Buying From USA

[spudulike]

If it had been so, I would agree but it isn't. STIHL USA don't make the service manuals available online

 

I think you missed my point, Stihl is a German company and don't circulate the manuals until it comes to the US site as Stihl GmbH know that the US is probably their biggest market and the US guys dont take any £%4p of anyone and won't put up with not being able to download manuals!

 

Here in the UK...no manuals - I work for a German company and is all to familiar!

[Dorian]

Me Again!

Thanks for your wise comments, I am not looking to import machines or anything I am trolling around for a new machine and after dropping onto Stihl USA site i was taken aback by the price variance between us and them.

I don't suppose the dealers are making huge margins in the UK I suppose its the US economies of scale thing or just things are cheaper there syndrome

Regarding the manuals do they have a different build in the states is it not the case that an 2010 model for europe is the same as a US model.? now that would be daft to not use the same parts..

[basiltrees]

Just in case anyone is interested - I bought a 362 on ebay last summer from the US, it arrived without the bar I paid for (but got a refund eventually).

I saved around £100 and its been fine - and it says "Made in Germany" on it. It has different stickers on it but it is the same as a UK 362.

But no guarantee of course.

The Import duty was about £80, and it took 3 weeks ish.

But I just looked for another one and couldn't find any on ebay US.

But I still prefer my old 361 because of the hot handles.

[MattyF]

Would rather use fr jones next day delivery and same price by the time you have added shipping and the rest..

[Ohlins]

I bought a Husqvarna 460 Rancher from the US last year and have cut about 25 cubic metres and have started to cut about another 25 to re stock.

 

I paid €342 for it and nothing for import duties as it was marked as a gift.....just an idea....

 

Edited February 15, 2013 by Ohlins

[Stubby]

Used to by second hand Huskys from U.S. and Canada back when it was almost $2 to £1 but not worth it any more . CE stickers you don't get . California only saws are restricted even more than ours and are pants really ( I had a 338 once and even though they upped the capacity to 45cc it could not pull the skin of a rice pudding ) I think EPA is the us standard like our CE mark . Of course as soon as you mod a saw all stickers are null and void !!!!!

[Al Smith]

Stihl doesn't really make the actual service manuals available to the general public .They do allow down loads of the operaters manuals though .

 

Now this is not to say the service manuals cannot be obtained with a little effort .Fact of that matter being as an example I have a complete set which cover the older models on microfitche I got from flea bay .

 

I have no idea if the model numbers are the same in the US and GB .I'd certainly think so on the professional grades but there may some difference on the consumer grades .

 

As far as repair parts or spares if you prefer that term OEM parts are only obtainable through a dealer .I'd imagine any good dealer could order them if they don't stock them .If they won't find another dealer who will .

[Garyjp]

Used to by second hand Huskys from U.S. and Canada back when it was almost $2 to £1 but not worth it any more . CE stickers you don't get . California only saws are restricted even more than ours and are pants really ( I had a 338 once and even though they upped the capacity to 45cc it could not pull the skin of a rice pudding ) I think EPA is the us standard like our CE mark . Of course as soon as you mod a saw all stickers are null and void !!!!!

 

Epa = Environmental Protection Agency. There is no real corrulation between the two standards except emissions. CE is a declaration that the product meets european standards for the machinery directive. EU machines comply with basically the same emmisions leg. that is called eu1, replaced by eu2 and now we are in eu3. The eu emmisions follow the epa ones, epa 1, epa 2 etc.

 

If the saw is for home use no problem, pay ur money..take ur choice!

Defo avoid buying from dealers based in calif. as some models will have much tougher emissions compliancy but the carb jetting is different for US than EU, like someone else posted, same model name but gutless when comparedto EU eqyivalent.

 

...but if u earn a living from it and there was ever an accident (personal injury) do u really want to give ur insurers the easiest get out clause u can give them? Not being CE appoved would be an issue. For the sake of a what u could earn in a days work or less wen u tot up the other fees...you will p/o the local dealer so u wont get support or sent to the back of the queue if u can and forget any warranty!

 

Imo, not worth the few quid u wud save...like u said times are tough, lets help the UK economy, not the US one lol

 

[Ray1]

I always thought that it had to be CE marked to be used in the UK, If someone using it had an accident and the item wasnt CE marked your pretty much stuffed.

[Al Smith]

Well now you folks need to consider we state side are not under the laws and edicts you all have to adhere to with regards to saws etc. we can buy if we wanted to .Besides that I'd shudder to think of just how much the shipping would be from say even mid USA to England .

 

Recently for example a mention was made of after market rebuild cylinders and pistons for Stihl 200T's available in GB .I'm not even going to fool with it myself because of the red tape involved .That would be a can of worms I'd just as soon not open .