Stihl MS251C-BEQ 18" Bar Petrol Chainsaw 1143 200 0635 | GYC

I bought my first Stihl chainsaw (025) in 2000. I've used it for personal work at my house and for family - but cut up countless full oak trees and storm damage. It always started. Always. I never did any maintnence other than spark plug and air filter and the saw just kept working for me. But after 23 years it finally started having (I'm guessing) compression issues and was so hard to start that the rope kept breaking and finally the plastic spool the rope winds around broke. I will have it serviced and repaired and I know it will probably give me 23 more years. But it was also a chance to pretend like I didn't have time to wait on repairs and buy another Stihl! So now I have a MS251 Wood Boss and I love it! I didn't get the 251c (easy start) because I was afraid ... MoreI bought my first Stihl chainsaw (025) in 2000. I've used it for personal work at my house and for family - but cut up countless full oak trees and storm damage. It always started. Always. I never did any maintnence other than spark plug and air filter and the saw just kept working for me. But after 23 years it finally started having (I'm guessing) compression issues and was so hard to start that the rope kept breaking and finally the plastic spool the rope winds around broke. I will have it serviced and repaired and I know it will probably give me 23 more years. But it was also a chance to pretend like I didn't have time to wait on repairs and buy another Stihl! So now I have a MS251 Wood Boss and I love it! I didn't get the 251c (easy start) because I was afraid I'd forget to pull the rope gently and break it. All my other tools are Stihl and they start with normal pulls of the rope and I didn't think it was a good idea to have one that was different.When I see someone buy anything other than Stihl I just shake my head and wonder how they got so far off the right path. It only took me about 4 times of buying a new any-other-brand trimmer every year (or less) in my early 20's before I finally decided to spend only a FEW bucks more to see if what they said about Stihl was true. And I've been a believer ever since! I still have all my original Stihl tools and they all still work (except for the old saw that's about to be serviced). They only need the choice of 5 stars for these ratings because I can't see why anyone would ever need to choose less stars for Stihl anything. My Stihl equipment is probably the best things in my estate that someone will inherit! Because, after all..... they'll still work!

I’m a senior citizen down sizing from my STIHL 041 to a STIHL MS 251. I have had the STIHL MS 251 for about 4 to 5 weeks and have used it once to cut down a tree 6 to 7 inches in diameter. The saw did just fine. I feel the MS 251 is designed for the homeowner and/or senior citizens working around homes or small wood lots. I do have a problem starting the saw. STIHL’S recommends setting the saw on the ground and putting the right foot into the rear handle. The toe of my work boot will not fit into the opening of the handle. I tried holding the saw between my legs but that didn’t work. The compression of the engine would not allow me to pull the starter rope with the saw being held between my legs. STIHL needs to take a look at their recommended procedures on how to ... MoreI’m a senior citizen down sizing from my STIHL 041 to a STIHL MS 251. I have had the STIHL MS 251 for about 4 to 5 weeks and have used it once to cut down a tree 6 to 7 inches in diameter. The saw did just fine. I feel the MS 251 is designed for the homeowner and/or senior citizens working around homes or small wood lots. I do have a problem starting the saw. STIHL’S recommends setting the saw on the ground and putting the right foot into the rear handle. The toe of my work boot will not fit into the opening of the handle. I tried holding the saw between my legs but that didn’t work. The compression of the engine would not allow me to pull the starter rope with the saw being held between my legs. STIHL needs to take a look at their recommended procedures on how to hold the saw when starting.

Bought this in May of 2023 and it’s now September 2023. I put maybe 10 hrs on the MS251 and, already, the needle bearing for the clutch assembly seized up. The components of the bearing wedged themselves in the clutch cover so tight that it was nearly impossible to remove. Before I noticed something was wrong, it proceeded to get so hot that it melted the cheap plastic around the clutch assembly and even melted the oil pump housing and oil pump drive, which is also made from cheap plastic. The best part is, you can’t buy parts online and fix this simple stuff yourself. Stihl forces you to go to a dealer so they can make more money off of you. So I took it to my local dealer where they replaced the bearing, but missed the oil pump issue. Trusting my local dealer, I ... MoreBought this in May of 2023 and it’s now September 2023. I put maybe 10 hrs on the MS251 and, already, the needle bearing for the clutch assembly seized up. The components of the bearing wedged themselves in the clutch cover so tight that it was nearly impossible to remove. Before I noticed something was wrong, it proceeded to get so hot that it melted the cheap plastic around the clutch assembly and even melted the oil pump housing and oil pump drive, which is also made from cheap plastic. The best part is, you can’t buy parts online and fix this simple stuff yourself. Stihl forces you to go to a dealer so they can make more money off of you. So I took it to my local dealer where they replaced the bearing, but missed the oil pump issue. Trusting my local dealer, I took my “fixed” saw back to work and because it was no longer pumping oil, my bar and chain was destroyed. Now I get to forfeit more of my time and take it to the dealer again. Additionally, these are very hard to start the first time because Stihl cheaped out and didn’t install a primer bulb. Further more, there’s zero adjustment on the oiling system. It is what it is. I’d like to be in control of an expensive piece of equipment, so I can take care of it the way I see best. I bought Stihl because of their reputation. Now I’m regretting my purchase and am looking at other brands for a better built saw.