To all you woodcutter types, After seeing another chain saw message I realized that I should post a review for a new Stihl saw I just bought, model MS 180 C. I was shopping for a saw and it was either Stihl or Husky. Stihl makes at least a couple of models that have an easy start feature. Husky may also but the local place selling them didn't know of any. I asked the store owner what he thought of the easy start saws. He hemmed and hawed until I told him I wanted a frank answer. So he says that the easy start saws are for wimps. I told him that's the saw for me. I have bone on bone joints in both wrists. The regular Stihl saws have such high compression that it causes the tension on the cord start to fluctuate radically. This hammers my wrist joints and boy does it hurt. However, the easy start feature winds up a spring in the saw and when the cord has been pulled far enough the spring starts the engine. No jerking of the starter cord. It feels weird to just pull slow and steady to start the saw, but it works great. The saw also has a chain tensioning feature that is super quick and easy. There is a fold out handle on the chain side concentric with the clutch and a knob above that. To change tension you just fold out the handle and loosen it. Then turn the knob to the desired tension. Now tighten handle and fold it back into the cover. When the handle is stowed it has teeth that lock into slots that keep the thing tight. To change a chain just unscrew the handle all the way and the cover comes off. The whole bottom of the chain side cover is open and the clutch is mounted inboard so the chips don't pack in. The air cleaner cover comes off with a twist of another knob. This makes access to the air cleaner and spark plug real easy. This saw is my first Stihl so I don't know how new these features are. Oh, the saw has plenty of power and is light enough for me to use it for 3 hours straight without causing too much pain. Eric R Snow P.S. I use a two stroke oil called "OPTI-2". When mixed according to the directions the gas:oil ratio is 100:1. When buying the saw I asked if I could use this oil in my new Stihl. The owner of the store said that the Stihl Company ran tests on several major brands of two stroke oil and compared these oils to Stihl brand oils. Stihl sells three grades of two stroke oil. The only oil that matched the best Stihl oil was the OPTI-2 oil. So Stihl saws it's OK to use OPTI-2 mixed at 100:1 in their saws. It won't void the warranty or shorten the life of the saw.
- posted
17 years ago