Echo CS-2511T, CS-271T or CS-355T

[matemike]

Home (property) owner with 15 palm trees on my property along with 5 crepe myrtles, 4 oleanders, 5 pecan trees, two big oaks and about an acre of underbrush and vines that need thinning.

I'm looking into getting a top handle saw, mostly for keeping the palm trees and crepe myrtles/oleanders at bay. This saw should also come in handy when the pecans lose big limbs (turns out pecan trees are weak!) and for just all around underbrush and garden cleaning around the back of my property. I see myself spending most of the time with the saw reaching overhead to trim off palm leaves from a ladder or from a climbing tree stand. Palm trees need trimming about twice a year.

For this reason I'm thinking the CS-271T will be the preferred saw since not much power is required to cut palm leaves and the light weight will make for easier work overhead. But would I be lacking power should one of the pecans ever drop a huge branch or come down altogether and wish I had more power?

The CS-355T is definitely the preferred saw of the two for professionals who climb and fell trees for a living. But is it what I need? I'm sure the extra power would come in handy, but is it worth the extra weight for all the overhead work I'll do?

The $80 price difference in not a huge determining factor. I just want to make sure I'm happy with the top handle I choose.

 

[matemike]

Or CS-2511T? Just stumbled across it in echos website. Not readily accessible on display just yet, but I think the nimbleness of that saw will help make my decision.
It's the lightest of all three.

 

[CR888]

The CS2511t is the newest model and is a really light top handle saw. (I'd buy it!). The 271t is older but similar size, good decent saw but I'd take the much newer lighter CS2511t. Now if you want a decent step up in power and weight the 355t is a good saw. They are much heavier but have quite a lot more power. But a 2511 is very capable with a sharp chain, I own 2 of its cousins (makita 231t) made by Yamabiko corp Japan. I own 200t, 201 Stihl saws in that class, and I use the lighter 231t's more as they are so light and easy to use for extended periods. If I were you I'd get the cs2511t and then later buy a rear handle 40cc saw like a 421 Dolmar or similar Echo.

 

[arathol]

I see myself spending most of the time with the saw reaching overhead to trim off palm leaves from a ladder or from a climbing tree stand........
But is it what I need?

No. Its not what you need. If you are going to be reaching over your head to cut stuff, doing it with a top handle or any other chain saw while standing on a ladder is not the way to go about it. Get a pole saw for the overhead stuff and a rear handle saw for brush and limbs on the ground.

 

[matemike]

Thank you arathol, You are not the only person who has said that reaching overhead with a top handle is not what their intention is. So now I'm getting confused; even if I'm standing on the ground cutting back crepe myrtles and oleanders as well as sago palms, date palms and grape vines, all at about shoulder height or a little higher, that a nice little 6 or 7 pound top handle saw would not be the best choice? I ask because the majority of my "feet on the ground" trimming is too low for a pole saw, but too much of a reach for a 10 or 12 pound rear handle saw.

I realize my experience has been with this old homelite turd, but I'm coming off my third hernia surgery in 5 years and the root cause of me getting hernias has been lifting and reaching with heavy objects. Exercising in the gym and using proper lifting techniques I have no problem. I can actually lift quite a bit of weight when dong things correctly. But the worst is lifting while reaching. It's the awkward lifting, like wielding a chain saw that gets to me causing discomfort in the previously herniated region. I want to alleviate cutting from a ladder, but even reaching with a pole saw was iffy. I used a friends Stihl pole saw and it felt like that thing weighed 40 pounds at the end of the pole, especially if I was getting closer to shoulder height cutting. Imagine lifting a 5 gallon buck of water out of a truck bed swinging it over the bed rails, or trying to swing heavy suit cases into the back hatch of an SUV and getting them as far in as possible. I'm thinking the motion of reaching out to arms length with a heavy chain saw will have the same stress on me if doing it repeatedly. So this is why I'm thinking the lighter chainsaw the better. Does that make sense or am I looking at this all wrong? Please direct me to a better solution if there is one.

 

[arathol]

So now I'm getting confused; even if I'm standing on the ground cutting back crepe myrtles and oleanders as well as sago palms, date palms and grape vines, all at about shoulder height or a little higher, that a nice little 6 or 7 pound top handle saw would not be the best choice? I ask because the majority of my "feet on the ground" trimming is too low for a pole saw, but too much of a reach for a 10 or 12 pound rear handle saw.

So your choice is a 12 lb saw in two hands or a 6 lb saw in one hand. Using any saw one handed like that is not a good idea.
Using a top handle is quite different than using a regular saw. The center of balance is different and reaching up over your head with a saw in one hand is not as easy as it sounds. When your arm is extended up, your hand and wrist are at a angle where you will not be able to control the saw if it kicks or does something else unexpected. Gym time won't help much here, its a matter of leverage and you aren't going to win. In addition, you'll be standing right under whatever it is you are cutting. The chances of having stuff (including the saw) fall on you are pretty high. Standing back from your work and holding a pole saw down low with the tip up in front of you is far safer.
If you have never seen what happens when people try using a chainsaw from a ladder, check out youtube. There are many videos of the results, all end up with the ladder flying out from under the guy and the guy falling on his head.
I've spent a considerable amount of time on the end of a Stihl power pruner, cutting everything from the ground to straight up. Its not that hard once you get used to it. Again, the gym isn't going to help much. You'll be using muscles you don't usually use and doing things that are not easy to replicate in the gym. However, using a power pruner is far safer than reaching with a top handle in one hand.
If you are having problems reaching, all the more reason not to try using the saw. With the pole saw you don't really have to reach anywhere near as high up to cut shoulder or head high. Extend the pole out and keep the powerhead down near your waist. With the 12' length you can actually get quite a bit done without raising your arms at all.

 

[Rick Hammer]

Home (property) owner with 15 palm trees on my property along with 5 crepe myrtles, 4 oleanders, 5 pecan trees, two big oaks and about an acre of underbrush and vines that need thinning.

I'm looking into getting a top handle saw, mostly for keeping the palm trees and crepe myrtles/oleanders at bay. This saw should also come in handy when the pecans lose big limbs (turns out pecan trees are weak!) and for just all around underbrush and garden cleaning around the back of my property. I see myself spending most of the time with the saw reaching overhead to trim off palm leaves from a ladder or from a climbing tree stand. Palm trees need trimming about twice a year.

For this reason I'm thinking the CS-271T will be the preferred saw since not much power is required to cut palm leaves and the light weight will make for easier work overhead. But would I be lacking power should one of the pecans ever drop a huge branch or come down altogether and wish I had more power?

The CS-355T is definitely the preferred saw of the two for professionals who climb and fell trees for a living. But is it what I need? I'm sure the extra power would come in handy, but is it worth the extra weight for all the overhead work I'll do?

The $80 price difference in not a huge determining factor. I just want to make sure I'm happy with the top handle I choose.

I know longer am involved in the professional tree care industry,but for many years i was,and the saw of choice,for TOP handle,and climbing from the mid 1970s up until now is the Stihl 200t.The older ones are the 020 or the 020t but i'll tell you what ,you will see more professionals using that make of saw,for a top handle saw,used more then any other top handle over the last 40 years.They are really balanced nice.I've climbed with many of different makes and models over many years,and nothing worked as well as that 020t.I have no experience with Palms as most of my work was in northwest CA, and Oregon,but i remember years back where i seen an echo eaten up by the acid in the Palm trees.Sure be careful trimming on a ladder.Seen more injuries from that with homeowners.Have a great day sir.

 

[matemike]

Seems like I might be better off to go at these palm fronds with my Milwaukee Fuel sawzall and a 10" diablo torch blade. Hopefully one blade can get me through one tree and the pair of 5A batteries I have will get me through the whole lot of trees.

 

[Jim Timber]

My 355T has a lot of torque and wouldn't be a good option for overhead work. One-handed is not ideal with any top handle (or rear handle for that matter), and is not something people who care about their safety do on a routine basis (sometimes you have no choice).

Your sawzall option is a good one. You could also get an electric pole saw from Horrible Freight for under $100, and use an inverter off a vehicle if extension cords aren't an option. I'm actually more in favor of the electric pole saw than a gas one due to weight and balance. My neighbor got one of the HF's and it seems to be an effective tool for the $$$.

 

[TOlsen]

The cs-2511t gets my vote. But also get an old used lineman's climbing belt and make yourself a flipline and and a couple friction hitches. You go up the ladder put your flip line around the tree, and another rope choking the tree down around your knees in case you cut your flip line. Now you can lean back and use both hands on the top handle, prune half the fronds come down rotate the ladder around the tree 180* and do it again. If you can't do that don't use the ladder, get the pole saw instead.

A top handle is great for Vines and brush, it will handle the occasional branch up to 16" well enough, and if anything larger falls buy a more powerful rear handle saw. It sounds to me like 99% of your cutting will be under 3" diameter, the lighter your saw is for that the better.

 

[hayboy]

My Dewalt with the pruning blade is wicked. After 55 yrs of using chain saws, my 550 Echo got me last yr, 12 staples on the front of my leg, yes I bought some chaps after that. I cut a limb about shoulder height, it came back in my face knocking my saw down. Had the saw running just over idle saved me. GOD looks after old men doing stupid stuff.

 

[Mustang71]

I find this interesting. I always wanted a top handle but don't know what I would do with it. When I was cutting a limb over head last weekend, with my 64cc stihl ms290 and 20 inch bar, I was thinking to my self, as I was getting hit with wood chips in the face, a faster cutting lighter weight saw would work better for this...

 

[jcroadking]

I see myself spending most of the time with the saw reaching overhead to trim off palm leaves from a ladder or from a climbing tree stand. Palm trees need trimming about twice a year.


using a ladder and a chainsaw at the same time makes for entertaining you tube videos. don't do it, if you do, record it so others can learn from your mistake.