Newbie (ok, Noob!) question on Echo CS310

[Pcsailor]

Hi all,

I've had an Echo CS310 for a few years.  I bought it for clearing trees on my Mom's property on '06.  I've used it here and there and I'm now living in Minnesota and need to cut up two fallen trees for firewood.  I also am moving to a five-acre property next month so I will have an increased need for a well-running chainsaw.

When I've stored the chainsaw, it's been dry of gas or with Stabil.  I've been trying to use the saw for the last two weeks without success.  I replaced the carburetor this weekend suspecting the original was gummed up.  The saw is all original without modifications.  I have not done any adjustments on the new carb. Now the saw starts well, but as soon as I hit the throttle it dies immediately.  I've done a borescope and (I think) I am seeing some cylinder wear.  Would anyone agree on this with my attached pictures?

Are there adjustments I should do on the new carb?
Also, what are the modifications to do on these saws I've read on this forum?
Last question, <: what's a recommendation for a well rounded saw that will be used for falling dead trees and cutting them into firewood, basically, personal land maintenance?  I may consider upgrading as I know this 14"-30cc is pretty low powered.  Have battery-powered saws become worth considering?

Thanks all,
Phil


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[Real1shepherd]

It looks like you've roached your cylinder. You could get a P&C kit and probably fix the saw. But if it were me, I'd move up the food chain to a 50cc pro saw if you could afford it.

You'll get so many recommendations here on saws that your head will spin. I run older saws from the period when I was loggin' most, so you won't hear me recommend anything to a n00b. When I go out on a job, for example, I'll take four saws with me just for back up because of the NLA parts thing.

Try to figure out parts availability in your area and let that play a significant part in your choices for a new saw. And FYI, Staybil only really works well for one winter storage. You just can't leave present made gas in a saw for yrs on end. Ethanol gas is only stable for about three weeks and starts to break down. You should try to find pump gas that is non-ethanol based if possible and if not, buy that gas that's comes in a can from box stores/farm stores that's non-ethanol.

Kevin 

[lxskllr]

Good advice from Real1. I wouldn't spend much money getting that one going again. They don't cost terribly much to begin with. 50cc is a pretty good all-arounder. If I were buying, it would be between Stihl and echo. I'd be happy with either one, but for extensive use, I'd probably go for the Stihl 261cm.

[Iwawoodwork]

One of the saws I  own is a Stihl 029. It has been a good farmer saw and with an 18 inch blade cuts most of what I need, if I need bigger I use one of my 670 Echo's with 30 inch blade. The  029 would be a good long lasting saw for a hobby wood cutter. However Husky and Echo also build good saws in the 45cc to 55cc size area. As previously stated check your area for a good saw shop/dealer that has parts and repair and which brands they sell and service and purchase a brand that they will service/ repair.  My local saw shop will not work on my Echos so I have to travel about 25 miles to a shop that works on Echos vrs 2 1/2 mi for my Stihl and Huskys .

[Pcsailor]

Thanks for the response.  I was afraid of what I was seeing in those pics but I wanted to verify.  That's a bummer cause with a new baby due in July, and new house closing in July, and our current house prepping for a rental, I'm shelling out more cash then I have.

Such as life, when it rains,...

Bright side is I get to shoip for a new saw <:

Thanks again,
Phil

[Tacotodd]

Keep in mind, Echo makes the best BANG FOR THE BUCK saw that you're going to find. Now, you're not going to find any options for it in any of the "pro" shops but with enough digging, you'll find plenty. Just make sure that it's tuned correct and it's going to be long lived, unlike the one that you have. It looks like you have a lean burn case there. Echo has pro models as well. I got a CS550P that I almost fell into for a screaming good deal. Yeah it's a little heavy for 54.1cc's but, I have it tuned for my 32-1 mix and even though it was made in 2011 and I just bought it, I improvised a carb tuning tool. Man, what can I say, it comes REAL close to being in competition to my Husqvarna 372xp of 2018 build. Tuning is THAT important. $0.02 and done.

For now.

[ladylake]

 Yes the Echo CS400   CS490 and CS590 are the best bang for the buck. As with any new saw except the autotuned saws the limiter caps need to be pulled and tuned  for your gas ( hopefully non ethonal) the altitude and the weather.  Steve

[thecfarm]

Pcsailor, welcome to the forum. I use the highest grade of gas at my local gas station. 

[Pcsailor]

Hi all,

Thanks for the information and advice.
So it looks like the Echo CS400   CS490 and CS590 are the saws to start looking at.  

My local rental place has two saw sizes I can rent to try out.
http://www.reddyrents.com/saw_chain_20_gas
http://www.reddyrents.com/saw_chain_16_gas
I think I'll try the 20" to see how it feels.  If it's too heavy, it'll be a pain to use.

No love for the Stihl, Husky, or Makita brands?  
I've also seen some weird off-brands for cheap I'm wondering the quality of.  
Any thoughts on this?

BTW, I.m in Minneapolis, USA, elevation 830'/264M.
Are most people here professional forestry loggers?

Thanks,
Phil

[lxskllr]

I'd stay away from off brands. There's little value in Chinese discount stuff. Echo will give the best bang/buck if you're trying to save money. Stihl and Husqvarna are solid buys for a bit more $.

[Pine Ridge]

550 xp mark ll would be a good replacement, light and cuts fast. We have 3 of them here, bought new a few months ago, zero problems so far. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I'd stay away from off brands. There's little value in Chinese discount stuff. Echo will give the best bang/buck if you're trying to save money. Stihl and Husqvarna are solid buys for a bit more $.

I won't go so far as to say the clone stuff is great because it does come with issues, sometimes big ones. But my 372 clone cuts like a bandit! Yes, you need to know how, and have the desire and time to work on these (right now my oiler is being testy), but the bang for the buck is there IF you know you will have to do some work on them from time to time. I don't run mine a lot, but when time in the cut matters, I grab that big saw and whip through it. The 70cc clone is out cutting my 50cc husky by 2 to 1 right now on the bigger firewood logs. For relatively trouble free work, get the OEM.

[Greenerpastures]

I don't think the CS310 has adjustable carb screws that can
be accessed without removing the plastic anti tamper caps,
if that saw had the carb tuned initially it might still be going,
but the OP mentions trees, trees and CS310 are not a good
combination, that is a small saw, most trees need more saw,
I had the CS352, light and great for very light sized branches,
but I wouldn't head off to cut a tree up with it, the saw would be
over worked, and your time would be better spent.

Like others said, @ 50 cc saw would be a good upgrade, would
do a lot of cutting, unless the wood is is all over 15" or so, then
a bigger saw will be quicker and not be stressed all the time.

If you don't mind a little weight, then an Echo Cs590 is really
hard to pass, for price, and it will last you, and cut some fair sized
wood without being over worked.
Another good saw at reasonable money are the Dolmar / Makita saws,
They make very good 50 55 and 60 Cc saws, parts are plentiful online,
if you ever need parts, but there are dealers out there too, the advantage
being good advise, support and in most cases parts over the counter,
and you will have someone to tune your saw before you take it out and destroy it, saws are set up to pass the EPA emissions regulations, and in
some cases are not getting enough fuel to run cool enough, this of course
causes a meltdown similar to the OP 's images.

The above is for the OP 's benefit as he does say he in a newbie to this,
certainly not preaching at anyone.

Either way, I hope he gets a good saw for his tasks.

[Greenerpastures]

I'd stay away from off brands. There's little value in Chinese discount stuff. Echo will give the best bang/buck if you're trying to save money. Stihl and Husqvarna are solid buys for a bit more $.

I won't go so far as to say the clone stuff is great because it does come with issues, sometimes big ones. But my 372 clone cuts like a bandit! Yes, you need to know how, and have the desire and time to work on these (right now my oiler is being testy), but the bang for the buck is there IF you know you will have to do some work on them from time to time. I don't run mine a lot, but when time in the cut matters, I grab that big saw and whip through it. The 70cc clone is out cutting my 50cc husky by 2 to 1 right now on the bigger firewood logs. For relatively trouble free work, get the OEM.

Here in Ireland I see the cloned 372 saws for 450.00 to 480.00,
a complete waste of money when you can get a second hand one
that will outlast it and give little if any trouble.
In the US, an Echo 590 For 399.00 is a no brainier, local parts and support too.

[Old Greenhorn]

True the prices around the globe varies quite a bit on those saws. I paid about $200 for mine and a comparable used 372 OEM runs around $375 minimum. New cost is close to $600. so for me with light use, it makes sense. Everybody has to find what works for them. My go-to saw for general work is my OEM 450 Husky.

[Fishnuts2]

I'd recommend a CS-400 or CS-490 for your next saw.  Echo makes a great saw for the money.  My cabin saw in N MN is a CS-310, and routinely cuts 12 -14 inch Poplar and Balsam trees for firewood up there.  It does the job easily, but the chain has to be sharp!  Most occasional operators have a hard time keeping their chains properly sharpened as it takes lots of practice.  At least it was for me anyway!

[Pine Ridge]

Hi all,

Thanks for the information and advice.
So it looks like the Echo CS400   CS490 and CS590 are the saws to start looking at.  

My local rental place has two saw sizes I can rent to try out.
http://www.reddyrents.com/saw_chain_20_gas
http://www.reddyrents.com/saw_chain_16_gas
I think I'll try the 20" to see how it feels.  If it's too heavy, it'll be a pain to use.

No love for the Stihl, Husky, or Makita brands?  
I've also seen some weird off-brands for cheap I'm wondering the quality of.  
Any thoughts on this?

BTW, I.m in Minneapolis, USA, elevation 830'/264M.
Are most people here professional forestry loggers?

Thanks,
Phil

I log oak and walnut parttime, and i have been PTH certified for 7 years.

[Cord_Nipper]

That's a bummer cause with a new baby due in July, and new house closing in July, and our current house prepping for a rental, I'm shelling out more cash then I have


Thanks again,
Phil

I have seen several 310s locally in pawn shops for less than $100.
I'm lucky that a buddy owns a pawn shop. I looked at it and asked if it ran. He fired up it right up. $85 + tax.
I've tan the hell out of it the last three months.
Another buddy ran a show shop and did a muffler mod and tuned the carb.
It's screaming now and runs like a scalded dog.
I was so impressed by the Echo (only owned old Homelites and two newer Huskys) that my next saw will be a 590.

[ladylake]

 Most Echo saws gain a LOT with a muff modd, thanks to the EPA they come with a clogged up muff.   Steve

[Dools]

Hi,

Down the road using ethanol free gas for occasional saw use will save you lots of headaches.  See if any of these locations are nearby:

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada


-Dools

[Real1shepherd]

You can actually buy good, ethanol free gas in box stores and farm stores....even in oil pre-mix form. That will make occasional use saws last almost indefinitely. Not cheap though......


Kevin

[samandothers]

Look at the Echo web site and see if a dealer near you is having a 'Dealer Day'.  During those events there are usually a percentage off saws.   I bought my 2nd Echo on such a day 2 years ago and got 20% off.  Now days it may be a little less but still helps off set cost.