In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

★★★★☆ Stihl MS 251

Discussion in 'Chain Saws' started by Cold Trigger Finger, Oct 8, 2017.

  1. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    . Not sure I'll get the layout of this just right but here goes.

    So far I've bought 2 of these. The first was 2 years ago . Second was last year. Traded the first one on a tandem axle trailer. Got it with a 16" bar. Put a floating rim drum and sprocket on both. Did some arborist work with the first one . Climbing and topping. And cut around 40 cord with the first one. Mostly running .325 Rapid Super Stihl chain. Round filed. For the price, around $325.00 I was very happy with the saw.
    No its not a 261. But, it doesn't cost what a 261 does. Also it is quite a bit lighter than the 261. As I wanted to have a good climbing saw along with a general purpose small saw . It is great. The floating rim and drum is a mandatory upgrade imo.
    Saw #2 has been just as good as #1 was. Sometimes both of them pop and fart around when they are cold. I've run and worked with both at 30 below F. With the bottom half of the starter cover taped off. .
    Saw #2 came with an 18" bar. Which is ok . But I prefer the 16" on this size saw as it only has 1 bar stud.
    My next upgrade will be to go to 3/8" so I can run full skip chisel ground chisel bit.
    I'm Very impressed with how clean the air filter stays. Very impressed. So far I have not had any problems with either .
    I reccomend them to anyone.
     
  2. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    Oh; the reason for the 4 star rating. I reserve 5 stars for a saw that has never been to market yet . And is an unrealistic standard.
    A saw that will pull 34" of wood with 40k joint on SHARP chisel ground full comp 404 chain. WEIGHS less than 12 lbs. Runs for an hour on a tank of fuel and oil . Has full wrap handle bars and Great falling dogs. And will last for At least 1,000 gallons of saw gas.
    So you can see why 5 stars is unrealistic .
    4 stars is Way good !!!!!
     
  3. JW IN VA

    JW IN VA

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    Have you tried an MS 250 ? Mine has an 18" bar and,while it's not an 026,does a great job.When I was looking at saws in that category,the dealer's mechanic advised me to get the 250 over the 251.Maybe that was just his preference, but I'm happy with my saw for what I bought it for.
     
  4. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    I had a 250 a long time ago . And have run a couple others. They are a snorty little saw. Great acceleration.
    The 251 has some features I prefer. And it does a good job.
    It is pretty well protected from the snow. And it takes forever to get the air filter dirty. They (Stihl) used some of the best features from Husky.
     
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  5. Lennyzx11

    Lennyzx11

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    I’m curious. What features did the 251 have that you preferred rather than the 250?

    I have an 18 and a 16 “ 250s running yellow .325 chains with muffler mods and wondered what the difference(s) were from the 251.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  6. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    I like the spring mounts !
    How LONG the air filter takes to get so there is any noticeable dust on it. !
    Its price. Tho the 250 is similar.
    It's lighter weight when compared to the 260/261.
    I went with the 251 because I prefer it for 1 hand operation. When I was doing a lot of arborist work it was what I was climbing with.
    When I blew my rotator cuff I got a 193T, for carpenter work mostly. And My right knee tells me I'm NOT going up a tree anytime soon. Maybe never.
    I don't know that there is lots to choose between the 250 and the 251. But I prefer the 251. And so far it starts great down to 35 below. Coldest I've started it so far.
     
  7. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    20210101_095210.jpg 20210101_095130.jpg 20210101_095059.jpg

    That dinosaur horn thingy on the top of the pistol grip is a feature I Really like about the 251.
     
  8. Cheepbeer

    Cheepbeer

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    I'll save the five star rating for a saw that cuts the wood while I drink beer. Yeah, a rumba saw.
     
  9. billb3

    billb3

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    Full skip on a 16" bar ?
    What kind of wood are you cutting ?

    (I've only done full skip on a rather long bar on a somewhat underpowered medium saw, so I'm guessing the effect is the same, I've just never tried it)
     
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  10. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    As I'm in Interior Alaska. The only wood here is
    White Spruce , Black Spruce,
    Birch ( which is mostly white birch or paper birch. And what looks very similar to the grey
    Birch that was in Maine where I grew up)
    Aspen , Balsam Poplar.
    And willow which is just a bush. And I'm sure I've seen Sitka Alder which is also a bush.


    With the full skip chisel bit chain . I just prefer it. At 30 below, any live healthy tree is Hard and full skip work fine on it. When it's above freezing , all wood here is quite soft.
    I just really prefer semi skip and full skip to full comp.
    Just a personal thing.
    A
     
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  11. Well Seasoned

    Well Seasoned Administrator

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    Testing
     
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  12. Cold Trigger Finger

    Cold Trigger Finger

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    Just fewer teeth to file. Plus it keeps the rpm up which pumps more oil . More oil helps bars and chains to last longer.