Greed?!?!?!? Greed?!?!?!? Bringing an affordable product to the consumer with only an occasional need, and can't justify a large expense, is greedy? Sorry, I see greed as a company who charges 10~50% more for it's saws than it's competitions equally classed saws, with it's only argument reasoning being, "We are #1 in sales!"
Stihl really does have that "status symbol" hold on the consumer. Ask anyone on the street to name a chainsaw manufacturer, and you'll likely hear "Stihl." Probably followed by "Craftsman." Why? Marketing. Just like other manufacturers, such as Harley and Ford for example, you got a grasp on the market. I don't blame Stihl for that. They're a company. That's what they are suppose to do. But it doesn't justify price. If the general public could be brought to light that Husky saws are of equal quality to Stihl, but at a better price, I think you'd see a change. But folks usually have a prejudice view, and is hard to alter. Even so, I doubt you'd ever see Husky with #1 sales. Stihl would simply lower their high profit margin to compete with them, before giving up that position. (afterall that is their key stance) Thall's recent example of telling some potential customers that Huskys are sold at Lowes doesn't help those prejudice views. Not that he lied to them, just that he convieniently failed to tell the whole truth. But he is a salesman, and he's got to put bread on the table, so I can't fault him for that. But there's two people that leave with that thought in their head, and likely would be hard to change. People tend to hang onto the first thing they heard, over something contrary.
I'm sure the argument of cost is going to fall back to the available servicing network. No doubt, this plays a HUGE part in Stihls success. Here in the States, in general, folks are lazy. They don't want to repair (heck, even PM) their own equipment. That's why there is Jiffy Lube, Geek Squad, Roto Rooter, etc. But why should such a network effect the price of the saw? It shouldn't. If I bring my saw in for work, then that's the time to be charged. Not when I'm buying it. That brings me to parts. Someone recently said that it doesn't take much parting out of a saw at retail prices to make it worthwhile. Why is it that a handful of parts sells for as much as an entire chainsaw? Sell the saw to the consumer, (for an already high price) and when they come back for parts, we'll really club them over the head. Sounds pretty greedy to me. I've read conflicting information about the costs. I've heard that there is little money to be made on parts by the dealer, that the factory charges the high fees. But I've also heard that the dealers can make a decent profit off parts. I don't know which is true, but as the consumer, I know it costs me a lot.
Back to the product itself. Anyone who says Stihl is crap, is full of it themselves. They make great products. The same can be said of Husky as well. Sure they each got their +'s and -'s, but it all washes out as equal products. I believe folks here can be "hyper-critical" of products, and seems to generate a "blinders" effect. Let me give an example. I occasionally run a little Poulan down at work. Now I know there are folks here that would bash it to no end, but it's a saw. It starts, it cuts wood, it does as advertised. Nothing fancy, no anti-vibe, chain brake, or swept induction. Just a saw. Did I need a MS 361? No. Would it have gotten the job done faster? Sure. Was I in a time trial? No. Can I justify 3X the cost for it's occasional use? No. There is a place in the market for low end saws. They work for the purpose they are meant for. I can't see how that's greedy to provide them.
