I was watching an episode of the "Chikanic" about tuning your chainsaw carb. It featured a twenty-something year old gray Echo CS 5000 a customer had left there for repair. According to her, this was one of the best saws ever made. I already have six saws, but, gosh... if I could find a good used 5000 to play with. After searching Ebay and FB Marketplace, I discovered that wasn't likely to happen. Besides, I was acting on impulse and faith in Chikanic's opinion. I've never owned an Echo chainsaw, but I suppose that with any brand, the older ones are the better ones as things go. So, I did find a gray CS 520 for 280.00, and free shipping. Anyone know whether the 520 is a truly dependable machine, or a later not as good model? I imagine it's a 52cc without knowing. The one I'm looking at is just dirty, and the seller claims no issues, used every winter and maintained to some degree. So, it needs cleaning up and it runs. Appears to be all there, factory Echo decal in good shape, Has an Echo bar (hopefully not the one it came with). So please...unload what you know about these gray models. Any info, history, experience or anything else about 'em. Thanks.
Echoes of Gray
- Thread starter LawrenceK
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Fordiesel69
ArboristSite Member
I am an echo fanboy based on a family member selling them back in the 70's and 80s. We have almost all echo blowers and trimmers. On the other hand my chainsaw collection is mostly husky and im not sure why. Its just how it goes.
Echo saws in my opinion are in some ways more durable and have the potential to outlast the other two competitors. They are also less expensive to aquire. I can vouch for echo equipment overall being easier to start. In fact most start exactly the same even if they sit forever vs freshly used. The grey model saws usually wont win a race, but are built like tanks and should run forever with proper care. Echo has been known for having the best cylinder plating process, and using high quality japanese bearings. Tops ends and bottom ends just last. The grey product lineup is by far their best era in my opinion. For some reason I prefer the equipment labled as "Kioritz Corp". I just see less issues.
Compared to a husky or a stihl, they are a little lower power per weight ratio, and usually keep old designs alive where the other two innovate more.
Echo saws in my opinion are in some ways more durable and have the potential to outlast the other two competitors. They are also less expensive to aquire. I can vouch for echo equipment overall being easier to start. In fact most start exactly the same even if they sit forever vs freshly used. The grey model saws usually wont win a race, but are built like tanks and should run forever with proper care. Echo has been known for having the best cylinder plating process, and using high quality japanese bearings. Tops ends and bottom ends just last. The grey product lineup is by far their best era in my opinion. For some reason I prefer the equipment labled as "Kioritz Corp". I just see less issues.
Compared to a husky or a stihl, they are a little lower power per weight ratio, and usually keep old designs alive where the other two innovate more.
Thanks for the input. I'm just wondering if I can justify another saw. So far, I have a 90's Mculloch 20 inch (can't think of mod. no. It's the gold one), a nice Stihl 029 Super, an MS 271 new, an MS 210 16 inch, an early 60's Homelite blue & white XL 24 inch, and a little Husky 137 up at my camp in the UP. I do a heck of a lot of cutting with my firewood business most of the year, but don't put them all to use most of the time. I kind of get stuck on using one saw, and it's usually the lightest of the bunch unless I'm into bigger wood. But, anyway, when I saw that gray CS 5000 and heard what that gal said about it, I went into one of those "gotta have one" modes. The 520 was the only one I found in hopeful shape, but now I'm back down to being practical and wondering if it's a fair deal at 280 bucks. I assume it could handle a 24 inch bar if it's 52 cc's. Yeah, sometimes innovation can be somebody behind a desk constantly changing stuff just because they can, or they want to cut costs. It doesn't always turn out well for the consumer. I prefer the old designs mostly.
Take what she says with a gain of salt. I stopped watching when she said canned fuels are garbage.
Be honest, were you really looking at the saw?
Chainsaw Pete
ArboristSite Operative
She is no idiot, but I don't think she is a genius, either. She is right that most people who have chain saws do not have a clue how to sharpen their chains, but recommending a dremel over all the other tools out there?
I also watched her 10 best tools video. She lost me there.
I also watched her 10 best tools video. She lost me there.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
Don’t know a bunch about the 5000, but a lot of those saws made in that era were very well made, and good saws from a durability standpoint. I do have some experience with the gray 520, and yes they “were” dependable, hard working, and good performers for being an Echo. There’s also nothing special about the gray machines. Echo switched back to orange, and continued to make bulletproof saws long after. The Orange 510,520,530 series saws were all great. On the other hand, I haven’t had great experiences with older used one for sale. They usually have air leaks at the seals from sitting with tight chains and deteriorated carb diaphragms. I wouldn't pay a lot for one. I’ll also say, I don’t know anything about son chic on YouTube, or care, but it’s the first I’ve ever heard about the cs5000 being one of the best ever.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
I like Echo saws too, and I think up until this latest generation, they have focused their efforts on durability. They’ve also had their issues over the years, just like the others. They also still make a few excellent saws.
Stihl and Husqy also still manufacture some good oldies that haven’t been available here in a while. I’ve got a Husqy 372xp OE, manufactured in Sweden in 2022, I believe. When talking about best saws ever made, that’s definitely one that comes up.
Chainsaw Pete
ArboristSite Operative
I really don't know a lot about chainsaws, and even less about them historically. I do know a bit about cars, bridges, and a host of other mechanical things. Years ago, materials, how we stressed them and their ultimate limits were not known as well as we do today. Back then, safety factors were relatively large, i.e. if something broke at 100 lbs, it's safe working load was considered to be 10 lbs. The mechanical system was, compared to today's equivalent system, relatively under stressed.
As an example, an early Rolls Royce car was driven something like half a million miles over maybe 30 years (I don't remember the actual numbers - those are guesses). It was torn down and they found almost no wear. This engine was huge, and weighed hundreds of pounds, but its output in hp was low by today's standards (sort of like ship's engines today).
Calculations for early bridges (think Brooklyn Bridge, in New York) were done by hand and with circular slide rules. Trusses and beams were built oversized compared to today's bridges. A consequence is that today, the same amount of corrosion on a modern bridge will render it unsafe compared to one of the old bridges.
I'd have to guess that an early echo (or stihl or any other brand) chainsaw engine would have been similarly overbuilt by today's standards. Today's saws are lighter, more powerful, and last a reasonable length of time, and that is a result of more knowledge about the materials and better alloys. This doesn't mean the old saws were better or worse than today's...they were built as well as the mfrs could make them back then.
As an example, an early Rolls Royce car was driven something like half a million miles over maybe 30 years (I don't remember the actual numbers - those are guesses). It was torn down and they found almost no wear. This engine was huge, and weighed hundreds of pounds, but its output in hp was low by today's standards (sort of like ship's engines today).
Calculations for early bridges (think Brooklyn Bridge, in New York) were done by hand and with circular slide rules. Trusses and beams were built oversized compared to today's bridges. A consequence is that today, the same amount of corrosion on a modern bridge will render it unsafe compared to one of the old bridges.
I'd have to guess that an early echo (or stihl or any other brand) chainsaw engine would have been similarly overbuilt by today's standards. Today's saws are lighter, more powerful, and last a reasonable length of time, and that is a result of more knowledge about the materials and better alloys. This doesn't mean the old saws were better or worse than today's...they were built as well as the mfrs could make them back then.
telecasterfool
ArboristSite Operative
I have alot of Echoes from different eras. The gray 5000 is not one of the best saws, and not, in my opinion, one of the best echoes. Also, 280.00 is too much. If you can fix chainsaws, the good older echoes can be grabbed for 100-150. If it's something you're interested in trying, let me know what size range you would like try, and I will recommend one. I have a 520 and have it used it a lot. Great 50cc saw with a 20" .325 chain. Good balance, and light. I use it when climbing, and it's time to chunk down logs that a top handle can't. If you have ever climbed, you want that saw to start the first pull, and have good power/weight ratio.
