Fan shrapnal in the back anyone?

[HemiSize]

Great... got a letter in the mail from stihl... The BR 550 and 500 have a little problem... the fan my explode causing shrapnal to stab you in the back... great oh ok... Stihl you gonna pay for the repairs... ok all bettter then... wait my nearest dealer doesnt have the part in stock?... even better... New dealer time... I hear Redmax and Echo calling think they wanna sell something that wont casue some sort of blue collar post tramatic stress disorder.

[Scaper-S2k]

I think Stihl is going down hill fast. Their trimmers have always been underpowered. I have heard a LOT of complaints about the newer carbs on their newer chainsaws. And my new Stihl Magnum blowers don't seem to run as good as all of my old ones.

They need to get some quality control and some better engineers.

[jrservices]

I think Stihl is going down hill fast. Their trimmers have always been underpowered. I have heard a LOT of complaints about the newer carbs on their newer chainsaws. And my new Stihl Magnum blowers don't seem to run as good as all of my old ones.

They need to get some quality control and some better engineers.

Time to get a 650 or 750 echo, Dawg. You will like them, this I promise you.

[1Chavez]

Once again, get a Shindaiwa eb630.
-Rich

[ODTB]

Stihl Kinda brings new meaning to "Got your Back".

[GrassMaster]

Parts? Dealer?

wait my nearest dealer doesnt have the part in stock?... even better... New dealer time...

Your dealer probably didn't hear about the recall until you did, if he was lucky...

If it's a very large quantity of blowers that are being recalled, the manufacture probably doesn't have the newly modified fan parts in stock either... So there's no way the dealer could have the part...

In most cases as soon as the manufacture identifies the problem... First thing & very first thing is they contact all Customers via Equipment Registration that you filled out at the dealership when you made your purchase...

The engineers are in the background Identifying the problem & trying to come up with a design that will be safe & fit what they've built. It's Sthil on the drawing board hoping to get into production in the next 30 days?

When the manufacture contacts customers which is their very first priority, they probably didn't even have the replacement parts in stock yet, because customer safety comes first.

Then after they contact all the customers, then they contact the dealers & the manufacture probably still doesn't have the parts...

Because they have to be designed, tested, built & shipped before it is passed on to the Dealer so he can do the warranty repair.

B&S around 10 years ago mass produced over 550,000 engines with defective gas tank shut off valves on them, we are still replacing them.

Not only that but it could easily take a Month or way longer to Design, Test, Fabricate & Ship the fans to the dealers & you can bet money if it's very many it's going to be a first come first serve bases. A month waiting list for replacement warranty part is nothing?

It's like a customer ask you if you have enough mulch to do a 100 yards today on your truck & you tell them you don't have it... Then they find another Lawn Service because you didn't have it right then...

You guys place demands on your dealers they can't meet, demands they shouldn't have to meet & it's not their fault. If they could tell the future over 50% of the dealers would have found another type business. Why?...

Because 20 years ago it took 7 or more dealerships to service a town with a 100,000 Population. Today since you've taken over 50% of the dealers customers away from them & replaced them with about 1% commercial customers that same town 3 dealerships would be too many?

Your dealer goes through a lot more crap than you do trust me. You have what a 100 - 200 or so customers a year? I have around 10,000 customers a year... I make over 50% less now than what I did cutting grass over 20 years ago & it's because of the new & modern mind set. BTW I'm a small scrub dealer too.

The commercial guy has very little loyalty for their dealer, it's all about money now. A good dealer can make you or break you, take care of your dealers & they will take care of you.

Buy cheap crap off of ebay & when it tears down get ebay to fix it... NO when it breaks down you are going straight to your nearest dealer with an attitude.

PS: A few years back there was a fuel tank made to fit a Murray Rider & in most cases theres a 30 day wait on the tank if ordered today. I buy 2 at the time, I might use 2 tanks in a week or 2 in a month? How many tanks should I keep my money tied up in stock?

I know all you keep a 30 day supply Plugs, oil 2 & 4 cycle, Trimmer Line, Equipment that you know will break down in the future & your most commonly used parts... Your average dealer does? Why don't you? The average dirt dealer probably has a minimum of $50,000 to a $100,000 in parts only & he still doesn't have 50% of the parts he needs on a daily basis. 50% of those parts in stock will never sell across that counter. They will be thrown away, auctioned off or he will sell them on ebay for pennies on the dollar of his cost.

The dealer has far more headaches on the average day than you do in a month.... I know & I've been there. I've been on both sides of the fence & the grass is a lot green on the Lawn Service & Landscaping Business side!

If I could get out & walk off with 75% of what I have in physical goods in my shop & get close to fair market value for my real estate I would have left back in 1995. I'm still there & haven't found a buyer yet. I've signed 3 - 1 year contracts agreeing to give my business broker over $40,000 commission if he could find me a person that would give me 75% of what the business is worth & not an onion yet?

I think OPE dealers shouldn't have to pay taxes, get gas for free, not work over 5 days a week & I think they should be allowed at least 3 young wives each & get fresh ones every few years.

Name a business or a service related business easier than the Lawn Service Business. I can only think of one & that's an Artist that paints master pieces the only problem there is the they aren't worth much until the painter is dead?

My shop was full of people yesterday & we are about 75 repairs behind, that's about 2 days work at the shop. Average shop in my area is 2 weeks behind...

Commercial cutter comes into my shop with pull rope broken on Snapper Commercial mower, wants it fixed on the spot. He's been turned down at 3 other shops earlier, he's already mad & has an attitude, I decide to help him & we repair it on the spot, it takes my guy about 5 to 7 minutes to fix it. I charged him $13.61 for repair, I tell him the price & he starts cussing me out. Because he says that it only took my guy 5 minutes to fix it. That $5 labor was plenty.

No where else in town would he got that rope fixed for less than $15 or $20 & he would have had to leave it at least over night to a few days.

He's goes to out to his New Ford 4 door diesel dually pulling a huge heavy LOL 5X12 trailer & get his badge of honor, you know that big azz company check book with $50 to a $100 in it & comes back in the door cussing what a ripp off I am in front of about 8 or 9 customers.

I told him to just forget it & to never come back on my property again. He hauls azz when he here's that.

And I hope I see him & his wife at the Olive Garden tonight getting $10 worth of food for $50 plus a $2 tip he leaves on the table & they see me and PooBear sitting near them. Then on his way home he has a flat on the inside right rear of his Dually... While he's fixing the tire, his wife says she's going top walk to the house trailer...

She walks 50 feet & turns around & says I was wanting to talk to you about something at the restaurant but you kept talking about that rip off dealer sitting across from us? What is it Barbarella, I think my spare is flat. Well Jerkbunns I don't know how to tell you this but I'm pregnant. You can't be I got a vasectomy 3 years ago. Who the hell is it? I'm not sure Jerkbunns, it might be that dealer sitting next to us.

JUst another 4 hour Saturday at the shop And life goes on!

[HemiSize]

Hey grassmaster... I'm not trying to rip my dealer... even though they arent that great for commercial customers... I'm pissed that Stihl put out a crappy product. I paid top dollar for a blower that I was led to believe could last a long time with proper maint. Now I cant use my only blower on monday. This is my first year out and its coming to the make it or break it time for me. Having a liabilty like this is something I dont need.

Your right that I shouldnt blame my dealer for the fan problem... but who is to blame...

[GrassMaster]

Hey grassmaster... I'm not trying to rip my dealer... even though they arent that great for commercial customers... I'm pissed that Stihl put out a crappy product. I paid top dollar for a blower that I was led to believe could last a long time with proper maint. Now I cant use my only blower on monday. This is my first year out and its coming to the make it or break it time for me. Having a liabilty like this is something I dont need.

Your right that I shouldnt blame my dealer for the fan problem... but who is to blame...

It's the Manufactures fault, but they didn't know until the unit was out in the field... They can test products until the cows com home but until it get's out in the field under everyday commercial use they don't know what will happen.

These things happen, just thank God they Found & Identified the problem... And you didn't get hurt?

They had problems with the fans (Impellers) before...

I know this doesn't help you any but did you ask the dealer for a loaner?
Did you ask the dealer to help you with this because it's the only Blower you got?
I hate to say it, but if you can't get the dealer to help you, you might have to buy another blower until that one can get fixed.

Sometimes these things happen & nothing you can do but bite the bullet & move on. I'm not trying to be a smart azz here, but you must find a way to solve the problem by the end of tomorrow?

If it's not going to be down long you might try to find a used blower or a hand held blower, ask your dealer...

In order for you to continue, you must have a working blower by tomorrow.

I'm Sorry this has happened to you, this will not help either, but by Friday of next week you will have this problem solved & a new one to take it's place?

[hardboiled]

Hey GrassMaster, I sure enjoy your stories from behind the counter. I've seen a little of that end of it myself having work for the Chicago region distributor for a major mower brand. Your input since coming here has helped me pick a quality dealer and I try to stick with him as much as I can. I don't spend a lot with them but I make it a point to let them know I trust them and want to stay in a good relationship with them. They in turn, treat me well. Not everything always goes right but that's business. They are always professional about taking care of problems.

I was wondering if anyone has actually been hurt with this impeller problem yet. Some details on the failures would be nice to hear, but they probably are limited in what they can say about it. If it were me I would use the blower at lower rpm's after checking the nut for the next week or so till I could work out a replacement. I'm not saying you should do that Hemisize. Now if I had employees using it, then I would pull it out of service.

[HemiSize]

I've been using a push broom like they eused to use in the stone ages... I guess I'm not really that pissed... they did identify the problem and notify quickly... I guess I'm just unhappy with my choice of dealers. It seems as though either a dealer is strictly highend big commercial or strictly home owner... I've found a good exmark/redmax dealer but he's 45 min. away.