The bucket man
ArboristSite Lurker
My tree company wants to switch to echo saws because of price and commercial warrantee. Whats your take on echo saws?
Echo chain saws to do professional tree work??
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May be buying an Echo myself, so I'll be paying attention to this one.
I have a CS-355T that replaced a Husqvarna 338XPT. It can be a bear to start when it is cold, but once running it cuts like a charm. I've had it in Honey locust and Pin oak a little bigger than the 14" bar and it just kept going.
This subject has a LOT of Pro's and Cons.
First, my two brothers and I have been Sthil uses for a long time. I'm guessing 30+ years.
I was the first to step our of the box and bought a Poulan Pro 380. That was about 1993-94. That saw kicked the crap out the the Sthil 029 which we were using sometime. My Brothers stuck with Sthil. Someone gifted me a Poulan 2150. Back then Poulan made good saws. Since the 2150 was free I decided to use it up. That saw was light and cut good. It survived being dropped out of the top of a Tree. The Sthil 024 was my go to small saw. Then in 2015 the Poulan 380 was getting old so I replaced it and decided on Echo 590. The 590 never needed Warranty. I was sold a Echo cs 310 for limbs but even after a MM couldn't impress me. My dealer suggested a Echo cs352. By then one brother had bought an Echo cs620 P. My other brother bought a Sthil 391.
My cs590 cut along side the Sthil 391 and kept up easily.
The new Echo cs352 dropped a chain and the chain catcher (a cheap plastic **** thing attached to the plastic side plate snapped right off. The cs352 was about 4-6 weeks old at the time. I took it to my dealer. The HONEST guy was gone and a Gorilla was now over the Shop. His EXACT words were this, Well you bought q CHEAP SAW. NO we will not WARRANTY that part. They offered to fix it and CHARGE ME. Screw me once and I give birth to hate and anger which never dies. Yes it's a cheap part. BUT lies are lies and I hate liars, forever.
I fixed my saw. I melted MORE plastic and beefed up the cheap Chain Catcher.
I used that saw today. I have a cs490 which I like. I still use my OLD Sthils at times but at my age 72, the lighter saws seem to be easier to use.
After my experience my guess is what Model you buy of any brand makes a difference.
I'm not sure Sthil is worth the price difference.
I'm not sure ANYONE will TRULY honor the warranty.
I sometimes think that buying a Saw is like getting married.. Eventually It's gonna dissapoint you down at times.
We tend to really like a saw or grow to hate it.
My choices are always Echo or Sthil depends upon. CC compared to CC compared to price.
Sthil is like that pretty young thing but Echo is the Fat gal.
Both get the job done. Both require some tender care. Both need to be handled gently.
In the end most of us love what we choose.
I like lower prices. Good quaility and easy to start. Even if I think the Echo Warrant is a joke. I'd not bet Sthil would be better. However, if I had to toss a saw out of a tree I'd guess the old Sthil 024/026 might get less damage. The newer Sthil saws, are anyone's guess.
Good luck.
First, my two brothers and I have been Sthil uses for a long time. I'm guessing 30+ years.
I was the first to step our of the box and bought a Poulan Pro 380. That was about 1993-94. That saw kicked the crap out the the Sthil 029 which we were using sometime. My Brothers stuck with Sthil. Someone gifted me a Poulan 2150. Back then Poulan made good saws. Since the 2150 was free I decided to use it up. That saw was light and cut good. It survived being dropped out of the top of a Tree. The Sthil 024 was my go to small saw. Then in 2015 the Poulan 380 was getting old so I replaced it and decided on Echo 590. The 590 never needed Warranty. I was sold a Echo cs 310 for limbs but even after a MM couldn't impress me. My dealer suggested a Echo cs352. By then one brother had bought an Echo cs620 P. My other brother bought a Sthil 391.
My cs590 cut along side the Sthil 391 and kept up easily.
The new Echo cs352 dropped a chain and the chain catcher (a cheap plastic **** thing attached to the plastic side plate snapped right off. The cs352 was about 4-6 weeks old at the time. I took it to my dealer. The HONEST guy was gone and a Gorilla was now over the Shop. His EXACT words were this, Well you bought q CHEAP SAW. NO we will not WARRANTY that part. They offered to fix it and CHARGE ME. Screw me once and I give birth to hate and anger which never dies. Yes it's a cheap part. BUT lies are lies and I hate liars, forever.
I fixed my saw. I melted MORE plastic and beefed up the cheap Chain Catcher.
I used that saw today. I have a cs490 which I like. I still use my OLD Sthils at times but at my age 72, the lighter saws seem to be easier to use.
After my experience my guess is what Model you buy of any brand makes a difference.
I'm not sure Sthil is worth the price difference.
I'm not sure ANYONE will TRULY honor the warranty.
I sometimes think that buying a Saw is like getting married.. Eventually It's gonna dissapoint you down at times.
We tend to really like a saw or grow to hate it.
My choices are always Echo or Sthil depends upon. CC compared to CC compared to price.
Sthil is like that pretty young thing but Echo is the Fat gal.
Both get the job done. Both require some tender care. Both need to be handled gently.
In the end most of us love what we choose.
I like lower prices. Good quaility and easy to start. Even if I think the Echo Warrant is a joke. I'd not bet Sthil would be better. However, if I had to toss a saw out of a tree I'd guess the old Sthil 024/026 might get less damage. The newer Sthil saws, are anyone's guess.
Good luck.
IyaMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have a couple top handle Hitachi saws (Echo clones that are essentially the same saw branded differently) that I use when climbing and pruning, as well as for limbing and cutting small diameter.
I have literally beaten the crap out of them... exploded the clutch, melted the brake, fried the dynamo,... I've dropped from heights, left in rain, and run for good lengths without chain oil...
And still they keep on going despite how horrible of a user I've been. Like an old Timex... takes a lickin but keeps on tickin.
Only factory problem I would say is the cut-off switch. On both of my saws (same model) it has broken and doesn't switch off anymore (my 2nd saw switch broke within the first month before I had a chance to beat it up, so I know it wasn't me). So I had to replace the $1 switch with a better one (it wasn't worth the hassle of going through warrenty, yet fixing it was annoying since the switchis in the handle and screwing the throttle linkage back together is a pain).
Hopefully in the Echo verson the switch is better, but as for the engine, its a brute.
I have literally beaten the crap out of them... exploded the clutch, melted the brake, fried the dynamo,... I've dropped from heights, left in rain, and run for good lengths without chain oil...
And still they keep on going despite how horrible of a user I've been. Like an old Timex... takes a lickin but keeps on tickin.
Only factory problem I would say is the cut-off switch. On both of my saws (same model) it has broken and doesn't switch off anymore (my 2nd saw switch broke within the first month before I had a chance to beat it up, so I know it wasn't me). So I had to replace the $1 switch with a better one (it wasn't worth the hassle of going through warrenty, yet fixing it was annoying since the switchis in the handle and screwing the throttle linkage back together is a pain).
Hopefully in the Echo verson the switch is better, but as for the engine, its a brute.
IyaMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
Oh, I forgot mention, if the kill switch also happens to fail for you too, you gotta remover the air filter cover and pull the cap off the spark plug to shut it off.
Again "like a woman" comes to mind. Get em cranked up and pissed off and they can't be shut off. I recommend every man have two houses. A hide away. When my X would start I learned that reason don't work when dealing with feelings. I also learned to just get as far away as possible and let her run outta gas. WHICH brings me back to the subject.
Once I had a Chainsaw kill switch fail.
I removed the Gas cap, flipped ger on her side (we are still talking Chainsaws here! though another thought popped in my head) and poured the Gas on a fire ant hill. Repaired the switch and considered an apology to the fire Ants but I did one better. I peed on the Survivors and told em to have a nice day.
Once I had a Chainsaw kill switch fail.
I removed the Gas cap, flipped ger on her side (we are still talking Chainsaws here! though another thought popped in my head) and poured the Gas on a fire ant hill. Repaired the switch and considered an apology to the fire Ants but I did one better. I peed on the Survivors and told em to have a nice day.
99% of the time, with ANY chainsaw manufacturer, unless it's blatantly obvious that the damage to the saw was caused by some defect in workmanship, they're going to fight you on claims.
I would not base what equipment I use on warranty. You blow one up after the first 5 hours of run time, they're going to tell you it was straight gassed, run out of tune, improper oiling, etc.
Quality, price, dealer support, parts availability, performance, base your purchases on those tangible benefits of a product. Warranty is just a feel good measure 99% of the time. Use it if you can, but don't rely on it.
For me, Stihl is a better option. It's higher priced, but IMO i think the price is worth the increase in quality and performance. Not to mention, there's really no Echo dealer support around here. Almost all Stihl with a few Husky and a Jred joint thrown in. I basically can't drive 10 miles out of my town in any direction without driving past a Stihl dealer.
I would not base what equipment I use on warranty. You blow one up after the first 5 hours of run time, they're going to tell you it was straight gassed, run out of tune, improper oiling, etc.
Quality, price, dealer support, parts availability, performance, base your purchases on those tangible benefits of a product. Warranty is just a feel good measure 99% of the time. Use it if you can, but don't rely on it.
For me, Stihl is a better option. It's higher priced, but IMO i think the price is worth the increase in quality and performance. Not to mention, there's really no Echo dealer support around here. Almost all Stihl with a few Husky and a Jred joint thrown in. I basically can't drive 10 miles out of my town in any direction without driving past a Stihl dealer.
Echo and Stihl all over around here. 2 Husky dealers became Stihl dealers last year and can’t remember the last time I saw a Husky dealer
I learned not to buy based on warranty with Rigid tools, the "lifetime warranty" was largely useless. Guess they didn't want any more of my money anyway. Switched to Milwaukee, which has proven to be an entirely different class of tool, although I guess they still got the last laugh as it's the same parent company.
One question would be the company's desired asset life. I have 2 Echos - a CS400 and a CS590. They start easy, cut great and have overall exceeded my expectations, but I don't make my living with them. While you can get excellent aftermarket bars and chains, there seem to be more rebuild components like cylinders and pistons available for Stihl and Husky pro models both through the dealer network and from aftermarket suppliers like Baileys. If you use chainsaws all day every day and rebuild your own equipment, one of the others might be a better choice. If you use them a few times a week, you'll get an excellent tool with a low initial investment out of an Echo.
So far after Market Echo stuff has not been easy to find on the cheap.
I bought a used Sthil 029 and changed it from Spur drive to Rim and changed it from .325 to 3/8 chain. The cost for rim drive and clutch was half what it would cost to change the Spur to Rim on my Echo cs590 UNLESS I'm just not finding the correct source. Dealer wanted 60 bucks for clutch drum compared to the 25 for Sthil.
Also here is a HINT.
Some saws hold the clutch drum to the saw with a Clip.
To keep that clip from getting lost during removal and install I slip dental floss under the clip and secure it. 3 feel long or more. If the clip goes flying the string makes it a snap (pun) to find. Have a great day
I bought a used Sthil 029 and changed it from Spur drive to Rim and changed it from .325 to 3/8 chain. The cost for rim drive and clutch was half what it would cost to change the Spur to Rim on my Echo cs590 UNLESS I'm just not finding the correct source. Dealer wanted 60 bucks for clutch drum compared to the 25 for Sthil.
Also here is a HINT.
Some saws hold the clutch drum to the saw with a Clip.
To keep that clip from getting lost during removal and install I slip dental floss under the clip and secure it. 3 feel long or more. If the clip goes flying the string makes it a snap (pun) to find. Have a great day
Pricing of the Echo,s make them quite popular , decent saws for homeowner and firewood cutter . Not sure they are the go to saw for true Professional feller,s !
champion221elite
ArboristSite Operative
Echo makes nice stuff. Might not be the fastest cutting, lightest weight or highest HP/weight ratio, but good stuff at a fair price. I have an Echo CS490 and its a solid saw. They really seem to wake up with some run time. A muff mod and a re-tune helps immensely.
Well guys I'm a retired ole guy who plays at working. I long to climb and probably could (almost 73) but at my age I think I'm in to good health to ruin what may be another 20 good years so, now days I'm not a professional but can't totally stop working.
At this time the Echo cs352 cs490 get used when a bigger saw isn't required.
The Sthil 029 runs good but is almost as heavy as the cs590 and isn't nearly as strong. If my memory is right Sthil 029 is about 54 cc. The Echo 590 about 59cc. And they weigh nearly the same so about all I use these days are Echoes.
I considered putting a bigger jug on the Sthil but this saw is in good shape and really not needed. Besides my younger brother runs a Sthil 391 and my Echo cs590 keeps up with him. I may talk to a guy that wantsdoe of my Sthils and sell him one Two or all three. Saws are like Women. There was a time when I couldn't get enough but now at my age (72.5) , 7,or 8, just ain't necessary. I can get by with 1 most of the time, two on special occasions and three once in a great while but then, only 1 at a time.
At this time the Echo cs352 cs490 get used when a bigger saw isn't required.
The Sthil 029 runs good but is almost as heavy as the cs590 and isn't nearly as strong. If my memory is right Sthil 029 is about 54 cc. The Echo 590 about 59cc. And they weigh nearly the same so about all I use these days are Echoes.
I considered putting a bigger jug on the Sthil but this saw is in good shape and really not needed. Besides my younger brother runs a Sthil 391 and my Echo cs590 keeps up with him. I may talk to a guy that wantsdoe of my Sthils and sell him one Two or all three. Saws are like Women. There was a time when I couldn't get enough but now at my age (72.5) , 7,or 8, just ain't necessary. I can get by with 1 most of the time, two on special occasions and three once in a great while but then, only 1 at a time.
The Singing Arborist
ArboristSite Operative
I only have Echo saws in my company. This is mainly because of their great value, but also my local saw shop is an echo dealer. I believe though, you should look at which saw to buy, more than what brand to buy. The previously mentioned cs490, cs590, and 355t's are amazing saws especially at their price. I also have the 2511t and it's my favorite saw now. I have the cs800 and I'm not a huge fan of it. It's ok but I wish I got a ms660 or husky 572 instead. Each manufacturer has their gold and their lemons.
You hit the nail on the head. Brand name doesn't mean as much as it once did as long as we stay with brands with good dealership support and trustworthy brands. My older brother just bought a new Wood shark on sale very cheap from Wallyworld. I spoke with him today and he said he likes it. If I remember correctly (it's been a while since I saw one) it's a small green Poulan with no AV. Smaller but probably similar to the Poulan 2150. I used the 2150 as a climbing saw a few times. At 37cc it performed well but no AV. I gave that saw away to a helper. I'm to old to have a saw that needs to be fiddled with and numbs my arms but, a few limbs once in a while. He's satisfied. He uses a Sthil 250 most of the time but the deal was to sweet to pass up.
In the end each person has to make up his or her own mind. A friend once talked me into buying a Box Store Ryobie. It started well. Ran fine, had power, was light but after 5 days of heavy use it was weak tired and returned. The Echo cs352 has been well used and like my X wife its gotten better and better with time. She's gone but the Saw is still a honey. You just gotta make up your own mind about a saw. It's personal. My only advice is stick with a saw brand with an honest reputation. Pick one out that fits you. Hint: my Echo cs 352 cuts about as well as my Sthil 024 which is 42cc and the cs352 is 34cc. Like my X wife said, when it comes to a size difference people can get fooled. Compare the Sthil 029 with the Sthil 026. 54cc and 50cc. Not a lot of size difference but the Sthil 029 with mm and a few changes seems like a LOT bigger saw. Only 4cc bigger. The Echo cs310 is about 30 cc compared to a xs352 at 34cc yet the cs 310 isn't nearly the saw the cs352 is. Size can go either way. Some saws cut like a bigger saw and some not so impressive.
Is say study model and brad before making a decision.
Good luck
In the end each person has to make up his or her own mind. A friend once talked me into buying a Box Store Ryobie. It started well. Ran fine, had power, was light but after 5 days of heavy use it was weak tired and returned. The Echo cs352 has been well used and like my X wife its gotten better and better with time. She's gone but the Saw is still a honey. You just gotta make up your own mind about a saw. It's personal. My only advice is stick with a saw brand with an honest reputation. Pick one out that fits you. Hint: my Echo cs 352 cuts about as well as my Sthil 024 which is 42cc and the cs352 is 34cc. Like my X wife said, when it comes to a size difference people can get fooled. Compare the Sthil 029 with the Sthil 026. 54cc and 50cc. Not a lot of size difference but the Sthil 029 with mm and a few changes seems like a LOT bigger saw. Only 4cc bigger. The Echo cs310 is about 30 cc compared to a xs352 at 34cc yet the cs 310 isn't nearly the saw the cs352 is. Size can go either way. Some saws cut like a bigger saw and some not so impressive.
Is say study model and brad before making a decision.
Good luck
Most Stihl Dealerships around here also sell Husquarna . Common sight in Ontario . Numerous Echo Dealerships here also are Cub Cadet and a Toro Agent .Not sure if there is an affiliation or just coincidence , however common place non the less !
NeSurfcaster
ArboristSite Operative
I properly maintained/tuned echo 590/600p/620p is just as good as any other 60cc saw. The guy I do side work w/ has all echo's and some are old(10 years). 60cc and under echo is great, when there 70cc comes out it may be a solid option. The P model echo's are magnesium cased and built just like a pro stihl or husky. Echo pro's are Japanese not china so they are quality
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