Decisions... Echo vs Stihl.

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I have a hard time believing someone going out of business because of warranty. I'm inclined to believe that he was a bad businessman more than anything. If Echo had so many warranty issues that warranty is what kept someone in business, Echo would've been bankrupt a long time ago. 99% of the time when someone comes in barking about warranty, its user stupidity. There's no money in warranty! Just buy what you like and don't worry about the marketing schemes.
The dealers problem was the time frame...5 years. But business was slow to start with.
The older the saw the more likely it was to have warranty problems.
Sort of like getting backed into a corner.

He certainly was not a bad dealer or businessman at all...just the time factor.

IMHO...5 years is just tooo long for a warranty for a chainsaw...that's at "breakline" for autos..!!

The main problem..as I see it..is that stuff just broke in less time than company expected.
But the parts were supposedly covered under the 5 yr. warranty.

Company won't honor the warranty...word spreads...few new sales...= out of business..!!

I really hate that he went out of business...kinda kept the Stihl guys on their toes.

Now I got 3 Stihl dealers close and 1 Husquvarna...the Husky dealer is same as...
you guessed it...the biggest Stihl dealer..!!
:cheers:
J2F
J2F
 
Wow, thanks for all the info. Now, another question that may be pointless to ask butis there any preference here for .325 vs 3/8? Or any reason that this should be a factor in making my decision? I have my reasons, like cheaper, longer lasting chains for the 3/8 plus the ability to run skip chain. Any reason upgrade a 3.25 saw like the 550p to run 3/8?
Once again, your thoughts.
 
In my limited experience with 3-4 different saw brands, I honestly think Echos are the most consistently easy starting and most user friendly. I would not hesistate to buy or recommend one. I'm also very pleased with my Stihl MS-261, but it's definitely a little more fussy than my Echo. The 550P is a good saw.

I think what Echo is missing, is that "one saw" in a class , that stands out... I've got a couple neighbors that "echo" your statement exactly... "They just start and run"... Is what they tell me... They're not loggers... They're farmers by trade... They just need em' to run when called upon, and seem to do the job...
Just sayin'....:msp_rolleyes:
 
Wow, thanks for all the info. Now, another question that may be pointless to ask butis there any preference here for .325 vs 3/8? Or any reason that this should be a factor in making my decision? I have my reasons, like cheaper, longer lasting chains for the 3/8 plus the ability to run skip chain. Any reason upgrade a 3.25 saw like the 550p to run 3/8?
Once again, your thoughts.

If you get on Baileys, you should be able to find a few options for skip chain. As far as the preference for 3/8 chain, I like it because all but two or three of my saws run it so it will be worth it to me to finally make the switch to making my own loops, the cutters are big enough to really be able to see the angles for hand filing a lot more accurately for myself anyhow and I like the way it cuts better, it's more aggressive than the smaller pitches. Comes down to a matter of preference I think, you might want to try out a couple of different combos to see what works for you. My personal preference is 3/8 if the saw is big enough to handle it.
 
Btw, groundup, I think the echoes are oranger.
What's with all the orange saws out there? I've always liked the red shindis, but I guess an echo is really just an orange shindi.

Where are the echoes built? Are they actually made in the shindaiwa plant?
I do like the fact that Stihl is a family owned company, not part of some giant conglomerate.
I've heard Echo/shindaiwa reffered to as the Toyota of the chainsaw world, solid Japanese engineering, take care of it and it will last forever. That being said, I drive a Toyota 4runner with nearly 200k on it. Maybe it's a sign... The Germans build cars that are amazing to drive but not known for their reliability and are extremely pricey to fix.
Is this a good analogy/parallel? If so, I'm going echo.
 
Wow, thanks for all the info. Now, another question that may be pointless to ask butis there any preference here for .325 vs 3/8? Or any reason that this should be a factor in making my decision? I have my reasons, like cheaper, longer lasting chains for the 3/8 plus the ability to run skip chain. Any reason upgrade a 3.25 saw like the 550p to run 3/8?
Once again, your thoughts.

Run 3/8 on any saw over 55cc , and maybe some 50cc saws .
 
I've got to be honest, there's a little bit of an ego issue here. My uncle that I cut with runs a stihl ms 310 with full skip and it's is a great saw, but if I go with stihl I can't have a smaller saw than him, so that rules out the 290. Could I upgrade the 550p to run 3/8 and expect to keep up or even out cut him? (we are both very picky about sharp chains and saw maintenance) If I can get the 550 upgraded to 3/8 for decent price that might be the saw for me.
My local echo dealer was flexible and quoted me $470 + tax on the 550p. The Stihl shop was super firm on the $519 + tax on the 311. If I can get my Echo guy to upgrade the 550p for only a few dollars and still be a better price than the 311, I think thats what I'll do.

So the decision is this:

cs600p 20" 3/8 - $525
cs550p 20".235 - $470 or upgraded to 3/8 for ~$500
ms311 20" 3/8 - $519

Thanks for your help everyone, The response on here has been amazing. Glad to join you on this site. Plus, it just fun to talk about saws anyway:rock:
 
550 & 600 weigh the same, 600 has more power. i own 2 of them and there is nothing wrong with that saw. i bought mine off ebay for 425.00 with the warranty. echo has no problem with yuo registering them online.
 
I've got to be honest, there's a little bit of an ego issue here. My uncle that I cut with runs a stihl ms 310 with full skip and it's is a great saw, but if I go with stihl I can't have a smaller saw than him, so that rules out the 290. Could I upgrade the 550p to run 3/8 and expect to keep up or even out cut him? (we are both very picky about sharp chains and saw maintenance) If I can get the 550 upgraded to 3/8 for decent price that might be the saw for me.
My local echo dealer was flexible and quoted me $470 + tax on the 550p. The Stihl shop was super firm on the $519 + tax on the 311. If I can get my Echo guy to upgrade the 550p for only a few dollars and still be a better price than the 311, I think thats what I'll do.

So the decision is this:

cs600p 20" 3/8 - $525
cs550p 20".235 - $470 or upgraded to 3/8 for ~$500
ms311 20" 3/8 - $519

Thanks for your help everyone, The response on here has been amazing. Glad to join you on this site. Plus, it just fun to talk about saws anyway:rock:

Get a CS600 off Ebay , once in a while there's one for $400 but they seem to have gone up in price. You should be comparing the CS600 to a Stihl MS361 or MS362 as they are close in qualiy and performance. Steve
 
Get a CS600 off Ebay , once in a while there's one for $400 but they seem to have gone up in price. You should be comparing the CS600 to a Stihl MS361 or MS362 as they are close in qualiy and performance. Steve

Absolutely. Like anything of quality, they get better the more you run them which I think is what Echo hangs their hat on with the 5 year warranty. Be good to it and it will be good to you.
 
+3

The Echo CS-600P is what I would get without hesitation, if I needed a saw in that size-range. I have all sorts of Echo power equipment, leaf blower, string trimmer, garden tiller, half a dozen chainsaws...never once needed their warranty for any reason. Granted, I service all of my saws after every outing, and fine tune them if/as needed based on weather, etc.

The only place I can fault them, is right out of the box they are WAY too lean to meet EPA requirements. It is manditory, IMHO, to richen them up some, right from day one, or you just might need that warranty.

Those few that continue to "bash" Echo products haven't got a clue how to adjust the carb on one, and from what I've seen in the videos, don't know how to run a saw either.......Cliff

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260866504113
 
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WOW..!! New In Box for $420 including shipping is one heck of a great price..!!

Bootboy...you really should jump on this deal..!!!
:cheers:
J2F
 
That ad is no good. it's expired. bummer:frown:

however there is a buy it now w/free shipping for $469
 
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Just some good sayings on echo... My family has had a 16 crew landscaping company in southern california. Trying every brand at the start. they have ran echo for 22 years and never had any problems. Just the occasoinal wear and tear damage by employees.We have had blowers edgers weedwhipers saws just about everything they put out. If i had the money for a new say id grab a echo for sure.:rock:
 
I recently bought a CS600-P and absolutely love it. I trimmed the limiter screws and adjusted the carb and it absolutely screams...I was recently talking to the local Stihl dealer and telling him about my Echo (I was purchasing a new chain) and he asked if he could see it. I had it out in my truck so I let him take it out back and demo it (for a free chain)...he was more than impressed with it's power and cut speed...also he said it had the fastest throttle response he'd ever seen.
 
The only comment I can make is out local dealer that carries Stihl, Kawasaki trimmers, Echo, Shindawia, equipment has cut his echo saw inventory down to two saws, he believes in their string trimmers but says the warranty isn't worth the paper it is wrote on. He says Echo is horrible about re-emburshing the dealers for labor, if the Kawasaki line of trimmers sell, he says the entire line is bye,bye, he's carried them over twenty years. The seem to be built fairly well, I haven't been overly impressed with the ones I've run, but they were not mine, both were in need of a tune. It's the only major brand of saw I don't own but many have stated their new models are impressive, if I weren't happy with my current dealer support, I wouldn't be afraid to try one. I would go with whichever one I had the best feel on the dealer, which one will service and support their product the best. Dealer relationships/support can sometimes be more important than the color of saw in your hands.
 
At least the brand is evil, and it isn't a coincidence that they usually don't advertise power specs!


They don't post numbers cuz factory published numbers don't mean squat, it's how fast a saw cuts cc for cc and wieght that counts and when properly tuned Echo saws do a good job. This is from someone that actually ran a few Echo saws as well as Stihl, Husky, Dolmar, Efco, Solo, Jonesred Steve
 
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