"German Quality": where is it gone?

[Ouistreham]

Past Saturday my brand new Stihl chain-saw collapsed as soon as I tried to eliminate some branches of a fir in my garden.

This morning the retailer who sold it to me arrogantly answered that there shouldn't have been any inherent problem with the Highly Revered German Quality, hence that I was certainly responsible for an incident that consequently wouldn't be covered by the 12 months guaranty, gadda gadda, and they generously proposed to exchange the lame tool for another one... but for 100% the price of a new one.

Now I realize that I have had lots of severe disappointments with German-made products in the past months (especially with Bosch power tools), so my question is: what is gone terribly wrong with the once highly famed German built quality? How come entry level products from China are becoming more reliable for much cheaper?

Or does that mean that German brands now simply apply "Made in Germany" labels on low cost junk manufactured in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia?

http://lawnmowerhq.com/img/stihl-chainsaw.jpg

Never More Stihl!

[gandalf]

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=scie+à+buches&start=364&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1663&bih=1021&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsfd&tbnid=GWVU91QUi-eTYM:&imgrefurl=http://www.abcelectronique.com/comparateur/maison-et-jardin/bricolage/outillage-manuel/scie/index-1-prix_asc.html&docid=wZc3dKPa0BaELM&imgurl=http://www.bati-avenue.com/media/catalog/product/r/e/rev361010.jpg&w=2329&h=952&ei=m5yGUN6-GvPL0AXF5oCoBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=175&vpy=380&dur=2930&hovh=143&hovw=351&tx=196&ty=39&sig=110504511244532014831&page=7&tbnh=106&tbnw=260&ndsp=57&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:380,i:58

This will not faill , this is green , this will make your arms strong !

[The Lawspeaker]

Made in Germany today means "Made in China by a Chinese subsidiary of a German-owned company".

[Flintlocke]

^ he said it.

[sevruk]

buy druzhba chainsaw (friendship chainsaw), Russian Quality
http://siloz.ru/sites/default/files/2222_22.jpg

[ficuscarica]

You have to make sure that it is really produced in Germany.

[Partiasn]

Past Saturday my brand new Stihl chain-saw collapsed as soon as I tried to eliminate some branches of a fir in my garden.

This morning the retailer who sold it to me arrogantly answered that there shouldn't have been any inherent problem with the Highly Revered German Quality, hence that I was certainly responsible for an incident that consequently wouldn't be covered by the 12 months guaranty, gadda gadda, and they generously proposed to exchange the lame tool for another one... but for 100% the price of a new one.

Now I realize that I have had lots of severe disappointments with German-made products in the past months (especially with Bosch power tools), so my question is: what is gone terribly wrong with the once highly famed German built quality? How come entry level products from China are becoming more reliable for much cheaper?

Or does that mean that German brands now simply apply "Made in Germany" labels on low cost junk manufactured in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia?

http://lawnmowerhq.com/img/stihl-chainsaw.jpg

Never More Stihl!

Because Chinese are not going to produce a better product for a German middle man then they are for themselves.

Dump the German middle man I save yourself some money. This is why I avoid some older American name brands unless they are still produced in the USA. A better option with tools though is to buy used older and good built tools, shine them do some repairs and they are back in business.

[Blackout]

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=scie+à+buches&start=364&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1663&bih=1021&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsfd&tbnid=GWVU91QUi-eTYM:&imgrefurl=http://www.abcelectronique.com/comparateur/maison-et-jardin/bricolage/outillage-manuel/scie/index-1-prix_asc.html&docid=wZc3dKPa0BaELM&imgurl=http://www.bati-avenue.com/media/catalog/product/r/e/rev361010.jpg&w=2329&h=952&ei=m5yGUN6-GvPL0AXF5oCoBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=175&vpy=380&dur=2930&hovh=143&hovw=351&tx=196&ty=39&sig=110504511244532014831&page=7&tbnh=106&tbnw=260&ndsp=57&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:380,i:58

This will not faill , this is green , this will make your arms strong !

If your cutting down a large tree, you would need a much bigger one. :)

[Albion]

Past Saturday my brand new Stihl chain-saw collapsed as soon as I tried to eliminate some branches of a fir in my garden.

This morning the retailer who sold it to me arrogantly answered that there shouldn't have been any inherent problem with the Highly Revered German Quality, hence that I was certainly responsible for an incident that consequently wouldn't be covered by the 12 months guaranty, gadda gadda, and they generously proposed to exchange the lame tool for another one... but for 100% the price of a new one.

Now I realize that I have had lots of severe disappointments with German-made products in the past months (especially with Bosch power tools), so my question is: what is gone terribly wrong with the once highly famed German built quality? How come entry level products from China are becoming more reliable for much cheaper?

Or does that mean that German brands now simply apply "Made in Germany" labels on low cost junk manufactured in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia?

http://lawnmowerhq.com/img/stihl-chainsaw.jpg

Never More Stihl!

Well even the German brands now make some things in China. Bosch vary a lot I've noticed - they make their low-end lawnmowers in China, the high-end ones in the UK, electric chainsaws in Hungary and drills in Germany. The German manufacturers have become increasingly multinational within Europe.
Anyway, regarding quality I can comment a bit about this (worked at places selling garden power tools) - usually its things from China that get returned the most - more often than not they're missing parts and so the problem is down to sloppy workmanship in China. There also tend to be more faults with products from China. I'am yet to see anything made from the UK or Germany returned.

Used Stihl chainsaws in the past, never had any problems myself. They have a good reputation for build quality, so you must have just been unlucky or cutting something awful like Beech (try carrying the logs after, good exercise... :D). European trees vary a lot in their grain, pines are always a delight to cut because they're usually very soft, holy is quite thick grained wood and birches are like cardboard.

So did the bar just snap or something? It's like 10 quid to replace, should have just bought a new one.