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Help with new chain saw accessory please

edwin dirnbeck

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Location
st,louis mo
I have developed and am using a very unique accessory for my small STIHL CHAIN SAW. It must be tailored to a specific model.I intend to make and sell these.I would like to ask the forum members what particular model Stihl saw is the most sold. I have asked this on forestry and logging forums and it sort of degenerated into a battle of the brands. Also the professional users favored high end $600 plus saws. Any help would be appreciated. Edwin Dirnbeck
 
Usage?...........Limbing? felling? bucking? Pruning? suburban homeowner? Farmer, Arborist, Logger?
I'm looking to replace my MS-280. Trying to decide between the MS-271 or MS-291 to go with my MS-193 C-E. Most folks around here that really use them gravitate to the farm/ranch category 16" or 18". Not sure what the guys with 1/2 acre and a tree buy.
Stihl lists 30 variations/models in their current catalog. Hope your gizmo has a bit of flexibility of useage................Bob
 
If you are going to make an accessory, it has to fit multiple models and brands, and considering every chainsaw has the same layout, that should not be that hard.

I cut 3-4 cords per year, my last cheap saw lasted 6 years, just got a NOS cheap saw to replace it.
 
If your tool will fit only one model of one brand you're only tapping into a tiny fraction of the potential market, While
Stihl is a good saw there are many others: Husqvarna, Echo, Poulan, Remington and Jonsered to name the popular
"professional" brands but then there are all the Chinese copies and nowadays it seems that just about every major
tool manufacturer has chainsaws as well: Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt for example...
 
Usage?...........Limbing? felling? bucking? Pruning? suburban homeowner? Farmer, Arborist, Logger?
I'm looking to replace my MS-280. Trying to decide between the MS-271 or MS-291 to go with my MS-193 C-E. Most folks around here that really use them gravitate to the farm/ranch category 16" or 18". Not sure what the guys with 1/2 acre and a tree buy.
Stihl lists 30 variations/models in their current catalog. Hope your gizmo has a bit of flexibility of useage................Bob
Thank you for your reply. Edwin Dirnbeck
 
Thaks for the replies.

I am sure that with enough time and effort,I could make my accessory fit a number of saws. I am just trying to find out if their is a model that is overwhelmingly the top seller.Stihl has a bewildering model numbering system.Example one of their cheapest saws is ms 170 but at the top of the line id ms 150 tce. Two dealers in the St louis area said they sold a lot of farm boss 270 saws. I THINK that there are about 6 saws in this category. Edwin Dirnbeck
 
“most sold” Stihl is no doubt sub-$325 or $350 retail. Homeowners and weekend firewood guys don’t seem to go over that part of the market. 40-50cc $300ish saws have always been huge sellers. Pro saws start about double that.
 
I am sure that with enough time and effort,I could make my accessory fit a number of saws. I am just trying to find out if their is a model that is overwhelmingly the top seller.Stihl has a bewildering model numbering system.Example one of their cheapest saws is ms 170 but at the top of the line id ms 150 tce. Two dealers in the St louis area said they sold a lot of farm boss 270 saws. I THINK that there are about 6 saws in this category. Edwin Dirnbeck

I'm GUESSING the farm/ranch 50-55 CC models and the home owner 30-35 cc are the sweet spots of the 2 classes. I'm a moderate user and I own one of each..........Bob
 
MS261 and MS660 for me. But both are pro saws, and they sell a lot more of the homeowner and mid-range saws than these. The 660 is not a small saw, if that is your target market.

Hard to imagine an accessory that would fit only one model, though.
 
If this will be used around the home maybe the electric model. My Husqvarna electric has as much power as a small home owner saw. Much nicer to use in town for any time.
Bill D.
 
Stihl has always called the MS290 FARM BOSS their "best selling" saw. It has been replaced by the MS291.


Thank you very much.This is the kind of information ,that I am looking for.Edwin Dirnbe

ON EDIT,i JUST GOOGLED STIHL FARM BOSS 290. A Stihl add came up saying this is their no. one selling saw.It only makes sense that they would discontinue it.But their should be a ton of them out their. Thanks again. Edwin
 
Thank you very much.This is the kind of information ,that I am looking for.Edwin Dirnbe

ON EDIT,i JUST GOOGLED STIHL FARM BOSS 290. A Stihl add came up saying this is their no. one selling saw.It only makes sense that they would discontinue it.But their should be a ton of them out their. Thanks again. Edwin

That's the saw I have. 290 Farm Boss. Their replacement will be in that size range. 16 to 20" bar size will be most common homeowners size here in mid USA. The sub name the saw is meaningless ,though it does make you wonder why the change their big seller.
 
I'm still using an '023' that I bought over twenty years ago. 14" bar. It's had numerous replacement bars, carb, piston and barrel, vibration mounts, silencer, you name it, but it keeps on going. I have a couple of 047's for heavier work but they rarely come out of their bags.
 
It's almost impossible to give good advice, without knowing the intended application for your device, the estimated market price, and if you intend to sell through dealers or ??.

Stihl MS 290? Now discontinued.

Best selling saw in the US market? Might be a lower priced saw (Echo?) that no one is going to want to put a $150 accessory on.

Right saw? Might also depend upon the application for your gadget.

Legal issues? Most anything you can add to a chainsaw -- someone is going to hurt themselves with. Idea might better be sold to an OEM?

I'd suggest you start thinking through the distribution end first -- you going to put these on Ebay, sell through a dealer network or ?? If selling through Stihl dealers -- good luck. Also sounds like your protection from copying and pirating is to not say what it is? That protection evaporates the second you sell the first one. After that you either need patents and lawyers -- or a large marketing effort to scale quickly.
 








 
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