Echo Cs330t

[TimberMcPherson]

Yep. First off, a little echo 330 NEVER runs great. The word great doesn't apply to echos. An echo 330's motor is so weak and uninspiring, it should last 1000,000 hours at least... :bang:

I have run a few echos like that, I have been thinking of getting a nice light 330t with a pruning bar for climbing while letting the ms200s do the hard work. Problem is I have a 350T that has a brake thats just vague and crappy to operate. Im concerned the 330t has a simular problem.

 

[mountainlake]

Yep. First off, a little echo 330 NEVER runs great. The word great doesn't apply to echos. An echo 330's motor is so weak and uninspiring, it should last 1000,000 hours at least... :bang:

Sure is funny that it din't get the death rattle your always talking about, maybe he knows how to run and tune and take care of a saw. Steve

 

[mountainlake]

Actually, all Echo Saws are preset, carb wise, at the factory..except for the 670 and 8000 models, those have to be tached and are dealer sold ONLY.

You can bring one home, dump in some mix gas, and go to work, as is. They do sometimes run a little "lean" through the first tank or 2, and that is simply the rings seating, and stuff such as that. We have yet to have one that didnt run perfectly out of the box, or needed tweaking, and this goes for saws, trimmers, blowers, hedge clippers...etc.

When first cranked, out of the box, we idle for 30 seconds, then gradually bring it up to wide open over about 30 seconds, then slowly go back to idle. Then a few quick revs to wide open. Then idle for a few seconds, then cut off. Then restart on 1 pull, no choke. Works like a charm, and they love it.

people that buy theirs from HD always come in complaining about how they went to run it new, and it would only bog..so they had to pop off the EPA limiters and richen them up...now they complain they have no rpms...

I still say ECHO shouldnt sell to box stores...some people just shouldnt be allowed to own..very well setup, their own gas powered tools

Red I'd rather take the caps off and adjust a new saw so it will pull good and not burn up. Lots of new saws are adjusted lean to meet EPA and get out the door. A couple I got were so lean they wouldn't even rev up, took the caps off adjusted a little richer where they pull better anyway and they run great. Does the factory use ethonal gas to set them up, that makes them run even leaner. I'll agree some people shouldn't mess with the carb but everyone should learn how to due to different temps and elevations. Steve

 

[Cliff R]

Agreed, without exception all of the Echo saws we have worked on or purchased required custom carb settings for our fuel and climate. They are lean on the high speed screw. The CS-440 was the worst, it would free rev without 4 stroking at all, then go lean and stall out in the cut. The CS-360T was just about as bad.

I can see how customers get hold of these saws and burn them up in short order, simply because they are set thrifty from the factory to satisfy the EPA requirements. That's also why they get a bad reputation, no doubt.

I've put hundreds of hours on our 510's, and they run flawlessly. In our line-up, they are used for most of the small work, as they are very easy on fuel. I would add that the aren't overly powerful, but decent, and best suited to a 16" bar, and maxxed out with an 18" bar. Putting a 20 bar on one would be a lesson in humility, I certainly wouldn't have the patience for it.

I haven't had to opportunity to run a CS-330T, but the larger CS-360T we own is a nice little saw, plenty of power, cuts fast, and so far dead solid reliable.

I would recomend to anyone buying one to throw the factory chain in the scrap pile BEFORE using it, and go get a real chain. Remove the limiter caps for custom settings, and if your are pretty handy with tools, open up the muffler slightly so it can breathe, the result will be an impressive running little saw......Cliff

 

[pgg]

Sure is funny that it din't get the death rattle your always talking about, maybe he knows how to run and tune and take care of a saw. Steve

Mountain, don't forget I'm talking pruning saws in the forests down here, they're running hard-out 6 - 8 hours a day, little 330's and the like don't keep up, the 360's are actually pumping out 'normal' power for their size, a world first for echoumpkin2: the 360's are the 'death rattle' echos I'm meaning, only because I've seen 4 of them self-destruct on the job, the first admittedly running stock settings from the dealer(recommended by echo BTW) the other 3 with limiters and screens removed and tweaked rich, made not a shred of difference, probably 300 hours max the longest any of them lasted, again talking full-on no mercy everyday use, 335's and 200T's handle constant thrashing for years on end, that's THOUSANDS of hours, all I can say is the 360's were out of their league for reliability on this job, and comparing the usual egg-beater top handle echos to an xpt or 200T - well, there's no comparison.... :sword:

 

[pgg]

lol....and yet mine keeps on flawlessly dropping limbs and trunk blocks, which = $$$$$$$ in my pocket.

lol :greenchainsaw:

SRT, fair enough. BUT you deserve better!

 

[SRT-Tech]

Mountain, don't forget I'm talking pruning saws in the forests down here, they're running hard-out 6 - 8 hours a day, little 330's and the like don't keep up, the 360's are actually pumping out 'normal' power for their size, a world first for echoumpkin2: the 360's are the 'death rattle' echos I'm meaning, only because I've seen 4 of them self-destruct on the job, the first admittedly running stock settings from the dealer(recommended by echo BTW) the other 3 with limiters and screens removed and tweaked rich, made not a shred of difference, probably 300 hours max the longest any of them lasted, again talking full-on no mercy everyday use, 335's and 200T's handle constant thrashing for years on end, that's THOUSANDS of hours, all I can say is the 360's were out of their league for reliability on this job, and comparing the usual egg-beater top handle echos to an xpt or 200T - well, there's no comparison.... :sword:

fair enough, two different work environments. you run yours for 8-10 hours solid, i run mine for 1 - 4 hours, light duty (climbing/limbing, small tree blocking down).

to be honest, i PREFER a rear handled saw for blocking down, and will offten grab my venerable Husky 61 for that task. But i have run the 330 thru 28 trees (blocking down) and god knows how many thinning /canopy raising jobs.

 

[huskystihl]

UPDATE:

the one in the pawn shop had a shattered crank. (pawnshop guy let me get the saw inspected- two thumbs up to him for that! ).. So i decided to pass on it. Instead i made Visa happy and bought a brand new one ($400 CDN) (2 taxes). filled er up, attached the bar and chain, checked each and every nut/bolt or allen head and fired er up. 4 pulls right out of the crate......vroom. The Echo qaulity control is amazing.....everything was checked three times before being packaged, then it was checked once more.

Let a tank idle through it then tackled about 40 limbs on a tree i dropped yesterday. nice little saw!

i know i know, its not a Stihl or Husky, but i dont give a hoot. I take good care of my tools be they cheap or expensive (and i gots expensive......). I like the ergonomics of the saw a LOT, i dont get wrist pain like i do with the Stihl Ms200T. The Echo is nicely balanced, i have the 14" bar on it. Thumb ups in this one. It suits me for MY intended use of it: couple hours a day of treeclimbing, mostly deadwooding and thinning.

My brother uses echo top handles for his crew and they are extremely durable and last forever. I have a echo blower and it starts easier than any other piece of equipment I have. You made a wise rock solid purchase

 

[northcountry]

just picked up a 330t at homedepot as a return/recondition(someone used it for a day after the ice storm) $150 all new parts, new bar, chain, sparkplug, filter, etc. gonna run a tank full thru it and then let the mods begin I have to say in stock trim with my carlton forest champ 12" bar and rc 3/8 lo pro chain its not a bad little saw at all. I imagine opening the exhaust, adjusting the carb and some picca chain would make this thing quite quick thru a 8"-10" block down. anyone have mods to the muffler they think are spot on?

 

[Cliff R]

I've got a CS-360T. We've muffler modded it, removed the limiter caps, and put a real chain on it. AWESOME little saw.

I've posted some info on it, but do not have pics of the muffler mod. Basically I cut it in half with a fine hacksaw blade, removed the catalyst, and opened up the two internal ports to 5/16" each. Then used the MIG to gently weld it back together. The exit hole was left stock, and the deflector left in place.

Those saws have a rev limiter, and can be very difficult to set the high speed mixture.

I would recomend to start a bit rich, and slowly work the H screw in the lean direction, making a cut with each movement, until you find best power without hitting the rev limiter. It can be difficult to detect the difference between the limiter and the ideal high speed setting. It is best to er slightly on the rich side, the saw will love you for it!

Those saws are high speed, up around 14,500rpms, and pretty powerful. I really like ours, put plenty of hours on it, and it still hasn't developed a "death rattle"......Cliff

 

[northcountry]

thanks cliff

thanks so much yes i saw your post and i really appreciate the muffler mod tip. I am going to do the same mod you did. you left the spark screen in correct? also what manner did you use to get the caps off the carb? and as i have no experience with an ecco carb(dont know who makes them) counter clockwise is going rich/clockwise lean ..is tis correct? do you think i should get some real chain for the 14" bar or just stick with the 12" i slapped on it? thanks a bunch i will post picks of the muffler mod once i do it

 

[Cliff R]

No, didn't put the screen back in place, but I doubt if using it would make much difference.

The most important aspect of these saws is correctly setting the "H" or high speed mixture screw. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between hitting the rev limiter and the saw two stroking at high rpm's due to the A/F ratio.

I'm certain that this causes a LOT of these engines to get burned up from high EGT's and lack of lubrication.

I used a long sharp pointed drywall screw to remove the limiter caps on most of these saws. Can't remember what I used on this saw exactly, but if there is a tiny round hole in the middle of each limiter cap, the drywall screw deal will work fine......Cliff