Anybody using an Echo chainsaw? I have an opportunity to get one at a big discount through my brother. He buys a lot of their products for his employer, so the dealer gives him some good deals. They are pleased with their concrete saws, etc, and the service from the local dealer, but they don't use any chainsaws. Whadda y'all think?
I don't know of anyone using Echo chainsaws professionally. Most I have seen are used by homeowners and some farmers. I have never heard anything bad about them. I have also not seen one large enough to use in my business although I guess they must make them. I try not to get a saw smaller than 4 cubic inches. My Husky 61 has 3.8, I think, and still has plenty of power but I have tried to do the same work with a poulan and MacCullach in the 2.7-3 inch range and they were not strong enough.
If you can get a good enough deal on a saw that will do the job then.....Why Not? Heck that's how we ultimately find out anyway. I've had people tell me that a Husky 61 is no good, but I know better because I have one.
Could be you will be telling us in a month or two just how good they are. ;D
Dan,
How many piston rings does it have?
Gee, I dunno, Kevin. I didn't realize that would be an issue. I perused the Echo web-site and didn't see any info on that, but I haven't seen it mentioned on Stihl or Husky's sites, either. What would you look for in that category, and how heavily would it impact your purchase decision, if you were in my shoes? What features would you see as most important in a saw used mostly for bucking, with a little felling, occasionally, as well as general use around the farm?
I'm supposed to visit the dealer this afternoon to look at the only large Echo he has in stock. I don't know exactly what model it is, and he wouldn't talk price over the phone. He seemed pretty hush-hush about the price, so he may be giving me a big break on the price. We'll see.
Most of the longer lasting saws will have two piston rings.
Some companies have saws that look good from the outside but they`re built different on the inside and sell for less.
You`ll get decades out of a good saw if it`s properly maintained.
I would compare the specs to a Husqvarna or Stihl and make a decision from there.
I would also make sure the dealer has parts in stock and doesn`t just say he can get them for you.
Thanks, Kevin. I'll try to look up the specs on the Stihl and Husky. I haven't been able to find the Echo specs online, but I can ask the dealer for'em. Li'l Bro sez this dealer has given them excellent service for a number of years, and always seems to have the parts in stock. I have dealt with him a few times, over the years, and have always gotten good service. Echo is his main pro line, and his homeowner line is McCulloch. On the plus side, if there is a dealer in the area, whose word I would accept, it would be Tim.
Chainsaw trip is postponed till tomorrow. Lil Bro took time off from work today to buy a new F250 4WD truck. The old one had dirty tires, and a scratch in the bed, so it would look funny next to his wife's new Expedition in the carport of their new 3000 sq ft house, and/or pulling his new 4-wheeler to his 5000 acre hunting lease in Jawja. It will also help to validate his complaints of being broke all the time. Go figger!
Don't need a nephew do ya?
Heh, heh! Funny you should mention that. He just got through paying off his last child support. Guess all that money is burning his pocket. Besides, I've already applied for the job. ;-)
Well, I went and done it. ;-) Picked up my new Echo CS-670, 4.9 cu. in., 24 inch saw.
After perusing all the specs, talking with the man, trying the saw out, and checking out a cutaway of the engine, I concluded that it is a good deal for the money. I feel like I now have a saw that will cut with anybody's saw, and do it for a long time. I'll let y'all know how it's holding up in about 25 years, or so.
Let us know in two months, that will tell a better story. :)
Dan,
I am sawing for a tree surgeon who has an inventory of about 50 saws, 6 or 7 in service at any one time. He was bragging about an Echo that he bought last year as being one of the best saws he has ever owned and would have no qualms with the purchase of another one. He is basically a Husky man but owns Johnsenred, Stihl, a couple of Shindaiwa's (?) that his climber likes, the echo that everybody likes and an assortment of MacCullah's, old and new Homelites, poulans, and some other brands I am not familiar with, that he would just as soon leave in the shed.
This was volunteered information in a conversation at lunch and was not prompted by a question about Echo's. His crew stays busy and works both gas and hydraulic saws very hard.
Hydraulic saws??!! :o Now you gotta eddicate me on that one. I know about gas saws, and I think I've heard about electric ones- maybe that's hedge trimmers, but I thought they had chainsaws too..never heard of a diesel chainsaw, but I'm just giggling at the idea..but what's a hydraulic saw?
lw
these tree surgeons have a little 12 or 14 inch bar on the end of a lo-o-ng pole with a little hydraulic motor on it. The lines run down the pole and hook into the hydraulics on the bucket. They use these to trim around high power lines and have gotten to where they limb trees with them because they are so handy. The fellow I was talkig about with the Echo won't climb if he can get his bucket truck close to the tree. That is, until he starts felling and has to use a bigger saw.
Tom, I have a lot of pine that the forestor said could use limbing to increase value. He had described hand tools. I LIKE power tools- how much do those hydraulic units cost? If you get me a co. name or a website, I can research it, but sounds like you know the guys who've got the tools.. lw
http://www.afron.com.au/loppers.html
Kevin, man you got links up the gazoo...
Jeff,
If you demand respect get yourself a couple of those pistol grip models and strap them to your hips.
Drop one of those cowboy hardhats on your head and watch people gather up their children and scramble when you ride into town.
(https://forestryforum.com/board/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afron.com.au%2Fadiachbigpic.gif&hash=7a7fb4fe64a5075cd3f29a69b5cb259f3d63adbc)
LW,
I asked today and was told that the hyraulic saws had cost from $800 to $1300 dollars and were on 12 foot poles that allowed the man's 6'1" son to reach 16' without too much trouble. I have seen gasoline operated saws like these in Home Depot that were made by Echo, but don't remember the price. I don't think they had the reach either.
northern tool
Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company offers "power pruners", essentially a chainsaw on a stick, made by Echo. They range from a 7'9" model with a 10" bar for $360, to the 12' 10" one with a 12" bar for $600. They mount the engine at the bottom of the pole,and run the saw via a shaft. You can get a 5 foot extension for another $100 to get up to 17' 10" reach.
Now, I figger if you take the four chairs from yer dining room and put them on top of the cab of the beastly truck, then put a 12 foot stepladder on the chairs, you otter be able to reach up a pretty good ways. :-)
Naah- you just climb the tree to the desired height and then just saw the branches off as you come down- being careful to saw ABOVE the one you're standing on. Guess you'd figure that out right quick.. lw
BTW thanx for the $ figures. If there are gas powered units I'm assuming they are less cumbersome to port around than something using hydraulics. I could substitute my tractor for the prunerman's bucket-truck in some locations, but as you've gathered from the thread on earthmovers, I have a leetle access problem at times.. lw
Quote from: DanG on November 29, 2001, 11:37:21 AM
Well, I went and done it. ;-) Picked up my new Echo CS-670, 4.9 cu. in., 24 inch saw.
After perusing all the specs, talking with the man, trying the saw out, and checking out a cutaway of the engine, I concluded that it is a good deal for the money. I feel like I now have a saw that will cut with anybody's saw, and do it for a long time. I'll let y'all know how it's holding up in about 25 years, or so.
DanG
I was searching around and ran into your post Dated 2001.
What happend with the Echo CS-670 ?
I am seriously considerin an Echo CS-530
I have 5 of them that I carve with .Which is really hard on saws .I have a little 335 thats 7 years old and has never had hanything done to it execpt to blow off Air filter Its getting weak but still starts and runs like a champ. I bought it at HD for 199 as a detail saw I start saw warm it up pull the trigger and dont let off using it as a sander.
I have had good luck with them not needing anything more than a carb adjustment.
Those hydraulic saws are impressive and handy things indeed.
At the pecan growing establishment in southwest Georgia I worked at in the early 80s they had one of those self propelled 5'x5' platform/bucket things. The platform sat on top of some of those scissoring/hinged/expanding things that could raise the platform up to around 40' as I recall. A little 4WD chassis with hydrostatic transmission underpinned the contraption.
Best of all, it had remote hydraulic connections for connecting saws and other things to it. They had a saw on a pole that was at least 12' long - and with enough hose to reach the hydraulic sockets with the platform fully raised.
I am pretty sure the engine was gasoline. I also seem to recall that it had a safety system whereby the transmission would not engage unless the platform was below a certain height (or even all the way down, not sure).
They would drive this thing up and down the pecan orchard rows and prune the trees up to heights over 50'. They had decided that there was some ideal way to shape the crowns on the trees and collective canopy to maximize sunlight penetration and improve nut yields. But it was slow and tedious work given the number of trees that had to be pruned. Not sure if the yield gains offset the cost of buying and operating the thing. But it was definitely cool. I think they could actually put 2 people in the bucket and each could run a saw.
Quote from: underdog on January 10, 2009, 07:53:28 AM
Quote from: DanG on November 29, 2001, 11:37:21 AM
Well, I went and done it. ;-) Picked up my new Echo CS-670, 4.9 cu. in., 24 inch saw.
After perusing all the specs, talking with the man, trying the saw out, and checking out a cutaway of the engine, I concluded that it is a good deal for the money. I feel like I now have a saw that will cut with anybody's saw, and do it for a long time. I'll let y'all know how it's holding up in about 25 years, or so.
DanG
I was searching around and ran into your post Dated 2001.
What happend with the Echo CS-670 ?
I am seriously considerin an Echo CS-530
Hey! My 25 years ain't up yet! :D :D I'll give ya an interim update, though. :)
That saw is a real gem. I did have to take it in once, a bit after the warranty expired, and they rebuilt the carb for me. He said it looked like somebody had put bar oil in the gas tank. I re-learned a lesson I had learned many times before...don't loan your saw out! >:( Anyway, while I was in there, I bought a little CS-300 for my light work. Both saws have been uncommonly dependable. They are easy starters and strong runners. Everybody who has used them has been impressed, and several of them have gone down and bought one for themselves. I was cutting down a few large Pecan trees back in '03, so I ordered a 32" bar for the 670 and found that it handles it very well. The long bar throws it out of balance, so I use the 24" mostly.
I can't tell you anything about the 530, but I may be able to before long. I'm thinking of adding another Echo to fill the gap between the 670 and the tiny little 300. :)
Just my opinion, but ya know how certain models tend to become famous and are sought after, long after they've been discontinued? Well, I think the 670 is gonna be one of those that will sit in the Chainsaw Hall of Fame alongside the Stihl 029, etc.
Other than that one incident, which wasn't a fault of the saw, I only had one problem with the 670. Some of the screws that hold the housing on vibrated out and left me in a bit of a jam. A bit of loctite on each one solved that problem, and the 300 got that treatment as well when I got it.
Dan You'll like the 670, make sure to keep it tuned well, some come lean from the factory but your dealer should have tuned it good, if you have to use gas with ethonal that will make it run leaner also. Other than that give us that 25 year report, I've been running Echo's (mostly used ones from Ebay and a couple of new ones) for 8 years now and have had to buy 1 AV mount besides bars and chains. Steve
Dan I'm a little confused(easy to do) do you have 2 CS670 saws now? Steve
DanG,
I have a CS-300 too. I love that saw. I climb with it and cut everything. I like how light it is. And with a sharp chain, it cuts white oak with no problem. I've had mine for about 6 years.
Tim
No Steve, I just have one 670 and one 300. Not sure where that confuzzment came from. As I said, I may buy a 50cc saw soon, and it will be an Echo. I'll let my dealer advise me on which one. His is a small shop, and he sees everything that comes in or goes out, and talks with his customers. He knows which ones hold up best, and who likes what saw and why. Best of all, I can trust him to give me the best advice he can. I wish all of ya had a dealer like him. :)
Quote from: ladylake on January 10, 2009, 05:08:07 PM
if you have to use gas with ethonal that will make it run leaner also.
??? ??? Not trying to hijack this thread just have'nt heard this before, maybe I don't pay enough attention. :) TT
Dan Once I looked at the dates of these thread the confusion went away, at least for a while. Timber Tramp I think gas with ehtonal either doesn't flow as good or has less energy for the same volume making it leaner, I've heard this in the snowmobile industry years ago. I believe it's true also, my BIL bought new Echo CS440 which ran fine on my gas with no ethonal, then he used gas with ethonal and it got lean, bogged easy, didn't rev up good and the plug was white, I pulled the caps , readjusted richer and and it's been running fine ever since untill he left it behind the skid loader. I got in the skid loader backed up a ways and it came rolling out the front. Didn't hurt too bad, a new top handle and straightened the bar and it's running good again. Steve
Well, when looking at brush saws, Echo have the best Warrantee on professional brush saws that is. Sthil and Husky only give you 90 days, Echo has 1 year. But, I have one guy who isn't the easiest character on a saw. Like trying to get away with running straight gas for a day and thinking the dealer won't be able to tell. ::) But, his first saw he got two years and his second saw he pretty much trashed it by season end. On the other hand my most seasoned guy, thinned over 25 years, got three years out of his Husky and 300 acres of brush cutting. I like Stihl myself and have been satisfied with their performance. I found the Echo is a lot louder than the other two. When your cutting professionally, you like to stick with the brand and model so you have spare parts. So, it's semantics.