ECHO 590 timberwolf...

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

burnses

ArboristSite Guru
AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
917
Reaction score
484
Location
Harvard, MA
So i'm gonna chime in on the echo cs 590...short story one found its way to me from a friend pops but flames come out the air box....turns out stripped out threads for spark plug..fixed time sert insert starts and runs....never had on in my hands...looking round while fixing it....nice built lot of pro like features.....did a slight muffler mod removed "deflector baffle" and tuned it. Forward to today some fire wood work. Felled two 18-20 inch oak heavy leaners...on the ground no problem. Used 346 for tops and small 268 (later open port) felling and bucking and the echo for bucking as well. 268 and echo 3/8 20 inch bars but 268 063 gauge...I felt the echo a great saw for the price claimed here. Trees were pretty frozen 590 didn't have quite the balls as the 268 but it's got game and the av real smooth after running the 268...I would have no problem recommending the echo over some of the other brands if someone looking for a saw in that size and wants something better than a farm like saw..It does fell bulky....for the size if feel like it should be 70cc...but I now understand the attraction...nice day for wood work bout 25 with solid ground. The echo was in the barn and farted 2nd pull and was running choke in 3rd pull....I did pull the limiters and tune it....oh I did clean the air filter..

happy holidays folks

the can
 
Nice find Bud ! I owned a 590 for a short period , efficient felling & bucking firewood saw , however not a real true working saw . Little stout in weight , for the class however nice price point really !
 
So i'm gonna chime in on the echo cs 590...short story one found its way to me from a friend pops but flames come out the air box....turns out stripped out threads for spark plug..fixed time sert insert starts and runs....never had on in my hands...looking round while fixing it....nice built lot of pro like features.....
happy holidays folks

the can

exactly what are these “pro like features” ?
 
To start with it's not a "clamshell" and can be rebuilt.

Inboard clutch.

Oiler only oils the chain when it's moving.

Excellent anti-vibe, good ergonomics, decent power, very well built. I have prepared half a dozen CS-590 for local folks here, one removes trees for a living and he can't kill it. His ground crew has certainly tried, last time I it was here it looked like they drag it behind the truck from job to job instead of throwing it in the bed! Despite the ugly cosmetics it has been flawless for him now going on at least 3 years with the only repair being installing a clutch for a 620P with a removable drive sprocket.

I've got about a zillion hours on mine and no issues anyplace, added it to the line-up way back when they first came out. Couple of weeks ago I cross-cut the Beech tree in the pic to make the pieces manageable to the splitter, never grumbled once and cut thru it like it was "hot-butter". The second pic is a HUGE Maple tree that the CS-590 whipped up on to make those several hundred pound chunks a little lighter and easier to move. One EXCELLENT feature of the CS-590/600/620's is that they cross-cut without even think about clogging up unlike most of my other larger saws.

Couple of years ago I did some testing with my CS-600P against my 262XP and the 600 was just a tad faster. More recently did some timed cutting with the CS-590, CS-600P and CS-620PW. They are all pretty close with the edge going to the 620PW.

These saws were added to my line-up because they have FULL parts support and not overly expensive. I shelved my older Husqvarna saws as parts availability is getting poor and I see no need to grind them up cutting 100 or so tops a year to feed 3 boilers. I'd rather burn-up the "expendable" Echo's instead, but to my surprise as well as everyone else who's involved in our cutting operations the Echo's have had ZERO issues to date. Matter of fact my brother borrowed my first CS-620PW and it never returned. He just asked me yesterday to get him another one, he's going to shelve some of his older Husqvarna's as well and burn up the Echo's instead.....Cliff


IMG_1177.jpg Maple.JPG
 
Damn, that is a big tree! Anything that big around here would fall where I can't get to. Never had a problem with my Echos until recently and that is just 12 year old fuel lines, I hope.
 
The 590 is a great saw for the money.

We just ran one side by side with a MS 362 yesterday cutting Ash logs for sawmill.
590 did well but spent the day in keep up mode.

Dead ash is a dusty wood and got to the 590's filter but it's easily serviceable.

I to would recommend a 590 or any Echo saw as an " almost " pro saw.
 
Damn, that is a big tree! Anything that big around here would fall where I can't get to

That is one of the biggest ones we've tackled lately. The Beech was pretty big as well but we'd already hauled a good bit of it away before I shot the pick during a break. I LOVE the Echo's for noodling/cross cutting as they just don't plug up. If any of those pieces fell over before we halved them they are difficult if not near impossible to stand back up without equipment. Cross-cutting saves a ton of work on the back, let the saw do it instead is what I always try to do......Cliff
 
thanks cliff just the things I forgot about....oiling only with drum rotation...a nice feature any one who ever ran a husky 55 gets that...! still 399 at HD price out doing a full build with oem parts on the "big two" and your right up against the 400 mark..its got good value for sure...

the can
 
I just saw one sell on Ebay for $310 with free shipping. They go on there frequently for less than $350. The CS-620PW's have skyrocketed recently, few if any good deals on them anyplace that I've seen. It's nearly a $250 upgrade from the CS-590, but you do get a clutch with a removable drive sprocket, full wrap handle, two felling spikes, and a much better bar, plus more power. The 590's come with a laminated bar which doesn't last too long, mine barely made it thru 3-4 chains before it needed "pinched" back some and re-ground. It ended up on my Mac 10-10 and I bought a new bar for the CS-590.

Another note is that a large mount Husqvarna bar fits these saws and increases drive tooth count from 70 to 72 in the 20", and 81-84 in the 24". I make my own "adapter" which is nothing more than taking a piece of 3/8" steel brake line and cutting two small pieced from to slide over the bar studs, takes about a minute to make them and you can then use Husqvarna bars on these saws and even up the drive tooth count so your not having to buy different chains for the Echo's.......Cliff
 
I have chimed in on these 590 threads before and can say that my $315 I paid for mine new was some of the best $$ I have spent. Guy bought it to drop some trees, gassed it and test ran but never got around to using it. Mine is probably only on its 5th-7th tank of fuel but runs strong. I cannot honestly tell much if any difference in it and my Stihl MS360 which is well used. Never timed but just not a noticeable difference. The Echo has really impressed my son and I with power, ease of starting cold or hot, and seems fairly ergonomically designed. Probably best bang for buck chainsaw out there.
 
Price is what sells these saws, great value for any firewood type cutting. 'If' it was only 10 more cc's I could justify owning one. I had a CS550p (same saw 55cc P/C) and it was well built for sure, quality walbro fuel filers, carb, not 'cheap' by any means but it was just too big for its displacement. Not many saws have I made money on between buying & selling, the 550 I did.
 
Price is what sells these saws, great value for any firewood type cutting. 'If' it was only 10 more cc's I could justify owning one. I had a CS550p (same saw 55cc P/C) and it was well built for sure, quality walbro fuel filers, carb, not 'cheap' by any means but it was just too big for its displacement. Not many saws have I made money on between buying & selling, the 550 I did.
I own a echo cs5500 the saw is built very sturdy back in 1989 metal handle bar oil tank and fuel tank. The saw rips I also have a 600p in a hospital pan I was going to try to rebuild until I found out the crank was $180 bucks and you can buy a cs590 for little over three big faces. If anyone has parts for a 600p there trying to sell please let me know I have the saw for sale now I just cant justify putting more money in it when the cost what they do now. echo makes a great product for the price and there made in jappan.
 
I just got another CS590 I don't need off Ebay. New $270 + tax. Nice wide powerband on these saws. I traded one of my customers a CS590 for a 372 Husky, he wants another CS590. Steve
Steve , how many CS - 400 Muffler Mods have you done . Has to be one of the most under rated small class saws ever produced !
 
At least 10, I sold quite a few to my sawmill customers and friends.. Once they use a muff modded and tuned good they're easy to sell. I let a friend use one while I worked on his Husky 41 and sure enough he wanted to buy it, I don't believe it but he claims it cuts faster than his 036. Then his brother buy another one and say it cuts faster than his 038. Maybe those Stihls are wore out but those CS400 saws really cut fast. If I could only have 1 saw it would be a CS400. Steve
 
I've done at least 3 CS-400's and at least that many CS-370's, they are excellent saws and unlike many of the other "box store" stuff in that CC range they are tougher than nails and will last just about forever IF you tune them correctly and don't straight-gas them.

Far as power they aren't really high RPM designs, but make up for it with plenty of "grunt" for the CC's and smooth/broad/flat power curve. I use one here and it is my "go-to" saw for most small jobs and I take it to Colorado every Fall as our camp saw at 10,000'. It's never once let us down there either and we just increase the idle speed slightly and turn the "H" speed screw in about 1/2 turn and good to go WAY up there.

Even with all that said the best "bang for the buck" these days for a small/light limbing saw would be to obtain a CS-490 for a little over $200 and put a 14 or 16" bar on it. It has professional features and more power and I'll bet it's lighter or at least no heavier than a CS-400 when you're done with it. Doesn't have the "goofy" CAT to cut out of the muffler either.........FWIW.......Cliff
 
On a good balance scale a CS400 weighs 13# even ready to cut, a CS490 weighs 14 3/4 # ready to cut. Quite a bit of difference. I was disappointed with my new CS500 at first but after breaking in good it cuts good now. Steve
 
I recently purchased a 543 xp for felling / limbing small jack pine and cedar @ moose camp . Actually rather disappointed with the overall performance of the Husky compared to the other current xp,s I own ( 576 & 346 ) . How ever my daughter loves it , she is responsible for the kindling wood prep lol. I recently received a 5105 H from Brett , brought it along with the 346 for what we need for cutting softwood at camp or clearing shooting lanes . As mentioned if it were not that I purchased the 543 via a family member at a modest price and my daughter would protest , I most likely would purchase a cs-400 . The previous Timber Wolf cs-590 I owned briefly , prior to my Son obducting it was a fine firewood unit .
 
Back
Top