I have a couple 025's, a MS250, & a 026. They have been good for me as limbing saws. I also have a 066 and a 660 but that's another story.
All my little Stihls have the definitive twin needle carbs in them. There was one guy around here that changed his MS170 to use a Walbro WT-215 twin needle carb with a minimum of fuss. He has been happy.
Nice I love my little 170. Used to be my only saw, now it doesn't get used as often since I bought my 291. It's still nice when you've got lots of little stuff to cut, brush, etc
Well, this thread has expanded right off the bat to include three families of the Stihl clamshell type saws. The Stihl clamshells are not to be ignored and there is a tremendous installed base of them out in the world. As far as clamshell chainsaws go,the Stihls are among the best. And as far as homeowner type saws go - they actually cut more firewood in North America than PRO types. AFAIK the MS170 family includes the MS180 & MS211 as well as the Easy start and "C" variations
The 170(flood victim) I got from my neighbor was a temperamental starting bugger at first - and is the case with most folk's experience I never hesitate to grab it for working on a hill, limbing, or clearing saplings from a trail With a sharp chain they are little light sabers
Congrats! I have a MS170 and I really like it. They are a very nice saw for the money. They respond well to some basic modifications.
That's crazy to hear - I've had probably two dozen saws from that family (017/018/MS170/MS180) and not one of them was temperamental when starting? They all either worked perfectly or they didn't work worth a $hit - none of them in between or temperamental. If they didn't work (shy of damage or scoring) it was almost always a new carb and back to 100%. I know and am still in contact with the new owners of probably half of those saws and am not aware of any troubles any of them are having with them. Maybe those little fellas are just fans of midwestern weather!
Depending on how patient you are Nick, keep in mind that any modifications you make will void the warranty.
