About .5 HP difference in power, and 2 lbs difference in weight. If you go with the 18" bar you will be at the max recommended for the MS250. The MS271 is rated up to 20". You'll probably never know the difference in the cedar, but the oak can be a challenge to a smaller saw. I would heft them both, and see if the extra 2 lbs. will make a difference to you. If the weight is not a factor I would go with the MS271.
I have an ms271 and in hardwood the 20" bar will test your patients. If the largest wood you are getting into is 8" I would be looking for an MS241 or MS261. Yes more expensive but both are very light and powerful saws that will last a life time for a firewood cutter.
Just a thought on bar length. I have an older Stihl similar to the Farm Boss you mention. I just went to the dealer and bought a 25 inch bar/chain for it. It saves bending at the waist while working, especially in deadfall.
Just because it is a 25 inch bar, does not mean you have to bury it in a 24 inch hardwood log. And full skip chain makes it more forgiving in that regard.
IMHO for a good all around saw I'd not go much below 60cc's. I'm still running an Echo 550 evl (54.7 cc's) I bought in '85. First year they were introduced in the USA. Came with a 20" bar but beings I'm on the short side I eventually switched out to an 18" one. For a while I did miss the power of my old 050 Stihl (89cc's).
The 250 will do fine as long as the chain is kept sharp.
I run 3 saws, a big Echo, 028 Stihl and 021 Stihl. The little 021 cuts 18" D hardwoods with no problem with a sharp chain and feels like a feather after using the other two.
For your app, which is a lot similar to mine as I live about 300 miles south ward of you, is to go with the MS250 and keep the 16 inch bar. I have one of these and the MS 261 (a pro saw) and really like them in this size range - the .270 equivalent in chain saws.
Used my 250 yesterday in fact to clear a bunch of sweetgum up to about 10". Its a beast! And as a sixty-something, its a lot easier on the back than my larger saws.
I put long bars on all of my saws, even the little ones. Back fatigue is the main factor. Losing a little power is worth the trade-off of bending over all day long. I'm 6'2 and will not own a bar under 20". My $0.02.
I've looked at the little 250 Stihl as they are on sale locally but it might not be enough. I have a couple 70+cc pro saws (and up to 95cc) but am in the market for something a little lighter for clean-up work. Dragging those heavier saws around to cut 2"-6" branches seems like a waste. I'll probably spend the money and get a 50-55cc pro saw. Less weight and more power pays off in the long run. The extra $100-$200 becomes moot after a while. I'm not brand loyal but all my saws are currently red. I've owned Jonsered, Solo, Echo and Stihl in the past. I do ALL of my own work, warranty or not, so dealer support is not a factor.
It's tough to step down in performance once you've had a saw with great hp/weight ratios.
While we're on the topic of chainsaws, I've got a question as well. My own 18" Stihl is slipping the clutch. It's been a pretty good saw, but is it worth having it fixed as opposed to dropping the money on a new one? I don't use it much, but a chainsaw comes in mighty handy sometimes. 7mm
Get as short a bar as you can possibly get,even if you have to cut from both sides to complete the cut. If you need to cut 8" wood, get a 4" bar, that way you can get right down on the ground and grovel about. It's always a bonus when you can spend all day bent in two like a cheap shotgun. That's my favoritest thing to do.
While we're on the topic of chainsaws, I've got a question as well. My own 18" Stihl is slipping the clutch. It's been a pretty good saw, but is it worth having it fixed as opposed to dropping the money on a new one? I don't use it much, but a chainsaw comes in mighty handy sometimes. 7mm
Shaman, If you can swing it, go pro saw. A hundy or two sucks at purchase time, you will never regret it. However, if your Poulan lasted a long time and you were happy with it, a homeowner saw is adequiit.
7mmbuster, Bailey's is a good on line source. I think they use a left hand thread on the clutch. Be sure. If you don't have a zippy gun, pull the spark plug, and shove a bunch of rope in the cylinder, leaving a loose end hanging out.
That will find the piston and allow you to unscrew the clurch.
Shaman, If you can swing it, go pro saw. A hundy or two sucks at purchase time, you will never regret it. However, if your Poulan lasted a long time and you were happy with it, a homeowner saw is adequiit. .
Thanks all for the comments.
Dillonbuck: You bring up a good point. The Poulan was adequate. However, I know that I'll be using it more after I retire. The Poulan has been used rarely. I need to do maybe a rick or less of firewood at a time and that may last multiple seasons. That is because I'm only heating the cabin for a couple months in the fall and spring during season and then leaving it sit empty during the coldest parts of the year. We'll be moving down there full time in a few years.
Was the Poulan adequate ? Yes and no. It sawed up a little firewood and cleared a few cedar trees.
I don't know all that much about chainsaws, because I haven't been needing them. In a year or two it'll be a regular part of my kit.
I had a Farm Boss and built 2 log cabins with it plus cut a lot of firewood. That is a great saw, get the 18 inch bar and you are set. I lent that saw to a friend, he kept it a week. When Bud returned the saw, I cranked it up one day, it ran real fast for about 30 seconds and then, died. Dead. Bud had fueled it up with straight gas, no oil. I am still trying to figure that one out. My ex-friend, Bud. I still miss that saw. Don't lend out your chain saw.
The 271 is kind of a pig, for what it is. All the weight of the 291, without as much grunt. The 250 is a much better feeling package for light felling and firewood use.
Don’t overlook the Echo cs490. Realy solid little saw, and built better (mag case) than the Stihl 271 or 250.
I am in the camp of liking a longer bar. Don't have to bend over as much. I have an MS290 and have a 16 and 20 inch bar. Almost always use the 20 inch. I have used all the cheap brands Mac, Poulan,homelite and the first time I used a friends 290 I knew that was the one I wanted. It always starts and runs good and cuts good.
You are on the right track for your wood cutting needs going with a Stihl MS 271. I have smaller saws and bigger saws, but the 271 with a 18" bar gets the most use.
Interesting thread, I have an older Poulan. It runs well, but I know it is not adequate for real use. I will be retiring as well and will be cutting firewood and clearing deadfalls. The older Husqvarna's used to be very good, but don't know now. I have a gas trimmer, an Echo and it is rock solid. I would agree with others, a long bar is not a bad thing. Thinking an Echo or Stihl.
I have a Stihl 029 Farmboss with a 20” bar and have used it for about 15 years. A beast of a saw, but a heavy beast. As I aged and the saw put on weight, I bought a little Stihl MS180C with a 14” bar, which worked great but wasn’t up to heavy duty use in big logs. I traded it in on a Stihl MS 250 with a 16” bar and it’s great. Just keep the chain sharp.
I had a 14” Poulan for a while, and I used it hard. It just could not hang in there with the Farm Boss. I gave it away finally.
Just some thoughts, to assist in a happy saw purchase.
Don't get caught up on brand, Buy at the bestest, localest dealer, buy a pro model.
Chisel chain cuts best, dulls fastest, harder to sharpen. Round tooth, stays sharp longer, resists dulling by dirt/grit better, sharpens a bit easier.
For an inexperienced operator, anti-kickback features in a chain enhance safety (for all really) Most of those anti kickback features cause the chain to not cut as well.
Just a thought on bar length. I have an older Stihl similar to the Farm Boss you mention. I just went to the dealer and bought a 25 inch bar/chain for it. It saves bending at the waist while working, especially in deadfall.
Just because it is a 25 inch bar, does not mean you have to bury it in a 24 inch hardwood log. And full skip chain makes it more forgiving in that regard.
^^^this^^^ I use to run a stihl 049 or sometimes an 064 (don't know what today's equivalents are) on the fireline and for firewood. The longer 25" bar makes a world of difference for the good and doesn't really add hardly any more weight to the saw.
I have an Echo CS-590 "Timber Wolf" that I have owned for two years. It has a 20 inch bar but can take up to a 24 inch. It is an excellent and powerful saw (60 cc engine size) but may be more than you need with a power head weight of 13.2 pounds. I would reinforce the recommendations to look at the Echo CS-490 (50 cc engine size) with a 20 inch bar. It has a power head weight of 10.6 pounds. I am 69 years old and own 45 acres of timberland and have over 40 years of wildland and structure fire fighting experience.
I have had the CS-590 for about 2-1/2 years and love mine. Always had 16" bars on my Stihls but the Echo came with a 20", now my 028 has a 20" as well, really helps with the lower back!
I use a MS250 (16" bar), Echo 501P (18"), Stihl MS290 (20") and Stihl 362M (20"). If cutting firewood wood all day, light powerheads are the name of the game. I like the MS250 but is the harder to start than the other Stihls I've used. When running well, it cuts above its size. However, its cantankerous at times.
After researching them all and looking for something in the 50cc class that had the lightest powerhead and easy to start, the Echo 501 won the prize. I've owned Echo products since 1986 and they never let me down. Stihl is a good product but they are pricey and there are saws out there just as good (or maybe even better).
I have a Husqvarna 55 Rancher 20" that I bought almost 20 years ago , it has cut literally a freight train load of firewood. That saw has been through hell. I can't wear it out & I can't kill it.
A few years later I bought a Husqvarna 340 16". It is a good little saw with good power for it's size but the shorter bar doesn't give me the reach of the 20''.
Last year after Hurricane Florence I bought a Stihl MS 250 18" , I'm not sure why. I find it a bit underpowered.
Push came to shove I could keep the 55 and throw the other 2 in the trash.
I have use of stihl ms250, 261 and 362 for work. The ms250 is light with pretty good power but more trouble to start sometimes. The ms261 is a my favorite. Great saw.
I’m needing a light 45-50cc saw myself and narrowed it down to a stihl ms241 or echo 501p. The echo 501p is the lightest 50cc on the market and has 20% more power than the older 490 plus it has many of the pro saw features.
Of course, Stihl and Husqvarna are regarded as the top of the line saws, and the others are usually ranked after that. However, I have an Echo weedeater that is 21 years old, has never had any maintenance, and it runs like a top. Unbelievable, the ruggedness and reliability of this Echo tool. I have heard a lot of good things about Echo tools and I bet the Echo chainsaw is a real nice saw.
I use chainsaws a bit for work, this year we went through 19 gallons of bar oil alone since july. for cutting like you describe I like the MS 261 by Stihl. I swap out the factory sprocket and bar for a 20" .050 72 link 3/8 pitch chain. keeps them all the same for our other saws. they are light, have plenty of power for light work but can still take down a large ponderosa pine. this is using a saw all day every day for most of the summer. there's some super cheap ones on amazon that you can look at, but if you want quality then spend a few more bucks.
A pro saw is a waste of money if you're not going into the firewood or logging business. I cut 4 cords a year for firewood. My ms290 farm boss lasted through 8 years of that before I sold it to my brother 5 years ago. He's been cutting 15 cords a year with it since and it's still going strong. I sold the farm boss and bought a Husqvarna 445 because that damn 13 lb. beast was killing my back. At 10 lbs. the little Husky 445 has proven plenty powerful and much easier on my arthritic back. After 5 years and approx. 20 cords of assorted oak, cherry, hard maple and ash it's still running and cutting like new.
I still have like 5 saws now,all Stihl even though the saws I used falling, were Husky's..My favorite by far of the saw's I have now is the Stihl MS-310 for average sized firewood..Large wood makes me go to the 046 and for banging around in my Rhino,the baby 170 get's the nod..That little sucker can cut for a baby saw...A sharp chain is the key to using a chainsaw without much effort.
I still have like 5 saws now,all Stihl even though the saws I used falling, were Husky's..My favorite by far of the saw's I have now is the Stihl MS-310 for average sized firewood..Large wood makes me go to the 046 and for banging around in my Rhino,the baby 170 get's the nod..That little sucker can cut for a baby saw...A sharp chain is the key to using a chainsaw without much effort.
Too funny, I have five stihl saws, 025,ms362 I love that damn saw,ms461, It’s a beast, sent it out to Oregon and had a muscle saw build out of it.046 Magnum ll I bought that saw around 1994, a hell of a saw.038 magnum,1985 West German built heavy but a Great runner.
I’ve been running saws for many years mainly cutting firewood, I’ve had echo,stihl,husky, Jonsered and Dolmar..favorite for many years was a stihl 026 sold it and now use a stihl ms361, I’ve still got a Makita 6401 I use for bigger bucking... all said if I was going to buy a new saw tomorrow it would be a Makita/Dolmar professional model!
A pro saw is a waste of money if you're not going into the firewood or logging business. I cut 4 cords a year for firewood. My ms290 farm boss lasted through 8 years of that before I sold it to my brother 5 years ago. He's been cutting 15 cords a year with it since and it's still going strong. I sold the farm boss and bought a Husqvarna 445 because that damn 13 lb. beast was killing my back. At 10 lbs. the little Husky 445 has proven plenty powerful and much easier on my arthritic back. After 5 years and approx. 20 cords of assorted oak, cherry, hard maple and ash it's still running and cutting like new.
Guessing you don't have much pro saw experience.
You wouldn't have to wear out a saw to determine if it's a homeowner model, longevity is but one advantage.
Started off buying Stihl and Husky saws for most of my life. Then I bought an Echo 490, then another Echo, and then the Echo battery model. Next one I buy will be a Echo 620. Still own a big Stihl which cuts good but its a bitch to start when cold. So much trouble I usually spray in starting fluid so I don't end up taking a hammer to it. We end up cutting mostly white and red oak up to 24 inches in diameter. The Echos have done such a great job I swore off buying another Stihl. Find a local dealer who is having their annual 20% off sale and give them a call and order what you want. If the road or trail needs clearing the battery saw is always the first one I pick up. By the time the battery runs out I am ready for a break so we both get recharged at the same time.
If it can't be cut with a 16" saw, it's probably more than I care to tackle, anyway. I've taken down 6 fair sized trees with my Echo 58V chainsaw. The biggest one had a 23" diameter trunk and was about 35' tall. I don't even think about the fact that it's an electric saw any longer. If it needs cutting, I cut it. I'm usually more focused on how sharp the chain is.
I've been at war against the Bradford Pear trees on my property,...cutting them down,..limbing them out,..and putting anything 3" diameter or smaller through my chipper.
The saw isn't a limitation on what I get done. Typically, I'll do as much as I feel like doing, and when I put the battery on the charger it'll show that it's down half. It takes about 30-40 minutes to bring it back to a full charge again.
I treat it pretty rough. I don't like mowing around stumps, so I'll rake and hoe the dirt away from the stump enough so that I can cut the stump off flush with the ground. I dull a lot of chains from getting them in the dirt. Typically, it's time to sharpen the chain before it's time to charge the battery.
I'm far from rich,...but I could scratch up enough spare money to buy about any gas chain saw out there within reason. But I don't want to mess with 'em. This saw will cut anything I need to cut and it's just too easy to use.
If yourStihl is hard to start, fix it. Often it will need rings if it's been used a lot. Not a hard fix.
How is compression? A quick dirty test on a saws compression is to reach down and try to pick it up by the starter cord. If you lift it, it has good compression. If the cord come out slowly, while you lift it? Well... If the cord come put and don't lift the saw off the ground? Not good.
First, spark plug. Second, make sure fuel is available to carb. Third, pull muffler, look at piston for scuffs. Fourth, if you get here, new rings, or piston.
I run a Stihl 036 (20") mostly with 72LGX072G 3/8' .050 72DL Oregon chain. BEST CHAIN I HAVE EVERY RUN!
Husky 55 (16")
and a Stihl 200T (12")
Have others that a bigger, but those are my main tools... we are taking hundreds of trees and making lumber/selling firewood (+/- 50k BF of lumber and 300 cord of firewood from tops and slash).
I wouldn't be surprised as battery technology continues to improve that in 10 years 25% of saws sold are battery.
My .043 gauge bar got worn on my Echo 58V saw so I bought a 56 link, .050 gauge 3/8" chain and put it on. It was a little big snug in the bar groove at first but the sprocket ran it just fine. It put a little bit of smoke off the bar from the bar oil for just a couple of seconds, but then it ran itself in. I could have just bought another bar but I wanted to run the heavier gauge chain anyway. The second .050 gauge chain I put on didn't put any smoke off the bar at all. It fits like it's supposed to now.
I got a call from the Stihl dealer down close to the farm. My Stihl MS250 is finally in. They'd had a heck of a time keeping stock. I talked to the dealer about what my needs were, and he said the MS250 would be plenty. I'm picking it up on Saturday. I've already got my chaps and headgear. They arrived last week.
I run a Husqvarna 455 Rancher, and have since 2005. I swapped out the 18" bar for a 20", and installed a Oregon Power Mate sprocket system. I'm running Carlton full chisel chains. I cut between three and six cord of hardwood [primarily Cherry, Oak, and Maple] a year, as firewood is my primary heat source. I have never been let down.
Comparatively, my best friend runs a Stihl 20" Farm Boss, the same one you were considering. He also added the Oregon sprocket system, and runs the same chains as I do. Cuts about the same amount of wood as I. He has never been let down.
You couldn't go wrong with either saw. They are a great general purpose, "around the farm" saw.
My wife says that with the get-up (especially the chaps) I should try out for the Village People.
I was doing some cutting after I got home Sunday PM. She was out watching me. I let her hold my spud bar. She was quite amazed at how long and hard it was.
I quit buying Stihl saws about 4 years ago. For me, they are to expensive and everyone I owned has been difficult to start when cold. If you are going to buy a small/med size gas saw take a look at the Echo 490. I did not start my Echo 490 for over a year. Yesterday pulled the choke out and on second pull she coughed. Pushed the choke back in. Next pull it fired up and ran a tank thru it while we cleaned up some log piles.
Echo dealers have one day a year they offer 20% off. Find a dealer close to you and go for it.
I've cut hundred of cords of wood, never saw the need for the chainsaw man's head gear. If I'm not felling trees, I don't need a neil armstrong helmet and a beekeepers face shield for sawing up dead fall.
I've cut hundred of cords of wood, never saw the need for the chainsaw man's head gear. If I'm not felling trees, I don't need a neil armstrong helmet and a beekeepers face shield for sawing up dead fall.
I haven(2) Stihl Saws 1st one I bought was an MS311with an 18" Bar then a Neighbor needed help with a large tree and I Sprung for the 25" bar that I should have just purchased with it when i Bought it. after swinging that one around for a bit. I needed one to Trim up some trees and the MS311 was just to big for the job. So I purchased the MS193T Top handle designed for tree climbers what a GREAT saw for what it is designed for.
If you decide to Purchase a Stihl Saw go on their Web Site and look at the Duty Cycle of there Saws they over lap and you can get a large saw with very little Duty Cycle. Do a little homework and think about how you are going to use the saw when you use it. My Saws sit around a good share of the time but when I use them. I use them hard so the MS311 is at Close to the top end of the Rancher Grade way above the Home Owner Grade and Just Below the Pro Grade. my MS193T is a Pro Grade saw all the way.
Doing some Homework before you Purchase can save you a lot of headache in the future. Good luck in what you decide on getting.
I had a buddy at work that was doing some cleanup in his yard and managed to get his jeans caught in the chainsaw. Over a hundred stitches later, he made it back to work and said the whole thing happened so fast he couldn't really say how it happened. Luckily, it was all fairly superficial, but it kept him laid up for quite some time.
I quit buying Stihl saws about 4 years ago. For me, they are to expensive and everyone I owned has been difficult to start when cold. If you are going to buy a small/med size gas saw take a look at the Echo 490. I did not start my Echo 490 for over a year. Yesterday pulled the choke out and on second pull she coughed. Pushed the choke back in. Next pull it fired up and ran a tank thru it while we cleaned up some log piles.Echo dealers have one day a year they offer 20% off. Find a dealer close to you and go for it.
I own 2 Stihls and 1 Echo 620P, The Echo seems to be the superior saw and I do some pretty serious sawing at times. Not a commercial log cutter, but a lot of big downed oak trees every year converted to firewood or just cut up and moved. Stihl is a good saw but Echo may be better.
I have been cutting with Stihl saws for 31 years. I build log cabins with them, and also cut a lot of firewood. I love the Stihl. However I have an Echo weedeater that I bought at Home Depot 21 years ago and the damn thing is indestructible. I am still running, if you can believe it, on the original spark plug. The tool has never had any maintenance, except for cleaning the air filter.
That Echo runs like a top it is an unbelievably reliable machine. So I bet they make good chain saws.
"That Echo runs like a top it is an unbelievably reliable machine. So I bet they make good chain saws."
Had Stihl saws for heating wood for 30 years. Urge hit to get a slightly bigger saw a couple of years back, Echo CS590 saved me about $200 over the comparable Stihl. Have been more than pleased with the saw. Don't plan to be cutting firewood at the same pace 30 years from now anyhow.
My old Poulan has given up the ghost. I need a new chainsaw. This time, I thought I'd get a real one.
My dealer has two on sale: A Stihl MS250 for $300 and a MS271 Farm Boss. The latter is about $100 more.
I need a chainsaw to cut up deadfall into firewood (mostly oak) and cut down red cedar trees up to 8" or so diameter.
I'm thinking 18" bar, but I'm open to suggestions.
Both the MS251 or MS271 are great saws so take your pick. Whatever you do, don't buy a saw with the easy start system or with a tool-less adjustment. Both those things give me the [bleep].
I have a 45cc husky with 16". I cut 10 cord of maple with it this year. Log diameters were 8" - 32". I borrowed my brothers 62cc saw and the weight of that sucked compared to the 45. They both cut about the same... The key is having a well sharpened chain. Unless I had logs bigger than 32", or I was milling with the saw, I wouldn't go bigger.
Y'all buy and use what you want, but if you ever want a sure fire test on a chain saw find yourself a cured log of magnolia about 18" diameter. Be ready for sparks.
Y'all buy and use what you want, but if you ever want a sure fire test on a chain saw find yourself a cured log of magnolia about 18" diameter. Be ready for sparks.
Ever cut any standing dead/dried black locust? It's mostly what we burn for firewood. Harder than a granite rock.
I got a call from the Stihl dealer down close to the farm. My Stihl MS250 is finally in. They'd had a heck of a time keeping stock. I talked to the dealer about what my needs were, and he said the MS250 would be plenty. I'm picking it up on Saturday. I've already got my chaps and headgear. They arrived last week.
Thanks all for the help.
It's a hellova saw. I have the older 025 version. It's cut WAAAAAY more than it probably should.
I got a call from the Stihl dealer down close to the farm. My Stihl MS250 is finally in. They'd had a heck of a time keeping stock. I talked to the dealer about what my needs were, and he said the MS250 would be plenty. I'm picking it up on Saturday. I've already got my chaps and headgear. They arrived last week.
Thanks all for the help.
It's a hellova saw. I have the older 025 version. It's cut WAAAAAY more than it probably should.
I bought my 025 I think about 94 maybe 96, fantastic cutting saw for It’s size , Smallest saw I own,. I would love to pick up an old 026 pro.
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