Stihl MS 170 / 171 MiniBoss

was ok to use at the start, used this chainsaw 8 times and nothing but troubles. under powered, no decent tuning ability and now it is not running in the high rpm range. it is unable to be tuned like most decent chainsaws and i have decided to bin it as the cost of repair does not warrant the return to service. i will go buy a decent echo next or a cheap bunnings chainsaw i think.

We purchased this little beauty as it was cheaper than having our 30 year old one repaired after lending it to friend. (it did not take to well being run over by a tractor and slasher)
We use this model to trim back the smaller branches and trees up to about 250 mm in diameter depending on circumstances. It cut very clean and quickly so long as you keep the chain sharp. Light and easy to manage and use. Ideal if you have to be up in a tree to drop limbs. the only negative is that it appears to use more chain oil than the old model. All in all a great little a great little machine and great value for the money.

Peaple when chain oil leak just open cap when done working to relieve pressure and won't leak much. Same with gas cap. Great little saw. Great for limbing but also for falling small trees and bucking up. Would buy another any time also own a 251 and a dolmar 7900.

Very easy to start, even after extended storage. You can double the warranty to 4 years, at the cost of buying a $15 (1L) bottle of oil when first purchased. Can feel a little under powered at times,especially if you haven't sharpened the chain in a while. Otherwise a perfect saw for home use. Pays itself off after 1 year vs a $99 throwaway saw just in its ease of use and reliability.

A great little chainsaw, unfortunately I found it a little under powered than what I expected for the job I used it for and the first time I used it, having said that I have only used it once and at this stage have no requirements to trim other trees. At the time of purchase I was given free chain

Have used the MS 171 in a commercial setting. Use the correct fuel ratio and follow the startup instructions on the Stihl website, you shouldn't have any issues. Save the cutting of stumps until the end as cutting dirty wood will result in a blunt chain. Generic chains are available on eBay at a cost of $10-15. Keep a few in your kit & change them over as soon as the saw stops pulling into the wood to avoid further damage. At this price, it is hardly worth the time of sharpening.

Fantastic Chainsaw.
Have owned it for 2 weeks and have used it for hours cutting up firewood.
The best thing I did was walk out of Bunnings ans givw the Stihl shop a go.
The price was not much more than the rubbish at Bunnings.
Easy to start and look after

got one of these when we built on 5 acres ,a great saw , starts every time,i have cut down 50m trees with this , shouldnt of really ,but it done the job and saved me hiring someone else with a big chainsaw...no complaints about this saw , as a carpenter i also use it a lot on roofing jobs and other projects along with the usual firewood duties....i have had many electric saws that only last a year or 2 but this has been going longer than that and is in great order.....

I have owned my ms170 for over 10 years now and I never have any issues starting it. I do treat all my saws like my children. It gets used at least twice a week and never lets me down. Keep the chains sharp and the bar oil topped up and i expect to be using it for another 10 years

Worked great3 times. Took in to the dealer they said i mixed the fuel too lean. And scored the piston took the spark plug out bought a new one plugged it the coil wire gripped it my hand and got a Very little tingle!! Called Stihl got no reply back from the West coast rep. I only run stihl oil and fuel so much for stihl they are now selling Chinese don't waste your money on this saw!! If you're going to buy a stihl. Find out where it was made!! I own many of their products and love them

Like my title says, this is a great 16" saw. I used it as one of my primary tools over the course of 19 months ( 14-16 hours per day, 7 days per week) while building a 45 ft wooden cruisng/liveaboard boat. This model , now discontinued, wasn't built with a fuel bulb so one really needs to rely on choking it properly to start it..I didn't bother to notice that and spent an hour or so thinking it was junk/broken, Before I realized I was doing it all wrong(choke wasn't locked into start position with trigger) .After I corrected that it started up easily and continues to start easily to this day - its one of the few tools I use precious space for on my liveaboard cruising boat. However, for that that one hour of confusion I almost brought the saw back to the dealer before I realized what I was doing wrong...They would have been happy to charge me to replace the carburetor, or etc., etc.,...DON'T do this until your sure something is seriously wrong,(be triple sure in that case) and if you do, don't tell them you left it sitting with gas in it for a year, because that invalidates the warranty..One last thing...DO clean the saw every time you use it..DON'T let the wood chips and oil to dry into a cement that blocks the bar oiling system, prevents the blade from turning freely etc.,, chainsaws have to be cleaned with every use. Use the tools that came with the saw to remove the chain cover and chain bar to clean and oil it every time.

Great little Saw. I spent about 2 days (half heartedly) resizing a stacked trailer full of green and dry logs to fit our heater, Avg size between 200-300mm diameter and didn't miss a beat.
I'd read a few reviews prior to purchase and was a bit sceptical but the price won me over.
The low down torque DOES suck, as mentioned in other reviews - but it's not designed for that, so it doesn't really matter. Keep the revs up and it's a little beast.
Light enough to sling over your shoulder when lumberjacking up 200m amazonian rainforrest palms.. probably. Which is good because if your like me and would rather get your 4yo kid to cut up firewood while you drink beers instead, then they're not gonna start complaining about sore arms for at least a few hours (hypothetically of course). Win/win.

Just don't expect to be felling 100 year old Oaks any time soon, not that it wouldn't get through it, you'd just need a packed lunch and no plans for the next day or so.

I bought this chainsaw to process firewood for my fireplace. Only downside is that it can be a little hard to start. I mainly use it to cut gum branches and trunks. I probably should have gotten a model with a bigger motor but for the price, it’s good value.

Bought this saw as we had been quoted $1600 to cut down a tree. Wanted a light weight saw. It was a 14m tall claret ash. Wood not too hard. Saw worked hard for a good 8 hours. Pruned the main trunk then trimmed the main branches. Cut a number of branches that exceeded the 14 inch bar length. So happy I vent out and bought a second hand 660 to cut fire wood.

I have been using this saw almost daily for two months.
It takes a good few pulls to start it initially but, somehow you know that it will start and, after that, it starts first pull every time.
It is light enough to take up a tree yet it can tackle some really heavy jobs.
This is my favourite and I can highly recommend it.

Now, I've had one chainsaw before and used it quite a bit. It was a Ryobi something or other. 2-stroke, had a longer bar and unfortunately was always problematic. It could be cutting fine one minute, then the bar would move ever so slightly and the chain must have then been just enough off angle that you'd have to 'slice' it like a physical saw to help it cut through a branch. Secondly, the Ryobi design got constantly clogged full of sawdust and bar oil.. the pinion drive wheel sprocket was fairly thin on tread and was badly worn after a few months. Bar oil leaked when in storage too.

The Stihl.. Wow, this thing's incredible for the price I paid! For the same $250 or so dollars it mops the floor with the old one. After cutting down 3x large Cottonwood hibiscus trees the chain hadn't loosened at all, there was no sawdust blocking the chain guide because it's designed well, the bar didn't budge and it sawed effortlessly through every piece. So much so I had a great time and wished there were more to cut! Really pleased with this little saw. To anyone who says the chain is low quality, do know that if a moving chain cones into contact with dirt your chain needs sharpening so that may be the problem because mibe seems fine. A chain will throw thinner sawdust as it gets duller so you need sharpening when the dust is no longer a little course. Time will tell but I don't think there's a problem with it. Love it

Worked great the very first time I used it and that was it.been back to the shop twice since and the last time carb.was replaced and it still does not work well at all.has a brand new chain on it and I could cut a log faster with an axe then this thing will cut.been using saws for over 20 yrs. would not recommend this saw to anyone.hard to start, no power and stalls constantly.

To hard to start. Followed all the instructions with the choke procedures and this thing still won't start. Had to make multiple trips to the dealer at ACE Hardware. When you can get it running, it does a decent job. Lost to much time with this saw running back to the dealer.

Hands down best $250 I've spent on a power tool. I have 5 other chainsaws and this gets the most use out of all of them. Pruning, bucking, felling small trees, can't beat it. I often find myself on Tippy toes with this in one hand (gasp!!) and it's so light and easy to use I'm not worried about it kicking. My wife and the kids have all learnt safe technique on this saw. Follow the starting procedure and it starts on the 5th pull every time. Been through nothing but oil, fuel and chain. Why would you buy a Ryobi at Bunnings, honestly? 3 year warranty too.

I was going to buy the more expensive model but considered the amount of times it would be used, and I’m a cheapskate, it's probably the best $249 with spare chain, I have ever spent. Its lightweight, easy to start provided you closely follow the retailer’s instructions and cut through my 40cm (softwood) tree trunk like butter.