# The Stihl MS 150T C-E



## Jeffsaw

Has anyone used one of these saws? I am interested in getting one this spring. Thanks for any input.


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## Hoowasat

I bought mine last May & love it ... was worth every penny. It's lighter than my MS192-T & I've forgotten it was hanging on my harness a couple times. There are a few threads discussing it over in the chainsaw section of this forum.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/forums/chainsaw.9/


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## beastmaster

after I finished laughing, and making rude comments on the 150, It's really a nice little saw, more power then you think it'ed have. We use mostly hand tools for prunning, but if I anticipate a few bigger dead branches here and there, I'll carry it with me. Like Hoowasat said, you don't even know its there. Wouldn't use it on a removal or heavy production work.


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## imagineero

I've been half tempted to have a go at one, but it's hard to think of too many situations where it would be of use commercially. A 200T isn't really all that heavy, climb with it every day and it's an extension of your hand. I don't notice mine is there. It's a circular argument; yeah it needs less energy to use the smaller saw, but then you'll get weaker from it too won't you? Add to that, unless it's just light pruning you're going to need to change up to a bigger saw earlier. The smaller saw reduces your cutting options also. People make the point that some of the lighter/less powerful saws are only fractions of a second slower and that it's therefore not worth getting a more expensive/more powerful saw ie. in the past a 200T. The real truth though, is that branches aren't just going to hang about while you are cutting. They're going to start folding! Those fractions of a second make all the difference in controlling the attitude of the piece as it leaves the tree, which then in turn makes the difference between being able to free drop it vs having to rig it because you don't have the speed to spear it or pop it off. Once you've had to start roping more stuff, the time gets massively increased, so the saw that was only fractions of a second faster comes out hours ahead. You really can't have enough power in a climbing saw in my opinion. Shortest bar you can get away with, most aggressively sharpened chain it will run, muff modded, tuned right out to the ragged edge... and a little more power would still be nice!

The 150 has it's place I'm sure. But it's not as a climbing saw. It is an ideal saw for amateur use or occasional homeowner light pruning work. You could get away with using it commercially as a light pruning only kind of saw, but that implies then that you would also have a real climbing saw for general use, and several other saws too. If it's a one saw plan for climbing, then it's not a 150.


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## Norwayclimber

imagineero said:


> I If it's a one saw plan for climbing, then it's not a 150.



To bad, cause you're missing out on a great little saw. 2,5 kgs compared to 4 kgs, thats quite a bit. It's not fast, but it gets the job done, and did I mention that its light... Another tool in the box, is just what it is. It's not gonna replace your 200t, but it is a great suplement in some trees (the ones with lots of climbing and cuts far out that call for onehanding (oops, did I just write that down?!?)) So I guess thats the only negative thing about the saw, you're tempted to cut more with only one hand...


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## Pelorus

I also don't find the weight of a 200 to be consequential. Haven't tried anything lighter though.
Perhaps, with the passage of time, or if doing scads of light pruning jobs instead of removals.
Am also reluctant to pay the $450 or more that is the (Canadian - Ontario) price for a little MS150. Doesn't seem like enough saw for the $$$.


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## beastmaster

I agree with everything said, and I too don't think a 201t has any weight to it, but that being said think how feathery lite the 150 must feel, and its tiny. Would I go out and buy one? no way, my few saws have to produce. But would I like to have one, hell yes, it has its place in the tool box. So if anyone wants to give one away, I'll take it, even split postage with ya.


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## imagineero

The retail on the 150 is $700 in aus. $50 more than a 192. I'm sure it has it's place in commercial use, like maybe if you do a lot of light pruning. I'd have one for $350 maybe. But for $700 I'll have another 200t. And another one. And another one.


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## Hoowasat

imagineero said:


> The retail on the 150 is $700 in aus. $50 more than a 192.


Wow! My 192 was around $310 (USD) and the 150 cost about $440.


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## skanj0

The MS 150 TCE is a great climbing saw for prunes and periodic removals (especially the limbing portion). Very easy to climb with, great on fuel, and very surgical with the 12" bar and narrow kerf.


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## kevin bingham

Since I got the 150, my 200 and 201 have been resting. Pruning, and removals, those saws feel like boat anchors. The 150 is so light and it cuts fast and strong. I didn't think I would like it so much. It's nice because the 200 and 201 stay rested, clean and sharp until they are really needed. My handsaw has also seen more rest since getting the 150.


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## kevin bingham

We have one 150 and a 200 and a 201. me and my climber fight over who gets to take the 150 up in the tree. Worth every penny and more


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## CR888

imagineero said:


> The retail on the 150 is $700 in aus. $50 more than a 192. I'm sure it has it's place in commercial use, like maybe if you do a lot of light pruning. I'd have one for $350 maybe. But for $700 I'll have another 200t. And another one. And another one.



imagineero just a question...have you ever climbed with the 150 or had the chance to run it?


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## imagineero

I've not climbed with it. I've handled it, started it, didn't get to make a cut with it. I climb with a 200T, and a silky sugoi. Even with the 200T I'm generally wishing for a more powerful saw rather than a smaller lighter one. We don't get the nice sweet softwoods that some of you guys get. Saw for Saw, you guys are often one or two bar sizes bigger and still claim you can run 8 pin rims! I haven't had the opportunity of cutting in the states, but I can imagine it must be pretty sweet cutting if that's the case. Most guys over here run 12" on a 200T. 50cc saws get 15" or 16". I've not ever seen someone running a 20" bar on a 50cc saw. I run 15" bars on my ported 50cc saws! You get the idea. 

Our eucalypts are bad enough live, but dead they're brutal and we have an epidemic of grey box psyllid killing of 10's of thousands of eucalyptus molluccana. To give you some idea of what that's like, here's a cut I made a few days ago. The limb was about 9", 200T with a 12" bar. The chain saw sharp, with rakers set at 6.5* Saw properly tuned. Sorry for the awful cutting, dogs don't dig in to this stuff. Might as well be cutting concrete. Bit over a minute for one cut. Horses for courses, the 150 sounds nice for light trimming work, I don't seem to get so much of that. Might go ok with a 6" bar maybe ;-)


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## Hoowasat

imagineero said:


> Most guys over here run 12" on a 200T. 50cc saws get 15" or 16". I've not ever seen someone running a 20" bar on a 50cc saw. I run 15" bars on my ported 50cc saws! You get the idea.


That's some tough cutting. Yes, your requirements call for a different tool-set, and I agree the MS150 doesn't serve you well if your jobs are mostly like that shown in the video.


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## kevin bingham

Wow, haven't cut too much eucalyptus, sure your chin is sharp? Maybe similar to dead black locust. Either way, I find the narrow kerf means you need less power. The spark arrester removal made a big difference on this saw. I am seriously really impressed. I was surprised by the price but honestly sometime making things small is harder. They say "cheap, light, strong, pick two"


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## imagineero

There are over 700 species in the genus, ranging from some softer than the softest pines right up to some which literally are like cutting concrete. Some get a lot harder when dead also. Some are so hard they send sparks off your chain, and it's just miserable cutting them. Even the sharpest full chisel just skips off the wood and you feel like your on glass. Molluccana is reasonably easy to cut when live, but a real bear when dead. It's not the hardest euc to cut though, and while it's hard slow cutting it doesn't blunt your chain too quickly. Some species will literally blunt your chain on the first cut, mainly the thick hard/spongey barked species that trap a lot of sand in their bark. Some of them have real awful sticky sap that gums everything up too. That is a properly sharpened chain ;-)

Not all of our cutting is miserable. We get plenty of exotics as well, and they're mostly nice cutting. Conifers, liquidambars, privet, jacaranda, oaks not too bad when green. We do a lot more removals than trims, otherwise I might be in the market for a 150. Our trims also tend to be not such fine work; maybe only a few times in a year will we get a call for crown thinning. Mostly it's property clearance, which is not so subtle. I keep a couple 200T's, and a 201. I've seen your videos, and you seem to get a lot more of that sort of fine trimming work than we do. Nice work it is also!


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## kevin bingham

Yes, pruning is my main focus as I have a hard time competing with the removal hacks around here. I do a fair bit of removals though and much to my surprise I am picking up the 150 right off the bat. As I get into the bigger wood ill switch to the 200. Its nice having a right sized tool every step of the way. we dont break out the 440 or 660 until the big wood. I have three bars for that saw and the three foot bar rarely gets used. I guess what I'm saying is that this saw really has its place and the price is right.


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## Merry John

Yes No doubt it's a saw of worth buying. Its Vibration level is far better than MS192 and Makita UC3530A. I love its 2-stroke engine which is very energy efficient. The other remarkable thing of this saw is its lubrication of ematic chain, making it more user friendly than any other chainsaw in the market.
The easy to start system by ErgoStart technology also makes it unique among various saws.


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## david beilfuss

I've been climbing for almost 34yrs, started with the poulon 25 and the echo 240?.. mostly the p25... e260,e3000, e3400 and then ms200, ms201 and now ms150 which is a great little saw... of course I still have 200s and 201s etc. etc..... you have to run the saw pretty hot and be careful of folding limbs, and you have to burn/clean the exhaust screen once in a while but it's well worth it... I use it on trimming and most take downs, but when/if you get into your beefy large piece/tree removals you can get caught going through 3 size saws


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding

I run a 150 bar, chain and sprocket on my 192. It cuts two or three times faster.


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## treesmith

A 150t with muffler, timing and limiters modded is a wee beastie, a perfect arborist saw

warning - this sig causes splinters


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## JeffGu

Very true.


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