The title says it. Just wondering which is considered the better saw for power and trouble free operation.
I own a MS250, curious to see where this thread goes. I bought it labor day weekend 2015, 3-4 cord of wood a year since, a couple chains, 2 air filters, defeated the limiters on the carb needles. Runs strong.
Wow! Only a a couple of chains? You did good there. I have already just about used up a Stihl full chisel on my 362, this year and I have not really hit anything. I have been real careful. I have probably cut 5-6 cords, but that chain is not done yet, however it's been sharpened down pretty good. I did do some noodling also, however. I probably sharpened it more then I needed to, when getting ready for a big day on a few occasions.
I have a MS250 with 18" bar and have been very happy with it. Good bang for the buck. I don't mind adjusting the carb but rarely need to after doing a MM on it. I burn 6-7 cord per year and I have used this saw a lot clearing in the woods / fencerows and also cutting firewood. I do have bigger saws for the big stuff but I use this saw a lot on everything up to about 8" or so and even bigger if I only have a few cuts to make. I do like felling trees up to 16" or so since I changed out the felling spikes. It feels good felling small / medium trees and is light and controllable. The 251 wasn't available when I got this 250. I got it new and used it the first summer before doing the MM on it. I do like the two stud bar mounting and chain adjustment on the 250 compared to the single stud on the 251. I'm not sure why but on occasion when hot starting the 250 it will rip the starter handle right out of my hand and takes more effort to start than my bigger saws. It was very easy to remove the limiter off of the hi jet prior to the MM. The MM was very easy as well. I gutted the muffler inner baffle and bent open the output louvers with a screwdriver. The MM and carb adjustment made a nice difference in the performance. Quick revs and faster in the cut by around 15 to 20%. The MM did not change the hot start "kick". I did it before and after the MM. I did have one of the bar mounting studs back out not long after I got it, but that was probably my bad as I tend to have a gorilla grip with wrenches when I'm not using a torque wrench. I backed it out, put a touch of epoxy on it and put it back in. I try to use a lighter touch on it and only use my thumb on the scrench when tightening the bars on all my saws now. They stay tight and its way less that a full grunt like I used to do. I like the semi chisel chain on this saw since I'm in fencerows and underbrush a lot and it seems to hold up better than the full chisel for this use. I run full chisel on the larger saws. I keep the chains sharp. I keep the bars dressed, cleaned, and flipped regularly. I blow out the air filter about every other tank of fuel (very easy access with no tools). Pix of the 251 look like it takes a scrench to get to the air filter. About the only cleaning I do on it is with the air compressor. I do use my finger to wipe out debris after opening the flippy caps when refilling. I do like the flippy caps because I feel I can get the openings clean prior to filling and I think I get less junk in the tanks than my old saws that had screw caps. The 250 has been a good little workhorse. I'm probably on my 5th or 6th chain on it in the 3 or 4 years I've owned it. It has gotten a lot of use because since I've owned it, I not only cut the wood I used for the heating seasons, but I have gotten ahead on the 3 year plan. Between it and the 391 (heavy but cuts fast for bucking the bigger stuff) they have easily cut close to 40 cord of wood. The 362 was just picked up in the spring so it hasn't cut as much as the others. I don't know if the 251 has addressed the hot start "kick" that my 250 has, but it does pizz off my arthritus (uncle Arthur) when it decides to jerk my hand... Overall I have liked the saw and I would have trouble deciding if easier starting (if they have addressed that) or the two bar studs would win... tough choice for me. I'm not sure if a saw this size really needs two bar studs, but I like that feature since I'm kind of a belt and suspenders kind of guy... Don't fret it too much, I'm sure they are both good saws at that price point. A MM will help either one of these I'm sure...
Thanks for the info and history. Yep, I was sort of considering taking advantage of the sale on them, which I think last through November on the 250's. I like the two bolts better, myself. I do have a Jonesred 2255 with only the one bolt. I didn't even realize it until I bought it, and was a little shocked because I had never seen one with only one bolt before, but in all fairness, it has not given me any problems, at least not yet. But I don't think I would like the tool less chain adjustment of the 251.
The MS250 has a good deal of snot for its size and does really wake up with a MM. Some of them do have a tendency to flood easily. On sale now for $299. Not going to comment either way on the MS251, I just have a general disdain for strato-design saws.
I bought my first 250 in around 2008. Unfortunately it was crushed by a 30,000 lb bulldozer. The second 250 that replaced it I still have and use. Nice little saw. Not professional grade, but good for the money. Never used a 251
