Within the past couple of weeks I have been accumulating John Deere 80EV chainsaws. I impulsively purchased one on Ebay about 3 weeks ago after reading what little info there is on them. What sold me on buying one of these sight unseen was the list of features, and the fact that the guy said in the ad that he had just finished cutting with it before posting the ad (guess he bought a new saw).
When it came I un-boxed it, assembled the bar and chain, fueled and oiled it, then gave it a pull. It started with what I would describe as a half a pull. It blew my mind. I have been using it as my main saw since.
So far the max number of pulls it has needed is 3, and that was due to my own lack of finesse. When I am quick I can knock the choke off right after the first pull so it only requires one pull (this is when cold). The compression release makes the whole starting procedure effortless and easy to do in hand.
I sold the two Stihls I had to fund additional 80EV's, spare parts, and upgrades which include full wrap handle and Oregon reduced weight D009 bar. Both Stihls and my Husky can be tuned to start easy, but over time they become harder to start. I decided to keep the Husky for its light weight, power, and compression release.
As for performance I would say that the 80EV has very slightly less top end power than the 044, but it has the torque of the 066 (maybe even more). I am a big fan of the construction which is all metal (what I at first thought was some plastic ended up being magnesium, even the small air cleaner cover!). It should be noted that magnesium is the lightest metal there is, which is about half the weight of aluminum. As for the features it has that my other saws don't are:
Compression Release
Auto Oiler with adjustment knob (no tools needed)
Manual override oiler
Cleanable/Reusable aircleaner
Throttle lock (if ever needed for starting, but not likely)
knob for manually adjusting idle speed (no tools needed)
Magnesium everywhere
Sounds like two stroke 450 flat track motorcycle.
I read elsewhere on this thread that Echos are slow. Well all I can say is that this big Echo may be slower than the 066, but it is way more of a pleasure to operate, listen to and start. What also surprises me is the saws compactness for its displacement/power. The power head is shorter length wise and height wise then the Husky 359. Its compactness is kinda deceiving though, because I would say this saw weighs as much as if not more than the 066. One thing is for sure, cutting three cords in a day with this heavy beast will make an honest man out of anybody.
I can't wait for the two other saws to come. I am going to hopefully have one restored saw, one hotsaw, and one beater saw. One testiment to this saw is that I have yet to find one for sale that is not in running condition.
-JR
I think I may have made a mistake. I was wanting a 20" chain saw for when I needed a "larger" saw then my smaller saws (homelite and poulan) and my old 20" clinton chain saw was just too heavy and old. I have owned an Echo weedeater for over 30 years so I thought maybe I'd like one of the saws. Bought a 500EVL off of ebay that ended up costing me about $150. Started when I got it, shut it off after 30 seconds to see if chain was oiling, and hasn't run since. No fire. Unplugged switch, replaced plug... nothing. Seems these saws have a reputation for bad coils and ignition modules (mine does have electronic ignitiion), and they are no longer available. Seller won't take it back. Any ideas?
