THE new MS 500i from STIHL is the world’s first chainsaw to dispense with the carburettor in favour of a fuel injection technology.
According to STIHL, the new chainsaw has been designed as a market leader. “With incredible acceleration and more weight than horse power (6.8 compared to 6.2kg), the most significant element of its design is that the carburettor has been replaced with STIHL Injection Technology for greater performance, for less,” the company said in a statement.
With enhanced power (5 kW) compared to the MS 462 (4.4 kW) and other models in the 70cc class, the newcomer has been created specially to harvest large timber.
“It has been tested in challenging environments such as the wet and freezing cold of Swedish forests in winter with a variety of cutting tasks, from light final felling to logging overgrown mature trees, and passed all tests with championship-level colours.
“It might be ahead of the field in almost every element of its design but the MS 500i, like STIHL’s other chainsaws, is still typically lightweight for reduced operator fatigue, and is uncomplicated to operate. It has lost none of the manoeuvrability of carburettor-fitted models and starts easily (there is no choke).”
Other user-friendly features include new bumper spikes, an HD2 filter for extended service life, a captive nut on the sprocket cover for easy chain change, a controlled-delivery oil pump, and a tool-free fuel cap for safe and convenient refuelling and topping up of lubricants.
According to the company, the MS 500i matches the weight of most professional chainsaws in the 60-cubic class yet offers performance comparable with 90cc models.