Every STIHL Super Chainsaw in Order: Oldest to Newest

STIHL used the Super name designation for an upgraded version of an existing chainsaw.

Most Super models gained displacement and power through a larger bore or longer stroke, although a few (most notably the 07 S, 048 Super, and 076 Super) kept the standard model’s capacity and relied on other performance or equipment changes.

This list uses the factory meaning of Super. It includes the early Contra S, 07 S, and 08 S because the S identified the Super version, but it does not count every AV, E, Q, W, R, or heated-handle equipment suffix as a separate chainsaw. Closely related versions, such as the 020 AVP Super and 020 AV Super, are grouped together.

Let’s get into them, starting with the SUPER Lightning!

1. STIHL Contra S, Contra SAV, and Contra GS (1964–1968)

The Contra S enlarged the bore by 8 mm and became a 137 cc giant with roughly two extra horsepower. The anti-vibration Contra SAV shared the Super engine, while the Contra GS combined it with reduction gearing and weighed about 15.5 kg / 34.2 lb.

Some may debate whether or not the S on the Contra stood for Super, but STIHL did explicitly use the term on some period litereature.

This page from a brochure shared by Beau W on the Chainsaw Collector’s forum, lists the “Super Lightning” and “D-24 Geared Super Lightning.”

2. STIHL 07 S (1965–1968)

Unlike most later Supers, the 07 S did not gain displacement. STIHL extracted a modest power increase from the same 75 cc engine while retaining the same bore, stroke, and normal bar range. We have more on the possible differences in our STIHL 07 review.

*There’s no period literature stating ‘S’ stands for Super on the 07 or 08… it’s just an assumption on our part.

3. STIHL 08 S / 08 Super (1965–1995)

The long-lived 08 S became the best-known early example of STIHL’s S-for-Super naming. Early 08 S saws had a smaller engine, while the mature version shown here was 56 cc; the later Brazilian 08 S QS grew again to 60.3 cc.

*There’s no period literature stating ‘S’ stands for Super on the 07 or 08… it’s just an assumption on our part.

4. STIHL 050 Super (approximately 1971–1972)

The 050 Super is the most mysterious saw here: surviving examples have a removable-head, two-piece cylinder and are widely regarded by collectors as development machines for the 111 cc 075.

It appears to have been a prototype or tiny pre-production run rather than a catalogued mass-production model, so its Super figures should be treated as collector-supported estimates rather than published factory specifications.

5. STIHL 041 AV / AVE Super (1977–1983)

The 041 Super kept the 40 mm stroke but used a much larger 48 mm bore, adding more than 11 cc. That made it a noticeably stronger version of one of STIHL’s best-known early anti-vibration saws.

6. STIHL 045 Super and Super II (1977–1980)

The 045 Super was the biggest factory step in the evolving 045 family, using a 54 mm bore for 87 cc and about 6 hp. The 045 Super II was a later equipment iteration of the same 87 cc Super rather than another increase in engine size.

7. STIHL 020 AVP Super and 020 AV Super (1977–1993)

Both 020 AV Supers used a 40 mm bore to reach 35.2 cc. The AVP Super was produced only briefly from September 1977 to January 1978, while the closely related 020 AV Super remained available for many years.

8. STIHL 056 Super (1980–1987)

The 056 Super enlarged the bore from 52 to 54 mm, adding 6.3 cc without a meaningful weight penalty. It sat between the standard 056 and the still larger 93.6 cc 056 Magnum II.

9. STIHL 076 Super (approximately 1980–1989)

The 076 Super was not a big-bore version: it retained the standard saw’s 111 cc top end. Its identifying changes were the taller intake and matching air-filter cover, with carburetor and market-equipment differences depending on the version.

10. STIHL 048 AV Super EQ (early 1980s)

The very rare 048 Super kept the base saw’s displacement but appears to have used revised cylinder porting and carburetion; known Super cylinders have been reported with +++ markings. Collector literature gives about 5.15 hp, but no widely available factory specification sheet has surfaced.

11. STIHL 024 Super (1982–1992)

The 024 Super is unusual because STIHL increased its stroke rather than its bore. The 32 mm crank raised capacity to 44.3 cc while keeping the same piston diameter and listed weight.

12. STIHL 038 Super, Super 2, and Super Pro (approximately 1982–1985)

The 038 Super occupied the middle position between the 61.5 cc standard 038 and the 72.2 cc 038 Magnum. Super 2 and Super Pro badges identified versions of the same 66.6 cc class rather than further big-bore steps.

13. STIHL 028 Super (1983–1993)

The 028 Super gained a 46 mm bore, taking it just over 50 cc without adding listed weight. That better power-to-weight ratio and ability to handle a 20-inch bar helped make it one of the most familiar Super models.

14. STIHL 034 Super (1987–1991)

The 034 Super’s 48 mm bore brought it to the same 61.5 cc class later used by the 036. It added about 0.4 hp for roughly 100 grams of extra listed weight.

15. STIHL 029 Super Farm Boss (introduced 1998)

The 029 Super used a 1 mm larger bore to add 2.4 cc while keeping the same weight. Marketed in the United States as the 029 Super Farm Boss, it was the final clear Super-badged STIHL chainsaw before the model became the MS 290.

16. STIHL MS 290 Super Farm Boss (early 2000s)

STIHL used the full name “MS 290 Super STIHL Farm Boss Chain Saw” on at least one of its early web pages. However, the listed 56.5 cc displacement, 46 × 34 mm bore and stroke, and 2.8 kW output match the ordinary MS 290, so this was probably a short-lived transitional marketing name carried over from the 029 Super—not a separate, more powerful MS 290 version.

STIHL Super Models

STIHL’s Super name usually meant a simple and effective formula: put a larger engine in the familiar chassis and give the owner more cutting performance without much extra weight. The 041, 056, 024, 028, 038, 034, and 029 are textbook examples, while the 07 S, 048 Super, and 076 Super show that the designation could also cover tuning, intake, or market-specific upgrades rather than extra displacement.

For collectors, the 050 Super is probably the most elusive because it appears to have been a development or pre-production saw, followed closely by the scarcely documented 048 Super and the short-lived 020 AVP Super. The 029 Super closed the chapter at the end of the 1990s; after that, STIHL generally expressed major performance steps through a new model number instead of adding “Super” to an existing one.