Stihl 500i is a game changer

[Crummy]

Grew up in the 70's around Homelite saws and ran them through the 80's and into the 90's. About 2006 I got a Stihl 170 and it served the purpose of cutting camp wood for about 15 years. Couple years ago I had some backyard logging to do so I stepped up to a Stihl 251 and it's worked the best of any for the last couple years. This spring we moved a few miles to a house with a woodstove. Cut about six cord this summer with the 251 but it was being overworked at times. Yesterday I hauled home another six + cord of logs which included some 22" diameter logs. Looking at the four piles I dumped out of the dump trailer and then looking at the 251 it just didn't look like a good match. I called around and found a 500i with a 25" bar , figured I might as well go big. After trimming up a few logs as I decked them up all I can say is wow. I've never ran a pro grade saw before and didn't realize what I was missing, takes all the work out of it. Was planning on decking the logs until next spring but now I might be having too much fun throwing saw chips to wait. If your like me and have always used homeowner type saws do yourself a favor and take a pro series saw for a test drive, the difference is amazing.

 

[xman23]

A 170, 251 to a 500i , that some step up. But if your doing a lot of 22" rounds you do need a big saw. Love to here what you think of that fuel injection. I have been waiting to see if the FI gets put in other size saws.

 

[Crummy]

A 170, 251 to a 500i , that some step up. But if your doing a lot of 22" rounds you do need a big saw. Love to here what you think of that fuel injection. I have been waiting to see if the FI gets put in other size saws.

Really liking it so far but only a tank and a half in. Starts easy and has a ton of power. Really liking the 25" bar even on small wood as it eliminates any bending over. Like Buckin Billy Ray says " stand up and buck" 😁

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Thanks for the post.. there have been a number of replies over the years of how one doesn't need a pro saw and why spend the extra money... I moved to all pro saws a number of years ago.. its a big difference and worth every penny. I do not run your brand saw, but I know what your saying.. for someone cutting an occasional cord here or there the generic saw is fine. If your heating with wood cutting many cords pery year.. well worth it. Id recommend a pro saw to pretty much anyone cutting over a cord per year.. congratulations on the upgrade..

 

[Ashful]

Ditto. Some of my saws are older (eg. 064 AV), but all pro. Did the homeowner and farm grade saws for awhile, and they get wood cut, but power to weight ratio was low, and they were just cheaply built.

Your mention of Homelight brought back memories. I bought a 1970's Homelight Super EZ Auto in the 1990's, that was my main saw for a few years. It was sold with several others 10 years ago, when I switched over to pro saws, but that Homelight was a little gem of nostalgia. Slow as hell by today's standards, but with the small sprocket they wore, it could just keep chewing thru anything.

 

[dananrobin]

Big thing to remember with the FI saws, Choke on, pull recoil cord. If it burps, choke off. If you decide to leave choke on, you are going to need to pull plug and let unit air out excess fuel. I have used the 500I and found out the hard way about trying to start it. Quick burp, choke off, then it will fire right up. My main saw is my 029 Stihl. Modified for a 20" bar. My brother and I do select logging on our property and the 029 has more than enough power for most needs. With the chisel but chain, chips will fly. 500I is mostly for the 30" or bigger logs.

 

[Crummy]

Big thing to remember with the FI saws, Choke on, pull recoil cord. If it burps, choke off. If you decide to leave choke on, you are going to need to pull plug and let unit air out excess fuel. I have used the 500I and found out the hard way about trying to start it. Quick burp, choke off, then it will fire right up. My main saw is my 029 Stihl. Modified for a 20" bar. My brother and I do select logging on our property and the 029 has more than enough power for most needs. With the chisel but chain, chips will fly. 500I is mostly for the 30" or bigger logs.

You sir are 100% incorrect. The 500i DOES NOT HAVE A CHOKE. There is a primer bulb and a kill button. The EFI takes care of the starting duties. All other Stihl saws start as you describe and yes with them you don't want to leave the choke on after they burp. Also Stihl recommends a 25" bar for the 500i so I'm not sure how that makes it for mostly 30"+ logs 🤔

 

[dananrobin]

You sir are 100% incorrect. The 500i DOES NOT HAVE A CHOKE. There is a primer bulb and a kill button. The EFI takes care of the starting duties. All other Stihl saws start as you describe and yes with them you don't want to leave the choke on after they burp.

Yes Sir. I stand corrected. I agree with the 500i. Today has been a very busy morning. My brother was using his Poulan Pro as we were cutting up a beech we took down few weeks ago. He is halfway thru a cut when saw makes an ungodly sound. Shut it down and the clutch spring decided to get up and part of it left. Thank you for the correction. Enjoy your day.