Stihl MS 230
Verified4 reviews
Absolute Rubbish – Was given this saw by a friend who had trouble stopping it and had to use the choke setting to do so (not a good idea!). Took the saw to Lithgow and the young bloke agreed with me that Stihl aren't the company they used to be (I bought a little Stihl 031av in 1980 and it was a fantastic saw right up until 2016 when I could no longer obtain parts for it). Never-the-less Corey fixed the problem on the MS230 and it ran well the first time for about an hour but has given me nothing but trouble since; just cuts out for no apparent reason and I'm not prepared to deal with such rubbish anymore. Amongst my other saws is a cheap($127) Chinese 52cc (Baum AGR) I've had since 2007 and it has given me no major problems. Stihl was once THE brand to buy but not anymore; you'd be better off with a Makita/Dolmar, Echo or possibly a Husqvarna (although I've heard bad reports about some of the cheaper Husky saws.) A bloke I met whilst cutting out on Newnes Plateau had a "professional" Stihl 261C-M (50cc) and had 'nothing but trouble with it' and felt it was a wasted $1500!!! He swears by Echo saws. Guess I'll stick to my old Dolmar 016e. Now I know why companies such as Sydney Tools Online have discontinued selling Stihl products.
Purchased at Stihl Dealer.
Top little all round saw – Perfect for medium tree felling fire wood and trimming. However I would recommend going up to a larger saw with a 3/8 chain and 20 inch bar for bigger logs etc.
Purchased for $799.
Great saw terrible experience – Got this saw from Stihl shop in Dubbo. What a machine cut so much wood. When cleaning found the spark plug cross threaded. Called store who eventually after numerous call failed to take responsibility and blamed me for damage. I would never buy Stihl again. I have nightmares about the experience. Recommend extreme when purchasing I trusted the brand and I feel betrayed.
- Date Purchased:
Good saw that will do the job – The MS230C-BE (bought in greece/eu) was my second saw (owned a 2002 ms180). Bought it because i needed something stronger than the ms180, but couldnt afford/justify something bigger. Its a 2010 model bought new 2012 (old stock,offer). That 230 had a easy start feature (totally crap, i would prefer a regular starter). It also has a tool-less chain tensioner, pretty convenient. However if you consider that every time you change a chain you should turn the bar upside down (for uniform wear), changing the chain in the field is a pain. If you dont touch metal/rock the chain will remain sharp all day though... and you can place a sharp one when you return at home.
The saw has almost no vibrations, no comparison with the 180 which is trembling. Pretty strong (2.7hp). The oil pump sometimes need more time than usual to start spilling oil into the bar. So you have to be sure that oil comes out, before start cutting. The 45cm bar that came with the saw was defective (nose sprocket too tight) and was changed for free under warranty by the local stihl dealer.
As with every gas saw, when you finish and wont use it for a while, empty it and let it idle until the gas in the carburator is used... clean the air filter and check the spark plug. use a full synthetic 2t oil (not stihl's overrated crap) and it will last.
If i would buy it again? Yes, but without easy starter and without tooless tensioner.
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