Stihl / Husqvarna - Warranty Perspective

[jparker]

I am trying to decide between the MS261 and the 550XP Mark2. From my point of view, they are very comparable saws and it really comes down to individual preference. It looks like a can get a 5 year warranty with Husky and a 2 year warranty with Stihl (assuming I buy a large can pr pre-mix). That would make me lean towards the Husky. I have also read quite a bit about Stihl refusing warranty repairs by claiming end user used bad fuel. I don't have any first hand experience or know of anyone who has ran into this issue but there are a lot of threads about it. So I am not sure if this is really an issue or if it is just an internet amplification issue. I'm sure there are probably people stating the same about Husky.

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience on the difference between these two companies when it comes to warranty support?

 

[Medic21]

I have been treated well by my Stihl Dealer with any and all warranty claims. I think it’s more dealer than Stihl.

 

[DodgyNomad]

Very similar saws. With good fuel and oil, and not outright abusing them, neither of them will likely need any warranty work. I'm a Stihl fan over Husky. They cost a bit more, but in the professional series, are better made. Pick the one you like best, and if you have a dealer you'd rather work with, chances are you won't need to have any work done on either.

 

[ABMax24]

Husky's warranty is great. I have a 550XP MKII and after the first use when I would roll it over the muffler would sound like a baby rattle. Brought it in to the dealer and when the muffler was pulled off there were about 20 small pieces of rusty metal in it. The engine was inspected and no damage was seen, so it must have been a defect in the muffler from manufacturing. My dealer sent a picture to Husqvarna and they sent a replacement muffler to the dealer without question. Had my saw back a week later.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Husky's warranty is great. I have a 550XP MKII and after the first use when I would roll it over the muffler would sound like a baby rattle. Brought it in to the dealer and when the muffler was pulled off there were about 20 small pieces of rusty metal in it. The engine was inspected and no damage was seen, so it must have been a defect in the muffler from manufacturing. My dealer sent a picture to Husqvarna and they sent a replacement muffler to the dealer without question. Had my saw back a week later.

That wouldn’t be good enough for me. I would have been fighting with the dealer to prep a new saw and they can deal with the defective one. Especially when the problem is that close to the cylinder and piston and the saw is fresh off the lot. I bought a stihl backpack blower this fall from a dealer that I don’t particularly like but they were close to the jobsite. Thing would not stay running at all. Took it back, they prepped a new one no questions asked, apologized for the inconvenience and sent me on my way back to the jobsite to make money. Even from a homeowners perspective, I don’t want to wait a week to do something I planned on doing today especially when the tool is fresh out of the box.

 

[ABMax24]

That wouldn’t be good enough for me. I would have been fighting with the dealer to prep a new saw and they can deal with the defective one. Especially when the problem is that close to the cylinder and piston and the saw is fresh off the lot. I bought a stihl backpack blower this fall from a dealer that I don’t particularly like but they were close to the jobsite. Thing would not stay running at all. Took it back, they prepped a new one no questions asked, apologized for the inconvenience and sent me on my way back to the jobsite to make money. Even from a homeowners perspective, I don’t want to wait a week to do something I planned on doing today especially when the tool is fresh out of the box.

To each their own. My saw is just for personal use. I used it again after I found the issue, knowing that it would be replaced if the material went into the engine. I went back to work and wouldn't be able to use the saw for another 2 weeks anyway so let the dealer replace the muffler.

Now if I was a logger that would be frustrating, but I also don't know a single logger that only owns one saw, I don't know if I know one that only owns 2 either. Stuff breaks it's a fact of life, and occasionally a product slips out of the factory with a defect. I'm happy with how my situation turned out.

 

[xman23]

My understanding many years ago, the Stihl warranty was doubled if you used there synthetic oil.
Wonder what the issues have been with the two saws, warranty or not.