Stihl M170 good home saw?

[rem1100]

Great site! I have not used a chainsaw in over 25 years, so plenty green here. I am looking for a good home use saw to cut downed branches (biggest is 10") and my sisters new acerage that has about 20 small trees, the larger ones about 12".
After reading here, I know to stay away from "wild thing" and craftsmen saw. Local Stihl has the M170 w/14" bar for $159., good choice? Can also get the Husky 141 for $199., which is my $ limit. I see where the Husky has a 2 yr. warranty comapred to Stihl's 1 yr. Big factor? I also found a very lightly used Echo CS 346 for $150. Yeah or nay?

 

[sedanman]

Put a 141 side-by-side witha wildthing, nearly identical. The 170 is a good choice here.

 

[Lakeside53]

The MS170 is a fine "cheapest" Stihl saw. If your budget is $199, get the MS180 with the quick chain adjust and a few other refinements. The 1 year verses 2 is pretty much irrelevant. They have problems in the first few weeks or not at all forever. If you leave bad gas in it over the first winter, that's not covered anyhow.

 

[timberwolf]

Brother inlaw has a 180, not bad, used it a couple of times. I was surprised how well it cut for a small saw. much better than geting a saw from a big boxstore.

 

[DanManofStihl]

I had a ms 180 then I sold it and bought a new ms 170 I think the quick adjust was a pain in the but when you had to change chains or it threw a chain. I like the regular adjuster alot better. The saw runs great and is fairly fast for a saw its size I have a 14 inch bar on it and it cuts great with a sharp chain. It is much better then the poulan and crapsman saws.

 

[begleytree]

I just picked up another 170, $159 out the door, and the warranty for homeowner purchase is 5 years. I don't remember exactly, but it was something like 1 year total saw, + 2 years on fuel system, and the rest was warranty parts only, you pay labor.
I didn't listen too close, so I might be slightly wrong, but I do remember a 5 year prorated warranty.
-Ralph

BTW, anyone running the 17/170. The side adjust tensioner and metal bucking dogs from an 020T/200T fit it perfectly. the 170 is even drilled for the holding screw on the tensioner. Now that I'm used to the side adjust, I hate the beside-the-bar adjuster.

 

[Simonizer]

Great site! I have not used a chainsaw in over 25 years, so plenty green here. I am looking for a good home use saw to cut downed branches (biggest is 10") and my sisters new acerage that has about 20 small trees, the larger ones about 12".
After reading here, I know to stay away from "wild thing" and craftsmen saw. Local Stihl has the M170 w/14" bar for $159., good choice? Can also get the Husky 141 for $199., which is my $ limit. I see where the Husky has a 2 yr. warranty comapred to Stihl's 1 yr. Big factor? I also found a very lightly used Echo CS 346 for $150. Yeah or nay?

Husqvarna 141 is a TERRIBLE saw.

 

[046]

around here all Asplund untility tree crews use MS 170's.

 

[computeruser]

Either of the Stihl saws should be adequate for your purposes. You might also want to seriously consider the Echo, as they are bulletproof little saws in my experience. Truth be told, I think I'd go with the lightly used Echo; I would prefer it in top handle form, but admittedly the tail handle would probably be a better choice for an "only saw." The amount of use that we've put our 301, 3000, and 341 through and the abuse they've taken over the years has been quite impressive - being dropped from trees, falling off tractors, having fuel left in them for nine months, etc. - and I think that the 346 should perform similarly.

 

[rem1100]

Thanks to all....I am going to check out the used Echo, and if not looking really good, I'll go with the Stihl.
Now time to get working..

 

[rickster]

Stihl M170

I recently bought the 170 to add to my Stihl FarmBoss adn HT101. I love the others - very unimpressed with the 170. Chain frequently jumps off bar. I didnt mind the manual adujst -- but the location of the adjust screw makes it extremely difficult to use the scrench. Very poor maintenence design. Otherwise the powerhead is adequate for what I am using it for. I find I must clean this saw far more frequently than others. Clogs up readily. Cleaning the air filter is a pain and no pre-screen as in the HT101.
However, the 170 weight is nice to haul around and on steep slopes if you are bucking or brushing. Bottom line - I should have paid $40 more for the 180 and hope that is easier to field maintain.

 

[DanManofStihl]

Ms 170

I have had both the ms 180 and the 170. I didn't like the easy adjust chain system on their I thought it was a pain in the butt to have to put a new chain on it. The only thing I didn't like about the 170 is that it doesn't have a metal bucking spike on it. It is better then the poulan wildthing that didn't have one at all but it is still kind of stupid to have a plastic spike.

 

[davefr]

I'd get an MS180. I have one and it's a great little saw. It's abilities surpased my expectation. The picco micro chain really gives this little saw some oomph.

I happen to like the chain adjuster. It makes adjustments easy even though chain replacement is harder.

I just got done opening up the muffler. The stick muffler isn't too bad. All you have to do is open up the deflector plate.

I also drilled out the fixed jet from .45 to .457.

 

[Lakeside53]

The 170 is fine, but get the 180... for the reasons other have given...

 

[begleytree]

BTW, anyone running the 17/170. The side adjust tensioner and metal bucking dogs from an 020T/200T fit it perfectly. the 170 is even drilled for the holding screw on the tensioner. Now that I'm used to the side adjust, I hate the beside-the-bar adjuster.

Previously posted fixes of the couple 170 deficiencies.

I've never had a chain jump off my 17s. Are you running a lo-pro bar and picco-micro chain? That might do it as the pm chain is 1.1mm and the lo-pro bar grove is made for 1.3mm
-Ralph