Bought another ECHO...

[5030]

Just bought my second Echo, a 590 Timber Wolf. Have not even started it yet. Planning on doing the billet muffler mod, offset key and foam air filter first. Got it with a 20" bar and an extra loop of saw chain. Sold the Stihl MS 290 (20 ' bar) to the guy that cuts my trees with his bucket truck. Just sharpened 38 loops of chain for him and 24 chipper knives as well. Bought a second chain grinder too. Now I have one for grinding teeth and the other for grinding Rakers of course I'm using Diamond Abrasives CBN wheels on both.

All my saws are now on synthetic fuel so no worries about crappy e-gas.

 

[jyoutz]

Just bought my second Echo, a 590 Timber Wolf. Have not even started it yet. Planning on doing the billet muffler mod, offset key and foam air filter first. Got it with a 20" bar and an extra loop of saw chain. Sold the Stihl MS 290 (20 ' bar) to the guy that cuts my trees with his bucket truck. Just sharpened 38 loops of chain for him and 24 chipper knives as well. Bought a second chain grinder too. Now I have one for grinding teeth and the other for grinding Rakers of course I'm using Diamond Abrasives CBN wheels on both.

All my saws are now on synthetic fuel so no worries about crappy e-gas.

I’m not familiar with synthetic fuel. Where do you get this and does it have another name?

 

[4570Man]

I was disappointed in my 590. It gets solid reviews and maybe my standards of comparison were too high. My Makita 6100 is a reasonable competitor and it cuts way better. I’m not impressed with my echo string trimmer either. My Shindawa that got stolen and my RedMax that I still have are both way better.

 

[5030]

Echo's like late model Stihl's all need 'breathed on' a bit, the 590 is no exception, why I'll modify the intake as well as the exhaust before I use it. At least the little CS top handle was easy, just replacing the stock CAT muffler with a non cat muffler (Forrester after market) woke it right up, that and removing the EPA mandated mixture limiters. The 590 has an issue with a poor sealing air filter that allows dust to get into the carb but you can get a foam replacement filter that fits under the hood that eliminates that issue, or you can go the 'O' ring route to seal the stock filter for less.

You can also fit the larger bore carb from the next bigger saw to the 590 for even better breathing, something I may do along with the larger coil and increased rev limiter at some point.

Their weed whackers are no exception either. Severely restricted mufflers, much like Stihl and Husky.

Shindawa and Echo are one in the same, built in the same Japanese factory and everything is interchangeable.

 

[5030]

I’m not familiar with synthetic fuel. Where do you get this and does it have another name?

Lowes, Home Depot and most farm stores sell it. Couple different brands out there, VP Fuel, Tru-Fuel, Stihl Synthetic and Echo Red Armor to name a few. It comes in 40-1 (for older saws) and 50-1 (for newer saws and 2 stroke motors). I like to start a new saw on 40-1 for the first tank full myself.

 

[jyoutz]

Lowes, Home Depot and most farm stores sell it. Couple different brands out there, VP Fuel, Tru-Fuel, Stihl Synthetic and Echo Red Armor to name a few. It comes in 40-1 (for older saws) and 50-1 (for newer saws and 2 stroke motors). I like to start a new saw on 40-1 for the first tank full myself.

Oh ok. I actually bought a can of trufuel for my Echo weed wacker recently. I had no idea it was synthetic. I just didn’t have time to take the jugs to the station that sells ethanol free gas.

 

[5030]

I was disappointed in my 590. It gets solid reviews and maybe my standards of comparison were too high. My Makita 6100 is a reasonable competitor and it cuts way better. I’m not impressed with my echo string trimmer either. My Shindawa that got stolen and my RedMax that I still have are both way better.

I've said before, the difference between a good cutting saw and a poor cutting saw usually lies with the saw chain itself. If the chain is correctly sharpened and the angles are all consistent, even an underpowered chainsaw will cut 'rings' around a high powered one. It's all in the saw chain and if it's properly sharpened or not.

Owners tend to ignore their chain loops and when they don't cut properly, blame it on something else.

One thing I never do is allow any of my chains to even approach getting dull and the easiest way to tell when a loop is in need of sharpening is, the backside of the teeth will start building pitch on them.

Every saw I own has at least 2 chain loops so when one gets a little dull, I can install a new sharp one.

 

[dirttoys]

I was disappointed in my 590. It gets solid reviews and maybe my standards of comparison were too high. My Makita 6100 is a reasonable competitor and it cuts way better. I’m not impressed with my echo string trimmer either. My Shindawa that got stolen and my RedMax that I still have are both way better.

I have the timber wolf, it is a good consumer saw. The Makitta is a beast and competes well with pro saws, I don't think there is a comparison.

Best,

ed

 

[jyoutz]

I still have my old Stihl 036 pro saw from the 1990s. I love those old pro saws. I have noticed that loggers in the west tend to prefer Stihl and loggers in the eastern US tend to prefer Huskies. Both have good pro models. I’ve never used an Echo saw, but I really like the echo string trimmer and wheeled string trimmer that I have. They make quality equipment.

 

[4570Man]

I've said before, the difference between a good cutting saw and a poor cutting saw usually lies with the saw chain itself. If the chain is correctly sharpened and the angles are all consistent, even an underpowered chainsaw will cut 'rings' around a high powered one. It's all in the saw chain and if it's properly sharpened or not.

Owners tend to ignore their chain loops and when they don't cut properly, blame it on something else.

One thing I never do is allow any of my chains to even approach getting dull and the easiest way to tell when a loop is in need of sharpening is, the backside of the teeth will start building pitch on them.

Every saw I own has at least 2 chain loops so when one gets a little dull, I can install a new sharp one.

A sharp chain obviously makes a big difference but it doesn’t change the fact that the stock 590 won’t cut with the stock 6100.