Plug-in saws are a small market and Stihl charges dealer prices for theirs, which is the whole conversation about the MSE 170 C-B: 13.1 amps at 120 volts, 1,700 watts, an 8.4 lb powerhead, and about $560 with the recommended 14-inch bar. For that you get a brushless DC motor with no fuel, no mixing, no exhaust and no engine to service, plus toolless chain tensioning and an oil cap you can open by hand. Milling, firewood processing beside the house and indoor carpentry are where it earns its keep — unlimited runtime beats any battery saw once you are standing next to an outlet. The limits are structural: a cord, and a 12- to 16-inch bar. One safety point owners often miss — Stihl specifically recommends leg protection with corded saws because the constant high torque means chap fibres may not stall the sprocket the way they do on a gas saw.
Best for: Firewood processing, milling and workshop cutting within reach of an outlet, where runtime matters more than mobility.
Manufacturer figures except the engine class and single-pass cut, which are derived here. What each spec means
