MS250 bar and oiling issues

[HarleyT]

I couldn't bring it back to where I bought it, I got it from a going out of business/retirement sale from a shop where I used to live back in 2015. It sat on a shelf here till a few months ago untouched. When I bought it, I didn't really need it, I figured if I decided I didn't want it or found something better I could always sell it. When I bought the thing I also bought a factory Stihl case, a tool kit, a sharpening kit, a gallon of Stihl bar oil, and a case of Stihl 'High Performance' 2 stroke oil.
I still have the case, tools, and oil. I offered the woman who bought the saw the 2 stroke oil but she didn't want it. The case cost me $25, the case of oil was around $50, and the bar oil was another $25, plus the sharpening kit, and other tools. I also bought a pair of hard hats with a face screens and ear protection for $15 each.

Not to mention the extra bars and chains I ended up buying for it and what I paid the saw shop here to try and fix it. I lost money, and the worst thing is I'll likely end up buying another Stihl to fit the case and tools I still have. It just won't be an MS250.

The woman who bought the thing didn't ask any questions, she didn't stick around to talk, she handed me cash and left. With how hard that thing was to pull start, there's no way a 100lb woman is ever going to start it anyhow. It could have been seized up and she wouldn't have noticed. She never so much as pulled the cord or looked at the saw. She didn't even take the box it came in or the operators manual.

BOGUS!!

 

[bubbajunk]

This sort of reminds me of something they taught us in marketing years ago called implied value. The experiment was to take an ordinary used car, a '77 Pinto to be exact. With 95,000 miles and no third gear. We were to each list the car and advertise it in a way to get the highest possible price, regardless of what it was really worth. The one ad rule was that we could not lie about anything in the ad. Keep in mind this was right after the big gas tank recall on the earlier models. The number of calls, the number of persons who actually looked at the car, and the number of persons who agreed to buy the car were kept track of. It was listed from $200 to $2,500. To make it short here, the ads with the car listed at $2,000 to $2500 got the most replies. Only one person responded to the $200 ad, and only $3 responded to the other $800 or less ads. In the end the car was not sold, it got auctioned off a few months later.
The 11 persons who replied and looked at the car who said they would pay money for it were asked why they answered the ad for they did when there were other cars just like it listed for much cheaper, they all said they felt they were getting a better car since it was more money.

Meaning, if you price something too cheap, no one will buy it. If you make a point of listing all its defects, no one will respond.

If the OP had listed that saw with a detailed history of all he did to it, he's likely be stuck with it for life.
I'd be willing to bet the next owner won't use it enough or won't notice anything wrong with it.

Years ago I had a Ford LTD Full size station wagon, the thing had 270,000 miles on it and about 130k on the motor at that time.
The car had developed a bad vibration over 65 mph, so bad, I thought a wheel had come loose the first time it happened.
I changed four tires, swapped in a different driveshaft, brake rotors and drums, rear axle, and trans, nothing fixed it.
I bought another car to drive to work and I listed that one for sale for about double what I thought it was worth with the thought that who ever drove it would beat me up on the price. I wrote the ad listing all the new parts and that its a one owner car.
Two months into the ad on CL I get a guy who wants to see the car, he drives over a 100 miles to come see it, he shows up with cash, and a set of license plates he tells me are off his almost identical car. He takes the car out for a drive, comes back and tells me how well it drives, and that his never felt that good. He pays me my asking price, I sign the title, snap a pic of it and his driver's lic. and off he went. A month later he emails me raving about the car and how clean I kept it all those years.
The car shook so bad it would rattle out your fillings, there was no overlooking it, but he either never went over 65mph, or his old car was far worse.
The car booked for about $900 when I sold it, if it was even still in the book. I had sold it for $3200. I fully expected to let it go for around $1500 tops but the guy never balked about the price. Or the terrible fuel mileage for that matter.

So when I read that the OP got $250 out of his problem saw, all I can do is give a thumbs up. Its the buyer's job to educate themselves and to check things out. Not the sellers.
The buyer of that saw likely didn't know an MS250 from an MS661 or any other higher dollar pro saw. They just see the letters STIHL.

Is it any worse when the local saw dealer charges a retail buyer $15 for a fuel line when he sells the same part to his pro account for $8? Right in front of that retail buyer no less. I had one dealer tell me $27.50 plus tax for a fuel hose and filter for an 029. I bought the same thing online for $12 shipped to the door. The difference is I know better, the average buyer does not.

 

[HarleyT]

Bogus!!

 

[tankman]

The low grade homeowner/occasional use saws are mostly plastic from both Stihl and Husqvarna, Echo and Dolmar saws are a toss up of both. I build the 025 and MS250`s and give them to youngsters for their first saws in my area. With modifications they can be made to run for many long years and hours.

I just bought a new MS250 a little over a month ago. So far no issues with it. I’ve only used about a half gallon of Stihl motomix and have been using the orange jug of bar oil.
I’m interested in the mods you make so my saw will run many long years. Are these something that can be done without voiding the warranty as I got the double warranty period by buying the Stihl motomix at the time of purchase.

 

[tankman]

A brand new ms250 costs $300.
And tricking some poor lady into buying it,
is pretty damn scummy!!

You haven’t priced a new MS250 lately if you think they are $300. I bought one on 03/28/2022 and I had to pay $379 plus tax. The was with an 18” bar and a scabbard on the bar and a scrench, as it’s called. This dealer was $10 less than any others in my area.

 

[sb47]

I just bought a new MS250 a little over a month ago. So far no issues with it. I’ve only used about a half gallon of Stihl motomix and have been using the orange jug of bar oil.
I’m interested in the mods you make so my saw will run many long years. Are these something that can be done without voiding the warranty as I got the double warranty period by buying the Stihl motomix at the time of purchase.

Just use it like it was meant to be used and it should last many many years. Use good gas and oil mix and mix it at it;s proper ratio and run the crap out of it.

 

[JD Guy]

Got a few chuckles out of this thread.....I'm thinking that since the seller and buyer were both from NJ that no, the seller wouldn't have any remorse about selling the saw for almost new price and the lady that purchased it was probably getting it for someone else who needed it to dispose of a body

 

[HarleyT]

You haven’t priced a new MS250 lately if you think they are $300. I bought one on 03/28/2022 and I had to pay $379 plus tax. The was with an 18” bar and a scabbard on the bar and a scrench, as it’s called. This dealer was $10 less than any others in my area.

At the time of my posts, they had a pallets of those on sale for $299 each,

2 and 1/2 years ago!

 

[HarleyT]

I will not try to predict prices over 2 years in advance.
At that time they supposedly were going to discontinue that model.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I just bought a new MS250 a little over a month ago. So far no issues with it. I’ve only used about a half gallon of Stihl motomix and have been using the orange jug of bar oil.
I’m interested in the mods you make so my saw will run many long years. Are these something that can be done without voiding the warranty as I got the double warranty period by buying the Stihl motomix at the time of purchase.

Any modifications to a new saw under warranty would certauinly void that warranty if there ever was a problem with the engine or supporting components. Modifications are illegal to EPA specifications

 

[sundance]

The OP said he paid $130 for the saw new. After the alleged issues he cobbled an (apparently) untested fix and sold it as almost new for $250. Note that he kept all the extras he so carefully detailed the purchase prices of.

While I agree a buyer should do their due diligence I also think lying by omission about known problems to an unsuspecting purchaser is flat out wrong.