I bought the wrong saw (ms250) Now what??

[Matt93eg]

Let’s cut him some slack he mentioned he bought it to clear some pine after a storm which I think the 250 would be fine to do. And now he’s venturing into cutting wood and realizes he needs something bigger.

I wasn’t meaning to come across as a prick. I re read what I wrote and it could have been taken that way although that’s not how I implied it to be taken.

Would have been better to put what was in my head as in the point I was trying to make to anyone that might read this that haven’t bought a saw yet is to sit down and really think about it before you pull the trigger.

But yes I understand he bought it for storm damage, so yeah I guess the firewood cutting came after the fact.

 

[Matt Schmitt]

Lol all good and it is good advice always research no matter what.

 

[W321shark]

Yeah I stumbled on a free unlimited wood supply and now everyone is in need of wood ha. I should just ask my friends and neighbors to donate to the saw fund

 

[farmer steve]

This is probably a Chinese knockoff.

What is your budget?

381 not sold in US. a lot of guys down under run them i believe.

 

[James Miller]

Yeah I stumbled on a free unlimited wood supply and now everyone is in need of wood ha. I should just ask my friends and neighbors to donate to the saw fund

That's how I got my 7910. Mentioned to Someone I'd kept in firewood for free I was looking at bigger saws and they offered to cover it if I kept it under a certain price. If your cutting all the wood just mention it and see if someone bites.

 

[champion221elite]

Keep the MS250 and buy a second saw. Never hurts having another saw on hand.

 

[fulladirt]

Tough to beat the Echo CS-590p, man that's a lot of saw for the money, they're all over ebay for cheap. We have one here on the farm, a 600p....never disappoints!

Another good pick for about the same $$ as the Echo, although yes it is plastic cased, is the Husky Rancher 455. Dead nuts reliable, always starts easy, smooth A/V, oils a 20" bar slick. I've cut a lot of firewood with mine the past 5 years. It was plenty of saw as I was learning the do's and dont's of cutting trees down and then into firewood. Don't let the plastic case fool ya, they are a tough saw!

 

[Matt_Ellerbee]

381 not sold in US. a lot of guys down under run them i believe.

I know that. That saw new is $1,100+ something. Seeing it for $600,screams Chinese, as the kit is like $300 and change.

 

[ericm979]

Keep the MS250 and buy a second saw. Never hurts having another saw on hand.

Yea, the 250 is a good saw in that size.

In our area there's a number of people on craigslist selling assembled chinese clone saws. Nothing wrong with that if they're up front about it, but they aren't. For the money they ask as clean used real Stihl would be better.

 

[W321shark]

Yeah there are a few clones I’ve noticed and most people have them posted as such but that one stuck out. Kind of bothers me she was selling it as a Stihl and not being upfront about it. I asked her about it being a clone and it appears she blocked me on Facebook

 

[Matt_Ellerbee]

Yeah there are a few clones I’ve noticed and most people have them posted as such but that one stuck out. Kind of bothers me she was selling it as a Stihl and not being upfront about it. I asked her about it being a clone and it appears she blocked me on Facebook

Lol. Dang.

 

[Matt Schmitt]

I sent a saw to you was wondering if you got it?

 

[SteveSr]

An MS250 is a very capable saw once you get used to all of its idiosyncrasies. I would definitely keep the saw but you might want to consider changing the B&C out to 3/8" low-profile like is available on the smaller versions (MS210. 230) of this saw. This chain cuts a narrower kerf so goes through the cut faster as there is less wood to remove. I would also recommend 16" due to the lighter weight and oiling capacity of this saw. I also like semi-chisel chain as it stays sharp much longer in normal cutting conditions of not pristine clean wood and the bar tapping the ground.

Since you already apparently need a new clutch drum/sprocket this might be a good time to consider this upgrade. You can also get good quality aftermarket B&C's from Oregon for considerably less than Stihl dealer prices.

 

[Matt_Ellerbee]

I sent a saw to you was wondering if you got it?

Me? Or the OP?

 

[Matt Schmitt]

Me? Or the OP?

Op

 

[longbowch]

An MS250 is a very capable saw once you get used to all of its idiosyncrasies. I would definitely keep the saw but you might want to consider changing the B&C out to 3/8" low-profile like is available on the smaller versions (MS210. 230) of this saw. This chain cuts a narrower kerf so goes through the cut faster as there is less wood to remove. I would also recommend 16" due to the lighter weight and oiling capacity of this saw. I also like semi-chisel chain as it stays sharp much longer in normal cutting conditions of not pristine clean wood and the bar tapping the ground.

Since you already apparently need a new clutch drum/sprocket this might be a good time to consider this upgrade. You can also get good quality aftermarket B&C's from Oregon for considerably less than Stihl dealer prices.

Best answer!

 

[T-Dozzer]

Keep it. Open the exhuast & remove the carb limiters. Makes a good limbing saw. Then buy a bigger saw for bucking.

 

[boltonranger]

Op would you mind explaining the clutch drum problem?

I agree you need two saws since you’re not just cutting pines. Sometimes hard to know what to get....

Helps if you cut with a buddy who has saws that you can observe or try with them.

I wonder if you have any members near you who could cut with you for a while.

One very economical way to go is the route some have gone with used makitas. If I recall, H-depot culls their rental units and let’s them go for not a lot of money. These saws are upgradeable to a larger dolmar cylinder and become quite a large output workhorse for reasonable cash.
Search around here for more info. If I needed a bigger stronger saw for a budget, it’s what I would pursue. I believe members that have done this were quite pleased. Good luck.

 

[W321shark]

Bought @cuinrearview’s 036 today so that should be plenty of saw and under my budget which kept the wife happy.

As far as the sprocket goes. So really long story. Saw stopped cutting with a new chain on it (1 day old) Everything looked fine except the bar was over heating. Called Stihl and explained the issue and over the phone they diagnosed a sprocket issue and I told them I would take it in come Monday when dealers were open. So took it in and the dealer said oh no that’s crazy your chain is just a little too tight. Took it home same issue. Called Stihl again and they decided it was a faulty Oiler. Took it back to a different dealer and he said no your Oiler is fine, you just have a dull chain and he explained it was only dull from hitting something hard ie. Something other than just wood in the tree like a nail or staple etc. he sharpened the chain for free for me and sent me on my way. Well that’s all it was. But I don’t feel completely dumb because delealer one checked the chain out and said it looks great and sharp and that’s definitely not the issue. But yeah saw was running great and I was keeping the chain sharp well best I could up until this incident Sunday so everything is back to normal on that saw again. Thankfully.

That being said @SteveSr I was already thinking about dropping down to a 16” bar and running a thinner chain just makes sense as well. Less mass to move on both ends. What specific bar would I need to get to accomplish that? The same one that comes on the 210? Thanks

 

[farmer steve]

I know that. That saw new is $1,100+ something. Seeing it for $600,screams Chinese, as the kit is like $300 and change.

after looking at the pics on the puter i see it's a knockoff.