Stihl MS-250 & "Bang per Buck" saws

[Poley4]

Poley4

put a dolmar 420 or 460 in the wood against the 250!

Put a jonsered 2141 or 45 in the wood against the 250!

These saws are in the same price range and are more pro built with much better performance!

I will admit, I haven't had the opportunity to run a PS-460, but it appears to have a little less horsepower and 2lbs more weight than a MS250. The 2145 looks to be closer, with the same horsepower but, it too is a little heavier. No thanks, I will stick with the 250!

 

[mountainlake]

I will admit, I haven't had the opportunity to run a PS-460, but it appears to have a little less horsepower and 2lbs more weight than a MS250. The 2145 looks to be closer, with the same horsepower but, it too is a little heavier. No thanks, I will stick with the 250!

Appears to have more power on paper, put them in the wood side by side. Steve

 

[mtfallsmikey]

I see the 290 mentioned only once, and in the past I have trashed mine on here, but the last time out cutting, I was using the 036, chain started getting a little dull, especially after I bucked a fair sized chestnut oak log. Spare chain I just bought from dealer was wrong..(no surprise there!). Out comes the 290. I was actually surprised how well it did, considering I still had a sissy chain w/dressed down rakers on it. Had good 93 octane gas/no ethanol (Shell V-Power) in it. But, power/weight ratio is not great. Go for the pro saws, whatever brand you choose, don't look back!

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

I would stay away from that line of stihl saws meaning the 210 230 and 250. I have a 210 and it is on the bottom of my favorites list. I even like the ms170 better even though it has less power than the 210. The ms270 is the way to go for that size of saw. It may be my favorite in my lineup.

 

[husqy]

As a small light saw the MS 260 is great, I used to have one and never ever had a problem. The 250 is alright as a cheap saw for iregular use but not in the same class.

Personally I like to use a 70cc saw for virtually everything I cut but were I to want a small light saw sub 50cc Id hapilly buy a 260. The husqy 346 however is a worthy contender and Id give one long consideration.

Ive never liked the 350 as it has a screw down cover as oposed to clips, as a habit having run stihls I like to brush off and check my filter every two tanks and unn doing four screws although easy is a pain.

 

[weimedog]

Looks like the Dolmar 5100s wins the spec sheet war and "popularity in posting" war here.

I don't know if there is really enough time on those Dolmars to get a sence of durability yet..

Just going to take a little time to let the new Echo CS-530 opinion polls cook..and then if nothing new is learned spend a little money helping the German economy.

 

[ratman36]

ms250

i have a friend who bought a ms 250 and has nothing good to say about it had to replace carb because dealer said it was bad?i guess they dont know how to rebuild?anyway he got it because he had such good luck with the 021 but wanted a little bigger for firewood but light because of bad back.he says he wont buy another junk stihl.anyway dont praise stihls homeowner models black handles,they are same as other brands for quality.and not to think im brand loyal im not.i have 5 different makes and yes one is a stihl.

 

[DavesMower&Saw]

i have a friend who bought a ms 250 and has nothing good to say about it had to replace carb because dealer said it was bad?i guess they dont know how to rebuild?l.

Because the carburetor only costs 30$, and carb kits retail for about 12-15$ and a half hour labor at 35$ is more than the carburetor new.

Walt, the MS250 is our best selling saw, and only have few complaints with them. The only thing that we run into is people flooding them and not being able to get them started. But we have several tree services running them, since they are cheap and if the new guy screws it up they're only out 300$. And it's a very good price point for a guy making the jump to a premium brand from box store brand.

They're a rugged saw, and seem to last forever ever even when used commercially.
The only things to watch out for is the fuel lines get eaten up by the ethanol. And the clips that hold the air filter on need to treated gently, if you pry on them they fail to hold.

As far as performance up grades the Walbro WT215 fully adjustable carb, is about 30$. I like this carb since it is fully adjustable and doesn't have limiter caps or anything. And the old mufflers off a 021 have a much larger opening and other than that a sharp chain is all you need. They come with .325 in 16" and 18" bars, the 18" is a bit too much, for these saws in my opinion.

I run 3/8" .050 on my personal MS250's just to keep bars and chains in common with my MS211, and 021's and 023's I may have floating around the shop.

 

[nba123]

ms 250

There is nothing wrong with the MS 250. Most guys on this site like pro grade saws and the MS 250 isn't pro grade, but it is a good saw for the money.

I own a tree service and have 2 ms 260s and had 5 346xp ne at one time now only 2 my 72 year old dad uses the ms 250 to cut all his wood and my good friend that ownes a tree service also uses a ms 250 and loves it for me im sold on the 346xpne but you hand me any of these saws with a sharp chain and i would be proud to run them.

 

[PLMCRZY]

I loved my little Echo 370 if i would of shopped around i could of got one for $150 nib on craigslist but i didnt. Personally i think the Echo saws are the best bang for the buck if you dont want to spend over $400. You dont really need a dealer for them since they are so reliable. Atleast my experience they were.

Btw i know you can find a cs530 for less then $400. Heck sometimes you can find the cs600p going for $400 NIB!

 

[bcorradi]

Ya I agree with a lot of the others the MS250 family along with the 025 family are pretty formidable saws and last forever.

 

[farmer_boy_1066]

Okay listen. poeple can say what they want to say about stihl MS250 saws but i've been running a stihl 250 for 4 years and it has been the only saw i ever needed (yes i did have a few problems with the rubber lines and seals when the ethanol crap started but you'll have those problems with any saw if you're running E10 without stabilizers) the saw has served me very well and i have no complaints. Every year i use the saw to cut countless amounts of firewood and i would never give that saw up for any reason. It is very powerful and cuts very well compared to other similar saws. I've owned a few different saws including a john deere and a poulan and i've ran my stihl head to head with a few huskys and the 250 stihl has always made me happy. If you're using the saw for firewood and other farm chores then im sure you'll be very happy with your purchase. The saw is reasonably priced and will perform well. I was cutting wood all day today with my 250 and it was great the saw isn't very heavy and has a decent amount of power so by the end of the day your back isn't completely screwed up. I'm just tired of all of the guys that post pointless things on here that are of no help to anyone and i am positive that a stihl 250 is a great saw for anybody that is looking for a light, powerful and AFFORDABLE saw. (these guys that are saying to buy a professional grade saw are nuts! Look at the price tag of a professional saw and you'll see why i say that.)

 

[bcorradi]

farmer_boy - I agree price, weight, power, durability of the MS250 are hard to beat imo.

 

[Beowulf]

I've had an MS250C for about 7 years. The Chinese carb that came on it is a POS. The diaphragm cover only has two screws to hold it down instead of the four that the W215 uses (one in each corner). This cover would warp just enough to leak vacuum when the saw warmed up, causing it to cut out after about half a tank of fuel.

I should have replaced the carb, but just sealed the area that was not tightening down on the diaphragm cover. The air filter leaves a lot to be desired, as well. It runs good now, for what it is. I use it occasionally, as it was intended.

This was the first Stihl product that I owned, and nearly the last. I then picked up a 200T at a good price, and was amazed at the difference in feel to operate it vs. the 250. Not the top-handle difference, the difference in vibration and perceived power to weight.

It's not fair to compare a 200T to a 250, but given a choice, the pro saws are a different experience that I will choose going forward. I will eventually replace the 250 with a pro level saw; maybe a 346xp, maybe a 261 or 361. However, I'm having too much fun with my new 660 to worry about a new small saw. It's a great workout, as well.

 

[Zippy]

Ms250 / 025

For my 0.02, I bought an 025 new around 1996. I've used it for cutting firewood since and I can't fault it. Just new bars, chains, sprockets, plugs and clean the air filter.

I've never had to strip it down so can't compare to the 262 and 242 which are a breeze.

It's not a high power saw, but it's great for the weight/price.

I run 18" bar and find it great with a sharp chain.

I've recently (last year or so) bought a 262xp and 242xp. They're both great too and I tend to use them now but I think the 025/250 gets a lot of stick it doesn't deserve.

I guess if you're into saws then an expensive pro saw is for you (it's why I tried the xp's to be honest - see what all the fuss is about) but I don't think you'll go far wrong with an 025/250 if all you're interested in is cutting wood.

 

[Rookie1]

Because the carburetor only costs 30$, and carb kits retail for about 12-15$ and a half hour labor at 35$ is more than the carburetor new.

Walt, the MS250 is our best selling saw, and only have few complaints with them. The only thing that we run into is people flooding them and not being able to get them started. But we have several tree services running them, since they are cheap and if the new guy screws it up they're only out 300$. And it's a very good price point for a guy making the jump to a premium brand from box store brand.

They're a rugged saw, and seem to last forever ever even when used commercially.
The only things to watch out for is the fuel lines get eaten up by the ethanol. And the clips that hold the air filter on need to treated gently, if you pry on them they fail to hold.

As far as performance up grades the Walbro WT215 fully adjustable carb, is about 30$. I like this carb since it is fully adjustable and doesn't have limiter caps or anything. And the old mufflers off a 021 have a much larger opening and other than that a sharp chain is all you need. They come with .325 in 16" and 18" bars, the 18" is a bit too much, for these saws in my opinion.

I run 3/8" .050 on my personal MS250's just to keep bars and chains in common with my MS211, and 021's and 023's I may have floating around the shop.

Nice reply Dave. Im gonna rep you.

 

[John R]

IMHO, The MS 250 is a great little firewood saw, I used one for firewood cutting for about 6 years, never had any trouble with it.
Upgraded to a MS 260 PRO, just because I wanted a new saw.

 

[JoeIndy]

Problems with the MS250

I own a Stihl MS250, and have had constant problems with it. After purchase I have been instructed that this line of Stihl is really for "light" use only. I only use the saw 5-10 times per year and not too heavily, so I would think that really I would fit into this category, but I have had nothing but trouble with this saw. It smokes constantly once heated up. I thought that I probably needed to replace the gaskets, but have now found out that there is no Gasket Kit for the MS250 model. The crankcase is sealed using RTV sealant. No wonder I am smoking! To me this means that prolonged use will automatically melt this sealant and will then lead to smoking. Also, I have had to replaced the coil already as well as once it heats up, after about an hour of use, the saw dies, and will only start for a second or two and then shut off until the saw cools for a considerable period of time. To me, this saw is for the rare use in the event that a tree falls on your driveway and you have to make a few cuts. If you are planning on needing a saw to work on hour long projects with, this one is not the ticket at all!!

If anyone has a better idea on the gaskets for this model, please let me know.

 

[jrr344]

I own a Stihl MS250, and have had constant problems with it. After purchase I have been instructed that this line of Stihl is really for "light" use only. I only use the saw 5-10 times per year and not too heavily, so I would think that really I would fit into this category, but I have had nothing but trouble with this saw. It smokes constantly once heated up. I thought that I probably needed to replace the gaskets, but have now found out that there is no Gasket Kit for the MS250 model. The crankcase is sealed using RTV sealant. No wonder I am smoking! To me this means that prolonged use will automatically melt this sealant and will then lead to smoking. Also, I have had to replaced the coil already as well as once it heats up, after about an hour of use, the saw dies, and will only start for a second or two and then shut off until the saw cools for a considerable period of time. To me, this saw is for the rare use in the event that a tree falls on your driveway and you have to make a few cuts. If you are planning on needing a saw to work on hour long projects with, this one is not the ticket at all!!

If anyone has a better idea on the gaskets for this model, please let me know.

Where is it smoking? out the exhaust if it is are you mixing your gas right 50:1. Alot of things have started using silicone instead of gaskets and it holds up just as well if not better.

 

[JoeIndy]

Smoking MS250

The smoke is not coming out of the muffler/exhaust, more so the bar side of the engine. I will make a new batch of fuel and make sure that I am precise, but it seems that the smoke starts after using the saw for 30 min or so, so I was thinking that it was a gasket problem due to the saw heating up after this period of use. What do you think about the coil problem? Is that a common issue? Or is there some other cause for once the saw gets heated up pretty good, it will die and then can only start for a second or two, until it cools.
thanks,

Joe