Most under rated chainsaw????

[Wood Doctor]

Echo CS-500 EVL

There are a lot of saws out there that people (at least on AS) love to talk trash about. Some deserve it, some are great saws that got a bad rap for some reason. In your opinion what is the most under rated saw you have owned or run.

I have my opinions but will leave them out so as not to shade the discussion

Echo CS-500 EVL. This saw was built like a tank but pound for pound, it cut like many saws half again heavier. It could pull a 24" bar upon command. I rate it almost equal to the Stihl MS 361, except that it was built at least 15 years earlier. About the only thing it lacked was a compression release button.

Got one? Hang on to it.

 

[avason]

It was just me and my little 353 for the first 4 years. That thing was literally my best friend cutting over 10 cord of wood a year for my OWB. :beauty3: That thing was great until I found this sight.:msp_wub:

 

[skeetsman]

echo 702evl

had this one since the 70's still pushing 155# comp. weighs a ton but cuts like a monster

 

[Bingo]

Underrated!

I think most of us feel what we own/use are underrated saws...especially when the pros don't use em!...And, sooner or later...if they perform well for us, come to understand that we (firewood only types), don't really need the latest and greatest saws. If I cut wood for a living I might have different saws altogether...but I don't and what I have now seem to work fine. I maintain them and they reward me well. Now I'm all for having the best and paying for it but for the last 12 years my MS 310 (MM), has done everything I've asked of it. When/if it goes down I'll turn it into a 390. In the meantime this overweight, homeowner, plastic saw just keeps cutting everying I want just fine. Lots of good Huskys I'd like to try but only have experience w/my neighbors 51...and I'd love to have that if/when he replaces it...My dolmar 510 also does yoeman's work when I use it...a fine saw and Id like a 420 or 6401 to play with...but don't really need them just yet. There are so many good saws out there one can't always have the latest and greatest (depending on who you listen to). But I'm glad I have what I have because it always does what I need it to. Underrated doesn't mean much when what you have works everytime.

 

[computeruser]

Husqvarna 272 seems to have dropped off the radar in favor of the 371 and 372 family. Shame, because it is a great, solid saw that is easy on the wallet. Likewise, the 154/254 are awesome machines in the 50cc class, yet they get no love.

 

[SawTroll]

It was just me and my little 353 for the first 4 years. That thing was literally my best friend cutting over 10 cord of wood a year for my OWB. :beauty3: That thing was great until I found this sight.:msp_wub:

I believe much of the reason that the 353 is under rated on here is that they usually came with a cat muffler in the US.

 

[SawTroll]

Husqvarna 272 seems to have dropped off the radar in favor of the 371 and 372 family. Shame, because it is a great, solid saw that is easy on the wallet. Likewise, the 154/254 are awesome machines in the 50cc class, yet they get no love.

Sure, but the 154/254 are true 54cc saws, and a bit large and heavy for the 50cc class.....

 

[Stihl Ohioan]

Stihl 08s

My dad bought it used back in the early 70s and it is still cutting wood today yeah it has seen a few clutch drums,bars,chains,plugs and who knows how many gals of fuel but its still running factory piston and jug it has been used for firewood I would say he cuts 3-4 cords a year my hat is off to that saw yeah its heavy and will not rev like the new saws will but that saw has been one hell of a good saw !

 

[Locust Cutter]

Well...

Husqvarna: 141, 55, 350, 353, 460, 62

Stihl: 011AV, 026, 029, 039, 038

Shindaiwa: Almost all of them.

Efco: CS56, CS62

Almost every farm and ranch that I know of around here has one or more of the following: 011AV/026/029/039/CS56/CS62. While I am not a professional by any means, I am a decently equipped and dedicated firewood hack and have a few $$$ tied up in saws. Ranchers and Farmers don't care about "Pro" saws, they just want a decent tool for the money that is dead reliable and durable. My late F.I.L. had an 026 and an 029. They had been run dry of oil, fallen off of the truck multiple times, been run in the dirt, had cracked plastics, etc. They still cut 3-7 cords of Hedge per year for almost 2 decades.

Before my old truck burned down with my Husky 55 and 346xp along with my Stihl 660 and 039 in it, that 39 Stihl and 55 Husky cut a lot of wood for my family and paid a lot of bills for me. The only problem I ever had with either saw was 1 air leak on the Husky which I caught quickly and a few plugged oil filters before I got better about cleaning off the area surrounding the oil reservoir cap. Both were MM'ed and re-tuned after I found this site and found a new gear each. I miss them both dearly (along with the slightly less over-rated 346xpNE and MS660). I still need to acquire another 90cc saw.

 

[hoeyrd2110]

anything with the name echo on it

 

[tolman_paul]

anything with the name echo on it

My sentiments exactly and I fell into the anything echo must be junk until getting one for myself.

I figured for $45 it was worth picking up this CS-300 on flea bay last year.

Was able to get it started out of the box, $7 for a new primer bulb, $5 for a baileys clearance bar that fit after some file work and flipped the shroud in the muffler for a better flow of exhaust and ran the chain through the grinder to touch it up. I got it for clearing blow downs when snowmaching figuring it's cheap enough I wouldn't cry if it got lost. But after running it for some misc jobs around the house I've changed my tune and would be pretty bummed to loose the little saw.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I believe much of the reason that the 353 is under rated on here is that they usually came with a cat muffler in the US.

I never thought or heard that the Husky 353 was ever under rated. That saw has never been criticized by any firewood cutter that I know. It's a class act.

 

[cobey]

Echo CS-500 EVL


Echo CS-500 EVL. This saw was built like a tank but pound for pound, it cut like many saws half again heavier. It could pull a 24" bar upon command. I rate it almost equal to the Stihl MS 361, except that it was built at least 15 years earlier. About the only thing it lacked was a compression release button.

Got one? Hang on to it.

mr wood dr..... i one time told you I wasnt impressed with my 500 EVL,
I WAS WRONG! the other day one of the onlys saws I had with me was my evl,
my 3.7 craftsman messed up, and the oiler quit on another, I put the 20" bar on the
little echo and it oiled and pulled its way threw 30+ inches of nasty old elm!
it wasnt super fast but it kept pulling, I know this is an old thread
but had to admit I was wrong about the 500 evl

 

[horizon92]

the older slower tuned saws dont turn as fast as the newer saws which in turn makes for more of a reliable engine life as long as there running correctly. from my opinion that why stihl owners are such die hard stihl people and husqvarna owners usually want the rev, just are different saws. ive never ran any echos but they seem like solid saws il get to them one day il be trying to get on here more often i don't know any were near is other people on here but i got to start somewhere.

 

[Ambull]

Homelite Super EZ Automatic. 41cc's but has the power of a 50 cc saw. Has a really nice 4 reed intake, and a decompression valve for easy starts. Auto oiler with manual override. Very light, runs a 16" bar and 3/8" chain no problem. Good ones can be purchased on the bay for about $100 all the time. I own 3 west coast versions, only small saw I use.

 

[horizon92]

i have a canadian verson of super ez i got to see about getting it running. i had a 445 NE and i currently have a 353 dual ported muffler pulling 3/8 .58 68 drive bar it pulls it thats all il say got to keep the chain with a nice edge and depths not to low actually thats the 353 in my profile pic i didnt cut that log with that cut that with my 372xpg. and i got a 51 on a 55 crankcase that i ported a tad needs a coil and carb kit and waiting on building a 350 with a 45 mm hyway kit from hlsupply but thats going to be a bit. im but broke right now. that 45 mm kit from hyway just got listed not to long ago. suppose toi be an aftermarket replacement for the 346 or the family of saws 350s i grinded a 345 cylinder for my moms boyfriend. the non mahle there was a mahle in those saws and im assuming an epa version just squared up the intake . the roof of the intake is the key. not the bottom. and widened and raised the exhaust a hair higher and fairly wide on the exhaust not crazy i needs to cut wood not race but i left the exhaust alone on that saw. it is a 45 cc mid range beast. one thing for sure there is no replacement for displacement but u can sqeeze every bit out of them when porting. and really make them run good but a 45 cc saws is good for 45cc saw work small trees and limbing. the right size tool for the job i reworked the intake and piston skirt on the 372 im waiting on handle bar to see how it runs . friday! ive started it and played with it. sounds real nice, right on the money againg nothing crazy on the intake just squared up the round shape from the casting and opened the intake walls saw has plenty of exhaust and transfers for firewood. just needs some exhaust work. Cant wait to get to my 353

 

[MnSam]

Maybe not amongst the AS folks, but everyone else under rates the 10-10. They don't sell for nearly what they are worth on CL and EB in my opinion. A good one with good compression and not all worn out (like many) is still a great saw.

 

[horizon92]

its funny you bring this saw up were were lucky enough to get a hold one of these saws i got to do the point in it these are great saws what a tank these things are.
do these things have mufflers lol the one i got here is loud as heck almost make your ear drums bleed lol the handle bar on the one ive got here is a little bent but it just doesnt turn as fast as the newer saws so for the weight of it, it just gets run for show or wake the neighbors up. another saw siting on the shelf i got is an homelite xl12

 

[hamish]

Triple Nickel

 

[Wood Doctor]

mr wood dr..... i one time told you I wasnt impressed with my 500 EVL, I WAS WRONG! the other day one of the only saws I had with me was my 500 evl, my 3.7 craftsman messed up, and the oiler quit on another, I put the 20" bar on the "little" Echo and it oiled and pulled its way threw 30+ inches of nasty old elm! It wasn't super fast but it kept pulling, I know this is an old thread but had to admit I was wrong about the 500 evl

I have one of these 500's sitting in my shop and have no idea why I do not run it more often. It's dependable, never floods, and cuts like a bandit. They are getting a little tough to find parts, but they run and run. When it comes to raw power, I rate this saw dead even with a Stihl MS390, and it does it with 10 cc less on board.