SmellyPirateHooker
ArboristSite Guru
Sorry, I vote 501 because of echo reliability.
There.
There.
Husqvarna 346 xp vs echo 501sx wich one?
- Thread starter gregorymk2
- Start date
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Echo reliability?
A rumour perpretated by many who don’t have significant enough hours on their saws to make that claim...
Sort-of like the “easiest starting” Echo rumour.
I fail to believe that Echo’s are more reliable,more durable, or easier starting than any decent other brand.
I don’t have a 346, but I do have a 2152 (353). It’s a good saw with proven reliability over many, many sold and sorted. Echo cs490/501p is an unknown entity imo, relative to the 346/353/2152/2153 platform. I’ve merely held a 490 a couple of times. It feels maneuverable and somewhat cheap, tho It’s probably a decent saw too. It doesn’t “feel”as decent as my 2152, imo.
For the same or close to the same price, I’d buy the 346, no question. I imagine it’s a typical small pro Husky (peaky), but that’s fine when you operate it as such.
I do find the Echo 501 very interesting. But only at a significantly lesser price than the 346. I would certainly buy a 501 at the right price. Right now in Canada I can get a Stihl 261 for the same price as a cs501p....
Echo: most reliability and easiest starting. Sure. Whatever.
A rumour perpretated by many who don’t have significant enough hours on their saws to make that claim...
Sort-of like the “easiest starting” Echo rumour.
I fail to believe that Echo’s are more reliable,more durable, or easier starting than any decent other brand.
I don’t have a 346, but I do have a 2152 (353). It’s a good saw with proven reliability over many, many sold and sorted. Echo cs490/501p is an unknown entity imo, relative to the 346/353/2152/2153 platform. I’ve merely held a 490 a couple of times. It feels maneuverable and somewhat cheap, tho It’s probably a decent saw too. It doesn’t “feel”as decent as my 2152, imo.
For the same or close to the same price, I’d buy the 346, no question. I imagine it’s a typical small pro Husky (peaky), but that’s fine when you operate it as such.
I do find the Echo 501 very interesting. But only at a significantly lesser price than the 346. I would certainly buy a 501 at the right price. Right now in Canada I can get a Stihl 261 for the same price as a cs501p....
Echo: most reliability and easiest starting. Sure. Whatever.
Put the NE top on the OE saw. NE is a true 50cc saw and has 2.3mm bigger bore than the OE, but for some reason the OE with NE top seems to runs better than a stock NE. Dont ask me why.
SmellyPirateHooker
ArboristSite Guru
Well let's look into this. Has echo had crank bearing issues on their new releases? Nope
Has echo had Mtronic issues on their new releases? Nope
Who has a lifetime electronics replacement in place? Echo.
My statement isn't out of line. While Stihl and husky seem to not mind using the consumer to R&D their new releases, echo has had nothing none of that. But also, people who's business is working on saws and work on all saws have been saying echo is on top for reliability also. So I really don't think my statement is out of line.
cuinrearview
Red saw lover
gregorymk2
ArboristSite Lurker
Depends very much on the dealer who you buying the chainsaw if he wants to help you or not ,we are taking for granted that you service-maintain and use the chainsaw as it supposed .
The dealer that i have spoken said 5 years for
1.ignition
2.oil pump
3.cylinder
4.piston
And every other mechanical (clutch is out) part that it seems to be broken or malfunctioning.If i dont operate it properly he will see it he said,a carburetor once managed to replace it.
The dealer that i have spoken said 5 years for
1.ignition
2.oil pump
3.cylinder
4.piston
And every other mechanical (clutch is out) part that it seems to be broken or malfunctioning.If i dont operate it properly he will see it he said,a carburetor once managed to replace it.
SmellyPirateHooker
ArboristSite Guru
Thank God they hardly ever need that warranty. Did you ever read most of them? Id say 3/4 or more were customer fault related. I mean the guy completely going nuts over a chain catch breaking because he threw his chain is my favorite
SmellyPirateHooker
ArboristSite Guru
Look you guys who have been here can't cover up the fact that all over this site when talk of a new husky or stihl coming out many diehards express their reservations about jumping on them the second they come out. Thats an earned reservation. Echo diehards rarely express any such thing, that's also earned.
cuinrearview
Red saw lover
It's a numbers game. Not even close to the numbers of Echos out there as the other two. More units in the field=more issues(that we hear about). You won't usually hear about flawless equipment, but you'll almost always hear about a problem.
SmellyPirateHooker
ArboristSite Guru
I'll agree to that to an extent. But "working out bugs" on new releases isn't really a numbers game.
bowtechmadman
Addicted to ArboristSite
Never run a 501 guessing the same from most of the posters in this thread. I for one like my 5100 better than my 346OE.
I’ve never run a 50cc Echo but i prefer my 261 over the 346/550. I like what i like, I don’t care what name is on the side. I also prefer the small mount on my 2260 and think my Echo 2511T will spank a 150T, but like the 201T better than thr 355T i had
I don't think your dealer or any other dealer in the world of any brand wil be able to cover a piston/cylinder of a 2 stroke power equipement.I wish i am wrong but it is difficult,every one will blame bad fuel and P/C is out of warranty.As for the other parts ok,the clutch,the sprocket(rim setup for the 501),chain,bar and every other consumable part is out of warranty as well.Sounds like you have a good dealer which is the most important thing.I am a "husky" guy but the dealer in my area is like an ape,i won't buy anything that says husqvarna only because of him.On the other side i don't like Stihl equipement,not say they are bad,i just don't like them.The Stihl dealer thought is a treasure.Everything i need from chains,oils,files etc i go to him.It is a fact,the dealer is the most important.
SmellyPirateHooker
ArboristSite Guru
Unless your perfectly OK with fixing your saw yourself an ordering your own parts.
Its all perspective
I never get a saw to a dealer,i fix my equipement my self,i even fix my KTM motorcycles and my cars.Parts on the other hand is a different story.The local Husqvarna dealer acts like stupid if i ask for a part,he only wants to get the saw there for him to fix.I am not in the mood to beg someone to shell me something or to fight so i avoid him and we are good.I have a few Poulans that are the same with some husqvarnas,thats how i know that jerk.Order parts from USA don't seem a good idea,customs are killing us.Anyway,long story.
"A rumour perpretated by many who don’t have significant enough hours on their saws to make that claim...
Sort-of like the “easiest starting” Echo rumour.
I fail to believe that Echo’s are more reliable,more durable, or easier starting than any decent other brand."
I don't reply to topics that I don't have a lot of experience with, so here goes my 02 cents worth.
Echo makes some top shelf products, some very good, some OK, and a few "low-end", just like the other big names in power equipment.
I've logged at least a zillion hours on my CS-370 (trying to find out if their "lower end" stuff is worth two squirts of duck poop?) and aside from being on it's 3rd or 4th bar and 40 or 50th chain it roars to life it 2-3 pulls and runs FLAWLESSY every single time I use it, which was yesterday as a coincidence. It's spends most of it's life getting tossed around in the bed of the side by side or rack on the Quad, and even goes with us out West in October for Elk hunting as our firewood saw. I turn the speed screw in 1/4 turn and lean up the "H" speed screw about 1/2 turn and it's FLAWLESS at 10,000' elevation just like it is here in Ohio.
My CS-590 is getting one hell of a workout (on purpose) so I can find the weak spots if they exist, and put up any information about it up here if/as needed. So far it's been flawless as well, on my 2nd bar and at least 10th chain.
I have an Echo tiller since 2003, FLAWLESS!
I have three Echo PB-200 leaf blowers, 2 of them for at least 15 years and the other is considerably older....all of them FLAWLESS!
My CS-510 is at least 15 years old and never grumbled once and starts in 2-3 pulls every single time.
Just recently had a to spend $10 on my CS-360T as it split a grommet where the carb pushes into the partition and hooks to the fuel line. It got a carb kit before that deal but it didn't need it, just troubleshooting the leaning out issues.
I have two string trimmers, an older model from the 1980's (replaced the fuel lines and carb kitted it just last year) that hasn't needed much. I have a newer string trimmer, pretty sure it's an SRM-230 or something close to that, no issues anyplace till I replaced the carb last year as an OEM replacement was less than $20 or about the price of a kit to rebuild it.
I may be missing a few little repairs here and there, but NEVER once have I had a P/C or major issue with anything made by Echo, just the typical stuff we see related to ethanol and reformulated modern fuels being very hard on any type of rubber parts.
The only issues I've had with any Echo power equipment not owned here was a bad coil on a newer leaf blower, and I've replaced a few dozen fuel lines as they rot and get sloppy where the trio of vent/pump/fuel supply lines go thru the grommet into the tank. I've kitted a few carbs here and there, but NEVER once have seen or even heard of a smoked P/C in these parts ESPECIALLY if I get to them early in life and remove the limiter caps for custom tuning.
I have folks drag that junk Poulan/Husky box store crap up here all the time and put them on a U-turn with it, lessons in humility to work on something that you can replace for a little more than the cost of a carb kit/fuel lines and a spark plug to get it going again. I've worked on a number of "bottom" end Stihl and Husky stuff (later models), they are all clamshell designs and just OK, but I hate the models with non-adjustable carburetors and try to avoid them if at all possible.
So basically IMHO Echo chainsaws are pretty decent overall, with a few "home-runs" in the line-up, a few just OK, and a couple of turds here and there, but NONE of them have reliability issues or inherent fundamental problems that I know of or have seen here to date.
A comment on starting. I never have any issues with any of my power equipment cold starting I have experienced hard re-starting especially in really hot weather. Every single one of my Husqvarna's experiences some degree of "heat soak" issues unless I re-fire them pretty quickly when it's up near 100 degrees and pea-soup humidity. The Echo saws do not have this problem, and I'm not sure why they are immune to it but it's just another plus in the positive column for their stuff......FWIW.......Cliff
Sort-of like the “easiest starting” Echo rumour.
I fail to believe that Echo’s are more reliable,more durable, or easier starting than any decent other brand."
I don't reply to topics that I don't have a lot of experience with, so here goes my 02 cents worth.
Echo makes some top shelf products, some very good, some OK, and a few "low-end", just like the other big names in power equipment.
I've logged at least a zillion hours on my CS-370 (trying to find out if their "lower end" stuff is worth two squirts of duck poop?) and aside from being on it's 3rd or 4th bar and 40 or 50th chain it roars to life it 2-3 pulls and runs FLAWLESSY every single time I use it, which was yesterday as a coincidence. It's spends most of it's life getting tossed around in the bed of the side by side or rack on the Quad, and even goes with us out West in October for Elk hunting as our firewood saw. I turn the speed screw in 1/4 turn and lean up the "H" speed screw about 1/2 turn and it's FLAWLESS at 10,000' elevation just like it is here in Ohio.
My CS-590 is getting one hell of a workout (on purpose) so I can find the weak spots if they exist, and put up any information about it up here if/as needed. So far it's been flawless as well, on my 2nd bar and at least 10th chain.
I have an Echo tiller since 2003, FLAWLESS!
I have three Echo PB-200 leaf blowers, 2 of them for at least 15 years and the other is considerably older....all of them FLAWLESS!
My CS-510 is at least 15 years old and never grumbled once and starts in 2-3 pulls every single time.
Just recently had a to spend $10 on my CS-360T as it split a grommet where the carb pushes into the partition and hooks to the fuel line. It got a carb kit before that deal but it didn't need it, just troubleshooting the leaning out issues.
I have two string trimmers, an older model from the 1980's (replaced the fuel lines and carb kitted it just last year) that hasn't needed much. I have a newer string trimmer, pretty sure it's an SRM-230 or something close to that, no issues anyplace till I replaced the carb last year as an OEM replacement was less than $20 or about the price of a kit to rebuild it.
I may be missing a few little repairs here and there, but NEVER once have I had a P/C or major issue with anything made by Echo, just the typical stuff we see related to ethanol and reformulated modern fuels being very hard on any type of rubber parts.
The only issues I've had with any Echo power equipment not owned here was a bad coil on a newer leaf blower, and I've replaced a few dozen fuel lines as they rot and get sloppy where the trio of vent/pump/fuel supply lines go thru the grommet into the tank. I've kitted a few carbs here and there, but NEVER once have seen or even heard of a smoked P/C in these parts ESPECIALLY if I get to them early in life and remove the limiter caps for custom tuning.
I have folks drag that junk Poulan/Husky box store crap up here all the time and put them on a U-turn with it, lessons in humility to work on something that you can replace for a little more than the cost of a carb kit/fuel lines and a spark plug to get it going again. I've worked on a number of "bottom" end Stihl and Husky stuff (later models), they are all clamshell designs and just OK, but I hate the models with non-adjustable carburetors and try to avoid them if at all possible.
So basically IMHO Echo chainsaws are pretty decent overall, with a few "home-runs" in the line-up, a few just OK, and a couple of turds here and there, but NONE of them have reliability issues or inherent fundamental problems that I know of or have seen here to date.
A comment on starting. I never have any issues with any of my power equipment cold starting I have experienced hard re-starting especially in really hot weather. Every single one of my Husqvarna's experiences some degree of "heat soak" issues unless I re-fire them pretty quickly when it's up near 100 degrees and pea-soup humidity. The Echo saws do not have this problem, and I'm not sure why they are immune to it but it's just another plus in the positive column for their stuff......FWIW.......Cliff
gregorymk2
ArboristSite Lurker
And the winner is 
Hank_612
ArboristSite Member
That 346 is so far ahead he cant hear the echo!
shadco
ArboristSite Operative
gregorymk2
ArboristSite Lurker
Thank you all 
for helping me to choose.Next step is finding info about muffler modification-upgrade.
for helping me to choose.Next step is finding info about muffler modification-upgrade.
