I come for GD's help in finding the cheapest place to buy a stihl chainsaw. Everyone around here wants full suggested retail price!!

Edit for update: bit the bullet and bought a new MS271.

Only Stihl dealers sell Stihl products. And they all go by the same pricing schedule.

first post and all that

Check craigslist. You might get lucky. Other than that, probably going to have to bite the bullet

Well damn; not what I wanted to hear!

Thanks guys. Guess I will have to just bite the bullet.  

I found my last one on the side of the highway.  

Even when you find them on sale from an authorized dealer they are usually not very much off the MSRP.  Great chainsaws BTW.

Nailed it. Sucks, but sometimes you have to pay for the good stuff...

They're worth the  price IMHO.

Stihl products are very rarely sold below msrp. You could go used if price is a concern or get a different brand.

1.  Chainsaw Dealer who allows Trade-Ins
2.  Craigslist
3.  Pawn Shop

I got my Jonsered from a Stihl/Jonsered dealer. It was a trade-in which he cleaned, tuned, sharpened and warranted for 90 days for $150.00,  1/3 the price of a new Jonsered. It was about 5 years old, but runs strong and well worth the cheap price.

He had some Stihl and some cheap Homelites (for those that don't want to pay more than $50) that he took in, but the Jonsered was the best deal for me. He had a few Stihl that were a few bucks more, but they were more of the Professional Grade/larger sized than something I wanted for around the home.

I learned this a few weeks ago buying a Stihl string trimmer.  It's true, just buy it.


 

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They're worth the  price IMHO.

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first post and all that

Check craigslist. You might get lucky. Other than that, probably going to have to bite the bullet

Nailed it. Sucks, but sometimes you have to pay for the good stuff...

They're worth the  price IMHO.

You're telling me, i wish they made a decent lawnmower so i could round out my collection.

Most professional grade equipment is this way. Want to shop around and price match? Enjoy your Poulan chainsaw and Troy Bilt lawnmower.

I have seen coupons for Stihl dealers in my area.  Sometimes they have sales or promos, but you are not going to save much.  

If you need it, just buy the saw.

Don't worry OP. I'm in the same boat as you, and am going to just get one. They're bullet proof.

I've also heard that while dealers won't come down on price, they *will* make deals with accessories. See if you can get them to throw in a spare chain and a case.

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Check out the classifieds on arborsite.com

Generally, a good group of guys over there. I got a very lightly used MS441 with extra bars and a couple of chains for $600 delivered a while back.  (The saw alone is about $900).

Buy a Dolmar

Give it back.  My son had one slide out of the pickup bed awhile back.

That saw has been missing in action................until today.




gd

As a Stihl dealer I can tell you this is a fact. Much like Dillon reloading presses. One of the reasons for that is there isn't much margin to work with, $40-$60 on the smaller popular saws. Sthil doesn't floor plan your equipment, small guys get net 30 terms meaning a dealer has to pay up front for his inventory. Bigger operations will get their invoice split over 3 periods.

Apply for a Stihl line of credit. 6 or 12 months same as cash depending on how much you spend. That's how I ended up with 2 chainsaws and 2 string trimmers.





ETA: Maybe CS223 could comment since he's a dealer.


 

He should have responded to all my "found" ads in Craigslist.  Bigger issue for you should be "Why is my son hanging out in Orlando's ghettos?"

Like so many have said, Stihl does not discount saws very much and dealers are forbidden to sell over the internet under their business plan. You might get a few bucks off at a dealer wanting to move merchandise and maybe a extra chain or oil, but that's about it. I've bought 3 new Stihl chainsaws in my life and one brush cutter and the most I got off sticker was $25 plus a B&C upgrade

My advice? Dump the Stihl idea all together and start shopping Husqvarna online and at the dealer. Stihl makes mediocre, middling and pro saws. Their pro saws aren't junk and they are reliable, but in every power category and in every conceivable application, there's a better Husky pro alternative. Stihl spends oodles of money every year in advertising to make you think they make the best saws on the planet and guess what? It works well for the uninformed. JMHO from a former Stihl junkie who saw the light and now purchases Husqvarna pro equipment.

If you're looking at cheaper (less capable) consumer grade saws, I'd skip Stihl and Husqvarna altogether and look at Echo. They make decent saws with better filtration and a bit better construction than the bottom feeders from Stihl and Husky. Buy from a dealer and not from big box store. If you can work on your own equipment and don't mind not having a dealer close by (this varies obviously), look at Dolmar. Pro grade construction at consumer grade pricing. They tend to be a little heavier than the competition if that matters though.

Thanks everyone!!

I bit the bullet and just paid retail for a MS271. They did throw in a free extra chain.

They gassed mine up, tested it, and gave me the whole lesson too.



You don't just buy a box - you get a saw that works... and works later when you need it.



It's an investment, and a good one.



 

Stihl dealers often have used chainsaws, typically older models.

They did this as well with the one I just bought.