Thinking of buying a new saw. Looking at the MS271 thoughts?

Ill burn 3 cord per year and I wont be processing it all but I will some. Will the ms250 be enough or should I get something bigger such as a 271 or bigger.

Thanks

 

Do you use a saw for anything besides firewood? (woodlot cleanup, trail maint, etc?) Do you deal with big wood much (over 20")? Is weight of saw significant? At nearly $400 for a 271, I'd have a hard time not buying an Echo CS590.

 

firewood, tree trimming but I will be upkeeping 10 acres of Mountain Bike trails here. All wooded area. Nothing over 20" saw weight not a big deal.

 

I picked up a 029 off Craigslist for 150.00 nearly new chain runs & idles perfectly

 

Ive been looking

 

Based on the info, I would say a 270 would serve you well. Again...that CS590 would be hard to pass on for the same money...for me anyways.

 

251 is a homeowner saw. 271 is a step up to the farm & ranch category.

 

I bought the 291, and i have no regerts...

Sorry i was eating a milkyway..

 

my opinion....always buy bigger or better. Nothing worse than wishing you bought a bigger saw, although the 250 would probably suit your needs just fine.

 

My son has a 291 also a very nice saw just seems every year more & more plastic but it does cut well with 18 bar

 

I like Husky's! I have a 357xp w/20" bar as my go to saw.
IMO you should get what feels good is well balanced and comfortable and has the power you need.
I do agree with BZOR

 

blacktail, FWIW, there is no real difference in Stihl's Homeowner vs. Farm and Ranch saws other than size, both are clamshell designs. It's just a marketing gimmick. FWIW, the MS250 is a perfectly fine saw at a reasonable price. If you are set on Stihl, the MS250 is plenty of saw for the average user. You could be happy with it for a lifetime. I'm not completely up to date on saws in this price point, so I would be interested to hear what other members have to say about other brands. I know Echo gets a lot of credit for high quality at a fair price. Of course Husq/Jred and Makita/Dolmar make some good saws in this range. Honestly, it's hard to go wrong these days.

 

If you like STIHL then go Professional imho ... you can get a 241c or a 261c that’s FAR superior to the 270 for a bit more coin ... I started with a farm boss 290 and while they are nice saws I got rid of them and went pro ...... and never looked back !

 

I just picked up first gas powered saw, a Stihl MS 250. I got a lot of great advice on this forum when I asked what would be a good saw for my use. One of the main reasons I decided on a Stihl is that I have Stihl Rep 5 min from my house.
Good luck with your decision.

 

Just for the sake of muddying the waters, I have to say that bigger is not always better. For me, I do about 3-10 cord of firewood/yr, too, so I'm not exactly an everyday user like a tree care / logging professional. Realistically, I could get by with an MS250 if I had to. In fact, I owned and ran an MS251 for several years. I bought it for my wife, after an incident where a tree fell across our lane and trapped her in the house and she didn't feel comfortable with my Stihl Pro saws. It was fine with averything up to 10-12 inches. Bigger than that, it definitely started to slow down. Thus, I really like a 60 cc class saw for a "one-saw" operation.

 

Fabz I totally understand where you are coming from. I currently own 3 Stihl pro saws, MS261, 361 and 461, all woods-ported, so I do know and appreciate the difference between a stock, clam shell, economy saw and an ultra high-end saw. To me, the performance of my pro-series ported saws puts HUGE smiles on my face and that is worth the ridiculous amount of money I have invested in them. However, I also realize, that many if not most people just want a durable and reliable saw that starts with a couple of pulls, cuts firewood and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. For these users, there are plenty of saws available to fit their needs.

 

Since you already have a Stihl 250 the 270 is not going to be that much different to justify adding a saw.

If you want to stay in the 270 price range I would keep scrounging CL (you might need some patients, or be willing to travel a little) but you should be able to find some good deals on either a bigger saw, and/or a pro saw.

Let us know what you end up with and let the CAD rip!

 

It all depends on the end user I guess ... having said that a PRO saw can pay for itself real quick and holds its value well if you ever want to sell or upgrade !

 

Cheath I was in your shoes last year looking for a new chain saw.
I researched different chains ms271 though to the ms 391.
I then looked at MS261cm and did research on that and asked bout the saw to. Like some on here have already said if you can swing it go ahead and get the
MS 261 cm. I did and it’s just now getting broke in good and it is sure a cutter


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IMO Stihl products outside of their Pro-Grade class isn't worth the premium price they charge. I've owned or have run a lot if it and they are just mediocre. If you're looking to spend <$400 on a saw, I'd get and Echo. The CS590 is a great saw. My dad has one and it isn't as strong or smooth as my 362CM, but it isn't that far off, especially at nearly half the price.