Just acquired a Stihl MS 280

[Adam Smith]

Okay I just acquired a MS 280 give me the low down on them rather it be good or bad. Ive owned several 028 supers over the years and think that they are fine little saws, Ive never ran or even seen a ms 280 so let me have it and give me the skinny on it. Please and Thanks

 

[indiansprings]

If handled with a soft hand the 280 isn't a bad saw, but are viewed by most as Stihl's basturd child. The problem you see most is that the mounts/AV set up is weak and if you pinch it and yank it out of the cut you will tear the intake boot. I see this often in the shop, folks bring it in and say it quit, most have a torn intake boot. It was the test bed for the current CM set up on the newer Stihl's as it ran a carb with a solenoid/electronic control.
Extremely smooth AV in the wood, great running saw IF you handle it with kid gloves, not the tank the 028 was.

 

[jughead500]

It and the 270are good little saws.I've had both and like them more than the ms250 series or the ms290 series saws.the antivibe does suck like indian springs said.

 

[Adam Smith]

Thanks that's the stuff I was looking for. It will be a fixer upper and sent down the road but who knows it may stay with all the other saws I don't have the heart to sell.

 

[jughead500]

I have a 280 that im going to rebuild shortly to resale.actually already have a buyer for it.the guy that wants it ran the 270 I sold to a friend of mine.before I sold the 270 I modified the muffler.it was a completely different saw afterwards and was outdoing the 455 husky I was running.

 

[Matt81]

Don't know if the saws we get here are from the same factory as the US saws, probably not, but over here the MS270 and 280 don't have a real good name. Apart from the weak AV as mentioned, over here they seem to just burn through coils. Also cold starting problems and hot starting problems. My local Stihl dealer hates them because he gets many back for warranty repairs. Also they don't seem real robust with things such as the plastic parts breaking too easily. A 028 it is not.
If someone asks me for advice about one of these to buy i tell them to run the other way. I usually steer them towards a MS250 or MS261 if they want a stihl, or a 346xp, 445/450 or even a 455 if they are leaning towards a huski. That's saying something as the 455 is a real brick and one of my least favourite saws.

 

[Saw Dr.]

Someday I'll find a nice IEM model for my collection. Seems like they were not terribly popular around here, as I have only ever seen one or two of that series ever in the shop.