Stihl MS-250 & "Bang per Buck" saws

[Tree Pig]

Never saw a spec sheet make chips.

Bottom line if the saw, MS250, does what the owner needs and isn't being used for the wrong application and they're happy, then life is good all around. It's your tool, if you're pleased and have a decent dealer to support it, then that's all that matters.

Take Care

yeah man I love my 025. The one have has countless hours on it and still runs like a champ. It does anything I ask of it and thats far more then the average homeowner would expect. Again a lot of it boils down to taking care of it... good oil, proper mix, keep good clean filters in it, dont run it too lean or too rich.

 

[jrr344]

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

If it is not exhaust it could be a number of things causing the smoke, does it run fine up until it gets hot, does it surge, is it tuned correctly? Is your oiler working? If the oiler isn't working it would heat the bar up and seize up.

 

[WRW]

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

Sounds like a clutch issue causing the smoking to me. If the clutch is slipping, it can heat up enough to create a vapor lock that could cause your starting problems.

 

[JoeIndy]

Ms250

I believe the oiler is working, as I am going through bar oil pretty regularly. The saw does run fine, until it gets heated up, that is when the smoke starts and after that is when the saw will die and have problems getting started again.

 

[K5krawler]

Stihl 025

Here is my 025 fixed up from the dead. There is a write up on it somewhere. The saw cost me $139 total.

Modified the Oregon Pro 91 bar to fit my saw. Now I can run a 55DL chain on this saw and flip flop chains in a pinch.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I dug up this thread because I found a very nice MS250c in a pawn shop with an asking price of $160.00, they would probably come down to $145.00 or so. It looks like all it would need is a chain and replacing the rediculous tool-less chain tensioner. This saw feels really light and nimble for a 45cc saw, certainly more than my Poulan Pro 4620. What do you guys think about this? How would it compare to my 4620 and Echo CS-400? I've never been a huge Stihl fan but this one is really calling to me.

 

[NSMaple1]

Not sure about the C, but I picked up a used ms250 a month ago for $60. Needed a new bar (nose wheel was toast) & chain - and the kill switch wire put back in the right place. It works awesome.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I'll go back by there and see what they can do on it. That particular shop will let you start up machines before you buy them, hopefully it fires right up. If it doesn't maybe they'll let it go cheap! This is odd because I've never been a Stihl fan, just this particular saw is really appealing to me.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Well looks like this is not going to happen. I didn't know this but Stihl doesn't provide parts lists to anyone but their dealers. My usual parts sources don't carry Stihl parts, gotta be a dealer to do that. As nice of a saw as that 250 is I don't feel like going through all that to buy parts. There are no Stihl dealers near any of the places I normally go. I can look up and order anything I want for Poulan and Echo in a few minutes on my computer or my phone so that's what I'm going to stick with.

Hmm, looks like Dolmar is pretty easy to get parts for. Mebbe I'll get into those. Sadly, you never see them in pawn shops!

 

[Tnshaker]

I do not feel that the Stihl MS 250 is a bad saw for the money. I feel the 16" bar is the way to go for sure on this saw. I actually like mine fairly well. It works generally well in small stuff. It is actually the saw I carry with me in the trunk of my car. However, I also have a Dolmar 5100 that blows it away and did not cost much more. The Dolmar cost less than my Husky 550xp, has more torque, is just as smooth, and cost way less. The 550xp starts better with autotune and blows through small limbs faster. I have 18" bars on both of those. The Dolmar I feel is the best value by a wide margin.

 

[Franny K]

The 250 is a discontinued model now. Strangely there is not much on the 251 on this site but it is the largest saw that will accommodate the picco (at least that I am aware of) chain and can be had set up with a rim sprocket and bar for that instead of the .325 that it says on the sticker on the front. There is a base model with no primer bulb no easy to start and no tool less chain adjuster.

Fran

 

[Trailtrimmer]

No love for the Redmax saws huh?

Can be had from $250 to $400 for the 40cc to 50cc models and will run very nice with just a muff mod.

 

[mountainlake]

While the MS250 has good power and is light, it's hard to work on and parts are expensive. Also is the quality very good as they seem to put out bearings and seals before they should. I'd sure buy a Dolmar, Echo, Efco or Redmax sooner the a 250 for about the same cost. Steve

 

[weimedog]

wow. Amazes me this thread hung around for..... years. LOL needless to say I discovered the Husqvarna 350-346 series of saws. I'm not certain I could ha e had as much fun or even taken the same "saw CAD" path had I gone the Stihl path.....

A list of video's related to having fun "hacking" the 350's...... (Maybe I should go find some old Stihl's and hack them to see what's inside....)

 

[RYNOMAGNUM]

Ms 250... the best groundie saw ever invented in my eyes. A 16" stock saw and a( sharp chain )= productivity on the ground...and cheap.
Stock 18" will do most people that cut small firewood for personal use (don't forget sharp chain...)
Muffler mod. & tune opens this little groundie up a bit...
Great bang for the $ for commercial tree care groundie saw... or great homo. saw.
Regular filter maintenance is a must on any saws. (Put the choke on so no excess crud gets in the carb. here.) Blow low pressure air out the filter while sorta scratching the the outside with fingernails or a paint brush is what I do.
Clean the outer clutch assembly with o.c.d. like enthusiasm with air also.
( rotate continuously via fingers while doing so to remove the most you can get with compressed air.)
Always use fresh gas with at least orange bottle stihl mix 50:1 ratio min. 87 octane with government 10% ethanol sh!t here in U.S of A. ( I run silver bottle stihl with 93 octane 100% gas.) Fuel lines I have replaced on others saws quite frequent. I think ethanol is a big culprit. If you do have a cracked line you'll pull your arm off and throw the thing... hence 100% gas...silver bottle oil also shows much cleaner cylinders over orange bottle in my finds...
Run the piss out of these little suckers while they make them.
E.P.A is coming....

 

[Weesa20]

I have mostly pro Stihl saws, but I rebuild the clamshells because that's what sells around me...I just rebuild a MS250 from the crank up...they're not hard to work on, in some aspects they are easier than some Stihl pro saws- parts are certainly cheaper and more available. This little guy really surprised me. Light and nimble with an 18" bar, revved quick, pretty good all around saw. Thinking about keeping it if it doesn't sell.

 

[dinosaur]

I see a lot of mixed reviews on the Stihl MS-250...Why? It looks really good as compared to some other options....A little comparison of UNDER 11lbs (power head only) saws from older spec sheets:

1) Stihl MS-250: 4.6KG/10.3lbs 2.3KW/3.1HP 45CC Aprox $300

2) Homelite 45cc saws: 4.6KG/10.3lbs 2.3KW/3.0 HP 45CC Aprox $150 bucks
3) Husqvarna 350: 4.8kg/10.8lbs 2.3KW/3.1 HP Aprox 50cc Aprox $350
4) Husqvarna 353: 5.0 kg/11.0lbs 2.4KW/ 3.3 HP Aprox 52cc Aprox $420 (At wt limit)
5) Shindiawa 488/490: 4.6KG/10.3lbs 2.6KW/3.5HP 47CC No Idea of Price
6) Stihl MS-260: 4.8KG/10.6lbs 2.6KW/3.5HP 50CC Aprox $550
Dolmars..TOO heavy in competitive saws sizes.
7) Dolmar 5100S: 11.2lbs 4hp 50cc $450 (Over 11 lbs w/o bar and chain..I'm looking for the 10.5lbs range)

So a quick glance says the MS-250 should be a great little saw..and its crank case is metal of some sort....(Aluminum probably) Still (Stihl) its lighter than the comperable husky's and Dolmars...Seems to spec out at reasonable HP..

Dolmars seem to rip on paper relative to Cc and HP but seem heavy..
Solo's? They seems too expensive in a line by line PAPER comparison. Maybe a Solo 651?
Poulan's? No HP listed same as Echo's...NO HP data to compare.

Whats a better small saw deal than the Stihl MS-250 and why?
(For farm use...)

The Ms 250 can be a hard starter for a home owner. Especially when it's warm. If you choke it when it's already a tad warm you'll flood it. Not a big deal for a pro aborist.

 

[leatherrestorationsandboa]

Here's a question: is the homeowner-grade MS250 substantially crappier than the "mid-grade" MS290..? Both seem to share the lots-o-plastic design. At least the MS250 isn't 13 pounds or whatever the Farm Boss is.

This is my experience< I bought a MS 250 and used it once running 1, 1/2 tanks of gas . One month later I filled the tank and oil tank and no oil would go to the bar. It took 20 pulls to start and baffed out twice. It kept bogging down unable to cut the hard Maple I was cutting and I noticed how hot the bar was getting I shut it down and just couldn't believe this is a brand new saw!

 

[Sprinter]

She's a little prone to flooding but once you learn to kick off the choke it starts fine, never had to chock when warm.
A couple years back I was dealing with a 16"+ blowdown fir on a side hill. I had to literally work on hands and knees all the way down, crawling over the log at times.
I had to slide down the hill on my butt taking rounds as I went and rolling them down.
Glad I wasn't the one at the bottom catching them.
The one time I was glad not to be using the 272XP or 562XP.
So, I say my MS250 makes a fine backup and worth every penny.
p.s. I did pull the limiter caps and opened the Low a 1/4 turn.

 

[sean donato]

This is my experience< I bought a MS 250 and used it once running 1, 1/2 tanks of gas . One month later I filled the tank and oil tank and no oil would go to the bar. It took 20 pulls to start and baffed out twice. It kept bogging down unable to cut the hard Maple I was cutting and I noticed how hot the bar was getting I shut it down and just couldn't believe this is a brand new saw!

it's a brand new saw with month old gas in it, known for flooding and known for hard starting. Not really a powerhouse imo either. But since it's new, the oil problem should be covered under warranty. The bogging is most likely from the old fuel in it.