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Stihl chainsaw history: dated facts from Stihl's own history page and three patent records

Dated facts about Stihl chainsaws from 1929 to 2010, reported as Stihl's history page says them and set beside three patent records from the Swiss and German patent offices.

Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It sets Stihl's own account of its saws beside patent records, and nothing here ranks one maker against another. The company page is a maker's account, so each claim from it is attributed to Stihl.

Dated facts

Stihl chainsaw facts in date order, with the page that dates each one
DateWhat the source says
September 7, 1928 and June 30, 1929A Swiss patent in Andreas Stihl's name for an electric hand chain saw was filed on the first date and published on the second. It places the motor and its gear above the chain wheel. Source: Google Patents record for CH133857A.
1929Stihl's history page shows a tree-felling machine, type A, of 1929 at 6 hp and 46 kg, and says the first petrol chainsaw, from 1929, was so heavy that it had to be operated by two people. It does not tie this petrol machine to the electric patent above. Source: Stihl's product history page.
1933Stihl's history page says the Liliput, described as the first one-man electric saw, joined the range in 1933 with a stated weight of around 25 kilograms. Source: Stihl's product history page.
December 1, 1948 and June 15, 1950A Swiss patent in Andreas Stihl's name covers a protective bar fitted above the guide bar and fixed at the engine end and the handle end, to guard the worker against the running chain. Filing and publication dates are as printed on the record. Source: Google Patents record for CH268922A.
1950 and 1959Stihl's history page lists the BL petrol-driven lightweight saw with swivel carburetor and 4.5 hp in 1950, and the Contra in 1959, which it describes as the first gearless chainsaw at 12 kg and 6 hp. Source: Stihl's product history page.
June 30, 1964 and June 27, 1968A German patent filed by Stihl on the first date and published on the second covers a portable chain saw whose front and rear handles are mounted through vibration-damping elements. Stihl's history page says that in 1964 it became the first manufacturer to equip chainsaws with an anti-vibration handle. Husqvarna's own page dates a different first to 1969, so the two claims are set side by side on the timeline page. Sources: Google Patents record for DE1271370B and Stihl's product history page.
1972 and 1974Stihl's history page dates the QuickStop chain brake to 1972, and says the 031 AV (1972) and 041 AV (1974) were the first chainsaws on the market with both electronic ignition and a chain brake. These are Stihl's claims, and no second source was opened for them. Source: Stihl's product history page.
1989Stihl's history page says the 044 C of 1989 carried a catalytic converter as standard, and gives a reduction of up to 80 percent in unburnt hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas. Source: Stihl's product history page.
2010Stihl's history page lists its first battery-powered chainsaw, the MSA 160 C-BQ, with the QuickStop Super chain brake. Source: Stihl's product history page.

The record of the same features across other makers is on the chainsaw history timeline, and the standards that later set tests for chain brakes are on the page about vintage saws and safety standards.

To correct or remove an entry, write to the address at the foot of this page.

Sources