(Updated at 1:09 p.m. MST February 24, 2017)
Today the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of 100,000 STIHL chainsaws that are at risk of fire and burn hazards. The saws being recalled are:
- MS 461
- MS 461 R
- MS 461 R Rescue
- GS 461 Rock Boss.
The first three are used by firefighters. The last two were not included in STIHL’s official recall notice but a company representative we talked to at the STIHL recall office confirmed they are also on the list.
STIHL Inc. has received 117 reports of pinched or leaking fuel lines but the company reports they are unaware of any damage or injuries caused by the possible defect.
Recalled chainsaws have a serial number between 173092800 and 181993952 under the front hand guard on the engine housing’s sprocket side. The models affected were sold for approximately $1,000 from July 2012 through December 2016.
The recommendation is that owners of the saws immediately stop using them and take them to an authorized STIHL dealer for a free inspection and repair.
MS 461’s are sometimes used by wildland firefighters for constructing fireline and felling trees. This model has been cited in at least one report of a different problem — vapor lock that can result in the engine dying. When the operator removes the gas cap to check on the fuel level, occasionally a “fuel geyser” sprays pressurized gas. This has caused serious burn injuries when the fuel ignites.
Here is a link to the official CPSC recall notice for the pinched or leaking fuel line issue. The STIHL website has a list of seven recalls for various products.
(After calling and talking with the STIHL recall office, the article was updated at 1:09 p.m. MST February 24, 2017 to include two other models of chainsaws that were recalled but not included in the official notice from Stihl and the CPSC. Those two additional saws are the MS 461 R Rescue and the GS 461 Rock Boss concrete saw)
With western fire season and field season rapidly approaching, I wonder how many of these units are in field locations and fire caches?
I believe the “R” designation indicates a full wrap handlebar, not the rescue configuration with depth limiter you posted.
Correct. We called STIHL and discovered that there are four models of chainsaws being recalled, even though the official notice only lists two. The four models are MS 461, MS 461 R, MS 461 R Rescue, and GS 461 Concrete Saw. The first three are used by firefighters.