For anyone wanting a light saw, Stihl MS170

I have a whole fleet of these PP4218's...I've never paid this much for one, but still seems like a pretty good deal (made by Husky too...some of the plastic has Husqvarna stamped right on it)
POULAN PRO 967185102 GAS CHAIN SAW PP4218A 18" BAR 42CC 2 CYCLE ENGINE 24761034746 | eBay

 

That’s a great deal Backwoods Savage! I’m a Stihl guy at heart. I’ve had my MS470 for close to 20 years, and it still RIPS!!

I won this little Jonsered cs2238 with a 14” bar a few years ago. I won it in a raffle to support a local animal shelter near me. Best 10 bucks I’ve ever donated.

It’s my limbing saw. I also use it for the smaller stuff, like you see in the picture. It’s light as a feather and cuts away branches like a ninja. It actually has a Husqvarna name-plate stamped onto the side of it. I guess Husky and Jonsered are in bed together. It’s a fun little saw though.

 

Lol.
I wish that were the case. After a while, even a 10 lb saw will feel like a 100 lbs.

 

Yep, those are simply red huskys.

 

Hello brenndatomu ,
What is the best size bar for this saw? I can pick-up the MS 170 in the UK for £149 and that comes with a 12" bar and chain. Which seems like a great price to me.

Hello brenndatomu ,
What is the best size bar for this saw? I can pick-up the MS 170 in the UK for £149 and that comes with a 12" bar and chain. Which seems like a great price to me.

Cheers,
BB

 

I have the 170 , Actually a really great little saw. Never a problem and does better than I would have ever thought.
and …………………….wait for it...…………………….no flippy caps.

 

FIFY!

 

iBob ,
Mine has the 16 inch bar on it. Without checking I am guessing that this is the biggest bar for the 170. With the 16 inch bar you loose some of the length and the actual cutting length is probably around 14 inches ( I could actually measure it if you would like an actual length ). I did add the steel bucking spike on the inside so that actually costs around another 1/2 inch of bar length.
I have made a few cuts using everything it has for a bar and it did pretty well , not the fastest by all means but if it is sharp and you let it do the work it can do it.
As far as the smaller stuff it is great . perfect saw for small clean-up job , or maybe a homeowner .

Also being on the tall side the longer bar makes for a little less bending over.

 

Let me take a look at it next time i see you!

 

Yeah, I know Husky's (and Stihl's for that matter) cheap saws are one of those you get what you pay for things. When I hear Poulan, I think of those Wild Things....lol I'm guessing some of the entry level small Husky's are the same thing as some of the Poulan's.

This Jonsered is also the same thing as the Husky 240.
Jonsered Chainsaw CS2238 Powerful 38cc Engine AWESOME POWER TO WEIGHT RATIO | eBay

 

I think my brothers 170 came with either a 14" or 16" bar on it...seemed to do fine with it...but I didn't have it buried in a huge lo either...my 4218 PP have 18" bars on them, which really is too big for the saw, but it will pull it as long as you don't push it too much...kinda nice for a tall guy to have the extra reach (down mainly) when limbing though...

 

I’ve owned both, so I’m not super partial, but are you still guys gonna let him get away with this! I Currently have the 455 rancher.

 

I’ll admit, I see the same exact saw you do when I hear the word Poulan!

 

Have one of those too...doesn't get used much...once in a while. They have no AV and there are a few things that they cheaped out on compared to the PP...air filter is a better design on the PP, and cylinder is chromed too...I'm sure there are a few others things also...

 

I bought the 180 several years ago for my father in law, and he’s had no problems with it or the adjuster. Loves how light it is too.

 

Check out my pics a few above yours. That’s what I have. It’s a nice little saw

 

Oops, I fat-fingered that one!

 

A handful of years ago I went down the road of looking for a better option to replace my top handled Homelite Bandit ( ). I actually have a few of these. They are -super- light and I use them for limbing only, some of the time one-handed.

Seeing this thread took me down that road once again. LOL

....and again I kinda decided if I were to replace it I would want to replace it with something I could use one-handed and have it be nice and small/light. Back then I decided I wanted another top handle, but then decided I didn't want to spend the $$ on one. This time kinda the same thing. Caught myself not wanting to buy a cheap POS just to buy one and not have it be as light/small as my current Bandit....so that lead me to looking at the top handled ones once again. LOL So I was just looking at a new T525, weighs under 6lbs but costs $500!

Husqvarna Chainsaws T525

I once again decided I didn't need to spend $500 on a saw that I really wouldn't use that much. I don't think I even fired up my Bandit this winter, as most of the stuff I cut was down and didn't have a lot of small stuff to cut.

The point of this post.....didn't really have one.

 

Thanks for the tip Dennis. Just back from the dealer with my new saw. $170 (out the door) for a 170.
I was wondering what the difference between this and an MS171. The 171 has the chain tensioner which i didnt want anyhow.

 

The ms171 is a little different. It doesn't have the quick adjust tool less tensioner ( that I don't like either). The 171 has a single bar mount nut, vs the 2 on the 170. The 171 is a little more displacement, but barely. The 170 weighs less than the 171. Both the 171 and 170 have the side access chain tensioner. Stihl likes to add letters to the end of the saw for options like the tool less chain adjuster.