Mid-Users are an interesting grey area between homeowner and professional. You don’t occasionally use a chainsaw, but you don’t go deep into the woods and cut down trees eight hours a day for five to fifteen days in a row. The saws that are within this grey area are the MS201 to the MS251C. According to Stihl, this group has all three classifications of chainsaws: Homeowner, Farm and Ranch, and Professional. What this group boils down to is if you cut a fair amount of wood occasionally. So, you need the power and life of the heavier duty equipment but don’t use it every week. The best example I can think of is Frontiersman James, living out in the wilderness, who needs to cut down a few trees come fall for firewood and a few in the warmer months to clear out his land. So, whether you’re a frontiersman, a farmer, or just a guy who wants to save money on his electric bill these chainsaws are just for you.
Within the Mid-User range there are three special cases due to how Stihl classifies these models. The first is MS201C, which is labeled a Farm and Ranch Chainsaw. It is a lightweight, high preforming machine with an interesting mechanic. The Stihl M-Tronic. This microprocessor manages the engine and compensates for changes in the surrounding conditions. Why this is so key for the higher-level chainsaws is because it creates a continuous state of optimum performance. To put this into perspective, the M-Tronic monitors temperature, elevation, fuel quality, and dirt in the air filter. It tracks the RPMs and regulates how rich or lean the fuel is. Breaking down Barney Style, the motor will last longer, the ignition starts and accelerates quicker, and lowers the chance of flooding the engine.
Feel like I went down a rabbit M-Tronic Hole. Sorry.
Back on point, the next interesting model is the MS241C, or the only professional model within the mid-user’s section. It is one of the most compact professional models Stihl offers, and also has the Stihl M-Tronic, which means it is built for more frequent use while keeping the guide bar smaller. Lastly, there’s the MS251 series, the flagships homeowner model line. On one hand we have the MS251 Wood Boss, on the other hand we have the MS251C. These two models have the greatest displacement of the homeowner models, meaning you can CUT through some wood while keeping the world greener with reduced emissions. The main difference between the Wood Boss and MS251C is that the ‘C’ stands for comfort, so there are a few features to make your cutting experience a little bit more enjoyable. Chief among these features is the Easy2Start feature, meaning you can literally start this baby with two fingers.
It can be somewhat daunting to find a chainsaw that fits the mid-user need. Normally, it’s either you’re a homeowner or you’re a pro with very little overlap. This is where Stihl’s pedigree comes into play. These guys have been around for over 90 years, 94 if you want to be exact, and this kind of equipment is what they built their name on. Between that, and their German engineering, you know you’re getting what you need, as long as you know what you need. If you don’t then talk to one of our guys at Farm Services and we can help you get it straight.