Just came from our local Stihl dealer. He said they tried to place an order for 100 saws and could only get their hands on 20. He was told not to even think about asking for a 660 or 360 as they were all headed south. He sold his last 660 as I was standing there. If you plan on buying new, get your saws now...
Stihl Tidbit
- Thread starter t-stumpin
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Standard operating procedure for hurricane season.
Standard operating procedure for hurricane season.
Butch(OH)
Addicted to ArboristSite
I wondered about that myself, good thing I am not shopping right now. Had a disaster of some sort last year and Lowes sent all the saws out of our local store and they had none for weeks save a couple returns. Some good may come out of the bad if they all show up on Ebay in a few weeks.
DanManofStihl
ArboristSite Guru
The homedepot sent almost all of the chainsaws generators and gas cans down their. I went in for a chainsaw chain and the guy just laughed at me and said that they sent 90% of their stuff down their and all the other people around here got the rest and he didn't know when they were going to get more in. they had 4 chainsaws left on the shelf 3 pulans and one echo. THey had 2 generators left and acouple of 1 gallon gas cans. I figure they wouldn't have sent everything down their already since the strom has just hit and a majority of that place is flooded and gas is scarce down their from what I heard. Nothing like having gas cans a generator and a chainsaw but no gas to run them.
lesorubcheek
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yea, I live in Florida and last time I was at the Home Depot, they had 5 gallon gas cans stacked to the roof. Looks like they didn't sell quite as many as they had anticipated. I'd like to know if the Stihl dealers sold these saws at any discount for hurricane cleanup. If so, I may actually learn to like Stihls, but my guess is they sell them at a premium, even where the storms have done the worst damage.
Dan
Dan
NevadaWalrus
ArboristSite Operative
We sold severl 250's to a local volunteer fire dept crew heading down there but we don't sell much of the bigger stuff so I don't know if there is any shortages out here. If dealers can't get them because of Rita its because the distributors are selling to gov entities which they do direct anyway and at a discount.
DanManofStihl
ArboristSite Guru
Stihl give a discount ha ha man you should be a comedian. Stihl is very stict on their prices even after hurricane Isebel they had so many left over saws here but they said what ever they didn't sell after it was all over go back to stihl so they can be redistrubeted but thats what my dealer said. After that storm they had truck loads of stihl saws bar oil 2 cycle oil and generators acouple days later it looked like nothing happened they were back to normal with 10 or so gallons of bar oil and a slim selection of saws. All of the other chainsaw dealers (echo husky poulan homelite Etc)had sales to get rid of their extras but not my stihl dealer.
Normally the goverment buy direct from the manufacturer or distributors at discounted prices. If there is not enough in stock the reps go back directly to the dealers and requisition some of there stock to meet the government orders.
The only way out is if the dealer paid cash for his stock and there is no floorplan of any kind on the stuff, however then the rep makes him understand that it would be best for future relations that he cooperate and chip in.
The only way out is if the dealer paid cash for his stock and there is no floorplan of any kind on the stuff, however then the rep makes him understand that it would be best for future relations that he cooperate and chip in.
lesorubcheek
Addicted to ArboristSite
I doubt very seriously Stihl gives a discount to a government contracting buyer. I work for the government and my experience is that usually a contractor charges the government more than he would a commercial buyer. What government agency is gonna buy these anyway? Does FEMA buy saws to give to arborists and tree cutters to clean up after a hurricane? I can't see how this would work. I can imagine FEMA paying tree cleanup crews via a contract, but it would be up to the contractors doing the work to purchase their equipment, not FEMA. So, again, the question remains of would Stihl offer any kind of discount under these conditions... seems people so far think the answer is no.
Dan
Dan
smokechase II
Addicted to ArboristSite
GSA Stihl saws go for a substantial discount to the Federal Government. I'm not sure what it is exactly now, but last year it jumped from just under $500 for a MS440 with 28" bar/full wrap handlebar to around $525.
The bar and chain roll prices are very good also.
Stihl takes care of its dealers. The costs of these discounts are not forced on the local sawshops, even though the sales go through those shops.
I know of no program where the government provides saws for extended periods, (longer than a few shifts on a fire-where the contractor uses them in an emergency), or sales to contractors.
The bar and chain roll prices are very good also.
Stihl takes care of its dealers. The costs of these discounts are not forced on the local sawshops, even though the sales go through those shops.
I know of no program where the government provides saws for extended periods, (longer than a few shifts on a fire-where the contractor uses them in an emergency), or sales to contractors.
