I've noticing something about Stens, that I find inconvenient

[PTmowerMech]

In the last week or so, when I put in the model number of some pretty popular brands and equipment, they have nothing on it. One was a craftsman tiller. Usually, when you put in the model number for the equipment or the engine, you get nothing. But I can go to Jacks or some other site that'll give you the parts diagram, get the part number and search Stens and find it, and just about everything else. As long as you have the specific part number.
This past week, I've also found too many popular parts that they don't carry.

Could it be that they don't put much effort into adding as many model numbers?

Example 126602 0130 E1. That's on quite a few push mowers, IIRC. Especially Husqvarna. They have nothing on that number. A Craftsman tiller I just took in, they don't have that model number either. Nor do they have the the engine number for it.

Question is, if I run into this, can I send them the models number & engine numbers for them to add to their list? And if do, will they even bother? I don't mind doing it, because it's a big help typing in the model number for something and getting at least the basic parts for that piece of equipment, without having to look up part numbers from another site then come back to search again.

Honestly, if Ereplacement, jacks and some of the others had free two day shipping, I'd order from them more often. Look up and order from one site is pretty convenient.

 

[ILENGINE]

The used to have several model numbers for searching but most of them disappeared with the last software upgrade. It was convenient to look up parts sometimes, but don't mind checking by part number after I have the OEM number.

 

[PTmowerMech]

The used to have several model numbers for searching but most of them disappeared with the last software upgrade. It was convenient to look up parts sometimes, but don't mind checking by part number after I have the OEM number.

My old boss has a friggin novel of part numbers in his head. Just for fun, out in the junk pile one day, I pointed to like 4 parts off of different pieces of equipment, and he rattled off the part numbers like he'd just looked them up. LMAO>. I have to write down a part number if it's going to be more than 1 minute before I need it.
Guess I'm showing my green-ness by posting this thread. Still having to look up part numbers on popular equipment.

 

[bertsmobile1]

There is not as much profit in supplying aftermarket parts as one might expect.
And definately not enough to justify buying each & every mower season then strip it down to see which existing parts are used in the new model.
And of course the manufacturers are not going to give any aftermarket parts suppliers the full dimensions of every part either.
So yes tell your rep when you come across this.
And ask for a paper catalogue then keep them somewhere safe.
People make mistakes, catalogues contain errors & omissions and of course over time parts that do not sell in sufficient volumes get dropped .
Down here Gripskies have a full time team that updates the catalogues and we get a new paper one every 3 to 5 years .
A different team update the on line catalogue and that is done daily .
When I search a part usually one of my 3 suppliers will have it.
All of them will list the competitions part number for the same item and when I check the other sites I might find they list a dozen others original part numbers against that part.
So one might list their part against a single number and that number might not get a hit on another site but the aftermarket part number does and that is refferenced to a dozen different part numbers not listed on the first site .
You tend to notice this most with new parts where say Stens might source an axel from I Make It that is Briggs part 123456 so that is how they list it no knowing that We Used to Make Them supplied the same part that refference to 123456 & 126543 & 654321 & ABCDEFGH etc etc etc .

If you keep on then you will find that you need more than one supplier of aftermarket parts .
Prime line yould be my next suggestion for you to look into.
They do a bigger line of electrical items than Stems and are a little cheaper and a lot more control cables .

 

[ILENGINE]

Sometimes popular part numbers on popular pieces of equipment isn't that popular. There are several parts that look similar but are different enough that it will fit but not work correctly either short term or long term.

394018 air filter and the 692519 air filter are good examples. they look almost dimensionally the same but the 394018 filter on the engine that calls for the 692519 will start running rich in 2-4 hours due to air restriction.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I usually just look up OEM numbers then search that in stens. I quit trying to use model numbers. Do you remenber trying to lookup parts on scratched up microfiche ? I used to have a guy when i wanted parts in his shop told me to look them up myself in the 8ft long rack of mfgr catalogs. Now you have a dozen websites with parts lists you can search in seconds and get parts in a day or 2. Not like the old days

 

[PTmowerMech]

Prime line yould be my next suggestion for you to look into.
They do a bigger line of electrical items than Stems and are a little cheaper and a lot more control cables .

I forget the reason, but Prime wouldn't sell me parts. But none the less, I got a bunch of fuel shut off's from them, 10 I think. like 7 or 8 were bad. Left a bad taste in my mouth about Prime line.

 

[NorthBama]

A question please does Stens require a tax number to get an online account

 

[StarTech]

Hmmm, I don't think Stens have IPL look-ups or at least I have never found a link but I have only been with them for a few years. So for Briggs I used the Power Portal. Others OEM do have look-ups on websites most of the times.

And NorthBama, Stens online application does asks if you are tax exempt of not. Here it is my resale tax number. Also they do ask for your Federal Tax ID number which I use my SS#.

 

[NorthBama]

Thanks Star my local shop that i bought parts from the owner passed and I was looking for another source for parts.