Owned a MS181 for 3 years now and still going well. Mine has the 14 inch bar and was the best my employers generosity would stretch to for a retirement gift. Uses surprisingly less fuel than the larger MS260 doing the same work cutting up logs. Has also coped well with felling overstood coppice. Time will tell if the heavier professional range will outlast it, but not being a full time lumberjack seems more than adequate.
My only problem with the MS181 has been the oil pick-up and the chain running dry. This is down to the tube to the filter being too stiff for the filter to drop into the oil whatever angle the saw is being used at, or the filter being too light. Checked several new models at shows and dealers by removing the filler cap and rotating the saw, and the filter body doesn't move. Mentioned this to Stihl agents so hope word has got back to the factory. Stihl also shelled out for two warranty claims to check the oil pump in the first year before the cause became apparent.
Before finding a suitable weight and to fit to the filter, keeping the oil level higher solved the problem, so not a reason not to buy, just something to be aware of as otherwise a very useful tool.
