echo CS 346 opinions, worth $150 NIB

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hello,

in my search for a backup saw,
i was offered a New In Box echo CS 346 for $150.

a quick call to a dealer, $269 free shipping and free chain to my front door.

i am seeing these echo CS 346 for sale all over for $150-190 NIB,

is this a marketing or did somebody leave the door unlocked or are they a very good Chinese knockoff.
thanks
 
Going to be discontinued, I think. My dealer says he can't even get one from the factory if he ordered one. He would get in it's place a new, all orange CS-370 which is a 36cc class saw but it weighs over 10 pounds. I think it's EPA related.
Jay
 
Hmm, interesting...

Maybe I should jump on one of these too? Would fit the Three Saw Rule (30cc / 50cc / 70cc+) rather nicely on the low end.

Geeze, what am I talking about? I haven't even gotten my first chainsaw in yet. I gotta get away from this place...
 
CS-440's are going cheap also. Take a look on ebay. I've seen 346's go in the $120's and the 440 in the $180's. Also seeing a lot of the 305's up for sale cheap.
Jay
 
I have a 346 and love it. Take the muffler off, remove the catalytist, put it back on and you're ready to go. 345 is even better, you can skip this step. I had a 3450 and ran it for about three years, cut about 10-15 cords of wood with it and it never missed a lick. Sold it on ebay and bought the new 346 for about $30 more than I got for the 3450. I also have a new 345 just waiting. I'm tempted to buy another as a spare, but I don't think the wife would understand. Never had a 305, but it may be a bit weak.
 
Curious as to why you got rid of the 345 that sounds like it was working well for you to get the 346? Are there features on the 346 worth the act of upgrading?

I ask 'cuz the 346 is one of the saws I'm also considering at the moment.
 
just got the 346

just got in with the 346 NIB, opened it, tomorrow will see how it runs and cuts. one thing, after being used to stihl for so many years, this seems light, will post how it goes with my limited opinion.
 
Hack,
I didn't sell the 3450 and buy the 346 to upgrade to any particular feature, although I believe that the 345 and 346 have two rings where the 3450 had one (could be wrong here). The reasons were 1 - I always like to get a new saw; and 2 - The bar and sprocket were getting some wear on them and the way that used saws sell on e-bay, especially one in good shape as mine was, it was cheaper to sell it and buy a new one than to put a new bar and sprocket on the old one. The only disadvantage that I see to the 346 is the cat muffler, but that is fairly easy to fix.
 
new

I too am interested in Echo 346-440 saws. Prices seem
good as the summer wears on.
But the bar size bothers me.
33cc 16" bothers me.
45cc 18" bar bothers me.
No mention of chain size, guess .325.

Since a b&c might run $30-50, I'm bothered.

I usually run 50cc saw, 16" bar, .325 chain. Works good.
I run a 40cc SEZ, 14" bar, 3/8 low profile. Works good.
Will continue to look for Echo, good saw-poor choice of bar.

Thank's AS. good site.
 
345/346 comes with 3/8 lp. I've had both 14" and 16" on them. Personally, I like the 16 much better. Not that the saw is super powerful, but its not bad and 14" just doesn't have enough reach sometimes. Of course that is just my personal preference. I like these saws because they are VERY light and in my experience, very dependable.

I believe the 440 and 520 use .325 pitch.
 
I have used a variety of saws, but the Echo's are my favorite for general use. The lower cost series that are grey and light to carry seem to be on the way out. The new 370 looks and feels like a great saw, but I just bought a CS 346 on closeout because I love the style and low weight. I have one that was somewhat beat up that I had bought on e-bay a few years ago and with some TLC I have gotten great use from that saw. I just posted a new thread about getting the oiler to work - seems it is not pumping oil to the chain. I had almost purchased a new Stihl when I learned about the Echo line. I had borrowed a Stihl from a friend - they are great saws, but the weight difference and the ease of handeling really convinced me. If you are cutting a lot of big stuff all the time a big saw is great, but for general use, trimming, and cleanup I love the Echo's.
 
get one while you can

I have a 346 too. My muffler is gutted but it is a pretty good saw for $160 new. It's main use is limbing. I have not used it as a pro saw though...
 
I have one and love it

buy one you wont go wrong then gut the muffler and tune the carb sharpen the chain and have fun cutting anything under 10" . mine saves me useing my 570 on the smaller stuff.
 
I have a 346 too. My muffler is gutted but it is a pretty good saw for $160 new. It's main use is limbing. I have not used it as a pro saw though...

I cant believe you own a Crapecho, and to think, we used to be friends.:)
 
So here in October of 2015, approaching a decade of ownership, I FINALLY have a complaint about my CS-346.
Granted, it has been wonderfully reliable, and after a little exhaust system modification with matching carb adjustments,
also much more powerful and aggressive than anyone should expect a 7.5 pound saw to be. Since mine has the 16" rather than 14"
blade, it has handled many tasks that discussion group comments suggest should be handled by larger-displacement
heavier saws. I do own more than half a dozen other chainsaws, so that's certainly a convenient but less easy to handle option
for me, but this saw is so light, lively and easy to start that its use has been a pleasure.

Ok, so what's my complaint? The front fixed spike "dog teeth" or "buck teeth," what ever linguistic referent you most
prefer, were formed from PLASTIC! Worse, they are not removable but rather are projections from housing parts.
They are so worn and rounded now that they simply don't bite into wood/bark any more. They performed marginally
to adequately when they were new and pointy, but now I can't get those former spikes, now rounded nubs, to grab into wood
that I want to cut so I can pull back on the saw handle and use spikes as effective hinge pivots. So now I'm looking at picking up
a metal "dog teeth" or "bucking teeth" set and finding some way to attach them. It has been such a ridiculously good little saw
that I don't want to start using one of my heavier saws for smaller cutting, yet I want the ease of use that's made possible by using
well-functioning "dog teeth."

Has anyone else addressed this issue on any Echos with worn plastic dog teeth?

****************
The most recently-reported average American's age is 35.3 years.
So I can say that I've owned and used my Foley Belsaw Chainsaw Sharpener and
manual Granberg sharpener longer than most Americans have been alive.
 
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