Testimonials: Chain Saws

I saw the testimonial part of your web site and could not wait to see everyone's pictures. I chose STIHL simply because it was the saw people around me used, and I soon learned why. In trusting your saws, I also trust your products. Keeping with this, I have a STIHL helmet and camo chaps. Can't wait to see the future products STIHL has to offer!

Sincerely,
Brandon A

I bought a 47-inch bar and 2 chains for my STIHL 84 Magnum chain saw. Mark at Woodcutters in Akron NY tuned the saw to the 47 inch bar. A neighbor had a large hard maple tree lose a limb on her pick-up, the town cut the tree down, but would not cut it up because their chain saw did not have a large enough bar. A friend contacted me and asked if I would cut it up. I did, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the 84 did with the solid nose 47 inch bar and chain.

The tree was 56 inches at the base, then 49-50 inches. We drew a small gallery to watch the saw in action. People were impressed; most had no idea that such a long bar was made. They were really impressed when they saw my 59-inch bar and chain. That will be going on a new STIHL MS 880 next month.

My continuing compliments on a superior product that gets a big job done. And it makes it all easier when we have a dealer and technician in Brian Domon and Mark at Woodcutters in Akron NY.

Like the old saying goes "When the going gets tough, the tough (like my 84 Magnum) get going". Your website is on my favorites list.

William J. L
East Pembroke, NY

This is a picture of my wife and I working on our land in Hayward, WI. We are clearing it for our new home. The date is April 6, 2007. Just thought it looked fun!

Thanks
Robert and Sandra Petersen

After Hurricane Katrina, my "big box store" saw wasn't up to the task of cutting up all the downed oaks on our property. Since I'd always gotten great service on other items at Daveid's Chainsaw & Lawnmower in Kiln, MS, it only made sense to go to them for a new saw. They took their time, explaining the features of various models, and I ended up coming away with a new MS 290. I've been delighted with that saw. Starts every time, and if it stops, I know I'm out of fuel! Since then, I've gone back for an FS 55 brushcutter, and I've got my eye on an MS 660 now.

Billy C
Kiln, MS

I am 17 years-old, and my dad bought his first STIHL 029 Farm Boss 16 years ago. My grandpa, a former Echo dealer, didn't like that though. My dad used that saw to death, so we could heat our house in the harsh northwest Missouri winters. Now my dad is 48, and he has switched over to an older STIHL 015 L so that he can do the light work. I now use his 029. The only things that I have ever done to the saw have consisted of cleaning the exterior, cleaning the air filter, and replacing the sparkplug.

I am the "go-to guy" for saw repair around my hometown. I have worked on many saws. I know the pros and cons of every brand of saw, but so far I have not found any cons for the STIHL brand. If anyone does let me know.

Bryan H
Hopkins, MO

P.S. My favorite saw is a 041 AV redhead 1968, with a 20" bar and the RS STIHL chain. I call it "my baby".

I live in Alaska and my main source of heat is wood. I also hunt down and finish Diamond Willow wood for extra money and as a hobby. I recently traded some of my Diamond Willow woodwork for an old STIHL 032 AV chainsaw. It started on the first pull in cold weather. And after putting a new bar and chain on it, I retired my old piece of junk (I won't say the brand) saw.

I began using the STIHL, with much better results. I love the saw so much that I just found the same model on eBay and bought it. I also bought a brand new STIHL MS 290 chain saw at my local dealer. Unfortunately, I have been very busy fixing cracked plumbing from a recent 40-below cold front we had, and I haven't been able to try it out yet.

I am amazed at how excited a chain saw can make a guy. I am dying to get my hands on that new saw. So I'm guessing I will have some more compliments for you soon. Thanks for making a great saw.

Clarence
Wasilla, AK

I moved to Washington State in September of 1991. I needed a chain saw so I could cut some fire wood. I went to Sears and bought a Craftsman 18 inch chainsaw. As I used it, it froze up on me. It pissed me off, so I took it right back to Sears and told them that I wanted my money back. The sales man tried to get me to take home another one.

As soon as I got my money back, I went to Peninsula Feed in Port Orchard where they sell STIHL Equipment. I did not hesitate to purchase my 18-inch STIHL chain saw, a purchase that I will never regret.

I called my buddy and told him that I knew where we could get a ton of fire wood. The next morning, we were out early chopping up firewood. We cut a lot of wood that week, never having any difficulty with our saws.

My buddy has a 24-inch STIHL chain saw. We were talking about our chain saws, and he stated that he purchased his almost ten years earlier, and that he would not have purchased any thing else.

I became a volunteer fire fighter in South Kitsap. As we would go through the seasons, trees would fall onto the power line wires. I was always the first one to arrive, waiting for the fire department with the engines. The property owners would let me chop up the wood. I got more free wood that way. In fact, I am still using the fire wood that I cut ten years ago.

My normal occupation caused me to leave Washington State for some time. I placed my chain saw into my shed, and left it there. A few years later, I needed to chop down a tree in my yard. I went to my shed and got my saw. I thought I would have to do a lot of work to it to get it to start. I pulled on the cord a couple of times and it started right up. This chain saw continued to work like it did the first time.

This was the best purchase that I ever made. I would never try to sell it, and I recommend STIHL to my friends.

Don L
South Colby, WA

I purchased your saw after retiring my Homelite XLR (which I purchased in about 1965). It served me well and is now hung permanently on my garage ceiling.

My new saw is a joy to behold. I highly recommend to my friends that STIHL is the way to go.

Don Peterson

The company that I am with builds seawalls, docks, and drives wood pilings. These pilings must be cut to grade.

My STIHL 026 chain saw (purchased in 1995) was running when it vibrated off of a seawall. It fell in about 4 feet of water (salt water). But after several pulls it started up again. I then rinsed it with fresh water and sprayed it down with WD-40. To this day, it runs fine.

Recently a close friend who has an old STIHL 08 chain saw had the same thing happen. Afterwards, his saw also started back up.

Philip D
St.Petersburg, FL

I have had my chain saw since 1989. I'm one of those folks who takes almost too good of care with my power tools. I take it apart and clean it after each use. The chain saw is used mainly when I do volunteer work on a hiking trail system that is nearby, The Pine Mountain Trail in FDR State Park, near Pine Mountain Ga. We get quite a few of what we call "blow-downs" across our trails and thus my STIHL has been of use on the trail for years. When we have a bad storm or a hurricane blow through, it usually takes about 500 man hours for all us volunteers to clear the trees blown down along our 43 miles of trails. I even came up with a "chain saw" backpack carrier to carry our saws in on treks that are sometimes 2-3 miles.

Recently we cleared a new trail head area in the state park and had to clear out about 200+ trees. Mainly chestnut oaks and hard hickory. All with our STIHLs...

Last year we awarded our trail maintenance supervisor volunteer a new chain saw and of course it was a big new STIHL. We also bought 2 brushcutters last year (both STIHL's) mainly because my STIHL brushcutter is still going strong after 23 years! My big STIHL backpack blower is also now 14 years old. I own a Honda lawnmower (now 10 years old) only because STIHL doesn't make one!

So as you can see I'm a STIHL person. Thanks again for your help.

Jim Hall
President of the all volunteer Pine Mountain Trail Association - (www.pinemountaintrail.org)

I received your letter last week thanking me for my purchase of your BG 55 Blower. I was surprised to receive your letter since in recent years no company has every responded to any of my purchases other than a new car. It shows me you care about your business and customer support. It also says that Linda Saw sent in my registration card and suggests they support your customer service policies. I feel good that they will support me as a customer.

My heritage is German and I love to brag about German mechanical abilities and I have in the past 15 years told the following story to anyone who will listen about my remarkable STIHL chainsaw purchase years ago.

In 1972 my wife and I were getting ready to build our 2nd house in Santa Cruz, CA. I had to clear several trees on our 1 acre parcel for our house and I decided to get a Homelite chain saw from Dave’s Motor Clinic in Soquel, CA. While we were in the store talking to the owner and trying to select the appropriate saw, a man came over to the owner and asked if he could talk to us. The owner gave him the OK and went back to work in the rear of the shop. The man introduced himself as the local STIHL representative and asked if he could give us some information on STIHL Saws. He told us about all the great features of STIHL saws and showed us the new thin chain on STIHL 020 AV. Although the price was a little more than we expected to pay, we agreed to take it anyway because of the features brought to our attention by the rep. He told the owner to put an 18” bar on it and told us this saw would be the last saw we would ever buy.

Well it’s 2006 and the saw has been in use for 34 years to clear property for 4 new homes. And since we always heat our houses with wood it has cut all our heating wood for 34 years. It has been used to clear property for friends and general use in my handyman business. It has definitely paid for itself many times over.

I was able to do most of the repairs on the saw myself. In 1987, I dropped it about 35 feet onto a paved road below the tree I was cutting and thought it was finished. Well I replaced an exterior casting and it has been going strong since then. I am just at the end of the 3rd chain and the saw still has the original 18” bar and sprocket. They of course do need to be replaced.

I just turned 70 this month and the saw has developed a high speed miss. Unfortunately, Linda Saw says it will be too costly to repair if I do all the necessary work like a new sprocket, bar etc. All I can say is the rep was almost right, most people at 70 would not still be cutting wood. However next spring, I will get another STIHL saw and will be wishing I could out live another STIHL saw.

In passing, my father is 95 years old living on 40 acres in the Sierra’s and still cuts his own wood with his 2nd STIHL saw, About 6 years ago he changed to a smaller saw because he could not start the original bigger saw.

Bottom Line: The Dieckmann’s are sold on STIHL products. The 020 AV has been an exceptional saw for me and many thanks to STIHL for its long life and reliability.

Clay D
Browns Valley, CA

I just wanted to drop a quick line to you about the new MS 460 that I purchased. It's just incredible, fantastic. I also have a MS 290 STIHL Farm Boss®, and there is just no comparison. (The MS 290 is a work horse too.) The 460 is dropping and cutting through large timber, like a hot knife through warm butter. Again, just a wonderful product.

Al B
Millbrook, NY

Tom N of Kingwood, WV sent in this picture of his STIHL and woodpile. But we think Peg, Tom's dog, is laying claim to both.

I would like to compliment STIHL by telling you about my husband's 27 year-old Model 041 Farm Boss chain saw. Rick purchased the chain saw in May 1979 in Warrenton, Virginia, for around $350. At that time, money was very tight for us. We had just had our second child on April 19th, and I was staying at home with our two small children. We were heating our house entirely with a wood stove, and Rick really wanted (and needed) a good chainsaw. I was not very happy when he told me he spent $350 for a chain saw.

But I just wanted you to know that 27 years later, he continues to use that same chain saw. We still heat our house with a wood stove, and we have a fireplace, even though we now have alternative heat options. In every house we lived in, we’ve used a wood stove. And that saw has been used to cut wood for us, our family members, and many friends.

For many years, Rick had a little business on the side selling wood to other people. He has had the saw serviced properly and takes very good care of it. I recently asked him if he would like a new chain saw for his upcoming 55th birthday on October 25th, and he said absolutely not. He said that he had a perfectly good chain saw that he loved, and he did not want any other. I don't know how many chains it has been through, but quite a lot.

Just today, our daughter (the one who was born on April 19th) and her husband, along with their 15 month old daughter, came to our house to help cut wood for us, and for their fireplace. Our daughter, Kelly, commented on her dad's chain saw, too. She has spent many hours helping us get wood in during her 27 years, and now our granddaughter was helping today. Kelly said that I should tell someone at STIHL about it. So that's what I just did. And, by the way, I think our $350 investment in the saw 27 years ago was a very good one. Thank you for such a fine product.

Judy R
Strasburg, VA

Want to hear of an amazing story? Our crew ran over a STIHL chain saw with a dozer out in the woods. It broke it up pretty badly. I put it in the back cab of my truck after this happened, thinking that the saw was finished. So I went out and bought another saw just like it.

Weeks later, I was looking at the old saw and wondered if it would start. After two pulls, it fired right up. It looks like a junk yard dog, but it runs like a spotted assed ape. Since then, it’s been used to cut some pretty big trees.

You make a great saw. I have owned several thru the years.

Ron J
Franklin, TN

My husband has used STIHL chainsaws for over 30 years. Recently, he was watching a tree fall that he had notched and didn't see a large dead limb from an adjacent tree coming right at him. He was holding his chain saw against his left hip across the front of his body. The limb hit the saw directly and knocked him back several feet and to the ground. I believe the strength of the case literally saved his life! The case is ruined, but the saw still works. Thank you for your quality products.

Meredith W
Rexford, NY

I just wanted to let you know that I just purchased my first STIHL product.

For me, the choice was easy. My father has had a STIHL chain saw for over 25 years, and it's still going strong.

I chose the MS 390 chain saw. All I can say is "wow". What an excellent machine! The first day, it eagerly gobbled up a cord and a half which is now ready to be split. And now that the engine break-in is complete, I can get some cutting done.

I look forward to a lifetime of service from this excellent saw, and I know who I'll be going to for my other equipment needs.

Thanks for an excellent product.

Mike C
Bremerton, WA

I finally purchased a STIHL chainsaw for home owners. I am really impressed with it. I consider it a piece of art. It cuts quickly and cranks up just like the saws that rescue workers use on TV.

I would recommend it to anyone. Pay a little more and get a lot in return. I am absolutely sold on STIHL Products.

Dale F
Morton , MS

I'd like to tell you about my STIHL 032 chain saw that I purchased in 1977. She is still going strong after 29 years. I just thought that I would share that with you. I wish that I could buy a new one just like it today. It still has the original sprocket but it has gone through numerous bars and chains.

Jim A
Hardin, KY

In June of 2006 I was part of a very large volunteer effort across the city of Rochester, MN (see www.rochestercarefest.org for details). My role was as the project leader at a city park. Tasks at the park included painting, mulching, and cutting out of unwanted locust trees. At the end of day, we took a group photo of the 5 of us who were the lumberjacks for the day. When I saw the photo, what I saw was a bunch of happy, sweaty STIHL chain saw owners.

Thanks!
Kevin Z (on the far right in the photo)

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