026/026Pro? or Husky??

[tundraotto]

lol - yes they are after the big boy arent they and have already went by! I think its really arrogant for a guy who borrows his maintenance faq's from someone in texas for his company to come and talk about maintenance - i have a 372 - and am saving for my 346 (dont have one yet) so i think youre barking at the wrong tree buddy

1. i can change the sprocket in my saw in about 45sec max.
2. im not likely to need to change a clutch rim in the field - if i had a problem i would change it in the comfort of my garage with my beer - no rush at all!!!
3. my air cover comes off in 4seconds
4. greffard removed my decomp plug that you are so fond of in the 026 Pro - its for people who should not handle a saw they cant start.
5. i can finish my day with my backup husky if something should happen - and hey - guess what - got two (372xp and a 136) for the price of and 046!!!
6. yes - the power is greater - and yes the stihls have some good quality products but thats pissing in the wind for me - i want to cut my wood and spend more time indoors talking about the saws and drinking beer.
7. its not a $30-60 its saving face and time and stihls got a big red face at the moment until they come up with something new - huskies cut quicker and make more money for their owners than stihls.

 

[Cicero]

I would expect nothing less from you Tundra...I cant sell you a Stihl. I concede a couple points as far as power. However, if you are the average consumer than you really are better off with something easier to use. Decomp valve...you are right...if you cant pull a 3.0 cu in. saw you should not own a saw.

You can remove the cover in four seconds if you have a screwdriver. The average consumer would rather have something that is unscrewed rather than struggle with a cheese snap on unit that will probaly hurt their fingers beyond what is tolerable. You're a husky man and for you the saw fits the bill. But not for every person. You must agree that Husqvarna does not fit every consumer nor does it probaly fit most. We could argue all day long. Give me something a little better designed. I will by a larger saw if the little bit of power you gain is what is important to me. We replace faaaaar more chainbrake assemblies, oilers, choke knobs, tensioners then we ever do Stihl....and there are more Stihl out there.

P.S. Bars and chains aside...Stihl parts are cheaper than Husq.

I have been to Texas twice...hated it. I educate myself and believe nothing untill proved. If you dont believe that the average consumer thinks this way then you are wrong. That is why Husq is in Lowes...so they too can have the weekend warrior customer. They will get your dollar whether in Lowes or not. They want the average customer.

 

[tree monkey]

we sell stihl and husky, about the same number of both,but i fix more husky's. 2 to 1 maybe 3 to 1

stihl's are easer to work on, less labor = lower repair bills.

any saw is a good saw when it starts and cuts wood.
sometimes thats all that matters

later scott

 

[Dennis]

tree monkey...easier to work on?????!!!! not any day of the week!! And I do fix more Stihls than husky...(might be our stihl dealer here, and his attitude) hehe

Otto...dont laugh about compensating carbs, you may see them on a Husky soon..John Walker..what did they say at the service school about them??? I might ahve dozed through that part...lol...I think that was after the electrical video...

As far as parts go here...I find Stihl parts more expensive...99% of the time..

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Tree Monkey you have never worked on an 029 then. What a piece of crap.

 

[confused]

wow an arguement took place and i wasnt even involved I bought a stihl 046 because it looked more professionally put together and of a higher quality than the husky's. But, i have decided that a 385XP will most likely be my next saw. Sorry Big C but the 066 just aint king on the hill anymore.

confused

 

[tundraotto]

cicero - read what i said - i said you get more saw for your money when you buy husky as opposed to stihl. i have found around 30% difference in the comparable model prices. thats 3 husky saws for the price of 2 stihls that cut slower!!!

i dont know how you think the stihl dealer network is so great - maybe it is but here i have one stihl dealer within 20 miles and 5 husky dealers within the same area. the best husky dealers are a far cry from the idiots who run the local stihl shop...of course this maybe just local.

what kind of user do you sell to in colorado? you may have a problem with your clients level of expertise. i presume 70% of your customers are rich backyard warriors who buy more saw than they need in englewood, co (nice place).

i dont buy into this fixing more husky than stihl crap, nor your parts are more expensive for husky than stihl. I can buy husky parts on the internet (remember!!!) can you??? i bet you i can beat all your overpriced stihl parts. (just as an average consumer) - if you got to cut any real wood for money you would already have dissed the stihls in favour of the faster & cheaper saws. You just like stihls cos you can make a big buck pushing the stihl name to your rich city folk customers who dont know any better and they lap it up and pay the exorbitant prices that one must pay to buy a stihl.

PS. how much is a 066 at your place with tax? i can get a 385xp for $695 delivered with a 24" bar and chain?

:angel:

 

[DDM]

I was going to purchase an 026 and still might but when i compared the weight to HP rating i went with the 036 pro for 100.00 more and have been thrilled with it.

 

[high life man]

DDM, Gentlemen,

I went back to the dealer today and bought a chain and some mix so I could put my paws all over the stock in the showroom.

I eyed the 036Pro as well, but it's not the quarry I'm after... the 026 is so nimble feeling and balanced.

As far as the price argument goes, The 026 and 346XP are identically priced at $399 US. In fact, the price of the 357XP is now $559 US. That's $30 higher than what they quoted me 2 weeks ago. ???

I brought my checkbook along, but left without a saw. Yes, there's money in the account. No, I leave the credit cards at home.

 

[seesaw]

I'm with TonyM. Don't forget about the Solo 651. I've run both the 346xp and the 026pro. I sold my 026 and bought a Solo 651. The Solo out cuts both in my opinion plus a two year commercial warranty.

 

[tree monkey]

apples to apples stihl, husky, and jonsered saws cost about the same, parts included.in our shop anyway.

every 385 xp we have sold is down needing a intake boot. every dealer around us is having the same problem. called husky and can't get them for 2 months. husky only ordered 36 for the us.
some saws only ran for a week. customers are not happy.

how about those husky fuel lines? what a joke

357xp has the intella carb.

yes the ms290's are hard to tear down but for the price of a new one why do an overhaul? think economics. i wouldn't spend $300.00 on a 1 year old heavily used 372xp myself.



later scott

 

[Cicero]

We have a mix of clientele. We are the chipper and stump grinder dealer for Colorado so naturally our arborist and commercial cutters is a large portion of our business. However, we are in a highly retail location and draw a large number of homeowners as well.

You can buy a 066 for 795. including tax. Buy a chipper and I might throw one in. In addition, I will assemble, start, and warranty that saw for each of my customers. Sure it does not take much to assemble but sometimes warranty can be a losing proposition. Moreover, if I cant get yours up and running in a timely fashion I will have a demo or back up ready for you to use.


My shop is very close to your beloved Alamia.com and I can tell you that I have to warranty numerous products that he has sold and refused to work on. When advertising online you need no showroom, no salesmen, and better yet brush the resposibility of warranty off on someone else. This is why Stihl will not be sold online... take out the above expense I could sell a saw much cheaper, could do it for 749. It simply is not fair to put the headache of warranty and service off on someone else by shipping produt in via internet. Lawsuits have been waged and won by Honda and Shindaiwa, Red Max may be soon to follow. If the courts thought it was an unfair restraint of trade then those lawsuits could not have been won. The manufacturers need the dealers to handle the service, the day they dont Husq and the rest will sell directly to all of the world.

I wonder if you have such good dealers why do you buy online? They dont seem to be so good. Either that or you go in there gather information that they have spent time and money to learn. Then go and buy online to save your 30 dollars. It seems as if you want your cake and to eat it too. By the way the difference between 795. for that 066 at a servicing dealer and 695. at your online store is 13%....a far cry from 30%.

I have no problem with you loving Husq. Diff strokes for diff folks..I enjoy the debate. However, the fact that you can buy Husq online is a poor argument for liking the product. It is interesting the number of times a inexperienced saw buyer has asked a question about how to purchase a saw and the recommendation has been to ask your local dealer his opinion...but oh yeah once you've gathered your info. be sure to order it from the guy who was not willing to take the time to educate you. But is willing to take your money, slap a shipping label on it and tell you if you have a problem go ask the local guy he is your warranty center. It is clear to me who is truely respectable in this business. Yes, Otto you are right I will do business with reputable vendors, ones that I respect. I am sure you only do business with reputable and respectable people as well. Makes for a good business.

 

[Walkerized]

Hi Tree Monkey. Maybe you can give me some insight on the 385 carb boot splitting as i have sold approx 60 of these saws and i have 30 in my rental contract and have walkerized another 20 for other dealers locally and we have not seen this problem yet. I would say the only problems we have found has been a couple of carbs with problems and 1 broken crank at the clutch.
We also have had our own dogs mde locally as the stock ones do not come down far enough and the fallers need this for the larger wood with coarser bark on it.


To shed some light on who had what first.

Husky had an inboard clutch system in the mid sixties. have a saw on the shelf to prove it.
Partner has had the compensated carb on there cut off saws since the seventies.

anyways ford-chevy stihl-husky

A guy still needs toys

John W

 

[sedanman]

My two cents

I have an 026 and am very happy with it. I am not a professional logger only a homeowner/firewood cutter. There is a limit to how much work I am capable of in a single day. With the 026 I can cut much more wood than I can haul. The arguement that a Husky is faster has no meaning to me, the 026 is already faster than I am. My 026 is old enough to have a fully adjustable carburetor. I fully support the "different strokes" idea, if you like the balance and feel of the 026 go get one, if you feel that a little more speed is for you, go get a Husky. I'd also like to point out that I don't think the tenths of a second difference in each cut add up to a whole lot at the end of the day, how many hours a day is the saw actually running in the cut?

 

[D]

Well guys living in colorado, I know the dealers too. I know BIG, and Stihl overwelmingly has the market share, his clients are a mixture. You get some very rich weekend warriors and you get the largest companies in the state. I was in there the other day and a large company was picking up over 50 stihl pieces!!!!!! Here when I go to buy my parts, I too notice the difference in parts prices. Husky being way more expensive. The difference in fixing the two brands doesnt mean a thing to me cause really he should be working on more Stihls. Why? Cause they own 95% of the market share in Denver metro area. When I was a dealer (for both) personally I felt like you got more bang for your buck with Husky. But personally I had a ton more problems with Husky. This is a personal preference from all of you, but I too like Stihl chainsaws and feel they are easier to work on. I am not comparing models I.E. 029, 025, 039 Stihl, and Husky 136 and 141 Not well made in my opinion (hence the price). Husky homeowner models, I do like better, but from a dealer standpoint I wouldn't sell cause there margin on the parts suck so bad. You pay shipping to get Husky parts in and with the shipping cost you pretty much make gouvna. As a dealer you would be stupid to support Husky cause as a company they don't support you either. Support is not going into a Lowe's. Oh well, not a dealer anymore, but laugh at dealers that get pushed around. BIG knows his stuff and is highly respected by many. Businesswise, you go with what makes you money and I know as he knows that Stihl in Colorado makes you money. Husky is a company that fills wall space in my mind. Tell me guys how profitable is it, if its so great? I know the numbers what are yours? If you have to compete with Alamia (another colorado company in which the guy is a complete jerk different price every phone call) and Southwest fasteners and now lowes. At what ever price you said tundra what is the guy making? 15 bucks? I wouldn't even talk to you for 15 bucks. This is why Husky sucks to be a dealer for. What does it gain you to be a dealer? You can sell a few saws and sell a few parts? Who cares. I have better things to do. Then you go to a local dealer with a problem, I wouldn't fix your crap either. Warranty is ever worse money. A dealer is to serve you, not you to serve him with your problems. As a user, I can see your point. You have less of a bottom dollar. What did it gain you? Only you can answer that. I have been on both sides (dealer and end user), sorry both of you get the short end of the stick. End user less dealer and parts support and dealer less cash flow to stock parts and proper employees. I am basing this on well run establishments, not some drunks saw shop. This is why Stihl dealerships are a better value, cause they value who brought them to the top!!

 

[tundraotto]

i disagree once more - if the guy at alamia.com makes only $15 per saw that he sells he must sure sell a lot of saws to stay in business. have dealt with them before and have absolutely no complaints. in fact he now has two pages of husky models up on his site instead of the one page that he used to have. obviously some companies can have a very profitable business selling husky - so if if someone else cant - i could not care less.

and about service...are you guys saying you pay for warranty service out of your pocket when you work on a saw - i dont think so. this is why i dont buy from dealers here - i buy online and if i should need servicing i would talk to one of my husky dealers around here - nothing wrong with that as far as im concerned.

of course all the dealers are ticked off at the internet unless they are selling husky on it. hey thats good business.

 

[Fish]

I was a Shindaiwa dealer until I got a flyer from
one of my aftermarket distributors selling
Shindaiwa saws cheaper than I could get from
my Shindaiwa distributor, they were even selling them
in their retail store. That is why I am not a dealer
for any brand, but would be a Stihl dealer if they
would want a dealer out here in the sticks, but they want
a location with more visability, which I can understand.
signed
Drunk shop owner

 

[Cicero]

Well Otto, I guess that our definition of what is ethical in business is different. I do see a problem making your dealer do all of you dirty work and giving Alamia your dollar. At least give them a call and make them answer your service questions...they sold it to you. And yes often times the dealer does lose money on warranty work, I am sure that every dealer on this site could confirm that.

Darin has a point if dealers werent so guttless (me included). Then we would not have this mass merchant problem. The manufacturer knows that dealers will continue to fix the machines they did not sell...thats too bad. If every dealer in the US said we are dropping your product then Husq would think real fast about their "changes in marketing that you all claim Stihl is behind in." We will slow our sales of Husq down because of that very reason. Tundra if you cant understand why Alamia can sell lower by skipping past all of the troubles of qualifying and closing a sale and bypassing any problem after the sale. Then the local guy who absorbs that cost then you truely are stupid....I dont think you're stupid...I think you are making excuses for your stand. But if the have your cake and eat too works in your mind as ethical then noone can stop you...thats America.

Think about it...if the manufacturers intended for their dealers to sell online without any regard to service after the sale...then why not buy from Husqvarna.com or Shindaiwa.com and keep the extra for themselves. The truth is that they know they need the day to day guy to make it work.

 

[confused]

Big C,

You honestly sell 066's for $800? One of the only reasons I was considering the 385 was because I could get it cheaper, that and JW can turn it into a raving, wood eating Tyrannosaurs on crack. I might reconsider if I could get one for such a nice price as yours.

On the ethics part of your discussions, I agree with most if not all of your points and some of Otto's. Price makes a big difference and that is that. Why I have a Stihl is because I TRUST the dealer that sold it to me and he sells both husky and Stihl. He simply asked how long I wanted my saw to last and how much power I wanted. My reply was "Forever and as much as I can afford” I walked out with the biggest Stihl they had 046. Now I buy: chain, extra bars, oil, etc. from him. I believe in supporting my dealer because he did right by me. However, he does not carry the 066 or 088 so I'm out of luck for my bigger stuff, that’s my dilemma. The next closest Stihl Dealer sells the 066 for $1000, compare that to a 385 ‘W’XP I could buy through JW and hey money talks. An the beer I can drink with the left over cash tastes all that much better.

If you support your dealers, they will support you later with a smile too

Screw the HW it’s sat

 

[Cicero]

Give you local guy a shot. Tell him hey I like your service and I am willing stick with you but you need to help me out. Price, stock whatever. Maybe 066 is just not a fast seller for him. Odds are that the distributor would allow him a loaner. Ours have some. Or maybe a good customer of his has one he could work a deal to have for a day or two. I borrow equip from my customers all of the time. Sure it costs me lunch or a chain or both. At 795 if his price is the same as ours he still does OK not great but Ok. Tell them that you can buy Husq online but would prefer to business with him. He should do it happily because not too many customers have that much class. At 795. the margin is not that good but the dollars make up for some of that. He might do it. If not he has nothing to complain about. You gave him a shot and tried not to beat him up. If me I'd be all over that 066 sale.