Problems with Stihl ms 250

ultrarunner · Jun 5, 2022

In fairness the reformulated fuel can play havoc with seasonal users if the only alternative is to buy very expensive canned gas...

The antique car crowd has experienced problems and rubber parts like fuel pump diaphragms and carb parts susceptible as is years of varnish in fuel lines...

ericm979 · Jun 5, 2022

hosspuller said:
Used to have a hard time with the "flippy" caps.. Then I used a magic marker to spot the cap and housing where it fits correctly. Match the marks, twist to the stop and flip the cap ... Easy and fast.

I wish I'd thought of that! I'll do that on my saws. There's a boss cast on the chassis on my Stihl pro saws but I have never figured out what it means. Maybe it shows where the cap lines up.

The 250 (and 025 like I have, basically a 250 with screw caps) is the largest engine saw in that chassis. As a result the starter pulley is kinda small for the engine size. That makes it take more effort to pull than a 45cc saw should. Mine's no harder to start than any other saw when I'm fresh but when I am tired and it's the 30th time I'm starting it, it can get tough.
For a homeowner saw the 025/250 is pretty good. But like any saw if you leave gas in it the carb will gum up and make it hard to start.

ArlyA · Jun 5, 2022

ericm979 said:
I wish I'd thought of that! I'll do that on my saws. There's a boss cast on the chassis on my Stihl pro saws but I have never figured out what it means. Maybe it shows where the cap lines up.

The 250 (and 025 like I have, basically a 250 with screw caps) is the largest engine saw in that chassis. As a result the starter pulley is kinda small for the engine size. That makes it take more effort to pull than a 45cc saw should. Mine's no harder to start than any other saw when I'm fresh but when I am tired and it's the 30th time I'm starting it, it can get tough.
For a homeowner saw the 025/250 is pretty good. But like any saw if you leave gas in it the carb will gum up and make it hard to start.

Yes, the bumps are to help the operator see where it lines up. Over the years I've got used to the flippy cap design but they're not my favorite feature.