Found a Good Stihl Dealer Nearby

[Kenster]

I bought a new MS 390 with muffler mod and 16 inch bar off eBay about a month ago. Haven't had time to fire it up yet. I've been hoping to find a nearby dealer where I could ask questions and get parts and supplies and have repairs done, if ever needed.
Yesterday I was driving through a little town about 15 miles from my house and swung into the Western Auto store for a can of spray paint. I noticed the "Stihl" sign in the window. They had all kinds of Stihl products and about a dozen various saws on display: 190, 290, 390 among others. The 390 had a 24" or 25" inch bar on it. They had a great selection of chains, bars, oil, files, etc. The place is run by two ladies and they both seemed to really know their stuff. I told her what I had and she showed me the different chains and bars I could use. I may go up to a 20 incher someday. Don't need anything bigger than that. She had the yellow chains right on the shelf but expressed her concern about my using it because I had told her that I was not real experienced yet. She didn't refuse to sell me one though, if I decided I wanted one. They carry the full line of parts and do repairs on site. She pulled three sprockets out: one new, one sorta worn and one FUBAR'ed, and encouraged me to watch for wear on my sprocket.
She even gave me a brief lesson on manual sharpening. I bought a Stihl sharpening kit from her.

She definitely has my parts and repair business in the future. Nice to know someone like that is nearby.

 

[smokinj]

She is right...

 

[Kenster]

She is right...

Right about what? The yellow chain? Probably so and I'm sure the modified 390 with the 16 inch bar and "safety" chain can tear through anything I have.
But at what point does one consider himself "ready" for a more aggressive chain? I've only cut down and bucked maybe a dozen trees. My biggest one was also my very first:
a big water oak about 24 inch diameter - Lightning strike and standing dead for about two years. I did it with a little 16 inch Craftsman. All the others have been standing dead oak and hickory averaging 16 -20 inches. All clean trees in the middle of my woods. No roads, no fences. Little danger of kickback caused by foreign matter.

So, again, when should it be okay to step up a bit to a yellow chain?

 

[smokinj]

She is right...

Right about what? The yellow chain? Probably so and I'm sure the modified 390 with the 16 inch bar and "safety" chain can tear through anything I have.
But at what point does one consider himself "ready" for a more aggressive chain? I've only cut down and bucked maybe a dozen trees. My biggest one was also my very first:
a big water oak about 24 inch diameter - Lightning strike and standing dead for about two years. I did it with a little 16 inch Craftsman. All the others have been standing dead oak and hickory averaging 16 -20 inches. All clean trees in the middle of my woods. No roads, no fences. Little danger of kickback caused by foreign matter.

So, again, when should it be okay to step up a bit to a yellow chain?

when you dont get any kick back at all from the safety chain and you have 15 hrs or so on the saw...you should be ready to move up at that point just need trigger time and make sure your filling good about it!

 

[Danno77]

you will be ready the second you don't have to ask whether or not you are ready.....

actually, that's not true for everyone. there are lots of people who don't know anything, but also don't know that they don't know anything..... You seem to be a smart and appropriately cautious guy, so I'm sticking with my original statement. as for those other people: they should probably never even use a chainsaw....

 

[webie]

I bought a new MS 390 with muffler mod and 16 inch bar off eBay about a month ago. Haven't had time to fire it up yet. I've been hoping to find a nearby dealer where I could ask questions and get parts and supplies and have repairs done, if ever needed.
Yesterday I was driving through a little town about 15 miles from my house and swung into the Western Auto store for a can of spray paint. I noticed the "Stihl" sign in the window. They had all kinds of Stihl products and about a dozen various saws on display: 190, 290, 390 among others. The 390 had a 24" or 25" inch bar on it. They had a great selection of chains, bars, oil, files, etc. The place is run by two ladies and they both seemed to really know their stuff. I told her what I had and she showed me the different chains and bars I could use. I may go up to a 20 incher someday. Don't need anything bigger than that. She had the yellow chains right on the shelf but expressed her concern about my using it because I had told her that I was not real experienced yet. She didn't refuse to sell me one though, if I decided I wanted one. They carry the full line of parts and do repairs on site. She pulled three sprockets out: one new, one sorta worn and one FUBAR'ed, and encouraged me to watch for wear on my sprocket.
She even gave me a brief lesson on manual sharpening. I bought a Stihl sharpening kit from her.

She definitely has my parts and repair business in the future. Nice to know someone like that is nearby.

I had a new stihl dealership come into my area about 10 years back . I thought oh great nice and close by. It was a nice new fancy store all the saws and chains and bars out on display , seemed to have most of the common replacement parts , Guy in there seemed to know a lot . I was out cutting one day lost the bolt that holds the chain brake handle on . I ran over there , No got . Well I ordered it . 2 weeks later I still didn't have it . I finally told the guy that I needed the saw now not next year and would find a bolt at another dealer . I called my old old dirty hole in the wall stihl dealer I dealt with for many years . He says hey come on down I am sure I got one , I get there it turns out what he says is stihl only has a few different sizes and guys loose these all the time .
This same dealership if you have a real issue with a saw will actually cut with it a bit on the weekend for his own personal cutting .
If I was you I would keep my eyes open for all your nearby dealer ships . I know of 4 of them around here by me and have bought from all of them . But I really only trust one with service work I cant do myself .

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Holy crap, a modded 390 with a 16 inch bar? Do you even need a chain on it to cut through wood like butter? :bug:


I don't think you'll have problems throwing chips with any chain you put on it.

Matt

 

[Tony H]

She is right...

Right about what? The yellow chain? Probably so and I'm sure the modified 390 with the 16 inch bar and "safety" chain can tear through anything I have.
But at what point does one consider himself "ready" for a more aggressive chain? I've only cut down and bucked maybe a dozen trees. My biggest one was also my very first:
a big water oak about 24 inch diameter - Lightning strike and standing dead for about two years. I did it with a little 16 inch Craftsman. All the others have been standing dead oak and hickory averaging 16 -20 inches. All clean trees in the middle of my woods. No roads, no fences. Little danger of kickback caused by foreign matter.

So, again, when should it be okay to step up a bit to a yellow chain?

I asked that similar question on going up to a yellow chain just last week. I have been cutting for 3-4 years but had not really looked much at the more agressive chains. I have cut down a probably 40-50 trees and bucked about 8-10 cords every year. I was more worried and spent more time on my boiler install and setup.
I found I had little trouble with kickback and went ahead and got a full chisel chain for my Makita 6401 and while I can feel a little more tendancy to push back the saw cuts like crazy.

 

[JustWood]

Holy crap, a modded 390 with a 16 inch bar? Do you even need a chain on it to cut through wood like butter? :bug:


I don't think you'll have problems throwing chips with any chain you put on it.

Matt

Ja,,, that does sound like a pretty wicked combo. LikeLEE no boggin even with bar burried!

 

[smokinj]

Holy crap, a modded 390 with a 16 inch bar? Do you even need a chain on it to cut through wood like butter? :bug:


I don't think you'll have problems throwing chips with any chain you put on it.

Matt

Ja,,, that does sound like a pretty wicked combo. LikeLEE no boggin even with bar burried!

that is the set up I run with the 361 and there not going to be a power issue 65cc thats the way thing should be fun.