ECHO Chainsaws - are they catching on?!

[zogger]

Thanks Zogger,
car warranties have saved my ass many times, I guess 2 stroke is a different matter. So efco and echo pushing their coverage as a selling point is a bunch of hooey?
Something I need to factor in I guess.
I don't want to start the ubiquitous " Help me pick out a saw" thread but I have a lot of questions. What started out as a 300-350$ investment is now looking like 650-700$ and I want to get it right. Back to the drawing board... Thanks, Russ

I am not saying it is all a buncha hooie, just with two strokes, because you have to mix it yourself and it doesn't last long, shops and manufacturers can just say "straight gassed" and get out of it. It would go dealer by dealer by dealer.

I was just saying, when you get that echo, you *most likely* will have to richen at least the H screw more counter-clockwise past the limiter stop setting. That requires pulling the cap, and as the owner, you have now voided the warranty. Catch 22. A dealer can do it and most likely get away with it, but he will be 200 bucks higher than you can buy them online (a real dealer, not home depot or lowes). But then you won't roach your saw.

That 1/8th or a scosh more richening on one screw makes all the difference in the world with them things. I would say most any new expensive saw is the same way, short of the new computer carb controlled saws. They sell them "get permission" from the goobermint to pass emissions at one setting, but it is a wink wink nod nod with savvy dealers and the guys on this site that further more realistic real world adjustment is in order.

How can I put this..a warranty is no substitute for saw performance and longevity compared to a REAL carb tune and proper maintenance. You don't want to turn it in broken for warranty work, if they will do it, you just want the dang thing to run properly, that will require an initial tune, then a retune after break in. If you have a good dealer, they will do this, if you want to save a lot of cash, you can buy online but then you must do it. Gets down to "you make the call" on what you want to do.

 

[mountainlake]

I've done several of these Echos. Most of the time they are sent here directly from the supplier, after the mods I send them on to the owner. I feel that even with the cost of the mods they are a great bargain........but I may be a bit bias in my thinking. :msp_tongue:

A new in the box 60cc saw with compression increase, woods port, custom muffler, tested and tuned....... around 700.00. That's hard to beat.

Real hard to beat when the other 60cc saws are around $700 new and you can bet MM saws will outcut stock 60cc saws by a bunch. As mentioned above if you don't muff a Echo you won't be impressed. Steve

 

[mountainlake]

I am not saying it is all a buncha hooie, just with two strokes, because you have to mix it yourself and it doesn't last long, shops and manufacturers can just say "straight gassed" and get out of it. It would go dealer by dealer by dealer.

I was just saying, when you get that echo, you *most likely* will have to richen at least the H screw more counter-clockwise past the limiter stop setting. That requires pulling the cap, and as the owner, you have now voided the warranty. Catch 22. A dealer can do it and most likely get away with it, but he will be 200 bucks higher than you can buy them online (a real dealer, not home depot or lowes). But then you won't roach your saw.

That 1/8th or a scosh more richening on one screw makes all the difference in the world with them things. I would say most any new expensive saw is the same way, short of the new computer carb controlled saws. They sell them "get permission" from the goobermint to pass emissions at one setting, but it is a wink wink nod nod with savvy dealers and the guys on this site that further more realistic real world adjustment is in order.

How can I put this..a warranty is no substitute for saw performance and longevity compared to a REAL carb tune and proper maintenance. You don't want to turn it in broken for warranty work, if they will do it, you just want the dang thing to run properly, that will require an initial tune, then a retune after break in. If you have a good dealer, they will do this, if you want to save a lot of cash, you can buy online but then you must do it. Gets down to "you make the call" on what you want to do.

Pulling the caps and retuning is no big deal, you can put them back on without trimming the tabs. With a muff modd you'ld have to get a new muff if you ever needed warreanty work. Steve

 

[SawTroll]

I find it hard to understand why anyone wants to buy an Echo saw - they are an arrogant brand, that doesn't seem to have any clue to how to port a cylinder for decent power.

 

[Mastermind]

I find it hard to understand why anyone wants to buy an Echo saw - they are an arrogant brand, that doesn't seem to have any clue to how to port a cylinder for decent power.

Now Niko, these new Echos are first rate saws.......epa is the thing that keeps them from performing as they should.

I've disassembled many saws......from many manufacturers, these saws are well built.

 

[mountainlake]

I find it hard to understand why anyone wants to buy an Echo saw - they are an arrogant brand, that doesn't seem to have any clue to how to port a cylinder for decent power.

They have nice porting with a little lower exhaust port giving them a nice wide powerband unlike some of the peaky Husky saws that fall flat soon as you lean on them a bit. More than Echo is arrogant, how about the die hard Husky- Stihl owner with a narrow mind instead of a narrow power band. Steve

 

[STIHLTHEDEERE]

I find it hard to understand why anyone wants to buy an Echo saw - they are an arrogant brand, that doesn't seem to have any clue to how to port a cylinder for decent power.

i find it hard to believe one would think that husky is the only saw on the market. i also find hard to believe someone can post crap on here about a saw they have never used. if you spent half as much time actually running saws as you do posting crap about them, you might actualy be able to make a viable point. as stated by people who actualy run them, the cs600 is a great saw once it is fattened up and MM'D. i think the videos more than show that....

 

[mountainlake]

There's several on here that need to watch vids with OPEN eyes. Steve

 

[hiluxxulih]

I find it hard to understand why anyone wants to buy an Echo saw - they are an arrogant brand, that doesn't seem to have any clue to how to port a cylinder for decent power.

I bought an Echo CS 600-P because I heard they are reliable and actually start easy my last two Stihls an MS 250 and MS 362 have been crap shoot as far as starting reliably , now my 044 starts like a dream , they were probably just duds especially the MS 250 , so far as I am concerned when I pull the starter handle it better start , the kicker was a few weeks ago I was cutting a few dead trees down around the house and the MS 250 and the MS 362 would not start after I sat them down for a few hours so I had to fuel up the ol reliable 044 and finished with that and she ran like a top .

 

[STIHLTHEDEERE]

One thing i found about all echo saws, they start easily, and run when needed to.

 

[McCulloch1-52]

Not too many Echo dealer's here where I am at, not even Jonsered, just Stihl, Husky and the cheap brands.

 

[pgg]

this thread is just too treacly sweet to digest. the echo propaganda machine is cunning and evil. echoes are just very average mediocre-performance. Boring sluggish and lacking all-important torque, an Echo will always stall out under pressure. Totally forgettable saws. Always have been and always will be home-grade saws masquerading as proper pro saws. anyone who knows anything will tell you the wimpy-engined echoes have always been an epic fail when conditions get tough. echo schmecko

 

[SawTroll]

this thread is just too treacly sweet to digest. the echo propaganda machine is cunning and evil. echoes are just very average mediocre-performance. Boring sluggish and lacking all-important torque, an Echo will always stall out under pressure. Totally forgettable saws. Always have been and always will be home-grade saws masquerading as proper pro saws. anyone who knows anything will tell you the wimpy-engined echoes have always been an epic fail when conditions get tough. echo schmecko

Well said!

 

[mountainlake]

this thread is just too treacly sweet to digest. the echo propaganda machine is cunning and evil. echoes are just very average mediocre-performance. Boring sluggish and lacking all-important torque, an Echo will always stall out under pressure. Totally forgettable saws. Always have been and always will be home-grade saws masquerading as proper pro saws. anyone who knows anything will tell you the wimpy-engined echoes have always been an epic fail when conditions get tough. echo schmecko

Your one of the few on here that need to watch some vids with open eyes. Steve

 

[SawTroll]

Well, some newer Echos likely are Shindaiwas. Those likely are a bit better than the true Echos, but still far from great - and don't believe the weight and power specs......

 

[Cliff R]

It's one thing to bad mouth a specific model of saw when you have direct experience with it. Degrading an entire product line without ever picking up or using the model(s) that are being referenced here.....folks shouldn't even be allowed to put up a response if you are just pissed off because you knew someone once that bought an Echo and didn't know how to set the carb or straight gassed it, or both, then smoked the P/C. Now they are all junk for sure, when most likely the owner/operator was the problem right to start with......Cliff

 

[mountainlake]

Well, some newer Echos likely are Shindaiwas. Those likely are a bit better than the true Echos, but still far from great - and don't believe the weight and power specs......

Pick up a CS500 ,it's light. Steve

 

[Bluefish]

I like Saw Trolls posts but I don't believe they post any HP ratings and the models I have hefted don't "feel" heavy and the 500 seemed light to me. Russ

 

[Preston]

That cutting demonstration was kinda fast. But in my years cutting, and I'll admit here I've not spent all my in the wood cutting, I've never seen a "hollow" pine. Maybe it different other places but I've never seen one in Georgia. Now red oaks, all the time. My 034 will cut about like that in a hollow red oak. :msp_biggrin:

 

[SawTroll]

I like Saw Trolls posts but I don't believe they post any HP ratings and the models I have hefted don't "feel" heavy and the 500 seemed light to me. Russ

There are good reasons that Echo doesn't include power ratings in the specs, but Shindaiwa used to include some very optimistic ones.:msp_wink: