Stihl survived the Depression by selling washing machines to housewives.
In 1932, with its chainsaws hard to sell in Germany and exports barely begun, the company began making a motor that sat on a wash tub and stirred the laundry. Its ads called it the housewife’s friend, great in performance, small in consumption and nonetheless cheap. Sold on installments until 1937, it at times brought in more than the saws.
Stihl on Brandseum