Stihl Ms 170 or Husky 141

[jazzyd]

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I'll be using it around the house. Cutting down tree limbs What do you all recommend. Sthil ms 170 30.cc $149.00 husky 141 40.2cc Or what you all prefer. I'm new at this if I sound stupid.

 

[fwf]

Buy the one that has the best dealer support. Do you know how to use a chainsaw? If not, find out which dealer can show you how to use it safely, and carries the personal protective equipment (PPE) that you will need.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I'm a Stihl guy, but I'll readily second what fwf said, go with the better dealer. If your Husky dealer will take care of you, and has what you need, that will be your better option. Vice-versa if the Stihl dealership takes care of you. A good dealer is priceless, and can even almost overcome any shortcomings a saw might have, with the peace of mind you'll get from knowing that they'll take care of you.

Jeff

 

[SawTroll]

I generally agree with the others, but be aware that the two saws you mention isn't really comparable. The 141 is both heavier and more powerful than the 170. In that respect the MS230 would be more comparable.
On the flip side, the 141 isn't what I would call a "real" Husky. It is made by Poulan, and the construction reminds me more of homeowner Poulans, than "real" Husky's. The 340 is in the same power/weight range, and probably a much better/smoother saw.
Over here the price difference is small, so I don't think that they sell many 141's (or 136's). The Stihl MS170 cost substansially less.

 

[Fish]

Yes if you rub real hard on the orange, you can see the green. The Stihl you
mentioned is no great prize winner, but our dealer here has it advertised at $159.
If you do go Stihl, tell him you want the regular picco chain and bar, not the .043
gauge one.

 

[Yin]

I use the 141 for cutting larger limbs that my climbing saw cant handle. If I were to do it all over again I would have gotten a stihl of compareable size. If the 141 isnt squeaky clean it doesnt oil fer squat. I used a friends stihl in a pine today and it kept on oiling with no problems.

 

[Fireaxman]

Amen on the 141 oiling problem. Bummer.

 

[buckduck]

Stihl Ms 170

.... ok. I'm the last person in the world to speak ill of Stihl... and it's really not speaking 'ILL', as a matter of fact, I was talking to my local Stihl dealer about a friend of mine's 170, which seemed alarmingly weak to me. He explained that folks need to know exactly what those saws are for. The 170 is for trimming bushes around the house like crepe myrtle and such or cutting up the limb that fell during the night (small limb). For range of cutting (most folks will at least go out and want to 'help' cut some firewood) I wouldn't go smaller than the 021 or 210 for a homeowner saw unless you knew you were only going to trim very small stuff. I think the 210/230/250 are pretty good home owner saws that will at least be of help to cut anything amounting to firewood. Just my opinion, I'd rather pay $125 - $150 for a used 021 / 210 than $150 for a new 170.

 

[whatsnext]

For $150 you could likely find a good used 029. I wouldn't want to hold it over my head for too long but they will run rings around a 021. You can get a lot of saw used for $150. I just passed on a 350 for that price and it was really pretty nice.
John......

 

[SawTroll]

Something I forgot yesterday...

...the 141...... The 340 is in the same power/weight range, and probably a much better/smoother saw.
Over here the price difference is small......

The 141 and 136 is in the process of beeing discontinued, and replaced by the 142 and 137. Because of this, they may be availiable at discounted prices right now. When i checked, I found that they sure are over here, so at the moment there is a substansial difference in 340 and 141 prices.....