The Biggest Stihl Chainsaw: Stihl’s Most Powerful, Largest, And Expensive Chainsaws

What is the biggest Stihl chainsaw?

There’s a bit of debate as to the correct answer because Stihl has a number of extremely powerful chainsaws, including some which are no longer in production.

When someone searches ‘Stihl biggest chainsaw,’ we assume you mean ‘most powerful’ rather than the largest by dimensions. Here are Stihl’s most powerful production chainsaws.

Most Powerful Stihl Chainsaw

The Stihl MS881 Magnum is Stihl’s largest production chainsaw.

The MS881 replaced the Stihl MS880 which was the most powerful chainsaw.

The Stihl 090 is also often cited as the most powerful Stihl chainsaw ever, which is true.

Here are the specs of these 3 powerful Stihl chainsaws side-by-side.

	Stihl MS881	Stihl MS880	Stihl 090
CCs	121 ccs	121 ccs	137 ccs
Horsepower	8.6 hp	8.6 hp	8.5 hp
Displacement	7.42 cu in	7.42 cu in	8.36 cu in
Powerhead Weight	21.8 lbs	22.3 lbs	26+ lbs
Bar Length	21″ to 59″	17″ to 59″	21″ to 59″

The MS881 is currently the biggest Stihl chainsaw you can buy, while the Stihl 090 is the largest Stihl chainsaw ever made.

The 880 and the 881 are extremely similar, but the 881 is a bit lighter and has a few other small improvements.

The 090 has an engine that is 16 ccs more powerful than the MS881, and it also has almost an entire cubic inch more displacement, giving it higher torque. The 090 engine will deliver greater power.

However, the 881 powerhead is MUCH lighter, giving it a far better power-to-weight ratio.

Besides all that, the 881 is going to be the far better chainsaw.

You can see precise dates on when the 090 was in production in our Stihl Chainsaw years made article, but it was from the late-60s to the mid-80s.

Suffice to say that it doesn’t have any of the modern features we all know and love today. The base model had no anti-vibration system and she can be a bit of a handful to use all day.

The Stihl MS881 Magnum

You can see the MS881 in action in this video from the 3 Brothers YouTube channel – they also have some good milling content.

The Stihl 881 Magnum has all of the best features like:

• Adjustable Automatic Oiler –  allows you to adjust the lubricant to conditions
• Anti-Vibration System-  for minimizing the vibration levels during prolonged use
• STIHL ElastoStart – reduces the effort when pulling on the starter cord
• Fuel and oil caps with retainers – so you won’t lose them
• Side-Access Chain Tensioner – more convenient for the user to adjust the saw chain
• STIHL Quickstop – a chain stopping system built to reduce the risk of injury in certain kickback situations
• Ematic™ Lubrication System – provides proper lubrication and less oil consumption than conventional methods
• Decompression Valve – vents compression in the cylinder for easier starting
• HD2 Air Filter – washable and with a larger surface area
• Greater fuel efficiency and reduced exhaust emissions – compared with the 880
• Efficient stop switch technology – saves time and reduces the chance of flooding the engine
• Manual adjustment of the carb – easier than on previous models

So in terms of ease of use and your ability to maintain it, the 881 is far superior to the 090.

Other Large Stihl Chainsaws

The MS661 Magnum, MS500i, and MS462 are other big Stihl chainsaws.

They are all professional chainsaws used in forestry and logging, as well as by farmers and those working with mills.

Here are their specs side-by-side.

	Stihl MS661	Stihl MS500i	Stihl MS462
CCs	91 ccs	79 ccs	72 ccs
Horsepower	7.2 hp	6.7 hp	5.9 hp
Displacement	5.56 cu in	4.83 cu in	4.41 cu in
Powerhead Weight	16.5 lbs	13.9 lbs	13.9 lbs
Bar Length	16″ to 36″	16″ to 36″	16″ to 36″

So you can see these are also very powerful Stihl chainsaws, but they don’t beat the MS811 by a long shot.

The MS661 is the next largest Stihl chainsaw, with the MS500i a bit behind that.

They are all excellent options for those requiring heavy-duty chainsaws that can go all day. They’ll be good for working on the largest trees and can clear land like no other.

The Stihl MS440 Magnum which we reviewed is another powerful 70 cc saw, while the MS461 is 76 cc.

Many vintage Stihl chainsaws are also more powerful than these saws. For example, the Stihl 075 is a 111 cc, 7 hp saw.

Compared to the Stihl Farm Boss chainsaws they’re in another, much greater, league.

Stihl Biggest Chainsaw

So there you have it, the biggest Stihl chainsaw ever is the 090, while the largest Stihl chainsaw currently in production is the Stihl MS881.

It beats a lot of the biggest Husqvarna chainsaws out of the water as well, including the 118cc Husky 3120XP, and their new 90cc 592XP saw.

Most of the large Stihl chainsaws are made in Germany rather than at the US Virginia Beach location. However, let me know in the comments if I’ve got that wrong. I have heard the MS800 was made there for a time.

Lastly, you might also be interested in this post on the world’s longest chainsaw bar – it’s bigger than you might think.