Need light saw for hiking / trail fixes (Echo 2511?)

[livemusic]

Interested in the lightest chainsaw made! At age 65, weigh matters! I am considering an Echo 2511 but I'm not set on it. I assume the 2511 is their lightest? Unsure on that. Also considered Stihl 150 but the Echo costs less and might do just as well or even better, some say. Although, for this, I can afford to spend what I need. I have a ms200 rear-handle and it's nice but my purpose is for hiking and clearning/maintaining a woodlot trail with underbrush, I need light, cutting ability is secondary to light weight. Although cutting ability is nice because I can use it for limbing and small tree cutting.

I see Echo makes a 2511T, about 5.1 lbs dry, which I know I can get locally and they make a rear-handle 2511WES, about 5.7 lbs dry. These are 25cc saws.

I wonder if the rear-handle or top handle would be best for my purposes? (I don't climb trees but don't know if the top handle is problematic for general work.)

Any opinion on this? Anyone know should I put a different bar/chain the Echo if I get it? What? As for length, I'm thinking 12 inch is plenty, I'm open to whatever. I read where some were advocating a Stihl bar/chain on the Echo 2511? I think it was 1/4 inch chain?

I am open to modding or sending it off to someone but not sure that will be necessary if it will cut decent.

EDIT: I don't work for forest service; this is just for private use.

 

[thomasinvancouver]

If you’re volunteering for or in cooperation with the Forest Service a top handle is a no go unless you’re doing in tree work. Modified saws are a gray area, but it has to have a spark arrestor.

We use mostly Stihl 260/261 w/ 20” bars for trail work, but we also have a cooperators agreement with the FS, so we have to follow their rules. The 50cc saw with a 20” carried in a True North bar cover is popular, assuming you don’t have many trees down bigger than 24”. Rear handle is several orders of magnitude safer, especially for blow down.

 

[SteveSr]

Rear handle is several orders of magnitude safer, especially for blow down.

Just wanted to emphasize this point... Top handle saws are "special purpose" arborists saws. What makes them MUCH more dangerous is...

1. Your hands are basically right next to each other giving you much less control in the event of a kickback. Think of it as the leverage or mechanical advantage that the saw has to overpower your hands/arms.

2. Being so light weight the saw has considerably less inertia and will accelerate and move much faster in the event of a kickback. It could cut your arm off before you knew what hit you!

I do a lot of trail work as a volunteer for several state and national trail organizations. A lot of our work is done on Federal land where top handles are not allowed.

For our sawyers who want a lightweight saw I recommend a Stihl MS180 class or equivalent rear handle saw. I am not familiar with your MS200 but if it is a rear handle I would seriously look at keeping it. It is probably lighter / more powerful than the MS180 class. Your other option for the Echo rear handle might also be a possibility but you would have to get out the scale to find out if you are really saving a significant amount of weight.

 

[James Miller]

I'd grab my echo 490 and put the 14" bar from my 355t on it if I needed to do what your talking about. Probably stay under 13 pounds ready to cut with the 14" 3/8lp setup.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Interested in the lightest chainsaw made! At age 65, weigh matters! I am considering an Echo 2511 but I'm not set on it. I assume the 2511 is their lightest? Unsure on that. Also considered Stihl 150 but the Echo costs less and might do just as well or even better, some say. Although, for this, I can afford to spend what I need. I have a ms200 rear-handle and it's nice but my purpose is for hiking and clearning/maintaining a woodlot trail with underbrush, I need light, cutting ability is secondary to light weight. Although cutting ability is nice because I can use it for limbing and small tree cutting. I see Echo makes a 2511T, about 5.1 lbs dry, which I know I can get locally and they make a rear-handle 2511WES, about 5.7 lbs dry. These are 25cc saws. I wonder if the rear-handle or top handle would be best for my purposes? (I don't climb trees but don't know if the top handle is problematic for general work.) Any opinion on this? Anyone know should I put a different bar/chain the Echo if I get it? What? As for length, I'm thinking 12 inch is plenty, I'm open to whatever. I read where some were advocating a Stihl bar/chain on the Echo 2511? I think it was 1/4 inch chain? I am open to modding or sending it off to someone but not sure that will be necessary if it will cut decent. EDIT: I don't work for forest service; this is just for private use.

according to Echo, yes it is lightest chainsaw in the industry... currently.

for the work you say you want to do, from my experience... if it was my buy decision I would buy with confidence. I have an Echo CS 271T and it is a great saw. starts right up always. runs like a hornet. cuts easily with my 019T! acts like its ported with a tweak of timing added, too. I really like mine! use it for clearing fence lines up at the farm, small firewood cutting, and limbs up to 10" or so... I bought mine because I wanted the lightest saw made. then. couple years ago. then it was the Echo CS 271T.

if u want the lightest saw, Echo makes it. 2511T. just be sure to keep it clean, mag and pto side... and keep a sharp chain.

 

[EngineNoO9]

What about a good cordless saw from Makita or Milwaukee? Not sure on the weights but no gas so no worries about forest service issues.

 

[SteveSr]

What about a good cordless saw from Makita or Milwaukee? Not sure on the weights but no gas so no worries about forest service issues.

FYI, U.S. Forest Service (and all other Federal agencies) currently prohibit ALL electric powered chainsaws. The reason being is that ballistic nylon chainsaw chaps are NOT effective at stopping a running chain on an electric saw. A gas saw is a high-speed low torque device whereas the chain speed on an electric is much slower, the torque is much higher and will cut right through chainsaw chaps!

 

[EngineNoO9]

No idea that chaps won't stop them. Interesting...

 

[echomeister]

I got a 2511 for just the reason you posted. I think its safe to use if you constantly keep in mind the issues SteveSr brought up. I cut honeysuckle out of 1000 feet of fence line with mine. If I had to use my cs-310 I likely would not have do this work. It's just sooo much easier with the little top handle.

It runs flawlessly. I did buy the narrower kerf bar and chain. This helps reduce the grabbing of small limbs and it cuts a little quicker.

 

[livemusic]

I got a 2511 for just the reason you posted. I think its safe to use if you constantly keep in mind the issues SteveSr brought up. I cut honeysuckle out of 1000 feet of fence line with mine. If I had to use my cs-310 I likely would not have do this work. It's just sooo much easier with the little top handle.

It runs flawlessly. I did buy the narrower kerf bar and chain. This helps reduce the grabbing of small limbs and it cuts a little quicker.

The emboldened/underlined part... how did you now what to buy, was it a choice at the seller or just what? Do you know what this narrower bar/chain is?

 

[full chizel]

I replaced the Echo .050 b&c with a Stihl .043 b&c. I just had to modify the adjuster hole to make up for the drive link difference.

 

[thomasinvancouver]

I would stick with a rear handle and I would buy any of the major brands that a dealer I like sells. If it sits for long periods of time and you don’t need more than a 12-14” bar a battery saw may be a good choice.

 

[livemusic]

I replaced the Echo .050 b&c with a Stihl .043 b&c. I just had to modify the adjuster hole to make up for the drive link difference.

What adjuster hole do you mean? Can you explain? BTW, I do know that the drive links are spaced differently. I thought you'd have to change sprockets and wasn't even sure if that could be done doing Echo to Stihl bar/chain.

Going to a smaller kerf chain should make it cut appreciably faster? I assume so, else, why even mess with it.

 

[SteveSr]

What adjuster hole do you mean? Can you explain? BTW, I do know that the drive links are spaced differently. I thought you'd have to change sprockets and wasn't even sure if that could be done doing Echo to Stihl bar/chain.

Drive links are spaced the same, at least across Stihl.

Going to a smaller kerf chain should make it cut appreciably faster?

In theory. In practice you'll find the bars and chains are much more fragile and prone to bending when pinched. Bars and chains wear much faster. Cutters are much smaller so you get fewer sharpenings. Very limited supply for chains so you'll be stuck with Stihl's high prices. More here...

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/pico-chain.332841/page-2

I assume so, else, why even mess with it.

Well, I messed with this on on Stihl MS170/180s for far too long until @fordf150 convinced me to switch the .043 to standard .050 3/8" low profile. I have so far switched 3 saws and haven't looked back.[/QUOTE]

 

[echomeister]

The emboldened/underlined part... how did you now what to buy, was it a choice at the seller or just what? Do you know what this narrower bar/chain is?

https://www.loggerchain.com/90PX45C...n-for-Echo-CS-271TCS-301CS-2511T-90PX45CQ.htm

 

[Ketchup]

The 2511t is a very good saw. It’s incredibly light and easy to maintain.

The stock chain & bar is not that great. It chatters a lot and doesn’t have much of a cutting reach. For general sappling and limb removals I prefer a .043 3/8lp on a 14” bar. Stick with 3/8lp chain and no sprocket change is needed. The Stihl bars are easy to convert by laying the echo bar on top of the stihl, marking through the echo tensioner holes, then drilling new holes in the stihl bar. It takes about 20 minutes.

The saw should have some other mods done to maximize potential. Foremost, the carb limiters must go. Typically the saw runs fat if they are left on and it clogs the muffler screen and Catalytic converter in the muffler.
Second, the muffler and Cat inhibit the saw a LOT. A hole through both the ouside of the muffler and the Cat baffle will give the saw a lot more power. Doing this step well is more challenging. If your working on public land, a spark arrestor screen is required, which further complicates the mod. Here’s a couple pics of what I do.



So a lot of guys here will discourage you from a top handle and for good reason. Top handles are the hand guns of chainsaws. You can cut almost anywhere on your body in an instant. You also don’t NEED a top handle. It’s not hanging on your saddle and getting drug around in the tree while you climb. So perhaps the 2511WES is a better and safer option. The bar type and mods should remain about the same.

I also agree that the battery saw options have increasing merit. They require very little maintenance and will run quite a while when not overloaded. Batteries are also easier to carry than gas cans. They are an excellent option for occasional use and the mechanically un-inclined. The thing about the chaps is very true though. I personally don’t like battery saws, but lots of people do.

Finally, consider getting a large Silky Hand saw. They can do a lot of work at very light weight and complement chainsaw use for detail work and quick cuts when starting a saw is an extra step.

 

[RipRap]

I have been a trail overseer since 2003, I have a MS150t but use a MS200 rear handle in non-wilderness areas along with Silky Sugoi, or folding Gomboy and use a folding Katanaboy in wilderness areas which weighs under 3 lbs. and will quickly cut most blowdowns you will encounter. No chainsaw, chaps, PPE or fuel weight.

 

[full chizel]

I had to make the holes longer for the adjuster on the clutch cover to fit

What adjuster hole do you mean? Can you explain? BTW, I do know that the drive links are spaced differently. I thought you'd have to change sprockets and wasn't even sure if that could be done doing Echo to Stihl bar/chain.

Going to a smaller kerf chain should make it cut appreciably faster? I assume so, else, why even mess with it.

 

[full chizel]

Drive links are spaced the same, at least across Stihl.



In theory. In practice you'll find the bars and chains are much more fragile and prone to bending when pinched. Bars and chains wear much faster. Cutters are much smaller so you get fewer sharpenings. Very limited supply for chains so you'll be stuck with Stihl's high prices. More here...

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/pico-chain.332841/page-2



Well, I messed with this on on Stihl MS170/180s for far too long until @fordf150 convinced me to switch the .043 to standard .050 3/8" low profile. I have so far switched 3 saws and haven't looked back.

You have to remember that the 2511 is 25cc and the .050 chain is too big for that saw. Therefore the smaller .043 made it cut better

 

[John Lyngdal]

I stumbled onto a like new MS180CE for $50 a while back and it has earned a soft spot in my chainsaw world. First, the "Easy Start" isn't marketing hype, properly adjusted and fueled it starts amazingly easy. I demonstrated it to my wife who isn't the least bit interested in chainsaws other than how they help feed the wood stove. She claimed it for herself. I still use it but don't have to count it in "my" chainsaw inventory.
I used it to cut up a 16" diameter oak stormed downed oak tree at my neighbors place a few months ago and was surprised how well it handled the task. With a sharp chain I could cut the full bar length if I let it self-feed. Any more than that, the clutch would slip, which you don't want to make a practice of with a plastic cased saw.
Parts for a MS180 are easy to find and inexpensive. Echo parts seem to have fewer sales outlets and clearly higher priced than comparable Stihl parts.

If I'm limbing or cutting trees less than 10" in diameter, my MS180 is the first saw I look at. Not my fanciest or highest performance saw, is just nicely useful.