# chainsaws



## SLlandscape (Oct 13, 2008)

I've notest that most of you don't use Echo chainsaws. Why not? Are they unreliable or is it the price?


----------



## Rftreeman (Oct 13, 2008)

I have a cs-300 top handle Echo that I use all the time since I ran over my Stihl 200-t, it doesn't turn up as high as I'd like but it is a decent saw for the money I have in it.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 13, 2008)

Rftreeman said:


> I have a cs-300 top handle Echo that I use all the time since I ran over my Stihl 200-t, it doesn't turn up as high as I'd like but it is a decent saw for the money I have in it.



I found an Echo cs330T 14" at reseasonable price. I've had good luck with some of their other products, but I've never tried one of their chainsaws, hence my asking.


----------



## toddstreeservic (Oct 13, 2008)

We run an echo too handle as well and have had no problems with it. People just don't talk about them as much as husky and stihls.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 13, 2008)

People not mentioning them is what makes me think they are not a good chainsaw. I'm not picky about what I use, I just want a reliable saw that will serve its purpose for as long as possible. I'm picky about the price however, mainly because I'm a relatively small company. I have one part time employee and if something breaks down I'm s.o.l. if I don't have the money to replace it.


----------



## toddstreeservic (Oct 13, 2008)

We use the echo more than any of our other saws. 2-3tanks of gas per day 3-4 days a week. For over 2 years now. Very few problems. Replaced ignition switch and the rubber piece where the side handle attaches. Starting to think about replacing it and keeping it for the backup now.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 13, 2008)

thanks for the info, helps me with my decision. I would like to have a Stihl or a Husquavarna, but holy s------ m----------r their expensive. If I sold 2 of my snakes I could buy 2 or3 Stihls.


SNAKES RULE!!!!


----------



## toddstreeservic (Oct 13, 2008)

I had a husky but didn't like the air filter setup. We are looking at a used 200t from a friend as the replacement for the echo. You may also want to check out the dolmar top handle saw. They look to be a good value. Link to Amick's sale


----------



## SawTroll (Oct 15, 2008)

SLlandscape said:


> I've notest that most of you don't use Echo chainsaws. Why not? Are they unreliable or is it the price?



Mostly low powered POS, not really pro saws at all.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 15, 2008)

*This Echo is NOT Junk.*

My Echo is a fabulous saw, but Echo no longer makes it. I believe SawTroll is talking about the saws that Echo makes today--not this one that I bought 11 years ago. It is a marvelous piece of equipment--the CS 3900:


----------



## Locoweed (Oct 15, 2008)

I think they are well built, reliable saws, but they don't have as good a horsepower to weight ratio as the saws that are more popular on the forum


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 15, 2008)

Well in that case, can any body recommend a company with a reseasonable price on sthil saws. I have one chainsaw right now, but I want another to speed up production. And to have a back up.


----------



## Nailsbeats (Oct 16, 2008)

SLlandscape said:


> Well in that case, can any body recommend a company with a reseasonable price on sthil saws. I have one chainsaw right now, but I want another to speed up production. And to have a back up.



Yeah, good luck with that, resonable price and Stihl don't belong in the same sentence, lol. It's more like premium price period. That should be their new marketing scheme, the premium price guarantee.


----------



## southsoundtree (Oct 16, 2008)

I have a Stihl 192t and a echo cs3400 top handle. 

I have the echo as a backup. Very much as a backup. I only use it when I have to as compared to the Stihl. 

If you can afford it, buy a Stihl. You'll get more productivity. about $320 for a 192t.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 16, 2008)

Hey Nails,

There's a Gander Mountain (smaller version of Bass Pro Shop) an hour form where I live, and they have a Stihl 192t for $399.99 before tax and a 200t for $599.99 before tax. A local store in the same city has both saws, but each is $80 more in price. No one else in my area sells Stihl saws or anything Stihl related. That's why I ask if anyone knows where I can get one a little cheaper. As I said before, if I can get some of my reptiles sold I could buy 2 or 3 of them. By the way I have been landscaping for the past 4 years. Last year I started doing tree care work, because I saw an opportunity. Only 2 other people in my town do tree work. But these 2 use extension ladders or they go rent a scissor lift. Even then they still turn down most of their calls because of location or the size of tree. I know for a fact that neither one of them is ISA certified, and if you were to see some of the trees they have trimmed you would have a heart attack and smoke would come out your ears.


 SNAKES RULE! ​


----------



## JS Landscaping (Oct 16, 2008)

If you are doing this type of work day in and day out, find yourself a reputable dealer that you can build a working relationship with. I wouldnt buy any saw from a box store, or gander mtn for that matter. Its nice working with a dealer in case you need product support, or something is down and needs to be fixed. With that said, if your looking for an arborists saw, the 200T is the powerhouse of them, and probably one of the best. I run one everyday, and wouldnt want anything else in the tree with me. Its got tons of power, ballenced really well, all in all, a perfect saw in my eyes. The 192 is more of a trim saw, not really good for big removals, but it is lighter, but also far less power then the 200. Im personally a Stihl man all the way, not saying that its better then Husky or others, but just my personal prefrence. Got a full line of them from the 192 to the MS660. Also being German myself, I Love my beer and love my Stihl's!


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 17, 2008)

JS Landscaping said:


> If you are doing this type of work day in and day out, find yourself a reputable dealer that you can build a working relationship with. I wouldnt buy any saw from a box store, or gander mtn for that matter. Its nice working with a dealer in case you need product support, or something is down and needs to be fixed. With that said, if your looking for an arborists saw, the 200T is the powerhouse of them, and probably one of the best. I run one everyday, and wouldnt want anything else in the tree with me. Its got tons of power, ballenced really well, all in all, a perfect saw in my eyes. The 192 is more of a trim saw, not really good for big removals, but it is lighter, but also far less power then the 200. Im personally a Stihl man all the way, not saying that its better then Husky or others, but just my personal prefrence. Got a full line of them from the 192 to the MS660. Also being German myself, I Love my beer and love my Stihl's!



The gander mountain has a good selection of Stihl machines. Every thing from the 192 to brush cutters to there gas engine drills (don't know its' model #). but I would agree to not buy from there. The locally owned store I mentioned does sells and service on all Stihl, Echo, Toro, Walker and etc. products, but as I said it's really high in price compared to the Gander mtn. The bad thing though about this store, is that its location is an hour from where I live. I almost need a back up for the back up. The town I live in only has locally owned hardware stores, and they only sell Poulan and the occasional Husquavarna. This is the reason why I'm searching for a another company that has slighty lower prices.


----------



## JS Landscaping (Oct 17, 2008)

Never knew gander carried stihl...at least the one up here doesnt. They did have a scag mower on dispay for a while, but that was short lived. I have always shyed away from buying from the big box stores, like supporting the little guy power equipment dealer then the big chain stores. I would definatly learn how to do all the work on your own saws. I dont know about dropping a saw off to Gander to have work done on it if need be. Not trying to bash the store, love it, get a lota good stuff there for hunting...been there quite frequently actually in the past 3 weeks getting ready for bow season, which starts tomorow here in NY. Good luck with whatever saw you end up getting.


----------



## mini14 (Oct 18, 2008)

please do not buy another echo pos....stihl or husky...i will never ever buy another echo saw, they dont publish thier hp rating for a reason. My experience from buying from the small guy= whatever they are selling is "the best"....no honesty from them, big box store= the sales people dont know jake and really dont care, but u will get at a better price and returns r usually hassle free...u do the research and be informed of what u r getting for what u r spending..dont really on mom and pop for honest answers...for mom and pop to carry certain brands they have to buy a large quantity to become a dealership, that means they have to sell a large quantity of it, so they might push u into a pos.I now buy what i want from whomever i want...when i need it...i have no loyalty..i dont live in a 1 horse town so i have many sources to buy from...thats just me.


----------



## SawTroll (Oct 18, 2008)

Wood Doctor said:


> My Echo is a fabulous saw, but Echo no longer makes it. I believe SawTroll is talking about the saws that Echo makes today--not this one that I bought 11 years ago. It is a marvelous piece of equipment--the CS 3900:




Well, it sure looks like POS......opcorn:


----------



## TimberMcPherson (Oct 18, 2008)

The echos are great value for money. They are very reliable and well built and although they lack cutting speed at times, they probably offer better bang for your buck than the others. ie if you had a budget to equip your guys with saws and had 4000 you could get more saw for you money.

The echos are good saws, they will get the job done but are not top of the line. Guys on this site are incredibly knowledgeable and know there gear well, but/and they like good gear, and the top of the pile is held by husky, stihl and dolmar. 

I worked for a company that was tight on gear (here theres a $470 difference between a stihl MS200 and echo CS350T), we had alot of echos, they got the job done, made us money and were good saws, but they werent quite as "nice" as the stihl and husky gear.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 19, 2008)

JS Landscaping said:


> Never knew gander carried stihl...at least the one up here doesnt. They did have a scag mower on dispay for a while, but that was short lived. I have always shyed away from buying from the big box stores, like supporting the little guy power equipment dealer then the big chain stores. I would definatly learn how to do all the work on your own saws. I dont know about dropping a saw off to Gander to have work done on it if need be. Not trying to bash the store, love it, get a lota good stuff there for hunting...been there quite frequently actually in the past 3 weeks getting ready for bow season, which starts tomorow here in NY. Good luck with whatever saw you end up getting.



They don't do service on any Stihl machines. they send your saw to an "authorized servicer" and you get your saw back whenever it comes back(the guy I talked to said "usually 3-4 weeks").
The local store has people who are trained in Stihl, Toro, Echo, Walker, and Exmark. 


Thanks for the advice guys


----------



## pbtree (Oct 20, 2008)

SawTroll said:


> Well, it sure looks like POS......opcorn:


opcorn:


----------



## limelakephoto (Oct 29, 2008)

If you want an echo get one. They are great saws. Basic maintenance and they damn near last forever. I use my echo a fair amount and love it, no real complaints about it. I also use a husky and love it. The Husky is more powerful but....much heavier and harder to start. The echo is light, plenty of power, easy to start and manouver. Husky comes out for cuttin' down the really big lads, then the echo comes out once it's down and stays out for most of the work. What i am saying is, I would rather work a little longer and still have my back and shoulders at the end of day with an echo. The Husky is a sick-powerful saw but heavy and harder to start. Just stay away from the echo cs-306, good reliable saw but low power (too low).


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 29, 2008)

limelakephoto said:


> If you want an echo get one. They are great saws. Basic maintenance and they damn near last forever. I use my echo a fair amount and love it, no real complaints about it. I also use a husky and love it. The Husky is more powerful but....much heavier and harder to start.
> 
> The echo is light, plenty of power, easy to start and manouver. Husky comes out for cuttin' down the really big lads, then the echo comes out once it's down and stays out for most of the work. What i am saying is, I would rather work a little longer and still have my back and shoulders at the end of day with an echo. The Husky is a sick-powerful saw but heavy and harder to start. Just stay away from the echo cs-306, good reliable saw but low power (too low).


Thanks for the support. This is one time that I think that SawTroll is dead wrong calling this chainsaw a POS. This saw is anything but that. I wager that SawTroll has never used the Echo CS3900 chainsaw and is firing from the hip.

I have used this saw for 10 years and it is marvelous. As I said in my post, Echo no longer makes it. Regardless, I am glad that I own it, and it is the general-purpose workhorse of my arsenal.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 29, 2008)

limelakephoto said:


> If you want an echo get one. They are great saws. Basic maintenance and they damn near last forever. I use my echo a fair amount and love it, no real complaints about it. I also use a husky and love it. The Husky is more powerful but....much heavier and harder to start. The echo is light, plenty of power, easy to start and manouver. Husky comes out for cuttin' down the really big lads, then the echo comes out once it's down and stays out for most of the work. What i am saying is, I would rather work a little longer and still have my back and shoulders at the end of day with an echo. The Husky is a sick-powerful saw but heavy and harder to start. Just stay away from the echo cs-306, good reliable saw but low power (too low).



thanks for the info. I'm thinking of getting the CS-330T with a 14" bar. Right now I have a Poulan Pro:jawdrop: . Yeah I know, it doesn't have the most power, but it was given to me, so why argu. I've had it for 2 years and it's done pretty good so far. only complaint is that it runs on gas (ha ha).


----------



## Nailsbeats (Oct 29, 2008)

SLlandscape said:


> Hey Nails,
> 
> There's a Gander Mountain (smaller version of Bass Pro Shop) an hour form where I live, and they have a Stihl 192t for $399.99 before tax and a 200t for $599.99 before tax. A local store in the same city has both saws, but each is $80 more in price. No one else in my area sells Stihl saws or anything Stihl related. That's why I ask if anyone knows where I can get one a little cheaper. As I said before, if I can get some of my reptiles sold I could buy 2 or 3 of them. By the way I have been landscaping for the past 4 years. Last year I started doing tree care work, because I saw an opportunity. Only 2 other people in my town do tree work. But these 2 use extension ladders or they go rent a scissor lift. Even then they still turn down most of their calls because of location or the size of tree. I know for a fact that neither one of them is ISA certified, and if you were to see some of the trees they have trimmed you would have a heart attack and smoke would come out your ears.
> 
> ...


----------



## windthrown (Oct 29, 2008)

SawTroll said:


> Mostly low powered POS, not really pro saws at all.



:agree2: :agree2: 

Some of the TH models are OK, but over time, and a lot of use, even the cheaper Stihls shine though above the Echos. ie., the 180 or the 210. I have used some 300 and 3000 size Echo saws to death. Literally. They are good saws, but after a while the plastic fails, screws strip, stuff gets lost. And the tiny bar nuts are always getting lost. I have yet to use a smaller 300 size (top or rear handle) Echo that has the original pair of baby bar nuts. I have a Stihl 020AV that is what, 35 years old now, and it is complete, starts and runs great, is stihl fixable, has no missing parts, and cuts like crazy. I cannot imagine having an Echo that old. 

My brother loves his Echo, and he wants to get another one with the Poulan Wild Thing sale proceeds. For the price, they are good saws. They take a beating, and they will hold up for a few years. But over time I have found them to be more problematic, with starting (they like to flood) and tweeking them to stay alive as they start to fade. Then of course there are the outboard clutches, and that is when I drop all thoughts of ever owning an Echo chainsaw again. I also do not like the tiny choke pop-out on them, and they are hard to get right to start. 

As an example of using them lately, my brother cut down some old arborvitae (cedar shrubs) the other day here. The Echo threw the chain 3 times, and did not have the power to get through the tough center stumps. So I whipped out my beater 025 with the low profile bar on it and semi-sharp chain, and it sailed right through. No chains tossed, and the power to finish the job, and in like, 2 minutes. Now, I am no longer a huge fan of the 250 line of Stihls any more, but they are better saws. You can get the parts off of pretty much any 021, 023, or 025, 210, 230 or 250 and it will fit right on any of them. They are not that much more expensive than the Echos of the same size ($300 vs $200). Comparing the designs, and working on them, I would rather work on the Stihls (even though I do not like working on that design type myself). I have worked on both brand saws a lot, and torn both down. Hard to rebuild an Echo. Which is why they tend to fall apart.


----------



## SLlandscape (Oct 30, 2008)

The echo I'm currently looking at would not be a permanent saw by any means. If it last the next 4-5 years thats fine with me. Mainly I want a saw that will get the job done regardless of how fast it is or how much Hp it has. And of course, cheapest price possible. Being the small company I still am I take want I can get. With the mechanical knowledge I have, reall I don't mind having to work on something if it breaks or needs a tune up (especially considering how many machines I have already). I've work on everything from rebuilding a string trimmer to replacing the hydraulic pump on a silage tractor and rebuilding a roller mill engine. This year I have done more tree related jobs than last, which has lead me to my decision of rope climbing trees. As I said before, I see an opportunity to make more money because the two other jokers only use an extension ladder or scissor lift, and you can only get so far with that. Plus one of them is not to smart to begin with. about 6 months ago he was hauling a load of branches to the land fill 5 miles outside of town when half way there his load of 10" diamater trunks FELL OFF his flat bed trailer. my buddy on the fire dept. said he did'nt have a single rope, strap, or chain holding down the load. Need less to say, he got a HUGE TICKET form THP.


----------



## bushinspector (Nov 4, 2008)

We are running the 360 T as a trim saw. This is the saw we are running each time we are cutting. An excellent little saw for the money.


----------



## SLlandscape (Nov 5, 2008)

bushinspector said:


> We are running the 360 T as a trim saw. This is the saw we are running each time we are cutting. An excellent little saw for the money.



Iv'e been looking around on the net for stihl, echo, and husquavarna saws for sale new or used and found some good prices. today My brother-in-law called and said he found a saw in denver, where he lives. So, at christmas when we go up there I'll get from him. he got it at auction for $125 (Ms 192T). He emailed pictures of it and it looks to be in good condition and it does run. Only one problem with the saw.......... it runs on gas.... bummer!


----------



## cmetalbend (Nov 6, 2008)

My little Echo 280E is a feistly little thing, I use it up high, doesn't weigh squat and uses 50/1 mix. Like my stihl's. :notrolls2:


----------



## SLlandscape (Nov 6, 2008)

Nailsbeats said:


> Yeah, good luck with that, resonable price and Stihl don't belong in the same sentence, lol. It's more like premium price period. That should be their new marketing scheme, the premium price guarantee.



Hey nails bought an stihl 192T this afternoon, So far I'm pretty happy with it. I was able to sell a couple of snakes and a ghecko so I figured, why not? Cost me $335. The store is having an end of season sale.


----------



## pinemartin (Nov 6, 2008)

:agree2: 



the 280E has lasted me for 6 years now with 0 problems


----------



## SLlandscape (Nov 6, 2008)

pinemartin said:


> :agree2:
> 
> 
> 
> the 280E has lasted me for 6 years now with 0 problems



I've used some of their other gas machines and they do pretty good but I leaned to stihl for the saw because of research I did on both.


----------



## md_tree_dood (Nov 9, 2008)

SLlandscape said:


> People not mentioning them is what makes me think they are not a good chainsaw. I'm not picky about what I use, I just want a reliable saw that will serve its purpose for as long as possible. I'm picky about the price however, mainly because I'm a relatively small company. I have one part time employee and if something breaks down I'm s.o.l. if I don't have the money to replace it.



"I just want a reliable saw" is why people talk about stihl and husky all the time and don't talk about echos. I've used a few different 3xx and found found that the build quality and the power ratio is such that the cost benefit isn't there. The 200T is the industry standard that all saws are measured by in my opinion and even the husky's don't stand up to it. If price is an issue get a 192 which while not nearly as good as a 200T is a viable alternative if you're not doing a lot of removals or using it very often.


----------



## Bearcreek (Nov 10, 2008)

All i've used are stihl and echo. The echo's are light but don't have the power of the stihl 200t. I never used a husky climbing saw. Never wanted to. They weigh a ton!


----------



## ironman_gq (Nov 10, 2008)

the dealer here is going out of the stihl business and all their saws are 15% off. If i had any extra money id get a 192 for trimming around my deer stands. I have a feeling that the discounts will get steeper as the season goes on and they dont sell their expensive stuff


----------



## mcoleman88 (Nov 10, 2008)

I actually looked at the factory specs the other day for both the 200T and whatever the XP Husky climbing saw is and the Husky actually had a little more power and weighed the same. Never ran one but was curious because our Stihl mechanic is a knuckle-head.


----------



## webberm249 (Nov 11, 2008)

*is this a good deal for this saw? poulan pro 655*

my neighbor has a poulan pro 655 i think it about 100cc, it has a 32 inch bar on it, i have used this saw and it cuts like an animal, it is an older saw but he didnt use it much it still has the original chain that came with it it is still on the saw and has about 75% wear on it, it has been well maintained and starts every time on two or three cranks with the pull style choke, he told me he would give it to me for 425$, just wondering if i would be getting a deal, cant find any info on this saw, any input appreciated, thanks.....


----------



## SLlandscape (Nov 11, 2008)

webberm249 said:


> my neighbor has a poulan pro 655 i think it about 100cc, it has a 32 inch bar on it, i have used this saw and it cuts like an animal, it is an older saw but he didnt use it much it still has the original chain that came with it it is still on the saw and has about 75% wear on it, it has been well maintained and starts every time on two or three cranks with the pull style choke, he told me he would give it to me for 425$, just wondering if i would be getting a deal, cant find any info on this saw, any input appreciated, thanks.....



Personally I would not pay that much for a used saw. But I don't know what some of the other guys on here would think.


----------



## Taxmantoo (Nov 13, 2008)

bushinspector said:


> We are running the 360 T as a trim saw. This is the saw we are running each time we are cutting. An excellent little saw for the money.



I suppose you can get by with that until Stihl comes out with the 361T.


----------



## farmer (Nov 17, 2008)

I bought an echo 3400 about 10 years ago. I did do some research before buying it and sevearal people spoke highly of it. It is still working, but it is underpowered and carb/fuel line has been troublesome. I took it to the dealer when still on warranty and I have worked on it too. Seems to vary or surge somewhat on power. Not like an air leak where it screams. It dogs out. I wouldn't buy another small echo. I don't know much about the bigger ones.


----------



## TKO-KID (Nov 17, 2008)

SLlandscape said:


> Hey Nails,
> 
> There's a Gander Mountain (smaller version of Bass Pro Shop) an hour form where I live, and they have a Stihl 192t for $399.99 before tax and a 200t for $599.99 before tax. A local store in the same city has both saws, but each is $80 more in price. No one else in my area sells Stihl saws or anything Stihl related. That's why I ask if anyone knows where I can get one a little cheaper. As I said before, if I can get some of my reptiles sold I could buy 2 or 3 of them. By the way I have been landscaping for the past 4 years. Last year I started doing tree care work, because I saw an opportunity. Only 2 other people in my town do tree work. But these 2 use extension ladders or they go rent a scissor lift. Even then they still turn down most of their calls because of location or the size of tree. I know for a fact that neither one of them is ISA certified, and if you were to see some of the trees they have trimmed you would have a heart attack and smoke would come out your ears.
> 
> ...




Go here and you can check out the prices of stihl locally in your area. SOme places mark the price up on their show room floor but the real price is on the site. http://stihlusa.com/chainsaws/

Just click the type of saw you want and put in your zip code to find a dealer and it will tell you the price there depending on bar size.


Hope this helps.

That site is why I wonder so many people try to sell their used stihls for more then they cost newon craigslist or ebay, and they don't think you can just go check out the price on stihl's website.


----------



## trouba (Nov 17, 2008)

I love my Echos although the chains that came on the 306 and the 370 leave a bit to be desired, just toss the safety chain and don't look back. 
As far as being under powered the 306 with a 12in bar is what I like to use, had it buried in some very hard oak this weekend with no trouble bogging or keeping up with my buddies Stihl. On a side note my arms were a lot less tired than his.


----------



## Octane (Nov 17, 2008)

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with an Echo chainsaw. I used my neibor's 35cc Echo a couple months back and it would run head to head with my Stihl 021.
Not to mention that the Echo started way eaiser than my Stihl ever has. Whereas I have to pull my Stihl 5 or 6 times to get it started, that Echo started on 2 pulls every time.
IMO, a lot of people are so hung up on brand imagine on this site, that they mindlessly think Stihl or Husky and dont even consider anything else.
Stihl and Husky definetly make good stuff, but its not as if they are the only ones who know how to make a good chainsaw. 
We've owned a couple Echo trimmers, both of which never gave us a moment of trouble. I havent hadnt any trouble with my Echo leafblower and when my 021 is dead it will be replaced by a 35-40cc Echo chainsaw.
Echo makes good stuff. Always has and hopefully they always will. Anyone who says otherwise either doesnt know what they are talking about or is so hung up on their Stihl/Husky that they cant stand to admit that there are plenty of companies out there that make great chainsaws.


----------



## woodchuck247 (Nov 20, 2008)

I am mostly familiar with stihl and when i went to the gie expo i went around to all the saw dealers and talked to them just to see what there products were like and how they compared. when i went to the echo booth they told me that all there saws from the 50cc and on down beet any stihl 50cc and down in overall aspects.(power to weight and etc..). Never really looked into it more than that convo but i would not mind giving them a test run.


----------



## Climbing Cutter (Nov 20, 2008)

I picked up a cs330 a month or so back while my 200t and 192 were in the shop. I thought that i liked it at first, it seemed to have the same power as my 192. Within the first 3 tanks of gas the air filter cover fell off twice. Today i dropped it about 15 feet, well now the chain tensioner no longer works. The saw is just not made to hold up to everyday professional use. IMO


----------



## windthrown (Nov 20, 2008)

Octane said:


> Theres absolutely nothing wrong with an Echo chainsaw.




Well... :monkey: 

Except for the outboard clutches... :monkey: 

And the cheaper plastic and more of it... :monkey: 

And the tiny bar nuts... :monkey: 

And the cheap bars and chains that come on them... :monkey: 

And the fact that most of the small ones have crappy air filters right at the front where all the sawdust is... :monkey: 

And the observation that I have made using them that they do not hold up as long as the orange saws do. :greenchainsaw:

And the fact that they tend to gunk up faster than the orange saws do with crud in the clutch, and the brake handles are more flimsy.

They are cheaper though.


----------



## SLlandscape (Nov 21, 2008)

I agree windthrown, the echos do have a flimsy brake handle. That was part of my decision to go with stihl. I bought a 192t about 2 weeks ago. So far I'm pretty happy with it. only complaint is it takes awhile to warm up and not shut off when cutting.


----------



## windthrown (Nov 21, 2008)

Well, if it is a new one, it will take about 10 tanks of gas to break in and run right. Good choice though. Looks like a tough little saw. Use super gas and full synthetic oil in her, and she will run for a long long time. 

I no longer have any top handle saws. Though I one-hand my 361s now and then, I tended to cut one-handed way too much with the Echo 3000 TH. I also sold my Stihl 020AV which was a TH. Heavy all-metal saw that one was. Ran and cut good though. It will last forever (though they are no longer carrying parts for it at the Stihl shops, and so I figured it was time to unload it).


----------



## propliner (Dec 10, 2008)

*655*

webberm249, buy that PP655 and rest assured that you'll never need a more powerful saw, and sleep soundly knowing you paid less than half of the cost of a 395xp, and that your grandkids will be cutting with it when they are old and grey.


----------



## webberm249 (Dec 11, 2008)

propliner said:


> webberm249, buy that PP655 and rest assured that you'll never need a more powerful saw, and sleep soundly knowing you paid less than half of the cost of a 395xp, and that your grandkids will be cutting with it when they are old and grey.



haha, thanks for the advice man, i already bought it like two weeks ago, i figured i wasnt gonna get a 100cc saw for less than 425$, it still has the original chain on it that came with the saw, i modded a oregon 24' bar for it, and went to 3/8 chain instead of .404 o n the original 34' bar, the thing is just an animal, dont know any other way to describe it, its friggen awesome, it laughs at anything i put in front of it, i saw a pp225, i think? on craigs list, i am trying to get that one too, the older poulan pros are the shi#, even when the 34' bar with .404 was on it, it sailed through a 28' oak log, finished up and was panting for more log action, like "thats all you got for me?!? haha"


----------



## webberm249 (Dec 11, 2008)

webberm249 said:


> haha, thanks for the advice man, i already bought it like two weeks ago, i figured i wasnt gonna get a 100cc saw for less than 425$, it still has the original chain on it that came with the saw, i modded a oregon 24' bar for it, and went to 3/8 chain instead of .404 o n the original 34' bar, the thing is just an animal, dont know any other way to describe it, its friggen awesome, it laughs at anything i put in front of it, i saw a pp225, i think? on craigs list, i am trying to get that one too, the older poulan pros are the shi#, even when the 34' bar with .404 was on it, it sailed through a 28' oak log, finished up and was panting for more log action, like "thats all you got for me?!? haha"



heres my new baby


----------



## Bigus Termitius (Dec 11, 2008)

webberm249 said:


> heres my new baby



It's missing something...needs a paint job.


----------



## arbor pro (Dec 11, 2008)

I don't know how anyone who does tree work full-time can justify NOT having the best top-handle saw out there - whether that's the stihl ms200t or something else. This is the saw that's your bread and butter - at least for me. I agree that they're expensive but there are certainly good used units available. People buy used vehicles all the time, why not a good used chainsaw? A local stihl dealer of mine just happens to be the biggest and oldest dealer in the midwest. They participate in a stihl trade-in program where you can trade in your ms200t every year and get a new one with a full one-year warranty (not the standard 90-day commercial warranty). Then, they go completely through the traded-in ms200ts and get them running as good as a new one again and sell them for half the price. I bought one of their trade-in units last year as a backup to my other ms200t for $350. They had three others available for $300 but the one I wanted was just like new and had the composite bar plus ported out. Well worth the extra $50 as now I use that saw as my primary and my other ms200t as the backup. 

My point is, I'd rather buy a good refurbished used ms200t over a new Echo any day. That's just my general equipment philosophy. I'd rather run an older ariens snowblower than a new mtd or yardman. The cheapos just aren't built to last. In the long haul, there's a reason why the good stuff costs more - generally, it's built to last.


----------



## Scots Climber (Dec 11, 2008)

The only Echo product I own and have used is the PPT265ES Pole Pruner. So far I'm pretty impressed although at full extension it is a little unwieldy. The motor etc. have been fine so far, revs well, idles properly without needing constant adjustment like other brush cutters and similar tools I've used in the past. The saw and hedge trimmer attachments are pretty solid too. When it comes to chainsaws I personally stick to Stihl as the really are the mutts nuts.


----------



## propliner (Dec 11, 2008)

*655*

webbern 249, that 655 looks like the twin brother to mine, a fantastic saw indeed, and the best sounding of any I've ever heard. I'd be wary of the non-Pioneer designed Poulan Pro saws, they are basically light duty homeowner plastic junk. Stick with the 405, 455 525 and 655 (if you can find them) and you will not go wrong.


----------



## OLD CHIPMONK (Dec 12, 2008)

Purchase a "Husky 3120" & your cutting problems are solved. Nothing bigger or badder !!!!!!!!!!!!!!:deadhorse: :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## webberm249 (Dec 12, 2008)

propliner said:


> webbern 249, that 655 looks like the twin brother to mine, a fantastic saw indeed, and the best sounding of any I've ever heard. I'd be wary of the non-Pioneer designed Poulan Pro saws, they are basically light duty homeowner plastic junk. Stick with the 405, 455 525 and 655 (if you can find them) and you will not go wrong.



so basically anything 405 and up? yeah they are hard to find, but i would love to stumble on some more, never know when a yard sale gem will turn up...


----------



## thejdman04 (Dec 17, 2008)

PersonallyI dont run echo because there is no LOCAL dealer, dealer and suport is very important.


----------



## elkman14 (Dec 17, 2008)

hey everyone, new to the site, pretty interesting. I had a neighbor give me a chainsaw that Im having a hard time keeping it running. Any suggestions, it will start with a little gas primering it and run at full throttle but dies as soon as I let off plus blows white smoke. It is a skilsaw 1614 any help would be appreciated.


----------



## Scots Climber (Dec 19, 2008)

elkman14 said:


> hey everyone, new to the site, pretty interesting. I had a neighbor give me a chainsaw that Im having a hard time keeping it running. Any suggestions, it will start with a little gas primering it and run at full throttle but dies as soon as I let off plus blows white smoke. It is a skilsaw 1614 any help would be appreciated.



Sounds like it just needs a good old service. Clean and gap check or replace the plug and check the fuel mix is not too rich.


----------



## SLlandscape (Dec 20, 2008)

Scots Climber said:


> Sounds like it just needs a good old service. Clean and gap check or replace the plug and check the fuel mix is not too rich.



I second that. Just give it a good cleaning and replace the air filter, spark plug, check the fuel filter, and retune the carb if needed. let us know what happens.


----------



## likemysaws (Jan 1, 2009)

*Dolmar*

Not much discussion about Dolmars here. I went out to buy a Stihl and came home with a Dolmar. Was a little more expensive than a similar Stihl, but I bot it because it was a 9 lb. saw with 39cc's and compression release. Now my shoulder doesnt hurt after a little cutting. It cuts 12" oak and hedge like butter. i love it!


----------



## mowoodchopper (Jan 30, 2009)

likemysaws said:


> Not much discussion about Dolmars here. I went out to buy a Stihl and came home with a Dolmar. Was a little more expensive than a similar Stihl, but I bot it because it was a 9 lb. saw with 39cc's and compression release. Now my shoulder doesnt hurt after a little cutting. It cuts 12" oak and hedge like butter. i love it!



I also think the dolmar is way more saw for the money than a stihl! As far as that goes Ive never had a stihl I thought was worth what I paid for it, Dolmar rules!
:greenchainsaw:


----------



## hokiewheeler (Jan 31, 2009)

I've always liked the old homelite saws, super xl vintage. Parts are getting harder to find and I wouldn't want one for a climbing saw. I see you got yours already, I'd look for an 020 for climbing/trimming. I think they run better than stihls but they don't pull the chain as fast (also they have a wider kerf). I like echo equipment though, I've used their blowers, trimmers and tillers and they're ok. We had one beat up old echo blower at this one place I worked, the thing leaked out the head gasket and the plastic was all beat up but it still ran.


----------



## PhilKawasakiuser (Apr 30, 2016)

Is my Husqvarna 45 and 137 worth much of anything anymore? I am wondering this since I recently bought another 45 that someone completely disassembled and never put back together that feels like the bearings are solid and it has good compression 140. Its currently missing the chainbrake/sidecover and muffler which I quickly put on my 45 since these parts had serious problems and this box containing all the parts for a 45 for less than half what I would have paid at the dealer for those couple parts and didn't want to bother spending much on it since its just a old saw I bought cheaply labeled as not running and for repair or parts only as was the 137 which only needed the fine screen inside the carb replaced and all new fuel lines/filters. I know my practically new homelite is a cheap saw since I paid 60-70 for it new with the case when I didn't feel like driving a few hours in a gas guzzler getting 7mpg so I could run by my home to grab a saw. I figured that the time and gas was to great to not just buy it. I did only have to use it for ten minutes that day and did notice that after it was mostly broken in it was running a bit lean. I have had no real experience using echo saws but there blowers are not bad overall compared to stihl if you don't mind alot of extra noise a little more weight and if they need to be rebuilt spending half the amount a new one would cost. Actually echo blowers are fine if using outdated equipment suites you well. I believe stihl probably makes the all around best chainsaws and has been doing that for longer than I have been alive. Echo tho still is better than the stuff that is coming out of china. The only thing I am unsure about with Stihl is how they typically use zama carbs on most everything designed for homeowners and there MS250 from what I have been told only has one ring instead of the two that they use to claim everything by Stihl had. My McCulloch PM310 even has 2 rings on it and I got it for 5 bucks. The only thing I got cheaper was a Echo GT-2400 weedeater for 3.50 in perfect condition which ended up going in a trade for a Stihl FS90R that the owner didn't want to replace the broken throttle cable on or bother waiting for it since he always talks bad about Stihl saying they are too heavy for him to use. He loves the echo tho. I didn't make the offer either so don't think I went out of my way to practically steel it from him. We also squashed a 40 dollar debt he owed and helped sell his homelite electric saw getting him out of that unfortunate purchase since he couldn't use it safely.


----------



## jefflovstrom (Apr 30, 2016)

PhilKawasakiuser said:


> Is my Husqvarna 45 and 137 worth much of anything anymore? I am wondering this since I recently bought another 45 that someone completely disassembled and never put back together that feels like the bearings are solid and it has good compression 140. Its currently missing the chainbrake/sidecover and muffler which I quickly put on my 45 since these parts had serious problems and this box containing all the parts for a 45 for less than half what I would have paid at the dealer for those couple parts and didn't want to bother spending much on it since its just a old saw I bought cheaply labeled as not running and for repair or parts only as was the 137 which only needed the fine screen inside the carb replaced and all new fuel lines/filters. I know my practically new homelite is a cheap saw since I paid 60-70 for it new with the case when I didn't feel like driving a few hours in a gas guzzler getting 7mpg so I could run by my home to grab a saw. I figured that the time and gas was to great to not just buy it. I did only have to use it for ten minutes that day and did notice that after it was mostly broken in it was running a bit lean. I have had no real experience using echo saws but there blowers are not bad overall compared to stihl if you don't mind alot of extra noise a little more weight and if they need to be rebuilt spending half the amount a new one would cost. Actually echo blowers are fine if using outdated equipment suites you well. I believe stihl probably makes the all around best chainsaws and has been doing that for longer than I have been alive. Echo tho still is better than the stuff that is coming out of china. The only thing I am unsure about with Stihl is how they typically use zama carbs on most everything designed for homeowners and there MS250 from what I have been told only has one ring instead of the two that they use to claim everything by Stihl had. My McCulloch PM310 even has 2 rings on it and I got it for 5 bucks. The only thing I got cheaper was a Echo GT-2400 weedeater for 3.50 in perfect condition which ended up going in a trade for a Stihl FS90R that the owner didn't want to replace the broken throttle cable on or bother waiting for it since he always talks bad about Stihl saying they are too heavy for him to use. He loves the echo tho. I didn't make the offer either so don't think I went out of my way to practically steel it from him. We also squashed a 40 dollar debt he owed and helped sell his homelite electric saw getting him out of that unfortunate purchase since he couldn't use it safely.



If you are a pro,,use a pro saw,,,
Jeff


----------

