Tragedy strikes one of my babies!

[woodho]

Hey guys,
It's finally happened, a bastard tree struck my 262XP on Saturday.
I need help making a decision. The bar is gone, the chain brake arm broke, the wrap is gone and the rear handle assembly is toast. Now I called to get some prices to repair her. The rear handle (which is the whole tank assembly) is about 130 bucks, the wrap handle bar about 30 bucks, the chain brake about 40 bucks and the bar I happen to have a spare. It looks as though I'm lookin' at about 200 to 250 for just parts. I ran the saw and it runs fine. It appears to be a 1989 model and I am the third owner. So I don't know how much abuse it had in a previous life.
It has always run strong and true. My question is do I spend the money to fix her or just cut my losses here and buy a new 372XP?
I've seen a couple of postings here that I can get a 372XP for about 550 to 600. I'm open to suggestions or if someone has parts for this saw that I can buy. The figures I gave are new from a dealer. Please help with my quandry.
Thanks

Woodho

 

[eyolf]

I've got a tank assy for a 61 that might fit.

I'll try to find it and post the identifying marks from it tonight.

 

[Gary N Carter]

Woodho, Man I hate to hear that bad news! I have a 262xp myself and I would hate to think of an incident like that. There are a set of 262xp cases and a crank on Ebay. A 261 and a 254xp uses the same cases etc so thats an option. A 61 has different cases, the fuel tank assembly I don't know about. The 372 is good but in my opinion a little bulkier and less user friendly. If you decide to part it out give me a shout , [email protected].

 

[high life man]

My treasured '83 Jons 520 SP was run over by a 1-ton truck. New rear handle assy, and some suspension parts: $88.00.

My MS 440 was dropped 25 feet from a tree (2 mos. old at the time). New air filter asy, filter mount casting, plastic filter shroud, and a 20" bar: $125.00.

Both ran great before and after the accidents. I love both saws for different reasons, and would fix them again in a heartbeat.

If you like the saw, and it performs well, indeed fix it. Then when your frinds come over and remark about your gleaming Husky, you can tell them that it was once run over by a truck, fell from a tree, crushed by a tree or whatever. After rehabilitation the saw will have more value to you. You've built a relationship. You've gone through hard times together.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

For that price you can easily buy a complete 262XP on Ebay and bastardize it for parts

There are a lot of saws that will share parts with that saw.

Look into the 266, 257, 61, and others for parts.

Dont even consider not fixing it. Once she is back and barking you will be glad you did

 

[JimL]

I wouldn't fix it, I had an 046 get ran over by the skidder. I fixed it just to find out it had a cracked crankcase. It ran ok, had an air leak. ended up burning up the crank and rod in it...

 

[sawracr]

I've got two 372 half raps one low hours, one still in box.

 

[rosshuber43]

Thats a bummer,hopefully the guys on here can come up with some used parts to help out.I got a 266xp off ebay for $225,it runs like crazy, I love it,I went over to a friends and downed some big trees,He's got a 20'' 046 mag,and I've got a 28"266xp,It woud do anything the 046 would do,Good luck,
Rosco



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Having fun cuz I want to do it.

 

[woodho]

Well guys,
Thanks for all the responses. I've decided to go out and buy a new 372XP. Although I did find ,on closer inspection, that the repairs my 262XP needs aren't as bad. The rear handle/tank assembly is actually ok and so all I need are the chain brake assembly with sideplate and the half wrap handle. However, I thought this would still make a great excuse for the 372XP purchase. I'm going armed with internet prices to haggle down the dealers price of $629.00 for 20" bar to $600. I'll let ya know how I make out. Again thanks for all your help and if anybody hears of any parts for me let me know.

Woodho

 

[YUKON 659]

Hey Woodho, good luck with the "haggling", I just went to a local Husky dealer wanting to purchase 5 saws (only 2 for me)....his prices were the best around and he knew it....asked him if he could move on the prices and he wouldn't budge!!!!! I brought up the fact that I could purchase them over the internet cheaper than his price and his comment was "DO IT". I wasn't looking for him to meet or beat the price, just give me a little price break. I didn't buy from him, I ordered them. They arrived today. I thought by buying 5 saws he would have moved a little...guess not!!

 

[stihltech]

internet saws

OK, you want all dealers to sell for the same internet price. Ever heard of overhead? Any dealer in a buiding has it. Heat, lights, insurance, etc. If you buy it there you expect him to repair it there also.
What does the internet sale have for overhead, a computer and phone line? And you don't expect him to repair the saw.
I guess it is a new age, so lets all close up shop and let the internet sell the saws. Can anyone say throwaway?

 

[Newfie]

Whoa! I think everybody needs to hold the phone and look at this in the proper perspective. I can understand where Stihltech is coming from, but his perspective about an internet sales operation is way too simple, unless they have the computer and the phone line hooked up to a tree in the vacant lot. Internet sales houses have all of the same overhead expenses as any small dealer. They are able to make their money by offering lower prices with much greater volume. They still have to have a warehouse lease, insurance, heat, lights and all of the things that come with a business.

On the other hand Yukon has to realize that just because you found it on the internet for cheaper doesn't mean a local dealer should feel compelled to meet or beat that price. Small guys do less volume and therefore it stands to reason that a larger chunk of the "profit" they make on a sale goes into the overhead. Why does he want to sell you a saw for little or no profit? Just because the internet guy makes a profit at this price does not mean the local dealer is in the same boat. Volume sales bring volume discounts from distributors/manufacturers. You may have been better off to see if there was some wiggle room because you were going to buy 5 saws from the local guy. Don't threaten to walk, you just cut your negotiating legs out right off the bat. Besides, you said he already was offering better prices than the local competition.

Now, that being said, What is this thing with saw dealers taking care of their sales first and everybody else whenever? Maybe I don't understand the repair business at all. You do make money at this, not simply a courtesy service? my dealer does it too and I can understand wanting to provide good service for customers who purchased from you, but it seems that providing subpar service to someone else is shooting yourself in the foot. You can probably pretty much count those people out as ever being potential sales clients. I'm not looking to criticize, I just don't get the thinking behind the process when you are running a business. You get paid the same for warranty & service work on a saw no matter where it was purchased, correct? I'm not looking to start a fight, just try and understand better. Maybe I am way off the mark here.

 

[sedanman]

A car business perspective. I have 1 customer who showed me the owners manual to the '32 Plymouth she and her late husband bought used from the dealership where I work in about 1936. She's been a loyal customer for 66 YEARS! You can bet you bottom dollar she'll get better service (loaner car, work while she waits etc) than the yuppie bastard that drove 200 miles away to save $300.00 (this happens) then brings his new car/van to me because we're local. There is a much bigger dealer down the street from us who delights in undercutting us, he'll beat any written purchase agreement, so when a "customer" asks for it in writing we know what they're up to, they're playing us against them. We write a purchase agrrement that would be a loss for us,they take it down the street and get a car for WAY under true cost, the customer brings the car to us for service because the other guy has his labor rate though the roof to cover the losses in the sales dept. We don't offer sub-par service to anyone just "special touches" to our loyal customers, chew on that there is a difference. Just a thought , how many of you would go into Wal-mart and demand a lower price? What do you their response would be?

 

[Newfie]

Hey Sedanman,

I'm not picking a fight, just trying to wrap my mind around a trend that seems completely contrary to any successful sales model. Whether you are selling saws or cars you are also in the business of doing warranty repairs and service work. I would imagine that you wouldn't do it if it didn't make money. Isn't there something to be said for the loyalty of a customer to your service department for choosing you over someone else. Afterall you are getting paid for this work, not doing it for free? Who cares where the saw or the car came from if you can also build a loyal client base of people who are happy with your service work. If I took my saw somewhere for work and didn't get it back in a reasonable time because it kept moving to the back of the line, I wouldn't go back and certainly wouldn't buy my next saw from that guy. However a good experience with service might change my mind the next time it was time to make a purchase (it's called prospecting in the sales industry, they might not buy this time but maybe someday)Sales statistics show that a satisfied customer recommends you to 5 people while an unhappy customer warns 20 people about their bad experience. Do the math. Future sales are built on excellent service. By providing the same level of quality service to ALL customers you are increasing the potential for future sales. There seems to be this pervasive attitude that ya'll are somehow doing these potential customers a big favor by excepting their money for service work, even though they bought elsewhere initially. That seems pretty odd to me. It seems childish and self-defeating.

Let me add that I do buy locally from my dealers(for saws and trucks) because they haven't given any reason to go elsewhere.

FYI: Walmart has a lowest price guarantee

 

[sedanman]

Newfie, I'm not fighting either just debating. The word that keeps popping up in all these threads is "loyal", this has become a buzzword rather than an actual concept (there are exceptions). Many people today would crawl over your bleeding body to get to the guy down the road who was cheaper (this is my own hard earned opinion). The Wal-mart example I gave was based on the customer having no supporting advertising, just going into the store and demanding the price be lowered for them. People do this in the car business. We have showed some people what the true cost of the car they want to buy is, some have suggested that we don't need to make more than $100.00 on a $25,000.00 car! If the outdoor power equipment industry ever drives itself to the point where its margins are that low it will cease to exist as we now know it! Try getting the local Stihl or Husqvarna dealer to reveal his cost on any of his products. BTW, What line of work are you in, it can't be retail related or you would share to feelings of those who are.

 

[Newfie]

I guess I may be playing a little bit of the devil's advocate in this situation, so I may be in the business of annoying. I'm not at all suggesting or in support of saw dealers getting involved in the ridiculous shananigans that go on in car sales. everybody ought to be able to make a fair profit for an even days work. My first post was hoping to show to Stihltech that his vision of how easy the internet saw dealers seem to have it is actually based on their ability to move volume at lower prices rather than no or low overhead. On the other hand I wanted to point out to Yukon659 that he shouldn't excpect a deal from his local shop just because of internet competition. After all this guy by his admission had some of the best prices in the area but he has overhead to meet and those prices are going to reflect that fact.
The concept of negotiating a saw price had never ocurred to me until it was suggested in several threads on this forum that dealer prices had some wiggle room and they might be willing to deal a little. I have always paid what the tag on the saw says. I always buy my vehicles from the same salesman for $500 over invoice. (seems fair since he is also getting the 3% holdback)
I certainly agree that the consumer rarely has any loyalty but for lowest price but that is how everything has been marketed to us. My first sales experience never invloved a salesman saying this car is XX and will cost this much a month, rather he wanted to know how much I wanted to spend so you guys have opened up that can of worms all by yourself.
My major question was why small dealers risk alienating potential future sales by providing other than equal service. Why is there this animosity toward a service customer just because they didn't buy from you initially? As sales people you can't overlook the fact that most saw consumers are uneducated and make their first saw purchase based on price and bar length.
I could probably say more but the kids are bugging me!

 

[sawracr]

Mike, the local servicing dealer to most customers is a close by convience and for that convience the dealer incures a lot more expence I.E. large inventory ( gloves, oil, chain, parts, etc.) also a service department ( tools, mechanics, parts washers, compressor, etc.) Its just drive-up and pick-up what you need, and it costs plenty to maintain that service, that an internet cannot provide.
If anyone has told you that a dealer makes money on warranty work , you have been missinformed, at best its only break even, and that is why a local dealer feels cheated when a customer brings in a unit he has purchased some where else.
In closing I must say that we have found that, it only takes a large amount of reasoning and a little monitary nego. to swing the customer back into the shop. Jon

 

[Newfie]

Jon,

Thanks for that info. That helps put the service factor into a much different perspective for me and why the intial sale becomes that much more important. This was the factor in the whole scheme that I couldn't seem to make sense of. I guess that kind of sucks that service can't be as profitable as it should be. I guess warranty work is kind of like an insurance company telling my wife that she can only bill $50 for a procedure that cost $75.

 

[Newfie]

Hey Woodho,

Sorry about the temporary shanghai of your thread. Any luck on a saw?

 

[woodho]

Newf,
Ya this thread seems to have taken on a life of it's own. I 'll chime in with a couple of points. To Stihltech I would say fitrst of all it's unfair to lump all internet sales in one category unless you consider shops like Madsen's and Walker's "warehouses with just computers and whatever else you said". There is nothing wrong with someone trying to get the best deal he can. That's what America is all about as well as capitalism. As far as service, in my experience only this is a bunch of bull. I have about 10 Stihl saws that I bought brand new all pro saws without haggling price. The dealer still gave me bad service and I got nothing but grief from him and the second Stihl dealer I went to. Now I understand that may be only my experience but to me it counts. I also understand that probably does not apply to most of the guys here, Stihltech let me know when you're moving to Mass.
As afr as trying to haggle a little, I never expected the deale to match the internet price (the lowest I found for a 372XP/20" bar
was 559.00 delivered). I would have settled for 600 from him his quoted price was 629. Most of the other dealers want the msrp of 659.00, now you can't tel me ther is enough overhead above and beyond the internet to justify that kind of difference. as it turns out I got the saw for 615 and he threw in a few goodies. Now I have a new relationship with this dealer. On the service I almost forgot I bought a 346XP from the local guy to get the service. The saw doesn't have 8 tanks in it and the starter assembly snapped. It has been already two weeks I've bbeen waiting beacuse this so called "BIggest dealer of Husky" does'nt stock this part. Well, I can't wait to try my new 372.
Woodho