Just another junk chainsaw

5030 · Mar 2, 2023

Put the little CS top handle to the test today, ran it all day actually. The non CAT muff makes a difference I guess (never ran it with the CAT muff so I don't know) but it runs quite well, in fact it runs excellent. Good on fuel too, 3 tanks of Tru-Fuel and 3 fills of bar oil, all day. The bucking spikes work well as well. It's a little finicky about warm flooding however, guess I need to get used to it but overall it runs well. My buddy was over helping me and once he got a hold of the CS, I had a hard time getting it back, We cut a downed (from the ice storm) box elder and once the small stuff was off, switched to the 028 (Tru-Fuel) as well. The 028 for being 45 years old runs excellent too. Both have greaseable roller nose bars, the CS has the Echo bar, the 028 has a Carleton. If anyone wants the CAT muff, let me know, I'll send it to you.

I'm not photogenic but I'll get up some pics at some point.

At less than half the price of the Stihl Arborists saw, quite a bargain and it's lighter too. Real one hander.

Have 3 more to cut up and a huge maple to bring down yet.

That ice storm really wrecked our trees. Went 6 days with no utility power too, Thank goodness for the diesel standby. Lots of folks around us weren't so lucky.

stuckmotor · Mar 2, 2023

5030 said:
Put the little CS top handle to the test today, ran it all day actually. The non CAT muff makes a difference I guess (never ran it with the CAT muff so I don't know) but it runs quite well, in fact it runs excellent. Good on fuel too, 3 tanks of Tru-Fuel and 3 fills of bar oil, all day. The bucking spikes work well as well. It's a little finicky about warm flooding however, guess I need to get used to it but overall it runs well. My buddy was over helping me and once he got a hold of the CS, I had a hard time getting it back, We cut a downed (from the ice storm) box elder and once the small stuff was off, switched to the 028 (Tru-Fuel) as well. The 028 for being 45 years old runs excellent too. Both have greaseable roller nose bars, the CS has the Echo bar, the 028 has a Carleton. If anyone wants the CAT muff, let me know, I'll send it to you.

I'm not photogenic but I'll get up some pics at some point.

At less than half the price of the Stihl Arborists saw, quite a bargain and it's lighter too. Real one hander.

Have 3 more to cut up and a huge maple to bring down yet.

That ice storm really wrecked our trees. Went 6 days with no utility power too, Thank goodness for the diesel standby. Lots of folks around us weren't so lucky.

We haven't had but one bad ice storm in my 71 years and I'm not yet feeble minded enough to forget it.

5030 · Mar 3, 2023

stuckmotor said:
We haven't had but one bad ice storm in my 71 years and I'm not feeble minded enough to forget it.

Won't be forgetting this one for a long time either. Under a 'winter storm warning' presently for 6-10 starting at noon today through tomorrow at 4AM but no ice (glad of that), snow don't bring down power lines and break trees. Only thing snow does is cause people to run into each other and being retired, I can stay home. Wife and I are good with that. Worked the M's pretty hard yesterday unstacking very large rounds so Dave and his helper could saw them up and haul them away. I don't heat with wood, I heat with biomass (free corn and wood pellets) so I don't want and need to dispose of all the wood and Dave takes all of it, he spits it and sells it to the local campgrounds here. We have 4 close by. People like to bring their campers here for some reason and Dave provides the wood for a price. I'm good with that and don't mind helping out.

Dave is retired (actually, he was the parts manager for the local NH dealer who was absorbed. NH like JD is closing and consolidating dealers here and there wasn't a spot for him so he got let go. I guess Dave was too old to become part of the new 'team, he's 63) and unlike me, has a limited income so the firewood for him helps out and he helps me dispose of it too.

Like I said, nice saw at less than 1/2 the cost of the Stihl Arborists saw. The Stihl cost me just under 700 bucks and got run over by my tree guy and that was the end of it. Broke the jug off the crankcase and busted the crankcase too. Went in the trash. I won't be leaving the Echo in harm's way, ever. Still have my 45 year old 028 as well as the 075 and the 090G. Should sell the big ones. All I do is start them regularly and warm them up. Way too large for anything around here and way to heavy to lug around anyway.

2manyrocks · Mar 3, 2023

I've been using a Husqvarna model 445 with an 18 inch bar to cut some 4-5" saplings in the field. I'm wondering if the Echo CS-217T-12 inch top handle saw would be a better choice because it would be so much lighter and the shorter bar would be easier to keep out of the dirt? Or would the lighter weight and top handle be more dangerous for kickback for what I'm cutting?

xyz123 · Mar 4, 2023

@5030 When looking at the different echo IPL's how are your telling the CAT mufflers from the better NON cat mufflers?

Be nice to know since you said they were offered for all the echo's

271 alone I seen like 3-4 different muffler part numbers offered.

2511 short block Chris sells in my FB group on his website. Bolt on cylinder on these.

5030 · Mar 4, 2023

Look inside the muff. The CAT is circular and you can see it. The non CAT muff's have nothing inside.

Turns out (and I didn't know) that we have a Echo full stocking dealer just south of me near the Ohio line. Need to drop by and peruse. Doug's Service on Lewis Avenue. Dealt with them before on other parts. Nice folks.

xyz123 · Mar 6, 2023

OK, I know how to tell by looking at one.

I want to know how to tell by ordering them from the 3-4 different part numbers to choose from.

? What is the legit good NONcat echo mufflers part numbers?

Husky did this on some like 353 and 346 etc and I know which to order by part numbers. This is a husky cat to stay away from on 357 359.