South. My Stihl MS250 18” bar has been a huge boon to me. Nothing more frustrating than needing your saw and having it not work. I burn wood for heat in the winter, so I use mine quite a bit and I have gotten by on my used Stihl (I bought it from a guy who had taken out one tree with it) for 10 years. Much easier on the user to get a better brand because of vibration issues.