The MS250 is a beast to start too because of such high compression. When I first purchased mine I was younger and in better shape. Now, at 76 I have to drop start it. Good tip on the two short pulls. I will definitely give that a try. My 250 has never liked being choked much. No more than two pulls with full choke or it will flood.
What those two slow pulls do is send vacuum/pressure signal to the impulse line and draw fuel up to the carb. The MS 250-C 'easy start recoil' version has a purge bulb that does the same thing. With cheap aftermarket replacement carbs you have to check that their choke and throttle butterfly plates have similar sized holes / notches as the original carb otherwise it won't start / idle properly. Easy mod to make.
Thank you, that's my assumption as well, kind of like a prime bulb on some power equipment like my stihl backpack blower. Thanks for the reply. If you have a video on on the mods for replacement carbs, please link it. Sure it people will find it helpful.
nice tip i have had the same issue while sitting for months, couldnt get started. took to dealer they called said nothing wrong. this saw doesnt have the typical primer bulb so pulling over before choking must use impulse pressure to prime carb to start. thanks for the info.
Sir, I watched this and immediately went outside to crank my piece of crap Stihl and it cranked right up. Btw, it hadn’t been cranked since last spring. Thanks.
Have a Stihl 271 Farm Boss. Starts EASY. Get a electrical zup tie. Put it on the handle and adjust it tight enough to slide it on the trigger to peg it. Put it on full choke and pull 2 or 3 times. Take it off choke to "run" and pull 2 or 3 times to start. My saw can sit for months with old gas and it fires right up using this method Told to me by the Stihl dealer. It works for me. I'm 70 years old.😅
Thanks, only thing I can tell you is go purchase one of these MS250 saws and hopefully you'll get one like most of us had. I'm getting up there in years as well, currently have 4 stihls, they all start easy, except the 250. Actually it does now if you prime it as described and doesn't require anything else. What you describe will most likely flood one and then you're done for a while. Thanks for the comments.
Please confirm, when you did the first cold pulls, was switch in choke notch or next one up? I saw you put it down to choke notch after the cold pulls but don't know if the cold pulls might have made it pop up to the next notch if it was in the choke notch starting off.
Yes, just enough pressure to move the piston through the stroke. The ignition position I typically have as on. As has been stated in the comments, all this is for is to prime the system.
@@FrostyFilms704 thanks man, will try later today. I have 4 Stihl saws and this one didn't start when i needed to do quick limb work. Set it down for the 311 because I didn't have time to unflood it...
@@saltyyankee5149 I've had several, 170, 362, 462 and those choke, couple of pulls till it tries to start, unchoke and start with no issues. This 250, I was about to throw the saw away.
Stihl dealers really do suck. They must get one hell of a deal to carry that crap because Stihl told me themselves, "Your warranty is only as good as your dealer." Stihl doesn't cover anything except their own ass.
I'm not saying it will solve your problem, but the start sequence you describe is incorrect. Full choke. 3-5 pull till you get a "burp." Once it burps, move switch to partial choke. Pull and it should start 1-3 pulls. Let it idle for 10-20 and then "blip" (throttle it to move the switch to the run position).
And I can say that what you describe absolutely will not work and the reason for video on this saw. The correct start sequence for anything is whatever gets it to start reliably. I only have to do with the 250, the rest pretty much choke, pull 1 or two times till it attempts to start, partial choke like you state and works. I actually have a wood splitter with a honda engine, the only thing honda I've ever had that doesn't start on the second or 3rd pull. I've changed carbs at one point I was about to through the damn thing away and misted starter fluid, but now this and these procedures it starts.
@FrostyFilms704 Aye. Just saying, if it doesn't start according to procedure, there is some other underlying issue. But in a pinch, whatever gets you going. As a Stihl tech, 90% of problem saws used not starting them correctly and refuse to accept procedure or underlying cause. 9% fuel (related) issues. Not saying you, but a shocking number of customers do not want to accept that technology is changing. And because it's not obvious, they conclude there is no reason to do things differently, even if ever so slightly.
Hello... You really don't need any of that mumbojambo. 250 is very good saw in it's class. If it doesn't start right away it has fault in it. Usually leaking crankseal. Just fix that..
I'm sure there are plenty of people on here that would be happy to trade with you. :) Can you list the year of yours, mine is an older saw, maybe the issue has been addressed with the newer ones.
@@FrostyFilms704 im not sure on the year. I picked it up used. Even the seller couldn't get it running before the sale. I brought it home and it starts right up. I'm not really sure why
The MS250 is a beast to start too because of such high compression. When I first purchased mine I was younger and in better shape. Now, at 76 I have to drop start it. Good tip on the two short pulls. I will definitely give that a try. My 250 has never liked being choked much. No more than two pulls with full choke or it will flood.
I have been having this problem for a few days. This saw is almost impossible to start. I will try your method.
Dude, THANK YOU!! I almost sold it, you saved it! ❤️🙌
What those two slow pulls do is send vacuum/pressure signal to the impulse line and draw fuel up to the carb.
The MS 250-C 'easy start recoil' version has a purge bulb that does the same thing.
With cheap aftermarket replacement carbs you have to check that their choke and throttle butterfly plates
have similar sized holes / notches as the original carb otherwise it won't start / idle properly. Easy mod to make.
Thank you, that's my assumption as well, kind of like a prime bulb on some power equipment like my stihl backpack blower. Thanks for the reply. If you have a video on on the mods for replacement carbs, please link it. Sure it people will find it helpful.
nice tip i have had the same issue while sitting for months, couldnt get started. took to dealer they called said nothing wrong. this saw doesnt have the typical primer bulb so pulling over before choking must use impulse pressure to prime carb to start. thanks for the info.
Sir, I watched this and immediately went outside to crank my piece of crap Stihl and it cranked right up. Btw, it hadn’t been cranked since last spring. Thanks.
Have a Stihl 271 Farm Boss. Starts EASY. Get a electrical zup tie. Put it on the handle and adjust it tight enough to slide it on the trigger to peg it. Put it on full choke and pull 2 or 3 times. Take it off choke to "run" and pull 2 or 3 times to start. My saw can sit for months with old gas and it fires right up using this method
Told to me by the Stihl dealer. It works for me. I'm 70 years old.😅
Thanks, only thing I can tell you is go purchase one of these MS250 saws and hopefully you'll get one like most of us had. I'm getting up there in years as well, currently have 4 stihls, they all start easy, except the 250. Actually it does now if you prime it as described and doesn't require anything else. What you describe will most likely flood one and then you're done for a while. Thanks for the comments.
Great work mate and thanks 😊
I’ve been killing myself for years with this. Pulled for 1/2 an hour today. Watched this video and it took < 5 minutes to get it going.
The ms250/025 both flood very easy. Decent saws but I would take a 029/ms290 10 out of 10 times over the 250. I got rid of all of my 250s.
Thank you!
Do you have a surfing sight also? Seriously.
Please confirm, when you did the first cold pulls, was switch in choke notch or next one up? I saw you put it down to choke notch after the cold pulls but don't know if the cold pulls might have made it pop up to the next notch if it was in the choke notch starting off.
I wanted to ask the same question. I see you didn't get an answer 😒
I put it on half choke for the half pulls and it worked great. My 250 has been a pain to start from day one.
And always start it on the ground. Had a mate knick his leg. (15 stitches) he had done it a million times before and his left hand slipped.
Is the same with my MS230! Great chainsaw but it starts easy when I do this.
were the first two mini pulls while the saw was on the off position?
Yes, just enough pressure to move the piston through the stroke. The ignition position I typically have as on. As has been stated in the comments, all this is for is to prime the system.
@@FrostyFilms704 thanks man, will try later today. I have 4 Stihl saws and this one didn't start when i needed to do quick limb work. Set it down for the 311 because I didn't have time to unflood it...
@@FrostyFilms704 worked like a charm, thank you! 2 click pulls on off, 4 pulls on the run position and it turned right over
@@saltyyankee5149 I've had several, 170, 362, 462 and those choke, couple of pulls till it tries to start, unchoke and start with no issues. This 250, I was about to throw the saw away.
Stihl dealers really do suck. They must get one hell of a deal to carry that crap because Stihl told me themselves, "Your warranty is only as good as your dealer." Stihl doesn't cover anything except their own ass.
They are hard to start. They should come with an electric drill attachment lol
I'm not saying it will solve your problem, but the start sequence you describe is incorrect. Full choke. 3-5 pull till you get a "burp." Once it burps, move switch to partial choke. Pull and it should start 1-3 pulls. Let it idle for 10-20 and then "blip" (throttle it to move the switch to the run position).
And I can say that what you describe absolutely will not work and the reason for video on this saw. The correct start sequence for anything is whatever gets it to start reliably. I only have to do with the 250, the rest pretty much choke, pull 1 or two times till it attempts to start, partial choke like you state and works. I actually have a wood splitter with a honda engine, the only thing honda I've ever had that doesn't start on the second or 3rd pull. I've changed carbs at one point I was about to through the damn thing away and misted starter fluid, but now this and these procedures it starts.
@FrostyFilms704 Aye. Just saying, if it doesn't start according to procedure, there is some other underlying issue. But in a pinch, whatever gets you going. As a Stihl tech, 90% of problem saws used not starting them correctly and refuse to accept procedure or underlying cause. 9% fuel (related) issues. Not saying you, but a shocking number of customers do not want to accept that technology is changing. And because it's not obvious, they conclude there is no reason to do things differently, even if ever so slightly.
So what is the correct way?
Hello... You really don't need any of that mumbojambo. 250 is very good saw in it's class. If it doesn't start right away it has fault in it. Usually leaking crankseal. Just fix that..
mine starts super easy 🤷♂
I'm sure there are plenty of people on here that would be happy to trade with you. :) Can you list the year of yours, mine is an older saw, maybe the issue has been addressed with the newer ones.
@@FrostyFilms704 im not sure on the year. I picked it up used. Even the seller couldn't get it running before the sale. I brought it home and it starts right up. I'm not really sure why
I hate mine. It's hard to start, won't keep running, and dont oil enough. Never buy another Stihl.