Stihl Polesaws/pole pruners.

[Paul Lloyd-Jones]

I run a small tree service in Florida, and Stihl polesaws are a huge part of our operation. We currently have 8 of them (101s and 131s), and have probably had 20 of them over the last 20 years. In my experience, they have many potential issues (apart from the engines, which generally seem to go forever), but they are a workhorse of a saw and a money maker while in operation.
I am the defacto saw mechanic for our company right now (even though I'm not really a mechanic), and now that the 101 has been phased out and Stihl is trying (planning?) to replace the 131 again, I am seeing a lot of value in getting to know these saws very well and doing repairs on them (even bent shafts and stripped bar stud housings, which I never would have messed with in the past) rather than replacing them, and I am even considering shopping around for used ones (which, again, I would have never done before).
Anyway, I'm posting because I think it would be awesome to have a forum specifically dedicated to Stihl polesaws, and I would love to start it, if something like this doesn't already exist.
Thoughts?

 

[hacskaroly]

I had customers that came in and thought the 131 was too short when fully extended for what they needed and too heavy. They were looking for something weighing 5-10lbs and extended 40 feet. How do you not rudely tell them to go back to California?

The 101s and 131s are popular, we would sell out of them regularly. People around here like to keep their pine trees trimmed up to about 10-12 feet to reduce ladder effect when fires come through. The most issues we saw were people not fully seating the shaft or the head thus the chain would not spin. Easy fix when we would show them whats up. Usually we would not see them again until they needed to get another chain or mix oil.

 

[Paul Lloyd-Jones]

I had customers that came in and thought the 131 was too short when fully extended for what they needed and too heavy. They were looking for something weighing 5-10lbs and extended 40 feet. How do you not rudely tell them to go back to California?

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

I like when my guys get one hung up and start pulling on it. I’ve rebuilt a few shafts and reseated many cutting heads. Other than user abuse, they are solid saws.

 

[Bill G]

Heck what is all this talk of the 101 and 131's I still have a 75.