LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
One thing that I definitely agree on is the 400 is way more saw than a 620 and should have more cutting capacity with longer bars. Just displacement alone should give it at least a 20-30% bump.
Echo 620P vs Stihl 400C opinions?
- Thread starter cuttinstihl
- Start date
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The Echos are geared a little bit lower with port timing. Typically they aren’t as fast as higher strung saws with a short bar, but are more levelheaded and don’t bog as easily with a longer bar.
It’s a tough gig when most are cutting firewood to try to save on the heating bill. Different story I guess if you are logging or making money with them
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
I’m basically an “arborist” for one big client that has a lot of property and does a lot of removals and land clearing. I would never classify myself as a professional, but I rely on professional equipment and have narrowed my preferences down to the hardest working, longest lasting, no- nonsense, and trouble free machines I can get for money that makes sense spending on something that I can easily maintain, troubleshoot and disassemble. There’s a lot to be ironed out, but I’m right where I want to be with my chainsaws, regardless of money.
One workhorse that I can’t let go of is my Echo 680. It is the heaviest, grungiest, coolest running small engine I have and has just outlasted everything around it under much abuse. A distant second is my 395xp, but I admit, I’m constantly having to wrench on it to keep it going. This involves lots of live oaks, 4 - 6 foot diameter.
You mentioned solenoid reliability earlier and I got to thinking.
I am currently sitting in a process unit that has hundreds of them. In the last 5 years I remember only one having to be replaced.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
Yep, sometimes. I spent about 10 years in industry and offshore drilling. I was an Electronic tech. Replaced them all the time. Solid state drivers constantly, sporadically failed. When they fail there’s no working on them, you just replace them, hoping that was the problem. Most times it was.
But… I totally hear ya. I’m always rooting for reliability and there are so many types of solenoids, drivers, and valves. I’m definitely no expert on m tronic or auto tune either.
cuttinstihl
ArboristSite Operative
Ended up just getting a new top end for the 620 and a 28” bar. After break in it seems to pull it fine with skip chain as long as you’re not in a rush, oiling seems to be pretty decent as well. Really nothing earth-shattering performance wise but it works for what I need it to.
I will say the 28 is the max I would ever put on it, had to use skip chain for it to effectively pull it and even then it slows slightly when buried, but that’s a rare occurrence so it doesn’t affect me too much. Only reason I’m running a 28” over a 24 is because I don’t have to bend as much for ground level work.
I will say the 28 is the max I would ever put on it, had to use skip chain for it to effectively pull it and even then it slows slightly when buried, but that’s a rare occurrence so it doesn’t affect me too much. Only reason I’m running a 28” over a 24 is because I don’t have to bend as much for ground level work.
