Echo CS590 Timberwolf - first 6 months

Wild Man Jack · January 13, 2015, 11:32:45 PM

Hi all, I consulted you on this forum before going ahead and buying my saw and so figured I'd share my opinion on it. I picked this saw up in september and cut prob 6 or 7 cords of wood this fall and early winter running only ethanol free premium gas and echo 2 stroke mix. I cut a small amount of poplar, maybe 2 cords of jack pine and the rest of ash and this saw cuts like nobody's business. I've run about 10 liters of gas through, and will sharpen the chain for the first time soon as I'm not cutting a lot for the next little while and still it just rips through the wood. Tons of power. I live in manitoba, and around the end of November I went out cutting and saw ran a little rough, this was a maybe 2* celcius day, snow on the ground, so I found the winter shutter and closed it (easy when you know where) and saw runs like a champ down to even -20. I tend to keep it in the house but on one of those -20 days I had it in the box of my truck for about 2 or 3 hours before starting it, it did start ok but was too cold to go to high idle, and if you touched the throttle at all it stalled, but I found letting it warm up for a minute or so on low idle it was ready to go. This was good as a friend of mine from northern manitoba warned me against the echo because of his experience with them not doing well in cold. He does maintenance on the manitoba hydro (power company that buids hydro dams on northern remote rivers) saws which get used and abused in every kind of weather. Also I'm amazed at how this saw starts. Choke on, hit the decompression valve, typically fires on first or second pull, push in the choke, decompression valve again and it's running after one. One time it started on the very first pull of the day, just pushed in the choke as it was sputtering and it went to high idle. My dad's jonsered, be it a less serious model of saw takes pull after pull after pull. Also no winter shutter on his to close when the temperature dips.
I will say this saw is heavy, my first times out I noticed the difference when limbing especially when reaching up. The husky 555 which I checked out at the dealer my echo came from by all rights looked better built to me, and was noticeably lighter. I liked how the motor was isolated as well but that saw was nearly double what I paid for mine (555 was $710 cdn, cs590 was 400 cdn on the fall special).
I've run a guys stihl 361 enough to know that saw fairly well, and some farm bosses and husky ranchers (both more expensive than my echo in any available size) and my saw will out cut them. 361 would be a close match. Very pleased with the saw. Thanks for the read and all the advice!

luvmexfood · January 14, 2015, 02:03:37 AM

Wild Man. I was thinking of doing the same thing about my 590. Sort of a 6 month review like you just did so your timing is perfect for me to give my experiences.

I have cut limbed and bucked a little over 12,000 feet of timber with about 75% of that being Hard Maple. Have been very well pleased with the saw. It is a little hard to start if it is cold 32F and below. Saw is kept either in the truck or an outbuilding. Solved that by setting up in the cab floor while driving out to the woods. Around .5 mile. But that is a slow drive over farm roads and stopping to open gate, drive through and then shut.

Then when I get there usually send a text telling someone where I'm at so if I don't come in that evening they will know where to find me. Put on chaps etc. Listen to news or weather on radio if it is time for it.

Back to the saw. It has been used and not babied. Many more chain sharpenings than you mentioned but that HM will dull one rather quickly. Did leave it in the back of the truck covered with a tarp for a few days of monsoon weather. Didn't know it but it had become uncovered and was laying on its side with the rope up. Cold as crap that day and went to start it and could not budge the rope. Placed up in the truck cab and cranked truck. Pulled a couple of logs and around 20 minutes later it fired right up.

Took back to dealer once for a retune after a dozen or so tanks of gas. Only thing I am not real fond of is the chain tensioner being mounted on the side cover. If you are putting on a different chain you sometimes have a little difficulty getting the adjuster to line up with the slot in the bar. Just have to take the time to look and make an adjustment before replacing cover.

Have not found what you call the winter shutter. Will read through the owners manual as the dealer never mentioned and I can't remember seeing.

For the money I would buy another in a heartbeat.

Andyshine77 · January 15, 2015, 01:15:16 AM

If you're having issues with idling and hesitation issues, you need to properly tune the carb. Engines don't just start behaving differently for no reason.

Also 10 Liters of fuel is quite a bit of run time without sharpening your chain. A dull chain and improper carb tuning will kill a saw in short order.

http://youtu.be/Qjb9_UIgSdY?list=UUDzYN6LbndM64YHQp_JOb4Q

http://youtu.be/4x-vx2Kn5UI?list=UUDzYN6LbndM64YHQp_JOb4Q

Wild Man Jack · January 15, 2015, 03:59:35 PM

Thanks for the reply. The saw doesn't have Ideling issues, it was the effect of the air and saw both being at -20. It just needed to run for a minute before it could rev and it ran fine once it warmed up. I'm just used to the saw being warmer from my house even on cold days when I start it and it goes right to high idle. Anyone who's ever driven a carburated dodge ram at those temps prob knows how they chug before the engine warms up enough to drive and every one I've owned just stalls when you put it in gear If it hasn't warmed up. To be honest I was impressed how easy the saw started at all.

Andyshine77 · January 16, 2015, 12:09:41 AM

Quote from: Wild Man Jack on January 15, 2015, 03:59:35 PM
Thanks for the reply. The saw doesn't have Ideling issues, it was the effect of the air and saw both being at -20. It just needed to run for a minute before it could rev and it ran fine once it warmed up.

Cold air is more dense, if you have more air you need more fuel. If you don't richen the mixture, the engine will be running lean in colder temperatures. In those temperatures the the carb must be retuned! if not engine damage will likely occur. The video in my previous post will get you on the right track.

Not to be insulting, but this is elementary physics, chainsaw carburetors are not set and forget devices.

Wild Man Jack · January 16, 2015, 02:35:17 PM

I'm not carb expert but wouldn't the shutter which directs warm air over carb alleviate a lot of that? Aren't carb adjustments made on a warm engine? When the engine warmed up for 45 seconds or a minute it was fine. No stumble or hesitation or loss of power through the power band and idle was fine. It just behaved the way every engine up here behaves when you first start it. I just think I would be tuning the carb basically to right where it is...

Wild Man Jack · January 16, 2015, 03:48:22 PM

I'll start it this weekend to run it up with no load to see if I hear the 4 stroking.

Andyshine77 · January 17, 2015, 12:02:49 AM

Quote from: Wild Man Jack on January 16, 2015, 02:35:17 PM
I'm not carb expert but wouldn't the shutter which directs warm air over carb alleviate a lot of that? Aren't carb adjustments made on a warm engine? When the engine warmed up for 45 seconds or a minute it was fine. No stumble or hesitation or loss of power through the power band and idle was fine. It just behaved the way every engine up here behaves when you first start it. I just think I would be tuning the carb basically to right where it is...

The winter shutter helps, but it has it's limits. Some saws have a cover that fits over the fan housing to keep things even warmer.

A warm engine is different than the ambient air temperature. Sorry but you're lacking in the basic understanding of proper air fuel ratio. The difference in air density between 80°F and -20°F is 21.48% This means any internal combustion engine will require 21.48% more fuel at -20°F than at 80°F. This is a huge difference. With the EPA lean factory settings, the engine will fail prematurely without properly setting air fuel mixture. I often adjust the carb on a saw during the day do to temperature changes.

The cs 590 has a rev limiter, tuning should be done in the cut, or with an inductive tachometer to just under 13,000 rpm.

tmarch · January 19, 2015, 08:47:45 PM

I'm learned a LOT on this forum, but to be honest I don't post a lot for fear of offending someone with my lack of knowledge. To be honest I have the same saw and NO I won't be "tuning" on it til a problem comes up, after all it isn't a PRO saw and I surely ain't a PRO. Suggestions are welcome but some have the know it all attitude and I can get along without that.

Wild Man Jack · January 19, 2015, 09:05:30 PM

I'd agree. If I had any problem with the way the saw ran I'd consider it, or rather take it to the dealer where i bought it but it runs perfect. I seriously do not expect to shorten the saws lifespan by any amount more than negligible anyways. I'd drop it off a cliff or run it over before it dies prematurely due to me not tuning the carb to the day of the week.

ladylake · January 20, 2015, 07:17:36 AM

Saws do need to be tuned from summer to winter and it's good to learn how to do it as knowing how a saw should run may well save you a expensive repair bill. You will catch a saw that is running lean for any reason, cold weather, bad fuel line, clogged carb, air leak all will burn up a good saw if not caught in time. Steve

old 030 · January 20, 2015, 04:06:09 PM

well after selling my 600p several months ago, i finally broke down and bought a 590 to replace it this last friday, most likely wont use it til spring, so it may be awhile before giving feedback on it, i did pull the limiters and readjusted as needed and a slight muffler mod, seams to run just as good as my 600 did............. ;D

Andyshine77 · January 20, 2015, 08:58:28 PM

Quote from: tmarch on January 19, 2015, 08:47:45 PM
I'm learned a LOT on this forum, but to be honest I don't post a lot for fear of offending someone with my lack of knowledge. To be honest I have the same saw and NO I won't be "tuning" on it til a problem comes up, after all it isn't a PRO saw and I surely ain't a PRO. Suggestions are welcome but some have the know it all attitude and I can get along without that.

What does it matter if it's a pro saw or not? they both function the same. Not adjusting the carburetor on a small two cycle engine is the equivalent of never changing the oil in your car. It's basic maintenance.

I'm simply trying to educate others on this matter as best I can. It is up to the individual to listen and try to learn, or turn a blind eye. I try my best to not be condescending, I don't always succeed, but I do my best.

Fact. If you run a chainsaw and don't learn how to properly tune the carb, and learn how to notice when the carb isn't tuned correctly, any saw will live a hard and comparatively short existence. This is what I'm trying to help prevent from happening. Not everyone has the cash to replace a saw every few years. A good saw like the cs-590 should last the average person a lifetime, if properly taken care of.

Understand carburetors are stupid, they do not adjust for environmental changes. ;)