looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

[Coyote machine]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

As a chemical engineer I am going to disagree with this.

Any gasoline will eventually produce gum and "varnish" because some of the components can polymerize. As it comes to the station, gasoline is blended with enough stabilizer to prevent this polymerization for about 3 months. Adding stabilizer increases this time to about a year, and double or triple doses will prevent it for longer.

No stabilizer will allow gasoline to be stored indefinitely.

The addition of ethanol is for a totally different purpose, and does not really effect gum and varnish formation. Alcohol is hard on small engines because it can attack fuel system components, especially on older systems.

For small engines, I use non-ethanol premium gas with a triple dose of Sta-Bil. I have never had a small engine (generator, saw, Kombi powerhead) fail to start even after sitting for a year or longer with this fuel. I usually go through the fuel in about a year. I keep 15 or 20 gallons on hand and try to buy in the winter since a winter blend will start more easily in cold weather. If non-ethanol gas is not available, ordinary premium will also work in newer small engines.

Other people I know who use ordinary regular in their small engines usually need to have the carburetors serviced at least once a year.

The red colored line in your statement seems to contradict the rest of what you said?
I use non-E gas, and mix it to the recommended ratio, and have had no problems with my saws, weed eaters, etc.

 

[smstonypoint]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

The red colored line in your statement seems to contradict the rest of what you said?

I interpret that statement to mean that gasoline can't be stored indefinitely (without degradation) even though stabilizer is added. I don't see a contradiction.

Steve

 

[Gary Fowler]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

The red colored line in your statement seems to contradict the rest of what you said?
I use non-E gas, and mix it to the recommended ratio, and have had no problems with my saws, weed eaters, etc.

I interpret it to mean that regardless of stabilizer used, none of them can allow indefinite gasoline storage.

 

[Threepoint]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

Timely thread. A buddy who has never used a chainsaw is looking for a lightweight and reliable homeowner's saw for use around his property. I haven't bought a chainsaw in so long my experience is out of date. (Just put a new carb on a Stihl 009L climbing saw and expect to get another 15 years or so out of that amazing little saw). The OP asked about the Stihl "adjust on the fly" and e-z start features, which is something my friend would probably like. E.g., the MS 251 CB-E. Anyone have thoughts on that?

I also appreciate S219's suggestion of the Echo CS-400. That looks like a nice candidate. Much of our experience is anecdotal, of course, but Echo made my big John Deere chainsaw that's been going strong for 30 yrs! And theEcho string trimmer that I have is great.

BTW, the advice to always use ethanol-free gas when available is no doubt wise, but impractical in my area and many others. It hasn't been available here for years, and I'd have to drive 1-1/2 hrs. to find it. And it's not exactly something I can stock up on. The local Stihl dealers sell small cans of E-free fuel, but boy is that spendy if you're using much of it.

 

[Coyote machine]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

I have a MS230 with EZstart and no tool chain adjust. I have gotten used to the EZstart, but it is difficult to adjust to if one is used to regular start saws. In my opinion it is a feature that could/can be dangerous, especially if one forgets it has the feature. for instance, if one pulls the starter cord as they would on a regular saw there is a slight delay and then the saw starts somewhat unexpectedly. There is also the need to prime with a bulb like on most weed eaters, etc. that can easily be overlooked, due to it not being a standard saw starting item.

The toolless chain adjuster is a joke, in my opinion. It is a pain to clean when doing maintenance, and often loosens on it's own. I've always used a scrench to tighten or loosen the chain/bar adjustment, and never had a problem with it. bar position and chain tightness are often not done correctly, and this toolless design is no improvement over having to use a scrench to make a critical adjustment. I prefer the design that has worked for most all saws since saws were first designed.

 

[Threepoint]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

Thanks, CM. Sounds like those features might be like the automatic onboard chain sharpener Sears Craftsman-Poulan featured with the "barracuda" chain I had on one of their saws many years ago. Great idea, but not without it's drawbacks!

 

[GManBart]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

I started out buying an MS311 w/20" bar....great saw, lots of power, but a bit heavy for limbing and bucking smaller stuff. Then I bought an MS170 w/16" bar for small stuff and limbing and bucking anything it could handle. Lastly I bought an Magnum 460 w/28" bar because I had some huge trees that needed to come down. After a couple of years I can say that I've used the MS170 ten times as much as the other two....not even close. The number one reason I use it the most is that it's light and handy.

If I were starting over, I'd skip the MS170 and buy the MS201C-E which is a professional arborist type saw with a rear handle....very expensive but only slightly heavier (.2lb) than the MS170 and a significant bump in power (2.4hp versus 1.7hp). The MS170 has enough power, but I find that I use it so much, I sometimes stretch its capabilities and a little extra power would be handy. I really think the MS201-C-E should be the perfect combo for a smaller saw.

I also use nothing but ethanol-free fuel, and stick to the Stihl brand synthetic pre-mix oil. Other than a fresh filters and a new spark plug about once a year, I haven't had to fix anything on any of my saws.

On a side note, I don't agree with folks saying that the saw's useful life is somewhat tied to the emissions compliance figures. I've put hundreds of hours on my MS170, and it still runs great and seems to have every bit as much power as it did when new. It only has a 50 hour emission compliance period as I recall, and it's gone many times past that.

 

[Coyote machine]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

Thanks, CM. Sounds like those features might be like the automatic onboard chain sharpener Sears Craftsman-Poulan featured with the "barracuda" chain I had on one of their saws many years ago. Great idea, but not without it's drawbacks!

No problem. Yeah, manufacturers are always looking for gimmicks to sell to potential customers. I guess Stihl wants to expand their homeowner presence with this type of stuff. I happened to have bought the saw with the EZstart sight unseen when I needed a saw immediately. My oldest 011 was having run issues after having fallen off my pond raft while cutting up a downed tree?! It vibrated itself off while I was moving branches off the raft. It went in the pond, and I had to hook it out, drained everything, used Marvel Mystery oil, then got it running. It lasted a long time until it started acting up. So my wife brought me the MS230, on recommendation of my Stihl dealer to replace the 011. They failed to mention the way it was setup. I didn't even know about all the stuff installed until much later. My son was using it as replacement for the 011 when we were doing a lot of clearing work. When I started using it, I was like- what the ell is this stuff?!:confused2:

I started out buying an MS311 w/20" bar....great saw, lots of power, but a bit heavy for limbing and bucking smaller stuff. Then I bought an MS170 w/16" bar for small stuff and limbing and bucking anything it could handle. Lastly I bought an Magnum 460 w/28" bar because I had some huge trees that needed to come down. After a couple of years I can say that I've used the MS170 ten times as much as the other two....not even close. The number one reason I use it the most is that it's light and handy.

If I were starting over, I'd skip the MS170 and buy the MS201C-E which is a professional arborist type saw with a rear handle....very expensive but only slightly heavier (.2lb) than the MS170 and a significant bump in power (2.4hp versus 1.7hp). The MS170 has enough power, but I find that I use it so much, I sometimes stretch its capabilities and a little extra power would be handy. I really think the MS201-C-E should be the perfect combo for a smaller saw.

I also use nothing but ethanol-free fuel, and stick to the Stihl brand synthetic pre-mix oil. Other than a fresh filters and a new spark plug about once a year, I haven't had to fix anything on any of my saws.

On a side note, I don't agree with folks saying that the saw's useful life is somewhat tied to the emissions compliance figures. I've put hundreds of hours on my MS170, and it still runs great and seems to have every bit as much power as it did when new. It only has a 50 hour emission compliance period as I recall, and it's gone many times past that.

I agree that the emissions rating is a ridiculous way to rate the useful life of a saw. Maybe accurate to rate the emissions items on the saw, but not the entire saw's life. Maybe VW could do a better job on saw life ratings?! After all they're the experts!!

 

[ovrszd]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

The 241 and 261 msrp at around $550 and 600 respectively. If you want a cheaper lightweight saw, Stihl has lots of models to consider, but I'm not particularly familiar with them.

I bought an MS250 this Fall for $300. It's the second in that model I've owned. Got along real well with it. I used to have a 210. Thought it was a bit underpowered and basically the same weight as the 250. Still have an old 018. It's a great small framed, lightweight ground trimming saw. Once you get into stuff bigger than your arm it's too small.

My current range large to small is MS361, MS250, .018. The 250 gets twice as many hours on it as the other two combined. So, in my case, cost per hours of use, the MS250 is the bargain saw.

 

[SDT]

Re: looking to buy a stihl saw 14-16" 10% off at dealer tomorrow, recommendations?

I have owned several of the MS 250 series saws and just bought a new 250 on sale for $299 and a free chain (251 is the replacement). I think they are just about right for mild homeowner work and is priced at a point to keep you from having to break open all your piggy banks. Does not have the electronic carb or all the other goodies. I also own a MS441 magnum for the heavy duty cutting I do sometimes.

Bingo, KubotaToy.

For anyone who is not a professional, the current Stihl $299.00 deal for a MS 250 is a no brainer.

Everyone likes the 250 and no one likes its EPA compliant replacement, the 261.

The 250 is no longer being manufactured so you will be stuck with the 261 unless you take them up on the once-in-a-lifetime $299 deal before the end of December.

SDT, who is not associated with Stihl and owns no stock but who does own both MS 250 and MS261 saws.