Stihl ms 250 or Echo cs 440 ?

[Wood Junkie]

And how many times do you expect this anamoly to prove to be the standard? You not suppose to run over saws with trucks...they're saws!

Come on, isn't that in ALL manufacturers quality assurance testing procedures??? Along with the 10 minute straight gas run,and the 'drop from the 12 story building' test.... Anything less would be unworthy to cut up a log with.....

I haven't any experience with Echo power equipment,I'm sure they make great products, but I do have a buddy who has and loves his 250. He cuts a ton of wood and has had good luck with it and the previous 025 that he had for ten years. It was recently sold to a family member. He treats his saws as a tool and I've never heard a complaint about the 'soft' plastic.

 

[Junkwrencher]

Stihl vs. Echo

I know guys, just saying saws aren't built like they used to be.In defense of the Stihl, I have an MS290 which is built with the same plastic as the MS250,it was dropped 30+ feet from a bucket and still runs with a new tank!I don't know if a magnesium or aluminum cased saw could or would survive that.Trucks, tractors, high-altitude drops, they happen.I used to specialize in skidder recovery saws! Talk about damage!

 

[chainsaw kid]

i just bought the 440 and am pleased with it thus far except...
if you use the whole bar you will bog it,
that the chain seems to need adjusting a little often, and
the clutch cover feels a little 'mickey mouse' to me..

I don't like raining on someones parade but this thread is about e-440 vs s-250. That being said....if stihl, or husky were having these problems or buying them out the store and needing vast carb adj's just to make them seem a little better then they wouldn't be on top. I've never used one but I guess dolmar is good for that matter. Point is, your spending good money to buy a 440 and shouldn't have to be bothered with problems a top contender shouldn't have. Therefor, not saying it's junk, it's just not for the guy who wants known reliability/durability and the best in his/hers tools.

 

[SawTroll]

i just bought the 440 and am pleased with it thus far except...
if you use the whole bar you will bog it,
that the chain seems to need adjusting a little often, and
the clutch cover feels a little 'mickey mouse' to me.

also what chain would be recommended for cutting-up oaks down long enough to lose their bark (very dry and not rotten)? been cutting these and in the cold too (read, occasional ice on tree). the chain dulls fast. i believe the chain is an oregon 33sl (came with saw). i am not afraid of non-antikickback chains either.... what would you guys use?

Almost anything probably is better than Oregon SL (low profile chain, with bumper tie straps).

I would try the narrow kerf 95VP chain on that saw, alternatively 23RS/RSC or 20LP.

 

[Cory2007]

Went to Lowe's and looked at the Husqvarna 345e and the 350 today. Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. The Husqvarna has some serious anti vibration with the springs and rubber spacers; I was impressed. I think the Stihl 250 has some rubber spacers and not sure about the Echo 440 (I think just rubber spacers ?) I don't like the choke pull on the Husqvarna; looks cheap. Lowe's has the 345e for $290 and the 350 for $340. My dad has a Echo 500EVL which is 50cc so I thought about the Husqvarna 350. Of course I could go $20 more and get the Echo cs 520. What do you guys think of these saws ?

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Went to Lowe's and looked at the Husqvarna 345e and the 350 today. Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. The Husqvarna has some serious anti vibration with the springs and rubber spacers; I was impressed. I think the Stihl 250 has some rubber spacers and not sure about the Echo 440 (I think just rubber spacers ?) I don't like the choke pull on the Husqvarna; looks cheap. Lowe's has the 345e for $290 and the 350 for $340. My dad has a Echo 500EVL which is 50cc so I thought about the Husqvarna 350. Of course I could go $20 more and get the Echo cs 520. What do you guys think of these saws ?

CS-520, and NEVER LOOK BACK..


But go to a Echo Dealer, and it should already be setup for you, ready to go. Price should be the exact same.

 

[Brian S]

Went to Lowe's and looked at the Husqvarna 345e and the 350 today. Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. The Husqvarna has some serious anti vibration with the springs and rubber spacers; I was impressed. I think the Stihl 250 has some rubber spacers and not sure about the Echo 440 (I think just rubber spacers ?) I don't like the choke pull on the Husqvarna; looks cheap. Lowe's has the 345e for $290 and the 350 for $340. My dad has a Echo 500EVL which is 50cc so I thought about the Husqvarna 350. Of course I could go $20 more and get the Echo cs 520. What do you guys think of these saws ?

Anti vibe on CS-440 is all rubber bushings and feels very effective to me. I like my saw and I'll defend its numerous good qualities to anyone who will listen, but if you are prepared to pay retail prices for either of your choices listed above then I would opt for the husky 350 over the cs-440 at $340.00 vs $299.00. I wouldn't mind having an extra 5 cc's, and I think the Husky comes with NK chain which should maximize the productivity/speed. Keep in mind that Lowe's is NOT the low price leader on Husky's either. BTW I would love a cs-520 at the right price.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Anti vibe on CS-440 is all rubber bushings and feels very effective to me. I like my saw and I'll defend its numerous good qualities to anyone who will listen, but if you are prepared to pay retail prices for either of your choices listed above then I would opt for the husky 350 over the cs-440 at $340.00 vs $299.00. I wouldn't mind having an extra 5 cc's, and I think the Husky comes with NK chain which should maximize the productivity/speed. Keep in mind that Lowe's is NOT the low price leader on Husky's either. BTW I would love a cs-520 at the right price.

Husky 350 has a plastic case, and has the crank bearings half surrounded by the plastic case.

Echo 440 has a full metal crank case, and both bearings are in the metal case.

 

[Brian S]

Cory you might want to look at this thread too if you already haven't, probably these two threads should be merged. I've posted a lot of info on the cs-440 there.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=59217

 

[Brian S]

Husky 350 has a plastic case, and has the crank bearings half surrounded by the plastic case.

Echo 440 has a full metal crank case, and both bearings are in the metal case.

True points, but there are too many happy users of the Husky 350 to discount it as a valid choice for a great firewood/homeowner saw. It was my original #1 choice in a saw but the Echo was less $$.

I think the Echo is built better, but it certainly is less saw in the speed/power dept than the Husky 350. My point is that if you are going to shell out full retail money then the Husky is a better saw if nothing else than from a speed and power standpoint, maybe better anti-vibe too. It may not be put together as well as the echo but it is put together good enough. I hope we can agree with that?

For the record, I've never run a Husky 350 and my opinions are based only on my own observations and research and 10 trips to Lowes/Home Depot to examine and handle both saws pre-purchase.

Also, for the record my opinions are usually wrong.

 

[volks-man]

tang

When you tension the chain, loosen both nuts until you can freely move the bar. Turn the adjuster while holding the bar "up". Until you can pull the chain off the bottom of the bar and it snaps back into contact with the bar rail. Then Tighten both nuts tight, while still holding the bar "up".

The cover has a tang on the back that must slip under a little lip, it's right in the back of the cover, make sure it is engaged if you take the cover off. I see people not do this, and the cover tends to tweak and move around if you pry on it.

18" bar is a good size for this saw, you cant lay on it, you should just let the chain self feed, let it do the work.

Get a new chain, Oregon 20LP072G for clean wood, and 20BP072G for Dirty wood.

If you only have a tank or 2 through the saw, It should become more powerful as time goes on. You are using Echo PowerBlend @ 50:1 with 93 octane right?

your post reads just like the saw instructions!!! i have the process down pat but it seems that i have to keep adjusting that damn chain anyway. mind you i am cutting big 12-20 inch, old dead oaks, some with ice where they were piled against one another.... so the chain (and saw) is taking a beating.

actually the plastic tang on the bottom rear of the cover is exactly the reason i said the cover is a little 'mickey mouse'. it has failure written all over it but i will give it the benefit of the doubt.

i use 87 octane per the instrucion manual. incidentally i use sae 20 on the bar. yes i wrote 20. instructions said sae 30 summer 10 winter so i'm playing the tweener game with some spare 20 i had left over as hydraulic for my old 'woods' backhoe.

thanx for the pointers and chain suggestions.

 

[volks-man]

Went to Lowe's and looked at the Husqvarna 345e and the 350 today. Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. The Husqvarna has some serious anti vibration with the springs and rubber spacers; I was impressed. I think the Stihl 250 has some rubber spacers and not sure about the Echo 440 (I think just rubber spacers ?) I don't like the choke pull on the Husqvarna; looks cheap. Lowe's has the 345e for $290 and the 350 for $340. My dad has a Echo 500EVL which is 50cc so I thought about the Husqvarna 350. Of course I could go $20 more and get the Echo cs 520. What do you guys think of these saws ?

money not a factor, i would have bought a cs-520.

money is a factor for me, i bought my cs-440 from ebay, new in box for $200 even plus $30 shipping (this is where i take a beating from the senior members around here for not using a dealer). for that kind of money i found it hard to consider anything else.

the 440 antivibe is great. the old-fashioned metal toggle on/off switch is great. the old-fashioned pull choke is great. i can only assume they are just as good on the 520!

of note: my dad had a 610evl. this was a twin cylinder echo from the late 1980s or early 1990s. he hacked and mounted a homelite bow on it and cut for quite some time, selling cord upon cord of firewood . the 610evl was a great saw. nearly unstoppable as i recall (he used a homelite super-wiz 66 gear drive saw with bow for the really stubborn stuff). that saw is probably what turned me on to echo in the first place! wish i could find that saw now!

 

[RED-85-Z51]

your post reads just like the saw instructions!!! i have the process down pat but it seems that i have to keep adjusting that damn chain anyway. mind you i am cutting big 12-20 inch, old dead oaks, some with ice where they were piled against one another.... so the chain (and saw) is taking a beating.

actually the plastic tang on the bottom rear of the cover is exactly the reason i said the cover is a little 'mickey mouse'. it has failure written all over it but i will give it the benefit of the doubt.

i use 87 octane per the instrucion manual. incidentally i use sae 20 on the bar. yes i wrote 20. instructions said sae 30 summer 10 winter so i'm playing the tweener game with some spare 20 i had left over as hydraulic for my old 'woods' backhoe.

thanx for the pointers and chain suggestions.

I never much consider the Viscosity of bar oils, but Id be sure to use BAR AND CHAIN oil, instead of motor oil, like your post suggests? Not sure if it might be a temperature concern? Bar and Chain oil contains special properties that make it prevent metal to metal contact, and yet dont let it sling off the end of the bar, and at the clutch.

I split probably 20 feet of oak with my CS-520, with Oregon Pro-Lite 20" bar, and .325 semi Chisel Oregon Chain, and it was still just as tight when I was done, as when I started. And a few of these were "mill cuts" which is about as hard on a bar/chain as a cut can be. I had a bunch of big rounds and no splitter, so I had no choice

Keep the nuts tight, keep good oil in the resevoir, and most importantly a good sharp chain.

Ive only seen a handfull of problems with the Echo sidecovers. Usually the saw was dropped, or a limb fell on it, or somebody put the cover on with the tang not latched, and started hitting it. It's not the end of the world if it breaks...think of it this way.

It will be cheaper to replace a plastic bar cover, rather than a Stihl Metal bar cover, Id bet. Both can break if you try hard enough, but plastic does at least have some give to it.

 

[OLY-JIM]

money not a factor, i would have bought a cs-520.

money is a factor for me, i bought my cs-440 from ebay, new in box for $200 even plus $30 shipping (this is where i take a beating from the senior members around here for not using a dealer). for that kind of money i found it hard to consider anything else.

the 440 antivibe is great. the old-fashioned metal toggle on/off switch is great. the old-fashioned pull choke is great. i can only assume they are just as good on the 520!

of note: my dad had a 610evl. this was a twin cylinder echo from the late 1980s or early 1990s. he hacked and mounted a homelite bow on it and cut for quite some time, selling cord upon cord of firewood . the 610evl was a great saw. nearly unstoppable as i recall (he used a homelite super-wiz 66 gear drive saw with bow for the really stubborn stuff). that saw is probably what turned me on to echo in the first place! wish i could find that saw now!

Folks are just joshing you for the most part about eBay. Fact is, you can't buy a $230 out the door 440 from a dealer. So there you have it.

The controls are no different on the 520, they're just as solid.

 

[Brian S]

money not a factor, i would have bought a cs-520.

money is a factor for me, i bought my cs-440 from ebay, new in box for $200 even plus $30 shipping (this is where i take a beating from the senior members around here for not using a dealer). for that kind of money i found it hard to consider anything else.

the 440 antivibe is great. the old-fashioned metal toggle on/off switch is great. the old-fashioned pull choke is great. i can only assume they are just as good on the 520!

of note: my dad had a 610evl. this was a twin cylinder echo from the late 1980s or early 1990s. he hacked and mounted a homelite bow on it and cut for quite some time, selling cord upon cord of firewood . the 610evl was a great saw. nearly unstoppable as i recall (he used a homelite super-wiz 66 gear drive saw with bow for the really stubborn stuff). that saw is probably what turned me on to echo in the first place! wish i could find that saw now!

I know where a cherry 610evl is. PM me.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Folks are just joshing you for the most part about eBay. Fact is, you can't buy a $230 out the door 440 from a dealer. So there you have it.

The controls are no different on the 520, they're just as solid.

Yes, I forgot to mention that point. The controls, Including the kill switch, throttle, and Choke, are the same on the Rear handled Echos, so going from one saw to another wont be so confusing.

I like the choke, it feels solid. The trigger has the perfect spring on it, not too heavy, just the right tension. The kill switch is the best made today to me.

You can 1 finger it quickly to kill. On a Stihl, you have to pull the lever UP, which you can do with your right thumb quickly. On Husky's, the red slider is kinda tough to do, and I always have ot think about which way to move it. If you used Husky's exclusively, probably not an issue.

Honestly, I think Poulan did a good job too,with the big old Toggle...but it is too big to use with gloves and you can hit it too easily.

 

[Cory2007]

Just need to get my hands on the Echo 440 and look it over. The Husky 345e and 350 looks pretty good. I wonder how much of an issue is the bearings being in a plastic housing versus the Echo being in metal ?

 

[mountainlake]

Went to Lowe's and looked at the Husqvarna 345e and the 350 today. Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. The Husqvarna has some serious anti vibration with the springs and rubber spacers; I was impressed. I think the Stihl 250 has some rubber spacers and not sure about the Echo 440 (I think just rubber spacers ?) I don't like the choke pull on the Husqvarna; looks cheap. Lowe's has the 345e for $290 and the 350 for $340. My dad has a Echo 500EVL which is 50cc so I thought about the Husqvarna 350. Of course I could go $20 more and get the Echo cs 520. What do you guys think of these saws ?

For $20 more I'd get the CS520 rather than a homeowner Husky. Steve

 

[SawTroll]

Went to Lowe's and looked at the Husqvarna 345e and the 350 today. Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. The Husqvarna has some serious anti vibration with the springs and rubber spacers; I was impressed. I think the Stihl 250 has some rubber spacers and not sure about the Echo 440 (I think just rubber spacers ?) I don't like the choke pull on the Husqvarna; looks cheap. Lowe's has the 345e for $290 and the 350 for $340. My dad has a Echo 500EVL which is 50cc so I thought about the Husqvarna 350. Of course I could go $20 more and get the Echo cs 520. What do you guys think of these saws ?

The choke/fast idle/on/off system on the small Huskys is the best ever designed in function, imo.
I have never seen a broken one, but it sure has happened, as with every other system.

 

[Cory2007]

Everyone is still out of the Echo 440. I was told by a dealer that the Echo 440 crankcase is plastic just like the Husky 345 and 350. This dealer carries Echo, Stihl, and Husky. Any one for sure on this ?