Just a note on quality. As you can see we use and prefer Husqvarna chain saws. My 480CD is headed out tonight to cut up a Beech tree that has limbs over 24" in diameter on. It will cut thru it like butter, even down at the trunk that's got to be near 40" across. It's been doing this since I bought it new in 1980. It's never really had anything done to it aside from basic maintenence and a few bars and scores of chains replaced.
I bought a 268XPS to compliment the 480, as it's much lighter, and cuts faster. ZERO problems anyplace, it's already got at least 2 lifetimes on it, if it gives up tomorrow, it owes me nothing.
I went on to buy a 55 for the light work, I absolutely LOVE this saw, light, fast, reliable.
Then I bought a 141.......BAD MOVE. It was absolutely the biggest Poulan POS I ever got hold of. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
Lesson learned, just because it says Husqvarna on it, doesn't mean it's a quality product.
I suspect the same holds true with Stihl's, as we've encountered folks who were not overly satisfied with some of the less expensive models.
We were fortunate enough to obtain nearly every Echo saw and peice of power equipment in it's line up a couple of years ago. I didn't even visit this website at that time, so no one warned me as to how bad they were. That was probably a good thing, seeing that the general concenous is to avoid them.
I wasn't overly impressed with the top handle reed valve engine saws, got rid of them quickly. However, the rest of the line-up has served us quite well. All of the units we obtained were set too lean as delivered, probably due to EPA requirements? In any case, they make decent power, not overly impressive, just decent. These are not really high speed engines like the Husqvarna's, but have plenty of torque, and have given us ZERO troubles in any area. For the price, we consider them very good saws. It is my opinion that they overrate them slightly, as ours are all much happier with the bars at least 2" shorter than they typically show up with. For example, the CS-670 showed up with a 24" bar, it's got it's tongue hanging out in hardwood, but runs perfectly with a 20" bar. Same with the CS-510, a 20" bar is too much, 18" pretty good, and they really shine with a 16" bar. They also use LOW quality chains, you might as well take them off before you head to the woods and put real chains on them, otherwise, using them can be a lesson in humility.
In any case, I continue to read negative reports about Echo stuff. We have mostly good things to say about them, and have tried to be as accurate as possible with the information provided....FWIW.....Cliff
I bought a 268XPS to compliment the 480, as it's much lighter, and cuts faster. ZERO problems anyplace, it's already got at least 2 lifetimes on it, if it gives up tomorrow, it owes me nothing.
I went on to buy a 55 for the light work, I absolutely LOVE this saw, light, fast, reliable.
Then I bought a 141.......BAD MOVE. It was absolutely the biggest Poulan POS I ever got hold of. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
Lesson learned, just because it says Husqvarna on it, doesn't mean it's a quality product.
I suspect the same holds true with Stihl's, as we've encountered folks who were not overly satisfied with some of the less expensive models.
We were fortunate enough to obtain nearly every Echo saw and peice of power equipment in it's line up a couple of years ago. I didn't even visit this website at that time, so no one warned me as to how bad they were. That was probably a good thing, seeing that the general concenous is to avoid them.
I wasn't overly impressed with the top handle reed valve engine saws, got rid of them quickly. However, the rest of the line-up has served us quite well. All of the units we obtained were set too lean as delivered, probably due to EPA requirements? In any case, they make decent power, not overly impressive, just decent. These are not really high speed engines like the Husqvarna's, but have plenty of torque, and have given us ZERO troubles in any area. For the price, we consider them very good saws. It is my opinion that they overrate them slightly, as ours are all much happier with the bars at least 2" shorter than they typically show up with. For example, the CS-670 showed up with a 24" bar, it's got it's tongue hanging out in hardwood, but runs perfectly with a 20" bar. Same with the CS-510, a 20" bar is too much, 18" pretty good, and they really shine with a 16" bar. They also use LOW quality chains, you might as well take them off before you head to the woods and put real chains on them, otherwise, using them can be a lesson in humility.
In any case, I continue to read negative reports about Echo stuff. We have mostly good things to say about them, and have tried to be as accurate as possible with the information provided....FWIW.....Cliff
:jawdrop: :censored: 
but spend a week full-time on a "pro-grade' echo, then spend a week full-time on the equivalent pro husky or stihl, THEN tell me the echo wasn't 'gutless junk' by comparison.. 
