New Chainsaw Question

[MiserableOldFart]

Hi All,
I am considering upgrading my 25+ year old Echo CS500VL, which is about as good as new and a fantastic saw to something a bit more modern with a longer bar and a chain brake. I was impressed by the Husqvarna XP372 I looked at today. It isn't overly heavy (except on the wallet!) and it's the lightest saw that they make that they recommend for a 24" bar, which is what I want.

I have been very happy with my two Echo saws, and the new Echos are quite a bit less expensive than the XP372, but they do not seem to me to have the look and feel of ultra high quality that my CS500VL has. Echo rates saws much smaller than 70cc class for 24" bars, and I'm wondering if there's anyone out there with experience with the 60cc class Echos and the 24" bars. It seems also that the Echos are a bit heavier than the Husky's.. We have a local Husky dealer, and the closest Echo dealer is about 20 miles away, but I've never needed a dealer in the 25+ years I've owned the Echo saw or the 9+ years I've owned the little CS300.

There is also a deal going on for "refurbished" Husky 455's at the very attractive price of $300, but they only have 20" bars and that's the max that they recommend.. though for a $500+ savings I might be tempted to go that route.

Given that I have the Echo 300 for my small work, is the XP 372 a proper choice for "everything else?" I have some very big maples that are going to have be felled (by professionals) and then bucked (by me) and several big downed hemlocks that will provide me with late fall and early winter fuel before I need the good stuff. No Stihl dealers nearby. Is the XP372 a $300 better saw than the Echo CS-600P? Are the new Echo's up to snuff?

Any opinions would be appreciated..

 

[TCowner]

I have an Echo CS670 with a 20" bar that I bought new 4 years ago. It gets a lot of use and the only problem I've had was the chain tension adjuster broke. The repair was about $40. Other than that its been great saw with good power. I bought a 27" bar for the big stuff but its too much bar for the saw. I'm sure it would handle a 24" nicely though.

For the money I think Echo makes a good saw.

 

[Egon]

No knowledge of the Echo saws but have several Husky saws which preform well.

In our area the Husky 372 is quite popular.

 

[Dmace]

Our "big" saw is a Husqvarna Rancher 460 (60cc, 24" bar) that I got at the beginning of the year for the big stuff and it works great.

The XP series is for everyday use by professionals, I only use this saw a few times a month. If you do this for a living, the XP is the way to go but for a homeowner type saw, I think the Rancher is more than enough. It's lighter than the XP also (12.8lbs vs 13.4).

Plus about half the price, $450 vs $850. I got it at Tractor Supply with a 10% coupon for just over $400.
HUSQVARNA 460 Rancher - Chainsaws
HUSQVARNA 372 XPｮ W - XPｮ saws

 

[Baby Grand]

About 7 or 8 years ago, while walking through our local Home Despot, I saw a header display with Echo CS305 14" saws boxed for $95 each. I was living on a 1/2 acre property at the time and the deadwood was starting to get a bit much for the Sandvick bow saw, so it came home with me. That saw is near indestructible. Always starts with 1 or 2 pulls. I have cut many cords of limbs and up to 4" trees with it. The perfect limber/companion to my Stihl MS361. If I had known that they make large displacement saws I would have considered one during the Husky-Stihl-Jonsered compare-o-rama 2 years ago.
-Jim

 

[LD1]

I posted a reply in the other thread you asked this question in. So I'll just copy and past my thoughts instead of re-typing everything.

My question basically boils down to this: Is the Husky 372P really a $300 better saw than an Echo CS 600P? My 500VL is a wonderful saw, as good as new, but I wonder if the current Echos are built as well.

Short answer is yes to some people and no to others. It depends on how often you use it. You aren't really comparing apples to apples.

The echo is just under 60cc's and only 4.0 HP The 372 husky is almost 75cc with 5.4 HP. Weight is about the same.

So you either need to decide weather the 1.4 HP (which is huge in the saw world) is worth the extra $$$ OR you need to compare more similar saws.

In order to get to the HP of the 372, you need to look at the CS8002. And that puts you about 3lbs heavier and who knows how much more $$$.

The appropriate husky you should be comparing the cs600 to would be a 357xp, which is a few hundred dollars less than the 372, about a pound lighter than the echo and still about 0.4HP more, OR the 359 husky which is about $300 less than the 372 and specs comparibally to the cs600.

When it comes to saws, for the most part, you get what you pay for. You need to look close at the specs (just like when buying a tractor). All the big saw companies prices are similar for similar models. you HAVE to compare apples to apples.

And as with buying a tractor, don't forget about dealer support. And test each saw BEFORE you decide on one. You may hear nothing but good things about a certain saw, but it just might not feel right in your hands.

And I will also throw out dolmar for you to look at if you have a dealer nearby. Their PS6400 puts out 4.8HP (0.8 more than the cs600) and weighs about the same, and can be had from a good dealer in the $500-600 range.

If you havent noticed, the echos are typically a little underpowered in their classes when compaired to the respective Dolmars, Husky's, and Stihls. But they are still a great saw and a great warrenty.

Sorry for being long winded and good luck with the purchase.

 

[sixdogs]

We lived in Maine for many years and I have had a number of saws and cut a lot of hard/soft wood. Today, I feel the typical guy/farmer would do best with a Stihl or an Echo. Presently I have a (Sachs) Dolmar, which is owned by Makita and made in Germany. Great saw and starts easy and cuts hard but pricy. Also have a Stihl that starts every time and I can get parts everywhere--if I ever need any. You'll likely never need much anyway. Stihls are known for easy starts and you do not want a hard starting saw.

Huskvarna used to be great--and maybe their big saws are still, but something is wrong across the board. I have heard nothing but complaints of hard starting, bad quality and poor service on their stuff for a couple of years. Search the web.

If it were me I'd look hard at a regular Stihl and maybe a big Echo.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Thanks, folks. The weight differential between the Husky and Echo saws in the same class is very much a concern, and I have noticed it. I don't see the hp ratings on the Echo site, and couldn't find them, so I wasn't sure about that. The reason I compared two different sized saws is that each is the lightest made by the company for which they recommend a 24" bar.

Maybe if I ruminate on this long enough, We'll get snowed in so I can put off the decision and the expense for a few months. Right now, except for an annoying 2 inches of snow on the ground, we're getting pretty good weather for going into the woods. Just ordered a pair of NEOS boots with studs to make it a bit easier. The bug has hit me though, and it's driving me nuts. Poring over the data and specs on the things..

I don't use a chainsaw every day, and I'm at an age where I shouldn't really be concerned about the longevity of a saw, but I do like quality equipment and I take pride in the fact that my stuff gets used heavily in spurts and lasts a long time. The 372 XP is a very nice looking saw, and feels good in the hands. It is probably at about the limit of the weight I can handle comfortably as well. Still, the reconditioned 455's at $300 are tempting, though the 20" bar is a little small for what I want to do. A new saw will be, along with the tractor, splitter and various other toys, hopefully appreciated by my heirs, else they'll just have to get an auctioneer up here when the time comes..

Why can't they make an 8 pound saw that can handle a 28 inch bar, lol??

 

[LD1]

Thanks, folks. The weight differential between the Husky and Echo saws in the same class is very much a concern, and I have noticed it. I don't see the hp ratings on the Echo site, and couldn't find them, so I wasn't sure about that. The reason I compared two different sized saws is that each is the lightest made by the company for which they recommend a 24" bar.

Maybe if I ruminate on this long enough, We'll get snowed in so I can put off the decision and the expense for a few months. Right now, except for an annoying 2 inches of snow on the ground, we're getting pretty good weather for going into the woods. Just ordered a pair of NEOS boots with studs to make it a bit easier. The bug has hit me though, and it's driving me nuts. Poring over the data and specs on the things..

I don't use a chainsaw every day, and I'm at an age where I shouldn't really be concerned about the longevity of a saw, but I do like quality equipment and I take pride in the fact that my stuff gets used heavily in spurts and lasts a long time. The 372 XP is a very nice looking saw, and feels good in the hands. It is probably at about the limit of the weight I can handle comfortably as well. Still, the reconditioned 455's at $300 are tempting, though the 20" bar is a little small for what I want to do. A new saw will be, along with the tractor, splitter and various other toys, hopefully appreciated by my heirs, else they'll just have to get an auctioneer up here when the time comes.

Why can't they make an 8 pound saw that can handle a 28 inch bar, lol??

A bit of advise, Dont get hung up on what the MFG's reccomend for max bar length. You can put a 20" on a 40cc saw if you wanted to, it will just cut slower.

Instead, look at the HP ratings and let that be the deciding factor on how much bar you want to pull. My dolmar 6400 currently wears a 24" B&C, and at 4.8HP, I personally wouldn't want any LESS power with a 24" for hardwoods.

Echo's site lists the power in Kw's. The CS600 you mention is 3.0Kw which is 3000 watts. divide that by 746 to get the HP equivellent, or 4.0HP.

Husky lists the 357xp for a 13"-20" bar. But If you were to put a 24" on it, it would still pull it better than the CS600, simply because it has 4.4HP as opposed to 4.0. So take the max bar length with a grain of salt. Look at the HP and weight of the saws because those are the two specs that matter the most.

 

[LD1]

We lived in Maine for many years and I have had a number of saws and cut a lot of hard/soft wood. Today, I feel the typical guy/farmer would do best with a Stihl or an Echo. Presently I have a (Sachs) Dolmar, which is owned by Makita and made in Germany. Great saw and starts easy and cuts hard but pricy. Also have a Stihl that starts every time and I can get parts everywhere--if I ever need any. You'll likely never need much anyway. Stihls are known for easy starts and you do not want a hard starting saw.

Huskvarna used to be great--and maybe their big saws are still, but something is wrong across the board. I have heard nothing but complaints of hard starting, bad quality and poor service on their stuff for a couple of years. Search the web.

If it were me I'd look hard at a regular Stihl and maybe a big Echo.

Sixdogs:

Where abouts in central OH are you, and what model Sachs dolmar do you have??

I LOVE to older ones. especially the SI's. The 116si and 120si are two of the best saws I think I have ever ran