Quick tip, if you run your saw in the high idle position to warm it up, disengage the chain brake, it makes it so it won’t burn the clutch up in the gear housing, no resistance I should say!!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the tip. I understand we’re you are coming from. I e had other comment I should keep it engaged for safety... but I care about saw longevity also.
@@haydengregory8275 for newbies just starting out I think it's a good idea to use that Chain brake. Obviously once you feel more comfortable you're not going to use it. And most people that have been using the chainsaw quite a bit or not going to start it on the ground
Thanks for watching. I am glad you liked the review. I hope I did not steer you in the wrong direction. I haven’t found wood that my saw wouldn’t cut. Enjoy...
So what is difference between this ms 251 and the ms 250? I’m debating purchasing one or the other or even the farm boss 271 but 271 is a bit heavier !
Burton Kephart there really isn’t a whole lot of difference in engine size, power or fuel tank size. They come in same size bars. The main differences between the come in convenience features. Mainly the easy to start and the different types of fuel caps.
Thanks for watching. This is a great all around saw for the money. If you are a professional I would step up to a pro saw but for the homeowner this saw is great.. we’re in tx?
Thanks for watching... yeah I start on the ground every time..it’s safer and less strain on the unit itself. Plus my Cbe unit has a spring loaded pull start so it most likely Would break that spring starting from the hip!
i have a homeowners special from Lowe's. A Poulin Pro 18in. Im already learning that i will likely have carb and restart issues. I bought the saw years ago, but really starting using it more regularly the past month or so cutting already downed limbs for firewood. So im learning what i can about my next saw choice, and i believe i've found it, right here.
Thanks for watching. I am glad you have seen the light of day... I dont care what gas powered tool you buy NEVER buy from a big box store. I don’t care if it’s a John Deere lawn mower or a husky chainsaw don’t do it. I’ve had many reps from dealers tell me yeah John Deere sells lawn mowers at Lowe’s but they run on a special specs down line just to meet a price point. This stihl has never let me down. Now I admit I run ethanol free gas in all my power tools though.
@@GReviewz One year and a half hard use with mine. About 14 large Eastern pines felling and limbing. Great little workhorse. I was tempted to buy a larger saw, glad I didn't.
Excellent How To Video. I'm buying this particular chainsaw for my husband tomorrow to clean up our property after a big Ice storm in OREGON. Many alder trees broke off from the heavy ice and he is going to clear them out. He wanted a user friendly chainsaw that was not a hard start. He previously used an old 1985 STIHL chainsaw that worked for years, but, it has seen better days. Thanks for your help. March 2021.
Thanks for watching and for the positive feedback. This saw is great for the home owner. I still have mine and love it. Make sure to tell him this saw starter is spring assisted and not to use all his strength to start it. Also make sure to use ethanol free gas. I hope he enjoys it...
Thanks for watching. I appreciated that. I try to give people what I would want to watch in a review. We have a lot more stihl/tool reviews on our channel. Thanks for the sub.
@@theodorebennett7938 "The innovative STIHL ErgoStart makes starting STIHL power tools easy and straightforward, without requiring a lot of effort. The secret is an additional spring between the crankshaft and the starter rope rotor. STIHL power tools with STIHL ErgoStart are indicated by the letter "E" in the model name."
Im very happy with my 251 easy starting! Cold start squeeze the primer 5 times than pull up slowly till u hear the burp immediately move u choke lever up one notch than pull u starter cord slowly out (remember on the easy start models only) if u keep janking it out u will destroy the mechanism! it should be starting after 3 pulls no more than 5. My saw never fails
I had this ms 251C for several years. It has been great, easy to start, powerful and impressive. It never failed to start. Did I say it is easy to start..
I'm looking to buy my first chainsaw, and your review was quite helpful. My confidence in the product is high as a result. I will definitely invest in some steel toed boots as well due to some comments below from other subscribers.
Thanks for watching. This is my first real chainsaw I had a cheaper chainsaw that was given to me and it was similar cc engine and this stihl has twice the power. Safety first..!!
PPE means Kevlar chaps, full helmet system (even if you're f'in deaf !). The ER visit WILL cost. Oh yeah, protective boots. Good video thopugh on the home saw.
Have it too. Made in Germany. Noticed that not too many know you don't need to pull on it as hard as the non "Easy2Start".. they tear the cord fairly quickly and come complaining to the dealer.. eh.. *Very good review 👍 sir* Just one thing, when it starts finally w\ *brake on* - you (might) wanna give it no more than a few seconds (5 tops?) until tripping (quick press) the throttle to lower it to *idle* so you won't wear your clutch mechanism quickly, FYI. Thx.
Thank you for watching. Consider subscribing. We have other tool and stihl reviews. Yeah with that easy start mechanism it is really easy and requires very little force..I appreciate the advice on the startup procedure.
@@GReviewz sure, with pleasure. Thx 4 taking the time to reply. I guess I became a sort of a chainsaw advocate where I'm at and come from, and although not too often but still - I get to notify people outside my lil country of stuff that are just under their nose and no one took the time to explain it to them properly at the dealer's or when they do - they don't even try to step inside their customer's shoes and explain it to them dedicatedly.. u know? BTW, I have this little chainsaws channel, dual-language, if you wanna check it out and maybe get even bits & pieces of interesting info.. and if you see sth that isn't in English - you can comment on those videos you think I should remake in English - I would gladly do so. I called it temporarily *"ChainsawsAndMore"* 🤷🏽♂️
Ok, so you were fairly new to using a chainsaw when you posted this video. But I'm sure that after a year now since this video was posted that you've had plenty of practice cutting wood, seeing you live in Central NC. Between the Hurricanes and Tornadoes it can keep a Tarheel busy! Couple of things I do differently when cutting small limbs like this, but you got the job done without any problems. However, one thing that's a MUST ... a good pair of steel-toed boots! Trust me, had I not always used a pair of steel-toed boots I probably wouldn't have any toes left on my left foot, or a left foot at all, lol. I use to cut-up a lot of old pallets to burn in my wood stove, thus who knows when you're going to hit a hidden nail? I use to put my left foot forward to hold the pallet down, and when you do it this way it's only a matter of time before you hit a nail, and it's going to kickback and down, and it's too hard to keep it from doing so when you hit a nail. And if you put that left foot forward (to hold any type of wood down to cut it) it's going to kick-back and down, and run that chain right across your left foot. Best investment I ever purchased for cutting any kind of wood, Steel Toed Boots! Those shoes you are wearing ... chain will cut through them like butter! And take your toes/foot with it! Things to wear when using a chainsaw: (1) Hat (2) Eye protection (3) Gloves (4) Steel Toed Boots. If you truly want to be safe, you can buy the pants that will stop a chainsaw chain in its tracks, should it ever kickback (for whatever reason) and get a leg. As the Crazy Russian Hacker always says: "Safety first!" :-)
Thank you for watching. I do appreciate you taking the time to type out such a great comment on my video. I know I was not being very safe while handling a chainsaw. I should have taken the time to do it right for like you said my life of limb could depend on it. Thank you for the helpful tips and pointers. I do love the chainsaw I haven’t had a single hiccup with it.
I just bought a 180 C-BE. It’s 2 HP. Feels underpowered. Gets caught kinda frequently in small to medium trees. 251 C-BE is 3 HP. Thinkin’ 2 trade up b4 it’s too late. That said, which power to weight do you prefer? 251 or 180?
Thanks for watching. First of all your saw should not be bogging down if the wood you are cutting is less than half the width as your bar length. If it is have your chain sharpened... but back to your question your saw is I believe 9.3 pounds and mine is 11.9 lbs. I mean you would only gain about 2.5 lbs but gain 50% more hp. Sounds like a good trade off to me. But then again every saw you go up in models it’s the same thing not a lot more weight but more hp...
GReviewz I exchanged the 180 for a 251 Wood Boss. Night and day difference in build and performance & was only $130 more. Thanks for your guidance. Appreciate it.
CowboyAxe thanks for watching. Yeah for its size and price point it has great power. Plus I could replace this one 4-5 times just for the cost of a pro stihl saw.
Well pro saws are thrown around and used hard etc. I see nothing wrong with clamshells and I used them , farm and ranch day after day... just need to be more savy on cleaning and checks, mostly why I did buy pro saws was for the size on certain jobs... A saw is a tool and will perform well if you look after it.@@GReviewz
Thanks for watching. It truly is a great all around saw. I haven’t found wood that stopped it yet on my property. Just remember to be careful with the pull start as I showed in the video.
Thanks for watching. Yeah I’ve had both styles. I’ll be honest the quick chain tensioner is kind of nice. I’m not a pro so when I have to tighten mine I take my time and try not to break anything. Longevity wise the non c models will last longer.
@@dogman8356 C stands for "Comfort features" which just means it's a comfort model. B stands for "Chain Quick Tensioning" and E stands for "Easy start".
Mike Walker I mean brand new the saw is $369.95. It depends on what slightly used is and the overall exterior condition. I’d say 250-300. But I’m no chainsaw expert. Try looking at craigslist in your area and see what similar saws are going for. If you intend on selling at a garage sale expect offers like $50 lol. Thanks for watching.
I love my saw as well. I have noticed doing RU-vid videos this long that you are damed if you do and damned if you don’t.. if I had not turned the brake on during warm up someone would have commented what I did was dangerous…lol
Thanks for watching. The break in on this saw is the same procedure for many other stihl saws. Find a nice downed tree about 6-12” and cut it onto maybe 6” pieces. No full throttle during break in… in my opinion. Run a tank full or two through it and after that you should be good to go..
I have this saw and it's been great so far but I don't think it's oiling the chain enough. I took bar off and cleaned it and can see that oil is coming out of saw when running but the chain appears to be dry as bone and is bluing. I checked to make sure bar oil hole is clear as well. Has anyone else noticed this? Maybe it's working fine but I'm suspecting it's not. Just scratching my head a bit with what could be the issue OR maybe there is no issue.....
Thanks for watching. I noticed that at one point also. I know this sounds weird but not all bar oil is created equal some are more/less viscous than other. I purchased a few brands and ultimately settled on some cheap garbage but my saw likes it..
Thanks for watching. They are made by no spill. I have them for all my outdoor power stuff. Mower and all. They are top rated. Here is an amazon link to the one in the video...No-Spill 1415 1-1/4-Gallon Poly Gas Can (CARB Compliant) www.amazon.com/dp/B001PCRFYG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WjiMEbFC2KJWV
I mean I love my saw and it hasn’t given me any trouble yet. With the 18” bar I haven’t found anything it hasn’t gone through. Of course I’m a home owner and not a pro that uses it every day.
The stihl dealer wil try and sell you on a bigger or even a pro model for like twice the price or more but this is all you need. And it’s way better than any big box store saw that comes from Lowe’s or home depot.
Thanks for watching. Per stihl they come in either 16” and 18” however the aftermarket had all sorts of stuff for them. I would go too big because the engine will bog with much more..
Personally I don't care for the easy start saws. I've used one before, and it worked just fine. I'm just use to the regular "yank the hell out of it" to start it saws. Also, in high idle, with the chain break engaged, it can burn up the clutch. I always blip the throttle as soon as it starts to get it to normal idle. Edit: Saw there was already someone who said that second bit.
Thanks for watching. I’ve had a few saws in the past that normal pull saws. I got this one because I needed a new saw and this was the size/ price point I was going for and said I’ll give it a try. I really like the easy start but deep down I know the spring mechanism is the weak link. I’ve never had any clutch trouble doing what I showed but I only do it for a few seconds. What kind of saw do you have?
Yeah they ship em with the anti kick back chains so people can get used to the saw with its power and cutting characteristics for safety reasons. You can always upgrade..
@@GReviewz It is a PITA to start bucks like a mule, I have to take it to the lawn mower shop to start it. They say that is very common with the MS 250 model. I see how easy the MS251 is and WOW I wish I had that model. But no I got mine. When it runs it puts a smile on my face.
jim carson I’m debating between tho 250 n 251, but the 251 looks different with the chain tensioner but I’m unfamiliar with it. I took off the cover at the store and was like ok I hope it doesn’t get dirty in there n mess it up!! Guess I’m just old fashioned
@@burtonkephart6239 Make sure you buy the one with the easy start. The 250 should have decompression button. I also have Echo top handle it is really easy to start I use that mostly. Some Stihl's have a tool ess chain tightener.
Thanks for watching. No lie this thing starts on the first or second pull every time. My neighbor liked mine so much he bought the same saw and his is the same way!! Great saw for a home owner..
Thanks for watching. I was just doing a review of my saw and the wood I normally cut with my saw I never said I’m going to show the biggest wood this saw can cut.. the 180 is a good saw also!
Finesse... lol jk! I mean I’ve cut a lot of wood that way and never had any problems... I mean it’s cutting w the grain and not across it...initial bite can be sketchy but once you e done a few you are good...
@@GReviewz Huh? It looks like you've got both ends propped up and are cutting right in the middle. Normally this would bind the saw when the two pieces pinch together. And you're not cutting with the grain, that would be a rip. You're cutting firewood off a log, cross cut.
@@GReviewz No, it's nothing at all to do with the type of wood. I rewatched and on your first two cuts the weight of the log toward the camera was to the outside of the support thus pushing the middle up. The last cut you rolled the log a little and then basically snuck through before the saw could bind up. Please don't cut like that anymore. The piece you are cutting should be able to freely fall away. Binding a saw blade is a good way to learn though. I can't believe you haven't done that yet but you'll understand what I'm talking about if you ever do. Anyways, good luck and cheers.
Thanks for watching. I do know how to use the rake... sometimes things go out the window when you are trying to record yourself on video. Are you in the market for a stihl?
If you don't keep your left arm/ elbow locked out, and the saw kicks back...say good by to your face!! The chain bar won't ever function the way you cut.
@@GReviewz hopefully it helps you. That bar kick is 3 times faster than you can react. Once you practice the straight arm method ..it becomes second nature. Good luck.
“Straight arm” 😂😂😂 Literally no one with proper technique does that... The chain break is there to stop the chain in the event of a kickback and by holding the saw with a straight arm your more likely to drop it if it kicked hard which is also very dangerous... I hope no one adopts an unsafe technique like that. The way the saw was held in this video is just fine
@@user-maxim_79 I've been cutting with this saw and the same model before it for 10 years. I have no idea what you are talkIng about with kickback. DO you know how to use a chaIn saw?
Thanks for watching. As stated in the video I am not a professional and I mentioned at least twice to wear your ppe. Lol. Very few types of footwear will stop a chainsaw...anyway.
On the contrary, the user manual indicates that you “SHOULD start it WITH the chain brake ON”. But “the engine must be returned to idling speed immediately”. See page 41 and 42 on the users manual. Here’s an online version: m.stihlusa.com/WebContent/CMSFileLibrary/InstructionManuals/STIHL-MS-251-Owners-Instruction-Manual.pdf
This guy has no clue how to use a saw. Quick tip. Your not supposed to run the chain into the ground after every cut. Stop punching down so hard and you should be cutting up with the log in that position not cutting down. Also note of advice. If your worried about your safety glasses and gloves. Maybe you should be more worried about your sneakers and blue jeans. Put in a pair of boots and some chaps. Especially with the little experience you have with a saw.
Hey thanks for your positive comments. As stated on the video I am not a professional and don’t claim to be. I do however own property and cut a lot of wood every year. Yes running the chain into the ground is bad. When recording a video I normally don’t cut exactly how I would normally but make it so it’s easier to record etc…
