12/15/00

For those of you old enough to remember Alice Cooper's song, "No more Mr. Nice Guy", I'm pissed enough now to mention brand names when I haven't prior.

Stihl has forgotten what their name represents, quality, exceptional value, a cut above. Stihl likes to brag how they haven't cheapened their product by selling through the big box outlets and instead support the sales and service shops. Well you know what, regardless the quality of equipment sold at the big box stores, one thing is sure, it has to run. The typical home owner buying something in a box and taking it home isn't going to be very pleased to get a new piece of equipment home to find it won't run right. There's a whole series of Stihl products in which that is the case. If this is what Stihl has become then they can't sell their product in the big box stores. It has to at least run a while or Home Despot and Lowes would quickly reject the product line.

What products are they. The family of 27.2 CC engines that power such units as the following. Line trimmers, FS 46 and FS 55R. Hedge trimmer-HS 45. Hand held blowers, BG 55, 65,and 85. If you've read Part 2 of "Funny Little Men", you recall I stated the problem wasn't so much the engine that Stihl builds but the bolt on items Stihl buys elsewhere. That still holds true, but the problems have worsened as the real cause has come to light.

Initially, problems included ignition module and the carb. The ignition modules have a faulty internal diode that evaporates. Over the past few months most of the ignition problems seem to be clearing up as the defective parts have been used up. Still see one once in a while but not like in the beginning. 12/26/00 update; Have seen 3 ignition coil failures in past week so it looks like the problem with the coils hasn't been corrected. The real problem now is the carb, built by Zama. This has been a problem since at least early this year and is just as bad now, if not worse.

We were originally told the problem was with the main jet or inlet needle lever height. We changed jets, we re-set lever heights, and re-set them and re-set them, trying to find a combination that worked. Sometimes, it magically seemed to correct itself. It wasn't magic and it wasn't all the time and effort we did that made them work, when they decided to work. Turns out the valve in the purge body and the main nozzle diaphragm are dried out and don't work right. After being exposed to fuel for a while, some loosen up and start to perform.

So the "Funny Little Men" tell us to let the units sit for a day or two with fuel in them before selling the damn thing. Oh yeah, that's a great fix. We don't service equipment until it's been sold. We don't want customers starting stuff on the sales floor and doing damage to something or someone. We also don't want to risk having units sit too long on the sales floor with fuel in them going bad. So, the Stihl sales rep is in the shop this week, and we have a blower and trimmer setting in the shop that we tried to make run to sell to a customer. Been sitting for a couple of days when he showed up. He grabs the blower and fires it up and it runs fine. "See, just let them set a while" he says. Insistent buggers they are. Then he grabs the trimmer. It won't run right. Ah, revenge. He fools with it for at least 1/2 hr. and announces, "order a new carb, this ones bad". Oops, isn't that what we said?

Now I realize the sales rep isn't going to be the most knowledgable source of equipment repair advise, but the service rep failed to answer a number of communication attempts several months ago, at which time I gave up on trying to get any help from the logical source. The sales rep said that they were planning to go back to a more traditional carb, having adjustable jets with limiter caps. Fine, but unless the cause of the problem is corrected, adjustable jets aren't going to fix it. Also heard rumors that we weren't having a yearly service update school this year. Hmm, is this a further sign that the service rep doesn't want to talk about the problem and have to face a hoard of angry wrench's? 12/26/00 update, bad info, Stihl is having their yearly update.

Just a final note of disclaimer. This is an editiorial. It is not the words of my boss or the place I work. It is my opinion and mine alone, of Stihl's failure to behave like,,,Stihl. Get your shit together Stihl, you're too good for this kind of bull shit.

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