Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss vs Stihl MS 291

Stihl / Gas

Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss

50cc class

~$540

4.5/5 Ace Hardware

Stihl / Gas

50cc class

~$620

4/5 Ace Hardware

The Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss costs about $80 less; the Stihl MS 291 has more engine (55.5cc).

Spec	Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss	Stihl MS 291
Approx. price	~$540with 20" bar and chain	~$620with 20" bar and chain
Engine class	50cc classby displacement	50cc classby displacement
Power type	Gas	Gas
Use case	Farm & Ranch	Farm & Ranch
Engine	50.2 cc	55.5 cc
Rated power	2.6 kW	2.8 kW
Bar length	20 in	20 in
Single-pass cut	about 18 in	about 18 in
Bar range	16-20 in	16-20 in
Chain	.325" pitch / .063" gauge (26 RM3)	3/8" pitch / .050" gauge (33 RM3)
Weight	12.3 lbpowerhead only	12.3 lbpowerhead only
Warranty	1-year consumer / 3-month professional (Stihl policy from Jan 1, 2026)	1-year consumer / 3-month professional (Stihl policy from Jan 1, 2026)

Tinted cells mark the better figure on that row alone: more engine, longer bar, lighter, cheaper. A lighter weight is only a win on the same basis.

Proven all-rounder for felling and firewood — 50.2cc comfortably runs 16"-20" bars
Advanced anti-vibration mounts noticeably reduce fatigue; a top owner-praised feature after long cutting days
Fuel-efficient engine runs 20% longer between refills than the MS 270 it replaced
Pre-separation air filtration stretches filter cleaning intervals in dirty wood
4.5-star average across 2,856 Ace Hardware reviews — one of the biggest verified track records of any farm saw
$539.99 is roughly half the cost of Stihl's pro 50cc-class saws

Heavy for its output — 12.3 lbs powerhead for 2.6 kW; pro saws make more power at less weight
Clamshell engine construction: pros consider it a throwaway design rather than a rebuildable saw
Little aftermarket parts support and expensive OEM top-end parts if it does wear out
Noticeably slower in big hardwood than an MS 261/362 despite similar displacement
Scattered owner reports of fussy chain-brake behavior and denied warranty claims

5cc and ~0.25 hp over the MS 271 at the identical 12.3 lb powerhead weight
Pulls a 20" bar through hardwood noticeably better than the Farm Boss
Pre-separation air filtration makes filters last up to five times longer in dusty cutting
Fuel-efficient low-emission engine with long run times per tank
Full 3/8" pitch chain shares consumables with Stihl's pro saws
Still hundreds cheaper than the MS 362 C-M for occasional heavy cutting

Same clamshell, non-rebuildable construction pros dismiss — just with a bigger bore
Essentially no aftermarket parts support, and OEM top-end parts are expensive
Mediocre power-to-weight: a 10.8 lb MS 261 makes more power a pound and a half lighter
At $619.99 it sits uncomfortably close to used pro-saw money — the perennial forum objection
Smaller verified review base (4.0 stars, 33 Ace reviews) than its stablemates