I'm probably going to be getting a new saw in the next month or so. Does anyone have any experience with Stihls MS250/251 or MS271 chainsaws? I'm probably sticking with an 18" chain, although a 16" would probably be ok too. I'll just be cutting my own firewood mostly, maybe 4 or 5 ricks a year. I don't want a bigger saw because of physical limitations. I have always used Husqvarna in the past, but I've read a little too much negative stuff about their newer saws. I wouldn't mind going with a commercial grade saw too if the price isn't double. Thanks for any info!

my best saw is an old 029 farm boss,  I have a newer 390 something and an 024 I think.  the 391 revs fast but seems to not have as much low end torque as the old farm boss.  the 024 doesn't have enough guts for me.  I would look at the 271 farm boss and the 291 and put a 18" bar on it.  they rev fast and will kick.  I am 63 and make sure I have my chainsaw chaps on.  those saws are no joke.  I burn about that or a little more every year.  good luck,  I don't think you will be disappointed with a stihl.  I have never had them not start and have been put up for 3 years at a time with fuel in them.  the farm boss is at least 25 years old. use the synthetic oil

I'm right behind you at 62, lol. I don't want to get anything too big powerful, but I'm not going too small either. I'll take a look at the 271 Farm Boss next time I get a chance. I think that's the biggest I would want to go, and that may be pushing it. I haven't looked close at them in a few years because I quit burning wood, that's changed again, and it's a good thing, love my wood stoves. Thanks!

I've had an MS270 for over fifteen years BUT the little MS180 EZ is my goto saw. It is plenty of saw for us around our place and the 270 is getting heavier every year. The 270 IS a beast however. The 180 goes with us on trips in the MotorHome and went INSIDE the truck with us last weekend as we traveled in the snow/ice event just in case.

Stihl all the way.

Can't spell for shit.

Stihl MS261

I guess I should have said I am looking at Echo saws also, but everyone likes Stihl's so far...thanks everyone.

for the win

I love my MS250, but can't tell ya why.  I'm always fixing or replacing something on it, and it's been a bitch to start since it was new (and yeah, I know how to start a Stihl).  I picked up a Husky 450 Rancher that always runs and adds a couple of inches of bar, but I like having two saws anyway.

I'm actually looking at battery saws now.  The Stihl MSA 300 and Husky 540i XP are both battery saws that give low-end gas saws a run for their money, with none of the hassle.  Not cheap though.

Have a stihl 025 and 77yr dad runs it fine but it does get heavy after awhile for him.
Can be a bear for him to start at times.

I got ms170 for him and he can use it all day. Dealer was out of the 180s.
Can do a little hot rodding on them.

Also have a Jonsered 2245 that has compression release that he can start but the choke system goofs him up at times.
(It is equal to a husky 445/450)
With a light weight bar it balances nice.


Echos are a fine saw.


If you have a good dealer go with what they sell.

As other have mentioned get the MS-261 series saw, it's one of the best buys in the Stihl Professional Series line. If you want the saw to last you your lifetime, get a professional series.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/

The only ones that I saw online were $690.00 to 720.00(ish). That is a little more than I want to spend. Would like to keep it in the $400.00 range, with $500.00 pretty much being my max. But they looked like good saws.

I wish I would have done that 40 years ago, lol.

After life-long use of various Stihls (and one Jonsered), I picked up an Echo CS4910 (I think that's the model number) last year.   It's light for its size, easy to start, and has been problem free.   I'm not getting rid of my Stihls, but would buy another Echo based on that example .

When comparing saws make sure to compare the CCs and weight of the powerhead.   With the limited firewood use, my opinion is you're not going to go wrong sticking with a major brand as long as you select the right size powerhead for your needs.

Buy Once.  Cry Once.  Up your $$$ amount.  You will not regret it.

Another vote for a 261c-m

I recently ordered 5 as replacements for my shop, they were just under $600, I think $590 IIRC

Check the horsepower:weight of the 261 vs more homeowner oriented models. The other saw that was available was a Stihl 311. It’s a 60cc saw but the same hp as the 261 yet 30% heavier!

I do think the 261c-m is probably the best firewood saw out there right now.

I own a 271, 661 and a 881. I cut around 12 cords a year and use the 271 and 661 weekly on the farm.

271 is a fantastic saw and you won’t regret buying it. Get a 18inch bar and keep the chain sharp.

Now if you can afford it a 261 is the way to go for you. It’s lighter and more powerful.  Now it’s up to you if you want to spend the extra $.

I've got a MS250 and it is more chainsaw than I honestly need (semi-annual firewood and storm cleanup). I went into the ACE Hardware set on a 261 but the sales guy talked me down to reality. Had it for a few years and zero issues thus far. It is light, handy and fast.

I'd buy the brand that had the closest dealer to you.

For what you’re describing I would buy a 261 and never look back. I’ve run a lot of different saws in different size ranges and nothing compares to this for power to weight ratio. I also have a 250 and always grab the 261 if I’m doing serious cutting.

This

I've never run a 26 series (026/260/261 etc.), but these threads always brag them up.  I have no doubt they are great saws.  The 25 series often get snubbed because they are homeowner grade (as oposed to pro).  I know a fair amount of folks that cut a shitload of wood with 25 series saws, so I absolutely would not rule them out.

If Husky and/or Echo had a closer or more dependable service sales/service shop, I wouldn't rule either of them out.

This. I have Husky and Stihl. Best advice I ever got was get the best saw you can afford and get the longest bar it will run. If you have to limb a lot, the long bar will save your back.  Plus, most of my cutting is pretty big stuff.

Thanks everyone. I'm probably going to narrow it down to the MS250, MS271, and the Echo EC400(I think that's right). The MS261 sounds like a great saw, but I just can't justify the money right now. I may have 2 years or 10 years of wood cutting left in me, so that's a factor in my decision also. I've been cutting my own wood for 35 years, with a 5- or 6-year break, so I haven't kept up with the quality of the saws. My Husky 350's worked good for years, but they need some repairs now and I would just as soon buy a new saw as put the money into them. Who knows, in the next month I may decide to spend the money on the MS261 also..

I'll vote for the 261 too.

I've got a 271 that was my primary saw for a couple years, I've since upgrade to bigger saws (362, 500i).....this year I bought a 261 and it's an awesome saw.  It really can't be beat for the weight vs power.....my 271 has been sitting collecting dust for 3 years.

It also has the decompression feature, which doesn't do me any good but my wife loves it....it really makes the saw easy to pull, if that's important to you.

FWIW, I would recommend using the decompression on your saw when starting even if you don't feel like you need it. Takes stress off the starter components.

Haven't had issues with my 261, though it's not that old, but I have had the starter pawl wear out on a Stihl saw before that did not have a decompression button.

I have a few Husky pro saws and been very happy with them. 372XP,262XP, and a 265 XP clearing saw.

Last year I bought an Echo  CS-4910, the lightest 50cc saw out there. It's been great and is now my most used saw. They sell for about $380 and are an awesome bang for the buck.

https://www.acmetools.com/echo-commercial-chain-saw-gas-rear-handle-18in-cs-4910-18/743184022467.html

Stick with their pro stuff.

MS261

If you're looking at Echos, then buy their professional version.  I bought this CS-501P last summer; it's a great mid-weight 50 cc saw that's a bit more budget friendly:

https://www.echo-usa.com/chainsaws/cs-501p

Are they made in china now? Everything I have read says the engines are made in Japan, and all the other parts, and assembly is done in the U.S. That saw said made in china though. Thanks, that is one I was looking at, the CS400 was the wrong one.
ETA: 10.4 lbs. is light for a 50CC for sure, that sounds good.

You and Kerry are making this harder, LOL. That sounds like a good saw also, and only 10.6 lbs.

I have a 260 Pro with an 18 inch bar.  It's been a solid saw.  Not too heavy, but fast and reasonably powerful.  An 18 inch saw has limitations...as you likely know.  


On Stihl saws, sometimes it makes sense to look at the Pro Series saws.  You can get more power for less weight.  

Pretty sure mine says made in Japan on it. I would look but I am hours away. I will add the 4910 also has a nice compression release for starting. I know I have used the shit out of it for a year and am very happy with it. I don't think you can beat it for the money. I own 180 acres of Forrest and a sawmill, so I do a lot of cutting with a saw, and my Echo is used the most nowadays, mostly because of the power-to-weight ratio. It's about the same size as a 40cc Poulan Wild thing.
I noticed you are also in OK. I run a 16" bar on mine, and 18" bars on my other bigger Husky's. Around here I have never needed a bigger bar than 18" and 16" would do over 95% of the work.

(Yamabiko Corporation of Japan makes ECHO chainsaws. Originally, Kioritz owned and manufactured the ECHO chainsaws. But later, they merged with Shindaiwa Corporation to form Yamabiko Corporation. The company maintains a Japanese standard for manufacturing chainsaws.)

If you buy Stihl, I would defintely go with the Professional line...which in your size would be the 261.

If you're not willing to spend that money, I would go with Echo.  I think Echo makes a better non-professional saw than Stihl's home owner saws.  


This is assuming you either have the ability to work on the saws yourself or both Echo and Stihl have shops by you.  If you only have Stihl shops, go ahead and get the 271.



For cutting some firewood every year, you're not going to wear out any of these saws assuming you know how to maintain a saw.  Keep the chain sharp.  Learn how to hand file.  It doesn't take that long (espeically on a 18" bar) and you will never, ever, have a dull chain.  All you need is a round file with you in the field and you can run sharp chain all day long.  If you dip your tip in the dirt even for a second, sharpen the chain.  If you hit a rock, or steel, or whatever, sharpen the chain.  If you run 2 tanks of gas through the saw and do none of those things, sharpen the chain (more of a touch up here though).  Get a depth gauge filing guide and use it.  There is absolutely zero reason to not know how to sharpen with a file.  None.  Well...besides pure laziness I guess...

Cutting with a dull chain is the next fastest way to destroy a chainsaw besides straight gassing it.

"There is iron in your words of death for all Comanche to see, and so there is iron in your words of life."


And speaking of sharpening a chainsaw, here is an outstanding tool:   https://www.pferd.com/media/PDF-tr/brochures/products/201/brochure-chain-saw-sharpener-cs-x-2020-web-en.pdf  Stihl has their version as well.

If you only got two years left, get the best. 500i.

I'll check into that sharpening tool. I never really messed around too much with sharpening, just kept several chains and had them sharpened at a shop. It wasn't too much at one time, now it's a third the price of a new chain. As far as getting a saw worked on there are places pretty close that work on Husky, Stihl, and Echo for sure. I hopefully will be able to buy from a place that works on whatever I end up buying this time.

This.  Life is too fucking short to deal with a shitty chainsaw.

All right, it's the Stihl MS500i professional or bust! It's only $1875.00. I could put another hole in my head easy with that one..

Glad I got mine when I did for $1k.  Sold my 462 for $700 to a buddy (which I was seeing them selling on craigslist for a grand).

It's an epic saw.  Incredibly light, super fast rev, and a ton of power once it's broke in.  


Also, I wouldn't bother with those 'all in one' style sharpeners.  I've used them, and I think it's easier and faster to use a round file.  Just my opinion obviously...plus, with a round file, you can file for the wood you're cutting.  Soft wood, you can get a lot more aggressive with the angles and file the depth gauges more.  This will cut a lot faster.  If you're in hard wood, you can dial it back.  More durable angles to keep the chain sharp longer in hard or dirty wood.  

With an all in one...it's whatever they decide to give you for angles and depth gauge.

Do it!!!

Please note that I didn't bold the MS500i part.  My comment was about agreeing with the "buy a pro saw".

Good luck1

I have a 025 and a 029.  The 029 likes to bog down and die at idle sometimes.  It always starts right back up, but it is somewhat annoying.  I've never touched the carb.  Should I just bump the idle up a hair?

The 025 has always run well, but it likes to start cutting in an arc down and to the left.  I don't know why.

If you only have a few year of running a saw left in you it’s time for a nice light 261 C-M. Still has plenty of power. I have a couple 500i’s and while I love them, they can get heavy using them all day.

I didn't notice that...I also hope that everyone knows I am joking about that saw. Thankfully I've never needed one that big.

Yeah, that was just a joke...I haven't looked at any yet, but I'm leaning toward the Stihl 261 if I decide to spend that much, and the Echo CS501p. I have time to look and decide so it may be a month before getting one. I would like to find some kind of a promotion where you get a free case or something, or at least a hat.

I have a Stihl MS250 and I hate that saw. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's one of those saws that tries to do a little bit of everything, but ends up not being good at anything. It's either too big, or too underpowered for almost everything. I've since realized having two saws, a big and a small one, would really be a much better way to go.

If I'm cutting trees, firewood, etc. the MS250 is constantly a struggle. It's underpowered and is constantly bogging in large trees. However, if I'm cutting small limbs, etc. it's too big and gets heavy trying to use it all day. It really just doesn't do either task well.

I later bought an MS180 and that's when I realized it's much better to have two multiple saws that did great at their intended task. It's really just phenomenal at its intended job. When limbing, it's much easier to hold for long periods of time, easier to use leaning out of a tractor bucket, easy to toss on the atv, walk through the woods with, etc. It works great for the small stuff and really outshines the 250. Similarly a larger saw works significantly better both felling and bucking full size trees. Then pick up the 180 for limbing.

If you are going to limit yourself to Stihl and a single saw, I really think you need to spend the money on a 261 as others have suggested here.

I don't own one, but if you aren't set on Stihl, I also think you get much more for the money with Echo. I have several family members that have switched in recent years. Up until the latest batch of new saws, many of their homeowner grade saws were still magnesium cased rather than clamshell designs. They are just better built for less money.

The other benefit is that they are much easier to get parts for. With Stihl you're stuck going through you're local dealer for parts. Most of which suck and don't have much interest in getting you parts in my experience. They are strict about no online sales, so online you're limited to aftermarket junk, or parts that are significantly overpriced on eBay, where you still end up dealing with people sending you counterfeits. I really do love Stihl products, but forcing you to drive to a local dealer to buy parts rather than allowing you to have them shipped to your door is a massive pain in the ass. It took me multiple dealers to even find one that would get me the parts when I rebuilt my 250. I finally found a decent one that isn't too far away, but they almost always still have to order the part. But the time I call them to order it, drive to get it, wait for them to ring me up, and drive back home, I almost never spend less than an hour. It would be significantly more convenient to spend 5 minutes ordering it online and having it show up. Out of the dealers in this area, the rest have been even worse deal with.

I really do love Stihl products, but their lack of online part sales makes it likely that my next saw is probably going to be another brand.

I didn't even know they didn't have online parts available. Only times I can remember needing Stihl parts, and it's not been often, I did just go to one of the local dealers. I didn't even check online.

Yeah, no online parts. They won't let the dealers sell online either. It's quite odd in this day and age.

Thanks for that info. The MS250 was on the possible list, but right now I am leaning heavily toward the Echo CS501p(thanks to Merlin). There are a lot of good reviews on it, and it's one of the lightest in it's class. I have a 14" Stihl, but I don't remember what size it is. I have it loaned out to a good friend right now. It's just a bit too small, although it cuts good. Starting out neither Stihl 261 or the Echo 501 were on my list. Thanks to everyone for some good advice.

Here's a good video for you showing the difference between saws.