Echo CS-7310p...potential weak point

[Oddman]

Bought an echo 7310 last winter. Has been our main firewood saw this season, probably cut around 30 cord with it. We like the saw. 
I was undercutting with it the other day and it was bucking a fair amount, which strains the tensioner. Well it pretty well wrecked the tensioner. Broke the piece with the stud that moves the bar, bent the tensioning bolt, and broke 2 plastic pieces of the tensioner assembly. The last time I sharpened it I noticed the tensioner turned a bit hard so I think it bent before this event. The drags/rakers had been taken down too far so for a couple sharpening cycles it was too aggressive and wouldn't allow smooth work with the bar tip. I think that weakened the assembly and i finished it off. 
So anyways, i ordered the parts I ruined, along with spares. If anybody has the same saw I figured this would be a heads up. 
Grew up running Stihl, moved mostly to husky while logging, havnt had this particular problem with them. Honestly the tensioner parts seem kinda weak on this model.

[ladylake]

 
 Yes Echo saws have a weak tensioner but work fine if you dont  horse on them when tensioning  and keep the bar nuts tight enough to hold the bar secure.  Tensioners are not meant  to hold the bar when cutting.  Steve

[stavebuyer]

Never owned an Echo saw but have managed to bend a tensioner changing out a chain and not notice the tensioner dropped out of position when I was tightening down on the bar. > > :'(

[sawguy21]

I have seen that happen more than once, customers were complaining the chain wouldn't stay tight.

[lxskllr]

I've come close to crushing the tensioner, but stopped when things didn't seem right. I try to make a point of giving the tensioner a little twist before snugging everything up to make sure all the bits are in place before I crank down on it.

[Real1shepherd]

In all the pro yrs with saws, I've never had any tensioner problems other than the post itself wearing down from bar contact. However, I've seen smaller saws that had pretty puny tensioner screws in them that bend easily.

I would hope that's not the issue with the 7310;an undersized, puny tensioner bolt.

Kevin

[Oddman]

This saw gets used by 3 or 4 different guys. Couple times when I had it in the vice for sharpening I noticed the bar nuts were not as tight as I like them. 
That said, the tensioner assembly has room for improvement.
I had quite a time tracking the parts down that i needed. Finding them offered wasn't hard, finding them in stock was difficult. That's nothing new in our economy any more but could also signal there is a bit too much demand on these parts for a reason?

[Real1shepherd]

I was gonna say earlier without trying to sound snarky....If the bar nuts are tightened down like they should be, the stress on the tensioner is relieved from duty....

But if you have users who are not tightening down the bar nuts, that put undo stress on the tensioner....failure there is obvious. Not having a 7310 in front of me, I can't weigh in on the robustness of tensioner assembly.

I was gonna buy this very saw last year, but it suddenly became unavailable.

Kevin

[Kodiakmac]

I have an Echo CS510.  It is a great little saw.  But when compared to all the other saws I have owned, the tensioning system is a weak point.  Two things in particular: the tensioning post (and the threading that runs through it) is very soft metal; and, the tensioning screw backs against a thin plastic section of the clutch shroud that becomes brittle over the years and eventually cracks.

I have just replaced the shroud and the tension apparatus. It set me back $62.00 CDN.  But I'm not bellyaching ... because the only other expense this saw incurred over the last 12 years (make that 15) was a drive sprocket. I would buy another Echo in a heartbeat.  

And I imagine these rather trifling issues have been at least somewhat addressed in the newer models.  

[hedgerow]

Years back when I first got my Echo CS-330-T that I use a lot in my bucket lift. Was cutting a good sized limb one day and reaching out pretty far in the bucket and pinched the saw a little but not completely got the limb cut and then the chain was lose. When down to the ground to tighten and found the same thing that happen to you happen to me bent the tension bolt and broke the plastic piece also. The adjusting system seems to be weak in IMO. I do like the saw. I do keep the bar adjusting nuts tight. 

[Real1shepherd]

The 7310 itself is supposed to be a 'pro' saw in that cc class...Echo's first I'm told. Sounds like maybe they carried a potentially weak tensioner system into this saw. Like I said, don't have one in front of me but tensioner systems in pro saws are not supposed to be something consumable and you have to worry about....except with a LOT of yrs/hrs on 'er.

Kevin

[Oddman]

For the record, i really like this saw and feel it is a great value around the $800 price range. But if i went back to falling timber I would want the utmost in "abuse proof" design which in my experience is the husky XP saws. 

[Kodiakmac]

Like I said, don't have one in front of me but tensioner systems in pro saws are not supposed to be something consumable and you have to worry about..

Well, I've used my Echo CS510 for 15 years, and I can't begin to count how many hundreds of cords of firewood and tractor-trailer loads of logs it has cut.  And in all that time I have spent about $100 CDN total for repairs.  
So, I guess my message is this: the chain tension system might eventually wear out, but, may all your chainsaw problems be so little.

[Don P]

I've had a 44 and 440 for mill saws, they both had bent tensioners when I got them. It is the lightest setup I've ever seen.

[Real1shepherd]

Like I said, don't have one in front of me but tensioner systems in pro saws are not supposed to be something consumable and you have to worry about..

Well, I've used my Echo CS510 for 15 years, and I can't begin to count how many hundreds of cords of firewood and tractor-trailer loads of logs it has cut.  And in all that time I have spent about $100 CDN total for repairs.  
So, I guess my message is this: the chain tension system might eventually wear out, but, may all your chainsaw problems be so little.

I think Oddman was making the point that the tensioner parts are not readily available and somewhat costly for what they are. My point was that I can't say one way or another about the tensioner without the saw in front of me. I certainly know what a robust chain tensioner assembly looks like.

So, is this a function of the saw being used by 'others' who are not keeping the bar nuts tight, or is it a flimsy tensioner system that should not belong on this 'pro' saw?

Kevin  

[ladylake]

A pro should know how to use a tensioner, those Echo tensioners work fine if not abused.   Steve

[Don P]

The nail gun repair guy, looking at my gun. "It's not a hammer". I guaranteed him it was used as one, build it to take it :D. The Echo tensioner is a well engineered piece of machinery. I was adding to the ever growing list of folks who've experienced bent tensioners. "Should be" meets the real world, they need to count on more abuse. Good design work is watching the parts shelves.

[Real1shepherd]

Look, ham-fisted users can break anything. If the 7310 tensioner is adequate for the job, then yes most pros won't abuse it. However, if the part is anything less than robust, bad end users will bend and break it.

The Jonserd 910e had a terrible rear handle A/V design;if the bar was pinched and you pulled on the rear handle, the A/V's would rip. The Homelite 750 had really thin rear handles that would break if abused. The list is almost endless of saws with small design faults that didn't keep them from being great saws....users just understood their weaknesses and dealt with them.

From what Oddman said earlier about the 3-4 people using the saw.....my bet it that at least one of those users was not tightening the bar nuts correctly. Should Echo build the tensioner stronger for people like that, or leave it? Only the bean counters will answer that one.......

Kevin

[ladylake]

 
 I dont think any tensioner will stand up to loose bar nuts.  I'm not a pro but have never had a problem with a Echo tensioner in well over 20 years.  They tension the bar up just fine, with tight bar nuts no problem ..    Running Echo saws I don't worry at all about the tensioner.   Lets not make this out to be something that doesn't work.  Steve

[Spike60]

A little lightening up could be in order here. And I'm forced to agree with Echo's North American Marketing Director. (you Steve )

This is a classic example of internet pile on. Unusual for this group which is generally more thoughtful than emotional. A bent tensioner bolt is hardly a big deal, and ought not to be considered a "weak point" when buying the saw.

I stock all the still available, (and some that aren't), tensioner parts going back 40 years. Sell a fair amount of the kits for the 51/55 and 257/262, as well as the similar 272/670 kits. The best selling kit? The 394/395, which is certainly not a lightly built saw. ("kit" meaning bolt, pawl, and the nylon keeper) Most of these saws are with tree crews running longer bars. Some of the suggestions here about bar nut tightness are no doubt spot on. And like the OP, they also have multiple users. And these guys really horse on these saws when stump cutting large yard trees. 

But that's why dealers stock parts. Saws in commercial use are going to need parts to keep working. And some customers are way harder on equipment than others and those guys will break anything. Those guys ALWAYS need parts, and usually complain whenever they buy them. The reverse is also true as some users hardly ever need parts at all. Truth is that many guys are their own worst enemy, but it's easier to blame the saw.

This Echo hasn't been out long enough to really develope a parts history, and dealers should be allowed a grace period to see what they need to have on hand to support this model. But I agree that $62 is nuts. The 395 kit is only $20.

[ladylake]

 Over SEPW the parts you would need for the tensioner add up to  $11.39.   Steve

[Kodiakmac]

But I agree that $62 is nuts. The 395 kit is only $20.

Agreed.  But this is Canada - land of a devalued dollar, runaway inflation, taxes, and small business persecution.  That $62 also included a new clutch shroud ... which included a new brake ... which I didn't need but was part of the shroud package ... which I did need.

As I have already said, I would buy another Echo in a heartbeat.  When I needed a new saw a few years ago I ended up getting a Stihl ms362.  But only because my first stop was at the local Echo dealer who told me he was retiring and closing up shop.  

A bent tensioner bolt is hardly a big deal, and ought not to be considered a "weak point" when buying the saw.

BINGO!   The point I've been trying to make.

[chet]

The 7310 itself is supposed to be a 'pro' saw in that cc class...Echo's first I'm told.

Kevin

In the very early 80's I got a very good deal on a 900EVL Echo. In my eyes it was every bit a mid size pro saw, a tough, dependable, well built saw. By today's standards it was heavy for it's size, close to 20# if I remember correctly. Years later I replaced it with a 288 Husky. That Echo was every bit the saw the Husky that replaced it was.
Granted It's a smaller weight class, but I would assume their larger saws of the time would have been similar.

[Real1shepherd]

The 7310 itself is supposed to be a 'pro' saw in that cc class...Echo's first I'm told.

Kevin

In the very early 80's I got a very good deal on a 900EVL Echo. In my eyes it was every bit a mid size pro saw, a tough, dependable, well built saw. By today's standards it was heavy for it's size, close to 20# if I remember correctly. Years later I replaced it with a 288 Husky. That Echo was every bit the saw the Husky that replaced it was.
Granted It's a smaller weight class, but I would assume their larger saws of the time would have been similar.

Just going by the literature that says it's Echo's first 'pro' saw in this cc class.........

Kevin

[chet]

After doing a little research I need to correct my above post.  ;D  Turns out that the 900evl Echo was actually 20cc larger than the cs7310 that followed it 30 years later. It also may have not been as heavy as I remembered it, even with it's total magnesium construction and larger size, it was only 5# heavier.   :D

[Bruno of NH]

I run a 590 with 24" bar and a 620 with 24" bar , my help is hard on these saws.
I have had no issues with mine
The 590 has been modified 

[Bruno of NH]

I won't buy any new saw other than an Echo at this point.
My first pro saw was a JR 2172 nothing but problems .
Worst starting saw ever,couldn't wait to see it go .
For my firewood and work around the mill the Echos treat me right.

[lxskllr]

I buy echo and Stihl. I stick with Stihl for the big saws, and echo for the little ones. I like both a lot, which is a big reason I split brands, but I wouldn't feel at all bad about starting a tree service using 100% echo gear. They're the best value going afaic.

[Oddman]

 

 

 

Echo 7310 on the left
Stihl 044 in the middle
Husky 372xp on the right

A bad tensioner doesnt make a bad saw, this thread was never meant to decry the 7310 as an inferior design or to call out Echo as a brand. Merely to make others aware of a POTENTIAL weak point. Many great saws have a quirk or 2, in my opinion this is one of those for the echo 7310.

[Oddman]

Notice the shiny area on the tensioning screw where the threads stripped and also it is hard to make out but the screw is bent. The nylon pieces on each end of the assembly are damaged. The stihl parts shown are ever-so-slightly thicker.

[ladylake]

 It's hard on tensioners when they tighten the clutch cover without the holes lining up,   that's around $12 worth of parts at SEPW.   Steve

[Kawaliga]

Notice the shiny area on the tensioning screw where the threads stripped and also it is hard to make out but the screw is bent. The nylon pieces on each end of the assembly are damaged. The stihl parts shown are ever-so-slightly thicker.

It looks like a light tensioner, but its human error that bent it and stripped the threads.
I have used saws with no tenstioners, pull the bar forward pull it up tight and tighten the nuts.
I have seen people use the tensioner to tighten the bar, lifting all that weight of the bar by
turning the screw, its not going to work for long, too much leverage and weight hanging on the
bar all pushing against a few threads, guaranteed to fail, when all that is required is to put the bar
on a log or something to do the heavy lifting and gently bring the tensioner up behind it to take the
slack out of the chain.
This part that broke could be heavier though, but I would rather it bent or broke than something else
give out, not difficult to replace either.

[ihookem]

Come to think of it, I have not had a tensioner on my Stihl 034 for years. I just loosen the nuts, and pull the bar tight and tighten the lugs. It is still a bit loose but has worked for years. 

[clark8534]

I have an Echo CS510.  It is a great little saw.  But when compared to all the other saws I have owned, the tensioning system is a weak point.  Two things in particular: the tensioning post (and the threading that runs through it) is very soft metal; and, the tensioning screw backs against a thin plastic section of the clutch shroud that becomes brittle over the years and eventually cracks.

I have just replaced the shroud and the tension apparatus. It set me back $62.00 CDN.  But I'm not bellyaching ... because the only other expense this saw incurred over the last 12 years (make that 15) was a drive sprocket. I would buy another Echo in a heartbeat.  

And I imagine these rather trifling issues have been at least somewhat addressed in the newer models.  

Hi. I want to ask you. Does Echo still make chainsaw CS 440? I have checked on the online markets but I couldn't find a new one and unused product.

[barbender]

I've had to replace enough of the nylon tensioner housings for the Husky/Jonsered 372 and 390 chassis saws that I keep a spare one, and I don't even use my saws that much compared to some of you. When you start running longer (that's 24" and up for me, Skeans😁) bars it stresses them just getting the chain to normal tension, imo. I never had an issue when running 18-20" bars. And my bar nuts are always well tightened.

Rakers that are taken down too far are hard on everything, not to mention how much more risk of a kickback you run.

I've probably had more kickbacks cutting firewood in a pile than anywhere else. There's just a lot of opportunities for the bar tip to touch something. One of my buddies took a bar tip right to the face cutting like that, just about got his eye😬 The worst I've came out is blowing a couple of sprocket tops out with a hard kickback. But it gives you a good idea of the force involved. It's also a good reminder of how dumb I can be, when I start being more careful how I'm cutting because I don't want to ruin a tip, rather than being concerned for my own safety😬🤦‍♂️

[Skeans1]

@barbender 
I've never worn out a tensioner assembly on any of the 385/390's but I don't hardly bore cut anything. 

[barbender]

It may be that they get brittle in the cold. Below zero changes things😊 All I know is I go through them.