How to start a Stihl MS250 chainsaw

The MS250 has a safety device called a chain brake. It's that bar that you see under the arrow, and that needs to be locked in the rear position before you can start it.

It's important to top off the levels of the fuel and chain oil before you begin. The reservoir for the chain oil is on the left. There's a twist-off cap underneath the box that you see there, and on the right-hand side there's the same sort of cap for the fuel, which of course takes the standard oil-gas mixture common to all two-cycle engines.

The next step is to prime it, which you do by pressing that flexible plastic bulb on the side with your thumb half a dozen times or more.

Next you'll need to set the master control lever shown here all the way up in the off position next to the O. To move the lever, you need to squeeze the handle, pressing both of those triggers at the same time.

If it's a cold start, you need to squeeze those two triggers and move the lever all the way down to the bottom position, which is the full choke.

Place the saw on a flat piece of ground free of obstructions. Put the tip of your right foot through the opening underneath the handle, pressing down securely on the orange plastic piece.

With the saw held securely on the ground using your hand and foot, pull the cord no more than three times.

Next move the master control lever up one notch to the semi-choke position shown here. With the saw still securely grounded, try pulling the cord again two or three times. It should start.

Once the engine catches, let it run for a few moments, maybe 5 or 10 seconds, at the higher RPMs, and then squeeze the trigger, which will take the operating control lever up to the next position, which is shown here as I. That's the normal operating range.

At this point, with your finger off the throttle, the engine should be idling normally, but the chain should not. The blade should not be turning.

If you need to pause at any point during your project, the safest thing is to turn the saw off. To do that, simply move the master control lever all the way up to the O position, which should shut it off.

If you need to restart it while the engine is still warm, simply squeeze those two triggers and move the master control lever down to the I position. If you have a hard time starting it, then move it down one more to the semi-choke position and try again.

Well, that's it. Just be sure to keep yourself safe. Wear ear protection and also safety glasses.