STIHL MS 780 Chainsaw Reviews, Specs, Features, and 880 Comparison

The STIHL MS 780 is a 122 cc, 7.6 horsepower chainsaw sold in only a few countries.

For example, South Africa, the Philippines, and Argentina have it, but you won’t find it in North America.

The 780 is very similar to the STIHL MS 880, but it does have a few differences, which we’ll discuss below.

We posted this 780 on Facebook and got plenty of attention, but no one in the comments knew much about the saw, so I wanted to put this together. This is everything I could find out about the STIHL MS 780.

Stéphane shared:

Si uncommon and incredible chainsaw seen in a second hand website tonight. MS780!! Brand new!!

Based on a MS880 model, developed by Stihl for Africa. Modified engine, still 121cc, but less power and more torque. 😱

Some ideas from this thread as to why they sell this saw at all:

• Steve said, “Hot weather saw, I’m guessing… Same reason a f450 cab and chassis is derated… reliability.”
• Lee said, “The displacement is the same. Carb is smaller on the 780.”
• Jeff asked: “I wonder if it’s to compensate for poor fuel quality?”

Lee also shared: 

I have a brand new one never been fired, It has a smaller carb from what i remember than the 880. Mine came from over seas from a good friend and well known chainsaw seller.

His good friend is a well-known supplier of rare and powerful STIHL saws to the US. Read more about him below.

In another Facebook group, Kevin shared this 780 for sale [edited for clarity]:

Stihl MS 780 show unit in dealership for sale, comes with oem box and tool kits.

Saw was started and kept for display, but hasn’t seen wood. I’ll get more pics for serious buyers.

Saw has crazy compression and has the brand new idle pop. Comes with ripping style rear handle meant for 3rd world countries.

Difference between MS880 is rear handle and wg11 carb as opposed to wg12 on ms880. The smaller venturi carb gives more low and mid range torque for our hardwoods. Sacrificing some top rpms, coil is still limited.

Not sure if the venturi size can be seen but took a shot of it, was surprised to see intake boot with ribbed inners. Is that normal on MS 880?

The box shows that there is also an MS 780 R, which means it has a wrap handle.

In a different thread with some good info, Dominik said:

Notice how the rear handle is missing the wide portion on the bottom?

It’s a model sold in countries where freehand milling is prevalent. Same as an 880 I believe, just configured differently.

And here’s a post from Paveen Raj…

If you can’t read what’s written above, Paveen said:

Haven’t scored anything worth mentioning for a long time now, here’s something you don’t see often.

One of the rarest in 1124 series, now belongs to a collector who arguably owns one of the biggest big saw collection on the planet. We’re not talking 100~200 saws, its 500 over saws.

Congratulations uncle Lee, there’s only known 2 to exist in north America to my knowledge.

Here are Paveen’s pictures, along with comments from his post.

Lee, the new owner and the man we quoted earlier, said:

Many Thanks to Paveen Raj for thinking of me when he located this fantastic saw. I have every 1124 series Stihl now.

Shorter comments:

• Joe said, “Didn’t even know such a beast existed.
• Bills said, “I don’t know what it is, but I like it!”
• Erik said, “I never even heard of a 780; it must be rare. Beautiful saw!”

Someone asked what the difference is to the 880, to which he replied: “Minor changes made to suit hardwood country and rear handle for ripping.”

Someone else asked for the bore and stroke size, and Paveen said: “Same as the 880 sir, just the rear handle is slim and smaller venturi carb for more low-end torque.”

A dude called Tom asked, “Larger squish for lower octane fuels, too?”

Paveen said:

I thought it was back then when I fired up a used 780—boy was I wrong.

Just as bad as the old 084s—damn thing will rip your fingers out almost every pull.

I haven’t [measured the squish], but I know what you’re trying to say. I agree a bigger squish will be more forgiving for low octane and lousy fuel, but for it to have that much compression… I don’t know man; maybe I’ll ask Uncle to check it for us.

And the conversation continued from there. You can read it yourself here.

Here are some of the MS 780 specs.

And this is what STIHL South Africa’s listing states:

Powerful 5.6 kW high-performance saw

Thanks to its very powerful 5.6 kW (7.6 hp) engine, the STIHL MS 780 high-performance petrol-driven chainsaw is ideal for professional harvesting of thick timber in forestry.

The STIHL ElastoStart special starter handle makes starting the chainsaw much easier. All functions, such as cold start, warm start, operation and shutdown, can be controlled comfortably and safely with the single-lever control, so that your right hand can always remain on the handle. If kickback occurs, the QuickStop Super chain brake brings the saw chain to a standstill in seconds.

The STIHL Ematic system with controlled-delivery oil pump delivers chain lubricant just where it is needed and can reduce oil consumption by up to 50%.

Other features and benefits of the STIHL MS 780 petrol-driven chainsaw:

• compensator for reduced maintenance work, as the engine output remains constant for a long time even as the air filter becomes more heavily soiled
• manual decompression so noticeably less pulling force is required on the starter cord, as the decompression valve allows part of the compressed mixture to escape
• STIHL anti-vibration system for noticeably less vibration and less fatigue when working
• side-mounted chain tensioning for easy and safe chain retensioning
• tool-free tank caps for quick and easy manual opening and closing
• double metal bumper spikes for safe and precise chainsaw guidance

Sounds like an awesome saw!

Some people link the 780 with the MS 720, but that one’s quite a different saw.

If you have any other interesting information about the STIHL MS 780, share it in the comments below!