201t don't believe the negative hype!!

[SteveT1989]

Hey guys, relatively new to the forums, more of a reader than a poster on here.

Really want to buy a top handled for a occasional side work (currently employed gardener, novice climber) cant really get hold of a 200t unless I take a risk with a ebay sales. so I naturally will have to go for the 201. But coz of all these unbalanced reviews I don't want to part with £500 for the 201 if its not worth the money...should I just buy a cheap 170???

[Le Sanglier]

Hey guys, relatively new to the forums, more of a reader than a poster on here.

Really want to buy a top handled for a occasional side work (currently employed gardener, novice climber) cant really get hold of a 200t unless I take a risk with a ebay sales. so I naturally will have to go for the 201. But coz of all these unbalanced reviews I don't want to part with £500 for the 201 if its not worth the money...should I just buy a cheap 170???

 

I can only speak for myself in saying its not a bad saw just not as good as the 200t. Get the 201 it's still the only show in town.

[alex_m]

...should I just buy a cheap 170???

 

Underpowered, flimsy, rear handle will piss you off when wanting to work in close proximity.

Have you considered the ms150t?

[Woodcrafter]

Had two 201's the 1st around a year ago when our dealer 1st stocked and the second in the last month.

When we purchased the first there was a slow pickup and it felt under powered.

I liked the look of the saw the av assembly and the general balance of the saw with a 14" felt good. We sent this back and it was retuned, when it was returned I still wasn't 100% happy but carried on with it 12 months went by and now if I picked up 1 of our 200's or the 201 I probably wouldn't notice any difference. Anyway we got another as mentioned this now felt like that feeling of a new 200. Revs were perfect even in larger diameter wood no struggle.

So in my opinion I think there were a few small issues to begin with and they weren't to much to sort out but all in all still a decent saw that is standing the test of everyday use.

I've haven't used a 150 yet but they look more like a pruning saw than a dismantler.

[TGB]

...should I just buy a cheap 170?

171 hasn't a CAT like the 170. But other than that, doesn't differ much. I've a friend who in a fit of madness got a 171. It sounds like a sick bee and has proven to be a gutless wee beastie on anything over 80mm.

 

She's managed to bring down the occasional tree but they weren't more than 150mm. And while cutting, it was generally felt, that watching paint dry might be quicker. I think the only reason it actually got the sticks on the deck, is mainly down to the tiny kerf chain it runs.

 

You could get a 170 but be prepared to be frustrated.

[Steve Bullman]

Used a brand new ms201tcm the other week on the crane job I did.  What an amazing improvement on the mark 1.  I will be writing a comparison review shortly.

I wonder what the sales figures are like now between the 201 and the t540.  I generally see a lot more stihls when im watching videos online etc.

[john p]

Used a brand new ms201tcm the other week on the crane job I did.  What an amazing improvement on the mark 1.  I will be writing a comparison review shortly.
I wonder what the sales figures are like now between the 201 and the t540.  I generally see a lot more stihls when im watching videos online etc.

Yeah, it’s a completely different saw compared to the original 201 s, I love mine!

[spudulike]

I think the early 201s were that bad, the later Mtronic one seemed much better as many forgot how good the MS200T was. Most of my customers love the MS200 best with the Mtronic MS201 being second best.

I am not a climber but find the MS200T has the most aggressive performance of them all!

[Steve Bullman]

4 minutes ago, spudulike said:

I think the early 201s were that bad, the later Mtronic one seemed much better as many forgot how good the MS200T was. Most of my customers love the MS200 best with the Mtronic MS201 being second best.

I am not a climber but find the MS200T has the most aggressive performance of them all!

i'd like to run a side by side comparison with the ms200T.  We did do one but it was one of your ported saws so not really a fair comparison.

I agree though how people forget what the ms200T was.  I got used to my mark1 201 but every so often would use a friends 200t and it reminded me the power i was missing out on

[geoffrey]

i still have an ms200t but also the 201.  The 201 gets most use mainly because its the most reliable out of the 2.  The 200t was a great saw but I never owned a single one that wasn't tempremental