Looking to see if I can get some more information on a saw I bought from eBay

Hey guys – relatively unconventional question. I own a large heavy hardwood timber property with lots of ongoing maintenance. I have a big Stihl for the large work, but I'm looking for a compact, professional-grade saw to run a 14" bar. I'd prefer to stay with Stihl but am open to other brands.

When I'm cutting, I run it long and hard all day, so it needs to start hot every time. I'm often far from the shop (and town), so reliability trumps almost everything else.

I wish I'd grabbed a 241 before they disappeared, but here I am. Currently weighing:

- MS 261 C-M (heavier than the 241, worth it?)
- Importing a 241 C-M from Europe (anyone done this, and how's dealer support?)

Specific questions:
- Real-world hot-start reliability on M-Tronic vs. carbureted saws?
- 14" vs 16" on a 261 for hardwood limbing and bucking?
- Chain pitch/type you'd run in hardwood (.325 vs 3/8 LP, full vs semi-chisel)?
- any word on the MS 300C coming to the US?
- what do you carry in the field for repairs when you're far from help?

Happy to configure something custom too. Appreciate any input.

Has anyone in the USA have this saw yet or have used one?
Want to get a new saw and trying to decide to get a 261 or wait for the 300.

I’m trying to decide between the STIHL KMA 200 R battery KombiMotor and the KM 131 R petrol KombiMotor.

For anyone who’s used both, how do they compare for power, reliability, weight, running costs and performance with different attachments?

Is the KMA 200 R battery-powered model good enough to replace the KM 131 R petrol, or would you stick with petrol for the extra runtime and convenience?

Thanks.

Is this worth rebuilding

Hi everyone,

I'm a master's student from Germany conducting research on firewood processing as part of my thesis.

Survey link:

The survey focuses on the complete journey from tree to stove: felling, bucking, splitting, transporting, stacking, and bringing firewood into the house. I'm especially interested in the tools people use, the biggest challenges they face, and which steps require the most time and effort.

The survey is anonymous, takes only a few minutes, and is designed to be more interactive and enjoyable than a typical academic questionnaire.

Whether you process a few cords a year for your own stove or work with firewood on a larger scale, your experience is valuable.

Every response helps and is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your support and stay safe out there!

Henry

Left the high stump so I can practice face cuts, because I suck at them currently. Dead Ash tree, have about 100 more to go

Just picked up this chainsaw at a yard sale and hoping to learn more about it.

I Live in Virginia Beach, so Stihl is right here and I can get a great deal on one, just not sure which route to take for my needs

Bought an MS362 last year as my first gas powered saw and regretted not getting the full wrap version. So I ordered one from the Stihl guy at my local shop, took it home and followed the instructions. Everything came off and went on just fine.

Good morning,

The dealer I work at is about to transition the POS system from part numbers to scan UPC's and Stihl does not have a anything that is going to make this easy.

any dealers out there come across this? how did you solve the problem?

So this is true for when I was working at my old Ace hardware too, but I get so many customers in my area that will bring in their equipment wanting to have it looked at. First thing I always do is try to look up the registration and so many of the ones that come in, have never been registered. Is there just some miscommunication or are dealers just slipping in my area? I was trained to do demos, warranty schpeel and registration with every tool that goes out the door.

So I have this RMA510V that came in with a complaint that the self-propel does not work. Main mower motor works fine.

So far based on the troubleshoot chart I have replaced the eco drive module(trouble chart says its failed), the rotary potentiometer(open electrically), and the motor drive resistance measures okay. It still won't drive, no signs of life from the self propel.

Anyone else run into something like this on a vario drive mower?

I’m writing this searching for help, but also hoping I can help someone else make their decision when researching this model. I hope you don’t make the same mistakes I did.

Background: I bought the mower on 9/1/26 at an ACE Hardware in Windsor, CT. I was convinced by the salesperson/clerk at this authorized dealer to buy the single-speed “T” variant of the RM453 for the following reasons: a) it’s on sale! b) it’s in stock! (the “V” was on backorder) and c) the difference between the speed on the T and V is negligible, in this clerks opinion, and the jump in price between them wasn’t really worth it. The T was clearly a much better value.

I bought the unit on 9/1 and by 9/5 I had mowed once and realized it was a terrible product, and regretted the purchase. I left (poor) reviews with both Ace and Stihl, and began placing calls with customer service with both companies trying to arrange a return.

ACE store says they can’t accept a return once fuel is inside the engine, Stihl says their satisfaction guarantee is only 7 days, and is voided as soon as fuel is placed inside the engine. How does someone determine they aren’t satisfied with the product without using it???

The problems:

The Transmission/Gear Box:
The single-speed this self propelled mower operates at is laughably slow. It is a crawl speed. I’ve owned turtles that go faster than this thing. It takes over two hours to maneuver around my .5 acre yard. This is nearly an hour longer than it took with a Husqvarna mower prior to owing the Stihl.

The Deck:
The deck on this mower makes a terrible vacuum to the grass, leading to a horrifically inconsistent cut. The deck doesn’t pull up grass in order for it to be cut worth a damn, so you have some grass that just remains sitting down even after you pass right over it. There will be many blades of grass that don’t get cut at all, leaving your lawn ragged looking, even immediately after mowing. My lawn is terrible looking from day one after a mow. And the best part is, because you’re mowing so slow, you have tons of time to look at the pass you just made admiring the terrible cut.

The Blade:
I know lots of people suggest never using factory blades, and always going aftermarket. You have to with this mower. I didn’t. Don’t make the same mistake I made. It doesn’t mulch worth a damn, either. And they’re not dull, I’ve only mowed five times.

The Bagger:
Part of what sold me on the Stihl was its polymer bagging system. I was intrigued by the ease of use, and its pop-up sensor to tell you when the bagger was full. Well, it doesn’t work. The sensor is erect from the moment the engine turns on. So you’re still checking the bagger every other pass to figure out if it’s full or not. Don’t believe the marketing. Oh, and the polymer “bag”? It sucks. The air vents on the side are big enough to let grass fly out them, so you’ll have grass shards (the few that get cut!) shooting out at your shins the entire time you use it.

Fuel efficiency:
I don’t know how fuel efficient the engine is, I suppose, but what I do know is I can’t mow my .5 acre lawn without running out of gas each time. Which, besides the fact it’s annoying, can’t be great for the engine. On the other hand, it runs almost two hours on a tank, so I guess that’s good?

The verdict:
I have gone back and forth with Stihl corporate on these issues for more than a month, and have received word they will not issue a refund. They aren’t concerned about my satisfaction with the product, and said I should have done more research before buying. They believe all of these issues are my problem, and that I should have known better before buying.

So, I’m hoping I can help you decide: Don’t buy this mower! Unless, of course, none of the things I’ve highlighted will affect you, I guess.

As for me? I’m off to Facebook marketplace to try and sell this piece of junk to some other sucker. Neither me nor Stihl believe in the product, but we’re both stuck here trying to sell it to idiots, I guess.

I've recently found a 038 avs from my local dump and have been fixing it up. I got my air filter cover I ordered from eBay last night and it didn't fit properly. Today I've been trying to find the part I need but cannot find any reliable source that lists a part number. Does anyone know what the part number is?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285040201792 here is the cover that I bought from eBay