New here, I have a Stihl cm-180 chainsaw, used seven time in five years! Only used for pruning small tree branches (up to 6 inches thick) Now the piston and cylinder want replacing at €250! (about $230US)....Last Stihl product I will buy. Only thing I can think of is that as it was so long between usage that there was no lubrication left in the cylinder...it had evaporated so when I started it up it was running dry....bad design. Since looking on the web a lot of people seem to think it is OK to replace the piston every 50 hours.....I am going to buy a battery Ryobi next time....at least they work when you switch them on!
Not to add misery, but my Husky saw only gets used about 1 year intervals. Since 2000 I have not had a problem. I do use synthetic oil. BTW re electrics...the NiCad batteries are strange beasts that like to sit and still hold charge. They do not like overcharging. I have 2 used in wife's chainsaw (BD) and was surprised to find them still alive after 18 months of neglect.
Edit: At $250 you're 2/3 to a brand new Husky here...perhaps The French added taxes are lethal . Yesterday I saw a new Husky 350, ?18" bar, $370, i believe which is about the same I paid in 2000. Beware you will probably go slow with an electric and be limited in cut thickness (unless things have changed a lot)
