MS 250 can't pull

[Santa Jim]

Hi,

First post so I hope I am doing this right. Looked for this in forums but did not find. So If I am in wrong forum or link, I apologize.

MS 250 had for years now. Yard worker decided wasn't running smooth so adjusted carb. Then could never get it to accelerate, would die when trigger pulled. Calls to Stihl and setting it back to initial settings no help. Sat for 6 months and tried to work on it again. Cord will not pull through to try to start. What I read at the time said could be ignition or timing. Set timing gap to 0.3mm. Pulls freely with spark plug removed. No buildup or scoring on piston or walls. Can only pull cord maybe 2 inches the locks pull like hydrolock. Can pull real hard to get past stoppage, but only pulls 2 inches then stops like hydrolock again.

Bought new carb, ignitor, flywheel, muffler, and installed all. All fuel been drained maybe a month ago. Turned upside down with carb and muffler off and spark plug removed and pulled cord 6x to make sure no fuel or water or whatever in cylinder. Can turn flywheel easily by hand with plug out. Took muffler off again, installed and tightened plug and cannot pull cord past 2 inches of starter cord. Took cord assembly off and with plug tight can move flywheel counter clockwise through full rotations by hand. Can feel compression build and can move past by hand. Put cord assembly on and locks up every 2 inches of rope pull. Makes no sense to me. Cord pulls freely when not attached to saw.

Anyone know what is happening and how to fix it. Stihl corp tech support no help. Local dealers won't even answer a question if it's about mechanics or running. Want $50 to $150 to look at it and troubleshoot, and then charge for parts and cost to put it back together. Am 75 yrs old and cannot afford that. Wifey is fed up with it and Stihl and tells me to throw it out and buy a cordless chainsaw. When it is running, it is a good chainsaw. HELP please. Would love to get it running again. Have done all my own work on small engines and car engines and transmissions for 60 years. I would have a hard time giving up and acknowledging defeat on something I cannot fix.

Thanks for any help I can get on this.
Santa Jim

 

[HarleyT]

I would suggest that there as a buildup of carbon in the combustion chamber.

 

[Wood Doctor]

It could also be low compression and that requires a top-end rebuild (piston and cylinder). I have run into saw engines that seemed to have good compression and hard to crank, but they could not even reach 100 psi. compression. A new top end put them back into business.

 

[ammoaddict]

Hi,

First post so I hope I am doing this right. Looked for this in forums but did not find. So If I am in wrong forum or link, I apologize.

MS 250 had for years now. Yard worker decided wasn't running smooth so adjusted carb. Then could never get it to accelerate, would die when trigger pulled. Calls to Stihl and setting it back to initial settings no help. Sat for 6 months and tried to work on it again. Cord will not pull through to try to start. What I read at the time said could be ignition or timing. Set timing gap to 0.3mm. Pulls freely with spark plug removed. No buildup or scoring on piston or walls. Can only pull cord maybe 2 inches the locks pull like hydrolock. Can pull real hard to get past stoppage, but only pulls 2 inches then stops like hydrolock again.

Bought new carb, ignitor, flywheel, muffler, and installed all. All fuel been drained maybe a month ago. Turned upside down with carb and muffler off and spark plug removed and pulled cord 6x to make sure no fuel or water or whatever in cylinder. Can turn flywheel easily by hand with plug out. Took muffler off again, installed and tightened plug and cannot pull cord past 2 inches of starter cord. Took cord assembly off and with plug tight can move flywheel counter clockwise through full rotations by hand. Can feel compression build and can move past by hand. Put cord assembly on and locks up every 2 inches of rope pull. Makes no sense to me. Cord pulls freely when not attached to saw.

Anyone know what is happening and how to fix it. Stihl corp tech support no help. Local dealers won't even answer a question if it's about mechanics or running. Want $50 to $150 to look at it and troubleshoot, and then charge for parts and cost to put it back together. Am 75 yrs old and cannot afford that. Wifey is fed up with it and Stihl and tells me to throw it out and buy a cordless chainsaw. When it is running, it is a good chainsaw. HELP please. Would love to get it running again. Have done all my own work on small engines and car engines and transmissions for 60 years. I would have a hard time giving up and acknowledging defeat on something I cannot fix.

Thanks for any help I can get on this.
Santa Jim

If you can turn the flywheel by hand with the plug in, but not with the pull rope then there is some kind of problem with the starter assembly.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[cscltd]

I have no simple way to say this but I see it all the time
Unfortunately ms250‘s and seniors don’t mix
they are notorious for being hard to pull over especially when we get older or have shoulder issues, you may say have been able to pull it over a few years ago, we just don’t have the snap in our arms we once did.

 

[HarleyT]

I have no simple way to say this but I see it all the time
Unfortunately ms250‘s and seniors don’t mix
they are notorious for being hard to pull over especially when we get older or have shoulder issues, you may say have been able to pull it over a few years ago, we just don’t have the snap in our arms we once did.

Seniors seldom mix with anything!!

 

[cscltd]

Seniors seldom mix with anything!!

True that sometimes
ms250 I think are by far the worst to pull for 45cc saw
and the later ones made in Asia are even worse to pull over, (and they know it) but they just keep pumping them out- they should put a deco plug hole on cylinder to add a decompression valve for those who have these problems.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I sold an 025 to a strong lady (under 45) who had no problem pulling it once I showed her a technique. Don't yank it hard the first time. Instead, pull it over slowly the first time and then fast the second time. Sounds goofy but it works, and I use that technique all the time myself.

 

[sundance]

@Santa Jim
Absent the "help" from the yard worker it sounds a lot like mine.
I installed an aftermarket recoil assembly (~$13 from HL Supply). So far it works much better. Only started it half a dozen times, but been able to start it each time which wasn't happening with the factory recoil. 2 pulls (jerks and all) on full choke then off choke and starts. Haven't used it much yet. Its either fixed or will be for sale. I'm looking at an Echo CS-4910 to replace it if it goes back to acting up.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I'm 75 plus and all the saws I use now have de-comp or are very small saws..

 

[Woodslasher]

@Santa Jim
Absent the "help" from the yard worker it sounds a lot like mine.
I installed an aftermarket recoil assembly (~$13 from HL Supply). So far it works much better. Only started it half a dozen times, but been able to start it each time which wasn't happening with the factory recoil. 2 pulls (jerks and all) on full choke then off choke and starts. Haven't used it much yet. Its either fixed or will be for sale. I'm looking at an Echo CS-4910 to replace it if it goes back to acting up.

I think the big difference is a/m recoils come with dual recoil pawls. If @Santa Jim wants to do that for his, I believe I have the correct dual pawl spring/clip I'd send him, all he'd have to do then is get a second pawl and install the new spring and pawl.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I think the big difference is a/m recoils come with dual recoil pawls. If @Santa Jim wants to do that for his, I believe I have the correct dual pawl spring/clip I'd send him, all he'd have to do then is get a second pawl and install the new spring and pawl.

I don't think it will make it easier to pull. Those saws are known for this problem, I have one and this week I'll try to start it and see if I can come up with anything.

 

[Woodslasher]

I don't think it will make it easier to pull. Those saws are known for this problem, I have one and this week I'll try to start it and see if I can come up with anything.

I can attest that a twin-pawl recoil will pull over far easier than a single pawl setup, I had a pair of family members rip the pull cord through the handle on an 056 with a single pawl, after swapping it over to the dual pawl setup she pulls over smoothly and easier. Also, while I can't be sure I think that the dual pawls are the only real difference between the recoil @sundance bought and the one that came on the saw.

 

[Captain Bruce]

Hi,

First post so I hope I am doing this right. Looked for this in forums but did not find. So If I am in wrong forum or link, I apologize.

MS 250 had for years now. Yard worker decided wasn't running smooth so adjusted carb. Then could never get it to accelerate, would die when trigger pulled. Calls to Stihl and setting it back to initial settings no help. Sat for 6 months and tried to work on it again. Cord will not pull through to try to start. What I read at the time said could be ignition or timing. Set timing gap to 0.3mm. Pulls freely with spark plug removed. No buildup or scoring on piston or walls. Can only pull cord maybe 2 inches the locks pull like hydrolock. Can pull real hard to get past stoppage, but only pulls 2 inches then stops like hydrolock again.

Bought new carb, ignitor, flywheel, muffler, and installed all. All fuel been drained maybe a month ago. Turned upside down with carb and muffler off and spark plug removed and pulled cord 6x to make sure no fuel or water or whatever in cylinder. Can turn flywheel easily by hand with plug out. Took muffler off again, installed and tightened plug and cannot pull cord past 2 inches of starter cord. Took cord assembly off and with plug tight can move flywheel counter clockwise through full rotations by hand. Can feel compression build and can move past by hand. Put cord assembly on and locks up every 2 inches of rope pull. Makes no sense to me. Cord pulls freely when not attached to saw.

Anyone know what is happening and how to fix it. Stihl corp tech support no help. Local dealers won't even answer a question if it's about mechanics or running. Want $50 to $150 to look at it and troubleshoot, and then charge for parts and cost to put it back together. Am 75 yrs old and cannot afford that. Wifey is fed up with it and Stihl and tells me to throw it out and buy a cordless chainsaw. When it is running, it is a good chainsaw. HELP please. Would love to get it running again. Have done all my own work on small engines and car engines and transmissions for 60 years. I would have a hard time giving up and acknowledging defeat on something I cannot fix.

Thanks for any help I can get on this.
Santa Jim

Did you try a different re-coil assembly? Sounds like something is binding when under strain.....

 

[northmanlogging]

Hi,

First post so I hope I am doing this right. Looked for this in forums but did not find. So If I am in wrong forum or link, I apologize.

MS 250 had for years now. Yard worker decided wasn't running smooth so adjusted carb. Then could never get it to accelerate, would die when trigger pulled. Calls to Stihl and setting it back to initial settings no help. Sat for 6 months and tried to work on it again. Cord will not pull through to try to start. What I read at the time said could be ignition or timing. Set timing gap to 0.3mm. Pulls freely with spark plug removed. No buildup or scoring on piston or walls. Can only pull cord maybe 2 inches the locks pull like hydrolock. Can pull real hard to get past stoppage, but only pulls 2 inches then stops like hydrolock again.

Bought new carb, ignitor, flywheel, muffler, and installed all. All fuel been drained maybe a month ago. Turned upside down with carb and muffler off and spark plug removed and pulled cord 6x to make sure no fuel or water or whatever in cylinder. Can turn flywheel easily by hand with plug out. Took muffler off again, installed and tightened plug and cannot pull cord past 2 inches of starter cord. Took cord assembly off and with plug tight can move flywheel counter clockwise through full rotations by hand. Can feel compression build and can move past by hand. Put cord assembly on and locks up every 2 inches of rope pull. Makes no sense to me. Cord pulls freely when not attached to saw.

Anyone know what is happening and how to fix it. Stihl corp tech support no help. Local dealers won't even answer a question if it's about mechanics or running. Want $50 to $150 to look at it and troubleshoot, and then charge for parts and cost to put it back together. Am 75 yrs old and cannot afford that. Wifey is fed up with it and Stihl and tells me to throw it out and buy a cordless chainsaw. When it is running, it is a good chainsaw. HELP please. Would love to get it running again. Have done all my own work on small engines and car engines and transmissions for 60 years. I would have a hard time giving up and acknowledging defeat on something I cannot fix.

Thanks for any help I can get on this.
Santa Jim

sounds like the starter assembly might be wonky, could be the drive dogs? or maybe a bad/dirty bushing, they are fairly easy to tear apart and clean, the recoil spring can be a bear to put back in though...

A new starter assembly should be fairly inexpensive, or at the very least have your local dealer swap one on and see if that helps.


with everything else done to it, and it spins freely with no spark plug, our with plug but without starter cover, then its got to be something to do with the starter cover, or perhaps some interference caused by the starter assembly?

I did have one where the inner "shroud" came loose and was hitting the cooling fan on the flywheel, nearly the same effect.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Muffler off and inspect piston.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

It's possible the one with the two pawls also has a different size pulley which might make it easier to pull on. My 250 also has an aftermarket recoil on it, probably why I hadn't noticed it being hard to pull in the times I've used it, which is over two years ago.

 

[oldbuzzard]

Buy a GOOD battery saw and you will never look back. I own a couple of MS250s, good little saws but they can be miserable to start. I have a Jred 60cc saw with the decomp plugged and I think it is easier to pull.
FWIW, I am 73 and I have both a Stihl MSA220 and a Husky 540i battery saws. I use these saws more and more when I’m doing saw work where I would have used a 45-50cc gas saw before. The down side is the above saws are expensive, I would look at some of the other brands before buying.

 

[sundance]

I think the big difference is a/m recoils come with dual recoil pawls. If @Santa Jim wants to do that for his, I believe I have the correct dual pawl spring/clip I'd send him, all he'd have to do then is get a second pawl and install the new spring and pawl.

I converted my stock recoil to dual pawl. Helped a little, not much. Aftermarket is much better. One day I'll tear into the original and try to figure out what it's problem is.

 

[Jim K]

I too have an MS250 that has been difficult, make that very difficult, to pull (and not flood) from the day I purchased it. I've taken it to two different Stihl shops. Both shops were able to start the saw. Both repairman had arms bigger than my thighs. One told me I need to eat more Wheaties. I am a senior and have a bad right shoulder but do not have any problem starting any of my other 9 saws the biggest two being an 056AV and a MS650. I've done a lot of research on the MS250 and it seems like 50% of the owners love them and the other 50% hate them. I'm in the later category.