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stihl ms 170 chainsaw

Started by redneck logger, August 07, 2008, 10:45:50 AM

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redneck logger

i have a chance to buy a ms170 from our local dealer wicth is also my cousin for only $230  i just want to kow how good they work ???
got to love working in the woods

ladylake

Good   light wieght
Bad     low power ,built cheap
Around here they cost $180, are you sure your cousin likes you.. I'd be looking at a small Echo or Dolmar rather than a homeowner Stilh, quite a bit more quality in thier smaller saws.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

timberfaller390

If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

ksu_chainsaw

I replaced an OLD echo top handle saw with an MS170 about a year ago.  I got the shorter 12" bar instead of the 14" bar- just because I already had a lot of 12" chains and didn't need to buy a whole bunch more.  I got the saw and 2 chains for about $180.  I think that it is a good saw for the money, I find myself picking it up more than any other saw I have, even when I have to cut from both sides- the weight difference between it and my 044MAG is HUGE.  If I had to do it again, I would still get that saw, just a different chain on it- that PMN chain breaks too easy-RR Ties are not the most chain friendly wood.

Charles

rebocardo

Price seems a bit high, I think the MS-180c cost me that much. Anyways, I really liked my MS-180 and would buy it again, MS-170 is just a bit smaller. The chain Baileys sells really wakes the saw up vs. the Stihl chain.

sawguy21

Your cousin is charging you the the same as everybody else for that MS170. It is O.K. for light work but is limited to the mini picco chain because of lack of power. As ksu has discovered, the chain breaks easily under hard use, it does not like framing nails either.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

liketocut

Looks as if Redneck logger is from Nova Scotia.
Thier prices may be higher than U.S.

I have an MS180 for small stuff that I like very much, even
like the tooless chain adjuster. I did switch it to Picco PM chain.


LTC

Old_Hickory

Yes it sounds abit high to me also,but then again not exactly sure how Canadian currency rate is vs Dollar.Never used a 170  but have used 3   180's and they all cut well.
gotta love those XP saws

jokers

Quote from: timberfaller390 on August 07, 2008, 01:16:13 PM
If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw
Are you aware of the ms260 timberfaller? I don`t think there is an Echo made that has the reputation of that saw or the ms200. The ms270 and 280 are also built stronger than the clamshell model Echoes. From what I`ve seen of the small Echoes they are on par with the 170/180 Stihl.

I ended up buying a 180 for my son when he was 6 going on seven because I liked the toolless chain adjusting and the balance and feel better than the Echo counterpart, which was the only other choice IMO, wasn`t interested in a Husky/Poulan. That saw works flawlessly and cuts surprisingly fast with the PMN chain which is perfectly suited to the low power of those saws, infact I have tried a few other versions of 3/8LP on an .050 gauge bar that I have for that saw and the PMN cut appreciably faster. It should be needless to say that any saw this small isn`t meant for serious production so chain durability isn`t an issue to me. For the record, my son has never broken one either and he`s been in a few nasty bar pinches, lol.

ladylake

Quote from: Old_Hickory on August 16, 2008, 10:26:41 AM
Yes it sounds abit high to me also,but then again not exactly sure how Canadian currency rate is vs Dollar.Never used a 170  but have used 3   180's and they all cut well.
I think canada's dollar is worth a little more than the US dollar now, but prices higher due to built in taxes.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

ladylake

Quote from: jokers on August 16, 2008, 10:50:39 AM
Quote from: timberfaller390 on August 07, 2008, 01:16:13 PM
If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw
Are you aware of the ms260 timberfaller? I don`t think there is an Echo made that has the reputation of that saw or the ms200. The ms270 and 280 are also built stronger than the clamshell model Echoes. From what I`ve seen of the small Echoes they are on par with the 170/180 Stihl.

I ended up buying a 180 for my son when he was 6 going on seven because I liked the toolless chain adjusting and the balance and feel better than the Echo counterpart, which was the only other choice IMO, wasn`t interested in a Husky/Poulan. That saw works flawlessly and cuts surprisingly fast with the PMN chain which is perfectly suited to the low power of those saws, infact I have tried a few other versions of 3/8LP on an .050 gauge bar that I have for that saw and the PMN cut appreciably faster. It should be needless to say that any saw this small isn`t meant for serious production so chain durability isn`t an issue to me. For the record, my son has never broken one either and he`s been in a few nasty bar pinches, lol.
I think I'm detecting orange and white glasses.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

jokers

Quote from: ladylake on August 16, 2008, 09:15:00 PM
Quote from: jokers on August 16, 2008, 10:50:39 AM
Quote from: timberfaller390 on August 07, 2008, 01:16:13 PM
If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw
Are you aware of the ms260 timberfaller? I don`t think there is an Echo made that has the reputation of that saw or the ms200. The ms270 and 280 are also built stronger than the clamshell model Echoes. From what I`ve seen of the small Echoes they are on par with the 170/180 Stihl.

I ended up buying a 180 for my son when he was 6 going on seven because I liked the toolless chain adjusting and the balance and feel better than the Echo counterpart, which was the only other choice IMO, wasn`t interested in a Husky/Poulan. That saw works flawlessly and cuts surprisingly fast with the PMN chain which is perfectly suited to the low power of those saws, infact I have tried a few other versions of 3/8LP on an .050 gauge bar that I have for that saw and the PMN cut appreciably faster. It should be needless to say that any saw this small isn`t meant for serious production so chain durability isn`t an issue to me. For the record, my son has never broken one either and he`s been in a few nasty bar pinches, lol.
I think I'm detecting orange and white glasses.   Steve
hmmm.......So Steve, are you saying that you think my opinion is invalid because you think I have a Stihl bias? First you might want to work on your reading comprehension because I stated in that post that the Echo was the only other saw I was interested in for my son.

Second, if you had any long term knowledge of the saws I`ve owned you would know that I`ve owned several Echo saws, all the way back to the CS750EVLs and CS500VLs that I ran for a few years in the early 80`s and that IMO the only power pruner to own is the Echo because it`s the most durable and this is infact the pruner that I own.

Or how would you explain that I`ve owned a couple of 5100s Dolmars and still have a 7900, almost bought another 5100 the other day but decided to hold off because I knew that another 346xp would be here waiting for me when I got home, and that I`ve owned or still do own a small freighter full of Huskies and a couple of Jonsereds in addition to the Stihl`s that I`ve owned or do still own. Your chicken skat allusion is the type of unsupported attempts of undermining a persons credibility that I`ve grown accustomed to seeing at AS and the Tool Shed rather than openly discussing alternate viewpoints and considering the basis for why a person may feel a certain way.

At any rate Steve, the bottom line is that the majority of people in the world do in fact think that Stihl produces a better product than Echo or Echo would be selling alot more saws, not the other way around. Can you verifiably refute my opinion that the clamshell Echoes are no more durable than the small clamshell Stihls like the MS170/180? Take one of each apart and take a good look, then tell me how I`m wrong. My statement about the legendary status of certain Stihls smaller than the 390 is in response to timberfaller`s statement "If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw" which makes it clear that he is either unaware of the durability record of two iconic Stihls smaller than his 390 or he is prone to making blanket statements regardless of the accuracy. I think that I see this in you, quite frankly.

ladylake

Quote from: jokers on August 17, 2008, 09:01:05 AM
Quote from: ladylake on August 16, 2008, 09:15:00 PM
Quote from: jokers on August 16, 2008, 10:50:39 AM
Quote from: timberfaller390 on August 07, 2008, 01:16:13 PM
If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw
Are you aware of the ms260 timberfaller? I don`t think there is an Echo made that has the reputation of that saw or the ms200. The ms270 and 280 are also built stronger than the clamshell model Echoes. From what I`ve seen of the small Echoes they are on par with the 170/180 Stihl.

I ended up buying a 180 for my son when he was 6 going on seven because I liked the toolless chain adjusting and the balance and feel better than the Echo counterpart, which was the only other choice IMO, wasn`t interested in a Husky/Poulan. That saw works flawlessly and cuts surprisingly fast with the PMN chain which is perfectly suited to the low power of those saws, infact I have tried a few other versions of 3/8LP on an .050 gauge bar that I have for that saw and the PMN cut appreciably faster. It should be needless to say that any saw this small isn`t meant for serious production so chain durability isn`t an issue to me. For the record, my son has never broken one either and he`s been in a few nasty bar pinches, lol.
I think I'm detecting orange and white glasses.   Steve
hmmm.......So Steve, are you saying that you think my opinion is invalid because you think I have a Stihl bias? First you might want to work on your reading comprehension because I stated in that post that the Echo was the only other saw I was interested in for my son.

Second, if you had any long term knowledge of the saws I`ve owned you would know that I`ve owned several Echo saws, all the way back to the CS750EVLs and CS500VLs that I ran for a few years in the early 80`s and that IMO the only power pruner to own is the Echo because it`s the most durable and this is infact the pruner that I own.

Or how would you explain that I`ve owned a couple of 5100s Dolmars and still have a 7900, almost bought another 5100 the other day but decided to hold off because I knew that another 346xp would be here waiting for me when I got home, and that I`ve owned or still do own a small freighter full of Huskies and a couple of Jonsereds in addition to the Stihl`s that I`ve owned or do still own. Your chicken skat allusion is the type of unsupported attempts of undermining a persons credibility that I`ve grown accustomed to seeing at AS and the Tool Shed rather than openly discussing alternate viewpoints and considering the basis for why a person may feel a certain way.

At any rate Steve, the bottom line is that the majority of people in the world do in fact think that Stihl produces a better product than Echo or Echo would be selling alot more saws, not the other way around. Can you verifiably refute my opinion that the clamshell Echoes are no more durable than the small clamshell Stihls like the MS170/180? Take one of each apart and take a good look, then tell me how I`m wrong. My statement about the legendary status of certain Stihls smaller than the 390 is in response to timberfaller`s statement "If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw" which makes it clear that he is either unaware of the durability record of two iconic Stihls smaller than his 390 or he is prone to making blanket statements regardless of the accu

racy. I think that I see this in you, quite frankly.
Follow the leader if you want, I never thought much about Echo either untill I got a CS510 off Ebay brand new for $200,(vs$450 for a MS260) thats when my opinon changed I ran it againt my brother MS260 and they are dead even in cutting times with my 510 having a broader powerband, wieght is the same and build quality is just as good. I've had a MS170  ALL apart and even I can tell there isn't any quality there. The smallest Echo I own is a CS440 which is not the clamshell design and has a lot more metal than any homeowner Stihl and cuts real good for 45cc. Don't sit there and lump all the Stihls into one catagory when there is night and day difference between to top and bottom. I don't know where the MS270 and MS280 fit in or how well they are built. I've never had a clamshell Echo apart, have you, but I sure hear good reports from people that own and abuse them how tough they are.   All different color glasses here.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

SawTroll

There is a reason that Echo don't list power in their specs......
Information collector.

ladylake

Quote from: SawTroll on August 17, 2008, 03:02:32 PM
There is a reason that Echo don't list power in their specs......
Go look on the austrialan echo site, they are listed there not that they mean anything. It's how fast they cut and how they handle and run.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

SawTroll

Quote from: ladylake on August 17, 2008, 03:20:45 PM
Quote from: SawTroll on August 17, 2008, 03:02:32 PM
There is a reason that Echo don't list power in their specs......
Go look on the austrialan echo site, they are listed there not that they mean anything. It's how fast they cut and how they handle and run.   Steve

Those power specs are messed up bad - lots of misprints and mistakes there.......
Information collector.

jokers

Quote from: ladylake on August 17, 2008, 02:06:28 PM
Quote from: jokers on August 17, 2008, 09:01:05 AM
Quote from: ladylake on August 16, 2008, 09:15:00 PM
Quote from: jokers on August 16, 2008, 10:50:39 AM
Quote from: timberfaller390 on August 07, 2008, 01:16:13 PM
If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw
Are you aware of the ms260 timberfaller? I don`t think there is an Echo made that has the reputation of that saw or the ms200. The ms270 and 280 are also built stronger than the clamshell model Echoes. From what I`ve seen of the small Echoes they are on par with the 170/180 Stihl.

I ended up buying a 180 for my son when he was 6 going on seven because I liked the toolless chain adjusting and the balance and feel better than the Echo counterpart, which was the only other choice IMO, wasn`t interested in a Husky/Poulan. That saw works flawlessly and cuts surprisingly fast with the PMN chain which is perfectly suited to the low power of those saws, infact I have tried a few other versions of 3/8LP on an .050 gauge bar that I have for that saw and the PMN cut appreciably faster. It should be needless to say that any saw this small isn`t meant for serious production so chain durability isn`t an issue to me. For the record, my son has never broken one either and he`s been in a few nasty bar pinches, lol.
I think I'm detecting orange and white glasses.   Steve
hmmm.......So Steve, are you saying that you think my opinion is invalid because you think I have a Stihl bias? First you might want to work on your reading comprehension because I stated in that post that the Echo was the only other saw I was interested in for my son.

Second, if you had any long term knowledge of the saws I`ve owned you would know that I`ve owned several Echo saws, all the way back to the CS750EVLs and CS500VLs that I ran for a few years in the early 80`s and that IMO the only power pruner to own is the Echo because it`s the most durable and this is infact the pruner that I own.

Or how would you explain that I`ve owned a couple of 5100s Dolmars and still have a 7900, almost bought another 5100 the other day but decided to hold off because I knew that another 346xp would be here waiting for me when I got home, and that I`ve owned or still do own a small freighter full of Huskies and a couple of Jonsereds in addition to the Stihl`s that I`ve owned or do still own. Your chicken skat allusion is the type of unsupported attempts of undermining a persons credibility that I`ve grown accustomed to seeing at AS and the Tool Shed rather than openly discussing alternate viewpoints and considering the basis for why a person may feel a certain way.

At any rate Steve, the bottom line is that the majority of people in the world do in fact think that Stihl produces a better product than Echo or Echo would be selling alot more saws, not the other way around. Can you verifiably refute my opinion that the clamshell Echoes are no more durable than the small clamshell Stihls like the MS170/180? Take one of each apart and take a good look, then tell me how I`m wrong. My statement about the legendary status of certain Stihls smaller than the 390 is in response to timberfaller`s statement "If I was going to buy a new saw the smallest stihl I would buy is the MS 390 if I wanted a smaller saw I would buy a echo because like ladylake stated they make a better small saw" which makes it clear that he is either unaware of the durability record of two iconic Stihls smaller than his 390 or he is prone to making blanket statements regardless of the accu

racy. I think that I see this in you, quite frankly.
Follow the leader if you want, I never thought much about Echo either untill I got a CS510 off Ebay brand new for $200,(vs$450 for a MS260) thats when my opinon changed I ran it againt my brother MS260 and they are dead even in cutting times with my 510 having a broader powerband, wieght is the same and build quality is just as good. I've had a MS170  ALL apart and even I can tell there isn't any quality there. The smallest Echo I own is a CS440 which is not the clamshell design and has a lot more metal than any homeowner Stihl and cuts real good for 45cc. Don't sit there and lump all the Stihls into one catagory when there is night and day difference between to top and bottom. I don't know where the MS270 and MS280 fit in or how well they are built. I've never had a clamshell Echo apart, have you, but I sure hear good reports from people that own and abuse them how tough they are.   All different color glasses here.   Steve
Steve, your reading comprehension still leaves something to be desired, go back and have another go at it because never have I lumped all Stihls together as having one level of quality. EVER! In fact there are five levels of quality. On the lower end you have the 170/180, then the ms250 chassis saws, 3rd is the ms290 - 390, then the ms270/280 and finally the Pro saws which include the ms200 and ms260 on the smaller side.

I don`t need to disassemble any small Echoes personally, I`ve seen piles of them in various states of disassembly after catastrophic failure. I can see that they`re not built any better than anyone else`s small saw and the 5 year consumer warranty is a marketing ploy based on hedging their bet that anyone serious about using a saw either A) won`t buy a small Echo, or B) won`t expect the warranty to be honored when they kill it.

Unfortunately too many people who buy Stihl don`t recognize(Stihl marketing) that not all Stihls are created equal and many will buy the cheapest Stihl they can get and expect it to last and perform like the pro saws, well you can have one of these two features when you go cheap but you can`t have `em both so IMO Stihl chooses to give better performance, hedging their bet that the average person using an ms170 isn`t going to use it that much, and offering a more realistic EPA compliant engine life estimate than Echo does. I know how you guys wearing the rose colored glasses like to cite the EPA compliance warranty as defacto proof that Echo builds a better engine across the board but I`ll counter that not all Echoes are built to the same level of quality, furthermore, who outside of the EPA or the factory has the means to test whether or not the engine does indeed maintain compliance?..........too many "thinking" guys are putting way too much emphasis on those warranties and if they are to be a real benchmark then even the best saws will only last for a few hundred hours, right?

I`ll also offer that all of those guys who brag up the small Echoes after they abuse them probably are pick up truck "tree surgeons" who wouldn`t know a good saw if it bit them in the butt and more than likely don`t use a saw half as much as they think they do. It`s a rare case to see a pro outfit whose owner is on the job on a daily basis using an Echo saw. Maybe you`ll see them on a Davey or Bartlett truck but that`s because a corporate bean counter is deciding how much they can spend on saws, not which is best. I don`t count landscapers as being pro users of saws because they are not.

BTW, those cheap prices that you cite for Echo aren`t available at a dealer, not even close, so who is supposed to support you and your gypsy Echo when it needs warranty work?

You say that I`m following the leader, I say that you`re following a pig in the poke. I think my view is better.  :D

ladylake

   Joke  I have no trouble comprehending your little digs at Echo saws and thats why were doing this, every one I've worked on has been WAY better quality than homeowner Stihls and just a hair below thier pro models. I don't care about a warrenty, haven't taken a saw to a dealer in 30 years, but i guess for the average guy 5 years is nice. Never saw a Stihl in the scrap heap?    Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

jokers

Steve,

I`m just letting you know that I`ve read your reply and consider it to be no more founded in fact than any of your others so I`m just going to stop replying now.

Have a nice day!  ;)

ely

i know a guy with a row clearing service. they buy stihl saws at a discount because they buy a pickup load at a time. when /if one fails they just drag out a new. by failing i mean something that can't be fixed with a saw wrench on the tailgate by the man running it day to day. i have seen "broke saws" setting in the mans shop that i have made them run again in 10 minutes that would last me 10 years around the house. but they just keep them for parts.

and not sure if age means anything with the echo brand, but years ago i worked for an electric contractor and they had echo everything, saws,  drills, press motors. and they all were work horses and we had no problems with tehm either.

jokers

Quote from: ely on August 18, 2008, 12:33:45 PM
and not sure if age means anything with the echo brand, but years ago i worked for an electric contractor and they had echo everything, saws,  drills, press motors. and they all were work horses and we had no problems with tehm either.
Age means alot in the smaller Echoes IMO. It used to be that when Echo(Kioritz) was originally all orange and made of metal, all of the saws were built to the same standard, not super performers but bullet proof. When they went gray the small saws became just like all the rest of the small saws out there, throw away.

Ed

IMHO, in years past Echo was an excellent good product. My Deere (Echo) served  me well (with no problems) for many years unti I used a 026 Stihl. The old Deere was put into semi-retirement rather quickly and traded in some time later. This was simply from the performance gains that technology brought, not any fault of the old saw or it's reliability. I actually wish I wouldn't have sold it.
My dad still runs an old 450g Deere trimmer, also made by Echo. The machine has been to heck and back and still runs /starts like new. It will be a sad day when it has to be retired and I'll wager it will be lack of parts that will seal it's fate.
Sadly Echo has chosen to put it's eggs in the homeowner basket. I wouldn't even consider one today.

Ed

ely

those were the old echos then, i remember they were all metal and orange in color, actually the looked like a very grease covered light red :D and like you say i never remember them failing to start or us working on them.

jokers

Quote from: ladylake on August 17, 2008, 02:06:28 PM
The smallest Echo I own is a CS440 which is not the clamshell design.........   

Steve
You really piqued my interest here Steve because I didn`t think that the smaller Echoes were anything but clamshell models so I went looking for the IPL, look at what I found.......


Are you really so sure that you know all that much about the smaller Echo saws that you`re pushing?

beenthere

Jokers
What's your point?

Some of your responses make me wonder what your objective is on the forum. 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

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