Stihl / Corded Electric
~$560
Stihl MSE 170 C-B
40cc class (by bar)
- Corded
- mains
- 14 in
- bar
- 8.4 lb
- bare
Firewood processing, milling and workshop cutting within reach of an outlet, where runtime matters more than mobility.
Homeowner
Same idea as the MSE 170 with two more amps behind it: 15.0 A at 120 volts into a 9.4 lb powerhead, and the version to buy if the corded saw is going to spend its life bucking rather than trimming. The extra current shows up as the ability to stay in a 14-inch round without the motor dragging, which is where the 13-amp 170 starts to protest. Stihl's Quickstop Plus adds a coast-down brake that stops the chain inside a second when your right hand leaves the rear handle — genuinely useful on a saw with no clutch and no engine note to tell you what it is doing. About $570 with a 16-inch bar. The constraints are the cord and the same caution that applies to every corded saw: chap fibres may not stall a motor making constant torque, so leg protection is a recommendation, not a formality.
Best for: Firewood processing and shop work at a fixed spot — a corded saw for someone who buckles down and bucks rather than carries the saw around.
Specifications
Manufacturer figures except the engine class and single-pass cut, which are derived here. What each spec means
- 15.0 A at 120 V
- Quickstop Plus coast-down brake
- Usable indoors, no exhaust
What owners like
- 15.0 A gives it the torque to stay in a 14-inch round where the 13.1 A MSE 170 drags
- Quickstop Plus coast-down brake halts the chain within a second of releasing the rear handle
- No exhaust, so it can be used indoors for carpentry and milling
- Unlimited runtime and nothing to winterize, drain or re-mix
- 2-year warranty covering professional use as well as consumer
Common complaints
- Leg protection is specifically recommended — constant motor torque means chaps may not stop the chain
- Nearly $570 and still limited to a 16" bar
- 9.4 lb powerhead makes it the heaviest of Stihl's small saws for the cutting it does
- A cord on a 15 A load wants heavy gauge and a short run, which limits working radius
