Echo Or Stihl, Which To Buy

[Jared_Smith]

Get a Redmax EBZ8000 blower... they are the shizzle.

It'd take one heck of a demonstration to convince me to go out and purchase another one from a diffrent manufacturer.

[burroughslawnservice]

WOODY - Not sure which web site you visited, but www.alamia.com does carry REDMAX. Check again. By the way, I'm active duty military (16 years now) and do lawncare part-time. Because I'm in the military I move. So buying from a local dealer doesn't matter. By the time I move again, next year, I will have been at this duty station for less than 2 years. So, do you think the REDMAX dealer at my new duty station will give me crappy service since I didn't purchase my equipment from them? I'm not saying I won't buy locally, but I don't think it matters in my situation. Please advise. As for the extended warranty and building inferior products, Hyundia is an inferior product and they are still in business, as is Kia.
Back to my original question: ECHO or STIHL?[U]

[GeeVee]

Welp, buying from a single family might make sense on the surface, you'll have to compromise somewhere.

I like certain items from both manufacturers, but not enough to buy the whole family.

Do only buy line trimmers from one family, when you purchase additional items.

[burroughslawnservice]

WOODY - One other thing...When I said Stihl has the best power to weight ratio, that was comparing STIHL against ECHO.
Since you enjoy researching "public profile's" to see who your dealing with, please update yours with some additional info about yourself so we know who we're dealing with.

[Woody]

Listen, you are going to make your own choices. And you are going to have to live with them as well. You asked for SOUND advice, and I gave it. REAL SOUND advice. I am attempting to help you out, and you are copping an attitude because you don't agree with the advice I am giving. So be it.

As for additional info about myself... Ask around. You seem to think I don't know what I am talking about. There are others here that would disagree with you. I'm sure as heck not going to twist your arm to try and get you to take SOUND advice. Go make your mistakes, and then deal with them. Listen to the "dealers" who have a higher markup on lesser products. Fill their wallets with your hard earned money for all I care.

If you take the advice of some internet based dealer on what equipment is good, dependable, and reliable over that of a man who has been there, done that, and OWNS the equipment, you are a fool.

Woody

[Mike J]

Woody knows his stuff. I have seen many a time when someone asks a question and then asks what Woody thinks. Take it for what you want. I would listen to his advice.


Glad to see you back Woody.

[GrassMaster]

Cheap comes at a very High Price & We are paying for it Now!

I've complained & complained to my Manufacture Reps about that web site. It does no good. Because they sell so much stuff no OEM's will say anything to them. Money talks & if something goes wrong they are sent to us, a real servicing dealer.

It's in any dealer agreement that I've ever seen that the units must be fully assembled, serviced out, cranked up & ran to insure that they are operating properly.

It's also in the dealer agreement that you can not sell the unit in the box. But this company is doing it & so is others like the Depot & other mass merchants. Money Talks!

Now this is the part of their return policy that I just love & they love it T00!
I'm just posting the good parts too.
http://www.******.com/index.asp?PG=02
- All returns will be accepted within 30 days from the date of purchase with its original invoice in its original box and MUST BE un-used. There will be NO returns on machines, equipment, etc... that have been filled with gas/oil. No returns on special orders. A special order is a product, merchandise, equipment, etc. that is not displayed on Alamia web-site.

******, Inc. will issue a full refund for the price of returned merchandise, less the shipping cost from ****** and a 15% restock fee, to you; if the return meets these conditions.

- There will be freight charges (going to and coming back) and a 15% restocking fee if order is canceled after it has been shipped.

I'm impressed with these folks, it's a win WIN situation with them, if every piece of equipment they sell is returned, they still make a profit.

I know that the Echo equipment they are selling they are not even getting 15% profit at the prices they are selling them for... So if they have every unit returned they are making good money!

Where does it say anything about warranties, except how long the warranty is?
Because they must not service what they sell?

They can do this because all they have is a customer filled out form with your shipping & Credit Card info on it & by the time they get the form & before they ship, they already made their money because the next morning at 9:00AM their banking account has received the deposit from your charge card company & by the time you get the unit & crank it or just put oil or gas in it. You've already violated their return policy? Well that's Great News for them & Bad news for you?

At least they don't have to stand there & answer 4 million questions about the unit & 2 hours later Hope the Puzzler will buy the $289.00 unit that I gross about $40 or $45 on. Just build a web site, order the equipment, when an order comes in via e-mail, click on print, grab the box slap the shipping labels on the box & throw it in the Truck & that's all folks! You take it & throw the box away or put gas or oil in it & it's yours? Hmmmmm?

If I did that locally I would be out of business ASAP. LOL, I bet they have docking bays for semi trailers loaded & they just unload unit at a time as sold, slap shipping labels on it & tote it over to the UPS truck. That whole process takes less than 5 minutes unless the warehouse person has got to go on break or scratch their butt.

I can't say nothing, if I thought of it first I would be rolling in the money too. But remember this, there's always somebody that's cheaper & that's not what I want to be known for. I sell service & I sell it serviced.

On some of those units, how can they make money selling at almost cost & then free shipping? No service, no warranty work & L@@K at their return policy?

When the Malaysians come & start doing lawn service work over here for almost nothing, Like they doing in Japan & a few other countries now, I'll be standing next to You & my Hispanic Friends I met at the shop & we can sing the Blues together while waiting for a bowl of soup? Here in Georgia it's boiled peanuts? What a Crying Shame?

Will it ever end? Nope!
The reason our minimum wage & our wages is so low is because of companies like W***Mart, K-**rt & other cheap places. One of them had a commercial a while back that the lady says if it wasn't for W***Mart I would be bankrupt... That's BS. You can go to your local dollar store & get it as cheap or cheaper.

Does anybody know how many 1,000's of small business owners that they have bankrupted? How many smaller towns they build in Bankrupting a lot of the small family owned business's that were owned for generations & if they can't make a certain amount of profit in a year or 2 they close the store. What about all those people that lost their family owned business's? Who Cares? I do, I care about each & every one of them.

I haven't been in a W***Mart or Kmart in years, my wife hates them. Once in a while, I bet it isn't twice a year she goes in one but sometimes you have too if you looking for that odd ball cheap crap. I don't wear nothing from those places & I dress to good to go in to one.

I'll just be glad be glad when my wife can roll me in to W***Mart to get me a New Aorta Valve for my heart, she can get a Freshly Cooked Pizza, Her Hair done, I get a couple of Low priced Table Dances while I'm in lowest priced recovery, Wife gets a Mamogram & maybe even get a Low Priced Education there because they have the Lowest prices & you will not need to go anywhere else!

I want to thank all these Cheap Retailers for keeping my wages down, bankrupting family owned business & most of all for working my kin folks less than 40 hours a week so they can't get Retirement or Medical Benefits, like the Numerous other business's are doing now because of these retailers showing them how.

Over 40% of America doesn't have Heath Care & it's growing daily because of all these businesses trimming the fat so they can compete with the box stores.

I try to do all my business locally with individual business owners because they do business with me. Yes it cost more but you get more & look at all the wonderful people you meet? Nobody at Jerkit City knows my name & I have spent money there many years ago, everybody at the So Called Over Priced Robinson's TV knows me by name because I do busines with them & they do business with me.

For those of you that continually demand the lowest price for everything, please don't complain about folks talking you down on lawn service prices or the other lawn service companies underbidding you. What goes around comes around, you get what you pay for.

When I had my lawn service busines 20 years ago just as I have my shop today if someone starts to mentioning the words cheap or discount I give them the names of my so called competitors because I can't afford to work for them, it relieves me of explaining myself further & dealing with them on the spot so I can move on over to someone that appreciates me that I can make a profit on, because I have a high maintenance family & they deserve better.

Now let us pray, because we are going to need to for our Children & Grand Childrens Future!

PS: This ramblings of a Mad Man that I posted will be next to impossible to understand or comprehend until you get at least 10 to 20 hard years minimal of being Self Employeed under your belt! Then it's all becomes Crystal Clear!

[Mike J]

Listen to this guy too.

[PTLlandscapingIL]

OK it is offical my dealer showed me a artical in a new issue of one of the lawn equipment magizanes and it tested the br 600 vs the 8000 redmax and here is what it put(both units being brand ne wout of the box)
redmax actually being used on a regular day
cfm 688
stihl actually being used on a regualr day
cfm 713.

I will have the details as soon ...

[burroughslawnservice]

GRASS MASTER - I appreciate your advice, good lecture. I will purchase my ECHO equipment from the same dealer I purchased my SCAG from. I decided this after trying out STIHL over the weekend.

[GrassMaster]

Right On!

GRASS MASTER - I appreciate your advice, good lecture. I will purchase my ECHO equipment from the same dealer I purchased my SCAG from. I decided this after trying out STIHL over the weekend.

You will never regret it. The amount of money you save on gas alone in the next 2 years will make you more than glad you did!

Do everything you can to keep your money circulating locally in your community so it can come back to you & yours.

I've just got to say this...
I just read today that if WallMart raised the price of all goods 1 cent that it would generate an extra $2 per employee at all stores that could be spent on hospitalization & retirement but they don't at any of the 6,000 plus stores.

Thank God & Our Military we have so many choices and LOL you know how I feel about some of my choices.

I wish you & yours the Best of the Best!
Semper Fi

[buster57]

"Listen, you are going to make your own choices. And you are going to have to live with them as well. You asked for SOUND advice, and I gave it. REAL SOUND advice. I am attempting to help you out, and you are copping an attitude because you don't agree with the advice I am giving. So be it.

As for additional info about myself... Ask around. You seem to think I don't know what I am talking about. There are others here that would disagree with you. I'm sure as heck not going to twist your arm to try and get you to take SOUND advice. Go make your mistakes, and then deal with them. Listen to the "dealers" who have a higher markup on lesser products. Fill their wallets with your hard earned money for all I care.

If you take the advice of some internet based dealer on what equipment is good, dependable, and reliable over that of a man who has been there, done that, and OWNS the equipment, you are a fool.

Woody"


Woody,

You obviously feel very strongly about your opinion, and the choices you make. I do the same, but I only offer caution to the buyer, not a sermon.
I live with my decisions and am extremely comfortable recommending Stihl, or RedMax. The difference is probably not that great. Don’t get your underwear in a knot over it.
I have spent a great deal of funds on the advice of my Kubota dealer, this of course coupled with my own due diligence.
I do have faith in the evil salesman who recommended Kubota, Honda, and Shindawa to me. Notice; I ignored salesman's advice to the tune of probably $5,000 or more on Shindawa and went exclusively with Stihl products. Nothing against Shin-I just like the feel of Stihl.
I been there and am doing that….all the way to the bank….

[Woody]

No offense Buster57, but...

I give advice straight up. Maybe you should go reread what I had to say. I didn't get my underwear in a knot over anything. Someone asked advice, so I gave them some very SOUND advice. They became obstinate because they didn't agree with that advice. So be it. I'm fine with that. And believe me, it was FAR from "a sermon." As for salesmen, go REREAD what I said. Take note that I said "take the advice of some internet based dealer", and not take the advice of some SALESMAN, as you would have it read.

Regardless... If you plan on earning your living with your Sthil equipment, and have a top notch dealer in your area, you have made a wise choice. If you do not have a top notch Stihl dealer in your area, and based your purchase on "the feel" of Stihl equipment, then you have made a mistake. For the record, there are HUGE differences between RedMax equipment and Stihl equipment. If you think there are very little differences, you had better take another look.

The whole point of my post was to point out that only second-rate, dumbazz scrubs purchase their equipment from some online discount place. If people continue this practice, they soon will have NO local dealers. When your equipment (that you earn your very living with) quits on you at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Wednesday, and you have to mail order your replacement parts from some place across the country, maybe it is then that you will realize the point I am making. Have fun explaining to your customers that you are a scrub, and that your equipment is down until the parts come in sometime next week.

If your entire point was to try and legitimize NOT doing business with your local dealers, your point is lost in a pool of ignorance. Take a lesson from history and remember what Carnegie did with the steel industry.

As a final note... The next time you feel compelled to try and start a pissing contest with me, please at least READ what you have quoted. You insist on putting words into my mouth, when the quote clearly states otherwise.

Woody

[buster57]

Woody wisdom

Gee Woody-I feel so much better now! It must be a burden being as smart as you are!
Do yourself a favor some time and introduce yourself to Jack D. I am sure you two have much in common!