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

[James Miller]

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.

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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.

Is there a noticeable weight difference if you take the cat out of the muffler on the 2511? On the 310-400 saws the weight lost is rather noticeable when you take the cat out.

 

[Ketchup]

Is there a noticeable weight difference if you take the cat out of the muffler on the 2511? On the 310-400 saws the weight lost is rather noticeable when you take the cat out.

It’s not that noticeable, but it’s there. For ground work it doesn’t matter, but for one hand cuts all day in a tree or pack weight every ounce counts.

Mostly the Cat should go because it inhibits throttle response. I feel like the Cat clogs up and gets worse over time, especially in the cold or if the saw is too rich. The weight savings is just a bonus.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I'd love a new Echo top handle. I have an CS-280E, the granddaddy. Easy starter, light weight fuel efficient. I have a 14" bar with .50 on it which is too much for it and makes it more dangerous. Biggest thing is, RESPECT the saw. Take it slow. I use it a lot in the winter for cutting weed trees out of fences. Easy to carry through the deep snow a good distance. The work is slow and tedious but the Echo makes it pleasurable. I'd like a 12" bar and 1/4" pitch chain and clutch drum for it but not in the budget.

In the summer I won't use it as a brush saw. Too many things to catch on, too easy to pinch when you can't see what's going on.