Let's talk 1133 Stihls, MS 280/270

[Duke Thieroff]

Today I tore into an MS280 that I picked up recently, there are a few things about it that are interested. After reading Stihl's introductory document in MediaCat it appears that at the point in time that they came out they anted to replace their mid-range saws with these specifically.

There are a lot of engineering quirks in these saws that I haven't seen before in Stihl's, not that I'm an expert. If anyone could elaborate on them or offer any experiences with them that would be great. It looks like this series of saw was their first foray into some design changes. Do any of these design characteristics take place on the more modern saws?

Here is the muffler, nothing special, aside from the fact that a part of it actually fits into the exhaust port.



Now here is the ignition coil, which is proprietary to this series of saw, very unlike Stihl. The service bulletin states that this ignition coil has variable timing for easier starting.




Gilardoni Cast Cylinder





Look at this carb!
22.5mm venturi. In comparison a Husqvarna 359 (Walbro HDA199) has a venturi size under 20mm.


The Tank/Rear Handle has a ton of reinforcement webbing in the molding. Seems to be a pretty sturdy unit, seems beefy where the rear part of the handle meets the lower part of the handle as well.





Now this is strange here, the engine housing is cast magnesium, but the left half is made all of plastic. It's almost a hybrid of a vertically split case and a clamshell. It's really split 1/4-3/14. There is no removable engine pan. Instead of a paper gasket between the case halves it is a rubber o-ring, the only thing it seals is the oil tank.






Please feel free to comment or spread knowledge around. Although I understand this critter it seems a little bit alien in the world of saws with some different things I've never seen before.

Chris

 

[MuskokaSplitter]

its like a clamshell....but also isnt. LOL

 

[Duke Thieroff]

its like a clamshell....but also isnt. LOL

Exactly my point.

 

[AKDoug]

271/291 and 311/391 are similar in case design, but still different. Supposedly, the ignition system was the beginnings of m-tronic.

 

[MuskokaSplitter]

Seems to share its name with the 028 but as you said seems alien looking. I've heard they are pretty good saws for the size.

Better than a 290?

I've also heard the saw was a "stepping stone" for stihl.

 

[bplust]

Subscribing.

 

[jughead500]

Yeap I bought a ms311 a while back to see what stihl had engineered from the 270-280's.very similar.
I bought a nearly new ms270 a couple of years ago.got bored and muffler modded it.man it really woke it up.sold it to a buddy I work with to fund a pm700.i've really kind of missed it.got to run it a few days a while back doing some stumping.I really would like to get another good example to massage the ports as much as can be done and run it against a ported ms260 just to see how they would compare.

 

[jughead500]

Seems to share its name with the 028 but as you said seems alien looking. I've heard they are pretty good saws for the size.

Better than a 290?

I've also heard the saw was a "stepping stone" for stihl.

Just depends on who you talk to.just my opinion but yes better than the ms290.only fault I can find is the antivibe.

 

[nmurph]

I've got two and a half of these. I stripped them apart and got one partly back together. They now reside in a plastic tub. I may get around to them by the end of the decade.

 

[z71mike]

Not too keen on that muffler flange. Appears to me that it would slightly impede flow at the edges of the port. I'm also not a fan of O-rings. I see alot of O-rings fail in tracked vehicle hydraulics that otherwise wouldn't have if it was gasketed properly. Gaskets don't dry rot and cause leaks nearly as often as O-rings do.

 

[old 040]

i got a 270 for cheap (free) because the owner though it was blown, i found that a screw behind the flywheel had backed out into the flywheel, repaired as needed and ran it for a while before selling it, seamed to run pretty good, but just didn't need it.................

 

[MRCo.]

i got a 270 for cheap (free) because the owner though it was blown, i found that a screw behind the flywheel had backed out into the flywheel, repaired as needed and ran it for a while before selling it, seamed to run pretty good, but just didn't need it.................

I have one in the shop that had two backed off screws behind the flywheel. They seem pretty good saws, definitely better than the 290.

 

[Duke Thieroff]

I never end up seeing too many of these saws around, doesn't appear to be a bad saw so to speak.

Are they still being produced?

MSRP?

 

[jughead500]

Nope they discontinued production a few years ago.MSRP was more than the 290.How much I don't know?

 

[BTY]

I had a near new ms270 for a couple of months that I picked up off of craigslist. I cut a bit with it. It was nice enough but I thought it felt big for what it was. I flipped it to fatten my saw fund. I probably should have kept it.

 

[tatesdad]

For what it's worth, I have a MS270C I bought new as a result of a hurricane we had in 2003. I didn't know nothing about what model to get and was lucky to get a chainsaw at all. I bought it brand new for $349.00 in 9-03 I believe. I had to replace the coil in it in October 2013 to the tune of $75. I don't have any complaints about it, but I am not a professional logger, just burn wood in the winter for heat.

 

[Duke Thieroff]

I've gotten a few requests for coils for these saws.....

Must be a weak unit.

 

[GeeVee]

I too, experienced the screws backing out behind the flywheel. One managed to fly at warp speed into the recoil screen and imbedded it self, both speed and heat helped it stay there. I had been experiencing a loud rattle at idle to WFO and from WFO to idle that would quit within two seconds. Cut all day with it like that until I tore it down. The one screw lodged in the plastic of the screen took effort to dig out, the one truly trapped under the edge of the flywheel would stick its head up briefly trying to mate the flywheel magnet, but then drop back in place when the magnet would generate speed.

Mine has flippy caps and the mattel chain tensioner, and I love both features, work great.

I have rode mine hard and put it away wet. It took a one way flight from 15' to the limestone retaining wall when I was unhappy about the notch I was making at the top of a post and beam pole barn. Really, I was aiming to cause catastrophic damage, and it bounced and had no damage. The original bar got caught in the arms/bucket area on my skid steer while off roading, and while bent, is still in use. (I'm replacing it now two years later)

I'd have to say it is one reliable saw. Has never failed to start and turn in a full day of work. I suspect I will rebuild it when the time comes, I owe it that much.

 

[GeeVee]

I have one in the shop that had two backed off screws behind the flywheel. They seem pretty good saws, definitely better than the 290.

Wanna Sell it unrepaired? I like to have multiple saws of the same family, though I might be flush with that hp range, i don;t mind another. Send PM?

 

[cedarshark]

My first experience with a clamshell type design was recently putting a piston in a 280. Never had my hands bleed so bad as trying to get the aluminum off that saw's cylinder walls. I bought it because the design is very unique and so "Un-Stihl". I have it running but have not fitted it with bar and chain so I have not run it hard. I thought all Stihl clamshells were made this way, the unremovable pan and cylinder bolts from the top. I was impressed. I pulled down a MS390 over the weekend and thought it was weird !

Could anyone recommend a bar/chain setup ? Maybe 20' with 3/8" RS ? I need to replace the sprocket as well so I am open to all suggestions. I appreciate the history and info you have provided as well. Very interesting saw...may just hang on to it.