STIHL MS 171, 181, 211 Instruction Manual
English © ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG, 2020 0458-533-0121-D. VA8.J20. 0000000876_032_GB Printed on chlorine-free paper Printing inks contain vegetable oils, paper can be recycled.
English Intake air baffle: winter operation Guide to Using this Manual This Instruction Manual refers to a STIHL chain saw, also called a machine in this Instruction Manual. Intake air baffle: summer operation Pictograms Handle heating Pictograms that appear on the machine are explained in this Instruction Manual.
English Safety Precautions Special safety precautions must be observed to reduce the risk of personal injury when working with a chain saw because of the very high chain speed and very sharp cutters. It is important that you read the instruction manual before first use and keep it in a safe place for future reference. Nonobservance of the instruction manual may result in serious or even fatal injury. General Observe all applicable local safety regulations, standards and ordinances.
English Wear sturdy protective gloves made of a resistant material (e.g. leather). Clean the dust and dirt off the machine – do not use any grease solvents for this purpose. Open the fuel filler cap carefully so that any excess pressure is relieved gradually and fuel does not splash out. Clean the ventilation slots if necessary. The machine may only be refuelled in a well ventilated place. Clean the machine immediately if fuel is spilled.
English – Check operation of chain brake, front hand guard – Correctly mounted guide bar – Correctly tensioned chain – The trigger and trigger lockout must move freely and spring back to the idle position when they are released. – – Master Control lever must move easily to STOP, 0 or † Check that the spark plug boot is secure – a loose boot may cause arcing that could ignite combustible fumes and cause a fire. – Never attempt to modify the controls or safety devices in any way.
English Examine the saw chain periodically at short intervals and as soon as you note any tangible changes: a machine that is not in perfect working order. In case of doubt, have the unit checked by your servicing dealer. – Switch off the engine; wait until the saw chain is stationary – Check condition and secure fitting – Check sharpness Check for correct idling, so that the saw chain stops moving when the throttle trigger is released. Check the idle setting regularly and correct when possible.
English Maintenance and repairs Check ignition lead (insulation in good condition, secure connection). Always switch off the engine before any repair, cleaning or maintenance work and any work on the chain. Risk of injury if the engine starts inadvertently! Check that the muffler is in perfect working condition. Exception: adjustment of carburettor and idle speed. The machine must be serviced regularly. Do not attempt any maintenance or repair work not described in the Instruction Manual.
English Kickback occurs if, for example, The most common reactive forces are: kickback, pushback and pull-in. 001BA257 KN Dangers of kickback Kickback can result in fatal cuts. – – The saw chain in the area of the upper quarter of the guide bar nose unintentionally comes into contact with wood or a solid object – e. g.
English Dead wood (brittle, rotten or dead wood) poses a significant, highly unpredictable hazard. It is extremely difficult or even practically impossible to recognise the danger. Use aids such as winches or draglines. be drawn forward toward the log – to avoid this, engage the bumper spike firmly in the wood. Pushback (B) B 001BA038 KN When felling close to roads, rail lines, power lines, etc., work with particular care. If necessary, notify police, power companies or railway authorities.
English Note when reaching the end of a cut that the saw is no longer supported in the kerf. You have to take the full weight of the machine since it might otherwise go out of control. materials, dry plants or scrub. Always contact your local forest authority for information on a possible fire risk. 001BA082 KN When cutting small logs: – Use a sturdy and stable support – sawhorse. Position the saw so that your body is clear of the cutting attachment. – Never hold the log with your leg or foot.
English Ripping cut: 1 1/ 2 21/2 001BA088 LÄ 2 001BA151 KN 1 1 Maintain a distance of at least 2 1/2 tree lengths from the next felling site. 2 N Make relieving cut at the compression side (1) Make bucking cut at the tension side (2) Be wary of pushback when making bucking cut from the bottom upwards (underbuck). NOTICE Do not cut a lying log at a point where it is touching the ground because the saw chain will otherwise be damaged.
English Preparing work area at base of tree B – – 45° A Felling notch First clear the tree base and work area from interfering limbs and brush to provide a secure footing. Preparing the felling notch Carefully clear the base of the trunk (e.g., with an axe) – sand, stones and other foreign objects will blunt the saw chain C – Establish escape paths for each worker – approx.
English Determine direction of fall with gunning sight on cover and fan housing Checking the direction of fall felling notch to a depth of about 1/10 of trunk diameter. On large diameter trees, cut to no more than width of guide bar. Your chainsaw has a gunning sight on the cover and fan housing. Use this gunning sight. Making the felling notch When making a felling notch, align the chainsaw so that the notch lies at a right angle to the direction of fall.
English The tree is felled with the felling cut (E). – Cut horizontally – 1/10 (at least 3 cm) of tree diameter higher than bottom of felling notch (C). The holding strap (F) or stabilizing strap (G) supports the tree and helps prevent it from falling prematurely. – Width of strip: approx. 1/10 to 1/5 of the trunk diameter – Do not cut into the strip during the felling cut – With rotten trunks, leave a wider strip 1.
English Felling cut with stabilizing strap (normal tree) – Do not cut into the stabilizing strap A) Thin trunks 1. Implement this felling cut when the trunk diameter is smaller than the cutting length of the chainsaw. 2. 3. 3. 5. 001BA263 KN 4. 1. 001BA273 KN 2. 001BA261 KN N Shout a warning before starting the felling cut. Set the felling wedge (3) Shout a second warning immediately before the tree falls.
English N Plunge cut the felling cut N Make the felling cut up to the hinge (4) – Do not cut into the hinge N Make the felling cut up to the stabilizing strap (5) 2. 001BA274 KN 6. N N Plunge cut the guide bar into the trunk until it exits on the other side Shout a second warning immediately before the tree falls.
English The felling cut must be continued on the opposite side of the trunk. B) Thick trunks Ensure that the second cut is at the same level as the first cut. 1. 2.
English Chain Scabbard Cutting Attachment Mounting the Bar and Chain (side chain tensioner) A cutting attachment consists of the saw chain, guide bar and chain sprocket. a – – 3 The pitch (t) of the saw chain (1), chain sprocket and the nose sprocket of the Rollomatic guide bar must match. If guide bars of different lengths are mounted to the saw, always use a chain scabbard of the correct length which covers the complete guide bar. N Unscrew the nut and remove the chain sprocket cover.
English Disengage the chain brake. 1 001BA186 KN 2 4 N Pull the hand guard towards the front handle until there is an audible click – the chain brake is disengaged. 143BA003 KN Fitting the chain N Removing the chain sprocket cover Fit the guide bar over the studs (1) – the cutting edges on the top of the bar must point to the right. N Engage the peg of the tensioner slide in the locating hole (2) –- place the chain over the sprocket (3) at the same time.
English Releasing the chain brake N Fit the saw chain – starting at the nose of the guide bar – pay attention to the position of the tensioning gear and the cutting edges N Turn tensioning gear (1) to the right as far as possible N Turn the guide bar so that the tensioning gear faces the user Remove screw (2) 1 3 N 2310BA016 KN N Pull hand guard towards the front handle until it engages audibly – chain brake is released 2 3 181BA013 KN N 001BA186 KN 2310BA015 KN 2 Fitting the saw chain P
English turn the adjusting wheel (4) a little until the chain sprocket cover can be slid completely against the engine housing N Swing grip (5) into position (until it engages) N Fit wing nut and tighten lightly N Next step: see "Tensioning the Saw Chain" Tensioning the Saw Chain (side chain tensioner) 142BA063 KN N 1 135BA011 KN Retensioning during cutting work: N Guide the drive link into the bar groove (see arrow) and turn the tensioning gear to the left as far as possible N Fit chain spr
English Tensioning the Saw Chain (quick chain tensioner) Checking Chain Tension Fuel Your engine requires a mixture of gasoline and engine oil. 1 142BA064 KN 001BA112 KN 2 WARNING Retensioning during cutting work: N Shut off the engine. STIHL MotoMix N Shut off the engine. N N Pull out the hinged clip and loosen the wingnut. Wear work gloves to protect your hands.
English Engines equipped with M-Tronic deliver full power when run on gasoline with an ethanol content of up to 25% (E25). Engine Oil If you mix the fuel yourself, use only STIHL two-stroke engine oil or another high-performance engine oil in accordance with JASO FB, JASO FC, JASO FD, ISO-L-EGB, ISO-L-EGC or ISO-L-EGD. STIHL specifies STIHL HP Ultra twostroke engine oil or an equivalent highperformance engine oil in order to maintain emission limits over the machine’s service life.
N Remove the filler cap 001BA221 KN Hold the filler cap down and turn it clockwise until it engages N Fold down the bracket as far as it will go Filling with fuel Filler cap without marking Take care not to spill fuel while fueling and do not overfill the tank. To open: STIHL recommends using the STIHL filling system for fuel (special accessory).
001BA226 KN N Fit filler cap and turn it counterclockwise until it engages in the seat of the filling port If the filler cap can be moved or removed N Continue to turn the filler cap counterclockwise (approx. 1/4 turn) – this will twist the base of the cap into the correct position N Turn the filler cap clockwise and close it – see the section "Closing" and "Checking the lock" The base of the filler cap is twisted in relation to the upper part.
English N Close bracket lock left: Bracket is in an upright position: Position filler cap – markings on filler cap and fuel tank must align N Push the filler cap down as far as it will go right: 001BA241 KN N 001BA238 KN 1 001BA235 KN 001BA234 KN Closing Base of filler cap is twisted – interior marking (1) is aligned with the exterior marking Base of filler cap is in the correct position – interior marking is below the bracket.
English Chain Lubricant For automatic and reliable lubrication of the chain and guide bar – use only an environmentally compatible quality chain and bar lubricant. Rapidly biodegradable STIHL BioPlus is recommended.
English Checking Chain Lubrication Releasing the chain brake Chain Brake 143BA024 KN 143BA012 KN Locking the chain N 143BA011 KN The saw chain must always throw off a small amount of oil. NOTICE Never operate your saw without chain lubrication. If the chain runs dry, the whole cutting attachment will be irretrievably damaged within a very short time. Always check chain lubrication and the oil level in the tank before starting work. Every new chain has to be broken in for about 2 to 3 minutes.
English The chain brake will operate only if the hand guard has not been modified in any way. Heated air is now drawn in from around the cylinder and circulates around the carburetor – this helps prevent carburetor icing.
English Starting / Stopping the Engine Positions of the master control lever Adjusting the master control lever Fuel pump To adjust the master control lever from the operating position F to cold start l, press and hold down the throttle trigger lockout and throttle trigger simultaneously – set master control lever.
English Between the knees or thighs On the ground Starting Place the chain saw securely on the ground – assume a steady stance – the saw chain must not touch any objects and also must not touch the ground N With the left hand on handlebar, press the chain saw firmly against the ground – thumb wrapped around the handlebar N Place your right foot through the rear handle N clamp the rear handle between the knees or thighs N grip the handlebar firmly with the left hand – thumb wrapped around the hand
English Versions with ErgoStart WARNING This machine is extremely simple and easy to start, even for children – risk of accident! Make absolutely certain that children or other unauthorized persons cannot attempt to start the machine: – never leave the machine unattended during work breaks – secure storage after work For all versions Starting the chain saw WARNING 0 There must not be anyone within the swivel range of the chain saw.
English When the engine has turned over for the first time N Move the master control lever to the position starting acceleration n N Hold and start the chain saw If the engine does not start The master control lever was not returned from the position choke shutter closed l to starting acceleration n in time, the engine may be flooded.
English Operating Instructions During the break-in period A factory new machine should not be run at high revs (full throttle off load) for the first three tank fillings. This avoids unnecessarily high loads during the break-in period. As all moving parts have to bed in during the break-in period, the frictional resistances in the shortblock are greater during this period. The engine develops its maximum power after about 5 to 15 tank fillings.
English Taking Care of the Guide Bar Picco Rapid Rapid 3/8“ P 5.0 mm 3/8“; 0.325“ 6.0 mm 0.404“ 7.0 mm If the groove is not at least this deep: N Shroud Removing the shroud Replace guide bar Otherwise the drive links will grind against the base of the groove – the bottoms of the cutters and the tie straps will not lie against the bar.
English One-piece fabric filter (special accessory) Air Filter System For damp and extremely cold operating conditions. If there is a noticeable loss of engine power N Remove the shroud – see "Shroud". N Always replace damaged filters. N Clean away loose dirt from around the filter. N Push the two locking tabs upwards, tilt the air filter towards the rear handle and remove.
English It is usually necessary to change the setting of the idle speed screw (LA) after every correction to the low speed screw (L). Adjusting Idle Speed Adjusting the Carburetor General Information N Carry out the standard setting. N Start and warm up the engine. Fine Tuning for Operation at High Altitude The carburetor comes from the factory with a standard setting. LA Preparations N Shut off the engine. Engine stops while idling N Check the air filter and clean or replace if necessary.
English Checking the Spark Plug N If the engine is down on power, difficult to start or runs poorly at idle speed, first check the spark plug. N Fit a new spark plug after about 100 operating hours – or sooner if the electrodes are badly eroded. Install only suppressed spark plugs of the type approved by STIHL – see "Specifications". Removing the spark plug N Remove the shroud – see "Shroud". N Use resistor type spark plugs with a properly tightened adapter nut.
English Storing the Machine If engine running behavior is unsatisfactory even though the air filter is clean and the carburetor is properly adjusted, the cause may be the muffler. For periods of 3 months or longer Have the muffler checked for contamination (carbonization) by your servicing dealer. N STIHL recommends that you have servicing and repair work carried out exclusively by an authorized STIHL servicing dealer.
English N 5 6 2 1 N 4 N Refit the rim sprocket – cavities toward the outside Refit washer and E-clip on the crankshaft Maintaining and Sharpening the Saw Chain Sawing effortlessly with a properly sharpened saw chain A properly sharpened saw chain cuts through wood effortlessly even with very little pushing. Never use a dull or damaged saw chain – this leads to increased physical strain, increased vibration load, unsatisfactory cutting results and increased wear.
English Chain pitch Sharpening and side plate angles File holder A Marking (a) 7 1 or 1/4 6, P or PM 2 or 325 3 or 3/8 4 or 404 Chain pitch Inches mm 1/4 P 6.35 1/4 6.35 3/8 P 9.32 0.325 8.25 3/8 9.32 0.404 10.26 The diameter of file to be used depends on the chain pitch – see table "Sharpening tools". The angles of the cutter must be maintained during resharpening. A Sharpening angle STIHL saw chains are sharpened with a 30° sharpening angle.
English markings on the file holder – rest the file holder on the tooth head and the depth gauge Proper sharpening Select sharpening tools in accordance with chain pitch N File only from the inside outward N Clamp guide bar if necessary N N Block saw chain – push the hand guard forward The file only sharpens on the forward stroke – lift the file on the backstroke N To advance the saw chain, pull the hand guard toward the handlebar: The chain brake is disengaged.
English WARNING The rest of the humped drive link must not be filed; otherwise, this could increase the tendency of the chain saw to kick back.
English Complete machine Visual inspection (condition, leaks) X Clean Manual fuel pump (if present) Fuel pick-up body / filter in fuel tank Function test X X X X X Have checked by dealer check X Have repaired by a specialist dealer1) X check X Clean, replace filter insert X X X Fuel tank Clean X Lubricating oil tank Clean X Chain lubrication check X Check, pay attention to sharpness X X Checking the chain tension X X X sharpen Check (wear, damage) Guide bar X X X repla
Anti-vibration elements check X Clean X Chain catcher Safety information label Check idle adjustment – saw chain must not rotate As required If damaged If faulty Annually X Clean Accessible screws and nuts (except adjusting screws) Monthly X Cylinder fins Spark plug Weekly X Have replaced by servicing dealer1) Air intake on fan housing Carburetor Whenever tank is refilled At the end of work and/or daily The following maintenance intervals apply for normal operating conditions only.
English Minimize Wear and Avoid Damage Observing the instructions in this manual helps reduce the risk of unnecessary wear and damage to the power tool. The power tool must be operated, maintained and stored with the due care and attention described in this owner's manual. servicing dealer. STIHL dealers are regularly given the opportunity to attend training courses and are supplied with the necessary technical information.
English Main Parts 1 2 3 4 13 7 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 4 1 3 8 2 5 10 6 11 9 7 12 8 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 # 18 17 19 16 20 24 22 23 # 21 25 26 533BA015 KN 15 1) MS 171, MS 171 C, MS 181, MS 181 C, MS 211, MS 211 C Shroud slide Carburetor adjusting screws Manual fuel pump (Easy Start1)) Slide (summer operation/ winter operation, MS 211 only) Chain brake Chain sprocket Chain sprocket cover Chain catcher Side chain tensioner Bumper spike Guide bar Oilomatic saw cha
English Spark plug (resistor type): Specifications Engine Electrode gap: STIHL single cylinder two-stroke engine MS 171, MS 171 C Displacement: Bore: Stroke: Engine power to ISO 7293: Idle speed:1) 31.8 cc 38 mm 28 mm 1.3 kW (1.8 bhp) at 10,000 rpm 2,800 rpm MS 181, MS 181 C Displacement: Bore: Stroke: Engine power to ISO 7293: Idle speed:1) 31.8 cc 38 mm 28 mm 1.5 kW (2.0 bhp) at 10,000 rpm 2,800 rpm MS 211, MS 260 C Displacement: Bore: Stroke: Engine power to ISO 7293: Idle speed:1) 1) 35.
English Rollomatic E Light and Rollomatic E guide bars Cutting lengths: Pitch: Groove width: Nose sprocket: 30, 35, 40 cm 3/8" P (9.32 mm) 1.3 mm 9-tooth 3/8" Picco chains Picco Micro 3 (63 PM3) Type 3636 Picco Duro 3 (63 PD3) Type 3612 Picco Super 3 (63 PS3) Type 3616 Pitch: 3/8" P (9.32 mm) Drive link gauge: 1.3 mm Chain Sprocket 6-tooth for 3/8" P (spur sprocket) Max. chain speed according to ISO 11681: 24.8 m/s Chain speed at maximum power: 18.
English Maintenance and Repairs Please enter your saw model, serial number as well as the part numbers of the guide bar and saw chain in the spaces provided. This will make reordering simpler. Users of this machine may only carry out the maintenance and service work described in this user manual. All other repairs must be carried out by a servicing dealer. The guide bar and saw chain are subject to normal wear and tear.
English EC Declaration of Conformity ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG Badstr. 115 D-71336 Waiblingen Germany declare in exclusive responsibility that the product Model: Make: Type: Serial identification number: Displacement all MS 171: all MS 181: all MS 211: Chain saw STIHL MS 171 MS 171 C MS 171 C-BE MS 181 MS 181 C MS 181 C-BE MS 211 MS 211 C MS 211 C-BE 1139 31.8 cc 31.8 cc 35.
English 52 MS 171, MS 171 C, MS 181, MS 181 C, MS 211, MS 211 C
0458-533-0121-D englisch G www.stihl.
