Which saw to get started? Stihl MS 251?

[jmappleby]

Hi folks,

I recently bought a house with a couple of wooded acres and three fireplaces that need feeding.

Bought a Poulan Pro PR4218 and it broke after one usage, and was pretty slow at cutting through the 20" firewood I have in the back yard, so I took it back.

I have a policy of buy good quality tools once rather than junk that needs replacing every 6 months, which I broke because the Poulan Pro was only $130. You get what you pay for...

Anyhow I would like to buy a saw which can eat through 20" firewood and do cleanup. I'm not super concerned about weight, but I'm afraid to buy another saw which is underpowered for my needs.

I was looking at either a Stihl MS 251 or 271. Would sure appreciate thoughts on if one of these would be a good fit for my needs, as well as whether anyone can recommend a local store near Philly?

Thanks!

John

 

[Conquistador3]

Echo CS590 Timberwolf. You could splurge on a professional grade 60cc saw but you can always get one at a later date.
Start with the Timberwolf: it's good for learning all the basics (felling, limbing, bucking etc) and it has plenty of power to get through 20" of wood. Resist the temptation of fitting too long of a bar: 20" is good, 18" is better. Learn how to sharpen a chain, which is the best way to get the most out of any saw, and you'll be a happy man.

 

[Jed1124]

+1

 

[jd548esco72]

echo 590 timberwolf, maybe dolmar/makita 42cc--if you want a smaller saw-- their on flea-bay for about $229 referbed--

lots of good small and mid sized saws-- amazon sells a merrymucka? 51VC or some such that is just a dolmar 5105 for $330 i think --

three great saws all under $400--

my guess is your wanting easy starts and dolmars/makitas and echos are tops for easy starting --

 

[CoreyB]

If it is a solid diet of 20" wood I would suggest a 60cc saw. A 50 would work. A 50cc would also be a bit more versatile.
If you have a lot of work to do I would consider 2 saws like a 40&60cc
You pay more for the stihl name.
Good luck with your hunt. If you have some more details of what you will be doing could help a bit better.

 

[alderman]

I stopped in a local saw shop and asked about a Shindaiwa they had on the shelf. They said it was an Echo Timberwolf in Shindaiwa
colors.
Personally if I were just starting out, I would visit the local saw shops and see how they treat you when you are just looking.
Ask them if you can demo cut with a saw.
One thing I found out over the years, and I have saws of most all sizes is you can always cut smaller stuff with a bigger saw easier than you can cut bigger stuff with a smaller saw.
That being said I end up using a 50 CC saw with an 18 inch bar most of the time and could get by if that were all I had.

It's very important to find a place to get your saw fixed. They tend to multiply if not neutered. I started out with one and now have over 50.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[r black]

or... I have had both the ms250/251 and 271 both will work fine Husqvarna 450 455 also the dolmar 5105 would be an (upgrade) from the first saws in my opinion

 

[BenK]

Husqvarna 555, but I am biased

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Another vote for the Echo 590. I'd consider the Husky 555 also. Both are considerably better than either Stihl model you listed.

In Stihl colors you're not gonna find anything of pro quality under $550. There are plenty of great used stihl saws, though, and something like an 036, 360, or 361 would be a good choice.

 

[tobster]

Maruyama ( 2013 production Dolmar 5105 ) through Amazon for $329.99 to your door. I had never heard of Maruyama, didn't need any more saws but always wanted to try the 5105, and partially because of my experience with the Dolmar 401 and also because this saw was mentioned here I couldn't' resist. I have a Stihl 025 and while it's good for what it is, it is nowhere near the Dolmar 5105. ( in my humble opinion) Only you can decide if dealer support will influence your decision, but this is a lot of saw for the money.

 

[jd548esco72]

the main thing is learn how to sharpen a chain and learn what type of chain cuts -- lots of the new saws come with various safety chains -- now these safety chains will still cut the operator-- but their a bit slow in the wood--


the last saws i bought new was a timberwolf and a makita 6100 , the timberwolf came with a very good oregon chain, the makita came with a horrible safety chain, i talked the dealer into throwing in a new chiz chain to sweeten the deal on the open box makita-- i never even tried to cut with the box-store safety chain--

a small saw with a good sharp chain set up will cut a lot of big wood easy enough. so size is sort of secondary to the chain --

a big saw with a dull safety chain is going to be a dog-- a big saw with a sharp pro class chain is going to be a very fast cutter--

 

[jmappleby]

Wow thank you all for the detailed replies!

There is a refurbished Makita 6421 in my local HD that is talked about a lot on this site. Looks like it might be a nice balance of price and power. Will check it out and let you know. I really want to buy one saw that will do what I need... and also like it can be tinkered with

I grew up in similar conditions and whilst my father made me use a hand saw, I was responsible for chainsaw maintenance so know how to sharpen one. We always had Stihl - 017s.

The Poulan Pro wasn't right from day one though... ran rough, smoked, cut out, stalled... got a bad saw so returned it.

 

[Homelitexl903]

If you are cutting the trees on your property down yourself and weight is no problem and you don't want to spend a lot then as said before echo 590 and a homeowner gets 5 year warranty if you don't modify it for more power...which is hard to resist doing if you hang out long enough. I don't limb with my 60cc saws because I have other featherweight options but that might get someone tired. I honestly grab the dolmar 421...mines makita version for limbing and then keep using it for bucking until I need the bigger saws.

 

[Chris-PA]

The Poulan Pro wasn't right from day one though... ran rough, smoked, cut out, stalled... got a bad saw so returned it.

Sounds like it was not tuned correctly, a common problem. The Poulan has a similar carb as most every other saw (there really are only two manufacturers of carbs), and is of similar materials and construction as an MS251 - so whatever happened to it is likely to happen to any other saw you get unless someone tunes it.

 

[jmappleby]

Sounds like it was not tuned correctly, a common problem. The Poulan has a similar carb as most every other saw (there really are only two manufacturers of carbs), and is of similar materials and construction as an MS251 - so whatever happened to it is likely to happen to any other saw you get unless someone tunes it.

The more I'm reading about this, the more I'm starting to think you're right. Also I'm wondering if the safety chain that came with it was blunt out the box, which is why I was having so much difficulty cutting through bigger chunks of wood. Either way, I am where I am, so just going to try not to make the same mistake twice!

 

[CoreyB]

A good dealer will tune the saw for you and even go through everything with you. Even how to tell if the saw is not tuned properly. I know that every saw we sell we will tune for free anytime you want or feel it is needed. I always suggest bring it in every season or if there is more then a 20 deg temp swing.
I know it is a bit over kill but that is how I am.

 

[Conquistador3]

The more I'm reading about this, the more I'm starting to think you're right. Also I'm wondering if the safety chain that came with it was blunt out the box, which is why I was having so much difficulty cutting through bigger chunks of wood. Either way, I am where I am, so just going to try not to make the same mistake twice!

I have an MS231 for smaller jobs. I've abused it in ways that would have shaken to pieces any of the modern McCulloch/Poulan/Partner/etc Husqvarna tries selling to unsuspecting people. I once used it for heavy duty cleanup (long story). It still runs just fine.
Those 231/251/271 are surprisingly tough saws for being homeowner grade, but performance-wise you'll be dying of old age if trying to deal with 20" wood, especially if running a 3/8" safety chain.

 

[Chris-PA]

I have an MS231 for smaller jobs. I've abused it in ways that would have shaken to pieces any of the modern McCulloch/Poulan/Partner/etc Husqvarna tries selling to unsuspecting people. I once used it for heavy duty cleanup (long story). It still runs just fine.
Those 231/251/271 are surprisingly tough saws for being homeowner grade, but performance-wise you'll be dying of old age if trying to deal with 20" wood, especially if running a 3/8" safety chain.

I run my plastic Poulans very hard, with longer bars than most would run, and they hold up fine. If you take apart a plastic-cased clamshell Stihl you'll see there is nothing about it that is inherently stronger or sturdier than a Poulan or Husqvarna. They are just simple machines, all made from similar materials, and while some designs are better than others there is no magic to brand name.

 

[anymanusa]

I wouldn't be happy with anything less than a Stihl 362cm for firewooding. I ended up with a 441cm and it's awesome.

 

[jmappleby]

So after reading around these forums for a while, I looked for a Makita 6421 at Home Depot. All they had locally was a really beat up 6100 for $350, which didn't sound like a good deal to me. I found a 6421 locally for $300 on Craigslist and brought it home tonight. Real clean looking and sounding saw!

The thing is, there was no problem starting it when I was at the previous owner's house, but I haven't been able to start it since I got home. Would sure appreciate any advice/tips on how to start these saws? Feel like I must be doing something wrong... but it's not my first time starting a chainsaw!