need a new chainsaw

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The bar itself is about 18" bare, out of the saw.

Cutting depth is around 15" or so with the bar installed, but that depends on the chain wear, bar wear, drive sprocket wear & the adjustment.

Stihl MS-170 in this photo from last week;

tree 4.JPG
 
thanks guys, it looks like my local ace doesn't have one in stock (according to the website) but I will still call em tomorrow
 
called my local ace hardware and they are NOT a stihl dealer
so i called the ace hardware one town over, and they are a stihl dealer, but they were all out

the girl says she could set one aside for me when the next batch comes in, and when i asked her if she could work with me on the price, she knocked $20.00 off
 
For years Dolmar saws gained a reputation in some circles as the poor man's Stihl. Both were German-made of chrome vanadium steel and to close tolerances, but the Dolmar was about 3/4 of the price and more conventional in its construction. Dolmar was therefore somewhat easier to work on than Stihl. Then in 1991 Dolmar was purchased by Makita. The Dolmar brand name was continued until a few years ago, when they started calling them Makitas. I have no idea if the former Dolmar quality has worsened since Makita bought the company, and I would be interested in hearing any reports on Makita saws from my fellow FABO members. In their ads Makita claims they remain largely unchanged from the former Dolmar saws.
 
Bill Crowell said:
For years Dolmar saws gained a reputation in some circles as the poor man's Stihl. Both were German-made of chrome vanadium steel and to close tolerances, but the Dolmar was about 3/4 of the price and more conventional in its construction. Dolmar was therefore somewhat easier to work on than Stihl. Then in 1991 Dolmar was purchased by Makita. The Dolmar brand name was continued until a few years ago, when they started calling them Makitas. I have no idea if the former Dolmar quality has worsened since Makita bought the company, and I would be interested in hearing any reports on Makita saws from my fellow FABO members. In their ads Makita claims they remain largely unchanged from the former Dolmar saws.
Click to expand...


I have a makita, around 10 years old now. Its a dcs6401, its been a great saw.
 
ok guys, picked up the MS-170 and a couple of thoughts so far

first off, the stihl revs quicker then the old poulan did
which might be due to it being newer

the chain on the poulan has more links in between each cutting link (if that makes sence)
i checked the other poulan chains i got, but they all have the extra links

that alone would make the stihl a better saw

but the real treat was that the stihl (which is a little lighter) has the power head so much better isolated from the handle

kinda like the difference between regular motor mounts and solid mounts

i ran it for about 45 minutes and not a tingle in my hands...that is nice


so thanks guys for steering me this way
 
I bought a pallet of used Stihls for $200 on a state surplus property site. With just a little bit of work, I got all of them running pretty easily, though one has a fuel tank that leaks, still. I put different length bars on them, and new chains. God knows how many hours on them, but they still work great. Invest in good protection, helmet, kevlar chaps, steel toed boots, etc
 
@diymirage

Funny, I’m looking at the same saw! I have a Stihl 036 that served me well for nearly 20 years. It needs a lot of love (clutch, leaks bar oil, and needs carb rebuilt). I’m looking at an MS 170 now.
 
Just in case the dealer didn't tell you, never, EVER use motor oil for the chain. Use only bar and chain oil. Motor oil will burn up your bar and chain so fast it ain't funny. Bite the bullet and buy a 6 pak of Stihl 50-1 mix to make your gas with. Congrats on your new Stihl saw. I have 2 Stihl saws that I use for firewood and storm clean up. I've had them both for years, and take care of them...but don't baby them. Neither one has ever let me down. If you don't already have them, get some chaps, safety glasses, and ear muffs.
 
That’s great to hear. It’s always a good feeling when you get a quality tool that exceeds your expectations. Especially after you debate on wether or not it’s worth the extra expense.
Like I mentioned, I LOVE my little MS170. I use the hell out of it year round and couldn’t be happier. I did get 4 extra chains for it so I can drop 3 off to get sharpened and still use the saw. My local Stihl dealer only charges $5 a chain compared to my local Ace Hardware which wants $8. I will probably sell my big MS391 Stihl because I just don’t really use it at all anymore.
 
pauly said:
@diymirage

Funny, I’m looking at the same saw! I have a Stihl 036 that served me well for nearly 20 years. It needs a lot of love (clutch, leaks bar oil, and needs carb rebuilt). I’m looking at an MS 170 now.
Click to expand...

let me know if you got any questions on it
as you can tell, im liking it so far


JDMopar said:
Just in case the dealer didn't tell you, never, EVER use motor oil for the chain. Use only bar and chain oil. Motor oil will burn up your bar and chain so fast it ain't funny. Bite the bullet and buy a 6 pak of Stihl 50-1 mix to make your gas with. Congrats on your new Stihl saw. I have 2 Stihl saws that I use for firewood and storm clean up. I've had them both for years, and take care of them...but don't baby them. Neither one has ever let me down. If you don't already have them, get some chaps, safety glasses, and ear muffs.
Click to expand...

thanks
ive been using a gallon jug of bar oil, i think i got at walmart, ages ago
for the mix i use klotz bean oil
you wont find a better smelling saw


black954 said:
That’s great to hear. It’s always a good feeling when you get a quality tool that exceeds your expectations. Especially after you debate on wether or not it’s worth the extra expense.
Like I mentioned, I LOVE my little MS170. I use the hell out of it year round and couldn’t be happier. I did get 4 extra chains for it so I can drop 3 off to get sharpened and still use the saw. My local Stihl dealer only charges $5 a chain compared to my local Ace Hardware which wants $8. I will probably sell my big MS391 Stihl because I just don’t really use it at all anymore.
Click to expand...

i think the chain that came on the stihl was sharper then the stocker on my poulan (though that was a while ago)
i have been in the habit of sharnpening my chains by hand, with a file
i think i will keep to buying stihl brand chains, so far i have been quite impressed with them
 
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