So now that my Stihl MS170 starts...

[MyStihlWontStart]

I am having some trouble with performance now. I bought it to clear off my 11 acre lot of 30 inch oak trees, a few maples, and many pines near kalispell.

I am new to chainsawing. When I get the bar into the tree trunk it sort of bogs down and when I press real hard it gets really slow and stops sometimes. It has a 16 in bar, but anything over 12 inches is difficult to cut down.

The 30 inch oaks and maples just kind of swallow the blade. I figured since it has a 16 inch bar, I could do one half, then the other. 2x16=32, so I should be able to take down up 32 inches oak. The dealer said this is their most popular saw.

I took it to the shop and they said the chain might be dull. I paid $5 to get it sharpened. This helps but not much. The chain wasn't really that dull to start with. You all helped me with starting. Now how do I take on the big trees? Technique?

 

[KenJax Tree]

Hi BA how ya been?[emoji3]

 

[1Alpha1]

You're either trying to cut too much tree, or sawing with too little saw.

You're gonna need a bigger boat.....err, umm, I mean saw (insert JAWS music theme here).

 

[Roll Tide]

Are you being serious here? That saw is not built at all for anything near that big. A 170 is a pruning saw. Limbing and small trees up to 12 inches is what that saw is made for. If your looking to do that serious of work you need to find a much bigger saw. You can't expect to buy the cheapest saw stihl or anyone makes and cut that large of a tree, much less a large number of them. I'd find atleast a 70cc saw at least for that job.

 

[MyStihlWontStart]

Hi BA how ya been?[emoji3]

I am not a redneck.

 

[1Alpha1]

I am not a redneck.

I don't know about that. Your face looks pretty red in the avatar picture.

 

[Roll Tide]

I am not a redneck.

I think you should return that saw and hire someone, your obviously way over your head with chainsaws

 

[MyStihlWontStart]

Are you being serious here? That saw is not built at all for anything near that big. A 170 is a pruning saw. Limbing and small trees up to 12 inches is what that saw is made for. If your looking to do that serious of work you need to find a much bigger saw. You can't expect to buy the cheapest saw stihl or anyone makes and cut that large of a tree, much less a large number of them. I'd find atleast a 70cc saw at least for that job.

That is what my dealer said but 2x16 > 99% of the trees on my property. I thought I could cut one half then the other, no?

 

[Roll Tide]

No not with that saw. I wouldn't suggest you did.

 

[MyStihlWontStart]

I don't know about that. Your face looks pretty red in the avatar picture.

Rosacea face. Haha

 

[MyStihlWontStart]

No not with that saw. I wouldn't suggest you did.

Oh gosh, my dealer said he sold more of these than any.

 

[MyStihlWontStart]

I think you should return that saw and hire someone, your obviously way over your head with chainsaws

How much to clear about 11 acres? The saw was about $179

 

[fearofpavement]

You didn't get the right tool for the job. Probably be good to hang onto the MS170 and cut smaller stuff for now. Plan to get a bigger saw. Much bigger. You have about the smallest saw Stihl makes. Did the dealer give you the impression you could cut a 30" tree with it? I'd be surprised.

 

[fearofpavement]

I'm starting to sense trolling activity...

 

[Roll Tide]

You have trouble starting your saw and you think you call drop 30+ inch trees ? I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Roll Tide]

I'm starting to sense trolling activity...

+1

 

[MyStihlWontStart]

You didn't get the right tool for the job. Probably be good to hang onto the MS170 and cut smaller stuff for now. Plan to get a bigger saw. Much bigger. You have about the smallest saw Stihl makes. Did the dealer give you the impression you could cut a 30" tree with it? I'd be surprised.

Well at first. He said he sold more 170s than anything else. Then I told him the trouble i was having and he tried to scam me into a $500 bulky saw. We settled on a $5 chain sharpening and he said "good luck" but he seemed sarcastic. Not a good way to treat a customer I thought.

 

[Roll Tide]

 

[1Alpha1]

Good thing about cutting thru a tree one-half way, is that if you get tired, you can come back later and finish it off.

 

[fearofpavement]

So, you go into Home Depot to buy a lawn mower. They tell you that the most common one is the 5hp push mower with a 22" blade. You take it with you and come back a week later and say this thing isn't really working out for me. The salesman asks what you've been mowing? You reply, "My golf course".
That's the scenario you are painting here...