Sthil Chainsaw prices

[GeneD14]

I have several Stihl saws including the MS 290. It is a very good saw. If I had to do it all over again I would buy either the MS 260 or the MS 361. Those are their professional grade saws. In my eyes the big advantage is their light weight. The 260 is 3 pounds lighter than the 290 with almost the same power. The 361 weighs about the same as my 290 but has much more hp. The only draw back to the pro models is they are priced accordingly.

 

[montanaman]

Looks like I caused some confusion with my post. Everything that says Stihl on it that has an engine is made by Stihl. Many of their products are built in Virginia Beach while a lot of their pro models are built in Germany. Stihl has NOTHING built for them that has an engine in it.

The consumer grade Husqvarna saws are built in the Poulan plant. I'm not saying they have Poulan build them for them as they are all part of the same company. All owner by Electrolux.

I will go out on a limb and say that the consumer grade Stihls, in my opinion and based on my mechanical knowledge are built better than the consumer grade Huskys. Does it matter for the intended user?? May not matter a bit but I just know how these things are built as well as what features they have, and I feel the Stihl is a better product. I like the fuel and oil caps, inboard mounted clutch, inboard mounted chain adjuster,inboard mounted chain brake,single control lever,all metal supported crank bearings,and two ring design better on the Stihl than what is on the Lowes Huskys. They also are the only chainsaw company building their own bars and chains and most would agree they have the best saw chain in the world.

As for dealers, you have to keep in mind that even though a guy may be a Stihl dealer, it is his or her business and if their attitude is great, or not so great, has nothing to do with Stihl Inc. I had one customer telling me how much friendlier I was to deal with than dealer X, and I just joked with him that I had not been in business as long as them! There are plenty of days where you can get pretty worn down! It also helps that I am the owner and have a lot more interest in how my business does that an employee might. I do a lot of repair work and I don't care where you bought your saw. I look at service as a way to earn business and earning trust. I've heard just about every bad service story out there and have fixed many saws that have been to several dealers before they were brought here. That customer may never buy another saw in their life, but they may visit me when they need a chain or send a friend my way who needs a saw. I need to pay my bills, but I also get a lot of satisfaction out of my business, or I would just go work at Lowes!!

I think the bottom line is to buy where you feel you can get good service at a price that you are happy with!!

 

[Airic]

Interesting conversation. When doing my shopping there was no real research required on the brand I would be buying. Word of mouth and seeing what tree crews use pretty much identified to me on what to get. In addition, I find that most items sold as commercial grade vs residential grade, there is typically a big difference but, not sure about Stihl. I really started noticing this with tractors, mowers, and such on gage of steal and components used. When I moved from residential neighborhood to the country I starting realizing good equipment as necessity unless you don't mind always making repairs. What may be good for a typical residential yard does not last when you increase the scale of projects 10 fold. If I can afford a commercial grade tool and know that it is something that will have lots of use, I don't concern myself on price as much thinking that it is something I know will last. This has been a hard lesson as I bet I've lost more money on buying tools that last maybe 2 years vs. something that will last for a long time.

 

[Oleozz]

Montanaman---I know if I lived close to Butler I would buy a tractor or chainsaw from you, in your posts you convey an attitude of friendliness and fairness with your customers.
Hope you have many years of success.

 

[montanaman]

I have several Stihl saws including the MS 290. It is a very good saw. If I had to do it all over again I would buy either the MS 260 or the MS 361. Those are their professional grade saws. In my eyes the big advantage is their light weight. The 260 is 3 pounds lighter than the 290 with almost the same power. The 361 weighs about the same as my 290 but has much more hp. The only draw back to the pro models is they are priced accordingly.

Another plus about buying a Stihl is that if you look at what a cared for 290 goes for on ebay and you have had that saw for a few years,( bought it for less than current retail ) you can get almost ALL of your money back!

I saw a pretty beat up 017 sell on ebay for $7.49 less than I sell them for brand new and I have seen new, but advertised as demo, 260s and 361s sell for WAY more than I sell them new, plus the shipping costs were pretty high!

If you like that 290, you would LOVE a 361 but may not be thrilled with a 260. I run a 260 BUT I have a few 044s for bigger stuff and my 260 is not stock. The 361 is hands down the most popular PRO saw I sell and for a one saw plan, it is the one to buy! A little heavy for limbing? Sure, but a limb saw is a little underpowered for felling!

Ken

 

[dangerdoc]

When you need repair parts don't expect any deal either. I just replaced the fuel line on my Sthil and it was over $14 for a 6" piece of rubber.

I am running three saws. The oldest is 13 years old. I've never had a fuel line go bad. My Sthil saw fuel line went bad after one year. I thought it was odd. Has anyone else here had problems with their Sthil fuel lines?

 

[montanaman]

I am running three saws. The oldest is 13 years old. I've never had a fuel line go bad. My Sthil saw fuel line went bad after one year. I thought it was odd. Has anyone else here had problems with their Sthil fuel lines?

Fuel is a BIG issue these days. Here in PA, we have the dept of weights and measures to make sure we get the amount we pay for, but you never really know what the alcohol content is. I just got a new catalog from a company I buy from and there is a warning listed on every fuel related item they sell stating that it is not compatible with E-20 or E-85 ethanol fuel and warranty will be void. A friend of mine that cuts for a living bought a fuel tester and has been checking samples at the local stations and some of them are as high as 15%. Most of this stuff won't even run with over 10%.

It's NOT just Stihl, it is becoming a problem for anything running a 2 stroke engine. I've been replacing pump diaphrams on Zama carbs all the time because they seem to be less tolerant to the ethanol.

In my own equipment, I buy my fuel from the same local gas station all the time because I have never had problems with their fuel. I run premium fuel only with full synthetic 2 cycle oil, and I do not keep fuel more than three months.

If I'm not going to run a saw for a while, I dump the fuel out of the tank and let it idle until it is out of fuel. The ethanol will absorb water and after the fuel evaporates, you end up with a mix of gum made up of two cycle oil and water and it will destroy a carb beyond a rebuild.

I've had guys laugh at my Gatorade bottle collection with fuel that I have drained from customers equipment. You just can't expect to get anything better out of your equipment than what you put into it!

Ken

 

[Mac624]

As you do not know about the price of a Stihl or Husky saw in Europe, especially in Germany, I can not judge about Your complainments. But lt me tell You, that the Stihl saws are more then 20 % cheaper in the USA then in Germany, did not matter what model.

As I only buy at one store and only use Stihl ( was Solo Guy before, but no shop when I needed to replace my machines) I get a discount of 10-15 %. But that is not common.

I agree, if you have to pay for food at Walmart, you would not discuss the prices they have calculated, buy it or leave it.

PS: Husky, Jonsered, Poulan and some McCulloch are part of Electrolux.

EDIT..EDIT..EDIT!!!

Man...I was totally wrong with the prices have I said 20%???

Powerup Equipment in Butler PA offers a MS 180 for 219,95 US$ and a MS 250for 319,95 US$. Now sit down and relax, cause You will be shocked, when I give you the catalogue prices we have to pay for the same saws in Germany:

MS 180: Powerup: 219,95 US$; Germany: 279 € = 349,30 US$ = 130 US$
MS 250: Powerup: 319,95 US$; Germany: 519 € = 649.78 US$ = 330 US$ !!!

So you can buy 2 MS 250 at Powerup for a price we get one for!! Any questions or complainments now??

 

[ultrarunner]

So you can buy 2 MS 250 at Powerup for a price we get one for!! Any questions or complainments now??

Germany and Europe have much higher taxes and tariffs.

A US Citizen can buy a new US Spec. BMW in Europe, drive it on Vacation, ship it back to the States and still be 30% or more cheaper than a German Citizen buying the same Model in Germany.

Conversely, a friend of mine sells Jeep Grand Cherokee's in Europe. A US $40,000 Jeep was selling for the equivalent of $80,000 in Europe... Double

Unlike most of Europe, almost all US prices exclude sales tax, which can add as much as 10% to the final price in high tax states.

Europe does tend to have very low property taxes last time I checked.

 

[GaryS]

I agree, if you have to pay for food at Walmart, you would not discuss the prices they have calculated, buy it or leave it. ... Any questions or complainments now??

Yes. It's bunk to say that the price is the price even at WalMart. Sure, you're not going to get a price break on a loaf of bread, but you can on a bicycle. Ask a person in charge (not the stock boy) "When's the next sale?" or "Can you knock off $10 bucks?" and most of the time you'll get something.

Bigger ticket items (generally) have larger markups. If the low end saws have razor thin margins, that make sense. How many here paid the MSRP on their tractors or any attachment? Or the last car they bought? Or the last TV at BestBuy?

I can't comment on the pricing in Germany or any other part of the world. But I do know that I took a two day class called "Negotiate to win". The instructor said that in most every other part of world, haggling is the norm and is expected. The exceptions in order of rigidity where Russia, Germany, and the US. The class was held in Washington DC and he said that you can always tell the new immigrants to the US because at the grocery the clerk would say after ringing up the order, "That'll be 120" and immigrant would say "I'll give $80 for it". Bartering and haggling are everywhere.

The teacher of the class emphasized that every deal needed to be a win-win situation (except when buying a car). I know and want dealers to make a profit so they can be there when I need a part or service. It leaves ya a bit cold to be told "MSRP is it - take it or leave it". I'm just looking for a bit of win-win.

 

[GaryS]

An update. My local Stihl dealer is 2 miles from my house. I like to buy from/support local businesses so that's were I wanted to buy.

Before I went in, I have to admit that I over analyze decisions like this. I created a spreadsheet with all the details for the various models of chainsaws down to the $ per pound lb, $ per cc, and $ per horsepower. After reading the posts by MessickFarmEqu, montanaman and others, I settled on the MS260. When I got there, he said he doesn't stock the MS260 but he does have the MS260Pro version. I'm sure the MS260Pro is a great saw but I don't need the decompression chamber and ask about the plain 260. He explained that the 260 isn't a pro model and that it has a plastic crankcase. We talked for a bit and he convinced me that MS270 was the way to go (he had that in stock). I think he's wrong about the plastic crankcase on the MS260. I think it's the exactly like the 260Pro minus the decompression chamber and more aggressive oiler.

I bought the 270, bar oil, and 3 chains (buy 2 get one free promotion). I leave but then regret not taking others advise and call him to ask if he'd order the MS260 for me - all at list. Nothing free. Nothing discounted.

Now if you'll please excuse me while I go eat my hat (which I got on the cheap)....

 

[ultrarunner]

Gary... I was hoping you'd bring home a ms 260 pro and post a review. It's the saw I have my eye on.

Last week I saw a Stihl promotion for a case, oil and extra Stihl stuff for $30 extra. I went to my independent Stihl Dealer where I've bought a number of power tools and asked for the ms 260 pro along with the $30 promotion. They didn't know anything about the promotion and later I learned it is only at participating dealers... so I decided to hold off for now.

 

[GaryS]

I am getting the MS260 and if I'm not wrong, the only two differences are the decompression chamber and a more aggressive oiler.

The guy said he had to call his contact to see when he'd get one. He griped that shipping was expensive. You know shipping companies were quick to add surcharges when fuel prices exploded but I don't see them dropping much now that gas is 1.90/gallon. I hope to have this by Friday, but we'll have to see.

I'll be sure to post a quick review when I get it and attack the pile thats accumulating.

 

[dfkrug]

My Sthil saw fuel line went bad after one year. I thought it was odd. Has anyone else here had problems with their Sthil fuel lines?

I just got my first Stihl saw a couple of weeks ago--a 3yo MS170. Clearly
a light duty homeowner saw. I got it cuz the owner gave up on it. It had
a broken fuel line and the wrong metric nut holding the carb (almost) on.

I bought a few parts online (cheap and fast) and now the saw runs great.
I thought of using it for my limbing saw, but my Makita (Dolmar) seems
better, even after damaging it. I DO like the Stihl fuel and oil caps, and
people pay crazy amounts for a used Stihl. Both my Husky 455 and my
Makita use primer bulbs to start....Stihl does not. The Stihl starts easy, but
not as easy as my other 2 saws. I would still be using my old boat anchor
Echo, if I could only get the oiler to work. I am uncomfortable with all the
plastic on these modern saws. I am sure true pro saws use less plastic.

 

[Airic]

I just had to recheck to see if mine was a Pro or not. I didn't even realize there was a standard MS260. The dealer I went to didn't have one either and they had almost 18 different models. I put it through its paces and it did a great job. I've been working on a 22" fallen tree and I had one issue over the weekend as I could not tell how the tree would settle after cutting a section of trunk and ended up binding the saw real good. This is where a second saw would of come in real handy. It was dusk, starting to rain with 36 deg temps and there was no way I was going to be leaving it outside for the night. Had to take my tractor out for the lights and a cheap Troy Bilt 6" pull saw to cut this 22" trunk to free my Stihl. After about 45 min. I had gotten it free. For a while, I was not very happy with my predicament. It always seem to be the worst time when something like this happens.

 

[4Kings]

The 260PRO has a decomp valve and and adjustable oiler, that's the only difference. The 260 is a pro saw.

The 270 is a fine saw and I'm sure it will last you a lifetime but it's not a pro level saw like the 260. Hope the dealer didn't try to sell it as one.

 

[4Kings]

I just had to recheck to see if mine was a Pro or not. I didn't even realize there was a standard MS260. The dealer I went to didn't have one either and they had almost 18 different models. I put it through its paces and it did a great job. I've been working on a 22" fallen tree and I had one issue over the weekend as I could not tell how the tree would settle after cutting a section of trunk and ended up binding the saw real good. This is where a second saw would of come in real handy. It was dusk, starting to rain with 36 deg temps and there was no way I was going to be leaving it outside for the night. Had to take my tractor out for the lights and a cheap Troy Bilt 6" pull saw to cut this 22" trunk to free my Stihl. After about 45 min. I had gotten it free. For a while, I was not very happy with my predicament. It always seem to be the worst time when something like this happens.

Get yourself some plastic wedges. Once you start using them you will never bind up a saw. You could also just get a second bar and chain instead of a second saw.

 

[montanaman]

An update. My local Stihl dealer is 2 miles from my house. I like to buy from/support local businesses so that's were I wanted to buy.

Before I went in, I have to admit that I over analyze decisions like this. I created a spreadsheet with all the details for the various models of chainsaws down to the $ per pound lb, $ per cc, and $ per horsepower. After reading the posts by MessickFarmEqu, montanaman and others, I settled on the MS260. When I got there, he said he doesn't stock the MS260 but he does have the MS260Pro version. I'm sure the MS260Pro is a great saw but I don't need the decompression chamber and ask about the plain 260. He explained that the 260 isn't a pro model and that it has a plastic crankcase. We talked for a bit and he convinced me that MS270 was the way to go (he had that in stock). I think he's wrong about the plastic crankcase on the MS260. I think it's the exactly like the 260Pro minus the decompression chamber and more aggressive oiler.

I bought the 270, bar oil, and 3 chains (buy 2 get one free promotion). I leave but then regret not taking others advise and call him to ask if he'd order the MS260 for me - all at list. Nothing free. Nothing discounted.

Now if you'll please excuse me while I go eat my hat (which I got on the cheap)....

The MS260 and MS 260PRO are basically the same saw with the PRO having the compression release and the adjustable oiler. For a saw this size, I don't think the compression release is a big deal but I have sold one to a guy with a bad shoulder and he couldn't start a saw without one. Add to that the fact that we are not getting younger, and it may not be a bad feature. I like the adjustable oiler because it will produce more volume than the non adjustable. The EPA has reduced the amount of oil that a chainsaw can put out and it is directly related to the size of the engine. Larger saws can run larger bars and will require more oil. Having said that, I get a lot of calls from buyers thinking that their oiler isn't working properly because they are used to an older, pre EPA requlated saw. My small ground saw is a 260PRO because I wanted more oil. I have never used the compression release. I have an older 044 with no compression release and have no issues starting it, so I sure don't need one on a 50cc saw, but some day?????????

The MS260 and MS260 pro share every other component and where the compression release on the PRO is, there is a threaded plug on the top of the non PRO cylinder. Where the compression release would be on the PRO, there is a rubber plug on the upper plastic of the non PRO. Where you adjust the oiler on a PRO, there will still be the slot and the arrow on the non PRO. The price is a big jump, but actually less than buying the high output oiler later unless you try to factor in what you may be able to sell the non adjustable for on ebay.

The crankcases are the same and both saws use a bolt down cylinder and the second best grade bearings on the crankshaft and it is not supported on plastic on either of the two saws. Stihl does not make a saw with plastic supported bearings, period. All of their crankcases are alloy, but some of them are bolted into a plastic body. This is known as a clamshell design. I stress this because there are some saws at the box stores that DO have the main bearings supported by plastic and they retail for more than a comparable HP and size Stihl. I would have liked to hear that the dealer either knew more about his product, or was more honest about it.

To buy a saw by weigh and HP per dollar can be very tough, and if they would actually advertise the HP, this would most likely lead to buying a Poulan. Not because they are high HP, but because they are low dollar. As soon as you get into the PRO line of saws, the cost of building them becomes a lot more and when you start building up the HP per LB, that gets expensive too. The 200T has for years been the standard by which all other arborists saws are measured, and none of them come close, but it is a $590 saw. I no longer even put price tags on them because the buyer they are intended for knows what they cost, and they know it is the saw they are going to buy!

I think you will be thrilled with the MS260. It will take it about 5 tanks of fuel or more to get the rings fully seated and making peak HP. If you take care of it, years from now when you are still using it, you'll see it really wasn't that expensive at all!

 

[ultrarunner]

montanaman... does Stihl MSRP pricing vary by region?

I ask because the only Stihl saw I have I bought in Olympia WA and I bought it because the price was right.

Here in the SF Bay Area, the prices seem higher, it only by 10 to 20 dollars... also my local Stihl Dealer, whom I like, never has any of the Stihl promotions. Are the promos regional?

 

[montanaman]

I think it varies depending on where you live. All of my product comes from North East Stihl.

There are some areas where the cost of living is high enough that the dealers can not stay in business at MSRP, and may charge more. I know many dealers price their chains and oil how ever they want, and a lot of times will raise their chain prices so that they can have buy two, get one free deals.

I do know that on some of the arborists sites I visit, I will see prices listed that are higher than in my area.

Another thought is do all of the saws in your area have cat mufflers for pollution?? That could cause a rise in the production cost for sure! I know there have been a lot of converters stolen from car lots and park and ride lots because of the value of the platinum in them.