Finally Bought a Stihl

[freewookie]

Picked up a MS251 this last week and used it all day today. Can't believe I waited so long to buy a quality saw. I used to hate trimming limbs and cutting firewood with the crappy Poulan I had. This should be the last year I have to buy firewood!

 

[stuckmotor]

Isn't it nice to have a saw that'll crank when you need it?

 

[sseelhoff]

Picked up a MS251 this last week and used it all day today. Can't believe I waited so long to buy a quality saw. I used to hate trimming limbs and cutting firewood with the crappy Poulan I had. This should be the last year I have to buy firewood!

Welcome to the club. I had the same experience. Went from Poulan to Stihl. Never going back. Replaced my Toro trimmer with one (Kombi) as well. So nice to use good tools.

 

[jk96]

I've had my 026 for almost 20 years now. Put $120 into it last year to rebuild the carb and a few other minor things. 20 years old and runs like new.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

Isn't it nice to have a saw that'll crank when you need it?

dont they all do that when new? Ive always wondered about a stihl but so far havent bought one.

 

[gwstang]

I've got a Stihl 024 wood boss that has cut lots of firewood over the last 30+ years with no hiccups.

 

[TomSeller]

I've had my 026 for almost 20 years now. Put $120 into it last year to rebuild the carb and a few other minor things. 20 years old and runs like new.

I've got a Stihl 024 wood boss that has cut lots of firewood over the last 30+ years with no hiccups.

Gotta like those Stihls. Huskys too.

 

[mbohuntr]

Stihl!!!! Best saw out there IMO. Buy your first and last in the same purchase, cause you'll never need another.

 

[stuckmotor]

dont they all do that when new? Ive always wondered about a stihl but so far havent bought one.

Curiously enough my other saws ran well when new and the Stihl wouldn't crank when hot. I switched to Stihl oil and it's been running like a champ for quite a while.

 

[gsganzer]

Curiously enough my other saws ran well when new and the Stihl wouldn't crank when hot. I switched to Stihl oil and it's been running like a champ for quite a while.

I've always used premium fuel with either Stihl or Husky oil. I made the mistake once of using cheap TSC oil and it gave me fits. After one or two tanks, I poured the rest on my mix on my burn pile.

With my newest saw, I've been buying the premix fuel. It's expensive though, but the quart containers fit in my saw bag perfectly. Sometimes I can find it on sale, which takes the edge off.

 

[RSKY]

Don't store it with fuel that has alcohol in it. Burnt mine up doing that.

 

[newbury]

Stihl!!!! Best saw out there IMO. Buy your first and last in the same purchase, cause you'll never need another.

Heartily disagree.
Get one for limbing, about 35cc
One for general felling, about 60 to 90CC
And one to cut down big stuff or CSM all day long - 120CC

I've always used premium fuel with either Stihl or Husky oil. I made the mistake once of using cheap TSC oil and it gave me fits. After one or two tanks, I poured the rest on my mix on my burn pile.

With my newest saw, I've been buying the premix fuel. It's expensive though, but the quart containers fit in my saw bag perfectly. Sometimes I can find it on sale, which takes the edge off.

I've bought several cans of premix, different ratios, 40:1 and 50:1. If I'm doing CSM I prefer 40:1. I refill the cans with ethanol free gas mixed w/ a good oil to the ratio on the can. That way when my son borrows a saw I can hand him a properly mixed can of gas. And if the mixed can gets to old it goes in a gasburner car.

 

[rekees4300]

Picked up a MS251 this last week and used it all day today. Can't believe I waited so long to buy a quality saw. I used to hate trimming limbs and cutting firewood with the crappy Poulan I had. This should be the last year I have to buy firewood!

:thumbsup: Congrats ... give it TLC and it will last for decades. I use Stihl's Motomix in mine, expensive but makes a world of difference.

 

[turnkey4099]

Welcome to the club. I had the same experience. Went from Poulan to Stihl. Never going back. Replaced my Toro trimmer with one (Kombi) as well. So nice to use good tools.

Same here, Starte 1977 with a homelite 360. Last of lthe professional model homeis. It ate the electrode off the sparkplug, came off and beat the bejazzus out of piston and cylinder. Went to Poulan ?360 pro? not sure of model. Hated that one and it was a pro model. Bought a used Stihl 041. I named it "old shaky" I could not keep the bolts, nuts, etc tight in theat. Then came the new Stihl 310. Don't recall what year but it was bought in one of the first years of production. One of the greatest homeowner saws. Still using that after it has eaten a couple hundred cords.

Then the stable grew. MS361 (wow!), MS210 for limbing, then I discovered the wonders of top handles, MS192t. Two of them, I ran over the first one with a load of wood, given a decent burial. Latest is an MS441 with 32" bar to tame the big trees.

Harry, 80yoa and still cutting, K

 

[jack707]

I'll stick with HUSKY!

 

[sseelhoff]

:thumbsup: Congrats ... give it TLC and it will last for decades. I use Stihl's Motomix in mine, expensive but makes a world of difference.

Agree with the Motomix. I won't run anything but through mine. Have lost too many pieces of equipment to ethanol poisoning.

 

[davesl708]

dont they all do that when new? Ive always wondered about a stihl but so far havent bought one.

Yes most do when new. It is years down the road that separate the quality from the so so machines. I have owned Homelite, Craftsman and Poulan in the past. They were a great frustration. I bought a MS290 four years ago and have cut about 100 trees since and it still starts and runs like new. I don't expect to have to buy another saw in my lifetime (hopefully another 40 years).

 

[Bota4me]

Yes most do when new. It is years down the road that separate the quality from the so so machines. I have owned Homelite, Craftsman and Poulan in the past. They were a great frustration. I bought a MS290 four years ago and have cut about 100 trees since and it still starts and runs like new. I don't expect to have to buy another saw in my lifetime (hopefully another 40 years).

Thats a good amount of trees i havent had good luck w non pro models of Stihl but i cut quite a bit of wood per year. But that being said my Stihl 361 has been a good saw but my Husky 562xp is way faster and so far atone reliable... Ymmv

 

[blackdog2086]

Was using Stihl's back in the early 80's when I was logging for a living. They were pretty much all you saw being used on the job sites with a rare Husky or 2 being the only visible non Stihl products. I now have an 046 that's about 20 years old along with a newer 261 and 211 for light work and limbing. All 3 saws are used often and hard and with the exception of one bad fuel problem, have never failed me no matter how much I abuse them.

 

[PILOON]

My only Stihl is a model 009 who's prior life was spent in the hands of an arborist judging by the belt hook that was fashioned to it.
It thinks it is competition for my big Husky.
It is so light that I generally use it one handed, starting is never more than 2 pulls with the first being essentially a 'prime'.
The handiest 'go to saw' I have had to date.