McCulloch

[Mange]

Just for fun....

johncinco,
This is what you wrote. Does this mean you understand this.

"Somliga förstår inte, låter som du har en god attityd mot folk och företagande, jag önskar dig all lycka i ditt försök."

Mange

 

[johncinco]

wish I could

the computers go from english to "dutch" easier than backwords. I dont think there are any programs out that go to or from Swedish. I have to take it to someone who can tell me what it says, hope it doesnt make her blush! Just kidding. I do get the "gist" of it though.

 

[Tony Snyder]

Madsaw, What you say will not work, you will always have a junk saw clientle, and if you have nothing else going, they will keep you near broke.

The junkers will be junkers, and those that have learned different will sell new saws and service what they sell. They won't need anything else.

 

[Crofter]

I was practically raised in a junk yard. Auto wrecking and repair. Dad had that attitude about fixing anything and it gave him a good feeling to do it. Always lots of people around with problems to solve. Nice to feel wanted etc. He didn't make very much money at it. That is alright for a backyard operation, but If you have fairly expensive rent to pay and want to become more than a one man operation, you can't afford to be spending much time on obsolescent saws. That is ok too if you are a collector. I know where Tony is coming from.

 

[Jacob J.]

Tony is right, if you have a dealership and you try to build a clientele by fixing old Macs, Homelites, and Poulans, you'll quickly find out it isn't worth your while. Mainly because the people that own those type of saws don't want to spend much money to get them going. You'll spend an hour rebuilding the carb and replacing the points and condenser, and then the customer will find out the bill is $60 or more and won't pay it, and then you're stuck with the pile of junk.

At our shop we had an entire back room full of junk saws that customers refused to pay the bills on, and we lost every cent on those.

Then you get the ******* who actually want you to hop-up their old Poulan or Homelite to compete with a modern saw, but they're only willing to spend maybe $25 dollars to have you modify their saw ( plus modifying used saws is just insanity anyways). There comes a time when you have to tell a customer that they are "throwing good money after bad", and point them in the direction of either buying new equipment for finding an alternative means of getting the job done.

Now, on the other hand, if you're just tinkering for yourself, or doing a favor for a friend when you're not working as a pro, that's one thing. But in those situations you aren't charging the same labor rates you do as a pro either.

 

[sedanman]

We did an estimate on an older 041 and told the guy it would be nearly $300.00 to fix. He said "fix it". When we asked him for a $250.00 deposit, he paid. This is how you work on old saws without getting stuck with them. People have the idea that these old saws are valuable, most are not worth spending an hours worth of labor on.

 

[johncinco]

...."build a clientele by fixing old Macs, Homelites, and Poulans, you'll quickly find out it isn't worth your while. Mainly because the people that own those type of saws don't want to spend much money to get them going. "

I have spent plenty to fix up old saws, and have turned around and bought $500, $600, and $800 saws from the same guy over the years. Everybody has different desires and agendas, and if someone can help them acheive them, sometimes it comes back around. I guess you have ot be smart enough to ge paid in advance on some of them and not get stiffed.

 

[motorsag]

Jag instämmar med du ! Det är bra att hjälp folk. När du hjälp folk med gammal motorsågar, du också göra bra, lojal kund för framtid !! Folk skall erinra sig din hjälp, och, det är också kul !!

 

[Jacob J.]

John- you're the exception to the rule, as a customer. Most of the people who bring in an old Homelite for service are the type that cut wood maybe 8 or 9 times a year, and buying a new saw is not an option for them, nor is paying in advance.

 

[Tony Snyder]

What did he say? Work on the junk,or not.

 

[weimedog]

Dealers have only so much time in a day so to be most profitable they have to pick and choose how that time is spent. I ran into this selling motorcycles. Depending on the local market, it either pays to cater to old and odd brands or not. If a dealer is in a high volume area or high growth area along with selling a popular brand (or brands)...he HAS to focus on that brand. Just not enough time if he has staffed intellegently to diversify to older or off brand things he doesn't stock part for. The customer service is in fact sending the customer with non mainstream issues to a place who can do the right thing on that older or off brand saw. Remember if he has enough customers with his chosen brands...he has to be quick and efficient with them or he looses their business. So catering to one group can in fact hurt his core business. Thats ONE side of the story..

In area's where the economy is slower or the volume is slower OR the brand saw isn't as popular then picking up the fringe work might be the right way to grow a customer base. Done right this can actually eat away at the more "focused" guy with (usually) higher overhead to eventually be ready to attack with a new brand (when they show up). The cycle of business.

The one time McCullock and Homelite "Focused" dealers gave ground to the plastic saws if they were TOO focused....there will be opportunity to attack the "Tony's" of this business world with Redmax and Chinese saws mixed with an off brand like Dolmer/Sachs or Oleo/Mac in the near future.

Cub Cadet is trying to make a push into the saw market. A dealer who has build a customer base on unusually good customer service because the main brand names have taken his territory can try to attack with these other solid but less popular saws.

Another thing I saw in the Motorcycle business is that it IS possible to build a strong customer base on the fring AND the customer base will follow the dealer through multiple brands.....just to stay away from the more arrogant "Yamaha/Suzuki/Honda/Kawasaki" Powersports type businesses. KTM now out sells Suzuki and Kawasaki after being build on that type of dealership because after the "fring" made them acceptable the "mainstream" buyers began to feel comfortable enough to take a look....

The cycles of business....Happens all the time. Remember when IBM was 70 percent? Mack trucks? Ford/Chevy? You small guys out better PRAY that the "Tony Snyders" types keep that attitude good for him and good for you if your smart as well.

Thats the other side of the story....

 

[Mange]

I do like Sedanman, Often they by the parts, after I helped to lokate them, This way everybody gets happy.
So they have an old saw, so what. If they understand it is an old saw, then there most likly wont be much problem.
Sometimes money is not the problem.
I have an old man who has a saw that is 30+ years old, He comes a few times a year, and we will hopefully be doing this for many more. he has paid a lot for this saw, and I mean a lot. But it`s his money, saw, and he almost love his saw. It only runs 5-10 h/year, but he doesen`t want to by a new one. If he wanted he could by 10 new, but he still comes. Everytime he leaves he has a smile on his face, and when the saw stops, he still smiles, a few minuts later it sitts in my garage again, and he looks at me and asks what could be the problem this time. STILL SMILING.


Mange

 

[heviarti]

I don't believe i cut with a saw that's any newer than 30 years old. I just bought a PM6, and am trying to .locate a fuel line for it, because someone let fuel go to varnish and degrade the hoses. I have it jerried.. but, i don't want to leave it that way.

 

[Tony Snyder]

It boils down to what level you desire feed at on the food chain. You can work your heart out on the worn out or obsolete junk if you want to, its a fairly free world in this hemisphere. Name you poisen.

I think we have gotten into a hobbyist vs dealer discusion. I brought that up early in the post because Mange told us he aspired to be a dealer. To me, that means new saws. Now I learn he is worrying with 25 year old stuff. Off to a poor start.

 

[Mange]

A year from now, we will see what has become of my saw interest. You mean that I spend time on costemers that in your mind is not worth sh...
Well time will tell.
As for my ambision as new saw salesman, you don`t know anything.
As i said, i am in a special position right now, and I do not think explaining will help.
You have set your mind.
But have you conciderd the facts?
Do you know the facts?
You speak a lot about selling new saws, is that the main income for you?
How many saws do I have to sell to make 1500 euro/ month?
If it is money I am after, there would proberbly easyer way to make them.
You do not know the circumstances, I may not be able to start at all. But it is worth a try.

Mange

 

[glens]

Mange,

He's given you good solid advice, for free.  He's been doing saw business for many years; he knows what he's talking about.  You don't have to listen to him.  Arguing with him or scolding him for stating his perspective is a little out of line.  He might not know all your specific circumstances, but his advice might still be good even if he did.  File it away for future reference.

Glen

 

[Mange]

Did long ago. I understand his point.

Mange

 

[heviarti]

my arborist's saw....

 

[Tony Snyder]

I shouldn't have opened that picture, now I will be having nightmares again.

 

[lostone]

Tony, did that saw give you that many hard times on working on them, I haven't really had any problems out of the one I have, and I have 2 old one's that are good that I keep for backup parts. But I have seen you really come down on this thread on older saws, I know that a business has to make a profit to stay alive and I understand your point. I just have the saw as memories for way back but it also works and runs well. Anyway when saying earlier that you shouldn't work on junk saws, are you just saying the PM6 or all saws that aren't in production anymore? I can understand on the older McC's I guess cause of the issue of getting parts (from a business point of view)What about some of the older Stihl's and Huskies that are no longer in production? just trying to figure the angle your coming from, I guess in the end are you saying once the manufacturer no longer carries the parts for it, it's not worth fixing? (for a company to turn a profit and stay in business that is)