Are Stihl saws as good as they were?

[ncsawguy]

i have always told people to spend the extra cash and get a pro saw. always been a believer you get what you pay for. they often wonder why my stuff rarely breaks and most time reliable. coarse ii take care of my stuff also. thanks

 

[Philip Wheelock]

The ms250 is a good homeowner saw; if it's in good shape and operating properly, why not keep it and get full use out of your investment?

Honestly, there is no consensus on the "best" brand, only conjecture and opinion. One thing that is true as far as chainsaws go: you get what you pay for and pro saws are worth the investment.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Stihl is still just as good as they were 25 years ago, same shape,weight,and technology.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[o8f150]

saws all only as good as the person using them and taking care of them,,, a simple minded joe blow and blow up a 2000 saw if its not taken care of,, for instance,, the little earthquake that i use has had a bunch of tanks run through it,, sure its a cheap saw but it does run good,,, so what it comes down to is if the saw is used right and taken care of

 

[Sagetown]

Thanks for all your replies.

My local stockist says he doesn't think Stihl has the same quality it used to have.

Are Stihl still manufactured in Germany or could those sold in uk be manufactured in China or elsewhere in that part of the world?

He suggested I buy a Tanaka.

Stihl has expanded their manufacturing to West Virginia for their U.S.A. market. High quality is their main goal.

Oops; sorry Tankpants, I see you're in England. Off hand I'd say your area would receive their saws from Germany.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Stihl is still just as good as they were 25 years ago, same shape,weight,and technology.:hmm3grin2orange:

Why change a good thing??...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[chainsawman2011]

Is stihl the best

yes there pro saws are still one of the best. then there is the farm grade and home owner grade. which i would not buy at all ms 170-ms250 are just junk with tons of chinese parts. right down to the carbs. like someone else said in this thread said his ms250 floods easy thats because of the cheap zama carbs. I have bins of junk carbs of carbs off 170-250. If you want to fix the ms 250 flooding issue just swap out for an 025 walbro full adjust problem solved. But with all that said huskies, jonsereds, and dolmar are still better than stihl because parts prices. stihl keeps everything in patent for 10 years so by the time aftermarket parts come out half those saws are in the landfill already.

 

[dozerdan]

Stihl can make a good saw.

I cut up my first wife with a Stihl.

Later
Dan

 

[qbilder]

I love my cheap, plastic, junker, homeowner saws. They start every time, run hard, and always cut. I have an old 029 that reminds me of an old Ford 300 straight six. It simply won't die. It's a $65 thrift shop saw that just will not quit cutting. My 390 runs & cuts like 64cc's should, thanks to some mod & retune advice I got from the forum. I run a 20" bar on the 029, 25" on the 390, and within their respective sizes they cut just as well as my 084 monster. The 084 bulls through a 48" log the way the 390 does a 24" log, the way the 029 does a 15" log. I cut for my sawmill, which focuses on gnarly, burled, crotchy, figured, hard stuff. I'm real specific about what I cut. The softest wood I normally cut is hard maple, which I fell/buck most all of those with the 029. Nothing about how I work my "homeowner" saws fit the marketed category of "homeowner". But yet they do the job, do it well, and do it every time. They start easy & run strong. Aside from bars & chains or modding my 390, the only repair I have ever needed was the 029 tank vent tube fell off/lost & needed replaced, and the 390's chain guard cracked in a fall. For junkers they serve me well.

 

[tallguys]

Like most things, there are cheap entry level items and there are also much better quality higher end items, sometimes some in between.

I don't care for Stihl's entry level saws but they work. I have a BIL who abuses just about all his tools and hasn't yet killed off his 170.

Personally, I think your local dealer is certifiably nuts suggesting Tanaka over Stihl, but that's just my 2 cents.

 

[hoss]

Hi,

I'm thinking of replacing my ms250 with a new saw of similar size etc. my local supplier says he doesn't rate Stihl saws these days. Previously I would only have bought a Stihl but he's got me thinking.

Are Stihl still the best?


Thanks for your thoughts!

Well I don't know if this is a complete example and it is just one model, but since it is one of the top end models I think it applies a bit here.
Original square top 066 Magnum Dual Port (exhaust)=7.8hp
New 660 (single port exhaust)=7hp
I know the new ones are more EPA friendly and adding a dual port cover to a new 660 will get some of that back, but still an important difference, especially in production cutting (or armchair racing).

 

[StihlNAlberta]

Stihl saws are fantastic German engineered pieces of equipment, however anything brand spanking new is gonna cost ya mucho $$ when sometimes one mans junk is another man's treasure. You can find a used Stihl 044 and 066 fairly easily around here, with a little "know how" and some patience you can have a great running saw that will last you a good many years; without having to fork out a ton of cash.

 

[hoss]

Stihl saws are fantastic German engineered pieces of equipment, however anything brand spanking new is gonna cost ya mucho $$ when sometimes one mans junk is another man's treasure. You can find a used Stihl 044 and 066 fairly easily around here, with a little "know how" and some patience you can have a great running saw that will last you a good many years; without having to fork out a ton of cash.

You speak the truth.:msp_thumbup: I can say this cuz Homelite and Mcculloch are outta the pro saw picture now.

 

[1Alpha1]

On 2nd thought, just get a 261 and be done with it. Then forget you ever heard of this place.

That's what I did. :msp_thumbup:

 

[Whiskers]

That's what I did. :msp_thumbup:

Welcome back dano, haven't seen you around here in a while.

 

[struggle]

Welcome to this site and let us know what you buy as I'm sure we can help you make it run stronger and last longer than if it were left stock.

Anything I buy new will be Stihl for good reason.

 

[CATDIESEL]

They were good to begin with?

can you remind us all what it is that mcculloch has had to offer in say..the last 20yrs.:msp_biggrin:

 

[Bigapple]

Stihl

I have a few Stihl saws and also live in the UK but the two newer ones that I have are certainly not in the same class of an old 058 that I have it just keeps cutting away. There is quite a few comments regarding entry level saws but at the price that a Tanaka sells for in the UK it is hardly in the entry level. I possess a 4501 and love it and the only adverse comments that I can make is the lack of a 3/8'' sprocket and the price of air filters. I hate to say it but in the 40 yrs that I have been cutting I much prefer the Husky my 357 is a dream to use and fast. Have just purchased a 560xp but not had time to try it yet. Re- pro saws, this is one of the things that here in the UK we are restricted with. All these comments re McCulloch, Echo etc we cannot get in pro build, just cheap supermarket plastic crap. The 3 pro saws on offer here are the Husky, Stihl and Jonsereds but even Jonsereds are beginning to be missed off the shelves. Re Stihl, we get the German ones and trust me (not just my comments) they are definitely not as good as they were. I listed on here problems that I was getting with a chain oil pump, which appeared to be a common fault and received several suggestions to cure it but at the end of the day where were stihl? They had a manufacturing fault and they should of recalled the saw or at least make available a component to rectify it. If it had been a car manufacturer or any one else they would of sorted it. What did stihl do? brought out a new model another £600 to cure it. The suppliers idea of just changing the saw was a fat lot of good as the one he replaced it with had the same problem? I definitely would not buy Stihl again. After all that NO THEY ARE NOT AS GOOD AS THEY WERE.

 

[struggle]

As always people use a broad brush to say things are not as good as they were at one time:bang:

Every manufacture has its share of problems in any line-up. Over all this will end in nothing more than a Chevy Verse Ford vs. Dodge blah blah.

Pound for pound I will stick with Stihl. There is a reason they are the largest most well know builder the world across:msp_biggrin:

 

[wilson225]

I may not be entirely accurate with my facts here but if you go back and read Brads thread "a tale of three saws" I believe he will actually show pictures of some of the P/C casting differences between an older 066 and a newer 660. That had a lot to do with how I viewed this question. The reason I bought my first Dolmar was because of the problems my friends and myself were having with stihl.