If the 025 line of saws isn't holding up for you why would you punish yourself with buying 5? How many of your 025 saws did you buy new?
What's this? The Stihl inquisition?
Long story on this series of saws. The first one (210, AKA: the Saw From Hell) was the topic for several threads on AS over a year ago... those threads were removed and some people were banned as a result, lots of flame wars errupted, and I got AS infraction points for it, yadda yadda. I will not/cannot comment fiurther, or go into any more detail than that.
Basic need here was for smaller lighter saws that are not TH, the GF could use, and good for thinning and limbing. We have 85 acres of tree stands here. Mixed species. We are thinning about 10 acres of oak stands removing all the firs, and thinning another 20 acres of firs, as well as dropping a lot of snags and other trees. I need and use a variety of saws on a daily basis; I try to use the smallest saw I can for arthritis, strain and fatigue. GF also can only handle a saw up to about 40cc. She is a featherweight.
So... I bought the 210 (from Hell) on Ebay, had problems, bought a 250 parts saw to fix it with, 250 was a good runner, fixed it instead, it blew a bearing and the clutch grenaded the case. Bought the 025 near new to replace it, needed a second smaller saw last summer to thin a lot of trees here with. Subsequently bought a 230 with a scored cylinder to fix the 210, and another 025 on Ebay that was cheap becasue the seller did not know what it was. Also got another good 025 engine and body/tank on Ebay for cheap. Have a box of parts for these saws now. Only good thing about them is that the 210/230/250 and 021/023/025 saws all have interchangable parts. I have sold 2 of them on Ebay in various states, have 3 here now. I can strip one blindfolded now I think. Toys, have to be levered, jammed, crammed, eased, shoved, and pressed into place. Weird design. I do not like working on them, I just seemed to have fallen into a 210-saw from Hell trap with them.
For now we are still using them, but I want to replace them, as the more I use them and have to keep fixing them, the less I like about them. They are cheap saws. In my opinion, they really suck. OK? Even the 025 does not drive a .325 bar and chain very well, and I flipped it out to a 3/8 picco LP a few weeks back. The oil pump is a joke, not adjustable, handles are cheap plastic, and the little plastic oil elbow on the bottom of the saw??? Another weak and leaky point. Never mind the jam and shove it together design. They do not tend to stay in tune, and need adjusting a lot. I muffler modded the 210 and it runs better. Only takes a large screwdriver to open the muffler shark gills and then trim the tab off the H screw on the carb and richen it up. Also I use only premium fresh gas, Mobile synthetic oil, and NGK plugs.
I had an 026 that my brother has now. Not too thrilled with it, nearly the price (and weight) of a 361 new, I would much rather have a second 361. Still need a 10 pound saw for trimming, thinning and cutting tops off trees, up to 5 inches in diameter. I have complained on this and other sites that there should be a baby 35cc saw that is built like a 361 for pro use. There is not one that I have found yet. I am hoping that the new Dolmar PS-350 or PS-420 will fill the ticket. Easy starting, 10 pounds, metal engine case, inboard clutch, adjustable oiler, spring mounts for less vibe, light and nimble, and built to last and be used a lot. The 200 and 192 have too much plastic for me. Dolmar 401 oil and gas filler ports are just too small; also has an outboard clutch and single bar nut.
Anyway, that's why I have these saws. No, they are not the best, they sort of fill the need, and I will get rid of them as soon as I can find a replacement set of 35-40cc saws.