Original plan was to use prefinished tread/risers that are the same color as the floor... thought this would be easier and was told by the hardwood supplier that there are fewer issues with loose wood with this method. However I needed to get a new installer and his recommendation is to use the plank/strip hardwood to construct the steps (i believe this is the traditional method). He advise that the solid tread does not always fit well on the step if the step is not level.

Please share any experience with both methods, pros and cons as it relates to stability, look and longterm maintenance.

thank you

You can use either method and achieve good results. If we are only doing a set of stairs and no flooring we normally use solid treads and risers, in my opinion they are more durable being either one solid piece or several pieces that have been glued together. They also tend to be less expensive than prefinished strips on the steps due to the price of the stairnoses. If you are installing a prefinished floor I would use the same product on the stairs so it will all match. If the stairs are very uneven that will need to be addressed before installation.