Fixed a burnt up ms210 with a $35 Chinese ms250 engine. Stihl engine was $150. It was just a fun project that took like 2-3 hours. Definitely wasn't worth paying someone $75/hour to fix it. Works great for the 2-3 times a year I use a saw.
I have that same saw, and it won't start, I have an ECHO now, and for what I do it's fine. I'll put it on curb outside my house and will be gone in less than an hour. Thanks for posting this, your channel is resource for me. Thanks for all the information.
Echo equipment is really dependable. I found a brand new Echo saw on Craigslist still in the box. It’s never given me problems. I then bought an Echo trimmer, and it also has been a solid performer.
@@5roundsrapid263 i also have a cs-400, and the thing fires up in 2 pulls. i use echo-mix. and the thing starts in 2 pulls everytime. i swear by echo equipment.
Same thing happened to my Kawasaki string trimmer, guys at the shop told me it would cost 300 dollars to fix and I should just buy a new one (cost me 500 new). Bought a new cylinder/piston/rings kit from aliexpress for like 50 bucks. Installed it, problem fixed. That was 5 years ago, and it still runs like a champ. My Poulan chainsaw on the other hand gave up the ghost (also overheated) and the same technique didn't work out at all. Had all sorts of problems with the saw even after installing the kit. Ended up buying a Makita 36V chainsaw which is more than enough for me.
Kawasaki stuff lasts forever, and is always worth fixing. On the other hand, Poulan equipment is barely functional even new. Once it breaks, you can forget it.
They cost peanuts here in Australia aswell , weve have the 181 its ok for what it is, id rather buy an old bigger cc chainsaw , the type that easily seperates and rebuild it with good quality aftermarket parts, crank, bearings, barrel and piston , and end up with a cheap but good saw suited for heavier work, did it before ended up with a $1600 chainsaw for approx $300
Not worth fixing as far as the cost in money, but the experience and knowledge gained, not to mention the pure joy when it comes alive again, priceless.
I have a 170. First thing I did is remove flame arrester. It got clogged. Recently it was bogging down. Cleaned out exhaust port grate and works awesome now. I have cut a lot of wood with this saw. Trick is to warm it up before long use and let it idle after using it for big cuts. What mixture of oil and what brand was he using!?
@@davidn1369 Yes. Remove that flame arrester. Wire brush that exhaust baffle. Small opening of exhaust will diminish performance. A two stroke works on air volume. Also make sure air filter is clean and intake port isn't gummed up with saw dust on intake port. These saws are awesome and work well. Please don't let these run on high idle at half choke for to long. Let them idle at least 30 seconds before cutting. Also after a high Rev when cutting. High revving when cold or shutting off after high revs will diminish lifespan.
@@HuckThis1971 I did as you recommended and problem solved. Plenty of power now! Spark arrester was clogged solid with soot. I’m going to leave it out as unlikely to cause a fire in my area. I do notice that this saw smokes much more than my Husky using the same 50-1 gas. Thanks for the help Huck!
@@HuckThis1971 I agree with the idle for 30 seconds or more after multiple big cuts.... I was bucking some 20" diameter ash logs in my backyard from 3 trees that died from ash borer... Saw did not like to restart after being shut down hot... I think it's a vapor lock in the carb. If I let it idle a bit to cool down, it seems to restart easier....
Another great video, boys! Honest and no bull advice. I just bought the 170 and you talk about common overheating problems from going too hard on them, so, how does a guy know when "too hard" is too hard? Size of limbs? Hours of continuous use? Instinct? What's your rule of thumb to prevent overheating the MS 170?
Hi Donyboy and Apprentice Dave you are right about repairing the MS170. The time it takes me to remove and replace the cylinder and piston on a MS170 I can do two pro saws pistons and cylinders in that time
Hey that’s great advice. But like you said it’s probably not worth it to repair if you can’t fix it yourself. I bought mine in a box as parts - previous owner smoked the piston, so I got one of eBay for $35 shipped to my door, paid $50 for the saw and $20 for the gas to pick it up. Worked great for 6 years. But recently I’ve given it a fresh tune up and new bar and chain, and checked the compression - 125 psi cold, so it might be getting a little weak now, but starts and runs good still. Great little saw. The key to it is maintaining a sharp chain.
This is great advice,but years ago I helped out in a small engine shop and guys would bring in their Poulan Wild things,and other "junk saws" that they wanted repaired,and still wanted them repaired even though the repair would cost more than a new saw!!!
Thank you for your awesome videos I recently got hired as a small engine tech and I learned alot from watching your videos over the years working on my own and friends equipment thanks again guys keep em coming
I have a MS-250 Stihl and the saw have never given me good service for any time and it is currently collecting dust in my old house along with two other saws. The only one which works for me is my Poulan Pro battery saw which is used to trim limbs, scrub, and cut small trees growing on my property. If I had that saw it would be used for parts only and just get another saw.
Hey guys 😉 Thanks for sharing. I like wrenching on this Type. But it doesn‘t make sence to bring this saw to a workshop... Over here in Germany the 170 is about 139€... For wrenching it‘s nice to play with🤣 I use the 017 for carving 😉 Greetings, Stefan
I stand by my previous comment, slap a high quality aftermarket MS 180 shortblock in it. Since getting a shortblock itself would be cost prohibitive unless they're going for cheaper than the dealer on eBay as a taken off new part.
Idk about Canada but I bought mine ms170 at an ace hardware for about 280$ with no case. I have o26&028 and u can’t compare to one another. Thanks for the video
hahaha i got that same flyer the other day. when i saw the title i knew the answer. its pretty sad that they are getting cheaper to replace than they are to repair. it also makes me wonder if this is why my older stihl ms180 came with a 13" bar instead of a 16" bar like most of the new one. that way you can't over work them.
I’m going to disagree with everyone. I picked up a used MS180C for $32…..it wouldn’t start and had low compression. The piston was badly scored as was the cylinder. So I bought a completely new, fully assembled aftermarket Chinese MS180 engine off of eBay for $25. I simply removed the old engine, bolted in the new one, and added all the old parts (except the old fuel line), and the damn thing runs perfectly. There was an air-leak in the original fuel line that probably cooked the first engine by lean overheating. $8 worth of eBay aftermarket fuel lines (3), fixed that problem pronto. So I now effectively have a new MS180C for $65 dollars total and my labor of love in repairing it myself….and it runs and cuts perfectly. I recently replaced its terrible original (untunable) Zama carb with an $8.65 tunable Walbro cloned carburetor from eBay. Now I can make quick hi/lo speed tuning adjustments to make sure overheating never happens again. But if it does, another $25 investment and I can easily rebuild my MS180 for the second time. These are not throwaway saws, they are dirt cheap, quick D.I.Y. restoration projects. Dr. K.,
Absolutely, so I would always rebuild for myself and take a chance with the pattern stuff. I realise they are nowhere near as good as genuine, but its always about budget as this video has discussed.
I hear lots of people trash these saws but when i ask more details why they don't like them, they are trying to make it do a job it was never intended for. I have one my dad bought years ago and we used it to cut slab wood from the saw mill and i cant count how many cords it has cut and still runs like a top.
The key is not to overwork a little saw and use good lubricants and fuel. I have 16 saws and I grab one that is tailored for the job at hand. If it is a little job I grab a little saw. If it is a big tree I grab a bigger saw. If the bar will fit around the tree it is a good test to see if it is big enough to cut it down and cut it up. I limit my Ms 170-180 to dinner plate size stuff or limbing. Any bigger then I grab my 455 or ms 360. Real big stuff are saved for my 372, 440 and 660.
WORTH FIXING!!.......used motors = $35 on ebay!!......Lots of 'em to choose from, of course that's from USA sellers.....I had a blown Echo, and threw a used OEM in.....worked perfect. Everything is basically guaranteed and Ebay always sides with the "buyers".......
They are on sale many times for about 150 US dollars and I actually bought one once for 100 bucks and when I read the reviews on it they basically said that it is only for sawing like small 3 or 4 inch trees and the bar is very thin and fragile. I live in hurricane alley on long Island New York so I resold it for 150 it was basically brand new. I have to say that it was one of the easiest to start saws that I have ever seen but I am Surrounded by 60 foot Red Oaks and that is not the saw for cutting trees that have trapped you in out of the road or off the power lines Which I can do safely dont ever make contact with a tree on power lines unless you have the proper training and PPE. So I bought 2- 250s and I have an 019 climbing saw and and old hardly used AV050 for the monster trees it needs the oiler fixed when I have time I hope it is just the easier parts to get to but I need to get my daughters projects off my desk so I can have it ready for hurricane season which is quickly approaching. We usually dodge at least a dozen hurricane storms a year here for my whole life and clearing oak trees is hard work. I sometimes work with lineman as I am a high voltage splicer retired by trade.
I would repair that for myself to keep but I wouldn't do it for a customer. Even with a cheap top end kit as soon as you put any labor into it it's like you said you are into the same price as a new one. Simple math.
Can you do a video on just how to put the rubber bushing back on the handle? Common issue people chunk these saws over is the stupid bushing popping out of the plastic tabs and getting boogered. Nothing else wrong with it.
Owners manual on my FS56RC I think it said to run it wide open throttle ~ videos just now seems to be clean the spark arrester (sometimes spark arrestor) & will re read the directions but you are saying squeaking I should look for over-revv & fried rings I am an auto mechanic shade tree not familiar with 2-cycle
Donnie I have a Stihl weed eater model km56 and I bought it for $23 3 years ago because the guy was asking 30 bucks for and it was missing the large tightening bolt that wants the attachment goes into the base shaft then you turn the tightener to help hold it in place and it was making a slight squeak when pulling the rope and I knew exactly what it was by pulling the rope and I removed the muffler and it had tons of carbon that looked like the dust off of bagged charcoal all embedded around the exhaust port and I cleaned all of that out seen the scoring on the piston and checked a few things wild tinkering with it but wound up putting a Chinese carburetor on it also because the Zama carburetor had one cracked mounting foot where It bolts to the engine and was grabbing air and wouldn't start so I got it started and left the piston and rings in it and mixed up 32 to 1 stihl oil and 89 octane and ran three or four tanks of gas through it and still had a slight squeaking still going on... On either the 4th or fifth tank of mixed gas I added two capfuls off of a 20 oz pop bottle of 100% acetone to the tanks of mixed gas on the weed eater and it actually cleaned up the cylinder tremendously to the point there is no more squeaking of the engine when pulling the rope to start it and it's still running the same piston and ring 3 years later at now a 40 to 1 gas ratio mix.... I've also had a Husqvarna weed eater in the past, that was not as bad as the stihl weed eater that I was referring to above in the beginning of my comment but the Husqvarna weed eater I tried the same method with it with lesser piston and cylinder scoring and that trick allowed the weed eater to run an operate for an additional grass cutting season but it never took away the slight rubbing squeaking noise when first starting the unit but I've never had as much luck with Husqvarna power equipment in general as I have with Stihl power equipment but the work I do requires as much torque power as I can get in chainsaw work or brush cutting with large weed eater units and cutting blades and also heavy duty field and Creek Bank cutting with weed eaters but I have found that Stihl power Equipment produces better torque from the factory then what I've ever found with Husqvarna power equipment and I've got other people that will vouch for that as well and a couple of them are die-hard Husqvarna fans and they do agree Husqvarna runs higher RPM but their torque range is not as strong as what stihl equipment seems to be
I have two questions. If you had to disassemble a saw to diagnose the issue and determined it was not worth fixing, would you re-assemble it? The second question is, would it be worth replacing a carb on one of these saws?
I would not reassemble if the customer didn’t want it back. I would give it back to the customer assembled but that would come at a cost. Truthfully, you can diagnose a saw without taking much off so it doesn’t take long to throw it back together. Yes, totally worth replacing the carb. Do you agree @donyboy73 ?
I may have to change my evil ways. If I have a big tree I keep cutting and cutting and cutting without stopping unless I need fuel/oil stop. I do use 40:1 fuel mix and really good oil. The saws do get hot and sometimes are stubborn to restart if not allowed to cool. Hmmmmmm?
Guess what? I'm back! There goes the neighborhood. Just kidding LOL! Seriously though, its really great to see you guys again, I've always enjoyed the dynamic between you both. While Dave is getting smarter everyday, Don is getting funnier everyday. Although, I do say I appreciate Daves notion to toss the saw through the window, just hope the alley cat isn't out there when it does. I tell ya, the owner pushed that saw harder then he should have, story of his life I suppose. Thanks for sharing!
Hey, Don, and Dave😎 That $180 isn't too far off in the States. Got a chainsaw, which oddly enough is sitting on top of my tv next to me as I type this. Hey, I'm single, and can get away with stuff like that. It's a Poulan S25DA. Runs excellent. I yanked the muffler to inspect the piston, and cylinder. Zero scoring, but the piston is slightly discolored. Safe to run the saw?
2 questions guys. Do these have a removable cylinder? And how do you know which saws are pro level? I often buy stuff at yard sales so if I ran across a saw that was toast how would I know if it's worth fixing?
So would you say the 170 is basically a throw away saw? And is the 180 much better? Bought a 170 5 years ago, still running but you really cant expect to do any long cutting or larger trees. Thanks for the video. My Father had McChulla Sp?? Were yellow, years ago and were simalare to these. Still have one hanging on the Garage wall! But he had them repaired cheaply....
Hello dony I have a question, when an engine does not have compression or is damaged as you say, the first thing is to check the muffler to see if the piston is not scratched, I would like to know why when the piston is scratched most of the time it is scratched on the muffler side it will be because it is where there is more heat ? or what will the reason?
Yes, heat on exhaust side is higher because its not cooled by incoming unburned fuel. But don’t be deceived by a few piston scratches (and dealers telling you that your saw is trashed!!). If compression is still good (>110 psi), many pretty bad looking pistons as viewed through exhaust ports will still run just fine. Once compression is really low and engine won’t run at all anymore, even a badly scuffed up cylinder can often still be saved. Most cylinder scuff marks are from piston aluminum transfer, NOT cylinder damage. Muriatic acid dissolving of aluminum transfer on cylinder wall, followed by ultra-fine sandpaper and/or scotchbrite sanding and the cylinder may be good as new. Add a cheap new aftermarket piston and your engine can be rebuilt to run like new. I just rebuilt a Stihl MS271 with a severely burned piston (so bad it had a hole burned clear through the top). Replaced it with a new $35 Meteor piston, acid-treated the cylinder, added new oil seals, and reassembled the saw. Now it runs again like new again. Total cost to rebuild was about $60 (about $500 to buy new). I had similar issue recently with a burned out MS180C. But in this case, a completely new, assembled Chinese MS180 replacement engine from eBay only costs ~$26. About 2 hours to rebuild the saw completely with the new engine and the MS180 runs again like new. Meanwhile I cleaned up the old “scored” cylinder perfectly with acid, added a $10 Chinese MS180 piston, and rebuilt the old engine to keep as a spare….it has terrific compression. The MS170/180 chainsaws are a DIY rebuild dream….very satisfying. Dr. K.
Hey Don, My dad just gifted me his old Stihl chainsaw, It's been sitting for a LONG time.. I'm wondering if you made a video on what to do in this situation.. If so, maybe you could give me the video title? Thanks in advance. Take care!
I can’t say I disagree, but I’m lead into temptation by eBay. Of course I’m doing my own work more or less for fun and I can buy from what I can see several sources on eBay $35-$40 for crankshaft piston cylinder rings bearings whole new motor more or less. I found this in a simple two minute search, but I’m not gonna pay somebody $120/hour to do it.
Disposable chainsaws. Sometimes the truth isn’t so wonderful to hear. Definitely save for parts and one day hopefully make one good one out of two. I’ve got brand new saws in my garage, ms-391 and ms-170 just like that one. Had to give $189 plus tax for the 170, 2 year warranty because I also purchased the Stihl synthetic oil. I will baby the ms-170 to death and use it for small stuff only. I think where some inexperienced wood cutter’s go wrong is continuing to use the saw after the chain dulls, in an attempt to finish what their cutting on. Trying to run a saw wide open while cutting with a dulled chain will overheat the saw every time!
If it were my chainsaw, personally I would probably fix it myself and just hone out that cylinder and find a decent piston and ring online and put in it and run nothing leaner than a 40 to 1 ratio gas oil mix but it being a black handle or orange handle still chainsaw makes it a homeowner saw but that's the quickest way that I, identify Stihl chainsaw and if it were a white handle saw then I would probably put a little money into it and really nothing below an ms250 is ever worth having worked on unless you do it yourself unless it's a 262 Pro then definitely those are worth putting money in but not a fortune
@@kenhilson786 went that route. I have had bad luck with them. I know others have had Better luck. In fact I am taking off the aftermarket carb and putting the oem back on after I rebuild it.
Don, there's some folks in Tenn. that luv the heck outta ya ! -- You might MENTION THEM more often in your vidz -- haha ! (DISCOUNT ONLINE PART) (This is not a paid advertisement Har Har Har )
I bet a lot more saws get smoked from grinding with dull chains that get straight gassed. I bought one of these MS 170, $159 on sale. Dealer switched b&c to .050 gauge 14" 50 dl. Recently got another., dealer let me buy powerhead only as I have bars and chains 020T top handle. I have several pro saws but surprised how much these little saws can cut. Just take care of them. Sharp chain, good fuel and let the saw cut.
I have been following you for quit some time now. I have to say that it is time to upgrade to a personal microphone. Get a hold of Mustie1 and ask him what he uses.
I have an MS170 that will only start if I pour petrol straight into the spark plug hole. It will then run fine. It just won't start as you normally would. Any idea why this is?
your problem is "Before" the cylinder.........so Carb, fuel line, vacuum line, fuel filter, etc.....could be ANY of those.......you Have spark obviously, so don't look in that direction. You could be flooding it....are you Sure you know how to start it? It seems like TONS of people don't know how to properly start a Stihl, Lol.
Could be: 1-Fuel pump side of carb not sealing properly, or 2- check valve in main jet is defective. I have seen a couple of zama carbs that run fine but won’t prime or start because of a back feeding main jet. A new carb is cheap, common and easy to install. Good luck!
@@DavesSmallEngines. Good video. Parts ratio and price of a new saw play an important roll when it comes to repairing certain model saws. Sometimes just taking the jug off as well can reveal more ugly scores on the front right of the piston ( close to the bar side) especially if it's been over revved for heavy duty job application. One can also use this saw as a cutout demonstration to teach others on how a 2 stroke operates in a saw. Amazing videos. In my years doing bush work I've repaired a lot of saws and 2 stroke equipment. I still have all the Clymer edition books, HP publications of chainsaws, Snowmobiles, outboard engines and Motorcycles. Also a technical book on 2 strokes. Quite a lot to learn about 2 strokes. Quite complex as well. Lots to learn about desaxed offsets, porting, power valves, Reed valve configuration. Piston port systems and Rotax's rotary valve systems especially the Can-am or ATK motorcycles. Stihl is actually experimenting with a jet powered chainsaw, which I think is quite unecessary. Lol. Great video guys 'Awsome'👍
Fixed a burnt up ms210 with a $35 Chinese ms250 engine. Stihl engine was $150. It was just a fun project that took like 2-3 hours. Definitely wasn't worth paying someone $75/hour to fix it. Works great for the 2-3 times a year I use a saw.
I have that same saw, and it won't start, I have an ECHO now, and for what I do it's fine. I'll put it on curb outside my house and will be gone in less than an hour. Thanks for posting this, your channel is resource for me. Thanks for all the information.
Echo equipment is really dependable. I found a brand new Echo saw on Craigslist still in the box. It’s never given me problems. I then bought an Echo trimmer, and it also has been a solid performer.
@@5roundsrapid263 Same here, we've had our same SRM-225 for 6 years and it still runs like a beast. i swear by echos'
@@reedsmechanical3663 I think the SRM-225 is the trimmer I have, also. I just pulled out my CS-400 saw today, and it started on the first pull!
@@5roundsrapid263 i also have a cs-400, and the thing fires up in 2 pulls. i use echo-mix. and the thing starts in 2 pulls everytime. i swear by echo equipment.
Yep my two year old barley yused MS-170 is on its second carb and I still cant get it to start, ready to try a different brand for sure!!
I agree...keep for spare parts. Those are always handy. Nice video!!!
Same thing happened to my Kawasaki string trimmer, guys at the shop told me it would cost 300 dollars to fix and I should just buy a new one (cost me 500 new). Bought a new cylinder/piston/rings kit from aliexpress for like 50 bucks. Installed it, problem fixed. That was 5 years ago, and it still runs like a champ. My Poulan chainsaw on the other hand gave up the ghost (also overheated) and the same technique didn't work out at all. Had all sorts of problems with the saw even after installing the kit. Ended up buying a Makita 36V chainsaw which is more than enough for me.
Kawasaki stuff lasts forever, and is always worth fixing. On the other hand, Poulan equipment is barely functional even new. Once it breaks, you can forget it.
They cost peanuts here in Australia aswell , weve have the 181 its ok for what it is, id rather buy an old bigger cc chainsaw , the type that easily seperates and rebuild it with good quality aftermarket parts, crank, bearings, barrel and piston , and end up with a cheap but good saw suited for heavier work, did it before ended up with a $1600 chainsaw for approx $300
Appreciate an honest response from a mechanic/repair shop.
D&D. I'd give it to my neighbor when they want to borrow a chainsaw. "It worked great last fall".
Not worth fixing as far as the cost in money, but the experience and knowledge gained, not to mention the pure joy when it comes alive again, priceless.
Don't forget to charge the brother a diagnosing fee. At least a case of brew or a BQ steak. Lol
yes lol!
lol
@@Gary67242 Diagnostic fee is 20 dollars, time to pay up please lol.
@@donyboy73 Master, is a 1:33 mix okay for the 372 xp 357xp 351 and the 545rx scythe? Will it not make too many deposits? husqvarna LS + oil?
My dad has a ms 170 I believe usually they are around 180$ in the US but he got it on sale for 150 I believe.
I have a 170. First thing I did is remove flame arrester. It got clogged.
Recently it was bogging down. Cleaned out exhaust port grate and works awesome now. I have cut a lot of wood with this saw.
Trick is to warm it up before long use and let it idle after using it for big cuts.
What mixture of oil and what brand was he using!?
I have a problem with my 170 that loses power after running a while.
The exhaust is carboned up pretty good.
Easy to clean?
@@davidn1369
Yes. Remove that flame arrester. Wire brush that exhaust baffle. Small opening of exhaust will diminish performance. A two stroke works on air volume.
Also make sure air filter is clean and intake port isn't gummed up with saw dust on intake port. These saws are awesome and work well. Please don't let these run on high idle at half choke for to long. Let them idle at least 30 seconds before cutting. Also after a high Rev when cutting. High revving when cold or shutting off after high revs will diminish lifespan.
@@HuckThis1971
I did as you recommended and problem solved. Plenty of power now!
Spark arrester was clogged solid with soot. I’m going to leave it out as unlikely to cause a fire in my area.
I do notice that this saw smokes much more than my Husky using the same 50-1 gas.
Thanks for the help Huck!
@@HuckThis1971 I agree with the idle for 30 seconds or more after multiple big cuts.... I was bucking some 20" diameter ash logs in my backyard from 3 trees that died from ash borer... Saw did not like to restart after being shut down hot... I think it's a vapor lock in the carb. If I let it idle a bit to cool down, it seems to restart easier....
Another great video, boys! Honest and no bull advice. I just bought the 170 and you talk about common overheating problems from going too hard on them, so, how does a guy know when "too hard" is too hard? Size of limbs? Hours of continuous use? Instinct? What's your rule of thumb to prevent overheating the MS 170?
Picked up a 170 last yr and have been pleased with it. Fact is I find myself using it more than I ever dreamed..........bang for a buck
Hi Donyboy and Apprentice Dave you are right about repairing the MS170. The time it takes me to remove and replace the cylinder and piston on a MS170 I can do two pro saws pistons and cylinders in that time
Hey that’s great advice. But like you said it’s probably not worth it to repair if you can’t fix it yourself. I bought mine in a box as parts - previous owner smoked the piston, so I got one of eBay for $35 shipped to my door, paid $50 for the saw and $20 for the gas to pick it up. Worked great for 6 years. But recently I’ve given it a fresh tune up and new bar and chain, and checked the compression - 125 psi cold, so it might be getting a little weak now, but starts and runs good still. Great little saw. The key to it is maintaining a sharp chain.
This is great advice,but years ago I helped out in a small engine shop and guys would bring in their Poulan Wild things,and other "junk saws" that they wanted repaired,and still wanted them repaired even though the repair would cost more than a new saw!!!
Looked at everything except the gas mix being used - seems like someone used straight gas. Cheers
Thank you for your awesome videos I recently got hired as a small engine tech and I learned alot from watching your videos over the years working on my own and friends equipment thanks again guys keep em coming
What's better on a pro level saw ? Simply external parts, or the actual crank, con rod, cylinder and piston. Surely larger cc engine helps as well.
I have a MS-250 Stihl and the saw have never given me good service for any time and it is currently collecting dust in my old house along with two other saws. The only one which works for me is my Poulan Pro battery saw which is used to trim limbs, scrub, and cut small trees growing on my property. If I had that saw it would be used for parts only and just get another saw.
Hey guys 😉
Thanks for sharing. I like wrenching on this Type. But it doesn‘t make sence to bring this saw to a workshop... Over here in Germany the 170 is about 139€...
For wrenching it‘s nice to play with🤣 I use the 017 for carving 😉
Greetings, Stefan
I have a collection of chainsaws, like this, that I fixed with Amazon parts... got the saws for free... 30/40 bucks in material
What a steal! Up here in alaska people want a fortune for worn out saws.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching Mike!
I stand by my previous comment, slap a high quality aftermarket MS 180 shortblock in it. Since getting a shortblock itself would be cost prohibitive unless they're going for cheaper than the dealer on eBay as a taken off new part.
Idk about Canada but I bought mine ms170 at an ace hardware for about 280$ with no case. I have o26&028 and u can’t compare to one another. Thanks for the video
thats like $1200 CDN
@@jbbolts ha ha ha
On sale in Canada right now MS170 $ 209 CAD that's $175 USD.
hahaha i got that same flyer the other day. when i saw the title i knew the answer. its pretty sad that they are getting cheaper to replace than they are to repair. it also makes me wonder if this is why my older stihl ms180 came with a 13" bar instead of a 16" bar like most of the new one. that way you can't over work them.
I’m going to disagree with everyone. I picked up a used MS180C for $32…..it wouldn’t start and had low compression. The piston was badly scored as was the cylinder. So I bought a completely new, fully assembled aftermarket Chinese MS180 engine off of eBay for $25. I simply removed the old engine, bolted in the new one, and added all the old parts (except the old fuel line), and the damn thing runs perfectly. There was an air-leak in the original fuel line that probably cooked the first engine by lean overheating. $8 worth of eBay aftermarket fuel lines (3), fixed that problem pronto. So I now effectively have a new MS180C for $65 dollars total and my labor of love in repairing it myself….and it runs and cuts perfectly. I recently replaced its terrible original (untunable) Zama carb with an $8.65 tunable Walbro cloned carburetor from eBay. Now I can make quick hi/lo speed tuning adjustments to make sure overheating never happens again. But if it does, another $25 investment and I can easily rebuild my MS180 for the second time. These are not throwaway saws, they are dirt cheap, quick D.I.Y. restoration projects. Dr. K.,
You can get a pattern pot and piston for about 28 pounds in the uk.
Absolutely, so I would always rebuild for myself and take a chance with the pattern stuff. I realise they are nowhere near as good as genuine, but its always about budget as this video has discussed.
I hear lots of people trash these saws but when i ask more details why they don't like them, they are trying to make it do a job it was never intended for. I have one my dad bought years ago and we used it to cut slab wood from the saw mill and i cant count how many cords it has cut and still runs like a top.
Or buy a bigger saw for your needs so it lasts
Thanks Don and Dave for your honest and common sense advice.
great lil saw but people need to realize what its intended for....thumbs up !
The key is not to overwork a little saw and use good lubricants and fuel. I have 16 saws and I grab one that is tailored for the job at hand. If it is a little job I grab a little saw. If it is a big tree I grab a bigger saw. If the bar will fit around the tree it is a good test to see if it is big enough to cut it down and cut it up. I limit my Ms 170-180 to dinner plate size stuff or limbing. Any bigger then I grab my 455 or ms 360. Real big stuff are saved for my 372, 440 and 660.
I always enjoy your videos. You're an excellent teacher. But how many times in one video can you say, "Basically, it's not worth fixing."
Hey Donyboy give this guy a job👍👍👍👍
It's overbarred & fried! Seen this a lot over the years. Once saw many years ago a saw, 45 cc, with a 24" bar, what a joke!
I go the other way, I prefer to underbar. Much better performance.
WORTH FIXING!!.......used motors = $35 on ebay!!......Lots of 'em to choose from, of course that's from USA sellers.....I had a blown Echo, and threw a used OEM in.....worked perfect. Everything is basically guaranteed and Ebay always sides with the "buyers".......
It's not hours of work I've stripped down this saw and rebuild engine and put it back together and also cleaned it and it took me under 2h
AM parts are dirt cheap for these saws. OEM....forget it.
They are on sale many times for about 150 US dollars and I actually bought one once for 100 bucks and when I read the reviews on it they basically said that it is only for sawing like small 3 or 4 inch trees and the bar is very thin and fragile. I live in hurricane alley on long Island New York so I resold it for 150 it was basically brand new. I have to say that it was one of the easiest to start saws that I have ever seen but I am Surrounded by 60 foot Red Oaks and that is not the saw for cutting trees that have trapped you in out of the road or off the power lines Which I can do safely dont ever make contact with a tree on power lines unless you have the proper training and PPE. So I bought 2- 250s and I have an 019 climbing saw and and old hardly used AV050 for the monster trees it needs the oiler fixed when I have time I hope it is just the easier parts to get to but I need to get my daughters projects off my desk so I can have it ready for hurricane season which is quickly approaching. We usually dodge at least a dozen hurricane storms a year here for my whole life and clearing oak trees is hard work. I sometimes work with lineman as I am a high voltage splicer retired by trade.
I would repair that for myself to keep but I wouldn't do it for a customer. Even with a cheap top end kit as soon as you put any labor into it it's like you said you are into the same price as a new one. Simple math.
Can you do a video on just how to put the rubber bushing back on the handle? Common issue people chunk these saws over is the stupid bushing popping out of the plastic tabs and getting boogered. Nothing else wrong with it.
Owners manual on my FS56RC I think it said to run it wide open throttle ~ videos just now seems to be clean the spark arrester (sometimes spark arrestor) & will re read the directions but you are saying squeaking I should look for over-revv & fried rings I am an auto mechanic shade tree not familiar with 2-cycle
Yep destroyed rings … folks pretty much any kind of lubricant will do for testing
Donnie I have a Stihl weed eater model km56 and I bought it for $23 3 years ago because the guy was asking 30 bucks for and it was missing the large tightening bolt that wants the attachment goes into the base shaft then you turn the tightener to help hold it in place and it was making a slight squeak when pulling the rope and I knew exactly what it was by pulling the rope and I removed the muffler and it had tons of carbon that looked like the dust off of bagged charcoal all embedded around the exhaust port and I cleaned all of that out seen the scoring on the piston and checked a few things wild tinkering with it but wound up putting a Chinese carburetor on it also because the Zama carburetor had one cracked mounting foot where It bolts to the engine and was grabbing air and wouldn't start so I got it started and left the piston and rings in it and mixed up 32 to 1 stihl oil and 89 octane and ran three or four tanks of gas through it and still had a slight squeaking still going on... On either the 4th or fifth tank of mixed gas I added two capfuls off of a 20 oz pop bottle of 100% acetone to the tanks of mixed gas on the weed eater and it actually cleaned up the cylinder tremendously to the point there is no more squeaking of the engine when pulling the rope to start it and it's still running the same piston and ring 3 years later at now a 40 to 1 gas ratio mix.... I've also had a Husqvarna weed eater in the past, that was not as bad as the stihl weed eater that I was referring to above in the beginning of my comment but the Husqvarna weed eater I tried the same method with it with lesser piston and cylinder scoring and that trick allowed the weed eater to run an operate for an additional grass cutting season but it never took away the slight rubbing squeaking noise when first starting the unit but I've never had as much luck with Husqvarna power equipment in general as I have with Stihl power equipment but the work I do requires as much torque power as I can get in chainsaw work or brush cutting with large weed eater units and cutting blades and also heavy duty field and Creek Bank cutting with weed eaters but I have found that Stihl power Equipment produces better torque from the factory then what I've ever found with Husqvarna power equipment and I've got other people that will vouch for that as well and a couple of them are die-hard Husqvarna fans and they do agree Husqvarna runs higher RPM but their torque range is not as strong as what stihl equipment seems to be
damn dude ever heard of using periods after sentences? that mumbling comment is hard to decipher. lmao
@@ForrestGump1212 Ahhh..... Toooooo Baddddd 🙏🙏🙏
Any saw is worth fixing if you have the time, knowledge and can get the parts.
I prefer buying the parts online or finding a good condition second hand one.
You have to pull the tank off to get to the cylinder bolts
thanks,guys you are awesome
Thank you the video guys. I always listen what you say Don and take your advice. Cheers 🇦🇺
I have two questions. If you had to disassemble a saw to diagnose the issue and determined it was not worth fixing, would you re-assemble it? The second question is, would it be worth replacing a carb on one of these saws?
I would not reassemble if the customer didn’t want it back. I would give it back to the customer assembled but that would come at a cost. Truthfully, you can diagnose a saw without taking much off so it doesn’t take long to throw it back together.
Yes, totally worth replacing the carb.
Do you agree @donyboy73 ?
Great video with some great advice guys.
you guys are my boss.
I may have to change my evil ways. If I have a big tree I keep cutting and cutting and cutting without stopping unless I need fuel/oil stop. I do use 40:1 fuel mix and really good oil. The saws do get hot and sometimes are stubborn to restart if not allowed to cool. Hmmmmmm?
Maybe a stupid question? Where do pro shops order their repair parts from?
Guess what? I'm back! There goes the neighborhood. Just kidding LOL! Seriously though, its really great to see you guys again, I've always enjoyed the dynamic between you both. While Dave is getting smarter everyday, Don is getting funnier everyday. Although, I do say I appreciate Daves notion to toss the saw through the window, just hope the alley cat isn't out there when it does. I tell ya, the owner pushed that saw harder then he should have, story of his life I suppose. Thanks for sharing!
Welcome back!
Hey, Don, and Dave😎
That $180 isn't too far off in the States.
Got a chainsaw, which oddly enough is sitting on top of my tv next to me as I type this. Hey, I'm single, and can get away with stuff like that.
It's a Poulan S25DA. Runs excellent. I yanked the muffler to inspect the piston, and cylinder. Zero scoring, but the piston is slightly discolored.
Safe to run the saw?
yes ok to run
2 questions guys. Do these have a removable cylinder? And how do you know which saws are pro level? I often buy stuff at yard sales so if I ran across a saw that was toast how would I know if it's worth fixing?
hi Brian, pro saws usually have a metal casing
The era of throw - away equipment, for sure.
So would you say the 170 is basically a throw away saw? And is the 180 much better?
Bought a 170 5 years ago, still running but you really cant expect to do any long cutting or larger trees. Thanks for the video. My Father had McChulla Sp?? Were yellow, years ago and were simalare to these. Still have one hanging on the Garage wall!
But he had them repaired cheaply....
That's just sound professional advice. I love it. Thanks and have a great mothers day!
thanks ron!
His brother can always opt for a good used pro level model too.
Very good useful information
Hello dony I have a question, when an engine does not have compression or is damaged as you say, the first thing is to check the muffler to see if the piston is not scratched, I would like to know why when the piston is scratched most of the time it is scratched on the muffler side it will be because it is where there is more heat ? or what will the reason?
Yes, heat on exhaust side is higher because its not cooled by incoming unburned fuel. But don’t be deceived by a few piston scratches (and dealers telling you that your saw is trashed!!). If compression is still good (>110 psi), many pretty bad looking pistons as viewed through exhaust ports will still run just fine. Once compression is really low and engine won’t run at all anymore, even a badly scuffed up cylinder can often still be saved. Most cylinder scuff marks are from piston aluminum transfer, NOT cylinder damage. Muriatic acid dissolving of aluminum transfer on cylinder wall, followed by ultra-fine sandpaper and/or scotchbrite sanding and the cylinder may be good as new. Add a cheap new aftermarket piston and your engine can be rebuilt to run like new. I just rebuilt a Stihl MS271 with a severely burned piston (so bad it had a hole burned clear through the top). Replaced it with a new $35 Meteor piston, acid-treated the cylinder, added new oil seals, and reassembled the saw. Now it runs again like new again. Total cost to rebuild was about $60 (about $500 to buy new). I had similar issue recently with a burned out MS180C. But in this case, a completely new, assembled Chinese MS180 replacement engine from eBay only costs ~$26. About 2 hours to rebuild the saw completely with the new engine and the MS180 runs again like new. Meanwhile I cleaned up the old “scored” cylinder perfectly with acid, added a $10 Chinese MS180 piston, and rebuilt the old engine to keep as a spare….it has terrific compression. The MS170/180 chainsaws are a DIY rebuild dream….very satisfying. Dr. K.
Hey Don, My dad just gifted me his old Stihl chainsaw, It's been sitting for a LONG time.. I'm wondering if you made a video on what to do in this situation.. If so, maybe you could give me the video title? Thanks in advance. Take care!
I can’t say I disagree, but I’m lead into temptation by eBay. Of course I’m doing my own work more or less for fun and I can buy from what I can see several sources on eBay $35-$40 for crankshaft piston cylinder rings bearings whole new motor more or less. I found this in a simple two minute search, but I’m not gonna pay somebody $120/hour to do it.
Thanks for sharing guys
Thanks for watching!
Had a customer bring a 170 in and he wouldn’t listen. He wanted it repaired.
As always great video like the content.
Cheers!
Nice vid! Would you get OEM or cheap aftermarket parts for repairing it yourself? Thinking specifically about lower-end/homeowner saws.
aftermarket, for the price of a new one the parts would almost cost the same here
I would lean to running wrong mix , not over use.
Or not mixed
Disposable chainsaws. Sometimes the truth isn’t so wonderful to hear. Definitely save for parts and one day hopefully make one good one out of two. I’ve got brand new saws in my garage, ms-391 and ms-170 just like that one. Had to give $189 plus tax for the 170, 2 year warranty because I also purchased the Stihl synthetic oil. I will baby the ms-170 to death and use it for small stuff only. I think where some inexperienced wood cutter’s go wrong is continuing to use the saw after the chain dulls, in an attempt to finish what their cutting on. Trying to run a saw wide open while cutting with a dulled chain will overheat the saw every time!
Dony will Dave even attempt to sand the cylinder and replace the piston and rings? Or is it not worth doing that either?🇺🇸 Roger
If it were my chainsaw, personally I would probably fix it myself and just hone out that cylinder and find a decent piston and ring online and put in it and run nothing leaner than a 40 to 1 ratio gas oil mix but it being a black handle or orange handle still chainsaw makes it a homeowner saw but that's the quickest way that I, identify Stihl chainsaw and if it were a white handle saw then I would probably put a little money into it and really nothing below an ms250 is ever worth having worked on unless you do it yourself unless it's a 262 Pro then definitely those are worth putting money in but not a fortune
it’s planned that way by the manufacturer. They know it’s too expensive to fix so they keep selling more saws that way. lol
Why is everything in Canada soo expensive????
Great video, you just made my mind up for me I'm going to buy a new sthil 180 £195 UK 🇬🇧🤙
Go for it!
Good info.
Thank you!$!
Thanks lads 🇮🇪
Good video
Hello Mate
I need to rebuild my Tecumseh H50 65565V carb. Can you recommend a source to get the parts? Love your videos keep them coming!
Doug
Aftermarket carb might be cheapest fix.
@@kenhilson786 went that route. I have had bad luck with them. I know others have had Better luck. In fact I am taking off the aftermarket carb and putting the oem back on after I rebuild it.
Don, there's some folks in Tenn. that luv the heck outta ya ! -- You might MENTION THEM more often in your vidz -- haha ! (DISCOUNT ONLINE PART) (This is not a paid advertisement Har Har Har )
Don I have a ms 250 runs great until warmed up. If I shut off, I cannot restart until it is cool? Help!
Sounds like it needs a carb rebuild, or a new carb.
I think the brother should subscribe to Don's and Dave's channels lol!!!
Personally, I think the brother should go easy on chainsaws. If he could do that, that would be great. :P
I bet a lot more saws get smoked from grinding with dull chains that get straight gassed. I bought one of these MS 170, $159 on sale. Dealer switched b&c to .050 gauge 14" 50 dl. Recently got another., dealer let me buy powerhead only as I have bars and chains 020T top handle. I have several pro saws but surprised how much these little saws can cut. Just take care of them. Sharp chain, good fuel and let the saw cut.
I love those little saws!
Ohhhhh Dave, what is he doing to all these saws???
Not if you use oem parts
Perhaps it would not be in my beat interest to buy a Stihl saw in the first place. After see this video.
this was caused by the user
At the end of the day Not Worth fixing!! Just toss it in the parts bucket!! Some one didn't even mix the gas Whit two stroke..
Especially not worth fixing in the USA. 209 Canadian Dollar equals 172.86 United States Dollar, according to the Oracle (Google).
I have been following you for quit some time now. I have to say that it is time to upgrade to a personal microphone. Get a hold of Mustie1 and ask him what he uses.
Buy a new one, sad but true
I have an MS170 that will only start if I pour petrol straight into the spark plug hole. It will then run fine. It just won't start as you normally would. Any idea why this is?
your problem is "Before" the cylinder.........so Carb, fuel line, vacuum line, fuel filter, etc.....could be ANY of those.......you Have spark obviously, so don't look in that direction. You could be flooding it....are you Sure you know how to start it? It seems like TONS of people don't know how to properly start a Stihl, Lol.
Could be: 1-Fuel pump side of carb not sealing properly, or 2- check valve in main jet is defective. I have seen a couple of zama carbs that run fine but won’t prime or start because of a back feeding main jet. A new carb is cheap, common and easy to install. Good luck!
Next time, buy an electric chainsaw. Amazing progress has been made in the past few years.
Chinesium to the rescue, but not for the purists. $39.99. Got to get some M5 or M6 screws (can't remember) to make it work in the frame.
Hello
hi
Bonjour
@@DavesSmallEngines. Good video. Parts ratio and price of a new saw play an important roll when it comes to repairing certain model saws. Sometimes just taking the jug off as well can reveal more ugly scores on the front right of the piston ( close to the bar side) especially if it's been over revved for heavy duty job application. One can also use this saw as a cutout demonstration to teach others on how a 2 stroke operates in a saw. Amazing videos. In my years doing bush work I've repaired a lot of saws and 2 stroke equipment. I still have all the Clymer edition books, HP publications of chainsaws, Snowmobiles, outboard engines and Motorcycles. Also a technical book on 2 strokes. Quite a lot to learn about 2 strokes. Quite complex as well. Lots to learn about desaxed offsets, porting, power valves, Reed valve configuration. Piston port systems and Rotax's rotary valve systems especially the Can-am or ATK motorcycles. Stihl is actually experimenting with a jet powered chainsaw, which I think is quite unecessary. Lol. Great video guys 'Awsome'👍
@@DavesSmallEngines buenos dias amigo!
Morjesta!
What' what
👍👍
To long of a bar ,14 inch max
What' what' đfar