Would a Stihl MS 251 be a good replacement of a a Stihl 012AV?

[whynotwhy]

Hi,
I have a Stihl 012 AV.
I have trees to cut off in my garden. Those trees are high and have a 40 -50 centimeters diameter.

I'm now looking for buying a new chainsaw. My Stihl 012 AV gets hot when cutting wood. Its engine sometimes stall, but i can deal with it.

I'm planning on buying a Stihl MS 251. It's an expensive investment for me. I'd spend this money only if it would bring any real improvements. The problem is that i had a look on 012 AV and MS 251 specs and didn't found any great differences.

- Do you think a Stihl MS 251 would be way more efficient than my 012 AV ?
- Do you think this expensive investment is worth it ?

Thanks for your help. Have a good day. (English is not my first language, sorry).

 

[Cope1024]

I have the 025, predecessor to the MS251, but I would recommend the Redmax GZ4000 instead. $299.95 shipped from an eBay dealer, and has a better warranty than the MS251. I don't know about availability in France. Echo also makes a great small saw in the same size range.

 

[whynotwhy]

Hi,

Thank you for your answer.

Sadly, the nearest shop only sells Stihl chainsaws and 1 or 2 McCullochs. I would prefer to buy any one in this place. In order to be able to get an easy access to customer services in the future.

 

[Cope1024]

In that case, go with the MS251. They get a bad rap from people who have only used them on internet forums, but they're not that bad. The MS241 would be a better saw, but it may be out of your budget.

 

[dougand3]

Welcome. Your English is great. Yes, it is a good idea to buy there for service. McCullochs get disrespected a lot but I had a MAC 3516 for a while and it seemed like a solid, competent little saw. What McCulloch models are at the shop? Are they significantly less in price?

 

[whynotwhy]

The shop sells :

- Mac Culloch CS450 Elite 46CC 45CM
- Stihl MS211 35.2 CC 40 CM
- Stihl MS 231 "woodboss"
- Stihl MS 251 "woodboss"
- Stihl MS311

I actually own a Stihl 012 AV :
Displacement: 45 cc (2.74 cu. in.)
Standard Cylinder Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in.)
Piston stroke: 36 mm (1.42 in.)
Standard chain pitch: 3/8 Picco low profile

- Which one of those products would bring more efficiency than my Stihl 012 AV ?
- The Ms 251 seems to have the same performances than my Stihl 012 AV, or am i wrong ? I'm looking for a more powerful chainsaw than my Stihl 012 AV.

 

[Paragon Builder]

Any idea why it's getting hot? Running lean? Carb adjustment? Vacuum leak?

 

[Cope1024]

The shop sells :

- Mac Culloch CS450 Elite 46CC 45CM
- Stihl MS211 35.2 CC 40 CM
- Stihl MS 231 "woodboss"
- Stihl MS 251 "woodboss"
- Stihl MS311

I actually own a Stihl 012 AV :
Displacement: 45 cc (2.74 cu. in.)
Standard Cylinder Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in.)
Piston stroke: 36 mm (1.42 in.)
Standard chain pitch: 3/8 Picco low profile

- Which one of those products would bring more efficiency than my Stihl 012 AV ?
- The Ms 251 seems to have the same performances than my Stihl 012 AV, or am i wrong ? I'm looking for a more powerful chainsaw than my Stihl 012 AV.

MS251 is ±10% more saw, but for a big increase look at the MS311.

 

[Marshy]

Any idea why it's getting hot? Running lean? Carb adjustment? Vacuum leak?

Dull chain maybe? Just something to consider.

 

[dougand3]

The only price I saw on the Mac CS450 Elite was $550 USD in the UK.....Yikes! I agree with above...try to figure out what's wrong with 012AV.

 

[whynotwhy]

I just know a very little about mechanics (near nothing). So i wouldn't be able to answer to any questions related to my own chainsaw troubles .

I have to take a little time to plan what i'll do. [Repairing my own chainsaw by my own (in a "deeper" way than i already did several times). Or/and buying a new one].

Thanks a lot for your replys, for your help and for your advices.

 

[fearofpavement]

I recommend you fix what you have. It's a good saw if you get it in good condition. There's lots of info on this site on chainsaw maintenance. Clean it up well (remove crud from around cylinder fins) and make sure your chain is really sharp. Check your air filter to make sure it's clean and working effectively. Just some simple no cost items that may help it cut better.

 

[moondoggie]

Husqvarna 445 dominates a ms251. Or get the red and black one. 2245 Jonsered. Way less money than 251 and way more saw. 251 vibrates way to much.

 

[Cope1024]

Husqvarna 445 dominates a ms251. Or get the red and black one. 2245 Jonsered. Way less money than 251 and way more saw. 251 vibrates way to much.

OP is in France, and has no access to those saws.

 

[moondoggie]

OP is in France, and has no access to those saws.

OK I dont know then I used a new ms250 did not like it.

 

[weedkilla]

I understand the desire to help you fix your old saw, however a stihl 251, or the mcculloch 450 are going to be much easier to start, vibrate much less, rev much faster and be reliable for many years. They are also a bit heavier and bulkier.

I'd say the mcculloch is the better saw (it's a husqvarna 450), but the difference is small and I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[woodhaven]

I had a 012av, just sold it a couple of weeks ago actually. Mine stalled all the time too. It was ok in medium size wood, but a terrible limbing saw, as it didn't rev high enough. It was hard on gas too for what little power it had. I would say a new 251 would cut much better and you wouldn't have to deal with the constant stalling, which gets very annoying. I replaced mine with an ms170, but I am not planning to cut anything big with the 170. In saying that though the little 170 revs much faster and higher and works better for what I am using it for, which is limbing trails and cutting the odd bigger tree.