easy to start sometimes. Other times it bites the big 1... It can flood easily at times, So you then need to pull the plug and clear the plug and chamber properly!

It's a light weight saw good for pruning mainly. If you're wanting to drop trees with it, you'll really want to use a bigger more aggressive chain!!! I ended up buying another bar the same length and a more aggressive chain half way through cutting down 3 conifers. The replacement did the work so much easier than the factory release! The original was/is really only suited to pruning work. The bar and chain upgrade was 4x more efficient at cutting trees in Fuel, Oil and Time expenditure! ;)

When it runs I have not had any issues. Utilised on branches between 5cm and 15 cm but be prepared to spend more time trying to start the machine than using it.

7-8 hours of use. Twice to have serived. Of course warranty did nothing for me. Have used Stihl for 30 years. Last saw never had serived in 15 years. I do believe they are manufacturing these lower end saws with poor quality control, or are providing their service providers plenty of work. The saw is good enough for very small green logs, until the fuel line clogs...

Started easily when I first brought it home a few days ago. I worked it then for about 20 minutes. Ever since the saw has refused to start despite what i tried. It goes back to the dealer next week.

Worked well for the first 3 months (4 to 5 hours use) then became difficult to start. Often spent 10-15 minutes to start. BTW I always used the expensive Stihl fuel. Took it to the dealership, they found no problem. Worked well again for 3 weeks (maybe 2 hours) then the starting issue came back.

I’ve had this saw for 16 years and it has cut more timber than I can remember. A great little saw. It has only just started give some problems when running hot e.g stalls and won’t run full throttle. But after 16yrs it has certainly earned it keep. It has been used to cut small to midsize trees. The 16inch bar has been replaced once and about 6 chains have been used in this period. I would recommend this little saw, I have updated to a MS 211 and I hope it performs to the same standards.

This is my first Stihl chainsaw and I’m not disappointed. I’ve dabbled in cheap and nasty saws from China but I thought I’d buy one from an industry leading company. It is light, starts well for a 2 stroke and sounds awesome. I use it for small to medium sized trees and branches round the yard. Keep the chain sharp and it won’t bog down in power. Great for chopping up firewood camping...

Very difficult to start. In 2 years it has been back to the workshop 4 times. Underpowered and chokes on anything thicker than a few centimetres. Very unreliable. I have had other Stihl products which have been fine, and the underperformance/unreliability of this disappointing machine is surprising.

After buying a couple of Chinese models and working hard to keep them running and their pieces together I almost gave up. I am too busy to repair and read chainsaw manuals. But with my stihl MS180 I have had no issues after two years use. I have cut large logs and all sorts of things. Easy to maintain and starts every time. It will be one little machine that will pay for itself.

I bought this because I had a good run out of my 009 for 20 or so years and I wish now that I just had it repaired. Even after 20 years my old one out performed the new MS180. This new saw is hard to start and when it does it is gutless. It bogs down into even the smallest logs. Did I mention it was gutless? Even when I bought this piece of junk the Stihl shop told me that I would only get a 5 year warranty if I bought the Stihl 2 stroke oil and chain oil to go with it. What a rort. Being told this should have put me off. I will NEVER buy another Stihl product ever again. Will go with a real saw like a Shindiawa or Echo next time.

Kept taking it back because of chain lubricate completely self draining out. Then ran out of warranty and needed new oil pump, thought the problem would be now resolved. No_ still leaking oil, don't touch this model or brand. Maybe just find a good dealer!!!kept being told it was normal!

used sparingly over an 18 month period, then stopped working, the Stihl agent blamed the fuel and would not honour the warranty although other machines working fine on same fuel, have since heard the "bad fuel" excuse is a popular one with Stihl. Will try Husqvarna next time, hopefully with better results

Tried to use it 3 times. Found it was easier to cut trees down with a machete than trying to start chainsaw. When finally started after letting sit for periods of 30 minutes because it seems to flood on the first start attempt, it also overheats very quickly. Never again Stihl.

I bought this to replace my 25 year old 009 rater than repair the old one. How I wish I did not choose to do that. Unlike the old legend thiis piece of SH is hard to start. It is GUTLESS. I used to saw through 12 inch logs with my 009 with relative ease. This pile of crap is lucky to go through 8 inch branches without stalling. I got this machine for just under 400 dollars and at the same time I bought a chinese ebay saw which runs rings around this thing and I only paid 100 dollars for that. Will never buy Stihl again. What used to be a good thing has now turned to SHt

I bought this chainsaw because my old 009 model worked so well for 20 years.
The problem with this saw is its poor starting, the book info is NOT CORRECT, it will flood and then you have to take out the plug to clear the excess fuel.
My Son rang Stihl in the U.S. to try and help me out, When he told them the model they said "Ah the temperamental one".
That's it in a nutshell.
To be fair, when the saw is running it works really well, I can't fault it in that respect.
My 20 year old 009 starts easier than my new MS 180....

I’ve owned a few stihl saws now. The 009, the ms-181, now this one, the ms-180. Both previous saws have been pretty reliable for the price. This model has the 16 inch bar, and cuts firewood and some larger obstacles fairly well. I only use it for small to medium tasks.
Usually I get 4-5 years out of these cheaper models before they pack it in. I don’t think the unprofessional range saws like these are made like the use to be, but they are easier to clean. They retail for around 299$. Hopefully it will continue to perform as it should without the starting issues other reviewers have mentioned.