Echo Cs 370

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gunner27

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I found this saw on clearence at Home Depot for $134.99. They said it was just a left over 07 model that they were clearing for the 08's. bought the saw in Febuary and it has run great. They have the same model out now for $269.00. My experience so far with this saw is awesome! They gave me the box it came in with the manuels and everything. Am I missing somethig? Never ran an ECHO prior to this. Most time was on an MS 046 or a Husky 350.
 
Your just asking to get blasted on here, saying something good about a Echo and mentioning Stihl and Husky in the same thread. Maybe the chain will get dull and it will cut like crap. Steve
 
Echo's are not popular here, no doubt about it. I was able to aquire most of the Echo line-up a few years ago, and have been running them quite a bit.

In general, they are OK. The reed valve 300, 301's and smaller top handle saws are pathetically "anemic". They cut so slow you could go back in the house and have another cup of coffee and a couple of donuts before they would get thru a 10" hunk of oak.

The CS360T is much, much better, except they use one of those rev limiting modules in it, making it difficult to dial in, but it cuts at least 3 to 4 times faster than the reed valve top handles. Out of the box it was WAY lean, and restricted at the muffler. A quick muffler mod and removing the limiting caps on the carb, and the 360 is right there for power and speed with the "high-end" top handles we've ran (and NO, we haven't heard the Echo "death rattle" yet, and we've got quite a few hours on it).

The CS-440 we had was a TURD, even after correctly adjusting the carb and opening up the muffler some. It was hard pressed to manage anything more than a 16" bar.

The 510's (we have two of them), are great saws. They are maxxed out with an 18" bar, but very, very well suited for a 16" bar. We have been running the crap out of them now for at least 3 years, no problems. As good as they are, I recently put one up against my muffler modded Husky 55. The 55 chewed up the Echo and spit it out. The 510 was so embarrassed, I had to put it back in the truck until the Husky 55 ran out of fuel.

Same deal when comparing the CS-670 to the Husky 268XPS. The 670 is OK, just a decent running mid-range saw, with decent torque, at it's limits with a 20" bar. The Husky 268XPS is a BEAST in comparison, and will cut nearly twice as fast thru anything as the CS-670. As good as the 670 runs, it was a JOKE to compare the two saws side by side.

Despite being down some on power, I still like and recomend the Echo saws. They are a real bargain if comparing price. Just fully expect to have to "fatten" up the carburetors a bit, and be conservative with bar length. If Echo recomends a 20" bar, an 18 will be a lot better.

We keep hearing all sorts of comments about lacking in durability. We have about a zillion hours on one of the 510's, and it runs flawlessly. I like it because it is light weight, decent power, and very, very thrifty on fuel. There isn't another saw in my line-up that will cut as much wood (smaller stuff) on the same amount of fuel.

Folks, I'm not posting to piss anyone off. Just to provide some real, up to date information on some saws we have tested.

I've worked on, and ran ALL brands over the years, and my personal line-up is made up mostly of older Husqvarna's. I like and use the Echo's, but you could take all of them and throw them down over the hill, and I could care less. I like running my Husky's a LOT better, and pound for pound they run equally as well or better than anything else we've tested, aside from some very NEGATIVE experiences with the later stuff, and the line made by Poulan.

If you just cutting firewood, and live in Ohio where I do, not to mention getting older and favoring lighter saws for small stuff, the CS-370 would no doubt be a decent limbing saw, if it runs as well as the other ones we've tested.....FWIW.....Cliff
 
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I had the misfortune of running an Echo CS300 top handle yesterday. Couldn't believe what a gutless wonder it was.

On a side note, a friend owns a CS-370, it's an OK saw. But slow.
 
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From Cliff R

"Echo's are not popular here, no doubt about it. I was able to aquire most of the Echo line-up a few years ago, and have been running them quite a bit.

In general, they are OK. The reed valve 300, 301's and smaller top handle saws are pathetically "anemic". They cut so slow you could go back in the house and have another cup of coffee and a couple of donuts before they would get thru a 10" hunk of oak.

The CS360T is much, much better, except they use one of those rev limiting modules in it, making it difficult to dial in, but it cuts at least 3 to 4 times faster than the reed valve top handles. Out of the box it was WAY lean, and restricted at the muffler. A quick muffler mod and removing the limiting caps on the carb, and the 360 is right there for power and speed with the "high-end" top handles we've ran (and NO, we haven't heard the Echo "death rattle" yet, and we've got quite a few hours on it).



Cliff, echos are so slow they should have a 100,000 year warranty:laugh: but I'm amazed your 360T's are still running smoothly
 
I'm gonna take this one on.
I like my cs-300.
For what I use it for it has never let me down and cuts just fine.
I prune a lot of fruit trees in the winter. The kind people have neglected and call me when it's out of control. I'm usually up in a tree for 45 min.-1 hour often in the rain, cutting on 3-5 inch suckers, making lots of detail cuts to keep the tree looking good and sometimes taking off up to 10" limbs. I keep the chain sharp, the oiler turned way up and never had a problem.
When I run into the inevitable breakdown if it's a serious pain to fix i'll just chuck it and get another. I paid $65 for it used 2 years ago and just saw another on CL for $100.
I'd say it's paid for itself long ago.

Bring it on.:chainsaw:
 
Cliff, echos are so slow they should have a 100,000 year warranty but I'm amazed your 360T's are still running smoothly.

No problems to date. Opening up the muffler and adding quite a bit of fuel probably saved it from an early demise. The CS-360T was way, way, lean right out of the box. If Echo sends them all out that way, I would imagine they get most of them back, seized up!.....Cliff
 
I found this saw on clearence at Home Depot for $134.99. They said it was just a left over 07 model that they were clearing for the 08's. bought the saw in Febuary and it has run great. They have the same model out now for $269.00. My experience so far with this saw is awesome! Am I missing somethig? Never ran an ECHO prior to this. Most time was on an MS 046 or a Husky 350.

I wondered about the CS-370 but thought it a bit heavy for its displacement. The CS-400 is the same weight but 10% more cc. My favorite limbing and small wood saw is my CS-3450:chainsaw: Folks around here don't have kind words for Echos or anything else not in the "Pro" category unless its a Stihl.
 
Say what you want, I like the CS-370. It is a fine homeowner saw. A friend of mine has one and has not given him one ounce of trouble.
 
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