AnthemBassMan
ArboristSite Member
Not sure if you’re on Facebook or not, but check out your local Marketplace if you are. There are Echo CS370 and CS400 saws local to me running between $75-$150.
L8R,
Matt
L8R,
Matt
Wanting decent small cheap saw.
- Thread starter Old Grunt
- Start date
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Small and will be getting really cheap as they are discontinued...under $200 already...
Stihl 170.
Do a minor muffler mod and keep a sharp chain and it is good for 20" wood.
Not fast but super light.
Stihl 170.
Do a minor muffler mod and keep a sharp chain and it is good for 20" wood.
Not fast but super light.
Yeah, Northern Tool has them at some of their stores for $199. Guess the OP didn't have any place with 170's in his area. NT store 80 miles up the road from me has four of them. Seem to be AM parts available for them too unlike the 171. Hard to beat.
With some searching I'm sure I could of found a 170,I wanted to stay local plus I just wanted something different, I started on 5th tank of fuel in the little Echo tonight, I'm really liking that little saw it feels and looks cheap built, but danged if it isnt a comfortable and fun little saw to run, it doesn't start as quick as I'm used to, when cold it takes at least 4 yanks to get a pop,then usually 2 or 3 to start,when hot or warm 2-3 pulls normally, occasionally it fires on first pull hot.
I don't like that goofy choke/ fast idle button it feels like something easily broken off and its just awkward to use for me, but if it don't break off,its just a minor annoyance. I'm not a fan of primer bulbs either, I guess that's just another minor annoyance.
Overall I'm really liking the little Echo with a out the door price of $201. and some change, it be tuff to beat for a little light saw I dont expect it to last forever,I'm looking at it as a light, disposable saw to keep from breaking my more expensive saws and chains.
The Echo 3410,and Stihl 170 would be very close in runtime now, tomorrow I'm going to sharpen both chains and compare them.
I don't like that goofy choke/ fast idle button it feels like something easily broken off and its just awkward to use for me, but if it don't break off,its just a minor annoyance. I'm not a fan of primer bulbs either, I guess that's just another minor annoyance.
Overall I'm really liking the little Echo with a out the door price of $201. and some change, it be tuff to beat for a little light saw I dont expect it to last forever,I'm looking at it as a light, disposable saw to keep from breaking my more expensive saws and chains.
The Echo 3410,and Stihl 170 would be very close in runtime now, tomorrow I'm going to sharpen both chains and compare them.
Used and in great shape, the 170s go for $100-125 here.
Sidecarflip
Addicted to ArboristSite
As a rule, the one thing I DON'T buy is a used saw. Used = someone else's grief.
I went over both little saws,cleaned air filters,bar,sharpened chains,even went fresh gas,and cut down couple dozen trees from 3" - 10" diameter,I chunked them up into firewood lengths,I'd run one awhile then the other.
My conclusion was,the Stihl is faster under 4-5 inches diameter,once get to 6" diameter or so the 4 more cc's of Echo make it little faster,
The Stihl is a better built saw. The plastic is much better,it starts easier.
The Echo either has much smaller fuel tank or it used much more fuel,I have to fuel it almost twice as often as the Stihl.
But I don't have a preference for a light cheap saw either is fine.
I know these are both cheap homeowner saws,and I'm probably making to big of a deal over comparison,but I'm far from a professional however I also cut way more then average homeowner or farmer, I also figure someone spending $700.00 plus on saw has pretty good idea what they want.
I thought a honest comparison of the two,be one way I could give a little back to forum.
Unless little Echo goes to crap soon I'm very pleased with it.
I imagine in the few days I've had Echo I've cut more with it then most homeowners will for the life of the saw.
My conclusion was,the Stihl is faster under 4-5 inches diameter,once get to 6" diameter or so the 4 more cc's of Echo make it little faster,
The Stihl is a better built saw. The plastic is much better,it starts easier.
The Echo either has much smaller fuel tank or it used much more fuel,I have to fuel it almost twice as often as the Stihl.
But I don't have a preference for a light cheap saw either is fine.
I know these are both cheap homeowner saws,and I'm probably making to big of a deal over comparison,but I'm far from a professional however I also cut way more then average homeowner or farmer, I also figure someone spending $700.00 plus on saw has pretty good idea what they want.
I thought a honest comparison of the two,be one way I could give a little back to forum.
Unless little Echo goes to crap soon I'm very pleased with it.
I imagine in the few days I've had Echo I've cut more with it then most homeowners will for the life of the saw.
Sidecarflip
Addicted to ArboristSite
Again, I only run canned gas, never pre mix and interestingly, m y ancient 028 Stihl runs better on canned gas than it ever did on pre mix. Don't hand file any loops either, I grind all of them with CBN wheels too.
Don't consider any Stihl to be a cheap saw, on the contrary.
Don't consider any Stihl to be a cheap saw, on the contrary.
The MS170 may not technically be a "professional" saw but it's used by plenty of tree services. Licensed professional arborists just doing pruning may be more likely to spend pro money on a pro saw because they only use a couple of saws, but your average lower budget full service tree trimming/removal company (we've got hundreds of them around here) is going to use whatever does the job they can get their hands on that's light and can be run all day. Granted, many aren't exactly what you'd call professionals, or have a single pro climber/arborist among a largely unskilled crew who can't be trusted not to ruin pro saws. One of the main differences I've found between pro and consumer saws isn't much higher quality piston/cylinder/cranks or anything major, it's in fuel delivery design and sturdiness of the plastics. Cheaper consumer saws always seem to use primer bulbs and the crappiest carburetor and fuel tank tubing that routinely rots out. Having seen Chinese success - albeit with terrible hit or miss quality control - at cloning pro saws, it's not always so much where or who it's made by as the design. My guess would be 9/10 of what makes modern Poulan/Homelite/Craftsman consumer saws such crap is merely the carburetors and fuel tubing. I think they were designed to fail easily so people without repair skills would just go out and buy another.
Defdice
ArboristSite Lurker
The 3410 replaces the 310 while the 3510 replaces the 352.Just stopped in to visit with Echo dealer,,I asked about difference between 3410 and 3510,,his answer was we don't know,he said he'd asked Echo rep couple times and rep didn't know either.
He also said he's heard a couple times from guys that have both,the 3410 actually runs better then 3510.
Echo's press release for the 3410 says it has 1.7 horsepower.
Echo's Non-US websites list the 3510 as having 2.02 horsepower (converting from Kw).
Weird that they are both 34.4 cc - maybe its like 590 and 620 power difference but both being the same cc's
A thought / observation to the original discussion on an ideal light inexpensive saw for a long nail and wire infested trail overgrown with small trees. Some Echo products take the cheap and plentiful Poulan chains and bars. Echo 400 comes to mind for sure. That’s a nice option when dealing with metal and where cutting speed isn’t important. If you tear off a half dozen teeth on cheap easy to replace Walmart chain riding on a $20 14 inch bar it stings less than higher end bars and chains. I think disposable saws / bars and chains have a limited but real place for mud, metal, stumps, gravel, sand etc etc.
maowwg,I had same thought,sadly both Wal Marts I checked was sold out of .050 gauge for 14" bar,plenty for 16" and 18" bar.
I ended up just getting couple Oregon chains, I also put OEM metal felling dog on saw,not for cutting,to give little protection for front of saw.
I'm really liking that little saw I've ran the little saw quite a bit since I bought it,I mixed up 5 gallon of fuel the day I bought it 2.5 weeks ago,I have less then a quart of fuel left. I topped off my Stihl MS391,and MS660,both was almost full and 1 possibly 2 tanks in the 170,rest been burned in Echo 3410. I realize that's not a lot of fuel for a saws lifetime, however that's probably more fuel then most those little homeowner Echos will ever use.
Compared to the MS170 the CS3410 just looks and feels cheap,and has few things I dont care for,but I do like running the little Echo much more then the 170.
I ended up just getting couple Oregon chains, I also put OEM metal felling dog on saw,not for cutting,to give little protection for front of saw.
I'm really liking that little saw I've ran the little saw quite a bit since I bought it,I mixed up 5 gallon of fuel the day I bought it 2.5 weeks ago,I have less then a quart of fuel left. I topped off my Stihl MS391,and MS660,both was almost full and 1 possibly 2 tanks in the 170,rest been burned in Echo 3410. I realize that's not a lot of fuel for a saws lifetime, however that's probably more fuel then most those little homeowner Echos will ever use.
Compared to the MS170 the CS3410 just looks and feels cheap,and has few things I dont care for,but I do like running the little Echo much more then the 170.
I’ve never seen echo do 30% off. They used to do 20 off and even that stopped for a few years and eventually they went to 15 off. That’s a heck of a deal! My dealer is participating, just over a month away but at 15.
really? 20" wood! ( you know why women are not great at spatial relationship? All their life they have been told"this" is 6 inches)
If neither the dealer or factory rep didn't know any details about the product they are selling I'd steer clear of the product.Just stopped in to visit with Echo dealer,,I asked about difference between 3410 and 3510,,his answer was we don't know,he said he'd asked Echo rep couple times and rep didn't know either
He also said he's heard a couple times from guys that have both,the 3410 actually runs better then 3510.
If your cutting 20in wood I'm not sure the 170 is the correct tool for the job.
I finally got shoulder surgery and am able to use left arm a little,shoulder was more knackered then Dr's thought 2 tendons was ripped in two,collar bone was broke loose plus rotator cuff, Doc fixed tendon from shoulder to bicep, wasnt able to fix one on top of shoulder, he cut end off collar bone and reatached and patched up rotator cuff so it took awhile to be able to use left arm at all.
Couple weeks ago I started cleaning up again,I gotta say Echo uses some awesome paint on the bars LOL. That little saw has cut a crapload of brush to 10" stuff and paint on bar still looks good,plus on that cheesy cheap feeling bar rails are still decent,that surprises the crap out of me especially considering crap I've cut,in dirt,hit wire and nails in trees a few times bar still looks great,I am on 4th or 5th chain.
Today I cut this Osage Orange, it was definitely to much, and I should of let it be until I brought bigger saw with me but the itty bitty Echo knawed through better then I expected, the more I use the little turd the more impressed I am.
Couple weeks ago I started cleaning up again,I gotta say Echo uses some awesome paint on the bars LOL. That little saw has cut a crapload of brush to 10" stuff and paint on bar still looks good,plus on that cheesy cheap feeling bar rails are still decent,that surprises the crap out of me especially considering crap I've cut,in dirt,hit wire and nails in trees a few times bar still looks great,I am on 4th or 5th chain.
Today I cut this Osage Orange, it was definitely to much, and I should of let it be until I brought bigger saw with me but the itty bitty Echo knawed through better then I expected, the more I use the little turd the more impressed I am.
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No tree is really too big for a small saw. A sharp chain and let the saw pull itself…no problem.
Somewhere there is a vid of Randymac using a cs400, 16” to fall a 3’ Fir.
Sidecarflip
Addicted to ArboristSite
I use my Echo top handle saw with a 12" bar for about everything but very large diameter wood. It's handy, extremely light and super easy to start, even a kid can fire it right up no issue. About to buy a second one. Impressed with the CS saw and the retail price compared to a Stihl top handle is amazing and it's lighter to boot.
