The 291 is noticeably stronger than the 290, at least that is what I think after running one that has been broke in, the 271 is actually as strong if not a little stouter than the 290 imho, the big plus of the 291 is improved air filtration. We carry two brands, Echo and Stihl with Echo being the first line you see when you come in the shop, shop has been carrying Echo 4-5 years longer than Stihl. We can't sell Echo saws regardless of how hard we try, we can't match the prices on the internet, often they are less than our cost.
We get pounded on this issue by customers but Echo cannot give an answer other than they must be stolen, or they must be carried out of HD and put on the net, which is baloney due to non HD models being on the web much cheaper than we can sell them. The only reason we keep the line is for the string trimmer sales, it's a shame, Echo uses some of the best looking cylinders on the market.