My Stihl Dealer is Absolutely Horrible. I'm Done.

[z71mike]

I need to get some stuff off my chest.

I have completely HAD it with my local Stihl dealer. They're a John Deere dealership that also sells Stihl. On the Stihl website, they are listed as the premier dealer in the area. I've never bought much chainsaw stuff from them outside of lubricants and odds&ends like flippy caps, trimmer line, etc. Though I've spent thousands in JD stuff, which they knew right off the bat when I supplied my customer info as I walked in.

Well, in the past few months, I've been scouring eBay and CL for parts for my 046 build. I figured I might as well stop into the dealer and start up some conversations to maybe build the beginnings of a relationship with the saw techs. As I know I'll need them for the minor parts like nuts and bolts and anything else under 20 bucks. I'm really only buying the big expensive stuff online when I find a deal.

I had to get some mower parts anyway, so I was making the trip already. After the guy at the counter got my JD parts, he asked if I needed anything else. I said "yeah, I need to bounce some ideas off one of your saw guys. I got some pretty specific carburetor questions."

He nods and says, "Well, whatta ya got?"

"See, I'm doing a full ground-up build on an 046, ported out and everything. Going with a big performance build. And I wanted to get some ideas for which carb I should go with, what size needles, and some general ideas on increasing my air/fuel delivery to a heavily ported engine."

He replies, "All I can tell ya is that we always use whatever is stock and I can just point you to the factory parts."

Already pissed of at his response, I say, "Ahh, but you can supply me different needles for the carb!!!" .....thinking I had undermined his shrug-off by finding a loop hole.

He goes, "Well, I don't recommend anything other than stock or you're gonna be putting yourself at a risk..."

By this time, he saw the look on my face. I had completely shut down and had this look like WHAT ARE YOU FKN KIDDING ME GUY?!?!?! As he finished his sentence, I stood there fuming mad, in dead silence, in utter disbelief that I was getting dismissed like this. Is he kidding me? A risk? I'm building my own saw, porting it out, and obviously building a very custom piece.....blatently obvious that I know what I'm doing.

After about 5 seconds of dead air, (which is a long time in conversation - think about it) he puts the JD parts on the counter and says, "Will that be all? You're total comes to" blah blah blah....

I squared up with him, and walked out without wasting another breath. I then had to hold myself back from laying my 35" BFG AT's all over his parking lot as I rattled his windows with dual Flowmasters and rather politely tore out of the place.

I was completely furious that I just finally decided to give these idiots the benefit of the doubt, only to get slapped back down by outright lunacy. It honestly took me about an hour to calm down. I feel bad for the poor Hindu at the ShopRight register that checked me out on my way home, buying some groceries for dinner. I gave her the $hittiest attitude...

Anyway....I had to vent this to someone who might give a d^mn, as my wife didn't really care much for the story and just wanted my attitude gone when I walked into the house. Needless to say, I'll be trying the shack up the road from the Arsenal next time with the Stihl sign hanging by a thread on the outside of his little ice-fishing-shack-lookin-atrocity. Honestly, I've been a little intimidated to walk into this tiny place b/c it looks like it's run by a toothless inbred, from the outside. However, I now realize that HE might actually sit down with me and talk shop. Not like these useless corporate posers that call themselves a premier dealership. I am 100% done with them.

Thanks for listening.
-MIKE

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Update: Before you openly flame me in a response without reading the next few pages of posts, please read my update from page 4, which is pasted here:

Thanks guys. I appreciate the smack back to reality. I know I over reacted at the store and probably also while I was writing my original post. I know I have alot of learning to do yet, and if I don't screw up from time to time, I'm not gonna learn anything. So I'll take this constructively and keep pushing through this project. I do appreciate all the info I've gotten on this forum and I'll be using learnings from many different posts to help me out. And whatever new info I pick up during the build, I'll be glad to put back into the forum to do my part.

I apologize for coming off as a complete d-bag - it was not my intention and I'm not like that. Just having a bad day I guess......

 

[audible fart]

I don't think your experience with a stihl dealer is that odd. I mentioned a muffler mod in a conversation with my awful local stihl dealer (who stocks ms391 as his biggest stihl saw) and he looked at me like i was speaking french. He doesn't even stock stihl ultra, and when i asked him why, he said "it's too expensive amd nobody wants it." What a goofball. They should revoke his license.

 

[struggle]

Not to beat you up but my nearest dealer is a JD as well. They in thier defense are ntohgin more than counter people that have a tough time whne thinking outside the box in the world of performance.

They are correct that you are putting yourself at risk and that burden is on your hands. I am guessing any Stih tech is trained by the book and most likely hardly ever cuts with a chainsaw or uses them in any way that most here do.

I never knew anything outside of stock until I got here and did a MM on my MS290 which I was nervous to do that.

Remember a farm store is comprimised with people that are most liekly conservative to equipment. MOdding a saw may not seem like a big deal but your are talking about folks that deal with $400 plus units and $100K corn heads planters etc.

Thier number one concern would be for you not to lose any money. Customer that loses money from there will walk away forever. They do not want that. IF you would have been armed with just part numbers that you want then that is the direction you need to go. Get you info on that stuff here from the guys that have been down this road (not me,yet).

Now that being said this guy clearly did not get it with what it means to run a modded saw.

My first experience running a ported saw was at the last Iowa GTG. Now I get it the diffrence. But until you have been there most behind the counter never will get it.

Also even with my limited knowledge but all that I know coming from here.......I was more informed about buying the MS261 than the selling dealer was. I think this is often the case.

 

[MacLaren]

In my experience those little places with the "inbreds" are by far the best places I've ever done business with. Talkin about biuldin relationships. Course, it may be different up there, but down here I got my 660 from a little place. He has been a Stihl dealer for 30 years and is the most honest man I believe I have ever met. Not tryin to diss ya, but you may have a lot to learn when dealin with the "little guy".......just dont EVER judge a book by it's cover......
BTW, all the people I have dealt with on AS are a class act as well.

 

[spacemule]

By this time, he saw the look on my face. I had completely shut down and had this look like WHAT ARE YOU FKN KIDDING ME GUY?!?!?! As he finished his sentence, I stood there fuming mad, in dead silence, in utter disbelief that I was getting dismissed like this. Is he kidding me? A risk? I'm building my own saw, porting it out, and obviously building a very custom piece.....blatently obvious that I know what I'm doing.

Yeah, all guys who know what they're doing ask saw dealers for advice on basic mechanics. Sounds like you need some midol dude. Most guys quit throwing tantrums before starting school.

 

[Justsaws]

If you mention modifying parts at almost all the dealers I am familiar with they will not help you in any way other than restoring the saw to OEM, especially in the last year. If you bring the a saw with modified parts they will not service it without replacing those parts or you can carry it out with you.

Next time walk in with part numbers and place an order, do not tell them why and when they ask tell them it is none of their business.

Also, not many dealerships out there that have someone on hand that could give the answers you are looking for, keep that in mind. The amount of $ spent on John Deere equipment makes you a repeat customer and that is it. Unless of course you are in the $$$,$$$$.$$ then you are a "important" customer and they still probably will not help you modify a saw or actually have any idea what you are talking about.

 

[w8ye]

To the OP

Been there and done that.

You were talking to the wrong people. They are taught from a liability point of view to give you the exact answer he gave.

You will find the same answer and any of the big Stihl places.

Go to the GTG's and swap meets.

Your conversation at the usual Stihl dealer is purely one of being a stock rebuilder or they will shut you off.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Found alot of dealer's frown on modification's. Man Am I spoile'd with my sawgreat guy's, and service. They have even let me bring my saw's in, and work on em in there shop with there tool's, give advise even help. They have even given me a couple part's here, and there.

 

[struggle]

At our JD dealer I hope my lawn mower never has to go in under warranty. I by passed that dang back up and it shuts off the mower blades everytime and I know I will have to rewire it if it needs to go in.

No dealer likes mods period no matter what you are working on.

 

[Roanoker494]

You have got to remember that you are talking to a Factory trained tech at a certified Stihl repair shop. He is probably not allowed to offer help in altering a Stihl product without risking some kind of repercussion from Stihl. When I worked as a automotive mechanic there was several of the fellers that were factory trained service techs and they could not recommend anything other than what the "book" called for or they would risk losing their factory trained status. May not seem like a big deal but that status means the difference between making $10-$15/hr as a mechanic and making $30+/hr as a trained tech.

 

[sawinredneck]

Yeah, the $35,000 fine kind of puts a damper on how willing dealers are to talk about modding saws!
They can be held liable for even talking about it with you. Also keep in mind most JD dealers don't want anything to do with the Stihl partnership, this has cost them a lot of money to have to set up, money they didn't want to spend, yet again!
Most techs are book smart and have no clue what you are even talking about! Go to the little shanty place, talk to him, learn from him, but I doubt he'll even be that much help for your quest.

 

[MacLaren]

Yeah, the $35,000 fine kind of puts a damper on how willing dealers are to talk about modding saws!
They can be held liable for even talking about it with you. Also keep in mind most JD dealers don't want anything to do with the Stihl partnership, this has cost them a lot of money to have to set up, money they didn't want to spend, yet again!
Most techs are book smart and have no clue what you are even talking about! Go to the little shanty place, talk to him, learn from him, but I doubt he'll even be that much help for your quest.

Your exactly right. He would prolly be excellent to do business with, but the dealer I was talking about did not want me to port my 660. They (dealers) just frown upon it. Thats my experience anyways.

 

[z71mike]

Yeah, all guys who know what they're doing ask saw dealers for advice on basic mechanics. Sounds like you need some midol dude. Most guys quit throwing tantrums before starting school.

Spacemule - Allow me to start by using your own advice. In learning what to do before starting school, I'm sure you were taught that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. All other responses to this thread thus far have been completely useful, aside from this one. I'll follow that in saying that my intent in this reply is not to start trouble with you. However, you CAN stow the attitude while still getting your message across.

In response to the message itself, perhaps it's you who needs to re-evaluate how you read people. If you had understood the writing correctly, you'd have gathered that the question I pose to a front desk guy is, itself, consisting of basic mechanics. Until I can make a judgment on the level of expertise of my audience, I need to keep the questions simple and concise.

Now I may come off as defensive here, but I can't help but be a little taken back by your response. It's not your place to make a judgment call about me.....on something you don't know. I've had 6 years worth of electrical engineering in schooling and another 10 years of mechanical engineering for the military. Take MacLaren's advice and don't judge a book by its cover.

We're all here to learn something and to teach something else. I may only be a few years into AS, and this is my first FULL build of a saw. But you can bet your a$$ I'll pick it up quick and there's gonna be some pretty informative posts from me on this build.

 

[pgg]

the question "what size needles?" speaks greenhorn anyway... but what's new, you NEVER tell the goon behind the counter what you're getting up to with "their" parts. Naive. Remember Nanny State rules and regulations are in place to protect people from themselves... lol Got to be smarter, have to do the homework first and know your part numbers before walking into the shop. Tell the dealers Jack

 

[shelbythedog]

Consider this scenario with another product:

Jimmy Johnson and Chad Knaus take the Team Hendrick Lowe's Chevy into the local GM dealership for a few repairs and a tune up from the GM certified mechanic.

I reckon you would get a more positive response about modified saws from someone actually in the business of working on modified saws.

 

[brad1000s]

I feel for the guy at the JD store. I bet he was thinking " What an A$$ hole!" as you went peeling off in the parking lot. It is not their job to offer saw modding tips. As far as I know Stihl does not offer a saw modding certification.

 

[z71mike]

It seems the general feeling is that dealers can't and won't talk anything other than stock for more reasons than just lack of knowledge base. I believe all of you are right. I guess I just had these false hopes that something would come of it. I do plan on checking out the Stihl-shack though. I'll probably get alot more BS'ing time with that guy, on top of the fact that I'll be spending money to help out the little guy, where the JD dealer has multi-thousand dollar machines going in and out on a daily basis and doesn't care if he misses my few hundred bucks a year.

Thanks guys.
MIKE

 

[young]

bottom line your stock carb with stock needles should work fine. all the 046/460 gtg builds afaik are using what came with the saw. the 460 carb should be plenty.

 

[Justsaws]

It seems the general feeling is that dealers can't and won't talk anything other than stock for more reasons than just lack of knowledge base. I believe all of you are right. I guess I just had these false hopes that something would come of it. I do plan on checking out the Stihl-shack though. I'll probably get alot more BS'ing time with that guy, on top of the fact that I'll be spending money to help out the little guy, where the JD dealer has multi-thousand dollar machines going in and out on a daily basis and doesn't care if he misses my few hundred bucks a year.

Thanks guys.
MIKE

Doughnuts(good ones), coffee and cash.

 

[z71mike]

I feel for the guy at the JD store. I bet he was thinking " What an A$$ hole!" as you went peeling off in the parking lot. It is not their job to offer saw modding tips. As far as I know Stihl does not offer a saw modding certification.

hahaha I just wanted to ask him some measurements on a few different carbs to see what would fit and to feel out if he would order me different jets. I don't know. I screwed up.......I know this now. But man was it a painful lesson!

Now if they offered a saw modding certification, how many of us would sign up for it? There's the real question haha