Echo 680 saw

[derek01]

Am considering buying a echo 680 saw they seem to be competively priced compared to the husky and shihl saws of equal engine size. I have not been able to determine the HP of the saw though. MSRP is 639. I saw about 10 to 12 cord a year. Also wondering where this saw is made the catalog does not say. Is there any other brand I should be looking at. I have a Jon we're that I bought a couple years ago that I am not too happy with starts hard floods easy. Is there anywhere on line or otherwise that these can be purchased at below MSRP? I also have an old husky 61 that is about 10 or 15 years old I am looking for something with more HP to fell and buck. Seems like the echo 680 would be equal to the still 372 or husky 372 right?

 

[Andrewnewy]

Can't comment on this particular saw, but at a place I use to work they ran echo saws and brush cutters, from my experience, they are not even in the same ball park as a sthil or husky, they were always incredibly hard to start, and once you finally got them going always felt underpowered compared to the equivilant sthil that I own. All the components were on the light duty end of the scale, and without fail I would have to repair something every time one got used! To give them there credit they are still going after 10 years, but then my sthil is 25yrs old and is going strong with nothing more than general maintenance!

 

[LD1]

Am considering buying a echo 680 saw they seem to be competively priced compared to the husky and shihl saws of equal engine size. I have not been able to determine the HP of the saw though. MSRP is 639. I saw about 10 to 12 cord a year. Also wondering where this saw is made the catalog does not say. Is there any other brand I should be looking at. I have a Jon we're that I bought a couple years ago that I am not too happy with starts hard floods easy. Is there anywhere on line or otherwise that these can be purchased at below MSRP? I also have an old husky 61 that is about 10 or 15 years old I am looking for something with more HP to fell and buck. Seems like the echo 680 would be equal to the still 372 or husky 372 right?

I believe the echo's are japanese saws.

The 680 seems to get pretty good reviews allthough I have not ran one yet.
I do hear that they are typically a little less power than the comparable husky/stihl/dolmar.

Dont get me wrong, the CS680 is a pro grade saw and probabally a pretty decient one for the price. I dont have any facts to verify, just going on what I have heard and read. The echos do seem to give the best warrentys though. 5years for non-commercial use:thumbsup:

And as far as comparisons go, it is unfortunate that they dint list a HP rating, but I would guess it to be in the mid 4's. Stihl (not still) doesnt make a 372. But their 440/441 is close @ 71cc's. But I believe the 441 AND the 372 husky would both eat that cs680 in a race. But you will pay ~$200 more for one of those.

Another good comparison (and in the same price range...maybe a little less) would be the dolmar PS6400. You may want to check and see if you have any dealers in your area and try one of those out. A PS6400 @ 4.8HP is tough to beat in the under 70cc class. They are a little heavier than some, but that is because they are built on the 79cc platform. Which means if you ever have to rebuild, you would have a 79cc saw that is regarded by many as one of the BEST all around firewood saws. And I assure you, I havent ran anything under 80cc that could hang with it. And it will even eat some bigger and heavier saws for lunch

 

[s219]

For the last 8-10 years, Echo has made excellent saws. I have been playing with a lot of saws lately, and in my experience, the Echos are consistently the easiest starting and most user friendly.

I have an Echo CS-400, which is a homeowner saw, but it has comparable construction to Stihl's mid-grade saws. It has been outstanding -- a real workhorse.

The 680 is one of their pro saws, and has a metal case and good construction. It's also a fairly big saw -- I assume you know you need that much saw for something?

I also have a new Stihl MS-261, a pro saw, and it's pretty awesome. I still give the edge to Echo for user-friendly easy starting though.

BTW, Echos are assembled in the US from US and Japanese parts.

Let me know if you have any other questions about saws.

 

[mrmikey]

I've got an Echo CS370 as well as one of their weedeaters and I wouldn't own anything else, always start 2nd or 3rd pull and more than enough power for my needs. The poor weedeater has been thru **** when I bought this property as I put a bush blade on it and it hasn't failed yet. Mind you I'm just a homeowner and don't use either for a living.....Mike

 

[TCowner]

I have the Echo 670 which preceded the 680 but is essentially the same saw. It is a 67cc saw and has plenty of power. Its been great for the 6 years I've owned it. I replaced the chain bar tension adjuster and that is it. I cut 10-12 cords a year. Mine has the 20" bar but it can easily handle a 24" bar.

I am a big fan of the Echo saws. Earlier this fall I bought a 360T which is a top handle saw and I just picked up a CS-400.

I'm keeping my eye out for an Echo CS8000 which is their biggest saw but they show don't show up very often.

So yeah, In my opinion the Echo 680 would make a great saw for you. I also like their 5 year warranty program.

 

[groundcover]

I also have a CS-670 and am very happy with it. It will out start any Sthil or Husky that I have ever seen, especially after sitting for a bit. The other two will out cut it in production but they seem to do it at a higher rpm. The Echo seems to be a little more low tech / old school but that's ok !

 

[Fixemall]

I have been cutting wood since it was still acceptable for a teacher to use a yardstick as a weapon, in the Echo family I have owned the cs330, 650, 660 and currently have a modified 8000. They are generally slightly heavier than Stihl or Husky but are a well made product. For the volume of cutting that you do I would look to purchase a smaller (50cc) light saw new and then troll the used classifieds at Arborstsite for a used (70+cc) saw for the bigger cuts. A two saw plan would allow you to have an easy on the back new workhorse and a backup with a bigger bar for rough stuff.
Before you buy any chainsaw I would visit the dealers and try them out, most times what "feels" right to one cutter may not agree with the next. Dealer support is also huge for me, if You don't feel comfortable with a long term arrangement with the brand representative, look elsewhere. Ask yourself how this guy will likely react to your saw with a seized up engine nine months from now.

 

[derek01]

Any thoughts on the echo 680 in comparison to the husqvarna 570 I found the HP of the echo on the UK Webb site it is 4.4 the 570 is 4.9 I have an old husky 61 that is getting a little tired and want to replace it with a little bigger saw.the husky has served me well. the 570 sells for about 640$ the 680 for about the same. the 570 i believe is home owner grade the 680 is supposed to be pro grade. I would tend toward the better built saw over a little HP.

 

[Don1]

Hi: I've had saw dealerships and done a lot of reparing of numorous brands of saws over the years and still do but only as a hobby as I'm retired now. In our area the most popular makes are husky, stihl and jonsered and in my experiance the easiest to get parts for. My thoughts are that you would be best to stay with one of these brands ,of course the service in your area could be a factor . Which ever your choice, good luck.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Well, I guess I can pre-date pretty much all of you...I've had an Echo CS-6700...(this was the original big echo...I've had mine for literally 25 years,,, and replaced the clutch once and the manual oiler pump. It came with a 24" bar and cut so fast it was scary...I got an extra 20" Oregon bar/chain for most work, but still put the 24 on for the big stuff...It still starts right up, idles perfectly and still cuts so fast its scary..I'm 61 and still cut firewood for myself and 3 good friends on their farm...PS: Not sure about any of the other makes, but if the saw you look at doesn't have a manual oiler, forget it..as you'll eat up bars/chains at least twice as fast. BobG in VA

 

[s219]

derek, any power ratings you find outside the US won't be relevant here. Due to EPA regulations, US saws tend to have a different muffler and/or carb tune.

 

[LD1]

derek, any power ratings you find outside the US won't be relevant here. Due to EPA regulations, US saws tend to have a different muffler and/or carb tune.

That only lessens the power here in the USA if that is true. And 4.4HP out of a 68cc saw is nothing to brag about.

There is no doubt that the echo is a good, solid, and reliable saw. And it should provide you with years of service if that is what you are looking for.

But if you are looking for the fastest cutting (and still reliable) saw for $600 ballpark, the echo certainly isnt it.

To answer the question about the 570, NO it is NOT a homeowner saw. It is much closer to a pro saw than a homeowner. Husky likes to call it a "landowner" grade. But it is built like a pro saw, just a little heavier and somewhat de-tuned. The dont have as agressive porting and cylinder design. Thus the lower power and NON XP markings.

I have never ran them side by side, but the 570 is a good saw. And if HP #'s are accurate, the 570 should be a good bit faster than the 680.

Considering The dolmar 6400, Husky 570, and Echo 680 are all within a few bucks of each other, similar size and weight, Those are the three I would personally look at if I were in your shoes. Sure, the 372XP or 7900 dolmar are going to be faster, but @ ~$200 more money too.

Those three saws are close. I There is no noticable difference in speed between the 6400 and 570. I imagine the echo is nipping on the heals too. It all comes down to what YOU like the best. As far as how the saw feels in your hands. They are all good quality:thumbsup:

 

[xyz123]

I owned a 570 in like brand new cond I took in once. It is a 575XP with just smaller bore and low top air filter.
Runs real good for it's size and price.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

I have two Echo saws, a CS 500 VL that's getting close to 30 years old and a CS 300 about 10. Both have been outstanding saws, are exceptionally well built and reliable.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy an Echo saw, but I have been thinking for a full year about a replacement for the CS 500 VL, mainly because it has no chain brake, and I stupidly didn't add one when they were available.

I've considered a number of options from the cheap (recon Husky 455 for $300) to the very expensive (Husky 372 XP for $800) and all in between (Echo CS 600P ad nauseum) and still haven't made the decision, lol. Now Husky has thrown the 365XP into the mix to complicate things even more.

When I bought my Echo 30 years ago, a good number of pros in the area were using them. I think most now use Husky and Stihl. Dealers are pretty scarce, and dealers who actually stock them are scarcer still. On the other hand, I've never needed one - so it doesn't seem to be a very big deal. The five year warranty is a big selling point for the Echos.

Bottom line is I wouldn't hesitate to buy any Echo product from a quality standpoint, with the exception of some of the bottom saws I have seen in the big box stores. That is a very big saw you are considering, and assuming you have plenty of chainsaw experience, would be a good choice if you have the big work to do, the experience and strength to handle it, etc.

There is also a very nice looking Makita DCS6421 available for $600 that's worth a look too, IMHO, and of course, to make matters more complicated ;-)

 

[derek01]

Thanks for the help all I decided to buy the husky 570 got it on line for 600 with 24" bar I will let you know now it all works out

 

[red44]

I realize this thread is a couple years old now, but I just bought a left-over CS-680. I went with Echo because my 20year old small Echo is still going strong, however I do have a concern. That is with the carb limiter caps, and what I've been reading about Echo saws being set lean to pass EPA crap, and some saws are burning up quick. Yet if you pull the caps to fatten the mix, your SOL on your warranty. Just wondering if there are any 680 users here and how long have you used it, did you pull the caps or leave well enough alone?

 

[LD1]

You dont just go by what others say, and then start messing with the screws.

If the saw is indeed running lean, the only two options are the dealer, or take the caps off if they dont allow enough adjustment as is.

But if everything is fine now, dont mess with it.

 

[xyz123]

I've heard that too, but havent had a new echo in my hands.

Is it lean sounding or by looking at plug? If you cant tune by ear or plug, do you have a tach? Then again if you dont know have a dealer check it.

Me if it was lean, I would pull the epa caps, adjust and put the caps back on.

 

[mountainlake]

If it's really screaming and kinda doggy it's lean, pull the caps and tune right and as mentioned put them back on, no one will know. Put them back on so you can adjust a little either way.. The last new Echo I bought a CS500p was tuned dead on but I pulled the caps just to make sure, No cat in the muff and can be opened up with removing 4 screws which it needed as usual. Steve