Stihl ms 362 vs Echo 620P

[sapman]

Opinions, preferences/issues with these two saws? Looking at both, hoping for some with experience to chime in.

Thanks

 

[Banshee365]

The 362 is an autotune saw. The 620p is not. I personally just picked up a new 620p and it's a monster. I have read some issues on the 362 regarding vibration problems. I'm not sure if they have fixed that yet or not.

The $200 price difference is pretty substantial. You could buy the 620p with 20", 24", and 27" bars and chains for the price of a 362. I havnt ran a 362 but it's my understanding that the saws are very compatible.

 

[Four Paws]

620P - way better value in my opinion. I do not like the MS362, nor do I like Stihl's inflated prices.

 

[fwgsaw]

620p would be my choice

 

[Matt B]

620P as well.

 

[holeycow]

Haven't run the Echo, but I really like my strato MS362.

I like my strato better than the mtronic model. Maybe that's just me. My 362 is smooooth, has great throttle response and plenty of torque. The mtronic one I ran didn't seem to have the same torque and maybe didn't rev as quick, idkw.

If I bought another 60cc saw I would be looking at Stihl and Dolmar. Possibly Echo, except nobody even takes Echo chainsaws seriously around here...

 

[user 149785]

Opinions, preferences/issues with these two saws? Looking at both, hoping for some with experience to chime in.

Thanks

I own and operate both ms 362 and 562xp love my saws but i'm bout to not be able to hold back and buy a cs 620pw ! That saw rocks !!!

 

[James Miller]

I run a ported CS590 as my bigger fire wood saw and would still like to try a 620. I went to my dealer for a 362 and he told me not worth the extra money over the 590. I'd go 620

 

[jd548esco72]

look around on the 620P -- sometimes you can get an extra 20% off

atwoods has been selling the 620ps for $544 for some time now-- ask around on AS some dealers here can set you up with a deal i bet. like ford150 --

on line SLE equipment sells them for good prices--

the tough call is between the 620p and the makita/colmar 6100 sometimes they can be had for about the same discounted price as the 620p .

stihl is overpriced and their service is a joke these days. taking a stihl back to the shop is like taking a doctor taking a porsha to the dealer-- expect a through gouge--

i can't say that echo or makita is better in that regard-- but i know they can't be worse.

 

[Khntr85]

I had a ms362 2012 model standard carb....I only sold it because I got a 461 and I know use the 50cc and 70cc plan....

As far as the 362...It was reliable as an east wing hammer.....-10----90 degrees, started and ran like a champ.....the saws AV was great, super smooth......mine wore a 20" always, I cut hardwood, maybe you could run a 25" with skip, but I didn't want to try it!!!

I hear a lot about echo....we have echo blowers at work that have been beat to hell, had diesel ran in them, etc and they still run....my only question is will the echo saws last as long as the Stihl....I am by no means saying they can't, just wondering!!!

Lastly, pick both up, a lot of times this will seal the deal in which one you get....when you plan on using a saw a lot, hownit feels does come into play...

 

[Banshee365]

Retail in the 620P is $559ish. Find an echo dealer within reasonable distance form you with a 20% day and you'll get the saw for $447. Can't beat that. The schedule for the sale days is on the echo website under promotions.

 

[user 149785]

Echo saws are very durable and reliable the new stuff after the shindaiwa merger is getting echo into the performance market and so far they are keeping quality up and price down.dollar for dollar the 620 is the best buy going.i use to run the old shindaiwas thats what the new echos remind of

 

[Rockjock]

Wow I will be going against the grain on this one. Straight outta the box, unmolested I would go with the Stihl, I am an echo dealer here in Ontario and they are just not making the grade. Lack of dealer support and they are nonexistent in the professional market that we service. Many that have the 362 love it, smooth running and quite a powerhouse. It maybe better in the states but in these parts dealers are few and far between. Unless you are looking at Homedepot, or Daves discount den. As far as holding up I see the odd blower brought in but they are soon binned for lack of parts ( it is more the wait times for the parts to be delivered ) Dealer support is key, and sadly Echo, Husqvarna, and alike just do not have it in my area. Also when someone hires a tree company and all they see is Stihl Orange they soon forget the other oranges.

 

[Banshee365]

Not when you ask a Stihl dealer... Those guys are so far up Stihl's butt they turn their head the other way at anything good that Echo makes and spread anti-Echo propaganda. Yesterday I was by a place that's a Stihl dealer looking for a flywheel key for a Kohler V-twin. The used to sell Echo but stopped a couple years ago. Any time you ask them they would say "Yea, we never sold any of that crap." Even when they were selling Echo there were Stihl sign's all over the place and 3 of the 4 walls were wrapped in Stihl products. Who do you think they pointed the customers to when someone cam in looking for a piece of equipment? Echo products are underrated and the consumer needs to be informed of the facts to have a successful Echo dealer. Most people think that since Echo is sold in Home Depot that they aren't true commercial grade. When the reality is that Echo agreed to sell products in Home Depot to fund new factory projects in the states. When I mentioned Shindaiwa to this guy he said, "Man, they used to make some of the best stuff out there until Echo bought them." What a load of crock! Shindaiwa is still great! The EPA has changed things and equipment isn't as good as it used to be across the board so if you want to say Shindaiwa isn't as good as it used to be, then neither is much of the Stihl stuff.

 

[user 149785]

I will agree out of the box. I cut and sell enough timber to justify a 14 saw line up,but on a budget the 620 is hard to beat .here where im at most dealers are multiple brands we have a dealer who stocks full line of stihl husqvarna and echo and caters to the pro guy.it is true orange and white rule the market but for the money the 620 is the best buy

 

[user 149785]

Not when you ask a Stihl dealer... Those guys are so far up Stihl's butt they turn their head the other way at anything good that Echo makes and spread anti-Echo propaganda. Yesterday I was by a place that's a Stihl dealer looking for a flywheel key for a Kohler V-twin. The used to sell Echo but stopped a couple years ago. Any time you ask them they would say "Yea, we never sold any of that crap." Even when they were selling Echo there were Stihl sign's all over the place and 3 of the 4 walls were wrapped in Stihl products. Who do you think they pointed the customers to when someone cam in looking for a piece of equipment? Echo products are underrated and the consumer needs to be informed of the facts to have a successful Echo dealer. Most people think that since Echo is sold in Home Depot that they aren't true commercial grade. When the reality is that Echo agreed to sell products in Home Depot to fund new factory projects in the states. When I mentioned Shindaiwa to this guy he said, "Man, they used to make some of the best stuff out there until Echo bought them." What a load of crock! Shindaiwa is still great! The EPA has changed things and equipment isn't as good as it used to be across the board so if you want to say Shindaiwa isn't as good as it used to be, then neither is much of the Stihl stuff.

 

[user 149785]

Here where im at stihl has set up ace hardware as a "limited line dealer" the saw market changed when lowes/home depot first started selling the low end husqvarna stuff.echo has always made a good product.

 

[holeycow]

Some are saying Echo is the better saw. Some are saying "for the money". Hmmmm.

Two different answers.

All I know is that Echo does not exist in the pro market here. Maybe someday they will...

That 501p interests me a little.

 

[Banshee365]

Some are saying Echo is the better saw. Some are saying "for the money". Hmmmm.

Two different answers.

All I know is that Echo does not exist in the pro market here. Maybe someday they will...

That 501p interests me a little.

They're not really two different answers. It all depends on the criteria that makes a good saw a good saw to you. Value is certainly a big one. Echo is sort of like the Toyota of the saw market. Stihl is maybe more like a BMW or Mercedes. You may get a little better ride out of the BMW or Merc, maybe a little more speed and power but you just can't beat a Toyota when it comes to what makes a car a car. They start every time. They last forever. They are generally much less complex than a BMW or Merc and are generally much easier to work on. Some of the products from Echo these day's like the 355T and 620P are more like Lexus, a supped up Toyota. Now we're starting to get BMW and Mercedes performance, quality, and ride from Lexus who is the Toyota we all know if the best car underneath at it's core. We are getting marginal if any performance differences with the 620P against the MS 362C-M and 362XP but without the computer controlled mumbo-jumbo. I was in a saw shop the other day and this younger guy that seemed to be in the know with Husky and Echo saw's said something to me regarding the autotune saws that made me think to myself; "Technology is starting to get in the way here." I asked how the autotune Husky's were doing around here and he just said people that buy them don't 'map the computer correctly.' He was claiming you have to cut wide open for 5-10 minutes straight up and down a log or something to give the most constant load possible to map the fuel trims in the computer then it will adjust as you cut from then on. You also hear ton's of complaints on the MS 201T with regards to how it tunes the mixtures. Pro's going to the 201T from the 200T are hating it and many around here have gone to the CS-355T. Apparently there is a super special procedure for setting the saw up for the M-tronic to work properly. The break-in time is longer than most are used to and you have to let the saw idle for like 20 seconds for the timing to stabilize between runs early on and all this crap. Give me a break. I understand that this is the future and we have to get used to it but when there is a bad boy saw like the 620p for sale that has traditional needles and that I don't need to goto a dealer to see a parts diagram for anything then sign me up for that all day long. The 362XP and MS 362C-M may have .3-.4 more horsepower (on paper) and less than a half a pound lighter but the dependability and Japanese approach to building a saw really attracts me.

 

[James Miller]

I love how any ECHO thread becomes a pissing match. Husqvarna,Stihl,Echo they all cut just fine. Go to a dealer and pick up both saws see which one feels better in your hands that's the one you will enjoy running more. When my 590 was out being ported I ran a 359 and an 036 in its place both borrowed. I enjoyed both saws. Sharp chain good mix and a good tune after that all that matters is are you happy with the saw you picked.