ECHO Chainsaws - are they catching on?!

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Not sure I follow you on this because Echo is assembled mostly in Illinois. Yes the parent company is Japan, but so what?

Stihl is German and Husqvarna is Swedish, point being that none of the big players is domestic.
 
There are a couple Stihl dealers in my area that also sell Echo. I've never even glanced at that side of the store. Well maybe a glance and with that glance a double take at a camo top handle. Cheesy:msp_laugh:
 
There are a couple Stihl dealers in my area that also sell Echo. I've never even glanced at that side of the store. Well maybe a glance and with that glance a double take at a camo top handle. Cheesy:msp_laugh:

Yeah the camo is cheesy but the 600p sure isn't. I just spent the whole day cutting with mine and the more I use it, the more I like it. It starts every time in 3 pulls, runs like a champ and cuts every bit as fast as an ms362. once its warm it just asks for more and absolutely shreds 20" rounds with square filed skip chain. I think I'm in love. I've even named it.

My little 360t is no 200t but it's better than a 192, it's a great little saw. It's light, reliable, WAY cheaper, and cuts fast enough for me, especially after a muff mod and a retune. Both saws have caught on with me in a big way. Now I just wish the boffins at yamabiko would concoct a 75-80cc saw with the same thoughtfulness as the 600p on the same platform.
 
I thought about an Echo Trimmer but settled for a Shindaiwa. I have no experiance with there saws. I do have to work on a CS-440 tomorrow so that will be a first for me.
 
I thought about an Echo Trimmer but settled for a Shindaiwa. I have no experiance with there saws. I do have to work on a CS-440 tomorrow so that will be a first for me.

I can certainly recommend their trimmers. I've had one since I was in highschool (10+years) and its a champ. In all this time it's only needed the carb rebuilt once. I used it commercially for 3 years and it has since been relegated to just my own yard but it runs like new to this day.
 
He's an older guy I do business with in town, still has his store. He's REAL fair and good to his customers, his prices on everything are good and he'll cut ya a deal now and then off the posted retail. that kind of real "mom and pop" good old fashioned kinda place.

And has gone out of his way to find me stuff when none of the other local small engine guys could get it, he'll sit and drag out catalogs for fifteen minutes trying to find a five buck part. . So I believe his story. As to how long he was an echo dealer, at least a decade maybe more, I don't recall the exact specifics, might be even two decades. When I first moved here he still had his echo dealership, so once I toasted mine, I was going to check his parts and prices, etc, that's when he told me had had stopped selling them recently, and he told me the story. So, just around two years ago now, year and half really.

So, he doesn't sell echo now or much in the way of small engine stuff besides some mowers and such like (which are almost all rebadged MTD now anyway, riders or pushers). He has so much other stock he sells he really doesn't need to sell saws and blowers, etc.

Pretty cool old guy, been collecting classic antique cars all his life, he told me he stopped at 50 of them when he ran out of room to park them.



So..if you have a dealer who has a GOOD relationship with echo, that might be cool, if not...crapshoot. Like I said before, I don't trust warranties on that sort of stuff anyway, wayyyy too easy for them to just say "straight gassed" no matter what it is and you eat it. Besides with saws, I bet most guys around here void the warranty within ten minutes of getting it home (muffler mod, pull caps, retune), so the point is moot.

I wouldn't void the warranty but I wouldn't take it to anyone to be repaired. I just treat everything I buy as if it has no warranty and fix what's broken myself, it's a lot less hassle.
 
I would love to get a hold of one of the 90 to 100 cc saws made back in the day. Echo does make a 5 cube saw it is the cs8000, I bet with some work it would flat out run.
 
I would love to get a hold of one of the 90 to 100 cc saws made back in the day. Echo does make a 5 cube saw it is the cs8000, I bet with some work it would flat out run.

I just traded one to my neighbor. It needed a piston and cylinder. Neighbor did that and put a new carburetor on it and he and I still aren't too impressed with it. He traded me a good running Husqvarna 350 for it, I believe I came out ahead on that one! Maybe there's still something wrong with the 8000. It isn't overly fast and it is heavy.
 
I just traded one to my neighbor. It needed a piston and cylinder. Neighbor did that and put a new carburetor on it and he and I still aren't too impressed with it. He traded me a good running Husqvarna 350 for it, I believe I came out ahead on that one! Maybe there's still something wrong with the 8000. It isn't overly fast and it is heavy.

Even the Echo fans don't post many positive comments about the 8000.
 
My understanding is that it's heavy and not super fast, built with archaic technology, but you can't kill them. They are ultra reliable and easy to work on. I have no personal experience but have heard these things from various people who do.
 
8000 makes a good stump saw, they don't mind lugging through in the low range. Relatively hard to burn them up. Sadly most get used this way and they look like garbage.

Decent platform for porting, which wakes them up nicely.




Mr. HE:cool:
 
Echos are definately "catching on" I'd buy one if I needed a saw which I don't (may anyway). CS400, CS600 and their top handles are a great value and run dang good too.
Shep
 
The CS600 is a fine saw IMHO. I've got another one here to do a woods port on that I'll start this morning. :msp_thumbup:
 
I have an Echo CS4400 and a CS670. Also some old EVL's kicking around on the high shelves (heavy critters), I have never had any complaints about the Echos except I'm not fond of the outboard clutch on the 670. However it chews the heck out of big Cottonwood with a 20" bar and full chisel.

Speaking of the EVL's, I just picked one up. I ended up getting a smokin' deal on a 650EVL, and it's in superb condition. Looks barely used, and runs extremely well. It's got a nice grumble to it. Gonna get out and make my first cuts with it this weekend.
 
Way back when... ( I had more hair) Echo built all the John Deere EV series saws.
I worked at a small local JD dealer in the early 80's and the parts we ordered for customers saws were JD bagged but had Echo tags on the part inside the bags. I've seen and used all kinds of saws since I started fixin' them. I love my old Sthil 026, I really like the Husky's I've fixed, not much of a Mac guy, won't touch a Craftsman/Poulan (absolutely refuse to accept them in my shop) Homelites are ok and haven't seen any Echos yet. :msp_thumbup:
Just my 2c.
E

Yes, I've noticed some of the JD's had Echo labels on various parts.
 
He's an older guy I do business with in town, still has his store. He's REAL fair and good to his customers, his prices on everything are good and he'll cut ya a deal now and then off the posted retail. that kind of real "mom and pop" good old fashioned kinda place.

And has gone out of his way to find me stuff when none of the other local small engine guys could get it, he'll sit and drag out catalogs for fifteen minutes trying to find a five buck part. . So I believe his story. As to how long he was an echo dealer, at least a decade maybe more, I don't recall the exact specifics, might be even two decades. When I first moved here he still had his echo dealership, so once I toasted mine, I was going to check his parts and prices, etc, that's when he told me had had stopped selling them recently, and he told me the story. So, just around two years ago now, year and half really.

So, he doesn't sell echo now or much in the way of small engine stuff besides some mowers and such like (which are almost all rebadged MTD now anyway, riders or pushers). He has so much other stock he sells he really doesn't need to sell saws and blowers, etc.

Pretty cool old guy, been collecting classic antique cars all his life, he told me he stopped at 50 of them when he ran out of room to park them.



So..if you have a dealer who has a GOOD relationship with echo, that might be cool, if not...crapshoot. Like I said before, I don't trust warranties on that sort of stuff anyway, wayyyy too easy for them to just say "straight gassed" no matter what it is and you eat it. Besides with saws, I bet most guys around here void the warranty within ten minutes of getting it home (muffler mod, pull caps, retune), so the point is moot.

Gotcha. That's a shame, but I'm glad to hear he's still in biz. I have a "ma and pop" shop I go to for most my saw parts (fuel lines, carb kits, pins, etc..), so I know how great it is to have those shops around. That's one thing I'll say about Michigan - we have a LOT of those shops in my area, and the "midwest retail charm" is still running strong. Not what it once was, tho....
 
I thought about an Echo Trimmer but settled for a Shindaiwa. I have no experiance with there saws. I do have to work on a CS-440 tomorrow so that will be a first for me.

I just put some new fuel lines in my CS400 yeasterday morning. Not bad saws to work on - but a little tight on space.
 
Yeah the camo is cheesy but the 600p sure isn't. I just spent the whole day cutting with mine and the more I use it, the more I like it. It starts every time in 3 pulls, runs like a champ and cuts every bit as fast as an ms362. once its warm it just asks for more and absolutely shreds 20" rounds with square filed skip chain. I think I'm in love. I've even named it.

My little 360t is no 200t but it's better than a 192, it's a great little saw. It's light, reliable, WAY cheaper, and cuts fast enough for me, especially after a muff mod and a retune. Both saws have caught on with me in a big way. Now I just wish the boffins at yamabiko would concoct a 75-80cc saw with the same thoughtfulness as the 600p on the same platform.

LMFAO...what did you name her? I named my CS400 "Old Faithful" about 2 years ago. It always - ALWAYS - starts, and get the job done. :rock:
 

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