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tried stihl, never again.

Jun 13, 2015#1

exotion

Last year I bought top of the line sh 86ce most powerful handheld blower it's been a pain since day 1.

It is nearly impossible to start when it's hot out. 2/3 times I end up pouring gas straight into the carb to start it. Keep in mind I do 20 houses a day.

Well I was pulling the string the other day the recoil spring snapped, ok that's a common part the dealer will have it right? Wrong. I lost both springs in the starter and went to the dealer and had to order the parts 12$ not bad ok. I got home and realized I lost the filter and filter cover in my haste called the dealer to add them to my order. To which he assures me they will have them in stock. A week later (borrowed a blower from my buddy) they call say my parts are in. I go up there they hand me the springs I ask for filter and cover they don't have them say they are a week out on order.

At this point I'm super angry but keep my cool. Say ok what's the cost. The filter us $35 ..... Wtf.. my $1600 lawn mower filter is $10 my truck is $10 why in the he'll is the filtr $35 he says special materials.......

I told him I will not order the parts, I will never buy a stihl again, I will never come here again, and I'm telling all my friends you are idiots. I'm buying an echo.

So I got the springs fixed the starter and am selling as is. Bought a pb250ln for now and will buy the pb 500 in the fall

Jun 13, 2015#2

M

Mikel1

$35 for a stihl air filter, ouch. Some people on here complain about a $10 oem oil filter.

Jun 13, 2015#3

M

Mad Mackie

I recently retired my Stihl 86 shredder/blower. Only problem I had with it was the shutoff switch. I used this machine for 10 years, the air filter element is about $5.00.
I now use a Stihl BR600 back pack blower, nice machine!! One place I do takes me 40-50 minutes to blow the parking area, driveways and sidewalks clean.
The machines that I have had problems with are Echos.

Jun 13, 2015#4

exotion

The dealer support is just non existent here I tried 3 different dealers 2 were ace hard water and the the one mentioned above all other dealers in town are to far away.

I have 6 echo dealers close to me and a home depot . The dealer I go to is also my Toro dealer. They have enough echo parts on hand the could build a few from scratch lol and when a landscaper goes in with a broken machine they give them a loaner ....

Jun 14, 2015#5

P

possum

Only thing I would think about is the filter and cover. Even if the filter and cover cost 35 bucks each I would buy them and put them on the unit. I would not want to give a good price to someone who would sell their blower with those parts missing. No way. Fix it right. Then sell it. If you can afford new Echos, You can afford to fix the Stihl.

Jun 14, 2015#6

S

SeniorCitizen

Common problem when frustration takes over the mind.

Won't start so in an attempt the string is pulled to the end. Recoil spring breaks. Pulling to the end seldom starts anything that doesn't want to start.

At an auction bought an old outboard Johnson motor for 10 cents on the dollar because of that very mistake being demonstrated.

Jun 14, 2015#7

Ric

exotion said:
The dealer support is just non existent here I tried 3 different dealers 2 were ace hard water and the the one mentioned above all other dealers in town are to far away.

I have 6 echo dealers close to me and a home depot . The dealer I go to is also my Toro dealer. They have enough echo parts on hand the could build a few from scratch lol and when a landscaper goes in with a broken machine they give them a loaner ....

:laughing: Ya know I remember when you purchased that blower and you thought it was the best thing since popcorn. Now something goes wrong with and your ready to throw it under the bus and blame Stihl and the dealership for a little problem. No loyalty. :smile:

Jun 14, 2015#8

lawn mower fanatic

exotion said:
Last year I bought top of the line sh 86ce most powerful handheld blower it's been a pain since day 1.

It is nearly impossible to start when it's hot out. 2/3 times I end up pouring gas straight into the carb to start it. Keep in mind I do 20 houses a day.

Well I was pulling the string the other day the recoil spring snapped, ok that's a common part the dealer will have it right? Wrong. I lost both springs in the starter and went to the dealer and had to order the parts 12$ not bad ok. I got home and realized I lost the filter and filter cover in my haste called the dealer to add them to my order. To which he assures me they will have them in stock. A week later (borrowed a blower from my buddy) they call say my parts are in. I go up there they hand me the springs I ask for filter and cover they don't have them say they are a week out on order.

At this point I'm super angry but keep my cool. Say ok what's the cost. The filter us $35 ..... Wtf.. my $1600 lawn mower filter is $10 my truck is $10 why in the he'll is the filtr $35 he says special materials.......

I told him I will not order the parts, I will never buy a stihl again, I will never come here again, and I'm telling all my friends you are idiots. I'm buying an echo.

So I got the springs fixed the starter and am selling as is. Bought a pb250ln for now and will buy the pb 500 in the fall

Sorry about your bad experience with Stihl....on a sidenote I am thinking about buying the PB-500 in the fall as well to help with cleanups.

Jun 14, 2015#9

exotion

Ric said:
:laughing: Ya know I remember when you purchased that blower and you thought it was the best thing since popcorn. Now something goes wrong with and your ready to throw it under the bus and blame Stihl and the dealership for a little problem. No loyalty. :smile:

I love the power it has produced. The hot starting has been a problem since day 1 I've taken it to 3 dealers who just tell me I'm starting it wrong. (I've checked manual and YouTube videos coupled with my own knowledge I'm not an idiot) they do nothing. Now I ordered parts they take a week to get in (not the dealers fault I know but still frustrating) I call 30 mins later to order filter and cover he assures me they have it. I get there a week later and they don't and now I'm another week before I get it.

If the hot start got fixed I would not have broken the spring. The above post is exactly what happened. I would not have lost the filter and cover in my haste and frustration. And if they would have ordered filter and cover I would have bought it grudgingly.

And I have since ordered the complete air box and filter assembly for the cheaper bg86 (total cost $25) off eBay I will fix it and only use it in the cooler months that's when I need the power anyway

Jun 15, 2015#10

exotion

I left a review on there Facebook I wasn't nice but then I got mad read here

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...&notif_t=feed_comment&actorid=159279164119612

Jun 15, 2015#11

L

LoCo86

exotion said:
I left a review on there Facebook I wasn't nice but then I got mad read here https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=839926852721503&id=159279164119612&ref=m_notif&notif_t=feed_comment&actorid=159279164119612

You lost me when you said " I bought a very expensive leaf blower" I thought you got the SH86?

Jun 15, 2015#12

exotion

LoCo86 said:
You lost me when you said " I bought a very expensive leaf blower" I thought you got the SH86?

Yes the sh86c-e it is a very expensive blower look it up. For a handheld it's a lot ...

Jun 16, 2015#13

L

LoCo86

exotion said:
Yes the sh86c-e it is a very expensive blower look it up. For a handheld it's a lot ...

I've got one. Never had the issues you're having but it does take a minute or two to warm up to full power.

Jun 16, 2015#14

KrashnKraka

exotion said:
I left a review on there Facebook...

[angst bordering on slander trimmed]

Hey, do you regular use FarrtBouk to promote your bizness?
Like, you post regular kudos for those suppliers of gear
you find no problem with - Echo/Toro/Poulon etc etc ?

Given a few more years of broken recoil starters, fuel gum in
carbs and rusty stators, all fixed in field on the back of the ute (pickup)
under a low sun tryin' to beat dusk and avoid the 15mile trip back
next day to finish, I reckon you may well look back at your FarrtBouk
forays and smile at that 'youthful exuberance' in bizness.

Free Kloo?
Those <30cc machines are cheap as chips(fries)... double up, triple up
when you start employing help. The cost is way less damage to your
bottom line (cash flow) than FarrtBouk rants.

... jes sayn like

--
KK -- suppin' 2nd malt on the back of 30+ years 'cuttin' grass'

Jun 16, 2015#15

exotion

KrashnKraka said:
Hey, do you regular use FarrtBouk to promote your bizness?
Like, you post regular kudos for those suppliers of gear
you find no problem with - Echo/Toro/Poulon etc etc ?

Given a few more years of broken recoil starters, fuel gum in
carbs and rusty stators, all fixed in field on the back of the ute (pickup)
under a low sun tryin' to beat dusk and avoid the 15mile trip back
next day to finish, I reckon you may well look back at your FarrtBouk
forays and smile at that 'youthful exuberance' in bizness.

Free Kloo?
Those <30cc machines are cheap as chips(fries)... double up, triple up
when you start employing help. The cost is way less damage to your
bottom line (cash flow) than FarrtBouk rants.

... jes sayn like

--
KK -- suppin' 2nd malt on the back of 30+ years 'cuttin' grass'

I have no idea what language your speaking

Jun 16, 2015#16

KrashnKraka

exotion said:
I have no idea what language your speaking

How strange (weird).... I especially formatted the post in "farrtbouk" dialect.

KrashnKraka wrote in part:

Hey, do you regular use FarrtBouk to promote your bizness?

Seems to me your prime obstruction in bizness
**is indeed** communication :-]

/sets kill switch to "ON"

Jun 16, 2015#17

TaskForceLawnCare

I'm not going to bash Stihl, we still use their chainsaws and hedge trimmers. However, i did switch all the string trimmers, edgers and blowers over to Echo. No big cost savings, or power gains/losses but reliability yes. Carb issues every now and then, mostly just a cleaning fix. Plus the guys prefer the echo's they're lighter and more comfortable. The 755 backpack blowers are strong and decently comfortable and like the 225 heads they get the job done and are pretty fuel efficient. But since we've switched over I'll say Echo all day, lol.

Jun 17, 2015#18

jekjr

We have some Stihl equipment as well as some Echo. Never really had a complaint about anything Stihl. Bought a Stihl hand held blower in 2012 off of Facebook for $35. Used it with excellent results almost on a daily basis till a few weeks ago. Motor still started and ran good. However, cranking parts were worn out and it had various other little things wrong. I bought a new Echo instead of Stihl because we have a great Echo dealer.

Jun 18, 2015#19

bt3

The only Stihl I have ever owned is two chainsaws, currently the Farm Boss. I've had little trouble with it. It can be stubborn to start at times when hot, but mostly it is a solid performer.

I like Stihl but I'm not married to the brand. I'd switch to Echo or Husky or another competitive brand if I had to. Sorry to hear of the original issues, OP. Glad Echo is working out for you.

Jun 18, 2015#20

exotion

I got the bg86 air box/filter slight mod and it's on 7$ instead of 50$ runs like a champ again

Jun 18, 2015#21

exotion

Still happy with echo will keep the stihl for fall

Jun 19, 2015#22

jekjr

exotion said:
Still happy with echo will keep the stihl for fall

We have several pieces of Echo and like them also.

Jun 21, 2015#23

TaskForceLawnCare

Since this whole stihl bashing thread and my response about using echo, we had 2 string trimmers and an echo edger go down. String trimmer 1 wont run unless held wide open, string trimmer 2 feed head busted, and edger only runs half choked. I'm positive it's all easy fixes but i feel the irony right now for just saying how reliable all my echo stuff has been.

Jun 21, 2015#24

exotion

TaskForceLawnCare said:
Since this whole stihl bashing thread and my response about using echo, we had 2 string trimmers and an echo edger go down. String trimmer 1 wont run unless held wide open, string trimmer 2 feed head busted, and edger only runs half choked. I'm positive it's all easy fixes but i feel the irony right now for just saying how reliable all my echo stuff has been.

Lol yup

Jun 22, 2015#25

L

LoCo86

TaskForceLawnCare said:
Since this whole stihl bashing thread and my response about using echo, we had 2 string trimmers and an echo edger go down. String trimmer 1 wont run unless held wide open, string trimmer 2 feed head busted, and edger only runs half choked. I'm positive it's all easy fixes but i feel the irony right now for just saying how reliable all my echo stuff has been.

Another reason I stay with Stihl. Echo handheld products seem to be plagued with carb issues. My dad is having the same trouble with his trimmer as you're having with your edger.

Jun 22, 2015#26

exotion

Yes I've had issues with carbs but I keep a couple on hand usually buy them refurbished at 20$ each sell the cores to a local store. For 3-5 ea I keep one in my tool box on trailer and 2 at the shop

Jun 22, 2015#27

TaskForceLawnCare

Replaced the air filters, and sprayed the 2 running fishy with some carb cleaner and good to go.

Jun 22, 2015#28

exotion

TaskForceLawnCare said:
Replaced the air filters, and sprayed the 2 running fishy with some carb cleaner and good to go.

I find every other month or so I run 3oz of seafoam per gallon in my 2 cycle petrol avoids the small issues like that. And the carb replace is about once every two years ive run my echo for about 4.5 years. I also replace air filter, fuel filter, lines, breather, grommet, primer bulb, gas tank gasket, spark plug and anything that looks worn annually

Before that the company I worked for ran 3 crews fully echo and he did about the same.

Jun 23, 2015#29

L

LoCo86

exotion said:
I find every other month or so I run 3oz of seafoam per gallon in my 2 cycle petrol avoids the small issues like that. And the carb replace is about once every two years ive run my echo for about 4.5 years. I also replace air filter, fuel filter, lines, breather, grommet, primer bulb, gas tank gasket, spark plug and anything that looks worn annually Before that the company I worked for ran 3 crews fully echo and he did about the same.

That's a lot of work. I just clean my Stihls up and service them at the end of the year. My oldest is 12 years old and all I've don't major to it was put a new carb on it after 10 years.

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tried stihl, never again.

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