Echo's new top handle: CS-355T

[7sleeper]

192T's only saviour it's the most agile TH saw (except of course the nonsense chinese 25cc toys from wallymart) and a 192T's nice and light and easy on the arms. The engine will last for homeyard Joe and co, burns it's guts out on commercial stuff. Don't ask, they're reasonably tough engine but still cheaply-made garbage in the whole scheme of things



Now to the horribly plastic-feeling 360T mmwwaahah, there's various know-alls on this site who get all snotty when I tell 'em the 360T is just a POS, some here claim they're professional users but the saws I'm talking about do triple their hours in one month than they'll do in 6 months. Just seen YET ANOTHER 360T burn it's guts out, the sixth so far, gutted muffler and jetted this one lasted a whole six months or so. Needless to say buggered seals from grooved crank means throw into the river or keep as spares for the next POS echo that comes along...


But big improvement over the usual 3-4 weeks running stock from the shop where they overheat themselves to a screeching halt before long. Pro-stihls and huskies still running sweet after ten years on original crank with a bit of a spruce up to the top-end every couple of years or so. Music to the ears as the echos do their death rattle.

I see your back.

What I don't quite understand and hope you can clarify is the following. You always mention that Echo's saws all "burn" to death from overheating. As far as I have understood these tophandle saws are made for climbers. Now I'm not a climber but all the climbing I have seen does not include long cutting times. The principle is move from one branch to another, delimb and move on. How can a saw overheat in such a working environment? When the wood get's proportionally large the climbers change over to larger saws. Maybe you already explained it in one of your raves and I missed it but could you please explain what is done different in NZ.

Thank you,

7

 

[mountainlake]

Pgg. Did you get to see that vid of a 33c Echo cutting real close to the 36cc 200t. Has anyone besides pgg managed to ruin a Echo saw that was tuned right. Tuned right has a lot to do with it. Steve

 

[MCW]

What I don't quite understand and hope you can clarify is the following. You always mention that Echo's saws all "burn" to death from overheating. As far as I have understood these tophandle saws are made for climbers. Now I'm not a climber but all the climbing I have seen does not include long cutting times. The principle is move from one branch to another, delimb and move on. How can a saw overheat in such a working environment? When the wood get's proportionally large the climbers change over to larger saws. Maybe you already explained it in one of your raves and I missed it but could you please explain what is done different in NZ.

Thank you,

7

Actually top handled saws are used a lot more outside of climbing than people think. Contract fruit tree pruners will run these saws for 9-10 hours a day basically non stop apart from sharpening and fuel/oil. I've run my 200T pruning out tree bottoms for around 7 hours a day - actual run time. They are great in this role however some contractors have gone back to rear handled saws due to the risk of injury from idiotic and inexperienced employees.
In many ways climbing saws get it easy - unless they get dropped from a great height

 

[Steve NW WI]

(snip)

Just seen YET ANOTHER 360T burn it's guts out, the sixth so far, gutted muffler and jetted this one lasted a whole six months or so. Needless to say buggered seals from grooved crank means throw into the river or keep as spares for the next POS echo that comes along...

(snip)

Perhaps you'd like to share some evidence of this with us? Soon. Otherwise, I'm going to have to assume you're just violating Rule 20, which says:

"20. You are not permitted to post or insinuate false information about members as well as sponsors. If you have never owned or used (at great length) a product offered by one of the sponsors, you are not permitted to comment on the value, validity, or effectiveness of these products or services. "

 

[Cliff R]

"Has anyone besides pgg managed to ruin a Echo saw that was tuned right. Tuned right has a lot to do with it. Steve"

Steve, even though I'm going to fall into PGG's "know it all" catagory of wanna-be "professional" users, I've logged about a zillion hours on my CS-360T, which is muffler modded with perfect tune, and it lives just fine.

It also gets FULL maintenence after each outing, which includes cleaning, blowing all the chips out of, cleaning the air filter, and chain sharpening/tightening. It only gets 93 octane with 40 to 1 Stihl or Husky premium mix. These things probably have a LOT to due with how well it lasts.

My personal evaluation of the CS-360T isn't all that far from PGG's, I think it is incredibly "bulky" for a top handle, poor balance, in todays lingo not very "ergonomic". Power is decent, not far enough off of an MS-200 to justify the cost difference. The rev limiter is absolutely the most annoying feature of this saw, I absolutely HATE it. It mimics a perfect no-load full throttle tune, and IMHO, is probably why most of these saws suffer from PC damage, even when muffler modded. It's so touchy on the tune that you have to start out "pig" rich and sneak up on it, the rev limiter kicks in exactly at the same moment you reach the most ideal "H" speed screw adjustment. You also have to make slight "H" speed screw adjustments to it for varying DA in different seasons, or it will go lean in really good air, and act a tad "sluggish" in hot/humid air. Ya, I'm a bit anal with these things, but ALL of my equipment runs like it's supposed to, and delivers many years of service without smoking the P/C's.

I've used mine on commercail jobs where it ran pretty much continuously for 2 days, stopping only for refueling and chain sharpening, and it does a supurb job, never grumbling once anyplace. I've been trying my very best to burn the darned thing up, just to see if there is any validity to the bashings it continues to receive from our friend in Australia, but the little POS CS-360T continues to defy the laws of physics and runs just like the day I cut the muffler in half, gutted it, and tuned it correctly.

On the subject of Echo chainsaws, the real "home-run" in their line-up are the CS-370/400's. Not overly powerful anyplace, strong "mid-range" power with plenty of "grunt" for little saws, but they just continue to run no matter what you do to them. I've been trying to burn up my CS-370 along side the CS-360T, and it just keeps cutting. Unlike the CS-360T, the CS-370 has geat AV, well balanced, relatively light, and just a great little saw for a "box store" clamshell unit. Best $200 you will ever spend for a small limbing/firewood saw.....IMHO.......Cliff

My helper Nathan on a commercial job in Delaware, you couldn't pry the little Echo away from him for 2 days!

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachments/chainsaw/297948d1370002750-chainsaw-stuff-002-jpg

 

[heyduke]

"Has anyone besides pgg managed to ruin a Echo saw that was tuned right. Tuned right has a lot to do with it. Steve"

Steve, even though I'm going to fall into PGG's "know it all" catagory of wanna-be "professional" users, I've logged about a zillion hours on my CS-360T, which is muffler modded with perfect tune, and it lives just fine.

It also gets FULL maintenence after each outing, which includes cleaning, blowing all the chips out of, cleaning the air filter, and chain sharpening/tightening. It only gets 93 octane with 40 to 1 Stihl or Husky premium mix. These things probably have a LOT to due with how well it lasts.

My personal evaluation of the CS-360T isn't all that far from PGG's, I think it is incredibly "bulky" for a top handle, poor balance, in todays lingo not very "ergonomic". Power is decent, not far enough off of an MS-200 to justify the cost difference. The rev limiter is absolutely the most annoying feature of this saw, I absolutely HATE it. It mimics a perfect no-load full throttle tune, and IMHO, is probably why most of these saws suffer from PC damage, even when muffler modded. It's so touchy on the tune that you have to start out "pig" rich and sneak up on it, the rev limiter kicks in exactly at the same moment you reach the most ideal "H" speed screw adjustment. You also have to make slight "H" speed screw adjustments to it for varying DA in different seasons, or it will go lean in really good air, and act a tad "sluggish" in hot/humid air. Ya, I'm a bit anal with these things, but ALL of my equipment runs like it's supposed to, and delivers many years of service without smoking the P/C's.

I've used mine on commercail jobs where it ran pretty much continuously for 2 days, stopping only for refueling and chain sharpening, and it does a supurb job, never grumbling once anyplace. I've been trying my very best to burn the darned thing up, just to see if there is any validity to the bashings it continues to receive from our friend in Australia, but the little POS CS-360T continues to defy the laws of physics and runs just like the day I cut the muffler in half, gutted it, and tuned it correctly.

On the subject of Echo chainsaws, the real "home-run" in their line-up are the CS-370/400's. Not overly powerful anyplace, strong "mid-range" power with plenty of "grunt" for little saws, but they just continue to run no matter what you do to them. I've been trying to burn up my CS-370 along side the CS-360T, and it just keeps cutting. Unlike the CS-360T, the CS-370 has geat AV, well balanced, relatively light, and just a great little saw for a "box store" clamshell unit. Best $200 you will ever spend for a small limbing/firewood saw.....IMHO.......Cliff

My helper Nathan on a commercial job in Delaware, you couldn't pry the little Echo away from him for 2 days!

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachments/chainsaw/297948d1370002750-chainsaw-stuff-002-jpg

great foto, cliff! and i agree with your comments on the 360t. i've got a 330t and a 360t, both over six years of nearly daily use, climbing, limbing and next to the chipper. haven't been able to break them. looks like they may outlast me.

larry

 

[zogger]

192T's only saviour it's the most agile TH saw (except of course the nonsense chinese 25cc toys from wallymart) and a 192T's nice and light and easy on the arms. The engine will last for homeyard Joe and co, burns it's guts out on commercial stuff. Don't ask, they're reasonably tough engine but still cheaply-made garbage in the whole scheme of things



Now to the horribly plastic-feeling 360T mmwwaahah, there's various know-alls on this site who get all snotty when I tell 'em the 360T is just a POS, some here claim they're professional users but the saws I'm talking about do triple their hours in one month than they'll do in 6 months. Just seen YET ANOTHER 360T burn it's guts out, the sixth so far, gutted muffler and jetted this one lasted a whole six months or so. Needless to say buggered seals from grooved crank means throw into the river or keep as spares for the next POS echo that comes along...


But big improvement over the usual 3-4 weeks running stock from the shop where they overheat themselves to a screeching halt before long. Pro-stihls and huskies still running sweet after ten years on original crank with a bit of a spruce up to the top-end every couple of years or so. Music to the ears as the echos do their death rattle.

Post some pics of the actual damage.

 

[Cliff R]

"great foto, cliff!"

Thanks. I forgot how to put the picture in the response. If someone has time, can they run thru the steps again? Sorry for the bad cases of CRS that I have these days....it only gets worse the older you get!....Cliff

 

[just1]

e b

has anyone noticed that sthils climbing saws are all over e bay but you cant hardly find an echo there is a hand full but no where near as many as the sthils I think that says a lot

 

[mountainlake]

A lot of people with it's a Stihl mentality that buy their low end saw just cuz of the name. Nothing wrong with a 200t but the 192t is cheap and gutless. Steve

 

[Franny K]

has anyone noticed that sthils climbing saws are all over e bay but you cant hardly find an echo there is a hand full but no where near as many as the sthils I think that says a lot

You have to watch out what you see in your searches often is effected by the keyword spamming that report this item has no effect on.

I don't notice and what I would look at is what something sells for, factor in a depreciation amount, compare to new price get a % number. Then compare that echo to stihl if that is what concerns you. If you use for the 330 and 360 the new price I got in a flyer from bailey's perhaps in march with free shipping it sure seems those models hold value as much as anything all over ebay not just in the lawn and garden portion where the chainsaws seem to be found.

I also notice the guys who like to post about flipping saws use craig's list first and ebay as a last resort or at least seem to post to lead one to conclude that.

 

[MCW]

has anyone noticed that sthils climbing saws are all over e bay but you cant hardly find an echo there is a hand full but no where near as many as the sthils I think that says a lot

Actually all that tells me is that for every 100 Stihl top handled saws sold there was one Echo.

 

[mountainlake]

Actually all that tells me is that for every 100 Stihl top handled saws sold there was one Echo.

Just proves they're a lot of people with it's a Stihl mentality even with the declining quality on everything but their pro saws. Steve

 

[MCW]

Just proves they're a lot of people with it's a Stihl mentality even with the declining quality on everything but their pro saws. Steve

Hey I agree but using eBay as an information source is probably somewhat statistically unsound.
I suffer from "if it's a good saw it's worth buying" mentality.

 

[bryanr2]

Since we havent had any repair or problem threads on this saw is it safe to say it is a winner? Or are people staying away from them?

 

[7sleeper]

Since we havent had any repair or problem threads on this saw is it safe to say it is a winner? Or are people staying away from them?

You obviously have not been following this thread.View attachment 300079 Ask pgg he has the secret mission by Echo to get all burnt up, death rattle saws out there before it goes public....

7

 

[mountainlake]

Pgg should send me all those burnt up Echo top handles as a new short block costs $107 for a 330t and $127 for a $360 plus real easy too work on. I got a 330t off Ebay that has been straight gassed, turning it into a 360t. Steve

 

[MCW]

Apparently they all disappeared in a 20 megaton mushroom cloud so no parts left to save.

 

[just1]

echo n sthil

I own both kinds of saw a few of each but I keep sthil for my big saws n echo for my smaller saws for the price n performance u can't beat an echo u just can't but from my experience when you gotta cut some big wood its time to break out the 87cc or 93cc sthil but in a tree give me an echo

 

[millbilly]

I own both kinds of saw a few of each but I keep sthil for my big saws n echo for my smaller saws for the price n performance u can't beat an echo u just can't but from my experience when you gotta cut some big wood its time to break out the 87cc or 93cc sthil but in a tree give me an echo

You gotta 056 nice