Stihl MS211C chainsaw review

Although long, I feel you get a lot of close up detail about the saw. I was going to get a 170 series but this one has so many more features you can't go wrong. No cutting but you see me start it for the 1st time in 6 pulls. If it last as long as my last one it will be the last one I buy and worth every penny.

[@Yhrim70]

**NOTES AND UPDATES Concerning the Stihl MS 211 C-BE: Just bought one of these saws today from my local Stihl Dealer, Really Great Saw for most homeowners. **Couple Notes: ***IF the saw is ALREADY warmed up.... DO NOT CHOKE! It will probably flood the engine. If you've already had it running, Try to start it in the Run Position first, if it wont start, THEN go to choke. ****WHEN you go to Start the Saw, or ANYTIME you are pulling the Rope for ANY REASON (like repair, etc) ALWAYS ALWAYS have the Chain Brake ENGAGED. Because this saw is SO Easy to Start, it is possible to start it by ACCIDENT! If this were to happen, and the chain brake is not engaged, it could cause injury. With this saw, its actually just a good habit to engage the chain brake every time you shut it off, or even to keep the lever in the "STOP" position (unless of course you are actually intending to start the saw) just to prevent possible injury of an "accidental start". I know the store owner of the local Stihl Dealer here, and was talking with him today about this saw. The "safety tip" above about engaging the chain brake is what he told me himself, as he was working on replacing a pull rope on one once, and he pulled the rope a bit trying to set the spring, and the thing started up and spun around on his workbench!! He also brought up the issue they used to have with the gas caps on this and other Stihl products that used the same fuel and oil caps. He said he replaced a few hundred of the bad caps during that time. But they have since (a couple years ago) fixed both the gas and oil caps since the issue became known... AND after they figured out what was going on. It was a "defect" but only for the US models, they didn't have any issues with the same caps overseas... They finally figured out it was being caused by the fuel sold in the US, which had something in the fuel which was degrading/deforming the original plastic and seal. Which caused leaks and other issues. So they had to change the type of plastic and seal material on the caps so that the fuel sold in the US would no longer deform the caps. Just thought I would pass that info along.

[@tomnovak7731]

Your switch should ALWAYS be in the off position unless you intend to actually start the saw!

[@Yhrim70]

@@tomnovak7731 thats what I said... ?

[@Bastillian]

Thanks for your detailed observations. Much appreciated.

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

I've used a Stihl MS211 for 15 years up here in interior Alaska...no problems. I sharpen chains with Granberg file jig, rotate the bar and clean the channel after each 40 hours of use

[@twc-projects]

Just bought one of these today and haven't run it yet. Your walkthrough was great, and I feel like I know the saw well now. I can't wait to get to cutting. Thanks so much.

[@dickiedollop]

Had my MS211c for a few years now and only recently changed the air filter and spark plug , it’s a good reliable saw and if you use the tungsten carbide chain apart from general cleaning and good fuel mix your saw will perform as expected and more. The only problem I have is that I feel the need to get something bigger and beefier but I think this is a bloke thing my wife doesn’t understand me 😳😁

[@mikeculver]

I just got this saw(no manual) and this is all I need... thanks!! great tutorial!!

[@dickiedollop]

Nice video I’ve used mine to fell some pretty thick sycamores and oak trees with a 16’’ bar and a picco duro tungsten chain which is great as long as your cutting clean wood , if there’s metal then your wasting an expensive chain . Ordinary chains are fine as long as you keep on top of sharpening after each use I find 👍🏻

[@jumpinjack1]

just picked up one today $345.23 total w. tax, extra chain, case, tools. No sense in breaking my back with O36 sawing orchard wood :). Thanks for the fine details including carb heat which was never mentioned at dealer.

[@steveschwarz2202]

Excellent tutorial. I learned a lot that the seller did not provide. Filled in a lot of "holes".

[@dablingtime]

Steve Schwarz Thank you

[@gregingemunson5127]

Great job. I was looking at getting the 201 until I read the reviews. Picking this 211c up tomorrow!

[@dablingtime]

Thank you sir, enjoy!

[@gjwestonable]

Great video thanks very useful, just ordered the same saw.

[@jimdobbs1861]

I have the 211 not the 211c and love it. I wasn’t a fan of the chain tensioner thing on the 211c. The easy start is a good idea. But the 211 without it starts just fine. And once you get the choke thing down it’s really not a issue. Good review brotha, happy cutting🍻

[@jockobacumbo623]

Good review man! I might actually try one of these, thanks.

[@jamesmaxwell6668]

I wanted the starting mechanism like this as I spend a lot of time on the ground clearing saplings and treating stumps. I can’t get up and down all day anymore. This saw worked great til it started puking bar oil out the bottom all the time. Took it apart to find problem. Hose on bottom leaking. Never got it back together.

[@MrDukes1111]

Thanks for review, In Florida and was in the market for a new saw, no better time to get one... wanted the electric one from stihl but that thing was over 600 bucks with the battery and charger!?!? lol, looks like im sticking to gas!!!

[@2112bangkok]

Excellent video! Just picked up my 211 yesterday. The easy2start feature will take getting used to. Keep up the good videos sawmaster.

[@arzosah112]

How is it holding up today? Thinking of getting one. Thx in advance

[@Bangkok-ik1fp]

Wiebe Jansma Funny you should ask.I went through last season and either clogged the oiler channel along the bar or ? The chain stopped cutting as effectively and since it's under warranty I'm going to send it in for a check. After using this model I would opt for a bit more power and go for the next one up even if it doesn't have easy start.

[@arzosah112]

Thx for the information, good luck with the reperations etc.

[@dablingtime]

Wiebe Jansma , mine is holding up well. It's easy to keep clean. You can always check for chain lube by just running the blade in front of anything without touching it. It should leave a slight oil mark where oil is being flung off blade. As for power, remember, it can take a lot of power too cut with a dull blade. And if the blade is razor sharp you can easily be too agreesive and lug the motor down. I'm always amazed how a sharp blade can cut with almost no pressure at all and beautiful long stringy chips and the sawdust you produce with a dull one.

[@arzosah112]

Ah, thx for the additional info, will try this one and a heavier one out i think.

[@rcajun8902]

where does the litte screw go that holds the adjustment wheel to the bar?

[@tuberocker69]

Be careful with that chain break! 😉

[@kostasfrangos3354]

Nice review! I bough one when they first came out, maybe ten years ago! I didn’t like it! Mine was the standard model without easy to start and quick tensioning! I didn’t like it because was with one bar stud and I also didn’t like the feeling when I use it it seems that was not very durable! I sold it and I replace it with the Ms 230! Quick tensioning and easy start can fail easily and gives you troubles! I want my chainsaws with two bar studs!

[@beingsneaky]

There are lots of parts online to fix your old saw.

[@awetanoah342]

Thank you

[@DennysCountryLife]

Excellent job on the review. Thank you, looks like a nice saw!

[@dablingtime]

Denny's Country Life , thank you.

[@paulwharton1850]

A really excellent review - Went and bought one. Many thanks.....all the way from London !

[@dablingtime]

Thank you sir

[@dablingtime]

Are you still happy with your purchase?

[@paulwharton1850]

Yup, it's fab - Thank you for asking. Starts with one slow pull first time ! Cut lots of wood yesterday, great fun. Excellent recommendation, many thanks Sir.

[@Bastillian]

Also in the UK.

[@Chumly409]

I've had my 211C for just over a year now and just love the little farm/ranch saw. It's very light so that's great for general use and feels much better than the Husqvarna Farmhand. I'll recommend this chainsaw easily to anyone looking to get one. I got mine from our local SoCal Ace hardware and their support for Stihl is top notch (Yes, it's "steel"). I used it to clean up debris and some widowmakers last Spring when an F0 blew through and just fell a cottonwood that got too out of control for being close to the house (those and Eucalyptus litter our property and just fall apart in any gusts). One quick note on this video is that his chain seems very snubby so I went to measure mine and it's 16-1/2" from claws to bar end. Perhaps they gave us 2-1/2 extra inches since the viewing of this 2014 video knowing that the engine can easily handle that. You're darn right about all the tool-less stuff too since I can do everything I need to do to the saw with my gloves on, great features all around and the vibration damping and balance is perfection. An error on my part had me grieving the $330 purchase and wondering if Stihl were still the best is backed in this video, so I want to comment on my issue. I tried to start it one day and I just wore myself out. Took it to Ace and it fired right up. Asked for tuning suggestions and was told there's not a lot of adjustments to make but "do this" if you must. I was assure that since Ace was at 1,000ft and me at 3,000ft up on this mountain I had to tune it for elevation. Nope! keep pumping that priming bulb! My prior farmhand and all the junk weekwackers would flood if I over pumped that bulb. This one does NOT flood the carb so just keep pumping and it fires right up every time. Three pulls would be a high count. Haha, the easy start was goofy at first but now it's second nature. Full choke, *bripp*, half choke, *buuuuurrrrr*, pull throttle and get to cutting. It's only their chainsaws though because the FS 60 weedwackemer is the standard 3 position and now raindance. I start mine with the brake on so please remember to bump that back when you're warming up if you do as well. I'm betting if you don't it's bad on the piston and will wear out that brake eventually...and that thing is a life saver! Thank you for this great overview of the MS211 C. I'm sure many looking into buying a chainsaw (and perhaps their first chainsaw) are on youtube and see this. I know this isn't Amazon reviews, but buy this thing and don't question a moment more. It just chooches!

[@dablingtime]

J.C. Allen thank you!

[@1989cranston]

Yea the pronunciation of the name varies depending on where you live. so your comment ( yes, it's "steel" ) is only half correct.

[@tomnovak7731]

@@1989cranston your right! In Boston, a saw is a "sore"! 😆 A car is a "caah" too.

[@KC-632H]

Thinking of buying one,any of you fellows have any issues yet

[@FryChicken]

8 years later, how is it?

[@MaineOutdoorsChannel]

awesome video

[@daviddejong187]

Easiest starting saw that I have ever owned

[@karoshi464]

my concern ... 181CBE or 211CBE? Same weight ... more power .... my local dealer has 181C and for a bit cheaper i can get a 211C on internet. I need a lightweight machine and correct power ... Which one should i get? Since i cannot try these before buying :( Any advice guys? What about Husky .... more powerful engines but not as solid as Stihl?

[@dablingtime]

This is probably not the tool to cut hundreds of cords of wood if thats your concern about power. Power really has to do with speed. A smaller saw with a razor sharp blade will cut faster than a bigger one where the blade has been into the dirt. That said you can still bog even a sharp saw down trying to cut too fast (speed). A sharp saw will cut nicely at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle. My biggest gripe with my older bigger saw was the need for tools for maintenance. This solved the problem. The Stihl brand has an excellent track record. Before this I tried a cheap Homelite, absolutely crap. Good luck

[@karoshi464]

Thanks :)

[@tomnovak7731]

@@dablingtime you should always run at full throttle when loading the saw. A 2-stroke engine develops peak hp at full throttle.

[@tomnovak7731]

If you want a professional saw, buy a professional saw. This, in my opinion, is a homeowner grade saw. It appears to be a pretty decent saw for the intended use.

[@TheOShow35]

Great video thanks for sharing..

[@crazymayne69]

Great review. What did you end up doing with your old saw?

[@davenormanjr1129]

I got a MS 211 for Christmas, it's the first Stihl saw I've ever had. I don't like the single bolt to hold the bar and chain on, I was making a straight cut ,it through the chain... Disappointed to say the least...

[@cway444]

My MS211C has a 16" bar and they sell a 18" also.

[@dablingtime]

cway44 , thanks for the tip!

[@cway444]

Thanks for the Video, its a great how to vid.

[@dgsports69]

Fuel primer not the pump.

[@John-cq5kh]

Got one ,had nothing but trouble out of. Still would not honor warranty. So now due to a guy at still dealer writing on paper that wrong gas was used in saw. Replaced carb. Now the coil went bad. I guess this is the last part I'll buy and last stihl also.

[@dablingtime]

John man , that sucks, type of gas should have nothing to do with it, unless it was diesel. You got a lemon. So sorry to hear that.

[@tomnovak7731]

John, if you had the deal Stihl offered in the past of the extended warranty IF you used their synthetic mixing oil, that may have had something to do with it. I can't imagine what kind of gas would ruin the carburetor. Even some sort of aviation gas or whatever should not screw up the carb or the saw otherwise.

[@ajaysood3690]

Stihl 36" chain saw

[@geronimo9700]

Great video danling ! :-)

[@TmoneyProductions]

Excellent summary- I've been debating between the Husky and Stihl- your video convinced me. I also appreciate all the work you put into making the video- great job.

[@Pintony1]

Forgot to line up your oil pump drive!

[@nikboldvin9223]

Good job

[@dablingtime]

Thank you, thanks for watching

[@jodyhardy8631]

Nope it will turn the choke off itself when your at half choke

[@mikegags9115]

You should read the user guide.

[@danbarker5624]

Well that ain’t my 211. Mines a pos.

[@pourloig]

.

[@gkett1609]

11,111 views

[@marcelinomontano2217]

It don't power

[@speedfreak8200]

that's a bar not a blade, newbee

[@woofy548]

do you feel cool now, correcting someone's obvious misuse of a word? I think we all knew what he meant.

[@tomnovak7731]

Speed Freak, I agree. This is why rookies shouldn't do "product reviews"! The scary thing is there are people out there that actually consider this as valuable advice! 😆

[@MrPadraigmccarthy]

If sawdust could get into the tank...!! surely fuel will come out...! And i doubt you bought a saw that leaks..!! Great saw European model is slightly different. Its also pronounced STILL not STEEL.

[@lances4803]

From the Stihl website: "Our name is pronounced exactly like the metal "steel.""

[@MrPadraigmccarthy]

Thats how Americans Pronounce it. But the Correct way "The German way" is Still=Stihl

[@puderjunge]

As aGerman, i will have to say that the german pronunciation is much closer to "steel" than "still".

[@David-ip7gy]

puderjunge Yes it is and even if it doesn't wouldn't you rather say steel anyway? Sounds way cooler than still. I don't get why people that know nothing about the German language say something that they are ignorant about!

[@speedfreak8200]

on tv commercials they say steel I always said still, now I alternate

[@tomnovak7731]

I love it when people with cameras think they know what they are doing with other things and start doing "reviews". 😆 I laughed when you said they have gone to a "single lever throttle control"! That's the same set up as my 1985 model 034 Super! Have you been under a rock? BTW, the positions are; Off, Run, Half-choke (auto-cancels when throttle is pulled) and Full-choke. Full come is for starting a cold saw. If it is warmed up and has been running in the last 10-15 minutes, you may need to half choke it, but I usually try to start it in the run position once. Anything less than 10 minutes off, it should start on the run position except in the coldest of weather. Things like the "hood" (🤣) being difficult to install is rookie ineptitude! The latch is working as designed. You should really put some hours on the saw so you have something to review. Rated :💩💩💩

[@kostasfrangos3354]

There is not half choke at any stihl chainsaw! Lever position are off, run, fast idle and choke! So you are not perfect either

[@jodyhardy8631]

Chainsaws dont have blades

[@marcelinomontano2217]

It don't power