STIHL Chainsaw and Shop Tool Questions: A Mechanic's FAQ After 13 Years of Mistakes

If you're here, you're probably trying to answer one of these:

• Which STIHL chainsaw should I buy: the MS 660 or one of the small STIHL chainsaws?
• Is a 12V max hammer drill/driver kit PS130-2A worth the money?
• Is a 4V cordless screwdriver actually useful?
• How to measure hydraulic cylinder length without ordering the wrong part.

Good. I've made the mistakes so you don't have to. I run a two-bay small-engine shop and have been handling repair orders for 13 years. I've personally made and documented 31 significant mistakes, totaling roughly $11,000 in wasted budget. This FAQ is the checklist I wish I had before I started.

Which is better: an MS 660 STIHL chainsaw or a small STIHL chainsaw?

Depends. The MS 660 is a professional saw built for felling large timber, milling, or running a long bar. For clearing storm debris or trimming limbs, it's the wrong tool. Not because it can't do the job, but because you'll be worn out by lunch. The specs said 'more power is better.' My gut said 'buy once, cry once.' I went with the specs. It was great for milling, but a pain for everything else. So I bought a small STIHL chainsaw—an MS 251—for the daily jobs. The MS 660 stays on the mill. I still keep it for one customer who runs a sawmill; for them, it's exactly right. For most homeowners, it's overkill. Bottom line: there's no single best STIHL chainsaw. There's the saw that fits the tree and your arms, and the saw that impresses people at the tailgate.

What are the best small STIHL chainsaws for property work?

If you're not cutting trees for a living, 'small' usually means the MS 170, MS 181, or MS 251. For a typical yard with branches and storm cleanup, the MS 170 is a no-brainer. It's light, easy to start, and enough for limbs up to its bar length. For bigger logs and fence-line work, the MS 251 has more torque. I've sold both from my shop counter. My advice: don't buy more saw than you're willing to carry. But if you already know you're dropping a large oak, skip the small STIHL chainsaws and look at a professional saw sized for that job. A small saw with a long bar is a red flag. Also, stop by a local STIHL dealer and hold the saw first. Dealer support matters, but how it feels in your hands matters more.

Do I need a 12V max hammer drill/driver kit like the PS130-2A?

You don't need it just because you own a chainsaw. But if you're setting up a shop, a 12V max hammer drill/driver kit—the PS130-2A is a common one—covers a lot of light bench work. The hammer function is for occasional masonry, not concrete slabs. I tried one on a 1/4-inch masonry bit for a shelf bracket. It worked. Not great, not terrible. Serviceable. Per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), labels like 'professional' and 'max' have to be truthful, but they're not spec sheets. Read the torque numbers, not the adjectives. A 12V kit won't drive a 1-inch auger bit into a stump, and that's fine. It's a light-duty tool for light-duty jobs. If you treat it like that, it'll last. For a homeowner or a two-bay shop, the PS130-2A is usually enough. For an all-day contractor, spend more on an 18V class tool. Context matters. I can only speak to my shop's workload.

Is a 4V cordless screwdriver a toy, or actually useful?

I used to think a 4V cordless screwdriver was a gift-shop gadget. Then I bought one to avoid carrying a drill up a ladder. In the shop, it's the tool I grab most. It handles bar nuts, cover plates, carburetor screws, and anything on a STIHL chainsaw that doesn't need real torque. The catch: it's not for lug nuts, lag bolts, or hammer drilling. If you try, you'll strip the screw and burn the clutch. For light fastening, it's perfect. Honestly, I'm not sure why more people don't keep one in the truck. My best guess is it looks too small to be useful. It isn't. But it's also not a replacement for a 12V hammer drill/driver kit like the PS130-2A. Different animal.

How to measure hydraulic cylinder length without making my $700 mistake

This one still hurts. In March 2022, I ordered a replacement cylinder for a log splitter. I measured the barrel, ignored the rod, and ordered the wrong stroke. $700 and a two-week delay later, I made a checklist. The most important number is the centerline distance between the two mounting pin holes when the cylinder is fully retracted. That's your retracted length. If you can, extend the rod fully and measure again. The difference between those two numbers is the stroke. Pin diameters and rod diameter matter too. Missing the pin size is a deal-breaker. I also found out the hard way that USPS won't ship a hydraulic cylinder as a large envelope. According to USPS Business Mail 101, large envelopes have a 3/4-inch maximum thickness. A rod cylinder isn't. Freight. Simple.

What one question prevents most ordering mistakes?

Ask: 'What job will this tool do every single week?' A STIHL chainsaw bought for yearly storm cleanup and an MS 660 STIHL chainsaw bought for milling are both valid. A 12V max hammer drill/driver kit PS130-2A makes sense if you're drilling into masonry once a month. A 4V cordless screwdriver makes sense if you're tuning up small engines every week. Honestly, I'm not sure why more people don't ask this before buying. My best guess is that we're all drawn to the most capable option. Then we don't use it, because the most capable option is heavy or overkill. I've caught 47 potential ordering errors using this exact question. Put another way: I've made enough mistakes to know the value of a checklist.