I bought my CS 590 Timberwolf in 2015 and if my old memory serves it was $299.00 plus tax at the time. I looked for the receipt. Can't verify that yet but feel pretty sure it's correct. Bought a case, dealer special $20 bucks, and couple files. I had sold an old 380 Poulan Pro for 295 dollars and spent about another 100 tax, case, all in all to get a new saw. I run a 24 inch bar most times on the 590. I do have a 28? Bar and full chisel chain to use for big trees up to about 48inches. Use an 029 Sthil ,20 inch bar for mid-sized work and most time first saw out. My brother was cutting alongside me with a Sthil 391, 20 inch bar as we blocked firewood. The stock 590 Echo with my biggest bar and chain blocked that oak right along the 391 Sthil cut for cut. I could tell he was racing me so I laid it on the tree. My brother was shocked at how well my 590 cut. So far the 590 has done everything I've ask of it and I've not even touched the muffler. That stock 20 inch bar and chain is fine but used seldom. Don't throw it away. A 24 inch bar with an aggressive chain works well on the 590 for daily use. It plunge cuts fine also. My complaint with the saw is the Spur gear drive. To replace that with Rim drive is expensive. However when the Spur drive wears out I'll replace with a rim drive. My baby brother has an Echo 600? P, maybe. Not sure just what. He loves it and it came with rim drive, metal handle etc. My 590 oils my chains well and my oiler is adjusted way out. I figure oil is cheaper than bar and chain. The key is very sharp chains adjusted properly. I sharpen my own chains, and Ia NEVER ride a saw. If its not cutting and we're to start smoking I'd shut it down and find out what was wrong. My saws cut at their own speed without dogging them. Rushing a saw past the proper cutting speed of the chain damages them and is dangerous for the operator too. I'd buy a 590 for 350 +/- bucks again but not sure I'd pay more. Shop around for a better deal on a Sthil maybe pay a bit more for a Sthil. Also comparing an old Sthil 029 to the 590 Timberwolf really is fair since the 590 has a bigger motor. The 029 is even smaller than an MS290.
Here on the farm,. I need a big saw once in a while but not everyday. The 590 does fill the bill. But for many trees the 490 gets used almost daily. My brother bought the 620p or whatever it is and I think he wasted money. The difference is not much unless you need a big saw everyday. My thinking is 2 saws are needed. The 490 and when needed the 590. I like them both. Both are stock. A few huge trees called for a 28 inch bar and with a sharp chain my 590 did a good job pulling a full chisel chain. I paid nearly 100 dollars for the bigger bar and chain from my dealer. Good sharp chain makes a big difference. Even new chains should be hit with a file. Good luck.
I have 3 Sthil chainsaws and bought 3 Echo's . Seldom do I touch a Sthil. Today I dropped a 20 inch back leaner and used my Echo 490 for felling, limbing, and Bucking. A few weeks ago I put my biggest bar on the Echo 590 and felled a 48 inch sweet gum. I used the Sthil 029 for bucking most of it but limbed with the Echo 490. In my opinion the two saws most important own are Echo 590/490. The Sthil 026 is a great little saw but I can't see any real difference in those two saws. I'd recommend Echo 590/490 to my brother. In fact I did. He has the Echo 620p and in my mind he just paid more for what he could have had in the 590. His saw isn't doing anything my 590 can't do. But, he uses his saw only a few times a year. Now, IF, I were not 70 years old just maybe I'd want a bigger, big saw. Recently passed on a Sthil 056. Good buy but not for me. I love my Echo's. The cs 310 is simply to small for me. It never gets used. The 490 does everything the 310 can do and does it much faster. Biggest waste of money buying a cs310. Good luck.
The 620/501 pairing is a good setup. I'd like to try a 501 see if it makes me want to sell my 490 and put the money towards one.
If you narrow your search enough there is only one answer. Are they a great deal for the price, yes. I have a Makita ea5001 that i got a great deal on, and it's very competitive with my 600p. A lot closer than it should be for 10cc less. Especially cosidering the 600p has had the defector trimmed and it's been carb swapped with an hda-324. The 5001 is a runner though. Comparing it to a dcs5121 may be interesting.
Wish you didn’t live in Iowa.
