Stihl MS 180

Great saw, if you know what you’re doing – Cannot recommend enough, been running this saw hard for 5 years with minimal issues. I think a lot of these negative reviews are from lack of servicing and incorrect use/maintenance of the saw. Service it regularly, clean the spark arrestor and be careful with your 2 stroke ratio and you won’t have any problems. To note. I noticed my chain did… Read more

come loose but only when using the Stihl synthetic bar oil (the purple stuff, I think it’s called synth plus) went back to the normal bar oil and haven’t had any issues.

Also the spark arrestor clogs up especially if you run your mix rich. This causes the saw to be hard to start and lack power. Just give it a clean from time to time.

Best STIHL MS 180 Chainsaw in the STIHL Mini Boss Chainsaw Range I have ever bought in my whole entire life – I am very happy with this STIHL MS 180 Chainsaw in the STIHL Mini Boss Chainsaw Range I never buy cheap chainsaws the only chainsaw brand that I would buy is STIHL I would not buy any other brand of chainsaws than STIHL they are the best chainsaws that you can ever buy in the whole entire world these STIHL Chainsaws start first pull and inside the… Read more

engine once the top engine cover has been removed I can maintain the small engine inside there is not alot of maintenance to do inside the small engine of the chainsaw, the only maintenance I have to do is in my STIHL Chainsaws I have to change the spark plug air filter and fuel filter and that's pretty much it and I love the master control lever in all of the STIHL Chainsaws it is so easy and user friendly to use whereas the Husqvarna chainsaws they do not have a master control lever they have a system where you have to pull a red switch up or a blue choke lever out and then push it back in I hate the system in the Husqvarna Chainsaws. The STIHL Chainsaws have a fantastic system with their master control lever whereas the Husqvarna chainsaws they do not have this master control lever however one thing you got have to be really careful is if you use the tool less chain tensioner which requires no tools you have to be able to take the chain brake off and move the chain by hand being careful not to cut yourself. if the chain is too tight using the tool less chain tensioner not only it will wear out the bar what the chainsaw chain runs on the chain will come off the bar so and then the chain has to be put on properly and is not too tight on the bar that's one thing you would have to be mindful of Chainsaws. I only buy them from Camden Mowers owned by Mark and Harry I would not buy chainsaws from any other mower shop than Mark and Harry as they are legends I would not go anywhere else but however if I need to buy 2 Stroke Oil for my chainsaws I only buy Opti 2 Stroke Engine oil from Macarthur Mowers reason being is because I think this is a high quality 2 stroke oil I prefer to use this Opti 2 Stroke Engine oil in all of my 2 stroke chainsaws and brushcutters and blowers and Mark and Harry they don't sell this Opti 2 Stroke Engine Oil that I use it's only Macarthur Mowers that sell this Opti 2 Stroke Engine Oil

Amazing performance – I bought this saw for firewood collection, a few days ago. I wasn't looking to cut huge logs and I do have at my other home a Stihl Farm Boss, so I thought this to be an alternative lightweight saw for my current needs. I did some research and found that the bucking stake from the MS250 fits this saw. I mentioned this to the dealer who found one… Read more

in his store and supplied it free of charge. Next day I went collecting firewood. I was amazed at the performance, 300mm Aussie hardwood logs no problem. In an hour I collected my allotted 2m2. Several days later, I collected another 2m2. Halfway through I changed the chain. 3m2 for one sharpen, $10, that's OK. Chains on any saw need to be sharp, so I bought 3 with the saw. Great saw, the only negative IMO is there is no priming bulb, so when the saw runs out fuel it needs to pump up fuel, which means it runs for a few seconds before it stops, four or five start and all's good. BTW I am in my 70s, so I am no longer the human crane of my youth. This saw suits me particularly well and I will probably relegate the Farm Boss to my son. In fact, had I realized this little saw cuts so well, I might not have bought the Farm Boss in the first place! BUT don't forget the bucking stake.

Ms180 Best value chainsaw – The chainsaw is in my opinion the best value out there for the money. The narrower gauge chain means its cuts well even though its engine size is smaller than those used for the thicker chain gauge saws, Being a light engine it is easy to move around for hours on end. I would buy it over the MS170 as that one has same gauge chain but smaller… Read more

engine. I have ran at least 10 tanks of fuel through it so far cutting large ironbarks for firewood amd had no problems at all, some about 40cm. Starting is an issue if you do not follow the procedure in the manual. Occasionally it might flood if not careful, but once you are aware of correct procedure its not an issue. The manual is written well and is a very good and worthwhile read.

Built to a price – These saws are lightweight and intended for light use. They are manufactured to a price and the quality reflects this. 1/. For example the air filter is hopelessly inadequate and doesn’t exclude debris from entering the intake 2/. The bearings are lightweight and it feels tinny compared to a better built saw. During high revs it doesn’t feel… Read more

smooth and rattles around. 3/. I don’t know what they were thinking with the carby. There’s quite a number of people with starting issues. Once it’s warmed up it’s hard to restart. I left it in the sun for a few hours and could not start. The self adjusting mixtures for this carby doesn’t work well and believe causes the issues experienced. Had a similar prob with an ht75 pole saw from new with a factory fitted carby, swapped over the carby and now works a treat. With time I’ll prob do same with this saw.

Seized after less than 3 years of occasional light use – Ms180 had such light use that I still had the bottle of stihl 2 stroke oil that came with. Shop tried to blame incorrect mixture which definitely wasn't the case. Show details

Will give a better review when it finally starts – I received this MS 180 MiniBoss as a birthday gift from my son and daughter in law. Was totally thrilled with the knowledge that I was now able to cut my own firewood and actually did make three cuts as a practice run on the first day. Two days later when I was about to do some serious work the saw wouldn't start. For the amount of energy I… Read more

expended pulling that starter I could have cut a ton of firewood using a hand saw or an axe. So as you can see I am unable to give a review of the chainsaw other than to say that it might be ok if it would start.

Edit: This is an update to the first part of my comment. Have managed to get the MS 180 started and it runs and cuts very well. Just to let everyone else who has had a lot of trouble starting this machine I will give my experience. Where the instructions tell the user to use full choke until the machine fires, then immediately move the choke to half choke to start (cold start), you need to recognize that when you first feel a strong resistance on the pull chord, that is the machine firing even if you don't hear the engine firing. So when you feel the chord pull back hard, go straight to half choke and give a couple more pulls and it will start. So it all depends on your (my) interpretation of what "when it fires" means.

Have also changed my star rating from one to four stars. This is a great little chainsaw and I hope this helps clear up some of the problems other users have commented on.

Good upgrade from MS170 – We got this one to use the slightly longer bar, I like more teeth rather than less. I find that after 3 tanks of fuel one after the other, the vibration gets to my hands. It cuts well and is easy to start, remember , there is a procedure to starting, if you follow it, the starting is easy. The chain is best used sharp, it is narrow so as not to sap the power from the relatively small engine, thus needs to be sharpened more often. Show details

Does the job and good value for money – I wanted a lightweight compact chainsaw for general use around my small acreage forested property. I already have two other Stihl chainsaws an MS 230 and MS 391 and a Zenoah G3200 arborist saw, the latter because of its small size and ease of use was being over-used for general work and would be expensive to replace. I originally planned to buy… Read more

the MS170 but the dealer told me that it was more difficult to start and the MS180 was a better saw. I had the bar and chain changed from the 400mm to a 300mm for ease of use in restricted areas. Make sure if you do this you ask for the credit (around $50) for the shorter chain and bar as my dealer argued the toss. The saw is fairly easy to start. It has no primer bulb but usually starts from cold after 3-4 pulls and one when warm. It is clearly Chinese and not German made and this shows in items such as the simple air filter and especially the chain adjusting stud which rather than sitting snugly in its guide channel, is loose making replacing the bar a pain when lining the stud up with the small hole in the bar. Overall the saw is easy to use, plenty of power for its size, I use on hardwood logs up to around 200mm -250mm dia. and the light weight is an advantage for continued use. I don't expect the MS180 to last as long as my German made MS230 but then it's a fraction of the price too.

It's a tree pruner, not a chainsaw – We own a few acres with trees and I bought this to upgrade my old Ozito which had served me well over the last few years. After 3 months the chain is blunt, it's a pain to start and it runs out of steam cutting through trees. Don't let the brand or the size fool you, this unit should only be used for trimming 1" branches. Do not buy this if you… Read more

want to cut 100-200mm trees up.

Cons:

-Chain is thin (half the thickness of a standard chainsaw) -Chain blades dull very quickly in hardwood -Engine bogs down on anything bigger than 50mm -Very hard to start but reliable once warm -Plastic kick spikes (not steel like a real chainsaw)

Pros:

-It's pretty light -Reliable running once warm -If only used for pruning little trees it's likely a winner

In summary, Stihl should probably be more forthcoming on the practicality of their models. To get the same size, power and chain as my dirty old $200 Ozito, I think I'd need to spend more like $1500 for an equivalent Stihl and not $350.

I'll be getting the blade sharpened and selling it.

Fantastic saw, great value – Had my MS180 for 12 months now with use (or should that be abuse) nearly every weekend clearing paddocks, felling and cutting up trees around 300mm-400mm diameter and it hasn't missed a beat. I've used all Stihl bar oil and 2-stroke oil at the recommended 50:1 and it takes all the punishment I give it. Using the correct starting procedure it… Read more

starts first or 2nd pull after the choke stage. I keep the chains sharp and strip and clean it after every weekends use. Cannot recommend this saw highly enough. I'm upgrading to a bigger Stihl MS500i or MS391 soon but the 180 will always be thrown in the ute aswell! 5 stars!

Disappointing all round – Had an Echo of the same size, it did heaps of work, never any issues (it was stolen). Bought the Stihl expecting a similar positive experience. More work in starting the Stihl than using it from day 1. Once warmed it starts again fine. Leave it a day, anticipate minimum 20 pulls. Dad (who used the Echo a lot) would not be able to start the… Read more

Stihl.

Used the saw twice, & go to tighten the chain & notice only 1 nut holding the bar. I go to the Stihl shop who says that I better buy an extra nut as well as the replacement otherwise I’ll be back again soon with the same problem!! Shop tightens the chain & does the nuts. I use it for 3 minutes, chain is loose again. Tighten chain, use for 3 minutes, chain is loose again. Fair to say that I was certainly expecting more. . . . sadly probably one from Aldi would be doing a better job & not killing me to start it.

Fantastic saw – Just purchased my first Stihl to go wood gathering. The ms180 is brilliant, I was cutting logs around 60cm like butter I could not recommend it highly enough. I can see how people complain about the chain, but all chainsaws lose tension after using for a while. Show details

No problems, owned for 7 years – Never had a drama starting, runs high rpm for long times with out skipping a beat. To those who say it's hard to start, the carby may just need to be jetted for the altitude you live in. Show details

Dangerous and appalling quality – Supposed to cut up to 30cm. After 3 minutes cutting the chain stretches and falls off. Completely dangerous and should not be on the market. A waste of petrol, oil and time Show details

Love my Stihl – Finished 3rd winter of hardwood firewood cutting. I find it easy to start. 3 pulls on choke then 1 or 2 and off it goes. I use slightly richer than 1:50 mix and alway 98O fuel. On second chain. I’ve cut logs up to around 40cms. Starting to do curved cuts but I didn’t flip the bar as frequently as I should have so a user problem rather than the machine. I’d happily buy another MH180 Show details

So much fun to use – Love this thing can’t put it down starts every time for me so light weight and fun to use great for 6 to 8 inch stuff and makes quick work of the bigger stuff out cuts my 20 inch poulin pro no question hands down a great saw Show details

Worse chainsaw ever! – Gave Stihl a try after owning husquavarna for years. product I ever bought! The chain always comes loose and it is only made for branches and pruning! Does not always start either. Never again! Show details

Brilliant for a budget saw – Brilliant saw for the price tag! My ms180 get its share of abuse & neglect but starts every time & cuts anything I can throw at its 16” bar, including quite a bit of hardwood. Ideal for 6-8” logs but will cut upto 14” when the time arises. The Picco micro green safety chain is a bit disappointing being the only option in this size chainsaw bar. A great size saw for camping, yard cleanup work & pruning. Show details

Great little machine – Bought this little chainsaw for clearing brunches on my land and I take it camping with me. It is unbelievable how much power this little thing has! No matter what you cut, small, big, hard, soft this thing just doesn't give up. Keep your chain sharp, clean the filter and turn your bar upside down every time you sharpen it, and this chainsaw will… Read more

keep that smile on your face. I use this little chainsaw much more than my big one and cannot do without. Best $300 I've spent..

Excellent little saw – Once you work out how to start it in your conditions it will run and perform for hours. Touch up the blade every time you refuel and you'll go all day. Great tool for the price. Show details

on/off lever very bad design – got this saw from a stihl agent, it did work well cutting some firewoods and some small branches, but everytime i want to turn it off, the on/off lever just keeps on going out of its place, and the only way to turn it off is to open the plastic case and put the lever back to its place and hold it in while turning it off, this happens everytime i use it! really bad design! Show details

This is horrible very bad build of a machine! – I bought this machine and they showed me how to start this machine so I started it at the store went the small tutorial to learn got home tried to start it again and still have yet to start. My junky old craftsman is looking good in comparison so at this point I'd never ever recommend this junk to anybody Show details

Top buy – I bought my Stihl 180 years ago and being on a rural property it has had a lot of hard work. Other than a new chain now and again it has never failed to start or has ever let me down. In a Nutshell, I would never buy any other Brand.

It has its purposes – easy to start sometimes. Other times it bites the big 1... It can flood easily at times, So you then need to pull the plug and clear the plug and chamber properly! It's a light weight saw good for pruning mainly. If you're wanting to drop trees with it, you'll really want to use a bigger more aggressive chain!!! I ended up buying another bar… Read more

the same length and a more aggressive chain half way through cutting down 3 conifers. The replacement did the work so much easier than the factory release! The original was/is really only suited to pruning work. The bar and chain upgrade was 4x more efficient at cutting trees in Fuel, Oil and Time expenditure! ;)