so why exactly are ms200t's so expensive?

[Beowulf]

... as I have never known a non pro to buy one. Not a firewood saw and yes top handle rules! My favorite standby:yoyo:

Well, you do now... It's the first Stihl product that I bought and liked! Use it for limited amounts of non-pro climbing, limbing, etc. It's an angry little beastie that I would truly miss if it went away. (and yes, firewood.)

 

[TraditionalTool]

They are over priced, IMHO. $600 for a 35cc saw is rediculous. But they have the corner on the market and can get away with it.

Me thinks you need to go back and read Mr. Hall's post.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[angelo c]

A friend of mine is a climber and he really likes the feel of the 338XP. He gets almost a year out of one before it is too worn out to repair anymore. He is close to switching over to the MS200T. I think he has 3 338XPs in the garage for spare parts.

wow, I guess that pretty much sums it up....He get's almost "A year" out of one...even at that math it only takes two years to be "cheaper" then the "other" ones...

I gotta believe even the lowly 192 would last more then a year...

 

[MCW]

If you guys think USD$600 is high for a 200T try USD$1550 (at the current exchange rate) in Australia. No joke. Thats why the three 200T's I have had here have all been imported from the US. Out here an MS660 is about USD$1800 at the moment.

The 200T is one of the most impressive saws I've ever used. I "think" mine is stock but every guy that has used it has been impressed. Needed a new carb to run properly (I bought it 2nd hand off Brad) but since then has been an absolute weapon.

All the blah blah about it being worth $600 because it is built like this, or needs extra liability etc is crap. Stihl charge more for it because quite simply THEY CAN. This is what a good business does - they will charge whatever the market can bare. Stihl would have done their sums and said we'll sell exactly the same amount if they were $500 or even $400.

Another thing that really sh*ts me is how many guys here carry on like the only place for a top handled saw is when climbing or in a bucket. They think that qualified arborists are therefore the only people who can use one of these saws safely or with any degree of accuracy.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The biggest market in Australia for the 200T is ground based Horticultural pruning contractors, especially almonds. If you guys in California did your homework I'm sure you'd also find that a lot of 200T's are sold into their very large almond industry. Although the speed etc of a 200T is invaluable in the air, the difference in speed of the 200T over it's competitors is far more pronounced over the course of a day when you're pruning at ground level non stop for 8-10 hours. One single almond orchard that I do work for has at least 12 of these saws in their shed. They get used and abused by people who quite often have no business running a saw yet the 200T's come back for more (until they have carby problems ).

Not having a go at arborists or climbers, far from it, it's just to think that you guys are the only ones qualified to talk about the virtues of the 200T have lost track of another massive 200T market. In our area for every one 200T sold to an arborist/tree crew, there would be 50 sold to pruning contractors or orchards (we only have one fully qualified arborist crew in my area though!). If you were to say that Australia has around 40,000 hectares of almonds planted (100,000 acres) of which only 2/3 of these are mature trees and one 500 hectare property has at least a dozen 200T's it doesn't take long to add up although some guys have swapped to cheaper Echos etc - the 200T's blow up just as fast as a 192T or Echo when fed straight fuel by a moron...

 

[tomtrees58]

if there are any old arborist like me here ?? not remember the 020s the carbs went bad ever 2 months so we all had 5 spares makes you happy to pay $600 for the 200t

 

[Trigger-Time]

It's funny, Stihl puts a rear handle on it and then puts it in
with the home owner saws........thats fine as I like my little home owner saw.
Like my 200T very much also.

TT

 

[Brushpup]

It's funny, Stihl puts a rear handle on it and then puts it in
with the home owner saws........thats fine as I like my little home owner saw.
Like my 200T very much also.

TT

Funny, I wondered about this too. I just bought my first Stihl...MS 200 and didn't understand this categorization at all. Especially on the price. I notice on the European websites it is listed as a Forestry Saw. Weird its not listed that way here if you ask me, and few homeowner buyers will shell out the dough for this one. I did...and very happy about it so far. I love this saw. For what I do, and what I like, I don't believe there was a better choice on the market.

 

[Trigger-Time]

Funny, I wondered about this too. I just bought my first Stihl...MS 200 and didn't understand this categorization at all. Especially on the price. I notice on the European websites it is listed as a Forestry Saw. Weird its not listed that way here if you ask me, and few homeowner buyers will shell out the dough for this one. I did...and very happy about it so far. I love this saw. For what I do, and what I like, I don't believe there was a better choice on the market.

I have plans to buy another MS200 to put up and keep.
As I know the price will only go up over time.

But with hearing Thall saying the 200's are coming to a end.
I don't know what to do as the new saw could be a better saw or not.

I use the 200 rear handle a lot on the farm and would like to have a spare.
It will be my old man saw, the time will come one day, if I live that
long. I will only be able to handle a small saw and small wood.
I Guess I could get another MS200 and leave it NIB, if the replacement
for the MS200 is better then years later a NIB MS200 may make
a little money when selling it.


TT

 

[Brushpup]

I have plans to buy another MS200 to put up and keep.
As I know the price will only go up over time.

But with hearing Thall saying the 200's are coming to a end.
I don't know what to do as the new saw could be a better saw or not.

I use the 200 rear handle a lot on the farm and would like to have a spare.
It will be my old man saw, the time will come one day, if I live that
long. I will only be able to handle a small saw and small wood.
I Guess I could get another MS200 and leave it NIB, if the replacement
for the MS200 is better then years later a NIB MS200 may make
a little money when selling it.


TT

Cool, I hope you can get two spares, and keep one of them NIB till you have to have it. Can you tell me how long this saw has been on the market? I guess the 020 was it's predecessor? Just guessing as I am a rank amatuer with regard to saws.

Also, does the 200 have the same carb and historical trouble as the 200 T ? If so I may not be so happy if this comes up. I would think the carbs have to be a little different. Speaking of carbs, I was more than a little dissapointed to see my high dollar saw came with a chinese carb. I probably shouldn't be, but I was to be honest.

 

[Trigger-Time]

Cool, I hope you can get two spares, and keep one of them NIB till you have to have it. Can you tell me how long this saw has been on the market? I guess the 020 was it's predecessor? Just guessing as I am a rank amatuer with regard to saws.

Also, does the 200 have the same carb and historical trouble as the 200 T ? If so I may not be so happy if this comes up. I would think the carbs have to be a little different. Speaking of carbs, I was more than a little dissapointed to see my high dollar saw came with a chinese carb. I probably shouldn't be, but I was to be honest.

020T took the place of 020AV, I don't know in what year that was.
In 1997 is when the rear handle 020 came out, the sister to 020T.
Then in 2000, 020T became MS200T
2004 the 020 rear handle became MS200

The carb part numbers are not the same for 200T and 200, but it may only be that
the way the linkage setup is. I don't know but the guts of carbs
may be the same.

I think Stihl owns the Chinese carb manufacturing plant.


TT

 

[Brushpup]

020T took the place of 020AV, I don't know in what year that was.
In 1997 is when the rear handle 020 came out, the sister to 020T.
Then in 2000, 020T became MS200T
2004 the 020 rear handle became MS200

The carb part numbers are not the same for 200T and 200, but it may only be that
the way the linkage setup is. I don't know but the guts of carbs
may be the same.

I think Stihl owns the Chinese carb manufacturing plant.


TT

Thanks for the info TT.

 

[landyboy]

Its a niche saw aimed at a limited market, so the expectation is that fewer saws will be sold.The fewer sold, the more expensive they will be to recoup R&D costs,tooling, and other production costs, plus make a bit of money.
A saw like a 180 has a huge potential market.Its a small homeowner saw, so a lot of units will be sold, bringing the costs down.

 

[flimflam]

It's funny, Stihl puts a rear handle on it and then puts it in
with the home owner saws........thats fine as I like my little home owner saw.
Like my 200T very much also.

TT

its a liability issue. any top handle is automatically classified as professional class because of the potential higher injury level. nothing more. why do you think the ms 192t is classified as pro? its almost the same construction as a ms 170. and the ms 200 is really not worth it if weight is not a concern. the ms 211 is more powerful anyway and although not built with the same materials, they are just as tough as 200, 200t's. lots of tree crews use 211's now for limbing or bucket saws.

 

[Brushpup]

its a liability issue. any top handle is automatically classified as professional class because of the potential higher injury level. nothing more. why do you think the ms 192t is classified as pro? its almost the same construction as a ms 170. and the ms 200 is really not worth it if weight is not a concern. the ms 211 is more powerful anyway and although not built with the same materials, they are just as tough as 200, 200t's. lots of tree crews use 211's now for limbing or bucket saws.

Liability wouldnt explain it in the case of the 200 though.

 

[Trigger-Time]

its a liability issue. any top handle is automatically classified as professional class because of the potential higher injury level. nothing more. why do you think the ms 192t is classified as pro? its almost the same construction as a ms 170. and the ms 200 is really not worth it if weight is not a concern. the ms 211 is more powerful anyway and although not built with the same materials, they are just as tough as 200, 200t's. lots of tree crews use 211's now for limbing or bucket saws.

I beg to differ as I had MS211 up until just over a week ago and traded it in on MS261.
It never cut any faster than my MS200 and MS200T (timed cuts not just guessing).
Plus MS211's are having oil leaking problems, mine was leaking bad.
I have MS180 I like to use it more than MS211, but that was after
bigger carb and MM, it even out cut my 211 timed cuts also.
Maybe I had a weak 211 and have a strong 180.
Am a Stihl guy but 211 never done any thing for me but
MS200 and MS200T's are awesome little hot rods IMO


TT

 

[flimflam]

Liability wouldnt explain it in the case of the 200 though.

i just expalined it friend - the 200 is rear handle and only 35cc so they can fit it in homeowner class. look at the ms 192ce its a rear handle version of ms 192tce the t is classified as pro -t is not. its a lot of bs but thats the way it is in united states of lawywers.

 

[flimflam]

I beg to differ as I had MS211 up until just over a week ago and traded it in on MS261.
It never cut any faster than my MS200 and MS200T (timed cuts not just guessing).
Plus MS211's are having oil leaking problems, mine was leaking bad.
I have MS180 I like to use it more than MS211, but that was after
bigger carb and MM, it even out cut my 211 timed cuts also.
Maybe I had a weak 211 and have a strong 180.
Am a Stihl guy but 211 never done any thing for me but
MS200 and MS200T's are awesome little hot rods IMO


TT

possible lemon but also it is stratocharged may take more tanks to get it broke in. its a very attractive alternative to ms 200 not T

 

[Stihls_are_best]

Is the quality of the 200 really that good?

Yes, and the power in such a small little package.

I have never tried to do any port work on MS 200's. Others better than me have tried, Stihl got all the goodies
out of this saw.

IMO you are getting a factory ported high performance saw when you buy one of the 200's


Not talking to OP here as he ask a good question. But the people that get on their high horse about
this saw or that saw beaning just as good as a 200 and cheaper.(Green Monster)

I say :hmm3grin2orange:

If you think MS200/MS200T is high, don't buy one!
It just don't get any easier than that. Lot of these guys are like my uncle
was. What ever he had was the best bar none, if anyone bought something
instead of patting them on the back and telling them how nice it was.
Heck no, he would try to find any fault with it he could and tell you why his
was better. I really think he lead a miserable life as the green monster was eating at him all the time.

Besides the 200's are a well made gutsy little saw it is going to need parts and service.
This is even more so with a climbing saw, the chance of psychical damage
to a climbing saw is sooooooo much greater than a ground saw.
I don't care what anyone says, parts and service in U.S.A. anyway.
No one can touch Stihl over all in that department. Not saying there
are not any good dealers of other brands out there and am sure
there is some butt head and down right dumb Stihl dealers.
But over all Stihl has the parts and service wrapped up.
When climbers work out side of their home town they need to know that
a dealer is close by to help them out if needed. With many of the
brand X saws, may not be a dealer for many, many miles if at all.

.

 

[ropensaddle]

Hype



































.

 

[ropensaddle]

Quality lacking imo.


nice power for a short term saw imo



should be the cost of 192 imo.



I still would not buy it now.



my 192 lasted longer.



neither would last like my 335 did it would still be going had it not dropped to concrete.




sorry guys but I only have my experience imo.