Oak Firewood - Echo 620P or 590?

[leeave96]

We cut firewood for our home and a camp wood stove and am looking for a 60cc saw.

We cut primarily oak with some locust occasionally. All trees are dead and have fallen to the ground, hard, dry wood.

Here in the past few years, we are seeing old oak trees die, seems like something is getting under the bark and killing the tree. Eventually the wind, ice and snow bring them down. Sometimes these trees fall into our pasture edges and recently a couple across a couple of our farm roads - so they have to be cut-up and moved.

I had thought about an Echo 7310 and a reasonably long bar, but I’m rethinking, maybe a 620P would be a reasonable compromise between price, weight, bar length (24” bar) and durability.

Then I start reading about the CS-590 and it too is a 60cc saw, gets great reviews and much lower cost.

Firewood cutting as noted above. Help me choose - the 602P or 590 or should I swing for the fence and pry open my wallet further and just get the 7310?

Any sage advice/recommendations are appreciated!

 

[muddy42]

Personally I would find a 60 cc saw too underpowered for a 24" bar cutting such hard wood. Id jump to >76cc for that or accept a shorter bar and cheaper saw. It depends if this will be your only saw or if you have something already? You don't gain much scope by adding a 60cc saw alongside a 50 cc saw, for example.

 

[sean donato]

Neither 590 or 620 is going to enjoy hardwood with a 24" bar. Stick with a 20" or get the 7310. I'd personally be looking at a ms462 or 572xp or 372xp.....

 

[cuttinstihl]

I've owned both a 590 and a 620, if you're keeping them stock, a 20" is best for either saw in hardwood. After break in and a muffler mod they both run like entirely different saws. My modded 590 pulls a 24" buried adequately for me in oak, but it certainly isn't gonna fly through it. Skip tooth chain might help it out a bit, but I'm not sure b/c I've never tried it.

 

[bwalker]

I've owned both a 590 and a 620, if you're keeping them stock, a 20" is best for either saw in hardwood. After break in and a muffler mod they both run like entirely different saws. My modded 590 pulls a 24" buried adequately for me in oak, but it certainly isn't gonna fly through it. Skip tooth chain might help it out a bit, but I'm not sure b/c I've never tried it.

This isn't a knock on you, but some people have lower expectations.
IMO a muffler modded 60cc isn't happy with a 24" bar in oak and certainly not an Echo 620p or 590. Especially if it's not red oak.
I have no problems running a 24 or 28 in western softwoods with my 400c however. Would not use those bars in oak. Probably would opt for an 18" bar in that case.

 

[ballisticdoughnut]

Hardwood is 70+cc territory IMO. 24” bar full skip semi-chisel chain and don’t drop rakers below .025”.

 

[cuttinstihl]

This isn't a knock on you, but some people have lower expectations.
IMO a muffler modded 60cc isn't happy with a 24" bar in oak and certainly not an Echo 620p or 590. Especially if it's not red oak.
I have no problems running a 24 or 28 in western softwoods with my 400c however. Would not use those bars in oak. Probably would opt for an 18" bar in that case.

Funny enough, most oak that I cut is red oak. White oak I can agree that either a 590 or 620 wouldn't want anything to do with a 24", I tried it once, never again. There's a reason I keep a 395 with a 24 and 36 for that type of wood.

 

[leeave96]

Thanks. I’m taking away from the comments, the 7310 is the better option.

 

[JD Guy]

https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/echo-cs-7310-bar-chain-questions.368099/

This thread may give you some more information.

Sorry this seems to be a bar and chain discussion

 

[telecasterfool]

Nobody in this thread is incorrect, I feel all of them are just discussing shades of gray. I have a CS-590 with lots of the cs-620 parts on it. I run it with 1 24" full 3/8 bar and chain. I live in the midwest and cut a lot of hardwood. Now, YOUR choice depends on your budget, of course, what you will be cutting most, and what other saws you own. I run my 590 with a 24" bar because I have many other saws. If the task at hand is bucking firewood 20"-30" oak or locust, I will choose a bigger saw, say the 66-80cc range. Those saws will last longer, and do the job faster. Hope it helps.

 

[John from Cle Elum]

Telecaster is correct. Every saw is a compromise. Cost, power, weight, availability. How often will you actually, truely need a 24" bar? The power needed for a fast cut is a function of log diameter, not the bar length. IF you need a longer bar for only 5-10% of the cuts get the smaller, cheaper, less powerful saw put a long bar on it and nurse it through any big stuff. If you need to cut big stuff 50-75% of the cuts, your best answer will be different. I have a number of saws and will always grab the lightest saw that will do 90% of the job and leave everything else in the truck. Also help yourself out by keeping every thing in good shape. Mixture, plug, sharpness, fresh gas, etc. Keep an eye on Craigslist for a large, cheap saw if you want a backup or need it for a big job.

 

[LuDookie]

Both are good saws and could do it. I cut a lot of live oak which is harder and more dense than the typical red oak with an Echo 680 (66.7cc) wearing a 24” bar and it often stays buried and cutting from both sides when I’m not running my 395. Both saws I have are great ground saws but they are heavy and I do removals constantly with them. For just a little clean up, a 60cc saw is fine, but not ideal for a 2 foot bar if there’s no end in sight.

 

[cookies]

Welcome to the 2 saw plan... Get a 40-50cc for the majority of your needs and a 70-80cc for the large trunk wood.

 

[ihookem]

I dont cut much oak. I have cut quite a bit of dry ash and locust. I think dry wood is harder . I have a Stihl 441 ( 70cc) and an Echo 620P.. There is a noticeable difference between the 2 saws . A lot depends how much time you have . I would get the Echo 620P . You didn't mention the dia. of the oak.. A 20" , nice straight piece of oak would not bother me at all with the 620P... Now, dead 30" oak,,, the Stihl 441 /25" bar would be used. I helped cut up a 40" Bur Oak with my Stihl 034 ( 54cc) and was hard on it and I did not use it on anything bigger than 30" or so.. The tree cutter came by with his Stihl 660 and made 16" firewood in a hurry. Are you taking this off on your taxes? If so , that $800 Echo 7310 is now a $600 saw. .... Here is a pick of me with my little 034 ... The 4 horse was not up to the task , but the firewood was free and the tree guy took off $300 bucks so there's that. I will try to load the picks.

 

[Franny K]

Did a Gypsie moth epidemic happen a few years ago? That seems to have killed a bunch of my oak trees, they don't seem to fall over though. I doubt your oak dead trees laying sideways are dry. The 590 vs 620 Echo has been discussed at length on here not sure how easy it is to do search. The dry stuff is likely more toward the top and may not even need 60cc. There are aftermarket rim drive clutch drums now which is one of the reasons to pick the 620. If the intent is to cut the blow downs to 2000 pound chunks to move with machinery some of the comments here are more likely about bucking and noodling to something that can be manually handled.

 

[sean donato]

Did a Gypsie moth epidemic happen a few years ago? That seems to have killed a bunch of my oak trees, they don't seem to fall over though. I doubt your oak dead trees laying sideways are dry. The 590 vs 620 Echo has been discussed at length on here not sure how easy it is to do search. The dry stuff is likely more toward the top and may not even need 60cc. There are aftermarket rim drive clutch drums now which is one of the reasons to pick the 620. If the intent is to cut the blow downs to 2000 pound chunks to move with machinery some of the comments here are more likely about bucking and noodling to something that can be manually handled.

I prefer to take logs home 16-20 foot lengths. Moved with a mix if equipment depending if I'm by myself or working with my logging buddy. I still wouldn't want a 590 ot 620 with a 24" bar in white oak, or locust or any mix of other hardwoods. Just slow, slow progress cutting. And I'm no 70cc saw fan either, I perfur a good running 60cc class saw then just jump up to a 90cc saw. There are a lot of factors to picking out a saw too, but since the information given is echo saws and 24" bar, hardwood and fire wood, I 100% will say the 590 and 620 are bad choices. based off years of cutting side by side and using my neighbors 620p nearly exclusively in hardwood, both wet and dry. The 7310 would be the superior choice and no second thought would be needed unless he's going to go stihl or husqy and both make 70cc saws that will spank any of the echos listed in a bad way while weighing less and having better economics and av.

 

[Franny K]

59.8cc vs 73.5cc according to Echo. I would assume both would be running 3/8 chain.

 

[leeave96]

Update. I settled on a 620PW with 24” bar.

Thanks for the replies!