STIHL MS 720 Chainsaw Specs, Features, And How To Avoid Fakes

The STIHL MS 720 is a 105.7 cc beast of a saw. It’s basically the same as the better-known STIHL 070, just with minor updates.

Due to emissions and safety standards, the 720 is only for sale in a few countries with less restrictive regulations, such as South Africa, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It can’t be bought in the US, Canada, or Australia, for example.

Here’s what you should know about this interesting model!

STIHL MS 720

The 720 is still being produced today and is most commonly used for milling and felling hardwood trees.

Most 720s we’ve seen have a “Made in Germany” sticker, but there are suggestions that it is also made in Brazil. The STIHL South Africa website is just one of many STIHL sites with the saw listed for sale.

The description states:

The MS 720 – Improved design of the most popular livelihood chain saw STIHL 070.

Equipped with the New Duromatic E guide bar (approximately 8% thicker) for less vibration.

It’s one of many chainsaws that STIHL doesn’t sell in the US and elsewhere. Safety and emissions regulations prevent it from being sold in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Instead, it is sold in countries that don’t have the same stringent standards as these large Western markets.

One of the features that immediately sticks out to many people is the lack of a chain brake or even a hand guard. Others say that would ruin its style!

STIHL is relatively quiet about the production of these saws. This might be because they are used for deforestation. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is happening, but we can all understand STIHL’s reluctance to be associated with it.

The saw is extremely popular in Africa and Asia for logging operations, and there’s no doubt that many in the US and worldwide would love to run one too.

Reviews

In posts about the 720 on our Facebook page, we learn more about the 720.

Here are some of the comments:

• Charlie said, “I was in the factory in Waiblingen in 2007, and they were still making them. A great saw.”
• Aaron said, “Yep, got one in the box. They actually still make the 070 as well.”
• Thsoshethe said, “It’s heavy and a little slower, but it is robust and lasts longer than any modern light saws.”

Brad S shared this picture, saying, “Paveen Raj is the man if you want some cool stuff we can’t get [in the US]!”

And Charles said:

Not a bad saw, but it’s interesting to note that the 076, a much more modern saw than the plain 070, has legitimately been out of production for twenty years.

Meanwhile, the economy non-AV version of a saw that is over 60 years old still gets produced. It’s absurd.

Click on any of the following FB posts to read more reviews and comments.

Specs and features

STIHL MS 720 specifications:

• Displacement: 105.7 cm3 / 6.45 cu in
• Power: 4.8 KW / 6.5 bhp
• Cylinder bore: 58 mm / 2.28″
• Stroke: 40 mm / 1.57″
• Idle speed: 2000 RPM
• Cut-off speed: 8000 RPM
• Dry weight: 23.8 lb / 10.8 kg

Download the MS720 manual here.

The 720 is easier to maintain and repair than other saws. It was designed to be worked on in the forest or jungle, where one doesn’t have access to many tools.

MS720 features include:

• Compensator – prevents fuel/air mixture from getting too strong with a dirty filter
• Ematic chain lubrication – a long bar needs plenty of oil
• Single control – start, choke, throttle, stop all with one switch
• Decompression valve
• Anti vibe system
• Power to weight ratio of 2.2
• Filter made of non-woven fabric (HD2 filter)
• Quickstop Chain Brake

The MS 720 is a brother to the MS 780, a higher-powered 5.6 kW, 7.6 hp saw. The 780 is predominantly sold in the South American market.

Fake MS 720s

There are plenty of fake or cloned MS 720 chainsaws out there. The above screenshot is from the Stihl Chainsaw Fans Facebook Group, which can help you determine whether or not you have the real deal.

Four signs of a genuine MS720 or 070: 

• Flat head screws
• Embossed STIHL logo on basically every part of the saw
• Real serial number
• Genuine Stihl logo

Many fakes are made with cheap Chinese parts that won’t last or perform as well as OEM parts. Of course, some of those signs can be faked as well—you can get hand-stamped fake serial numbers and that sort of thing.

You may also see genuine OEM MS 720 chainsaws that were not factory assembled—another thing to watch out for if you want something factory new. Guys make these saws from parts and then sell them as if they were factory-built (like this STIHL 200T example).

One giveaway to this practice is that it won’t be sold with the original STIHL packaging.