STIHL MS 250 vs MS 291: Which Farm Saw Makes More Sense (2026)

Review Information

• Reviewed by: Jack Beurge
• Review type: Research-based review
• Testing status: Not personally tested by SAWOFF — based on manufacturer documentation, reputable sources, and documented owner-reported patterns
• Published: October 17, 2026
• Manufacturer: STIHL

Information in this review is labeled as one of four types: 🧪 SAWOFF hands-on test, 🏭 manufacturer specification, 📚 research from reputable sources (including documented owner-reported patterns), or 🧠 editorial assessment. See our testing methodology and editorial policy.

The STIHL MS 291 makes sense when firewood is a serious annual commitment; the MS 250 wins when price per cut matters more than torque per cut. This is the stihl 250 vs 291 comparison most of our wood-heated readers actually face: 45.4cc and 3.0 hp on ~10.1 lb versus 55.5cc and 3.45 hp on ~12.3 lb, both typically fed .325” chain — and one tier of the best chainsaws of 2026 landscape worth slowing down over. Below are the honest numbers, the old MS 290 connection everyone asks about, and a definite answer by cutting style.

STIHL 250 vs 291: The Numbers Compared

The decisive numbers first:

Spec	STIHL MS 250	STIHL MS 291
Displacement	45.4 cc	55.5 cc
Power	3.0 bhp	3.45 bhp
Powerhead weight	~10.1 lb	~12.3 lb
Pitch	.325” typical	.325” typical
Default bar	18”	20”
Typical street price	~$400–$460	~$600–$680

Weight is powerhead-only, without bar or fuel. Quotes are the typical dealer ranges we hear for 2026, not store guarantees.

The Case for the STIHL MS 250

The 250 is the money argument, and it is a strong one. Around $400–$460 street, it banks a couple hundred dollars against the 291, and at 3.0 bhp it throws a .325” chain at speed. For a whole category of farm work — fence line clearing, trimming, softwood bucking, roadside brush — that is cutting performed entirely within the saw’s envelope, and you carry a pound and a half less doing it. Smaller hands and older shoulders notice the weight before the power figures ever do.

Where the 250 shows the wall: thick, dense hardwood. Ten-inch-plus oak and iron-dense white ash ask the 45.4cc engine to work near its ceiling repeatedly. It copes — STIHL relieves the torque curve this low on purpose — but the approach is rhythmic rather than relentless, and a dull chain turns a 15-second cut into a minute-plus mulch pile either way on this saw.

The MS 250 C-B: Comfort Hardware, Same Teeth

Look at the C-B while you configure. The MS 250 C-B keeps the same 45.4cc engine, the same .325-inch cutting hardware, and the same 3.0 bhp output. What the trim adds is STIHL’s ergonomic handle package: an easier grip, a calmer feel through long sessions, and meaningfully kinder treatment of grip-limited hands. It is a comfort decision, not a power decision — price both trims and put both in your hands before you pay, since dealers stock the variants in different quantities.

Bottom line: bucking 20-inch oak rounds with the 250 is possible with a sharp fresh chain and steady flipping, but it is slower work per pass than the 291 — and at roughly $100 cheaper per horsepower purchased up front, the 250 out-cuts everything near it per dollar spent.

The Case for the STIHL MS 291 (and Its MS 290 Heritage)

Here is a story that explains 80% of the buying perspective. A neighbor of mine has run one saw for fifteen years — an old MS 290, the Farm Boss before the name migrated. It cut his whole heat bill through every winter since. When the pistons finally told on him earlier this year, he drove to the dealer, asked what replaced “the old girl,” and bought the 291 sight unseen. That is not nostalgia. That is a customer who had already resolved the hard question.

The MS 290, discontinued roughly a decade ago, was arguably the most trusted farm saw of its era, plain in the best sense, before “stihl 290 vs 291” became a search query. The 291 that replaced it carries the same Farm Boss mission — and a similar durability reputation — with a 2-MIX stratified engine, up to 20% claimed fuel economy, and cleaner running overall. So the ms290 vs ms291 comparison most shoppers search is a bit of a misdirection: today’s dealer sells the modern equivalent of the 290, not a sidegrade.

In the field the 55.5cc engine buys composure. Torque sits down low, so dense hardwood arrives without the saw’s RPM collapsing and rebuilding; where the 250 works near its ceiling, the 291 has headroom left. Those two pounds over the 250 buy a lot during a long hardwood session.

Fuel Economy and Filtration in the 2-MIX Upgrade

The 55.5cc engine behind the 291 is a 2-MIX stratified-charge design, and the upgrade over the old 290 shows in two places. Fuel: STIHL claims up to 20% better economy, which across a six-cord hardwood winter is a real pile of mix dollars. Air: the long-life filtration system with pre-separation flings heavy grit out of the intake path before the main filter ever sees it, so dusty pine sessions stretch several tanks between cleanouts instead of clogging in an afternoon. Neither point makes cutting faster. Both points make the cutting days fewer between service stops, and that is what a farm saw owner notices in year five.

Bottom line: bucking the same 20-inch oak rounds with the 291 takes fewer re-bites, less chain dumping, and less fatigue, even with a mid-grade chain — if you burn four-plus cords and cut hardwood routinely, the extra cc’s pay for themselves in seasons saved.

STIHL 250 vs 291: Five Verdict Pins

1. Money: the 250 cuts faster per dollar spent — it is the cheaper purchase and it is no slouch on value-focused chains.
2. Firewood reality: the 291 delivers more torque per cut and fewer stalling moments in dense rounds; that difference compounds with every cord.
3. Carry: a pound and a half is felt before hour two. Trimming and fence work give the 250 an easy win.
4. Comfort trims: the 250 C-B handles grip-heavy sessions well, but comfort hardware does not convert to horsepower; check both at the dealer.
5. Heritage: owners arriving from an old MS 290 can buy the 291 as its direct descendant — no need to mourn or over-research.

Read together, the pins form a fork in the road rather than a ranking. If your cutting calendar holds more trimming days than firewood days, the 250 family is the honest answer, and the C-B trim answers almost every remaining complaint. If your calendar fills with dense rounds from fall through February, every pin that favors the 291 compounds year over year. And if a used 290 is pulling at your wallet instead, the ownership notes below price that route honestly.

Fitment, Fuel, and Ownership Notes

Both saws are strictly 50:1 mix machines on 89+ octane minimum, and both reward the same habits: dated fuel, a chain filed before it feels dull, and bar oil topped every tank. Typical fitment on each is .325” pitch chain in .063 gauge, with drive-link counts well into the 60s and 70s across the common 16-to-20-inch bars — and the stamping on your bar is the reference that ends every ordering argument. Deal with the dealer rather than the sticker price too: these are independently owned shops, out-the-door quotes with your chosen bar are the honest comparison, and the spread between two shops in the same town can exceed $50.

If a used MS 290 tempts you instead of either new saw, take a compression gauge and ten minutes of patience. The 290 is still a capable saw, and parts remain plentiful, but piston scoring and sloppy AV mounts are common at its age — the discount should be steep enough to fund the reseal it probably needs.

Which One Should You Buy?

The 291 is our recommendation for anyone who burns serious wood. Four-plus cords, dense hardwoods, heirloom expectations — that is the mission it inherited from the 290 and proxies better than any farm saw on the market. The purchase is an investment that lasts decades with routine maintenance, and every hour you log in dense rounds pays the price gap back.

The MS 250 is our recommendation for the budget-conscious semi-pro and for trimming-heavy property owners. It cuts a .325” chain at speed, carries well, saves hundreds of dollars, and never gets tired of being asked to perform up to its specifications — a tool sized truthfully for its job.

Still framing options against other brands or models? Read deeper on each saw in our STIHL MS 250 review and STIHL MS 291 review, set both against the whole orange lineup in our best STIHL chainsaws roundup, and see how this bracket addresses heavy farm work in our STIHL farm and ranch chainsaws guide. If firewood is the true mission, our best chainsaw for firewood guide and STIHL chainsaw buyers guide clean up the last mile of the decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the STIHL MS 291 worth the extra money over the MS 250?

It is, if you burn serious firewood. The $150 to $250 premium buys 55.5cc against 45.4cc, more torque per cut in dense hardwood, and a 20-inch setup that stays composed where the 250 works near its ceiling. Owners cutting a couple of cords a year will do fine saving the money with the MS 250.

Is the STIHL MS 291 the same saw as the old MS 290?

Not the same machine, but the same mission. The MS 290 — Farm Boss before the name moved around — was discontinued roughly a decade ago, and the MS 291 replaced it with the 2-MIX stratified engine, modestly revised weight, and cleaner running. Buyers comparing ms290 vs ms291 specs should note the 290's figures no longer apply to the saw dealers sell today.

What bar and chain do the STIHL MS 250 and MS 291 use?

Typical fitment on both is .325-inch pitch chain in .063 gauge, with the MS 250 defaulting to an 18-inch bar and the MS 291 to 20 inches. Gauge follows the bar rather than the saw, so read the stamping on your bar before ordering replacement chain.

What is the STIHL MS 250 C-B edition?

The MS 250 C-B is a comfort-oriented trim of the standard 45.4cc saw, adding STIHL's ergonomic handle package for easier grip and better vibration management. Mechanically it is the same 3.0 bhp farm saw, so treat it as an option for arthritic hands or long trimming sessions, not a different class of machine.