stihl or echo chainsaw?

I'm looking for a small gas chainsaw for occasion tree trimming and maybe emergency use (e.g. down tree after a windstorm).

Echo offers 5 year warranty, does that mean echo saw would last longer if all else are equal?

Also do either brands have a means to drain the gas from the carbeurator for storage? Most 2-stroke oil have gasoline stablizer but it is better to leave no gas to gum up the carbeurator.

Reply to
peter
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On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:26:00 GMT, "peter" wrote Re stihl or echo chainsaw?:

No. The warranty is useless. Get the Stihl.

Reply to
Caesar Romano

Get the stihl. Or if you can afford it get the Husqvarna 335XP for under 400.00. It will outlive you.

Reply to
robson

I have to disagree with you on this. I have a 20 year old Stihl chainsaw. I have NEVER drained the gas out of it. I use the Stihl oil that has stabilizer in it. I usually use the saw at least a couple of time a year and ever time I go to start it, it will start within 3 pulls. I would think draining the gas out would be a pain and an inconvenience. Also it would dry the gaskets out.

Reply to
jimmyDahGeek

STIHL! Echo is a disposable product. If you buy a Stihl, make a provision in your will for it, because it will last longer than you. I bought a Husqvarna 345 for $237 online. So far, it has done everything I tried to do with it. I think it would outlast en Echo.

There was quite a thread on this a while back when I bought mine. You can't go wrong with a Stihl or Husqvarna. There's a couple of other good ones, too. And they aren't that much more than a cheapie. Five to ten years down the road is when you know if you got a good one or not, and be buying another one. Stihl and Husky will definitely last that long unless you are a commercial logger. BTW, they use Stihls and Huskys a lot.

What does that tell you?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Get the stihl. the echo is a toy.

s
Reply to
S. Barker

No, it means they are betting you'll lose the paperwork after the first few months. Get the Stihl

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

If those are you only choices, then it is no choice at all. Stihl is the one to get.

If you want to drain the gas, open the gas cap, turn saw upside down over the nearest poison ivy. Replace cap and start the saw. Let it run until it dies. The gas will be almost completely gone. The question is; Why do you want to drain the gas out of it?

Reply to
Robert Allison

What good is the chainsaw if it is in for warranty when you need it, or about to use it, it don't work?

I'd take a Stihl with no warranty.

samurai.

Reply to
samurai

It's apparent that not many of you have owned Echo Chainsaws! I have a Sthil and an Echo. I have owned both for around 20 years and use every winter for falling trees for firewood. I truthfully cannot say which is the best, they are both super machines. Neither have had gas drained from them and they are always ready for work! Who needs a warranty on something that works so well as these two saws? I am sure if there was an initial problem with either, they would be repaired, as both have good reputations. I guess the reason I'm writing this is to stand up for Echo because they are every bit as good as a Sthil! Actually I enjoy using my Echo because it is lighter and will do the same amount of work as my Sthil! You cannot go wrong with either saw!

Reply to
info

Well consider yourself lucky. that's got to be the first echo product i've heard of lasting over a year. And i've been in the lawn and landscape biz for over a decade. i've seen , used, and repaired all brands. Echo has been the biggest (short of ryobi) disposable product i've seen.

steve

It's apparent that not many of you have owned Echo Chainsaws! I have a Sthil and an Echo. I have owned both for around 20 years and use every winter for falling trees for firewood. I truthfully cannot say which is the best, they are both super machines. Neither have had gas drained from them and they are always ready for work! Who needs a warranty on something that works so well as these two saws? I am sure if there was an initial problem with either, they would be repaired, as both have good reputations. I guess the reason I'm writing this is to stand up for Echo because they are every bit as good as a Sthil! Actually I enjoy using my Echo because it is lighter and will do the same amount of work as my Sthil! You cannot go wrong with either saw!

Reply to
S. Barker

It's apparent that not many of you have owned Echo Chainsaws! I have a Sthil and an Echo. I have owned both for around 20 years and use every winter for falling trees for firewood. I truthfully cannot say which is the best, they are both super machines. Neither have had gas drained from them and they are always ready for work! Who needs a warranty on something that works so well as these two saws? I am sure if there was an initial problem with either, they would be repaired, as both have good reputations. I guess the reason I'm writing this is to stand up for Echo because they are every bit as good as a Sthil! Actually I enjoy using my Echo because it is lighter and will do the same amount of work as my Sthil! You cannot go wrong with either saw!

Been smokin some good shit again, huh?

Echo is a toy, a disposable compared to a Stihl. I've yet to see an Echo on a commercial logging operation. Stihl and Husky ONLY.

Echo has been around for twenty years, eh?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Hi, Sthil is my choice. My local Echo dealer quit selling it. Was told problem with parts and frequent design change.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Hi, Also draining gas is myth to me. I never do that. Owning several 2 cylce engine tools, I just use best oil, properly mixed. Season after season all starts well with 2-3 pulls. Why bother draining? My winter cold is about -30C.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Funny, isn't it? Most of the advice I hear here is from people who don't own or regularly use chain saws. Guess it's like kids. Those who have the most advice don't have any kids.

I never drain mine, either. Guess I just use it enough. Now, maybe if I used it every five or ten years, I may have a problem. I don't even have any problem forgetting and leaving the small cap off the gas can for a month or two. It still runs the saw.

I like my Husky, and KNOW I'd like a Stihl. There's chainsaws and there's wannabes.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I have no Echo experience, but I hope you will find this Stihl-centric information useful anyway. I bought a Stihl 038AV in 1983. I used to have an old Homelite (late 1960's vintage), but once I started using the Stihl I traded that old Homelite away. No comparison to the Stihl. I don't use the Stihl much currently, but from 1983 to 1992 I used it regularly to cut from 2 to 5 cords of wood per year for home heating. The woodcutting site was a one-hour drive from home, and was situated at about 8,500 feet (3,300 meters) altitude. I have an 18 and 32 inch bar, and several chains for each bar. That is one amazing saw. It has *never* let me down. The power suffered a bit at altitude, but all saws do.

One thing I really liked about going from Homelite to Stihl was the exhaust noise. I'm a lefty, and the Homelite muffler was on the right side of the engine -- spewing noise into my left ear. The Stihl's muffler is mounted in the front, discharging towards the bar & chain. Ambidextrous. One other thing I really liked is that the Stihl did not vibrate nearly as much as the Homelite. Don't know if engine vibration is an issue with Echo or not, but there are all my $0.02 worth.

Reply to
maxodyne

I would add Jonsered to Stihl and Husky. I have worked on Stihl and Huskvarna and both are very good. I had some Stihl saws in the junk pile, but they are a more populous machine and anything can be abused!

Reply to
pheeh.zero

Is Jonsered mostly European? I HAVE heard of them, but never seen one.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

The difference is you cannot buy a 20 tear old Echo and the new ones are worse ;)

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

Reply to
nick hull

I've owned a big Jonsered for 20 years and a small Echo for 5. I like the Echo more because its small and light...I use it whenever I can, only pulling out the Jonsered when the Echo can't cut it. Have had great luck with both, but should have bought the small one first as it does 95% of the work I need to do, and carring around a big saw when you don't need it is no fun. My advice is to buy a small one and keep the chain sharp.

Reply to
Dan K

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