The 250 will work fine for your needs based on the timbers you pictured especially if softwood. I myself upgraded from a 290 (older version of the 291) to a 261. If money is not an object the 261 is your saw. (for general wood cutting) Ive never milled so i dont know how much power is needed to do so. Id imagine not as much to mill softwoods. Ive been using Stihl's since 1985. (Owned five of them since then) They have always given me good service, started without issue, with minimal upkeep other than the basics. Let us know what you decide.
Since we're talking about the Stihl 250, we've run into a problem with it. When we turned it sideways to cut, the carburetor floods. My husband was cutting a stump down with it, and it kept flooding. I finished the job with the 180, no problem. Is this a defect with our particular saw? Operator error?
the small saws are not built to make those long cuts. I think a muffler mod (to remove heat) and thin chain (to use up less torque) would be a must.
Yeah, I love my Makita 6421. It's a large professional saw. Mine's 64cc, but you can put up to 85 cc top end on it. You can buy this saw as a 7900 or whatever last 2 numbers they are up to as a 79cc saw. While I haven't milled at all, I know you can mill with this saw. As a matter of fact, running the same size bar and same brand of chain, my dolkita ( Makita blue dolmar) outcuts my friends Stihl magnum 460 that is a 78cc saw. We tested it out last Fall when we dropped a big dead ash at my house. He was shocked. Oh yeah, mines all stock too, catalyst in the muffler still even.
I've used the Stihl 250 and the Stihl 180 and I would take the 180 over the 250. However, as others have stated, the 261 is by far the better saw, but much more expensive too. In addition, I would not use mine to mill lumber. You need some big saws to do that.
Midwinter, you need to get that to a dealer. If I recall, that is not a very old saw and it could be under warranty. Probably a carb problem.
You might be surprised what you can do with a little saw with a LOT of patience and time. You won't be the first person in the world to mill with a 250 either. Milling with an MS250 in Chainsaws
As you are in Japan I would look for either a Makita or Shindaiwa. Both are excellent professional-quality saws. Makitas are German-made Dolmars. I have a Dolmar PS-421 which is equivalent to a current Makita EA4300, and I think it is a far superior saw to the Stihl MS250 homeowner-grade saws. I've owned several Stihls and they are fine saws but I like the Makita/Dolmar saws much better. If you intend to subject it to intense use such as milling, I'd recommend at least a 60-cc saw, and much bigger if you can afford it.
What would it cost to ship a "used" saw into Japan ? I have "used" in parenthesis as the term in this context would be whatever "used" needs to be to potentially avoid import duties . Some places you can, some places you can not.
Great question. Get one here, have someone run a few cuts with it, drain the gas and oil, and pack it up and ship it. I know in the EU they like to charge VAT tax, but it still makes sense many times.
why not look into Echo.....maybe an 800p if ur gonna be milling.....lesser sizes of course also. There made there....so there has to be dealers you would think n no import to worry about.... I feel echo makes a great saw for the money...
Can u post some pictures of your work area and trees, beams etc. Looking to go to Japan next year for vacation so i am very interested!!! 250 is a light saw for milling, depending on what size log you are looking at. suggest 461 or 661 if logs are 2 ft plus.880 is a monster saw and would be crazy expensive based on the price u showed for the250
that is under warranty ,even if you cant find your receipt they have a record of the sale ,sorry about the problem but chappell will take care of it they are great about warranty issues
At the ski hill I worked at we had a bunch of Stihl saws and one Makita. The Makita was more powerful, more reliable, and smoother running than any of the Stihl saws we had. The Stihls were constantly in need of repair where the Makita just ran and ran. Take this all with a grain of salt because I don't remember which particular models of Stihl and Makita they were. My point is, there are some excellent saws with the Makita name on them. I run an echo cs-490 at my home. With the easiest to do muffler mod ever and tuning the carb it'll pull a 16" bar all day and I have even noodled some cherry using every inch of a 20" bar with a fresh chain and not being heavy handed. I'd give the Makita and echo saws a serious look if they avoid the import fees if I were you.
