & you know you can pay it off without incurring penalties, is this also a good way to that? It seems like a low risk way to build some while acquiring tools you need.

Anyone who has gone this route, leave some feedback. Here are some options from husky. Read fine print. Lol

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/support/financing-solutions/


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## STIHLTHEDEERE (Mar 8, 2014)

if you need to finance a new chainsaw, then you probably dont have any business buying one. save your pennies, then buy the saw.


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## stihl sawing (Mar 8, 2014)

STIHLTHEDEERE said:


> if you need to finance a new chainsaw, then you probably dont have any business buying one. save your pennies, then buy the saw.


Perhaps you didn't understand his post, he's trying to build up his credit. you know some folks don't have a 1000 bucks to give out on a saw, But way to go on a good answer.


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## redfin (Mar 8, 2014)

I could also understand financing one if you just got a job with a tree service where they pay you to run your own saw.


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## XSKIER (Mar 8, 2014)

The gray area is that "promotional fee". If anything in the huskee line up was good enough, you bet I'd take advantage of their free money! Otherwise, sign up for a 0% for the first year CC and buy a quality piece (STIHL).


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## rob066 (Mar 8, 2014)

I havent bought any this way but I bought a few on lawaway. I can pay what I want when I want within reason. I may do this, this year on a husky 365 otherwise it seems the money never accumulates for a new saw


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## mdavlee (Mar 8, 2014)

I would think for husky it's more for the mowers and not the saws. A $6k mower is a lot different than a $800 saw.


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## Swamp Yankee (Mar 8, 2014)

Before you sign,

Be sure to read the fine print. Husky or their underwriter, used to be GE Capital, charges promo fees and loan initiation fees. These fees can be higher than CC interest on the purchase if you pay off the balance in six months.

If you want to establish credit, there are other avenues such as Home Cheapo or Lowes, but if you want a saw then this may be a viable option.

Take Care


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## jughead500 (Mar 8, 2014)

Check into a yard card.they have a stack of choices when you buy something.I go for 6 months 0%.the minimum is $250 I think.


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## ktoom (Mar 8, 2014)

While on Stihlusa, I clicked on the credit card link. I was curious if there was any info on promotions or what the interest rate is and I found nothing. 

I do property maintenance, on the side, with my brother-in-law. We have used some of the manufacturer's credit card promo's. The "Toro" card has come in handy many times for new mowers and/or other Toro equipment. When we bought a new Scag Turf Tiger, the promo deal was through Sheffield financing. They are very good to work with. 

We mainly use Stihl blowers, wakers and hedge trimmers. Now that Stihl has a credit card, it might help us when we go to update our hand help equipment. The dealer usually gives a discount for bulk purchases. The main benefit for us is that we can update our equipment before the spring cleanup/mowing season starts VS waiting for the money to come in and then purchasing new stuff in, for example, May. 

We have gotten 4 solid years out of our FS90's and FS110's. Regular maintenance and valve adjustments help BIG TIME!!!

The 4 BR600's haven't had as good of luck. The first BR600 we bought was a strait BR600 pre-magnum. That blew her cookies after 2 years. My dealer had a short block in stock for $150, so that got it back going. Then the next few blowers were the updated BR600 magnums. Only one had warranty issues.


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## jimmycrackcorn (Mar 8, 2014)

stihl sawing said:


> Perhaps you didn't understand his post, he's trying to build up his credit. you know some folks don't have a 1000 bucks to give out on a saw, But way to go on a good answer.



I don't think he did, the money is there but I'm a tight a$$ in the winter. Actually, I'm always a tight a$$. Lol. I don't spend unless i have to, so I figure if i can float a note till spring while building better credit it can only be a positive situation. Credit rules everything this day in age & I've been a paper pincher my entire life, you can't get nowhere in life without it.

Just so there is no confusion, I'm looking for advice on husky credit. The 6month or the 12month, which ever one makes more sense on a $700-$800 note.

You know what would be nice?? As much as ppl hate encouraging paperwork, it would be great if a Husky dealer could chime in!




redfin said:


> I could also understand financing one if you just got a job with a tree service where they pay you to run your own saw.



I didn't just get a job with one but yes, my tools reflect my wage & id be hard pressed asking for another raise without them. Seeing as my saws are for sale, I'll be needing replacements. If i wanted another raise without them, boss would say "What? You want to borrow my ladder, how bout my spikes". LOL. Nahh, he's a good guy, got two raises last year & another dollar coming this spring. 2 more on top of that if i get my CDL but imma squak for 3. I could probably just get a loan from him but i just don't roll like that & it won't help credit.




XSKIER said:


> The gray area is that "promotional fee". If anything in the huskee line up was good enough, you bet I'd take advantage of their free money! Otherwise, sign up for a 0% for the first year CC and buy a quality piece (STIHL).



Yes X, that's the area I'm looking for advise/first hand experience on. That link, shows a couple different promotions & I'm trying to decipher what it exactly means. Im under the impression that if i go with the 6 month deal & borrow 7-8hundo, pay it back on time over 6months, i will have to pay 0% interest. The tricky part is the $99 promo fee that they "may or may not" charge you. If you default, i think that is where they charge you 23% interest for the entire length of the loan regardless of how many where on time & then on top of that they ding you the $99 promo fee. Kinda like they come in a pair, you either pay both for defaulting or neither for being on time. 

Does that sounds about right? Sometime chime in & correct me if I'm misunderstanding it.

Oh yeah.. Thanks for the STIHL advice X. Was waiting for that one.. Lol.



mdavlee said:


> I would think for husky it's more for the mowers and not the saws. A $6k mower is a lot different than a $800 saw.



Yes you would think so & that's what i thought at first but, there is different tiers of financing with finance minimums. Something like 200, 500, 800, 1500, 2000.. Those are just rough examples of the minimums & they all have different terms. The best terms were for the lower two minimums.





Swamp Yankee said:


> Before you sign,
> 
> Be sure to read the fine print. Husky or their underwriter, used to be GE Capital, charges promo fees and loan initiation fees. These fees can be higher than CC interest on the purchase if you pay off the balance in six months.
> 
> ...



You mentioned "These fees can be higher than CC interest on the purchase if you pay off the balance in six months."

Did you mean to say "if you don't pay it off in 6 months"..? Or are there cases of being penalized for paying on time? No sarcasm there, serious question. I don't deal with plastic much at all.

Yes you are correct, GE Capital is the underwriter.

I understand there is other options but they don't fit the plan as they don't sell what I'm looking for. I need to build credit but at the same time get something i need out of it. Good looking out though..=)





jughead500 said:


> Check into a yard card.they have a stack of choices when you buy something.I go for 6 months 0%.the minimum is $250 I think.



Aye juggs.. What is a "yard card", never heard of it or the business. Might be a location thing. I'm in the Boston area.


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## CR500 (Mar 8, 2014)

I bought my 441 waiting for the 461 at the time. I would lay down a few hundred bucks at my dealer every so many weeks until I found out the 461 would be longer than expected and decided to pull the trigger on the 441. It was payed off for so I went in one day when I arrived picked it up and it was pretty painless I must say.


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## jughead500 (Mar 8, 2014)

Heres a link
http://tdrcs.com/yard/


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## 1Alpha1 (Mar 8, 2014)

I know my way around credit cards, and what they can and can't do for you. I know how to make them work for me, but the last time I tried to spread some good news, I pretty much got burned for it. I haven't paid interest on a cc in many, many years.

Jus one little tip to watch out for. After that six month no interest charge, the interest rate can jump as high as 30% or more. GE Capital is infamous for this BS.

If you have a good solid credit history and score, you can go on-line and get a 0% interest cc for up to 18 months. Do your homework though, and compare the cards being offered.


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## Swamp Yankee (Mar 8, 2014)

2123 said:


> I know my way around credit cards, and what they can and can't do for you. I know how to make them work for me, but the last time I tried to spread some good news, I pretty much got burned for it. I haven't paid interest on a cc in many, many years.
> 
> Jus one little tip to watch out for. After that six month no interest charge, the interest rate can jump as high as 30% or more. GE Capital is infamous for this BS.
> 
> If you have a good solid credit history and score, you can go on-line and get a 0% interest cc for up to 18 months. Do your homework though, and compare the cards being offered.



Pay me now or .......

JimmyCC

This is along the lines of what I was getting at in my previous post.

Finance companies have. a variety of fees. While you may pay no interest for six months, you may have to pay the fees. Let's say you finance a $900 saw. The fees associated with that loan may be $75 to $125 or?. This is what you need to have put in front of you in black and white. The same $900 saw on a decent credit card paid off over 6 months may only cost you $40 or less. The point being while you don't pay interest for 6 months you may still end up paying a lot more in promo and loan fees than putting the purchase on a cc. By law the total cost of a loan if requested must be furnished to the borrower prior to him/her taking out the loan.

Hope this clears up what I was trying to say earlier.

And 2123's point about the interest rate is spot on, plus they back charge you the sky high interest rate from the date the loan was taken out, at the full borrowed amount, even if you only owe a crummy $20 at the end of the promo finance period.

There are two ways to learn about credit, one is to read and learn, the other is to go in blind and pay through the nose for a costly lesson.

Take Care


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## Str8six (Mar 8, 2014)

I don't condone the use of credit cards and never will! However, if you have the cash for the purchase and know you are going to have the ability to pay the loan amount off if something should happen, then why not use their money for free? That's assuming like others have stated that there are no hidden fees. I can tell you first hand with the Husqvarna card provided by GE there are no fees. At least there never have been for me. I use my card to make small equipment purchases when they run the promotional 6 month offers. Never more than $1000. I always have the cash and as long as I can hang on to my cash its making me money. I have no problem using their money for free.


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## 1Alpha1 (Mar 8, 2014)

When applying for a new credit card, you really have to watch out for the fine print. Some cards will offer 0% financing on purchases for 18 months or so. But, that same card will charge you a fixed percent if you use it for a balance transfer to pay off an existing card.

My current card paid me $200.00 cash to open an account, at 0% financing for 15 months. Properly managed, you can do very well using credit cards. It's all about personal responsibility, and being smart about using them.

And, it's all about closing an account when the 0% interest-free period ends. Like Kenny Rogers says........you gotta know when to hold um, and know when to fold um...................

I'm not a real big fan of banks, and I love it when they pay me to do business with them.


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## jimmycrackcorn (Mar 8, 2014)

CR500 said:


> I bought my 441 waiting for the 461 at the time. I would lay down a few hundred bucks at my dealer every so many weeks until I found out the 461 would be longer than expected and decided to pull the trigger on the 441. It was payed off for so I went in one day when I arrived picked it up and it was pretty painless I must say.



That is a very viable option but I'm trying to build some easy sleazy credit..

How did that 441 work out for you? Did you get horned up & a pull the trigger too early... or do you like it... LOL



jughead500 said:


> Heres a link
> http://tdrcs.com/yard/



Thanks for the linker juggs! I'll check it out as soon as I'm done punching out this novel of a post.



2123 said:


> I know my way around credit cards, and what they can and can't do for you. I know how to make them work for me, but the last time I tried to spread some good news, I pretty much got burned for it. I haven't paid interest on a cc in many, many years.
> 
> Jus one little tip to watch out for. After that six month no interest charge, the interest rate can jump as high as 30% or more. GE Capital is infamous for this BS.


Don't worry bud, i won't set you on fire.. Spead it around..

Yes i am aware of the 29.99999%, as long as it's not 30% i can live with that.




Swamp Yankee said:


> Pay me now or .......


Yeah, exactly.. Pay up SUCKA




Swamp Yankee said:


> While you may pay no interest for six months, you may have to pay the fees. Let's say you finance a $900 saw. The fees associated with that loan may be $75 to $125 or?. This is what you need to have put in front of you in black and white. The same $900 saw on a decent credit card paid off over 6 months may only cost you $40 or less. The point being while you don't pay interest for 6 months you may still end up paying a lot more in promo and loan fees than putting the purchase on a cc. By law the total cost of a loan if requested must be furnished to the borrower prior to him/her taking out the loan.



I understand what your saying, this Husqvarna plan is pretty cut & dry, it works similar to what you were just explaining but there are no extra charges unless you default or are late.

However there is one small discrepancy between the site & the promo mailer the dealer has. The 6 month plan is looking legit, it's the 12mo that's a little off. I brought it up to the dealer but he couldnt explain very well as he was just the store manager, not the employee that works the husky area..SMH. Guy seemed drugged or something, very slow.. I think he might of actually been the store owner. Maybe it was just my vaaast knowledge of chainsars & technical questions he wasn't prepared for, hahaha.. Ill shoot a pic of both the site language & what i have on paper from dealer.











I don't see that 7% plan cost on the site language under the 12mo plan (second one down on site). Maybe it's not applicable if paid on time. I wasn't confused until i spoke with the guy at the dealer.





Str8six said:


> I don't condone the use of credit cards and never will! However, if you have the cash for the purchase and know you are going to have the ability to pay the loan amount off if something should happen, then why not use their money for free? That's assuming like others have stated that there are no hidden fees. I can tell you first hand with the Husqvarna card provided by GE there are no fees. At least there never have been for me. I use my card to make small equipment purchases when they run the promotional 6 month offers. Never more than $1000. I always have the cash and as long as I can hang on to my cash its making me money. I have no problem using their money for free.



That's basically what I'm doing, but with the intentions of helping my credit. The only fuzzy part is the discrepancies above with the 12mo plan. Although I'm really only shooting for the 6mo, i just want to see what the discrepancy is about. If there is a mistake in there language i want to make sure the plan I'm shooting for wasn't changed & typo'd either even though they match. You know how these manufactures typo the crap out of there spec sheets, i doubt web design pays any more attention to the finance page. Hopefully by Monday this will all be in motion.


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## jimmycrackcorn (Mar 8, 2014)

Without trying to detail my own topic... I got a stihl guy i do business with but the husky thing is going to be a first as far as buying new goes. I've seen the 562's for as low as $649 with a small bar & chain, this one dealer i went to wants 749 with a 3/8 20. Realistically, i don't want the bar or the chain unless it's a techlight setup which they don't have.

I asked him about being firm on the pricing & his answer was firm. I then asked about price matching. He said, yes but not online.. Smh. Should i just take my business elsewhere seeing as im going to have a card. Unlike stihl, i see huskies posted online everywhere, do they allow internet sales? Maybe i should try to throw some business Terry's way to help support his wife?


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## dl5205 (Mar 8, 2014)

jimmycrackcorn said:


> ... Maybe i should try to throw some business Terry's way...



You'll find his prices very fair, and I believe he would be good to stand behind what he sells.

SMART management of credit cards is a pretty good way to build your credit score.


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## jughead500 (Mar 8, 2014)

Your welcome.their credit even covers pre owned equipment too.bought a good ht100 pole saw two months ago on 6 months payment plan for $225 but had to get some spare chains to bring it up past $250.


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## jimmycrackcorn (Mar 8, 2014)

dl5205 said:


> You'll find his prices very fair, and I believe he would be good to stand behind what he sells.



Although i don't know him at all, I believe he would keep it real. There's just the hurdle of 800miles. In not sure how that works.



jughead500 said:


> Your welcome.their credit even covers pre owned equipment too.bought a good ht100 pole saw two months ago on 6 months payment plan for $225 but had to get some spare chains to bring it up past $250.



You can do that, that's pretty good. Does the dealer have to charge it all as one item? I read something in the fine print that mentioned promotional rates only include "one sales receipt" or something to that nature.


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## jughead500 (Mar 9, 2014)

Yes one sale.


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## jimmycrackcorn (Mar 11, 2014)

Hey y'all, I just wanted to swing back through & say thanks for the great advice & positive responses from all of you!


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