Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire ECHO CS-590 Chainsaw

We would flog the chit outta multiple brands of saws clearing and cutting firewood, and everyone that had an echo or two loved 'em.

You've got that right. The box stores saws are made to a price point and lack the bigger cc engines that make a saw more powerful and easier to use.

What's a face cord ??

Echo makes some fine pro saws..

I can't speak to their chain saws, but I have a string/blade trimmer I bought 15 years ago that is a fine piece of equipment.

One row of 4'x8'x16" split... never understood it.

A face cord is 4' x8' x whatever length the wood was cut. A true cord is 4'x8'x8'. Around here a face cord is called a rick.

This

You are certainly correct in that there is a big difference between pro and farm/homeowner saws. The 590 Echo is a "sleeper" in that it is pretty much a pro saw build that is based on the 600P model, but comes with a homeowner type bar and chain, believe it also has a spur type sprocket instead of a rim. I do not think there is a better saw value anywhere by anyone right now.

For a couple of bucks more money, Stihl offers the 291 and Husky offers the 455. Both are homeowner/farm type saws and neither is even close to the 590 Echo in performance or build quality.

I would not argue that a Stihl 362 or the Husky 562 is a better choice for the professional, but remeber that comes at a price, at least $300 more than the Echo 590. For the casual, even enthusiast user it is very hard to beat the Echo for the money.

I have a few, Stihl MS260 Pro, Stihl 029 Farm Boss and Stihl MS170 Mini Boss and like them all.

Im not real happy with my echo leaf blower right now. I bought one two years ago with a five year warranty that recently stopped working. Turns out there are a lot of exceptions to the warranty. For example, the unit is approved for use with ethanol gas, but somehow if it screws up the carb its not covered under warranty.

My old el cheapo poulan lasted ten years at about half the price.

Husqvarna 562 XP with a 20". This thing kicks butt..

I own two Husky 450 Ranchers, one in Idaho and one in Texas, and they do all that I need. They keep the dead trees in a bundle for the wood stoves on both properties and start within a few pulls after many months of non-use. For my use I do not see a need for anything more.

I purchased an Echo years ago at Home Depot. Only use it for trimming limbs & small trees at my lake house & occasionally at my city home. Don't cut fire wood so the Echo does everything I need.

Don't take this wrong.....but,
A warranty does not cover stupidity.
Ethanol and carbs are not compatible.
Use non-ethanol gas (if you can) and your troubles should be few.
Most people buy a gallon or five of that wonderful ethanol your government is shoving down your throat, mix it 50:1 (maybe) and it sits in the garage for the summer or even better, all winter.
Then in spring they pull their 2 stroke whatever brand, out of the garage,
fill it with the gas they have in their can and expect to trim away like when she was new.
99% of the people with trouble didn't winterize or care for their fuel or carb in anyway.

According to your machine's Manuel, you should throw out any ethanol gas that has sat for 30 days or more.

No doubt ethanol is bad news for carbed equipment. I use non ethanol in all my 2 cycle engines, I have to get it from another state or I would use it in all my small engines.

So far ethanol gas has ruined gaskets in my Honda powered splitter, Robin-Subaru powered pressure washer, 2 Brigs powered lawn mowers and worst of all my BMW motorcycle which is fuel injected but it ate the lines!!!!!

Startron or Stabil Marine helps but bottom line is ethanol gas SUCKS!!!

I am inclined to agree that the fuel was the problem, not the equipment. Even though the alcohol is only supposed to be 10%, many that test it report higher percentages.

I was talking to a mechanic at the Polaris shop.
He said ethanol gas is great for selling shop time.........
Eats any and all rubber it finds......
Fuel injected stuff can get away with it.
Carbs.......not so much.

This is pretty much what I discovered in my research and the reason why I purchased the CS-590. Also, the parts are interchangeable so can easily be upgraded. Not sure if it's true, but a lot of people claim that ECHO does not have a homeowner line and they are all professional grade.

Just to say it, a cord of wood is 128 cubic feet of wood, with the wood cut at 24 inches each. A Rick is cut at 18 inches.

I have a Stihl Farm Boss and a Ms180c. Both are great.

The other day my Home Depot had a refurbished Echo 590 for $299. This thread is making me wish I had given it a closer look.

I've always been a fan of Echo but the newer orange saws look cheaper made to me than the old gray saws. We have an old 440/4400 that is my favorite saw out of the three we have. With a sharp chain it will run through anything but its usually reserved for cedar and brush clearing. An Echo with similar power to a Husky 55 would be a force to be reckoned with.