Stihl MS250 or MS290

[NapalmDeath]

Stihl MS250 or MS290 or MS270

Hi, first time poster on this forum and alot of good info I've found. However, after searching awile I havn't found a definitive answer to which saw would suit my needs better. I looked at a few Husqvarna's but unfortunately, not due to their saws I wasn't comfortable buying from a store where they only had a couple models with boxes opened, info and paperwork strewn all over the shelf, signs half missing and salespeople who knew less of the saws then myself.
Then I went to the local Stihl dealer...what a pleasure! He had probably 15 different models on his shelfs to look at. He seemed pretty knowledgeable and very helpfull. Turns out, he is friends with a co-worker of mine as well, small world huh? Anyway, I left there very impressed.
To get to my question about which one to buy. I would like to keep my budget under $350. The saw will be used mainly for firewood, probably only one cord a year and maybe help a buddy clear a lot once a year on mostly Oak trees up to 16" mostly around 12". I would like this saw to last a long time, at least 10 years. I'm also not sure about bar size. I would prefer a 18" bar for bit less leaning over as I'm 6'2 and I suppose it may be better for my back. Or should I get the 16" bar as I hear that the saw would perform better? Between the 250 and 290 there is a 2.9 lb difference it weight and while I don't mind lugging around a heavier saw that does seem like a substantial difference in weight. The 290 has .8 more horsepower then the 250, would I need the extra power in my case? Also, the small price difference of $40 is not a factor at all.
So I'm trying to decide between a MS250 16" or 18" or MS290 16" or 18"?
Thanks, Kev.
p.s. I recently added the 270 to the list.

 

[lovetheoutdoors]

Hi, first time poster on this forum and alot of good info I've found. However, after searching awile I havn't found a definitive answer to which saw would suit my needs better. I looked at a few Husqvarna's but unfortunately, not due to their saws I wasn't comfortable buying from a store where they only had a couple models with boxes opened, info and paperwork strewn all over the shelf, signs half missing and salespeople who knew less of the saws then myself.
Then I went to the local Stihl dealer...what a pleasure! He had probably 15 different models on his shelfs to look at. He seemed pretty knowledgeable and very helpfull. Turns out, he is friends with a co-worker of mine as well, small world huh? Anyway, I left there very impressed.
To get to my question about which one to buy. I would like to keep my budget under $350. The saw will be used mainly for firewood, probably only one cord a year and maybe help a buddy clear a lot once a year on mostly Oak trees up to 16" mostly around 12". I would like this saw to last a long time, at least 10 years. I'm also not sure about bar size. I would prefer a 18" bar for bit less leaning over as I'm 6'2 and I suppose it may be better for my back. Or should I get the 16" bar as I hear that the saw would perform better? Between the 250 and 290 there is a 2.9 lb difference it weight and while I don't mind lugging around a heavier saw that does seem like a substantial difference in weight. The 290 has .8 more horsepower then the 250, would I need the extra power in my case? Also, the small price difference of $40 is not a factor at all.
So I'm trying to decide between a MS250 16" or 18" or MS290 16" or 18"?
Thanks, Kev.

The 250 is to small.....if you have a little more money i would go with the ms260 pro or the ms361....If you are gonna do alot of cutting get a pro saw and spend a little more.But if you had to have the 250 or 290....go with the 290.

 

[rbtree]

If you could find a reputable Husky or Dolmar dealer, I'd go with a 353, 359 Husky, or Dolmar 5100S over the 029 any day of the week. All within your price range, I think. Lighter, more professionally built. That said, the heavy 029 works just fine, according to reports of users. Just hard to work on for major repairs, the kind that you would be unlikely to ever need.

 

[Lakeside53]

For one cord a year either of the saws would be a fine choice. The 025 is a smaller package and weights less, but if that's not important to you, the 029 will serve you well.

 

[computeruser]

Both are fine saws for your intended purpose. I would err on the side of a lighter saw, even at the cost of a bit of HP. I own a 290 and it sits on the shelf and rarely gets used because it weighs as much as my 79cc Dolmar and has no more power than my 10.6lb 026Pro.

Any interest in buying a lightly used MS290?

 

[Woodsurfer]

I have a 250 and find it suits me fine. I cut 3 or 4 cords of wood a year, maybe running 20 hours a year tops. It is light and starts easily. The 16" bar will stall when buried in hardwood, but you get the job done. Last year I cut down a 32" birch with it. You make do with whatya got...

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

For one cord a year either of the saws would be a fine choice. The 025 is a smaller package and weights less, but if that's not important to you, the 029 will serve you well.

Ditto. The 250 is a very decent little saw, and for a cord a year, and the tree diameters you mention, it'd do you fine and weigh less.

Welcome to AS.

Jeff

 

[NapalmDeath]

Ditto. The 250 is a very decent little saw, and for a cord a year, and the tree diameters you mention, it'd do you fine and weigh less.

Welcome to AS.

Jeff

Jeff, what do you recommend for bar length. 16" or 18".

 

[Stihldoc]

Why not look at the MS270 Wood Boss and the MS270CB? Budget is budget. If you have $350.00 to spend, the MS 270 Boss is worthy of consideration. 3.3 or so HP, takes 16-20" bars and has a smooth AV system. I know everyone's favorite sport on this site is to slam non-pro saws as being unworthy. But unworthy of what...? Pros should buy pro saws to get pro performance and pro durability. Homeowner saws are simply not robust enough for the rigors of pro use. This man said he has a particular budget and straightforward needs- a cord of wood a year is much less than many of you will cut in an afternoon. A homeowner-oriented saw is what you need based on available budget and your needs and expectations. Sure, a pro saw will cut the wood faster, longer (because they are tougher), and weigh less, but Stihl doesn't offer one in this price range. The MS250 will suit your needs in terms of quantity of wood you want to cut, but is a bit undersized for the size of trees you may encounter. The MS290 is a very dependable saw but is HEAVY. The MS270 is a great saw for the homeowner who needs a saw that is capable of cutting 2-5 cords a year for many years. The MS270/MS270CB saws won me over a few years ago... Hurricane Isabelle blew through town and we sold all our saws in the first 3 hours we were open the following morning. Stihl sent a truck to our area to resupply the dealers but the only saws available were MS 460's and MS270's. We sold 16 MS460's the next day and 51 MS270's. Most 270 sales were to homeowners and some were to local tree services... not a single one came back with any problems. I love this saw. Does it beat the MS260, the MS361, the MS660? No, but it isn't designed (or priced) to. There are lots of great saws from several other companies in your price range, but are they represented by servicing dealers in your area? Check this out. Of course I'm biased, look at my name, do you think I'm going to recommend a Homelite?

 

[Luke]

250 vs 290

I've had both and would not buy either if I had a $350 budget. 250 would probably work but the air filtration, vibe, and power might be a dissapointment. The 290 will feel like a 372 without feeling that much stronger than the 250. Probably get a Husky 353. I have not used the Dolmar 5100, but from what others say, if you can get it close to your budget, it might be great. Or you could negotiate a deal on one of the Dolmar/Makita 540's laying around, send it to Dave Neiger, and dust all of the above. I don't have much more in mine than what is in your budget.

 

[NapalmDeath]

Why not look at the MS270 Wood Boss and the MS270CB? Budget is budget. If you have $350.00 to spend, the MS 270 Boss is worthy of consideration. 3.3 or so HP, takes 16-20" bars and has a smooth AV system. I know everyone's favorite sport on this site is to slam non-pro saws as being unworthy. But unworthy of what...? Pros should buy pro saws to get pro performance and pro durability. Homeowner saws are simply not robust enough for the rigors of pro use. This man said he has a particular budget and straightforward needs- a cord of wood a year is much less than many of you will cut in an afternoon. A homeowner-oriented saw is what you need based on available budget and your needs and expectations. Sure, a pro saw will cut the wood faster, longer (because they are tougher), and weigh less, but Stihl doesn't offer one in this price range. The MS250 will suit your needs in terms of quantity of wood you want to cut, but is a bit undersized for the size of trees you may encounter. The MS290 is a very dependable saw but is HEAVY. The MS270 is a great saw for the homeowner who needs a saw that is capable of cutting 2-5 cords a year for many years. The MS270/MS270CB saws won me over a few years ago... Hurricane Isabelle blew through town and we sold all our saws in the first 3 hours we were open the following morning. Stihl sent a truck to our area to resupply the dealers but the only saws available were MS 460's and MS270's. We sold 16 MS460's the next day and 51 MS270's. Most 270 sales were to homeowners and some were to local tree services... not a single one came back with any problems. I love this saw. Does it beat the MS260, the MS361, the MS660? No, but it isn't designed (or priced) to. There are lots of great saws from several other companies in your price range, but are they represented by servicing dealers in your area? Check this out. Of course I'm biased, look at my name, do you think I'm going to recommend a Homelite?

I decided on the the 250 over the 290 for the weight savings mostly. However, since you mentioned it now I'm also interested in the 270 as well. Although it is a bit over my budget, which incidently was origionaly $300. Now I have to question weather or not I should spend $80 more on the 270 as opposed to the 250. Is the 270 worth the extra $80.

 

[Lakeside53]

Careful with the "only XX $ more"... There are a lot of saws spaced $50 apart, so where do you stop? Buy the smaller saw, then later, if you need a big saw, get a real big saw...

 

[Stihldoc]

Yes it is worth it if you need it. The MS250 is a small frame saw with good HP. The MS270 is a mid-sized saw that will handle the 18" bar far better than the MS250 can. The 16" MS250 MSRP's at $299.00, the MS270 Wood Boss MSRP's at $349.00, and the MS270CB (with quick chain adjuster ) MSRP's at $369.00 with a 16" bar. It really comes down to your needs- do you anticipate ever cutting more than a cord per year or cutting bigger trees? Are your skills up to taking on bigger stuff? If yes, consider buying a bigger saw, but don't go nuts. If you get a country place later, you can always buy a bigger saw, but the small saw has its place in your toolshed too. Not every tree out there is a Redwood.

 

[Stihldoc]

P.S. to lakeside, it looks from your collection that we both occasionally don't know when to quit. I'm an urban warrior- I still use the 16" 028WB I bought new in 1981. There are several other Stihls in the toolshed, but this one remains my sentimental (read: semimental) favorite.

 

[NapalmDeath]

I would definately stop at the 270. I think that with an 18" bar the 270 would be all the saw I'll ever need if I decide to get it instead of the 250. I honestly don't want to mess with anything bigger then 12-14" trees. I recently had to split about a dozen 20"-22" sections of Red Oak and that was quite a chore I don't want to have to go though again.

 

[xring]

The 250 is to small.....if you have a little more money i would go with the ms260 pro or the ms361....If you are gonna do alot of cutting get a pro saw and spend a little more.But if you had to have the 250 or 290....go with the 290.

The 250 is 3.0 HP the 260 is 3.2. seems to me if the 250 isn't powerful enough then the 260 isn't much of an improvement in the power area. In the running it all day long every day I'm sure it is. For one cord a year either is ok I own a 025 ( old # for 250) & I have run a 290. The 290 is stronger & it is very popular with occasional users. Cutting firewood I'd go 290. I use mine to clear fence rows & got the 025 because of the weight but cuts my firewood just fine.

 

[pinus]

I decided on the the 250 over the 290 for the weight savings mostly. However, since you mentioned it now I'm also interested in the 270 as well. Although it is a bit over my budget, which incidently was origionaly $300. Now I have to question weather or not I should spend $80 more on the 270 as opposed to the 250. Is the 270 worth the extra $80.

I have 270 and had 026 (the same as 260 now). If I needed to do choice between them (260/270), I will take 270. Amazing antivibe. Wery good balance with 15"-18" bar. Immediate acceleration of engine.

 

[Marco]

Cord a year? Want it to last forever? Budget? Sounds like a job for an XL-12, they keep forever. MS250 would be a real pain to get 10 years of such limited use out of, you would have to pay real close attention to how you store it or you would have some issues with that fine German enginered Chinese carb the have.

 

[THALL10326]

Cord a year? Want it to last forever? Budget? Sounds like a job for an XL-12, they keep forever. MS250 would be a real pain to get 10 years of such limited use out of, you would have to pay real close attention to how you store it or you would have some issues with that fine German enginered Chinese carb the have.

XL-12, neat, know of anywhere theres a new one for sale???

 

[Marco]

I did not specifcally say get a NEW XL-12. It's just that I've not had the best of luck with an MS250 I have here to straighten out. So when I can drag a Xl-12 out of somebodies grainery that floods every other spring and get it to run with less effort than a three year old MS250, well lets say the old USED Homey would seem better for such limited use.