I’m about to bite the bullet and order a Stihl ms180 chainsaw, any reasons not to. I had intended to get a Husqvarna but a few local shops don’t recommend them. Cheers

Nope. I’ve had mine for maybe four years, it just does what it’s supposed to without any fuss. It’s not the lightest saw but it starts quickly every time and has a reasonable amount of torque.

Seconded – MS180 is a cracking little saw. I also have an older 043 but that has the ripping chain on it most of the time for the Alaskan mill – for daily work I much prefer the 180. Have a try at starting a standard 180 vs a C-BE version – the latter has decompression and a spring assisted pull cord, which makes starting much easier.

Also, buy some Stihl Motomix or Aspen fuel. Expensive, but no messing about with mixing 2 Stroke oil and it won’t go off if the saw isn’t used for a few months. Most starting problems are associated with old fuel.

I’ve had one for 4 years and love it.

The only thing I don’t like about it is the fiddly and annoying choke/on off switch combined with throttle trigger. Insanely complicated.

Apart from that, no regrets. Good parts availability and works like a dream.

Cheers will be ordering one later

+1 on the motomix- brilliant stuff. Means I know I’m not doing any damage by getting the mix wrong plus it doesn’t go off.

I’ve got the 170 version and it’s been great. Well apart from the fact it’s not very big and my girlfriend calls it a fisherprice chainsaw…

Well apart from the fact it’s not very big and my girlfriend calls it a fisherprice chainsaw…

I quite like that. If I’m harvesting windfall in the wild I feel a little bit less self concious with a small saw. (Maybe that’s not logical.)

Without knowing what you are using it for it is hard to make a recommendation but for a small, lightweight saw the Stihl battery models are nice. Very quiet, less to go wrong, less pollution. Less power and runtime but if it is enough for you then it’s great.

Stihl Motomix or Aspen fuel. Expensive, but no messing about with mixing 2 Stroke oil and it won’t go off if the saw isn’t used for a few months.

Why won’t it go off…. It’s still petrol but premixed.
It may be ethanol free, but ethanol doesn’t go off, it just has the ability to absorb water so can cause separation but I doubt that’s an issue in a tiny tank.
Ethanol free fuel still goes off (as did fuel before ethanol was introduced).
Not having to mix your fuel is a easy but so is emptying a little bottle of Stihl 2 stroke oil in 5L of fuel.

It’s alkalyte petrol, it doesn’t contain the aromatic hydrocarbons that pump fuel does. It is designed to, and does, last years.

I just use a stabiliser in pump fuel and store the saws empty. Ms180 is a great little saw.

Ahh. Although I don’t use that much fuel I certainly use enough to get through 5L before it goes off.
Not had a problem so far, touch wood, and don’t even bother with stabiliser.
(chainsaw, strimmer, hedge cutter all Stihl)

It’s mostly for branches and small trees, though have a few large trees which will borrow a larger saw for.

I can’t post a picture of the tree that fell over in our garden during Dennis – however it’s a whopper and though it’s taking me a number of weekends to get through, my fisher-price saw is slowly getting there. You’d be surprised at what it can get through – the only limiting factor being me and my inability to understand that some branches are under tension….with obvious results.

I run the motomix stuff in mine, plus hedge trimmer, strimmer and leaf sucker – I’m surprised at how long 5 liters has lasted considering the amount of two stroke stuff I have. It also works a treat in my 1/5 scale RC car, and that has a right old thirst on it!

Similarly sharkbait I’ve not had any trouble but I have anyways bought shell v-power as it was, until the recent changes, ethanol free, and I use startron stabiliser. I also store my mixed fuel in a metal can as the volatiles that help a cold start are small enough to diffuse through plastic cans. Finally I now only mix 2.5 litres at a time. Even though I scrounge and process 12-15m3 is firewood a year I find my ms180 and my 365 xt are both very efficient and I seem to get wood in spurts, which sometimes results in fuel mix sitting around for 6 months or more. I’ve a little in the can now that was mixed….errr…. September I think.

my fisher-price saw is slowly getting there. You’d be surprised at what it can get through

Agree. Sharpness is more important than size IME.

Another top tip OP – but a Stihl 3-in-1 file for it. By far the easiest method of filing teeth and rakers.

I agree the 3 in 1 files (Stihl or pferd) are very good, although the picco chain on the ms180 had some strange looking teeth as they got well back, with no hook shape at all. I even got the micrometer on the file to check the right size was fitted as it looked wrong, but it still cut well, despite looking like the round file was not low enough.

I agree the 3 in 1 files (Stihl or pferd) are very good

I picked up a Stihl one and it’s really good – much easier and better than doing it freehand with a file and the Husky rollers.