ECHO 58 Volt Cordless Chainsaw

[Philbert]

There have already been several postings on this saw, starting around Post#164 in this thread:
http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...-cordless-chainsaw.177392/page-9#post-5271046

But I think that this will be a popular enough item to warrant it's own thread. Please post your comments, questions, and experiences with this saw, and related line of OPE here.



$299 with 4.0Ah battery and charger. Extra 4.0Ah battery $169. Available exclusively through Home Depot - NOT available, and not serviced through ECHO dealers.

Echo Cordless website: http://www.echocordless.com/products/chain-saw/

The Owner's Manual is available on-line for more information: http://manuals.echocordless.com/sys.../CCS-58V_107174001_276_trilingual_03.pdf?2014

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Tried One Today!

A local Home Depot had reps in today to train their sales staff, and the Manager told me I could listen in (all training was done in the store aisles - no secret stuff). Got a chance to listen to their sales pitch, pester some of the HQ and manufacturer's reps, and try some products alongside some 'competitive' Ryobi, EGO, and Kobalt 40 Volt OPE.


Saw specs are on the website noted in the post above: 58V; brushless motor; 4.0 Li-Ion battery; 16 inch bar; 3/8 low profile narrow kerf (Oregon Type 90) chain. We only had the opportunity to make cuts in some bundled, treated, 4X4 posts (7.5X7.5" total), so this is a very limited, first impression. But that first impression is very positive. It is clearly the best cordless saw that Home Depot sells. Of course, we did not compare it alongside any of the Husqvarna, STIHL, or Oregon models, so those impressions are still open. But it did discourage me from considering the other models I tried!

The saw has a conventional chain brake, and an electronic brake (chain stops instantly when trigger is released). Well balanced. Easy to operate. Has an overall quality feel to it. Clearly something to look at if you are considering a battery saw. Especially, since HD offers a 90 day money back guarantee and a 5 year consumer warranty.

Also tried their leaf blower, which was very well balanced and easy to use. Has an axial (in line) fan, instead of the radial style used on many gas and electric blowers. We are seeing this on some other battery powered blowers, including the new Ryobi and Oregon models. We were only blowing sawdust and scraps of wood on smooth concrete, so wet leaves and twigs might be a different story, but again, a very positive first impression.



Also tried the string trimmer. Also well balanced. Uses 0.80 or 0.95 string. Powerhead is compatible with many other ECHO attachments. They let us cut 1/8" dowel rods inside a plexiglass box, which is slightly different than 'real world conditions' for most of us, but made it's point about power.




Overall, a positive first impression. Buying into one of these tools usually means looking at the whole 'family', due to the significant cost of the batteries, and they seem to have a nice range, including a hedge trimmer that I did not try. No pole saw in this mix, but maybe one of their conventional attachments would work with the string trimmer powerhead?

I hope that some A.S. guys who try these will share their feedback here.

Philbert

 

[zemmo]

Tried One Today!

A local Home Depot had reps in today to train their sales staff, and the Manager told me I could listen in (all training was done in the store aisles - no secret stuff). Got a chance to listen to their sales pitch, pester some of the HQ and manufacturer's reps, and try some products alongside some 'competitive' Ryobi, EGO, and Kobalt 40 Volt OPE.
View attachment 418154

Saw specs are on the website noted in the post above: 58V; brushless motor; 4.0 Li-Ion battery; 16 inch bar; 3/8 low profile narrow kerf (Oregon Type 90) chain. We only had the opportunity to make cuts in some bundled, treated, 4X4 posts (7.5X7.5" total), so this is a very limited, first impression. But that first impression is very positive. It is clearly the best cordless saw that Home Depot sells. Of course, we did not compare it alongside any of the Husqvarna, STIHL, or Oregon models, so those impressions are still open. But it did discourage me from considering the other models I tried!

The saw has a conventional chain brake, and an electronic brake (chain stops instantly when trigger is released). Well balanced. Easy to operate. Has an overall quality feel to it. Clearly something to look at if you are considering a battery saw. Especially, since HD offers a 90 day money back guarantee and a 5 year consumer warranty.

Also tried their leaf blower, which was very well balanced and easy to use. Has an axial (in line) fan, instead of the radial style used on many gas and electric blowers. We are seeing this on some other battery powered blowers, including the new Ryobi and Oregon models. We were only blowing sawdust and scraps of wood on smooth concrete, so wet leaves and twigs might be a different story, but again, a very positive first impression.

View attachment 418155

Also tried the string trimmer. Also well balanced. Uses 0.80 or 0.95 string. Powerhead is compatible with many other ECHO attachments. They let us cut 1/8" dowel rods inside a plexiglass box, which is slightly different than 'real world conditions' for most of us, but made it's point about power.

View attachment 418156
View attachment 418157

Overall, a positive first impression. Buying into one of these tools usually means looking at the whole 'family', due to the significant cost of the batteries, and they seem to have a nice range, including a hedge trimmer that I did not try. No pole saw in this mix, but maybe one of their conventional attachments would work with the string trimmer powerhead?

I hope that some A.S. guys who try these will share their feedback here.

Philbert

How much did the saw weigh, all in?

 

[Philbert]

How much did the saw weigh, all in?

I just had a brief chance to try it. It felt well balanced, and was not noticeably heavy, compared to the other tools.
I am sure that the specs are one the ECHO cordless website, or in the owner's manuals (available on line).

Philbert

 

[CR888]

lt was not that long ago when electric saws had 14/18/24 volt batteries. Things are heading in the right direction it seems with 40+ volt units that are on the shelves currently. Keep us posted Philbert as the future looks bright with battery saws and the monies currently being invested in this technology is huge as we transition off non renewable energies. There are some great characteristics about electric ope, noise, clean work environment, ect, ect. An Australian mower/ope company Victa has 40volt units with 16" bars atm that look interesting, would love to run one for an afternoon.

 

[oldfortyfive]

The pole saw attachment fits from my gas Echo machine, but I've not had a chance to try it.

 

[Philbert]

The pole saw attachment fits from my gas Echo machine, but I've not had a chance to try it.

Please let us know. Some accessories might fit, but not have enough power to drive them. Access to the full line of ECHO attachments would be a big bonus.

The Oregon 40V system has a separate, telescoping pole saw: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/oregon-40-volt-pole-saw.248941/ Uses same batteries.

Philbert

 

[Treespotter]

Hé Philbert, I just read your post that you where able to compare machines side by side.
Echo battery products are still not in stores here in the Netherlands but really close by to me there's a supplier that stocks Ego.
I'm really impressed by their leaf blower and could do with a backhandle saw that produces a bit more grunt than the Husqvarna 536 LiXP.
One thing that impressed me too is the fact that those machines come with a two year warranty and cost less than half of the Stihl and Husqy machines and batteries.
Any suggestions? Should I go forward in buying the Ego leaf blower and eventually also their saw?

 

[Philbert]

Wolter,

I understand that the ECHO 58V saws were developed for, and are sold exclusively by The Home Depot improvement stores in the US (and maybe Canada and Mexico). I don't know if anyone else is offering them in Europe, Asia, etc. They are not sold by ECHO dealers here in the US.

I did not have an opportunity to try the Ego saws at that demo. They let us compare the ECHO saw with a Ryobi and Lowe's Kobalt (another store brand). Lots of lower priced brands here, along with the STIHL and Husqvarna lines. Be sure that you pick a company that will support the products down the road.

I personally have used the Oregon 40V saw, and am anxiously awaiting the release of their brushless motor model, due out in a few months. They claim a 40% increase in power over my existing one. I know that the Oregon 'PowerNow' battery line is sold in Europe, so you might want to check those out as well, and compare them to the Ego line. I have recently been trying the Oregon leaf blower - compact, powerful, and convenient; but goes through batteries faster than expected, even though I am familiar with other battery tools. I am having to learn to 'feather' the trigger, and only use the 'Turbo' mode when needed (I am used to a corded, electric model, and can go 'full blast' for an unlimited period of time).

As you noted, investing in one product leads you to stay with that same brand, due to the high cost of the batteries, so it is smart to take a look at all of their products, including ones you might want to add later. DeWalt and Makita have some battery powered OPE - again, not sure what they offer in Europe. And Bosch has some that they sell in Europe but not in the US. So you might want to 'root around' on those websites, and see what is available, and which you are able to try.

Let us know what you get and how you like it!

Philbert

 

[funky sawman]

Atleast these saws should never bog, only if the battery is kaput I guess

 

[Philbert]

Atleast these saws should never bog, only if the battery is kaput I guess

Some of these saws have overload circuits that cut out if the saw is overloaded or bogged down, to protect the batteries and motor from overheating. Not exactly like a fuse or circuit breaker (nothing to re-set); just back off, release the trigger, then try again.

Philbert

 

[funky sawman]

Well tell them I want a backpack battery model that's 96 volts and pulls a 32 inch full comp chain then were talking

 

[Philbert]

There are 80 volt models out there. And Husky sells some battery backpacks. So don't bet against that!

Philbert

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

I was just at HD and almost grabbed one of these. They did not have one on display... told the guy I needed to see and hold it before handing over $300 and he said there was nothing he could do. I asked to see the manager on duty and was told she was busy. My reply was "that's too bad" and I walked out.

Apparently they didn't want to make a sale...

 

[oldfortyfive]

The pole saw attachment fits from my gas Echo machine, but I've not had a chance to try it.

Finally got chance to try it. The trimmer power head has two speeds. The high is still not as fast as the gas power head, but overall the system is usable. The battery power head is really only good for branches up to about 2-3". Sure is nice not to have the noise, vibration, or heat. The trimmer power head has a soft start feature that takes a little getting used to as there is 1-2 second delay before the saw or trimmer comes up to speed.

 

[Treespotter]

Wow.
Philbert, I've been using the E-go chainsaw and leaf blower now for a couple of days.
So far I'm not really impressed by the startup time of both machines when using the trigger. On the leaf blower your forgetting that minor issue after two seconds when the hurricane starts to blow. Especially when you press the 'turbo'.
But for the chainsaw it's more of an issue. When you burry it in the wood to quickly the machine stalls.
Is the startup time in the Echo instantly like the Husqy or does it also take a moment to get into full swing?

 

[Treespotter]

I would never have guessed that I would say this but...
I have two of their four amps batteries and when they are on stock at the import company I'm going to swap one for a two amps.
I've done a lot of cutting and blowing on one battery that lasted and lasted and lasted and lasted.
I'd rather have the smaller one and eventually swap batteries whan flat than constantly carry the 1.2 kilograms extra that the four amps one weights more.

 

[zemmo]

I would never have guessed that I would say this but...
I have two of their four amps batteries and when they are on stock at the import company I'm going to swap one for a two amps.
I've done a lot of cutting and blowing on one battery that lasted and lasted and lasted and lasted.
I'd rather have the smaller one and eventually swap batteries whan flat than constantly carry the 1.2 kilograms extra that the four amps one weights more.

I'm with you. I don't want a heavy cordless saw. What's the weight overall with the 4 Ah battery?

 

[oldfortyfive]

The Echo saw has a soft start, but it's pretty quick, under a second. Pretty much a non-issue. The trimmer seems like 2 seconds and I wish it was shorter.

 

[Philbert]

So far I'm not really impressed by the startup time of both machines when using the trigger.

Have not used the Ego, and only used the ECHO 58V for a short demo.
I did not notice that start up lag with the ECHO chainsaw, blower, or string trimmer. I do not notice lag time with any of my Oregon 40V tools.

I have two of their four amps batteries and when they are on stock at the import company I'm going to swap one for a two amps.

Don't have the specs for those batteries. Oregon 40V batteries are listed by the manufacturer as: 1.7 pounds (1.25Ahr); 2.7 pounds (2.4 Ahr); 2.7 pounds (4.0 Ahr). Mine come in right about that. They said that they were able to increase the capacity of the larger battery without adding weight, by 'improving efficiency'(?). I don't know what that means, but I really prefer the larger capacity batteries. They help address one of the 3, major limitations of battery powered OPE: tool run time, initial purchase cost, and power.

I have been after Oregon for some time to sell a belt pouch to carry spare batteries in the field. I have looked at army surplus stores, and carpenter tool belts to find ones that fit. Closest I came was a camera bag at a garage sale (belt pouch and shoulder strap). I also use cut off, plastic, motor oil containers to isolate the terminals and prevent shorting. Since each manufacturer's batteries are a different shape and size, you need to find your own solutions for other brands.

Philbert