6 Best Stihl Ms170 For Beginners That Prevent Common Mistakes

That pile of storm-damaged limbs behind the barn isn’t going to clean itself up, and the wood stove is hungry for next winter’s fuel. For a new hobby farmer, a chainsaw is an essential tool, but choosing the wrong one—or using the right one incorrectly—can lead to frustration and danger. The Stihl MS 170 is an outstanding entry point, and setting it up correctly from day one is the key to preventing the most common beginner mistakes.

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Why the Stihl MS 170 Is a Top Beginner Chainsaw

The MS 170 hits the sweet spot for anyone new to running a saw. It’s incredibly lightweight, which means you can work longer without your arms feeling like jelly. This isn’t just about comfort; fatigue leads to sloppy, dangerous work.

More importantly, its power is manageable. A common mistake is thinking you need a massive, roaring saw for property work. The reality is that for clearing brush, limbing fallen trees, and cutting firewood up to a foot in diameter, the MS 170 has all the power you need without the intimidating kick and weight of a larger machine. Control is more important than raw power when you’re learning.

Stihl built this saw to be straightforward. The master control lever combines the choke, start, and stop functions into one simple switch, reducing confusion when you’re trying to get it running. Paired with a solid anti-vibration system, it’s a machine designed to help you focus on the cut, not on fighting the tool itself.

The Standard MS 170 for Light Firewood Cutting

Out of the box, the MS 170 typically comes with a 16-inch guide bar. This is your all-around setup, perfect for turning fallen trees into manageable rounds for splitting. It’s the configuration you’ll use for 80% of the tasks on a small farm.

The key to success with this standard setup is learning the saw’s rhythm. A beginner’s mistake is to push down hard, trying to force the chain through the wood. A sharp chain on an MS 170 doesn’t need that. Rest the bucking spikes against the log, get the chain spinning at full throttle, and simply guide it down. The saw will do the work, pulling itself through the cut and producing nice, thick wood chips.

This setup is ideal for logs between 6 and 12 inches in diameter. Can it cut larger wood? Yes, but you have to work your way around the log, which requires more advanced technique. For building your first few cords of firewood, the standard MS 170 is a reliable and capable partner.

MS 170 with a 14-inch Bar for Limbing Control

Here’s a simple change that makes a world of difference for a beginner: swapping the standard 16-inch bar for a 14-inch one. While you lose two inches of cutting length, what you gain is far more valuable: control and safety. A shorter bar is less likely to get caught, has a smaller kickback zone at the tip, and is much easier to maneuver.

Think about cleaning up a fallen pine tree with dozens of branches. With a shorter bar, you can get into tight spots with more precision and less risk of the bar’s tip making unexpected contact with another branch—a classic kickback scenario. This setup turns the MS 170 into a nimble tool for pruning, clearing dense brush, and processing smaller trees.

Choosing a shorter bar isn’t a downgrade; it’s a strategic decision for safer, more precise work. Many experienced users keep a 14-inch bar on their small saw for exactly this reason. It prevents the common mistake of using too much saw for the job, allowing you to build good habits with a more forgiving setup.

Using Stihl MotoMix Fuel to Protect Your MS 170

One of the fastest ways to ruin a great chainsaw is with bad fuel. Mixing 2-stroke oil and gasoline at the wrong ratio, or using gas with ethanol that’s been sitting for months, will destroy a carburetor and score a piston in no time. This is perhaps the most frequent and costly mistake new owners make.

The solution is simple: use Stihl MotoMix. It’s a pre-mixed, ethanol-free, high-octane fuel with Stihl’s own premium oil already in it at the perfect 50:1 ratio. You just pour it in and go. There is zero guesswork and zero risk of a bad mix.

Yes, it costs more per gallon than pump gas. But think of it as insurance. A single can of MotoMix might cost you an extra ten dollars, but a carburetor rebuild will cost you ten times that and put your saw out of commission. For the amount of fuel a typical hobby farmer uses, the cost difference is minimal compared to the guaranteed engine protection and peace of mind.

The MS 170 with Stihl’s Woodsman Carrying Case

A chainsaw is a precision tool, not a hammer. Tossing it in the back of the truck or on a damp shed floor is a recipe for damage. The chain gets dulled, the air filter gets clogged with dirt, and leaking bar oil makes a permanent mess of everything it touches.

Investing in a proper carrying case, like the Stihl Woodsman, prevents this mistake of neglect. It’s not just a plastic box; it’s a purpose-built storage system. It protects the saw from impacts, keeps dirt and moisture out, and contains any oil or fuel drips. Most cases also have built-in storage for a chain-sharpening tool and a scrench.

This is about more than just storage; it’s about creating a system for your work. When you grab the case, you know you have the saw, its fuel, and its essential tools all in one place. It fosters a habit of respect for your equipment, ensuring it’s clean, safe, and ready to work when you are.

Pairing the MS 170 with Stihl Safety Apparel

Let’s be perfectly clear: safety gear is not optional. A chainsaw doesn’t know you’re a beginner, and it has no mercy. The most tragic mistake is thinking an accident won’t happen to you. The cost of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is a tiny fraction of the cost of a single trip to the emergency room.

Your non-negotiable kit should include:

• A helmet system: This combines head protection, a mesh face shield to stop flying chips, and hearing protection to prevent long-term damage.
• Chainsaw chaps: These are worn over your pants and are made of layers of material designed to instantly clog the saw’s sprocket and stop the chain on contact. They can be the difference between a ruined pair of pants and a life-altering injury.
• Gloves and Boots: Good gloves improve your grip and reduce vibration, while steel-toed boots protect your feet from falling logs and accidental contact.

Think of your PPE as part of the chainsaw itself. You wouldn’t try to run the saw without a bar and chain, so don’t even think about starting it without your gear on. It’s the ultimate mistake-prevention tool.

MS 170 with Stihl 2-in-1 EasyFile for Chains

A dull chain is an ineffective and dangerous tool. It forces you to push on the saw, which increases fatigue and the risk of kickback. It also produces fine sawdust instead of coarse wood chips, a sure sign you’re just burning fuel and wearing out your equipment.

The mistake many beginners make is either never sharpening their chain or attempting it with a complex set of files and getting the angles all wrong. The Stihl 2-in-1 EasyFile solves this problem beautifully. This clever tool holds both a round file for the cutter and a flat file for the depth gauge in a single guide.

You simply lay it on the chain and file. It sharpens the cutting tooth and lowers the depth gauge in one pass, ensuring the perfect height difference between the two. It makes it nearly impossible to sharpen incorrectly. A few quick passes on each tooth every time you refuel is all it takes to keep your MS 170 cutting like new, making your work faster, safer, and more efficient.

Stihl MS 170 Quickstop Chain Brake Explained

The single most important safety device on your MS 170 is the chain brake. It’s the plastic guard in front of the top handle, and understanding how it works is critical. It has two functions: you can engage it manually by pushing it forward with your wrist, and it can engage automatically by inertia if the saw kicks back violently.

A kickback happens when the upper tip of the guide bar hits an object, causing the saw to rocket up and back toward you. The inertia-activated Quickstop brake is designed to stop the chain in a fraction of a second, before it can reach you. You should test this feature every single time you use the saw by gently revving it and tapping the brake forward to ensure it engages instantly. Never operate a saw if the chain brake is not working perfectly.

The common beginner mistake is thinking the brake is only for emergencies. You should also use it as a "parking brake." Any time you take more than a few steps, engage the brake. When setting the saw down, engage the brake. This simple habit prevents accidental throttle blips from turning into serious accidents.

The Stihl MS 170 is a fantastic and reliable tool, but it’s only half of the equation. By pairing it with the right bar for the job, using high-quality fuel, and making safety and maintenance a non-negotiable part of your routine, you move beyond just owning a chainsaw. You build a complete, safe, and effective system for tackling the tough jobs on your hobby farm with confidence.