Echo Top Handle Discussion

[FergusonTO35]

Comical ending to this story I figured I share with you guys. You never know where a deal breaker might come from. We were ready to do something but the sticking point became buying Echo displays and the concept of "exclusive real estate".

Those of you who have seen our store know that we have these verticle cement pillars to deal with and all of our slat wall is custom cut to fit between them. Nothing is divisible by 4 and no displays from anyone will fit anywhere. Building out from the wall only crowds an already tight show room. What we have is clean, and though the space is limited, we make it work. We have a saw section, and a battery section on one side. The other side sees triple duty for trimmers in the Spring and Summer, leaf blowers in the Fall, and maple sugaring supplies Dec through March. Oil goes on the oil shelf. There's a 4 ft section of slat wall for trimmer line and heads.

And this is where I have a problem with the exclusive real estate idea. We own the walls, not Echo, not Husky, not Red Max. The idea that Echo should own 16 ft of wall space that I can't use for anything else is the real deal breaker here. Husky doesn't even get exclusive space. (Hey, you guys want to rent some space, we can talk. LOL)

But I get it in the sense that companies have rules and there are times that those rules don't mesh with the way we do things. But in our store, we make the rules. I'm fully capable of merchandizing product so it will sell.

And personally, I hate getting bogged down with nitpicking stuff like this. It's only a waste of everyone's time. So, I told them today we are gonna take a pass on Echo. Some guys will no doubt post some ideas about saving the deal, and all posts are welcome, cause we're all just having fun here. But I'm not looking to do that. When I stick a fork in something, believe me, it's done.

Geez, I guess Echo really wants to keep that place an Echo-free zone huh? I hope they don't start that crap here because 99% of their dealers couldn't do that even if they wanted to. Most of them are hardware and farm/garden stores with space at a premium. The OPE places all sell multiple lines, they aren't going to let one brand hog show space unless they get sales to match-and because nearly all of them also sell Husky or Stihl, that ain't going to happen.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Good point. Echo has never been a marketing company. They expect their saws and other equipment to sell themselves. Growth is not their corporate objective. Somehow they have survived and still sell fine equipment.

Personally, I am glad Echo does things the way they do. Otherwise, they would be jacking up prices and pushing quality down to feed the marketing machine. Or, they would be hanging out with Mac, Homie, and Poulan in the Ninth Circle of Mass Merchandising Hell.

 

[Spike60]

Geez, I guess Echo really wants to keep that place an Echo-free zone huh? I hope they don't start that crap here because 99% of their dealers couldn't do that even if they wanted to. Most of them are hardware and farm/garden stores with space at a premium. The OPE places all sell multiple lines, they aren't going to let one brand hog show space unless they get sales to match-and because nearly all of them also sell Husky or Stihl, that ain't going to happen.

You make a good point about locking up display space and maybe not having the sales to match. I didn't mention it earlier, but the program actually says we are supposed to buy $5000 worth of Echo accesories for their displays as well, but that was deemed negotiable.

They are trying to copy the Stihl program there. Their own displays filled their own stuff. Oil, trimmer line, saw chain, bars, trimmer heads. Whatever. But that's a lot of dollars for Echo labeled stuff. And their chain is just Oregon chain in an Echo package, who needs that? But separating their accessories would keep them from selling. For 25 years our oil has been in the same place and that's where people go. Nobody will go to the other end of the room to grab Echo oil.

Another way to look at this is that all that Husky and Red Max business we do takes place without the benefit of any dedicated, merchandized displays that follow some planogram drawn up buy a guy sitting in an office on the west coast. We do just fine without them.

 

[redline4]

No matter what the product may be, once the suit and tie number crunching meatpuppets who have no clue about the actual product or end use of it, only the bottom dollar get involved, it always gets weird.

Being at a GM dealership, say an out of town traveler breaks down. Now say we dont have the part they need, but say Napa does.
Customer wants to get back on the road and I dont blame them.
Per their request, I install Napa part.
GM then sees the repair order and then holds it against dealership by withholding incentives and such for use of a non GM part.
Yet we are supposed to be all about customer service.

 

[Termitebuffet]

We got a 2511 top handle for work , I'll be running it this week ..I'll post my thoughts

Sawhawgz, ruining the internet since 2012...

 

[FergusonTO35]

5k for accessories??!! The crack must be really strong over in Lake Zurich!!

 

[J. Dirt]

We got a 2511 top handle for work , I'll be running it this week ..I'll post my thoughts

Sawhawgz, ruining the internet since 2012...

I’ll be waiting!!

 

[Dub11]

We got a 2511 top handle for work , I'll be running it this week ..I'll post my thoughts

Sawhawgz, ruining the internet since 2012...

Is a corn can muff gonna fit on that 2511?

 

[Termitebuffet]

Is a corn can muff gonna fit on that 2511?

I'm thinking this may need a tuna can.....lmao

Sawhawgz, ruining the internet since 2012...

 

[Dub11]

I'm thinking this may need a tuna can.....lmao

Sawhawgz, ruining the internet since 2012...

What about a water chest nut can.....

 

[Termitebuffet]

What about a water chest nut can.....

That may be a better choice ...this saw is the tiny....

Sawhawgz, ruining the internet since 2012...

 

[RI Chevy]

Anyone try a glasspack yet? Lmao

 

[FergusonTO35]

Shteal and Echo need to read up on anti-trust laws. Forcing sellers (and ultimately customers) to bundle multiple products together can be construed as anti-competitive behavior.

 

[Dub11]

Shteal and Echo need to read up on anti-trust laws. Forcing sellers (and ultimately customers) to bundle multiple products together can be construed as anti-competitive behavior.

I've heard Makita can be even more pushy on the amount you need to buy to start with them.

 

[Stackowood]

It will be interesting to see how the T525 performs and holds up. Based on the IPL it looks like a pretty simple design with adjustable carb, no AT, not sure if it is a CAT muffler. Looks like you may be able to remove the muffler without taking the entire saw apart! Would like to compare it to the Echo 2511 as well.

 

[Graf]

View attachment 147659View attachment 147660

Could be useful as a mod remove that cross shaped thing? It is stuck on air intake

 

[00wyk]

Could be useful as a mod remove that cross shaped thing? It is stuck on air intake

Mitch, aka mweba did that and found decent gains. I did too on a CS390:

 

[Maintenance Chief]

Anyone got a used cs-330t starter assembly for not new price?
I busted the post in mine.

 

[RCBS]

Old but new to me thread. A very solid local dealer was 'forced' out of Echo a couple years back. He's got the best 2T troubleshooter in town working in there. His father started the shop out of a side garage in the early 70s and Echo was their primary. The shop was moved into town in the early 80s and he picked up Stihl around that time. Not a big place, smallish showroom. Unwilling to accomodate Echo with displayment of their full line (it would have taken up 75% of his display area). The shop evolved over time and was selling the 'best' of what Sthil & Echo offered respectively rather than having complete lines on display. Echo dominated the trimmer space and Stihl in the saws. I bought a new CS3400 off them in 1998. Still use it sometimes. Shame. Local Echo option now is a tractor store that decided to pick up their full line. I had to find a new dealer that I drive 40 minutes to get to for Echo now. They have a bigger overall shop and plenty of display area (it's packed). Echo/Husqvarna spot. Great place...glad I went looking. Only took 5 minutes chatting with the guys behind the counter to realize they are are a very reputable shop.

Edit: The manufacturers need to understand that many of us don't go to a particular shop because of how it looks or how much stuff they have on the shelf, we go there because of who *works at those shops. At least in my case that's how it is. If you got a 30,000 sq ft brand new shop with all of the big 3's full lines displayed but no one who works there knows anything about them other than the prices, you're gonna have a bad time.

My cool, starry bra.