ECHO CS-520 Advice.

[tallfarmboy]

OK Echo Guys,

I got the CS-520 running like a top now. She actually sounds a little angry. I pulled the muffler and added a 1/2" hole right next to the original pipe. That muffler is heavy for it's size, too. I really didn't have anything to remove the pipe with, so I just used a high speed drill bit and added a hole right next to it since it goes directly past the baffle.

That is almost exactly what I did with my CS-520. The plastic was starting to get a little discolored below the muffler on mine.

VIDEOS!!!!

 

[wyk]

I put the screen and the deflector back on it as well. I might have a video of it this weekend. It all depends if I can find some 70 link lopro chain. I have an 18" bar on order, and went and had all my 70 shortened to 68. But the bar hasn't come in yet.

 

[miking]

Nice work. They do have a cool sound to them.

 

[rmh3481]

.325 chain is K041. If your looking for a 3/8 bar to fit, we use a D176 Oregon mount.

 

[wyk]

Saw-O-Rama

OK, there she is at 3:45 ish. She is running just a touch rich and is still pulling too much bar that I tightened the chain too much on, I found out after the vid. My 18" lo pro hadn't come in yet. Even so, she still pulls 20" of full size 3/8 semi chisel through 18" of Alder decently. You can't lean on it much, though. Sounds great!

 

[Cliff R]

"You won't find a more reliabe saw, they cut good stock but really wake up with a muff modd. My favorite saw out of my herd of 20 or so, most brands. Steve "

+1

I've been running my muffler modded CS-510 for years, zero issues anyplace. It's among my favorites. In timed cuts was equal to my closed port Husqvarna 55. It's a strong running/fast cutting saw.

The muffler mod and giving it the fuel it needs really woke it up. In stock form it was just OK.

It's tough to say good things about Echo's on this site, as we continue to see the same negative attitudes/comments regurgitated every time a thread runs on this subject.

Sure, Echo made some real "turds", but the CS-510's and 520's are not among them.

I would set that saw up with an 18" bar and .325" chain. I've tried the 20" deal, and 16", it's power is best suited to the 18" set-up......Cliff

 

[miking]

It's negative comments from people with their heads in the sand though Cliff. If chain speed was all that mattered they may have a point because the 260's and even my husky 450 are very quick in that regard, but the 530 consistently out-torques them and loves to be leaned on which is something that wyk did not find I guess. I run mine with a 16" and it's speed is fine and like I said, it keeps cutting under pressure very well. Both my 600 and 680 do as well with a 20" and 24" setups respectively.

 

[Cliff R]

Having a good friend working for Echo at a Depot level service facility has allowed me to own and test just about every model they've made in the past 10 years.

Some are just OK, a few were "turds", the CS-510's (I'm assuming the 520's are similiar?) are at the top of the pile for Echo's modern saws.

They have a LOT of power, broad power curve, and LOVE high rpm's in the cut.

Very durable chassis as well. They run as well and cut about as fast as any stock 346XP or 260 Stihl I've seen, once you unplug the extremely restrictive muffler and add some fuel to them.

The disappointments to me in the their modern line-up were the Reed valve engine top handles, CS-440's and CS-670's. A 670 isn't even close to my 262XP or 268XP. I really don't know why? I even have an earlier CS-6700 with a brand new P/C on it, muffler is wide open, etc, and it's pretty gutless as well.

Bottom line, Echo didn't "hit a home-run" with every model, some are a LOT better than others......Cliff

 

[mountainlake]

It's negative comments from people with their heads in the sand though Cliff. If chain speed was all that mattered they may have a point because the 260's and even my husky 450 are very quick in that regard, but the 530 consistently out-torques them and loves to be leaned on which is something that wyk did not find I guess. I run mine with a 16" and it's speed is fine and like I said, it keeps cutting under pressure very well. Both my 600 and 680 do as well with a 20" and 24" setups respectively.

WYK has a 20" 3/8 bar and chain on his , cutting speed and torque will really improve with a .325 set up. Steve

 

[wyk]

WYK has a 20" 3/8 bar and chain on his , cutting speed and torque will really improve with a .325 set up. Steve

It was also pig rich and pulling a semi chisel. I'll try it with full chisel and leaned out to close to 14,000 rpm for another vid. Even so, it did decent for being buried in alder.

 

[PLMCRZY]

That 385xp for sale? That looked like a baddd maashean!

 

[wyk]

That 385xp for sale? That looked like a baddd maashean!

Oh, gawd no. I love this thing. So much so, I have sold off my 372xp. So, I am making do with my 520/385 combo nowadays.

I hope to pick up the new bar for the Echo this week - the one in the vid is actually for a uxl homelite mount and just barely works on that Echo. I probably shouldn't have put up that echo in that vid, it wasn't fair. I found out I had tightened the chain way too much and the semi chisel a bud on site gave me to try on that bar wasn't very sharp. She did much better in a previous video with full chisel that was sharp and tuned a good deal more lean. I didn't have my carb screwdriver on me at the time I took the vid, either...excuses...excuses...

She does sound really good at idle now, tho, with that muff mod.

 

[wyk]

OK, I made another silly video. This time it is with an Echo that is tuned pretty well. Well, it is still slightly rich listening to the vid as it just 4-strokes on occasion. But you'll get the point of it when you see it. The other saw in the vid sounds rich, but it cleans up when buried in 24"+ wood... Both saws are pulling 3/8 full chisel skip chain. In fact, they are pulling the exact same Oregon chain, just different lengths. The piece of wood is a 6X6 that has been treated, so not quite as soft as unseasoned wood.

The 385XP is wearing a 32" Oregon RW bar with 105 drive links. The Echo is wearing a Stihl mount 25" Oregon Pro-Lite bar via a Husqvarna adapter plate at 84 drive links. Why? Well, because I could for one. And because the local saw shop has taken 3 weeks to get me my 18" bar. If it is not there Monday by closing, that order is cancelled and I am gonna live with the 20" bar that came with this Echo. It pulls it well enough when it's tuned right and the chain's a sharp skip.

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[REJ2]

My CS530 seems right at home with an 18" .325 setup. Maybe someday i'll invest in the 16" setup just for the heck of it.

 

[wyk]

I may have to re-edit it. The chain on that 385xp looks like full comp. Ah well. Ya get the idea. That Echo pulls pretty good when she's set up right. I could lean on it a lot before it would bog. She easily beats the hell out of my MS250, which beat a bud's 346xp that beat an 026 last time out. So, I can't complain. I'm starting to like this lil Echo.

 

[tallfarmboy]

Sure sounds like the 385 could be leaned up a little... it was 4 stroking in the cut for a couple of the cuts.

You're 520 sounded really good, though.

TFB

 

[wyk]

Sure sounds like the 385 could be leaned up a little... it was 4 stroking in the cut for a couple of the cuts.

You're 520 sounded really good, though.

TFB

Yeah, the lil 520 has earned my respect. I didn't wanna like it, but it just works great. I was really leaning on it with that 24" bar. She has a ton of torque for a 50cc.

The 385 is too rich to be cutting that type of wood. I usually have it in 2-4' thick wood with that bar. She cleans up fine in that. Still, I may lean her out just a tad.

 

[Chris J.]

I may have to re-edit it. The chain on that 385xp looks like full comp. Ah well. Ya get the idea. That Echo pulls pretty good when she's set up right. I could lean on it a lot before it would bog. She easily beats the hell out of my MS250, which beat a bud's 346xp that beat an 026 last time out. So, I can't complain. I'm starting to like this lil Echo.

Let me know if you ever run across a good CS-520 P&C for a decent price.

 

[wyk]

Let me know if you ever run across a good CS-520 P&C for a decent price.

Will do. But it was sort of a lark getting this 520 in the first place.

I was really looking for a 350 at the time when it fell in my lap. It also came with a few accessories that helped me make up my mind - a whole bunch of new files, a new Oregon sure sharp with lots of grinding stones, several spare nuts and screnches, a case(which I gave to the Rancher here to use for her MS250), a fuel canister(which was stolen from my truck not long ago), some oil, and 3 chains at about 80-90%. All for $100.

I've used the sure sharp once so far to regrind a square to round. It's bulky and a pain to use. I still prefer using a file. But, maybe I will learn to like it. Shrug. I may reserve it only for fixing damaged chains.

 

[Chris J.]

I've got one of the fancy Granberg sharpening guides that my neighbor found in his garage. I'm glad to have it because it originally belonged to an elderly neighbor who taught me many things about home repair & maintenance (RIP, Pres).

One of these days I should learn how to use it properly.