stihl ms270: thoughts?

Hi, everyone, i'm new to this site, but have been reading awhile. i've seen a lot of posts about the ms 260, but not much about the ms270. on paper, the ms270 looks pretty good, at 3.4hp, and a touch heavy at 11.7lbs. what is everyone's thoughts on this saw? i know its not listed as a "pro saw", but how is the 260 better?

i havent quite figured out the ms 270 280 seems they are somewhere in class between the pro saws and mid range use saws.

ive debated in my head two ways to sunday on net for about a month now and i cant decide.

at first i was dead set on the ms280 then just recently i was imformed it couldnt use 3/8 chain. and i want to runn a full chisel skip tooth chain. the rslfk or the rslhk, these are both very agressicve chains the rslhk is half skip.
my saw will see propbly much bigger trees than it should.

still i havent decided.. doesnt seem to be much talk about either saw on the net, though the few that do talk about them say theyre pretty good.

Evan

I have a 270 and like it a lot. First saw I ever bought new (and the last). I have maybe 30 cords on it. A little heavy? Yes, but not obnoxious. Mine really cuts well with a 16" bar and slight muffler mod. It handles an 18" fine too. While the 280 has the extra power and would seem like a no brainer, price jumps quite a bit. Buying a 280 puts you close to a 260, which is a proven design and a very nice saw. The 270 and 280 have both mid-range qualities and pro qualities. They are built a lot better than the other mid-range saws near it in size like the ms250 and ms290. Overall, if you have a tight budget, I wouldn't hesitate and grab a ms270. If price is flexible, an 026 is a d@mn fine saw.

The only reason i ask, is that the 270 is just over a hundred dollars cheaper in my neck of the woods, and although heavier than the 260, it is actually listed as slightly more hp.

I have ran numerous 026s before. I don't think you will see much if any difference. I mine a different bar length or chain could easily make one bet the other.

Any of the 3 saws will work for you. I bet if you did a blind cut test you wouldn't be able to tell which was more powerful and or which weighs more if they all had the same size bar/chain

Brian

I had a ms 270 with a 16" .325 chain. I wasn't impressed with it. Don't get me wrong it is a good saw. But seemed sluggish when compared to my 026. I sold it after 1 year and about 15 cord. I got a 026 and have been happier with it than the 270.

Doesn't one of those (MS280?) have a particularly smooth anti-vibe system? (springs vs. the rubber mounts that most Stihls still use).

I tried a competators saw with the spring antivibe. It is not any better than the rubber mounts.

how easy is it to mod the 270 vs. 260?

MGlazier28 said:

how easy is it to mod the 270 vs. 260?

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I would say they are comparable for tear down and rebuild, but the 260 has been modded by tons of people. Making it easy to get help and to learn what works.

Much harder to mod - pretty much impossible to drop the cylinder..

xcr440 said:

I had a ms 270 with a 16" .325 chain. I wasn't impressed with it. Don't get me wrong it is a good saw. But seemed sluggish when compared to my 026. I sold it after 1 year and about 15 cord. I got a 026 and have been happier with it than the 270.

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+1 for me. I have the MS 270 with an 18 inch b/c and not overly impressed. Also have the MS 170 and the MS 460 and think both are very good saws.
I would pay close attention to what the others are saying. If I were buying another saw today it would be the MS 361 instead of the MS 270.

The 50cc class is a weak spot in Stihls line-up.

The MS270/280 has much better AV than the 260 - the problem is that the weight (and price for the 280) usually is too close to the 361 + the way they are built (for the price).

They really only shine when compared to the 250 or 290, not when compared to other brands, like Husky, Jonsered and Dolmar + a few more.

Read my take on this saw on my '270 does its duty' thread, I cut over 75 cords between Sept 07-Sept08 using mostly the MS270, had the ignition module replaced (gratis after warrantee because I had complained about its tempermental starting) this summer, other than that its been an excellent little saw. I'd shy away from the 'C' model with the quick adjust for chain tho, my prefference mind you as I've not seen negative feedback on the system. Excellent AV, sips fuel and bar oil (my saws are canola babies, np yet), and has the feel of a larger saw (iow its comfprtable for me to use).
I would rather have a 361, but for a 'semi-pro' saw it does its job well, would like to have .325 skip chisel on it (a lot of frikken teeth on the chain is a pain imho), but it'd have to be custom made and the way I go through chains it ain't worth the effort.
My .02$ for the morning

Cheers All!



Serge

SawTroll said:

The 50cc class is a weak spot in Stihls line-up.

The MS270/280 has much better AV than the 260 - the problem is that the weight (and price for the 280) usually is too close to the 361 + the way they are built (for the price).

They really only shine when compared to the 250 or 290, not when compared to other brands, like Husky, Jonsered and Dolmar + a few more.

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So for under 400 bucks, what husqvarna or dolmar are you gonna get? Not a 346xp or 5100. More like a 345, 350, 455 rancher or 510. I would take the 270 over those two. Apples to apples please.

epicklein22 said:

So for under 400 bucks, what husqvarna or dolmar are you gonna get? Not a 346xp or 5100. More like a 345, 350, 455 rancher or 510. I would take the 270 over those two. Apples to apples please.

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353 or it's sexy sister 2152

Austin1 said:

353 or it's sexy sister 2152

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Nope, over 400 around here.

And here:http://store.wisesales.com/husqvarna-35335318.html

270 with 18" MRSP = $409

epicklein22 said:

Nope, over 400 around here.

And here:http://store.wisesales.com/husqvarna-35335318.html

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I guess the 270 is over $400 as well! And the 353 is lighter weight too! How about them apples!!!

Sorry

Al

epicklein22 said:

So for under 400 bucks, what husqvarna or dolmar are you gonna get? Not a 346xp or 5100. More like a 345, 350, 455 rancher or 510. I would take the 270 over those two. Apples to apples please.

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Theres a good dealer west of me that you can get a 5100 for less including tax...