Echo's new top handle: CS-355T

[TimberMcPherson]

uummm... the claims you constantly hear on this site about clamshell engines being "not as good" as a non-clamshell engine are such nonsense. A clamshell engine is just another design, with equal cc's there's no bloody difference in performance, there's no difference in longevity or power or whatever. The XPT TH huskys are 100% pro-grade saws and they're clamshell design, I've run them trouble-free for decades and they actually more robust and outlast the "better"(sigh) 200T engine. Just thought I'd mention that... BUT OF COURSE I AIN'T PRAISING ANY ECHO! The 350T/360T's are absolute pigs of TH saws compared to the "equivalent" pro husky and pro stihls.

Had another go on one(350T) in the trees this week pruning(for about two minutes - that was more than enough)and they're truly nasty nasty saws compared to the real deal pro stuff. Anyone thinking a half-price saw can equal the top models out there are dreaming man. I guarantee this new-fangled 355 TH will be just another hyped-up exercise in propaganda and downright lies and mis-information . AS PER NORMAL for echo.... :msp_biggrin:

I have 3 260t's and a couple 350t's. They are fine saws, and although they may lack some of the refinement of the MS200t, the main thing that stops me from ditching all my stihl top handles in favour of the echos is the echos chainbrake. It stinks to operate.

I dont look at the new MS201t with any great hope, sure its okay, but in this country its likely to be 600 US dollars more than the echo. If its 80% of the ms201 for 50% of the price, I will be doing my math carefully.

 

[Edge & Engine]

Brad..I really respect you very much...and hope you didn't take my post wrong..!!

But the 192T is a well known super light-weight saw (yes..a top handle 170) but a good saw for it's intended purpose.

I have many elderly folks in my neighborhood that I do clean-up work for free..Usually using the 192T rather than the 200T.

The men usually want to try it out (not gonna buy one) but they love it's combination of balance and power..(OK not that much)
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If this is indeed a clamshell saw..regardless of the amenities (handle..palm rest) it's still 33% higher than a 192T

(which a really lightly used one can be had every week on eBay for about $150)

If it's got the power advertised..it might be OK for a home owner...but clamshell..spells NO to a Pro worker..for $400!!

J2F

Why would it being a clamshell engine automatically spell no to a pro worker? There have been some great saws made even 30 years ago, with clamshell engines. I happen to agree with pgg here. I have never seen any data to support the idea that clamshell engines are somehow inferior to split cranks. Some say they're harder to service, which is true for some saws, but cannot be said as a blanket statement. The CS-341T has been in use professionally for years (and in surprising numbers), with a clamshell engine.

 

[XSKIER]

Consider that a 3.0L mercury "Black Max" 225hp pro series outboard is a "clamshell". In regards to handheld equipment, the clamshell may just be the best way for low cost manufacture. Doesn't nessecerily mean an inferior design, but high end refinements may be lacking. I mean come on, the saw has a "300" durability rating for Pete's sake. How many other saws claim that?

 

[Cliff R]

The "clamshell" design simply means that if you have P/C issues, the fix is going to be hours of work to correct instead of minutes. Pretty intrusive to go in and split the case vs simply removing intake/exhaust and 4 fasteners to get the jug off of one.

I'm still running my little muffler modded CS-360T almost daily, cutting no slack anyplace, and we just can NOT get it to develope the "death-rattle" PGG said it would get several years ago. Humm, even used it on several commercial jobs, one where we took out over 70 trees on an estate in Delaware Ohio, most pine trees with LOTS of limbing involved. It ran for two days straight without a break on that job alone and never grumbled once.

I guess we are smart enough over here to know the difference between "4-stroking" and going on the rev-limiter when adjusting the carburetor.....FWIW

This new CS-355T looks remarkable similiar to the CS-330/360T's, with a few additional features. Hopefully the narrowed it up some to look more like the sleek little Stihl MS200T. Looking forward to hearing some reviews on it, and maybe one of the resident hot-rodders will go at one with a sanding roll and extract even more power from them......Cliff

Here's my helper Nathan on the Delaware job, we couldn't pry the little CS-360T away from him all weekend.....

 

[mountainlake]

Can't complain about working on the newer Echo clamshell models, it takes about 10 minutes to have the whole engine laying on the bench. Rated power is bs, always has been, how does it cut side by side? Steve

 

[Tzed250]

Here is a pic of a parallel twin TZ250 engine:



Untitled by zweitakt250, on Flickr

A "clamshell" design.

The top end, crankshaft and jackshaft, and entire gearbox can be serviced without removing the main case from the chassis.

Sound engineering.

 

[TK]

"Professional" trimmers and pole saws are typically of clamshell design. As for Echo, there are plenty of trimmers and pole pruners out there from a time period a lot of folks like to call "way back when." Durability of the engine isn't really an issue. And in a top handle saw, popping the jug off doesn't happen the same way as a rear handle saw.

 

[pgg]

I'm still running my little muffler modded CS-360T almost daily, cutting no slack anyplace, and we just can NOT get it to develope the "death-rattle" PGG said it would get several years ago.

I guess we are smart enough over here to know the difference between "4-stroking" and going on the rev-limiter when adjusting the carburetor.....FWIW



hahaha I've seen a whole heap of those junk saws with blown engines. the echo dealer shipped them all off to japan for analysis hohoho was told there was dust inside the handle which probably overheated the saw, therefore operator error, the other excuse the saws were running too rich. Bollocks! they just couldn't handle it.

Have someone running at the moment,(poor bastard) a 350T, has a gutted baffle but still sounds screechy and nasty. the whole saw is spongy and flexy and is waay oversize, there's no compactness there, the handle is a nasty wallymart plastic style you find on chinese junk saws. The 350T is just so plastic and horrible, and the screeching engine sets your nerves on end. There's only power at full screaming screech, anywhere else in the rev range it's flat and dead. Fekk I hope it blows as soon as possible. My ears can't handle echos. If all else fails I hear a handful of sand down the carb can fix them pretty good too

 

[Incomplete]

Have someone running at the moment,(poor bastard) a 350T, has a gutted baffle but still sounds screechy and nasty......and the screeching engine sets your nerves on end. There's only power at full screaming screech, anywhere else in the rev range it's flat and dead. Fekk I hope it blows as soon as possible. My ears can't handle echos. If all else fails I hear a handful of sand down the carb can fix them pretty good too

Turn your music up in your ear-buds, and sharpen your chain. No screach, cuts like a champ. :msp_w00t:

 

[Kodiak42]

It's almost amazing how experinces between users can be so different. Not trying to start anything, I fall in the same catergory at times also.

 

[mountainlake]

The deal with PGG is that about 98% of actual Echo owners like them, him Saw TRoll and a couple other don't for what ever reason. I'm wondering why PGG is even running a ECho 350 Steve

 

[pgg]

The deal with PGG is that about 98% of actual Echo owners like them, him Saw TRoll and a couple other don't for what ever reason. I'm wondering why PGG is even running a ECho 350 Steve

I'm not running an echo steven, would sooner use a blunt axe, and your statistics show me that about 98% of echo owners have never run anything else:msp_tongue:

 

[mountainlake]

I'm not running an echo steven, would sooner use a blunt axe, and your statistics show me that about 98% of echo owners have never run anything else:msp_tongue:

I run Echo, Stihl, Husky, Dolmar, Efco, Solo,Mac,Homelite etc over here and the Echo saws run right with any of them cc for cc and have more durabilty than most. Steve

 

[jus2fat]

Why would it being a clamshell engine automatically spell no to a pro worker?

I guess "interpretation" is difficult..as is "the meaning of words" / wording on the internet rather that spoken one to one.

I never said the clamshell.."automatically" spells NO to a Pro. I should have said.."decreases it's likely probability of purchase"..??

Some folks like "Thall" and "mountalnlake" can work on these in minutes...but they aren't doing Pro cutting operations.

And of course neither am I...I probably shouldn't have posted anything and just kept my opinions to myself..!!

But a Pro quality saw (turns out it's not) on a spec. level as the 200T...for $400 just drew me in...MY MISTAKE..!!

J2F

 

[Cliff R]

"hahaha I've seen a whole heap of those junk saws with blown engines".

I'm not the first bit interested in what you have seen, because that is second hand information. I've "seen" MS200's KILLED by folks who didn't have a clue how to run a saw, correctly mix fuel, adjust carburetors, etc.

I've never had the first P/C failure of any sort with any saw we've owned, tuned, maintained, no matter what brand it was.

I am NOT a big Echo fan running around waving the flag, etc. I have owned quite a few of them, and still have a couple of them left in the line-up. I think that all their reed-valve models are pathetically underpowered, but still dead solid reliable.

It is also my opinion, that some of the larger models are slow and underpowered as well, at least compared to their Stihl and Husqvarna counterparts.

Echo has a few very good models in their line-up, that rival the competition. Pound for pound the CS-510/520's are hard to beat.

Their little CS-370/400's are excellent units, with plenty of power for the cc's, and very well made and durable for the price.

The CS-360T we have here has proven to be not only dead solid reliable, but decent power and chain speed as well. I find it a tad "bulky" for a top handle saw, and am not very fond of the rev limiter either, but it does what we ask of it, and still no matter how hard we try, it will not develope a "death rattle". Instead, like all the other Echo power equipment we have been associated with, it just keeps on working like it's supposed to.

So I come on this sight, and every single time an Echo topic comes up, PGG starts his little "bashing" deal.

I'd just like to know where all the hatred comes from? You just talking with others around the campfire over some beers, or have you been out in the field smoking the P/C's in these saws yourself?.......Cliff

 

[pgg]

I'm not the first bit interested in what you have seen, because that is second hand information. I've "seen" MS200's KILLED by folks who didn't have a clue how to run a saw, correctly mix fuel, adjust carburetors, etc.
So I come on this sight, and every single time an Echo topic comes up, PGG starts his little "bashing" deal.

I'd just like to know where all the hatred comes from

I see, mr sooky bub, the worlds leading expert on how to run saws, correctly mix fuel and adjust carbs. Still having a big cry over spilled milk. wipe your tears fella and go buy yourself a proper bloody saw

 

[Cliff R]

Just as I suspected, just another guy with a bad attitude and no direct information or experience. Instead of "bashing" saws and folks provided accurate and up to date information on these things, why don't you go out back and take a picture of this BIG pile of Echo saws with smoked P/C's so we can see why you have such a hatred for them. To be perfectly honest, this "diarrhea of the mouth" we keep seeing here when it comes to this topic is getting a little old.......Cliff

 

[KenJax Tree]

I haven't run Echos saw long enough to give a good opinion but the little i did run a CS-360T i didn't like it, the chain brake it just felt cheap like it was gonna break right off,power wise i didn't run it long enough to give a good opinion.

 

[Kodiak42]

I feel the the same way about the MS 192. When I bought the 360t it it was a few hundred less than the 200t and about the same as the 192t, I like Stilh saws but to each their own.

 

[pgg]

just another guy with a bad attitude and no direct information or experience...

Sigh.... What a winner you are... :censored: didn't I tell you to go wipe your tears? Get a life ya miserable little git!