Echo Top Handle Discussion

[sawmikaze]

Do any of you find the 355 leaving more to be desired in the throttle response department ?, I've used one for a while now and can say I'm not impressed with the performance, it's not as tough as a 201 either..I don't know much about 200s from a climbing standpoint so no comment there.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Do any of you find the 355 leaving more to be desired in the throttle response department ?, I've used one for a while now and can say I'm not impressed with the performance, it's not as tough as a 201 either..I don't know much about 200s from a climbing standpoint so no comment there.

It's not often that I say this, but wait until your Stihl top handle annular buffer on this saw falls apart as it has on several Stihl top handle saws that I have worked on this year. You will wonder why you ever bought it. I decided that I did not want to spend the rest of my life replacing intake manifold boots that get ripped apart right after the annular buffer fails.

So, if a climber brings me another one of these clunkers today, I will tell them to take it back to the dealer and pay through the nose to get it fixed.

 

[huskyboy]

271/360/3000 are the ones I’ve had experience working on. No frills, solid worker bees is what they are.

 

[sawmikaze]

It's not often that I say this, but wait until your Stihl top handle annular buffer on this saw falls apart as it has on several Stihl top handle saws that I have worked on this year. You will wonder why you ever bought it. I decided that I did not want to spend the rest of my life replacing intake manifold boots that get ripped apart right after the annular buffer fails.

So, if a climber brings me another one of these clunkers today, I will tell them to take it back to the dealer and pay through the nose to get it fixed.

I've worked a 201 to death, that hasn't happened yet.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I've worked a 201 to death, that hasn't happened yet.

Take a look at the IPL for the 200 and 201. The rear annual buffer is the only thing holding that top handle to the case -- a machine screw holding onto a chunk of rubber. When that gives up, the intake manifold gasket will then be torn apart and the engine will shut down immediately.

 

[VI sawguy]

If you're looking at them for pro users stick to the 2511T and 335T. The 303T and 271T are reliable but the performance is lacking from a pro perspective. The 355T once broken in is a bit behind in power compared to the 201T and T540 but not by much and they are much simpler. The 2511T is a very well designed saw and easy to work on for a top handle. Echo plastic is very hard and doesn't flex compared to the competition so you will be replacing brake handles, handlebars, covers more often.
If your distributor is ok with cherry picking the line they are a good option to compliment the Husky saws, but carry the CS-590 as well. They are great saws for the money.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

This is a good thread,

I only have a little basic 150/200/201 use, so carryon with the pros and cons,

Oh, and the easiest or best mods that can be done.

Cheers

 

[bryanr2]

That 2511 looks interesting.

 

[Woodpecker]

This is a good thread,

I only have a little basic 150/200/201 use, so carryon with the pros and cons,

Oh, and the easiest or best mods that can be done.

Cheers

Best mod on the 2511 is to let the saw breathe. Either with a hole or gills.



They even provide a convenient location.

 

[CR888]

One of my little Yamabiko top handles fell out of my truck one day, it hit the road and cracked the plastic oil tank. Pretty sure a 200/201 would have survived with a mag tank. So there are some pro's & cons to the plastic designs but I do like the little Jap TH's. The CS2511t or CS2510T are great little saws. At the end of the day what's important for a climbing saw is worlds apart from a ground saw. For work saws generally I try to buy models that have easy access to fair priced spare parts which is not as good with Echo as it is the big 2.

 

[Mutley]

When I had to retire my MS200 in order to not run it into the ground and be able to keep it as a back-up I naturally bought a couple of MS201's. A TH & a RH version, but I chose to get them both in standard carb form despite everyone hooraying for the new MT. While I didn't know what I do now, I certainly had a hunch about MT on TH's and resisted the trend. But I have MT/AT big saws so I'm not a AT hater. My 201's have served me well, but so have a couple of Japanese (Yamabiko Corp who owns most Jap saws) Makita 231t's. These 23cc saws are not sold in the States due to EPA compliance but were the lightest gas saw when released some 4+ years ago. Today I'd buy Echo's newish 25cc class CS2511t. It kicks butt on paper specs wise and is cheap. Echo TH saws have some things I don't like like plastic oil tanks among other things but generally ALWAYS start, idle all day without complaint and perform acceptably well. I'd consider them Spike, they make sense & until the major 2 up their game will provide an decent alternative. AT/MT don't belong up a tree the way the systems are to date.

I have two Makita 231T's. They are definitely NOT Yamabiko Corp.

One is bog stock & the other has a MM & has a slight timing advance. They are very good pruning saws. My oldest 231T is over 8 years old.

I also have a 350T & a 360T (Aust versions) They are chalk & cheese on the 231T. They are good saws, but have absolutely NOTHING in common with a 231T. The AV, The plastics, the caps, the recoil starter, the air filters, the coils, the handles, the choke set up, the carb...................Nothing is the same.

I like & own both Echo TH saws & the little Makita. But the Makita 231T is not an Echo.

To answer the original question, I'd buy a 355T & then replace the muffler with the muffler from a 360T (still available new as spares) & get 2 new muffler screws too, as the ones on the 360T are shorter than those on the 355T. Do a MM on the new muffler, richen up the H screw on the carb & off you go! Works for me.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

One of my little Yamabiko top handles fell out of my truck one day, it hit the road and cracked the plastic oil tank. Pretty sure a 200/201 would have survived with a mag tank. So there are some pro's & cons to the plastic designs but I do like the little Jap TH's. The CS2511t or CS2510T are great little saws. At the end of the day what's important for a climbing saw is worlds apart from a ground saw. For work saws generally I try to buy models that have easy access to fair priced spare parts which is not as good with Echo as it is the big 2.

Here's a thread for you in case it happens again, I know it means cleaning the saw, worth a try
https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/111961-echo-2511-repair/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-1659242
Fixeded with this stuffy the link is in the thread

 

[Woodpecker]

One of my little Yamabiko top handles fell out of my truck one day, it hit the road and cracked the plastic oil tank. Pretty sure a 200/201 would have survived with a mag tank. So there are some pro's & cons to the plastic designs but I do like the little Jap TH's. The CS2511t or CS2510T are great little saws. At the end of the day what's important for a climbing saw is worlds apart from a ground saw. For work saws generally I try to buy models that have easy access to fair priced spare parts which is not as good with Echo as it is the big 2.

Not sure how you figure echo parts are harder to get than Stihl parts. They are readily available online without the dealer mark up.

It was mentioned earlier that I had to replace the brake flag on our 2511. I ordered the part through @fordf150 and had the saw back up and running faster (day after) than I would have if I had been dealing with a stihl saw repair at any of the dealerships around me.

Speaking of @fordf150 you might consider picking Nate's brain on these saws @Spike60

 

[Spike60]

If you're looking at them for pro users stick to the 2511T and 335T. The 303T and 271T are reliable but the performance is lacking from a pro perspective. The 355T once broken in is a bit behind in power compared to the 201T and T540 but not by much and they are much simpler. The 2511T is a very well designed saw and easy to work on for a top handle. Echo plastic is very hard and doesn't flex compared to the competition so you will be replacing brake handles, handlebars, covers more often.
If your distributor is ok with cherry picking the line they are a good option to compliment the Husky saws, but carry the CS-590 as well. They are great saws for the money.

Narrowing it down to the best 2 is helpful, thanks. Have to keep in mind that anytime you sell something new, you have to make an investment in parts to support it. Especially for saws in professional use. And we have that reputation of having tons of parts in stock. That's much of the rationale behind cherry picking from a dealer's perspective. Gotta support what you sell. And really why I wouldn't consider stocking the 590, even though it's a great saw. It's not just how good it is, but how good is it gonna sell. In my experience it won't sell very good in a Husky store, and we hardly need another firewood saw option. More intriguing to me are some of the small rear handle saws, cause I won't go near saws like the Husky 240. I hate them so much that I DELETED free 240's on the Fall program order. Couldn't give 'em away to me. LOL

I could see doing a couple trimmer models, have a look at the blowers. But the approach would be to ease into it, not go hog wild at the start. As far as the parts go, that's all on the distributor, and ours is one of the best I've ever seen. They do a stellar job. We are a very good Exmark dealer for them, and they don't have another Echo dealer in the entire county, so I think they'd let me do whatever I wanted to.

 

[psuiewalsh]

Is the redmax g2500ts an equivalent for the 2511? I know many of the redmax/ husky are interchangble for saws and blowers.

 

[Dub11]

@Onan18 where are you....

 

[Spike60]

@Onan18 where are you....

Joe called me up and we talked for a half hour on this. Gave me the "personal touch", and some real good information. Lot's more than he would have been able to type here.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I'm not a climber, but 95% of my cutting is with 30-40cc saws. And I do idle them quite a bit. I am very, very satisfied with my Echoes. They are as reliable as anything out there, parts are cheap and easy to find, easy to work on, made in the USA or Japan. I wouldn't trade any of those attributes for a name and a little extra power.

 

[pro94lt]

I'm a hypocrite when it comes to echo, I make fun of them yet make a living with them lol... my love hate relationship started with echo years ago with the white CS 360t and I think they even made a camo one.... until I discovered the 020t... wouldn't touch a echo until the 271t came out or I seen one. Again I used 271t's every day and absolutely loved them till the ms150 came out in 2014 or 2015... I've recently got a 2511t and it absolutely destroys a 150t for almost half the price.
I'll say this about them, they are as tough as a stihl or husqvarna, are the easiest starting saw, and I own or have owned every current stihl and husqvarna saw... the only thing is until the 2511t they dont leave a smile on your face like a husqvarna or stihl does... they are all just low on power slowly getting the job done... I own a 355t but just can't use it as long as i can find and rebuild 020t saws....

 

[Onan18]

@Onan18 where are you....

I'm here...