Best Echo Chainsaw

[Breckinridge Elkins]

I ran my CS-590 for several hours yesterday. What a great saw. A little grumpy on the first start but she fired up on the first pull every time thereafter. Mine is muffler modded with a 20" bar and it cuts like a laser. I used to run a 50cc saw for firewood and man this is so much faster.
As for 590 vs 620p, most people wouldn't notice the difference. As stated above, don't buy a 590 with the intention of turning it into a 620 because you will be wasting money. Now if a part breaks, I would absolutely buy the 620 version. I had to replace my clutch cover. A brand new complete 620 version cost me $35 and now I have the captive bar nuts, which is a nice feature.
Pictured below is the Timberwolf with it's CS400 little brother.

 

[SuperDuty04]

I have the 590 and have for well over 10 years and it's cut a ton of wood. But my favorite Echo is bar none, the 2511T. What a screaming little saw.

 

[Chucksta]

I've had a 590 for a few years.. Wasn't necessarily my first choice, but I picked it up dirt cheap. Less than $300.00 ( CDN). .. As with my other Echo saws, I changed the saw chain to Stihl. Properly tuned, and sharpened, it cuts like a rabid beaver on crack. Everyone who's put a hand on it says " Damn! that's sweet!! Wanna sell it?".. Always starts in four pulls.. two to pop, and then second pull to fire.
Worst Echo saw? 400 F.. either the regular, or the "F" ( tool less adjustment version). Too small to be big... to big to be small. Nobody wanted to use them. Didn't matter how sharp I made the chain, or how I tuned it to pull.. They were just nobody's favourite. Also, for some reason, they liked to spit chains.. I don't know why.
When I downsized the saw crew, when I retired, they were they were the first to go. The crew would grab the 590 Timberwolf, for bigger stuff, or the 355t for smaller ground work. Grrrr.. But then again, if one of them grounded a saw, they had to use the Poulan POS for an hour. as punishment... just to teach them respect for equipment.
My remaining saw arsenal, after retiring from the trade, has some old school Stihls, and some Echo stuff ( 8 saws in all, down from almost twenty saws ), but the 590 was definitely on the "keep " list. It just doesn't ever seem to do anything wrong. Ever.

 

[pro94lt]

been running a 620p for 2 years in a tree service, great saw no complaints other than the actual size/power compared to a 562xp...

 

[holeycow]

and the crappy air filter situation (gets dirty fast, passes fine without a farmer fix), and the choke knob that is too long, and the so so handling, and the powerband that signs off right when the pro saws start to make their best power, and the screws to take off the top cover, and the cheesy winter shutter, and the lack of availability of heated handles and carbs, and the just adequate antivibe, and two or three other things that make them decidedly a "farm" level saw. The best farm saw available.

I sure like mine...it's just awesome for what it is.

 

[holeycow]

I've had a 590 for a few years.. Wasn't necessarily my first choice, but I picked it up dirt cheap. Less than $300.00 ( CDN). .. As with my other Echo saws, I changed the saw chain to Stihl. Properly tuned, and sharpened, it cuts like a rabid beaver on crack. Everyone who's put a hand on it says " Damn! that's sweet!! Wanna sell it?".. Always starts in four pulls.. two to pop, and then second pull to fire.
Worst Echo saw? 400 F.. either the regular, or the "F" ( tool less adjustment version). Too small to be big... to big to be small. Nobody wanted to use them. Didn't matter how sharp I made the chain, or how I tuned it to pull.. They were just nobody's favourite. Also, for some reason, they liked to spit chains.. I don't know why.
When I downsized the saw crew, when I retired, they were they were the first to go. The crew would grab the 590 Timberwolf, for bigger stuff, or the 355t for smaller ground work. Grrrr.. But then again, if one of them grounded a saw, they had to use the Poulan POS for an hour. as punishment... just to teach them respect for equipment.
My remaining saw arsenal, after retiring from the trade, has some old school Stihls, and some Echo stuff ( 8 saws in all, down from almost twenty saws ), but the 590 was definitely on the "keep " list. It just doesn't ever seem to do anything wrong. Ever.

Is the 370 the same as the 400? Those saws seemed "interesting" to me, but idk? I thought the original chain on the 590 was pretty good. Although I messed it up for a but by using stihl files on it (that 1/32 inch difference does make a difference). It got back to good when I used the proper file and got rid of the ridiculous hook I had created.

 

[holeycow]

I have a decent stable of saws (660, 372xp, 029, 650evl, cs590, cs620p, cs341)
i typically pull out the 590 or 620p 9 times out of 10
both have mufflers mods and are fantastic saws.

You are missing a rippin' 50cc saw in that lineup. I bet that would shuffle the 60cc echos a bit...

 

[iowa_jim]

The 590 has a big following but for a few bucks more the 620P has better components all around and is just an incredibly durable / simple / reliable saw. Nothing Echo makes is going to be a star around here because it doesn't do anything incredibly well, but as others have said, it's the "Toyota of chainsaws" which is a good thing.

I like that reference to Toyota, I hadn't heard it before. The price difference for the 620 is a little steep, $400 vs $600 give or take, but the difference was worth it for me.

As for the 620's capabilities, I run it with a 28" bar and once she was broken in she handled it well. I can mill up to 21" with it, and it works well enough for my limited needs. I plan to switch to the 20" bar for the more common work I have for it. I'm sure the 590 isn't far behind the 620 in performance, and for $400 there isn't any better choice.

 

[tJKrider]

You are missing a rippin' 50cc saw in that lineup. I bet that would shuffle the 60cc echos a bit...

Like the Echo 4910 which was my choice! I have been very happy with it and glad I went that route vs. a 590. Of course everyone's needs are different but the combination of relatively low weight and power strikes a good tradeoff for me. I'm using a lightweight Tsumura bar on it and find that to provide better balance overall... I see there are some easy muffler mods that can be done to it but haven't found the need yet - maybe in time I will, however.

 

[Chucksta]

Is the 370 the same as the 400? Those saws seemed "interesting" to me, but idk? I thought the original chain on the 590 was pretty good. Although I messed it up for a but by using stihl files on it (that 1/32 inch difference does make a difference). It got back to good when I used the proper file and got rid of the ridiculous hook I had created.

Don't get me wrong.. For a Homeowner to have just one saw, the 400 wouldn't be a bad choice. Small .. light, decent power. The "F" model features tool less chain adjustment, which is a bonus. It was just that it was the saw that nobody on the crew wanted to use. Small stuff? Use one of the 355Ts'.. Bigger stuff? Grab the 490 Timberwolf. ( not all that much heavier than the 400, but cut almost twice as fast). Lots bigger stuff? Grab one of the big Stihl saws. Nothing like old school grunt. Need a big saw with a long blade? Grab the Echo CS - 800P.
I tried out an Echo 370. Wasn't bad, but the 400 was better. The extra couple of CCs' made more of a difference than I would have thought. Worth the extra few bucks.
Only thing wrong with most Echo saws is the crap factory chain.

 

[Chucksta]

Is the 370 the same as the 400? Those saws seemed "interesting" to me, but idk? I thought the original chain on the 590 was pretty good. Although I messed it up for a but by using stihl files on it (that 1/32 inch difference does make a difference). It got back to good when I used the proper file and got rid of the ridiculous hook I had created.

On the note of "proper file", and "ridiculous hook I'd created".. I only got one comment.. I've sharpened literally thousands of saw chains.. I've made my own chain loops. I've got a grinder. And, worst of all... I've got O.C.D. Truly, I'd like to think, that on my best day, I could sharpen a chain well past the sharpness of a new one. But, lately I've been using the Stihl 2 in 1 system. It forces you to hold the correct angle.. It won't let you get the hook in the top plate. And, as an added bonus, it deals with the rakers, ( depth gauges), at the same time. If you don't hit ground, or cut wood that's hit a lot of ground, it's three strokes after every tank of fuel, and it cuts like a rabid beaver on crack. The files are to quality, and spares are readily available. Only downside is that you need one for every type of chain. 3/8P, 3/8, .325, etc. But, Damn!! although you could probably do better, if you had the time... They're amazing.

 

[tJKrider]

Only thing wrong with most Echo saws is the crap factory chain

I'm no pro or even daily user but I switched to .325 Stihl chains and they seem to stay sharper for a longer period of time.

But, lately I've been using the Stihl 2 in 1 system.

Same here.

 

[Rich 07830]

I'm a weekend (sometimes weeknight) personal firewood cutter. We heat 95 % with wood. Plus we have a couple of cottages on an island in Maine where wood heat is the only option. A few years ago I was given a new Husqvarna 450e. It's a farm/ ranch model. It seemed like a huge improvement over the Poulan or Craftsman saws that I was used to. Once we moved to this house and started heating primarily with wood it became clear that a bigger chainsaw would be worthwhile. I am cheap and loath buying wood. Much of the free wood around here is the bigger stuff.
My brother in law is a huge Husqvarna fan and uses his saws in his work. So I thought I'd get a bigger Husqvarna. As I started looking for a stronger saw the 460 Rancher made little sense as it doesn't make much more HP (more torque though, I'd guess) than my 450. Which BTW is a PITA to start when it's hot. Their next saw up is the 555. With a 24" bar they were going for $780+/-. I do not need a pro saw but decided to get one so I could give it to my grandson someday. Being cheap I started researching for a good value power saw. It didn't take long to realize that Echo is the way to go and decided to get a CS620P w/24" bar. The dealer tried to talk me into a 590 Timberwolf. But I decided to spend the extra $200 for the 620p. On YouTube, the Novice Lumberjack tears both saws down and shows the difference between the two saws. Even though I'm allergic to spending $, the 620 made sense for the long haul. For my use, I doubt that I'd notice the difference between the 590 and the 620. Hopefully, my grandson will! Echoes, like another poster said, provide Toyota value and longevity. Enjoy!

 

[Chucksta]

Main thing I notice between my "old school " Stihl, stuff, and my Echos' is that they are different dogs to run. I had a buddy come and help me drop a tree, and he couldn't wrap his head around that the Echos' needed to be left to rev out in the cut.. He kept on bogging them out in the cut. He was a dyed in the wool Stihl man. He absolutely loved my old school Stihl crew, but, it was mainly that the torque curve was what he was used to. All my old school Stihl saws were ( are) pre "CARB" emissions nonsense. Bang them down into a cut, and they just grunt, and get on with it. The Echos'? They'll cut good, if not great, but you have to let them run the way that they are meant to. I've tuned them so that they will idle fine, but slowly load up, if you leave them idle for more than a minute, just to give them a bit more balls out of the hole as they transition from idle to high speed jetting .. But still, because of emissions requirements from the manufacturer ( government), they land up having the high end power, but not the low end grunt that you'd like.

 

[Eldotrees]

You are missing a rippin' 50cc saw in that lineup. I bet that would shuffle the 60cc echos a bit...

Funny you should mention that, ive been on the lookout for a good 50cc for a while to even out the ratio....

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Main thing I notice between my "old school " Stihl, stuff, and my Echos' is that they are different dogs to run. I had a buddy come and help me drop a tree, and he couldn't wrap his head around that the Echos' needed to be left to rev out in the cut.. He kept on bogging them out in the cut. He was a dyed in the wool Stihl man. He absolutely loved my old school Stihl crew, but, it was mainly that the torque curve was what he was used to. All my old school Stihl saws were ( are) pre "CARB" emissions nonsense. Bang them down into a cut, and they just grunt, and get on with it. The Echos'? They'll cut good, if not great, but you have to let them run the way that they are meant to. I've tuned them so that they will idle fine, but slowly load up, if you leave them idle for more than a minute, just to give them a bit more balls out of the hole as they transition from idle to high speed jetting .. But still, because of emissions requirements from the manufacturer ( government), they land up having the high end power, but not the low end grunt that you'd like.

Depending on the model I have never found my 60cc Echo saws to be lacking in low end torque.

 

[Chucksta]

Depending on the model I have never found my 60cc Echo saws to be lacking in low end torque.

I didn't mean to imply that they were lacking.. not at all.. Just not the really low end grunt of an old school ( pre CARB BS) Stihl. It might be in the clutch, I'm not sure, but the Echos' seem to be happier if you let them run in their " happy zone". They run different, but cutting speed seems very similar. Every saw is it's own dog.

 

[Mad3400]

The Echo CS-310 is a great little saw, Very smooth and Extremely easy to start for the occasional user.

I always enjoy running the CS-7310 and is easily a 2nd place.

The stock CS-2511 with the Egan Straight Pipe is definitely the Best Echo out there.


Mad3400

 

[Chucksta]

I've heard nothing but good about the 2511T.. I just can't justify buying one when I've got a couple of 355ts' and a donor saw for spare parts. I had a few times when the Arborist I was using needed another saw ( Well, he put his saw on a fence, and it dropped , and broke the throttle ),. He used my 355T, and had to shut the eff up about Echo.. LOL.. It cut like his 201, if not better.. Now.. if he'd have had his hand on a 2511..
Echo saws get dissed for being second grade. .. But, at the end of the day, a lot of their products are kicking bang for the buck. Are they as good as a Stihl? Well that's a topic open for discussion.. But, definitely, in my opinion,. They hold their own, and then some..

But.. my old school Stihls' .. well .. damn.. They are the benchmark of what a saw should run like and be manufactured to a standard of quality. I miss the ones I let go when I retired and downsized the crew, But, when you retire, and just cut what you need, it's hard to justify 20 plus saws..

 

[iowa_jim]

Depending on the model I have never found my 60cc Echo saws to be lacking in low end torque.

Right, the Echos are known for their torque.