361
Northeast Stihl is in Conneticut.
You need to take a ride up to see me in Pike.
Northeast Stihl is in Conneticut.
You need to take a ride up to see me in Pike.
Stihl 361 Problems
- Thread starter Noah
- Start date
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xander9727
The Silverback
This seems a little odd for Stihl. My local dealer doesn't really know a lot about saws. If a new saw has problems you get another new saw. I have personally witnessed this happen. They'll try and adjust the carb or fix any small linkage, broken bracket etc. but run problems that cannot be corrected in a couple of minutes result in you getting another saw. Now whether or not they fix the saw and then put it back into inventory is a question I cannot answer. Even if they did I do not feel this is unethical as long as the saw hasn't been put into the wood and the problem is identified and corrected. The important thing is that the customer gets the feeling of confidence they need.
sedanman
Just cut the piano!!
Saws that are turned back in are usually repaired by the Stihl tech support staff and go back into the pipeline to be sold as demonstrator units. Northeast Stihl would have replaced this saw by now if you were not a raving lunatic on the phone with them. Civility goes a long way here.
Hi Noah,
Ya thats what mine did, throw some sparks and was hot to the touch. I couldn't feel any lube on the chain so I increased the flow 1/2 distance. Cut a couple more times and still no lube so I went maximum setting.
Now the bar and chain are cool to slightly warm and I can feel lube after the finished cut. Using Stihl bar oil.
Ya thats what mine did, throw some sparks and was hot to the touch. I couldn't feel any lube on the chain so I increased the flow 1/2 distance. Cut a couple more times and still no lube so I went maximum setting.
Now the bar and chain are cool to slightly warm and I can feel lube after the finished cut. Using Stihl bar oil.
T_Bone,
Maybe its just my saw then. Because my bar oil adjuster screw has been all of the way open while having this problem.
Sedanman & Xander,
I agree. That's why I've been polite each time that I've talked to them. I try to treat others the way I wish to be treated and see things from their point of view. Althesame, I don't like to be handed a bag and told to go snipe hunting, so to speak. My dealer should have done all that you and the other guys said IMHO, and after spending nearly $600 on a tool that doesn't work right, I have lost much respect for these guys involved. BTW, even though N.E. isn't the distributor, did they have any opinions as to how to go about handling this problem with the other distributor? Stihl USA says that the distributor is the last word on any problem and I can't appeal to a higher authority in the corporation. I was told that the distributor is an arm of the corp.
Stihltech,
Wish I could've come up with a friend a couple of weeks ago. I've been wanting to do some backpacking in the New England states.
Maybe its just my saw then. Because my bar oil adjuster screw has been all of the way open while having this problem.
Sedanman & Xander,
I agree. That's why I've been polite each time that I've talked to them. I try to treat others the way I wish to be treated and see things from their point of view. Althesame, I don't like to be handed a bag and told to go snipe hunting, so to speak. My dealer should have done all that you and the other guys said IMHO, and after spending nearly $600 on a tool that doesn't work right, I have lost much respect for these guys involved. BTW, even though N.E. isn't the distributor, did they have any opinions as to how to go about handling this problem with the other distributor? Stihl USA says that the distributor is the last word on any problem and I can't appeal to a higher authority in the corporation. I was told that the distributor is an arm of the corp.
Stihltech,
Wish I could've come up with a friend a couple of weeks ago. I've been wanting to do some backpacking in the New England states.
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sedanman
Just cut the piano!!
Bring the saw to another dealer within the same zone. Calmly explain the situation and ask the dealer if he would like you to show him the problem. Comment on how disappointed you are in the other dealer, don't outright bad-mouth the guy or Stihl, the new dealer might get ruffled by this. I know this is not how you should have go about getting satisfaction but it sounds like you are out of other options.
xander9727
The Silverback
Any dealer who complains about people buying from warehouse stores should read this thread. At least there if I have a problem with my Echo or Husky I can exchange it. It is the 5% rule again. 95% of the dealers are honest and give good service for a fair price. Unfortunately the other 5% effect the opinions of enough people to give the company a bad name.
xander9727
The Silverback
I would give sedanmans idea a try.......what do you have to lose?
If you want to trade the saw for a nice poulan wild thang let me or Gypo know. I'll even give you one in the box.
If you want to trade the saw for a nice poulan wild thang let me or Gypo know. I'll even give you one in the box.
sedanman said:
Sedanman,
What could that other dealer do that my dealer wouldn't, since I didn't buy the saw there? I do know of another dealer in a city 40min. drive from where I bought it.
Xander,
:Monkey: I'll consider that offer ONLY IF you throw in a combination screwdriver/spark plug wrench w/the deal.
xander9727
The Silverback
Noah,
Don't go getting greedy, I'm just trying to help.lol
Don't go getting greedy, I'm just trying to help.lol
sedanman
Just cut the piano!!
The other dealer might actually want to win your business away from his competition, he may try really hard to fix your saw.
xander9727
The Silverback
I always strive to make my customers happy. When they tell me the last guy fell short I work really hard to make sure they're happy. When you show that you really are a better company people pass the word.
avis
The other dealer may have the same philosophy we do at this shop, we stick with it until it is fixed. I have spent WAY too many hours on a few saws, but the amount of knowledge obtained from those repairs makes one a much better tech.
The other dealer may have the same philosophy we do at this shop, we stick with it until it is fixed. I have spent WAY too many hours on a few saws, but the amount of knowledge obtained from those repairs makes one a much better tech.
xander9727
The Silverback
May be worth the drive to your neck of the woods.
pbtree
Addicted to ArboristSite
Send it back by all means - for that kind of hard earned money you should only be smiling, not sweating!
The other dealer, if he is an upright sort, will want to have a chance at winning your patronage, and keeping you as a customer!
The other dealer, if he is an upright sort, will want to have a chance at winning your patronage, and keeping you as a customer!
Fish
Tree Freak
Bryan Equipment is the distributor for West Va. ph. 513-248-2000
They are located in Cinn., Ohio.
Ask for Jim Spangler, he is the man.
They are located in Cinn., Ohio.
Ask for Jim Spangler, he is the man.
xander9727
The Silverback
Now you're in my neck of the woods. Let me know what he says.
There's a Jim Spangler in the Cincy phone book. We could call him at home.
There's a Jim Spangler in the Cincy phone book. We could call him at home.
Great News!
I got a call from the manager of the dealership the other day. He said that they had the saw setting in the corner of the shop for two days and whenever someone would walk by it, they would pick it up and start it. He didn't know what to tell me. He said that I could pick it up. I said that it sounds like the experience that a lot of people have with their cars. They have an intermittant problem, but while the mechanic has it the car doesn't act up. I wasn't angry or anything, just disappointed. Althesame, well, I guess I don't have to rehash everything that's already been said. He was polite and I was polite, and then he said something that floored me. "You can come pick up your saw now, or we are prepared to give you a refund." I managed to contain myself, and calmly said, " I know that you all have wished that this saw had worked just as good as the rest of the saws that you sell, just as much as me. You've done whatever you could to fix it, and I appreciate you offering the refund. I believe its best to take you up on that refund and will be by tomorrow with my reciept."
Next day they wrote me a check for the refund, plus a few cents more, (I guess that they may have undercharged tax a little when I bought it). Yes, this saw cost me lots more money than I originally paid for it in lost jobs, but I am glad to finally get it behind me.
There is a guy that sold tools along the roadside out of his pickup truck last summer. He had a 044 and was asking $275, but said he'd come down on the price. I hope he decides to come out in this weather with that. I'm considering a used one in that size, but will probably get a new one, since I don't have the time that I used to to work on new projects in case a used one needed rebuilding, or something. With exception to the bar oiler and cheap air filter I really did like that 361 when it was running. I obviously got one of the few that had a factory defect, so don't kick me, but I can't altogether rule out buying another 361 from a dealer that gets his from a different distributor. Since things are slow I might just wait until early Spring to get another. Maybe by then, the company won't be sending out any defective units.
Thanks for all of your responses. I appreciate each and every one. You are good people and I'm glad to be a member on this forum.
One happy camper!
I got a call from the manager of the dealership the other day. He said that they had the saw setting in the corner of the shop for two days and whenever someone would walk by it, they would pick it up and start it. He didn't know what to tell me. He said that I could pick it up. I said that it sounds like the experience that a lot of people have with their cars. They have an intermittant problem, but while the mechanic has it the car doesn't act up. I wasn't angry or anything, just disappointed. Althesame, well, I guess I don't have to rehash everything that's already been said. He was polite and I was polite, and then he said something that floored me. "You can come pick up your saw now, or we are prepared to give you a refund." I managed to contain myself, and calmly said, " I know that you all have wished that this saw had worked just as good as the rest of the saws that you sell, just as much as me. You've done whatever you could to fix it, and I appreciate you offering the refund. I believe its best to take you up on that refund and will be by tomorrow with my reciept."
Next day they wrote me a check for the refund, plus a few cents more, (I guess that they may have undercharged tax a little when I bought it). Yes, this saw cost me lots more money than I originally paid for it in lost jobs, but I am glad to finally get it behind me.
There is a guy that sold tools along the roadside out of his pickup truck last summer. He had a 044 and was asking $275, but said he'd come down on the price. I hope he decides to come out in this weather with that. I'm considering a used one in that size, but will probably get a new one, since I don't have the time that I used to to work on new projects in case a used one needed rebuilding, or something. With exception to the bar oiler and cheap air filter I really did like that 361 when it was running. I obviously got one of the few that had a factory defect, so don't kick me, but I can't altogether rule out buying another 361 from a dealer that gets his from a different distributor. Since things are slow I might just wait until early Spring to get another. Maybe by then, the company won't be sending out any defective units.
Thanks for all of your responses. I appreciate each and every one. You are good people and I'm glad to be a member on this forum.
One happy camper!
Erik D. Schmid
ArboristSite Member
I was very glad to read this. It does suck that yours was less than perfect, but if you do get one that is up to par you will be very pleased wth it. The one I have performs amazingly well. With the muffler modified and being fully broken in it tachs out just under 15,000 rpm's. God is it fun to use.
One concern of mine as is of others with the newest Stihls seem to have is whether or not the oiler is putting out enough for a long bar, ie. 20". The way mine blew sparks in hardwood made me wonder how much more wear the chain and bar were getting. Have you put yours in enough wood to tell if you are getting more wear than other bars/chains?
Best regards,
Frank
Best regards,
Frank
