Echo or Stihl

[Old Guy]

Yeah, yeah... I know it's like asking about tires, oil, and ethanol in gas... I'm leaning toward getting an Echo because it seems like Stihl quality has been goin downhill. So everyone pile on and let me know what ya think... Or should I wait until Friday?

It seems relevant to ask what you plan to do with it. That might matter.

 

[jmgrif]

I have a Husqvarna 372XP and cut 14-20 cords of fir a year! It's a big saw probably bigger than I need but, big is better right! Some of my neighbours have Stihl's and really like them but comment to me when they use my saw they like the vibration isolation compared to their saws? I guess your decision is based more on your needs? If you like history this book is great!

 

[Dr. Rich]

Several years ago I took up chainsaw carving. The saw that I use the most is an Echo. I have three Echo's and one Stihl that I use for carving. All four saws have special bars on them and all work great. I prefer the Echo for fine cuts. It is light and easy to handle. For cutting firewood I use a larger Stihl (026) most often. Over the years the saw has performed flawlessly. I have two Homelites that I got many years ago that have also performed well. I have an XL12 and a XL925. The XL925 is a beast (heavy) but it has the power to go through almost anything... It has a 30 inch bar on it.

When we lived in northern Idaho I had several friends who were professional fellers. Their feeling was the Husky's cut the fastest and the Stihls lasted the longest.

My advise to you is to keep your bar filed and straight. Use the sharpest chain you can find. ( Chains are cheap ) Use good bar oil and keep the saw clean. I always clean my saws after a day if carving. You can find almost anything you want for your saws from Baileys.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Yeah, yeah... I know it's like asking about tires, oil, and ethanol in gas... I'm leaning toward getting an Echo because it seems like Stihl quality has been goin downhill. So everyone pile on and let me know what ya think... Or should I wait until Friday?

It seems relevant to ask what you plan to do with it. That might matter.

It would depend on what you're planning to do..... Lumberjacks use Husky's for running all day long, but you wouldn't want it as a once-in-a-while saw I don't think. Occasional use, I'd go Echo, but Stihl's are good too. I had an older Stihl 036 w/20" bar given to me, not your lightest saw, wouldn't recommend it for light use. It hadn't been used in a couple of years, and I thought I'd have to do a fuel pump/carb rebuild.... I just cleaned the thing up, carb guts looked clean. It fired up on the second pull.......... it cut a lot of firewood this year.

 

[Old Guy]

Yeah, yeah... I know it's like asking about tires, oil, and ethanol in gas... I'm leaning toward getting an Echo because it seems like Stihl quality has been goin downhill. So everyone pile on and let me know what ya think... Or should I wait until Friday?

It seems relevant to ask what you plan to do with it. That might matter.

It would depend on what you're planning to do..... Lumberjacks use Husky's for running all day long, but you wouldn't want it as a once-in-a-while saw I don't think. Occasional use, I'd go Echo, but Stihl's are good too. I had an older Stihl 036 w/20" bar given to me, not your lightest saw, wouldn't recommend it for light use. It hadn't been used in a couple of years, and I thought I'd have to do a fuel pump/carb rebuild.... I just cleaned the thing up, carb guts looked clean. It fired up on the second pull.......... it cut a lot of firewood this year.

Exactly. We had a guy on another board ask what's the best chainsaw, and I asked that question. Turns out he wanted to use it in his yard a couple of times a year to cut brush and small limbs, and people were recommending saws more suited to the timber trade

I've got an old Poulan that has served me well for ten years or better. I cut a cord of wood or so a year for my own use and have cleared several large pines and sweetgums from my yard. I cut a dead oak tree last summer that was destined to fall across the road if I hadn't gotten it down, and it was a couple of feet in diameter at the base. The old Poulan worked fine, though I did have to cut from both sides because the bar was too short.

I've replaced the bar a few times and the clutch once. I know the high-dollar saws are nicer, but the much cheaper Poulan has proven adequate for my needs.

So ..... with all that said Of the choices offered, I'd probably go with the Echo.

 

[DennisJ]

My Dad and I had a Stihl years ago and cut more firewood (Alder & Cedar) than I care to think about. About two months of weekends every spring, split and stacked for the coming winter. Never had a problem with it, kept the chain sharp and the saw clean. Pre-Ethanol days so no worries about Ethanol and the fuel system. My brother-in-law has a little Homelite that he uses out in the back yard for general brush and small tree clearing and it has served that purpose well. The chain seems to need more frequent sharpening but considering the conditions it is used in that is not surprising. If I was going to be cutting a lot of firewood I would go with one of the pro level Stihl saws just because of past experience but I suspect the pro level saws of most of the manufacturers hold up about the same.

 

[mferriter]

I bought a Stihl 250 (18" bar) at the beginning of the summer to cut up a 100-ft tall poplar that came down in my front yard. Bought it primarily because a local garden center is an authorized sales and service center.

Runs like a champ.

Probably have something like 150 hours on it already. Some parts have started to wear out (needle bearing) but it keeps on ticking. Not a fan of the chain oiling system which can be on and off and not easily replaceable.

Have gradually worked my way up to the base of the tree which is about 4' in diameter, so now need something bigger (or maybe dynamite).

Consider how big a bar you need and the size of the engine that should go along with it. That in combination with the overall weight should help guide your decision. There's a huge difference between being able to handle a 7-lb saw and an 11-lb saw over the course of several hours.

 

[RPrice]

I run a Stihl 260 PRO to cut 10+ cords of firewood each year. The bigger 361 ( now the 362 ) is more popular around here, and I'll probably add one of those some day, but the 260 is lighter and less tiring for an old geezer like me to cut with for hours at a time. These are both professional grade saws. There is a big difference between the professional line and the homeowner line. Homeowner saws are generally heavier for equal power, and engineered to be replaced over time rather than repaired and kept for many years. So it depends on what you need and how much you want to spend. I believe that Stihl has a great reputation for their professional saws, and they may be using that reputation to market the homeowner line, but they are not the same thing.
The major competitor for Stihl in my neck o' the woods is Husqvarna. The Husky's seem to be comparable in power and reliability, but I never owned one so I can't speak from experience.

I have owned a few homeowner saws over the years, including McCullock, Homelite, and Sear brands. They are all about the same. They run well when new, wear out fast if you work them hard, then end up in the dump. I never owned an Echo.

+1 on everything you've said here! I started out with a Stihl 041 in 1981, and I still have it, and it still runs great. But the reality is there are far lighter and safer models available now. The older I get the the more I prefer light saws, with relatively short bars!! Without describing the previous Stihl saws I've owned, I'll say I now own a Stihl MS 261, with a 16 inch bar. I cut, split and stack about 9 cords a year for my home, and I help a couple neighbors too. The 261 is a pro saw, and it has performed flawlessly for three years now. Lot's of torque, as well as high rpm. Don't get a bar longer than you need, it just adds weight. This saw outcuts most saws with much higher displacements as long as you keep the cutters sharp, and just perform your basic maintenance routine, which only takes about 10 minutes during and after a day of cutting.

Stihl and Husqvarna are the most popular saws around here.

 

[Niehart]

After you buy it, change to the old fashion skip tooth chain.

 

[TomInPA]

Like Neihart said, take off the safety chain and tip-guard and get a real production chain, and any saw you buy will work great. I have had an Echo with 20" bar since 1990, but have used many Stihl and Husquvarna saws. Find one with good balance and the right size bar for you, and either will work great. I prefer a lighter saw with longer bar to minimize bending over a lot. Just make sure the saw can pull the chain. Once you get up to a 36 bar, the saw gets pretty heavy and my cutting day gets shorter.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I started out with homelight and then moved up to an 18" Husqvarna 061. It seized up the first couple of weeks I had it. I am pretty sure they bored it out and gave it back to me. I have been cutting with it for 30 years now. I can't tell you how many ropes I have had to replace. Been through a few bars and a whole lot if chains. I burn 5 o 6 cord a year at present. As long as I can get the wood for free I will keep burning.

I tried pellets for a couple of years and you just don't get the same amount of heat as you do with a wood stove. So now the pellet stove just sits there. Not to mention the price of pellets almost doubled.

All that being said my brother had a still I use several times. Man did that thing kick ***. Love the saw. It was about the same size as my Husky. Not sure what he ever did with it. I know he doesn't burn wood at all anymore. If I had a choice between echo or stihl I would go with the stihl.

Dave

 

[Greg 03]

Thanks for the great input so far guys. I plan on using it for cutting up deadfall on our farm, trimming shooting lanes for hunting, and clearing four wheeler trails. A lot of the time it'll just ride on my four wheeler rack. I don't burn firewood for heat but my step dad does and I'd like to be able to help him out some. For felling the big trees he's got as big a saw as we need as well as an old school crosscut. I certainly don't plan on turnin in my tin and becoming a lumberjack any time soon... I'd end up starving to death those guys are tough and crazy.

 

[Greg 03]

Guess it doesn't matter... gonna be paying sales tax on a 2013 Wee strom instead!

 

[Old Guy]

Guess it doesn't matter... gonna be paying sales tax on a 2013 Wee strom instead!

Well, if you'd said "Should I buy a chainsaw or Wee strom?" I think it would have been unanimous.

Congratulations.

 

[Greg 03]

I'll be coming down to Searcy to pick it up Old Guy. Seemed appropriate since Arkansas is my second home state.

 

[Old Guy]

I'll be coming down to Searcy to pick it up Old Guy. Seemed appropriate since Arkansas is my second home state.

I've never dealt with the Suzuki dealer there, but I understand they're good folks.

 

[weekend rider]

echo

 

[Old Guy]

echo

Hello? .... Hello? .... Hello? .... Hello? .... Hello? .... Hello? .... is there and echo in here?


Sorry, I lost control of my self control.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Well, then it sounds like you answered your own question. Ours are a few years old and run like sumbitches. Patch and I cut 15 chords of wood with them this year.

Hey dip ****... What chord were those cords singing in?

 

[HotRodZilla]

Well, then it sounds like you answered your own question. Ours are a few years old and run like sumbitches. Patch and I cut 15 chords of wood with them this year.

Hey dip ****... What chord were those cords singing in?

Haha...oops. I donno. I had my ear protection on so I couldn't hear them scream.