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#Post#: 91333--------------------------------------------------
Stihl Woes 251c
By: ChainBoy Date: May 10, 2025, 1:03 pm
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Hi Gang,
Though this is the first time I’m posting to this Forum, I’ve
visited it frequently in the past and got some good info from
it. So I thought it might be time to post about my Stihl
experience and ask for some advice.
Building a log cabin and bought a Stihl MS 251C. Saw did a great
job, used it for a year and took it to Santa Fe Power Equipment
in NM for service even though it was running just fine. They
told me that the piston was shared and that’s because I ran it
on straight fuel without oil, that this is not a warranty
service, and that the repair would cost just about as much as a
new saw. Thing is, I never ran it on straight fuel and even
showed them a picture of how I cut one of the oil bottles down
to the proper fill line for 1 gallon of gas. Made no difference,
they just ignored me and told me that Stihl taught them that the
only way a piston can get shared is due to no or improper fuel
mixture. They showed me how they removed the muffler and how the
piston was shared as proof. Later on they sent me pictures of
what they claimed to be further proof, problem being those were
pictures of a different saw and I sent them the same pictures of
my saw while pointing out the clear differences…made no
difference to them. At that point I started to research this,
came across this forum and learned a lot.
In talking to Stihl directly I was told that there are dealer
horror stories and that I should take it to another one. Took it
to Albuquerque’s Power Generation Service. They told me that the
unit overheated and they actually went through Stihl’s 20-some
point checks to figure this out instead of just pulling the
muffler. Stihl approved the warranty because I argued that since
the manual doesn’t explain how to avoid overheating I had
nothing to go by to prevent that. Stihl approved the warranty
and only after 3 weeks did I hear from Power Generation Service
that I’m getting a new unit. Here’s what happened next:
1. They didn’t give me a full refund for the diagnostic service
which they need to for warranty. They told me that’s because the
bank charged for the credit card service. Called the bank, they
told me that’s not true, and the bank refunded me the rest.
2. They wouldn’t let me leave until I started the saw. The fuel
bulb didn’t take on any fuel, even after 50-so pumps. Yes, there
was about half a tank of fuel in the tank.
3. Gave up, handed it to one of the guys, he EVENTUALLY got it
started but yanked on the starting cord like a maniac even
though this saw has an Easy2Start system that only requires a
brief, short pull that stores energy and then the engine starts
after the energy is released. It’s pretty cool, worked great on
my original saw, but not this one. So I’m thinking he’s ruining
the starting mechanism.
4. Once it starts he runs it on full throttle for about 15
seconds, lets it idle for about 3, repeat many times…Told him
he’s violating Stihl’s manual for a “factory new” saw. As if it
matters, he goes: “I’ve been a dealer for a long time.”
5. Oh yeah…they wouldn’t let me use the restroom regardless of
my pleading.
So after only using 4 tanks of gas…chain tensioner doesn’t keep
chain at proper tightness and it ends up dangling by a couple of
inches after a few cuts, there’s intermittent rattling from the
chain sprocket/gear area when it idles, fuel pump bulb only
takes on gas with a full tank, chain spins wildly in idle and no
adjustment to the proper screw stops that, hard to start
regardless of whether it’s cold or has been running, and
engaging the chain brake stalls the engine. Add to that
horizontal lines I found on the piston after removing the
muffler and scratches and other markings on the cylinder housing
and it became clear that this saw was definitely not new.
Contacted the Stihl rep for my area and now they want to get the
original saw back from Power Generation Service to check it out
themselves. Now I’m just waiting.
So here’s my question to you guys. Though the original saw did a
good job and I’m not willing to write off the Stihl brand quite
yet, have any of you experienced anything similar? Do Stihl
dealers tend to be that incompetent? Or is that just in New
Mexico? Any New Mexicans part of this forum? If so, what dealer
did you have a competent experience with?
I’ll follow up with y’all once I hear back from Stihl and learn
where they want to go with this.
#Post#: 91334--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes
By: Chainsawrepair Date: May 11, 2025, 4:32 am
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The quality of a stihl tech and dealers IMHO is at a all time
low.
Happens when you have 5-6 of them on every corner in town and
box stores now days.
Limited supply of folks that really know saws.
I laughed at one tech when he tried to tell me a stihl 261 used
a chromed piston.
One stihl dealer was hiring and I knew the guy hiring. Since I
was retired years ago. I ask what the pay was. I laughed again.
I was like I woudnt wake up and get out of bed for that.
So IMO they hiring folks that will take crap pay for work to
fill slots.
JMO also.
251 dont have a good rep among repair folks. Neither does the
other newer plastic ones. 171 181 211 251 271 291 311 391. See
the trend there. Then their ones replacing those worse now days.
#Post#: 91336--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes
By: ChainBoy Date: May 12, 2025, 10:09 am
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Wow...I had no idea. Pretty sad. I did find another dealer in
the area and they turned me away because I didn't buy my saw
from them. I called Stihl directly and asked about that and they
told me that dealers are independently owned and that, yes, they
can turn you away if you didn't buy a Stihl product from them.
My original Stihl worked great. It seems that Stihl might not be
the problem as much as the dealers and their techs. But it would
seem to me that no matter how great the manufacturer, at some
point your tool will require service, so what are you supposed
to do if you can't find competent techs?
Well, like I said, I'm not quite ready to give up on Stihl yet.
We'll see what happens and I'll let you guys know.
#Post#: 91337--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes
By: Chainsawrepair Date: May 13, 2025, 5:11 am
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With what your using. Go Echo.
Love my 501P and 2511PN. They are Pro saws with stihl homeowner
plastic saw prices.
Echo has plastic saws too for even less.
#Post#: 91346--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes
By: ChainBoy Date: May 14, 2025, 11:26 am
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Well, I'll definitely look in to them. I'm off-the-grid and far
away from any major town, so finding a competent service tech.
is pretty important. I'll look in to that for Echo, too.
Thanks for being so helpful.
#Post#: 91380--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes
By: ChainBoy Date: May 29, 2025, 12:38 pm
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So I heard back from Stihl. They are going to give me yet
another new MS251-C to replace the worthless replacement I
received from Albuquerque’s inept Power Generation Service
dealership. Since I told Stihl I would not deal with that
dealership at any level they agreed to do the exchange at a
different dealer. So I’m pleased about that.
What I learned is that when I go to get the next new saw, I’m
going to take a very close look and if I see anything indicating
that its not new or it won’t start like the last one, I will not
accept it.
Finally, and I think I mentioned this before, it seems to me
that perhaps the manufacturer of a chainsaw is less important
than the quality of the dealership’s repair techs. Finding out
about that before you buy a chainsaw would seem to be a daunting
task…but should also be unnecessary.
In the end, this was a pretty frustrating experience for me and
something I would not have expected to happen with a Stihl. Live
and learn, eh?
#Post#: 91382--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes
By: Chainsawrepair Date: May 30, 2025, 5:37 am
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Least they did something for you. Good Luck.
#Post#: 91389--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stihl Woes 251c
By: joe_indi Date: May 31, 2025, 8:17 am
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That thing you mentioned about the importance of the dealership
a deciding factor on how a saw runs, whatever the quality of the
manufacturer is very true. In the 30 years that I have spent
repairing them one thing I do know, just like anything else a
saw is made up of various parts and how they come together in
one saw varies however much the uniformity of manufacturing. No
two saws have the same characteristics, minute variations will
be there. And so as a servicing dealer I used to handle each saw
as a different saw, no standard judgement or handling works, so
to treat all saws of a particular model equally is being
foolish. And disdain for a piece of machinery by a dealer is an
insult to that piece of machinery. And to its owner. TLC is the
key whether it is an OE saw or a clone saw. And, I have also
learned that there is more to diagnostics than a printed set of
inferences. If that werent true who needs doctors? Just look up
the book. Dealers are supposed to treat saws or any other tool
as a patient, not otherwise, whatever the manufacturer says,
because in such situations its between the dealer and the user,
not the maker.
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