Sometims you don't get the breaks (or bakcgrond) for a decision.
I was lucky, I got to run Homeolights and Macs for years, and would have taken a Homelight over a Mac any day of the week.
However, I got on with a surveing crew that was using Stihls and thought I had died and gone to heaven. All the relaiblity of the Homeolight, a hell of a lot lighter, and it outcut it two or three to one.
Once I knew I needed a good saw, I checked wiht my two brohters that had both bought Sithls and verified they had thsoe qulaites stihl.
It prety kmuch came down to a choide of a MS250 or the MS270. While the price was not huge, I figured if I was that close to the edge, I would go with the someaht larger saw and ensure I had enoguth. Bar lenght can always be ajdusted to meet the mission (I did not antipaite any brushing, but if it comes to that I can add two inches).
The MS280 was a bit jump, (jnad I don't know if we disuces the 290)
It turns out the MS270/280 are the latest generation saws, more semi pro than the older 290-310 series.
No regrets, the MS270 has taken on anything I have asked it to do.
And while I look and drool over the rest of the lineup, I have no intention of buying another saw. This one looks to do the mission for the next 10 years or longer, and I like that (and so does the pocket book as it needed to pay for itself which it did in a couple of months, and its all cash in the bank now)