cuinrearview
Red saw lover
If you've been happy with a 136 you're not going to be able to go wrong.
Thank you for the suggestions. I would like to stick with Stihl or Husqvarna. It sounds like a 261c is a solid choice. What would the husqvarna competitor be? I am looking for the commercial grade of easy maintenance, readily available parts, and reliability. Although Echo is not terrible, I just don't recall it as on par with the other two brands. I plan on keeping the saw a while. I still have a 1987 scag mower. Granted I repowered it with a modern kawasaki motor about 8 years ago, but the design is solid and it always works. That is what I'm looking for. So, 5 cords or so may not be a lot of wood to those in the business, but I am looking for a saw that when I pick it up, it simply works. What is the husky competitor and how does it stack up to the stihl. Also, what size bar is ideal and versatile? Thanks
Husqvarna 550xp autotune is equivalent to the stihl 261 mtronic. I don’t think you would be wrong with either one. It really comes down to personal preference and local dealer support.
The cs590 certainly is good value and a decent saw to operate. If you run it alongside an ms362 or a 562xp some of the reasons for its price become clear.
That’s all I can say about that..
I've never run an Echo saw but I own an Echo string trimmer and it's good quality. Our local Rural King store sells Echo saws and I have looked them over and they feel very heavy to me especially the 590. If you're a young guy weight may not matter but at my age weight to power is a major concern. In weight the 590 feels similar to my Stihl 391 that is a decent homeowner saw but too heavy for the power it has.Sounds like you need an Echo CS590, simple and reliable.
People often believe the big names are always the best, most reliable, end all be all. This is simply not the case. I have owned more than 100 saws now, from all the popular manufactures and some that no longer exist. Does Stihl make fine products? yes! so does with Husqvarna. However other brands make just as good, and in some cases better more reliable products, often at a lower cost as well. Echo has saws like the cs590 that are dead reliable and more simple and easy to work on, more so than any of the Stihl and Husqvarna models you're interested in. To under stand what makes a saw "Commercial Grade" or "Military Grade" We first need understand what makes a piece of equipment is made. Generally speaking it comes down to the materials used, mostly a vertically split magnesium case. Other things like are involved obviously, but my reply is already long enough, so I'll stop there. My point is the Echo CS590 is a pro saw in every aspect that matters, except price, and maybe weight, it's not a perfect saw, none are, but it will last most a lifetime. Echo make very good products, the cylinder and case castings are among the best I've ever seen, and the cranks are nice an strong.
This is not to say the 261 isn't an amazing saw, it absolutely is, but you pay for that, and it is more complicated than a saw like the cs590. The Husqvarna 550xp is the competitor to the Stihl 261, and it's not a saw I can recommend in good faith, way too many problems. Some say the issues are in the past, I have strong doubts about that. I own a 550xp and have owned a ms261, the 261 is a better saw in every conceivable way IMHO. On 50cc saws I like to run an 18" bar. The cs590 usually comes with what Echo calls a 20" bar and chain.
Now if you just want to stick with one of the cool names, and you have a dealer you like, I totally understand that too.
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