ECHO Chainsaws - are they catching on?!

[Bluefish]

I understand troll. I am probably gonna bite the bullet and get a 562xp. I am pretty sure that will do all I need and it is also cutting edge technology pardon the pun. Russ

 

[Mastermind]

That cutting demonstration was kinda fast. But in my years cutting, and I'll admit here I've not spent all my in the wood cutting, I've never seen a "hollow" pine. Maybe it different other places but I've never seen one in Georgia. Now red oaks, all the time. My 034 will cut about like that in a hollow red oak. :msp_biggrin:

That pine was just "hollow" on the end. That's way we left it in the woods...... It was a fair demonstration of the Echo's cutting speed.

I don't want to come off as a cheerleader for the newer Echo models......I just can't see bashing them either.

I understand troll. I am probably gonna bite the bullet and get a 562xp. I am pretty sure that will do all I need and it is also cutting edge technology pardon the pun. Russ

I get a real good deal on the 562xp.......... :msp_wink:

 

[Chris J.]

this thread is just too treacly sweet to digest. the echo propaganda machine is cunning and evil. echoes are just very average mediocre-performance. Boring sluggish and lacking all-important torque, an Echo will always stall out under pressure. Totally forgettable saws. Always have been and always will be home-grade saws masquerading as proper pro saws. anyone who knows anything will tell you the wimpy-engined echoes have always been an epic fail when conditions get tough. echo schmecko

So, pgg, not only have you ran every Echo chainsaw model ever made, but you must also have inside knowledge as to what the Echo & Shindaiwa engineers have planned for their chainsaws.

Or perhaps you're basing your Echo bashing on very limited experience with only certain Echo chainsaw models.

 

[mountainlake]

So, pgg, not only have you ran every Echo chainsaw model ever made, but you must also have inside knowledge as to what the Echo & Shindaiwa engineers have planned for their chainsaws.

Or perhaps you're basing your Echo bashing on very limited experience with only certain Echo chainsaw models.

And he has admitted they were never tuned properly. Steve

 

[Chris J.]

And he has admitted they were never tuned properly. Steve

I pretty sure I read somewhere that proper tuning makes a noticeable difference in performance & longevity.

Now if I could just obtain a useable CS-520 p&c on the cheap (yes, shameless spam).

 

[bcsizemo]

Well not everyone that stops by here is cutting for a living either. I'm just a simple homeowner who really likes to tinker and fix stuff. Needless to say I inherited a CS-306 from my father-in-law who isn't the best at keeping up regular maintenance...and well lets just say I learned what not to do on that saw before I found this place. So after trashing that saw I needed something cheap, so I picked up a CS-440 from ebay. I thought about the CS-400 or 450 as they had just came out, but I was in a pinch and no one on here really had a lot to say about them (especially in terms of durability). I know the 440 is heavy and doesn't make great power, but it was a price I wanted to pay (and honestly I liked what I saw in terms of build quality in that 306). After a little cleaning up it fired up and I could tell it was a little off..not horrible, but not great either. Now with all the things I'd seen about muffler mods and the like I went to work on opening it up a little. After it was back together it really needed a tune, so I fiddled with it and fiddled with it. After watching a half dozen videos on here I finally figured out what the "burble" was I should be hearing. Now I don't have a tach or any fancy tools, but I can certainly say just opening up the muffler and tuning the carb by ear gave that saw a lot more life than I ever imagined it would.

Yeah it isn't fast, and it doesn't see a whole lot of use, but every time I pick it up it works. Honestly if I needed a new saw I'd look at 450 or 500, but with as much use as this one sees Echo will probably have a new line out by then. Who knows maybe some new radical electric thing...

I will say if I used a saw for a living I wouldn't count out having an Echo or two, but honestly dealer support and turn around time is probably more important than other aspects when they get used every day.

(And on the topic of CARB and the like, I also have an ECHO blower PB-255 (I think), while the neighbor has a newer PB-250. Needless to say he left gas in it over the winter and it was kind of gummed up...but we got it mostly working. While looking at it and do some research online I'm pretty sure that his new model has a fixed H jet. And honestly all it really needed was a bump up in fuel and it would have been good to go. Fortunately mine was adjustable, and now doesn't stumble when it's cold... I could also rail on about the crap that is ODB2, but that's another board another day.)

 

[bryanr2]

I loath brand bashing or blind loyalty to a certain brand. I understand having a favorite or recognizing a certain model for it's exceptional performance. Saying that an Echo saw is for the gay community or for the ladies would be like me criticizing any man on here that doesn't drive a diesel pickup just because that is all I drive. It's nonsensical. When did the brand of saw you choose to use become a viable variable in the "pecker measuring contest"? Grouping a brand of saws based upon one bad experience or heresay, is blindly ignorant, and would lead one to believe that the individual is not only shallow but sheltered in their approach to everyday life. I wanted a Husky 346xp but I found a Echo cs520 for free. I spent $200 and sent it to Randy. "Mastermind meets the Echo cs520". Watch the video. I have no need for a 346 or any other 50cc saw. THe Echo fits the bill. I have spent hundreds of hours watching every video, reading thousands of threads, and not one of them has convinced me that I need a 346 just bc it's a 346 and that's what men use. I havent seen a 50cc saw that would whip my 520 so badly that I could justify going out and spending 400-500 on another 50cc saw. A fast limber is a fast limber. At some point moving thru the tangled brush becomes dangerous. Better to make up your time bucking up the logs with the 70cc and up saws.

 

[Jredsjeep]

i have not read through the whole thread but i just picked up a new CS500P and have been steadily running tanks of fuel through it cleaning up my property. so far it is the best saw i have run. sorry no i have not run any of the high doller proffesional grade saws but lots of regular guy ones. i am cutting 3-5 cords a year and doing property clean up. this saw seemed the best bang for buck and i have several dealers just a few miles away from me.

i love it and i really like the 20" bar, i knew it is on the big side for a 50cc but i have to bend less for cutting making cutting more comfertable. i have some older Echos and now a new one, so far they have been great saws for me. i am getting a 16 bar to for backup and lighter work.

i dont know how big that makes my manhood but i really like my new saw.

 

[timmcat]

This will get the troll's attention, I sell both Echo and Jonsered and have worked at both Husky and Stihl dealers. Echo is by far the easiest company to deal with for product support, both before and after the sale. I avoid selling anyone a Jred unless its a 2156, 2172, or 2188. For everyone else I steer them to Echo, they just make more sense for most people, homeowners or pros. The 500p and 600p are two of my best sellers. Sure the 680 and 8000 are freshly painted antiques but, they still cut wood well and no other manufacturer can touch their price. When Echo releases a 65-70 cc saw on the 600p platform the Swedes and Krauts will notice!!

 

[wyk]

[video=youtube;EHq8p-I2Fuw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHq8p-I2Fuw[/video]

With a little work, they are very impressive saws.

Having used a stock and ported cs-520 for a year in all sorts of weather in logging environments, they are as sturdy as any Husky or Stihl model. And I would rather have a stock 510 or 520 over any stock 026, 260, 55 or 350 any day. I'd prefer a ported 520 over a stock 261 or 346xp any day as well.

 

[Arbonaut]

One thing i found about all echo saws, they start easily, and run when needed to.

That would be a good feature. Sounds like my Stihl 044 Mag. Of course they start good. It's a Shindaiwa.

Good ass reaming on SawTroll by the way. He was past due.

 

[Mastermind]

That would be a good feature. Sounds like my Stihl 044 Mag. Of course they start good. It's a Shindaiwa.

Good ass reaming on SawTroll by the way. He was past due.

No need to ream the Troll. He's a friend of mine.........a friend that is very opinionated.

 

[Arbonaut]

No need to ream the Troll. He's a friend of mine.........a friend that is very opinionated.

One for you too, Randy. Just for calling me a @xx!u/e without gettin' to know me first. I wouldn't ever send you a saw after that. Do it myself or try to hire DC.

 

[Edge & Engine]

Well not everyone that stops by here is cutting for a living either. I'm just a simple homeowner who really likes to tinker and fix stuff. Needless to say I inherited a CS-306 from my father-in-law who isn't the best at keeping up regular maintenance...and well lets just say I learned what not to do on that saw before I found this place. So after trashing that saw I needed something cheap, so I picked up a CS-440 from ebay. I thought about the CS-400 or 450 as they had just came out, but I was in a pinch and no one on here really had a lot to say about them (especially in terms of durability). I know the 440 is heavy and doesn't make great power, but it was a price I wanted to pay (and honestly I liked what I saw in terms of build quality in that 306). After a little cleaning up it fired up and I could tell it was a little off..not horrible, but not great either. Now with all the things I'd seen about muffler mods and the like I went to work on opening it up a little. After it was back together it really needed a tune, so I fiddled with it and fiddled with it. After watching a half dozen videos on here I finally figured out what the "burble" was I should be hearing. Now I don't have a tach or any fancy tools, but I can certainly say just opening up the muffler and tuning the carb by ear gave that saw a lot more life than I ever imagined it would.

Yeah it isn't fast, and it doesn't see a whole lot of use, but every time I pick it up it works. Honestly if I needed a new saw I'd look at 450 or 500, but with as much use as this one sees Echo will probably have a new line out by then. Who knows maybe some new radical electric thing...

I will say if I used a saw for a living I wouldn't count out having an Echo or two, but honestly dealer support and turn around time is probably more important than other aspects when they get used every day.

(And on the topic of CARB and the like, I also have an ECHO blower PB-255 (I think), while the neighbor has a newer PB-250. Needless to say he left gas in it over the winter and it was kind of gummed up...but we got it mostly working. While looking at it and do some research online I'm pretty sure that his new model has a fixed H jet. And honestly all it really needed was a bump up in fuel and it would have been good to go. Fortunately mine was adjustable, and now doesn't stumble when it's cold... I could also rail on about the crap that is ODB2, but that's another board another day.)

The PB-250 has a fully adjustable carb (As does most current Echo equipment) but you need a special tool to adjust it, and Echo is very strict about this tool staying with dealers only.

We haven't been an Echo dealer for many years, but the few warranty issues we did have were handled fine, in fact we have had the same experience that someone else mentioned earlier, in at least one case they warrantied something (no questions asked) that was almost certainly not Echo's fault.
While Echo has some great saws in their lineup right now, their chainsaws won't be taken seriously by professionals until there's a good 75 or 80cc model. The CS-600P is an awesome saw, but real loggers (at least around here) don't cut with 60cc chainsaws.

 

[wyk]

One for you too, Randy. Just for calling me a @xx!u/e without gettin' to know me first. I wouldn't ever send you a saw after that. Do it myself or try to hire DC.

We're so lucky to have you around. Just plain lucky, I tell you.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

One for you too, Randy. Just for calling me a @xx!u/e without gettin' to know me first. I wouldn't ever send you a saw after that. Do it myself or try to hire DC.

gotta ask. does the foe sh!t?

 

[Chris J.]

That would be a good feature. Sounds like my Stihl 044 Mag. Of course they start good. It's a Shindaiwa.

Good ass reaming on SawTroll by the way. He was past due.

One for you too, Randy. Just for calling me a @xx!u/e without gettin' to know me first. I wouldn't ever send you a saw after that. Do it myself or try to hire DC.

Most (all?) of the Echo chainsaws mentioned & shown in this thread are pre-Shindaiwa models.

I can't understand why Gologit would say such things about you. :monkey:

 

[bryanr2]

[video=youtube;EHq8p-I2Fuw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHq8p-I2Fuw[/video]

With a little work, they are very impressive saws.

Having used a stock and ported cs-520 for a year in all sorts of weather in logging environments, they are as sturdy as any Husky or Stihl model. And I would rather have a stock 510 or 520 over any stock 026, 260, 55 or 350 any day. I'd prefer a ported 520 over a stock 261 or 346xp any day as well.

Thats my saw and the example I was referring too, I just dont know how to post videos. Thanks Wes.

 

[Mastermind]

One for you too, Randy. Just for calling me a @xx!u/e without gettin' to know me first. I wouldn't ever send you a saw after that. Do it myself or try to hire DC.

If I remember correctly I said that you were an ass hole.

I stand by my assessment. :msp_smile:

Oh and for the record.......I don't wanna work on your crappy saws. :msp_biggrin:

 

[Bluefish]

Troll has his opinion and he is entitled to it. From where I stand he seems to know quite a bit about saws.
I have learned a lot from him in my short time here. Just sayin'... Russ