Stihl 170 v 181

[Billhook]

Several years ago the local store was selling Stihl 170s for £124 at a time when they were around £170 elsewhere.  I bought four.  One went to a colleague and one was nicked.

I found that having the two remaining small light saws was perfect for my requirements over the years cutting up mainly fallen trees up to about 24" diameter.

I bought a 16 inch bar for one of them with a picco chain and was surprised how good this little saw coped with it and it became my saw of choice.

Now some barsteward has nicked that saw and it seems that I cannot easily find a replacement so I was persuaded to buy a 181 with a 16 inch bar and slightly heavier chain for around £225.

Now whether it is the heavier chain or the newness of the saw that has not been run in properly I am not sure but it seems to have far less cutting ability and bogs down easily., by which I mean the chain stops turning in the middle of a cut and the engine revs drop.

Thoughts please

[Stubby]

Bad luck matey .

[bmp01]

Sorry to hear some bu88er has messed up your happy setup.

Regarding the 181 its not a high torque saw, generally needs to be kept spinning fast and not loaded up - so don't push on it.  The wider chain is what it is - you will be removing more wood with each cut compared to the micro chain and need more torque to do so. I've always been pleasantly surprised how well those thin chains cut but the down side is they are very fragile.

Even though you are used to the low power 170, try the 181 with attention to a light cut aiming to keep the speed up. And keep a good eye on a sharp chain.  Give it 3 or 4 tanks worth to loosen up.

 

[Steve Bullman]

Absolutely the chain will make all the difference.  Saw could also need a slight tune though maybe 

[Woodworks]

My 181 came with a semi chisel and I hated it but got a full chisel now and it's much improved. 16" does sound like a lot to ask of it though. 

[Mark Bolam]

Agreed.

If you can suffer dropping to a 12" bar you will notice a vast improvement.

[Billhook]

 The barsteward has returned my old 170 with the 16 inch bar.  (just borrowed it for a small job hope you didn't mind!).I now have the two together and I see that the bars and chains are identical, both picco same size.

1.3mm Gauge

3/8" Pitch
55 Drive Links

.The old 170 with sharp but worn teeth went straight through a fourteen inch ash log whereas the new 181 bogged down and would not even look at it.

I cannot work out if it is the clutch or the engine or both.  The chain stops turning as soon as the bar enters the wood fully and the engine bogs down.

Took it back to the shop and they rang the supplier who told the shop to send it back so I will have to wait and see.  

However very pleased to see my old friend back. I did not think it would be man enough for the 16 inch bar when I ordered it but it has been fine.  I keep the other 170 on a 12 inch bar just in case I  trap the other saw.

 The 170 is really all I need for brashing and occasional logging and is so much easier to carry and start all day long when you are an old codger like me who feels these things a lot more than I used to!

The 181 will go back if it does not perform slightly better than the 170.

[billpierce]

Might be tuned badly. They seem to come pretty lean.

Good alternatives to the 170 and 181 is a 200 or 201 backhandle saw. Same weight ish and pro quality build and much more powerful. You won't look back!

[peatff]

1 hour ago, billpierce said:

Might be tuned badly. They seem to come pretty lean.

Good alternatives to the 170 and 181 is a 200 or 201 backhandle saw. Same weight ish and pro quality build and much more powerful. You won't look back!

 

You'll look back at your wallet when it's £400 lighter than if you'd bought a 181 though

[billpierce]

I got a gwo backhandle 201 for about 200 quid off eBay.....perso ally would rather that than a ms170 ( have gone through 3 of them and a 180)