Echo 590 or the X Series?

[WinterDeere]

I will have to disagree. Both the farmboss and the rancher are clamshell cases and not easily split rebuildable unlike the Echo. I also find the Echo's to be better built than the cheap line of Stihl or Husky...

Good points. Echo sort of fills a nice gap between the cheap Farmboss/Rancher and the pro lines from Stihl/Husq. It was unfair of me to imply they're equivalent with regard to serviceability.

And I can run a 20" bar on my Husqvarna 550XP MKII all day in hardwoods without it skipping a beat. It's a beast of a saw! My Stihl 261 will also run a 20" blade as will my Echo 590. But typically when I need 20" I am using my Husqvarna 562XP and she's a screamer. a 50" saw isn't an ideal place for a 20" bar but some saws like the 550+XP doesn't bat an eye to it....

I'm not sure what to say to this, other than there are many variables in setup, wood, and expectations. I run full chisel chain (Stihl RS or equivalent) and set my depth gauges around .031", which takes some power to pull. I'm cutting mostly red oak, and a lot of logs large enough that the nose on my 20" bar is fully buried. I've never put that combo on any saw of any brand under 65cc and not been disappointed with how gentle I have to play it to avoid bogging. Yes, it will cut, but my God... annoyingly slow by comparison to a properly-matched motor/bar configuration.

Ignoring my little top handle, the combos I'm running today are 19" on 65cc and 28" on 85cc. Both full-comp 3/8" full-chisel RS on roller nose bars, standard 60/30/10 sharpening angles, but with depth gauges set down at .031" (factory is .026"). They pull hard and cut fast.

If I were to try to run a 20" bar on a 45-50cc saw, I think I'd set the depth gauges up around .020". That would prevent bogging, but it's going to cut 30% slower, taking a smaller bite with each tooth. Most people never adjust their depth gauges, which could explain most of the difference in experience/expectations.

 

[4570Man]

I will have to disagree. Both the farmboss and the rancher are clamshell cases and not easily split rebuildable unlike the Echo. I also find the Echo's to be better built than the cheap line of Stihl or Husky...

And I can run a 20" bar on my Husqvarna 550XP MKII all day in hardwoods without it skipping a beat. It's a beast of a saw! My Stihl 261 will also run a 20" blade as will my Echo 590. But typically when I need 20" I am using my Husqvarna 562XP and she's a screamer. a 50" saw isn't an ideal place for a 20" bar but some saws like the 550+XP doesn't bat an eye to it....

I run a 16” bar on both of my 50cc saws but if I it was the only saw I had I’d slap a 20” on it and use it. A sharp 20” would out cut a dull 16”.

 

[WinterDeere]

It's also worth looking separately at things like repairability and design lifetime, versus useability and performance. Many analogies can be made to cars, but simply put, many users may not care if the chainsaw has a split case that can be easily repaired.

 

[xyz123]

A more appropriate comparison for Echo would be the Stihl Farm Boss or the Husqvarna Rancher series. Of course Stihl and Husqvarna pro saws are going to be more expensive than Echo, what would you expect?

Here's a more useful comparison:

Stihl MS-250 Farm Boss: $399 MSRP
Husqvarna 455 Rancher: $599 MSRP

Aside from that, a 20" bar on a 45 or 50cc saw is somewhere between hopeful and stupid. Just because the oiler can support a 20" bar, doesn't mean the engine can actually pull it with the nose buried in hardwood under any reasonable pressure. Max bar length spec is a function only of what the oiler can support, not engine horsepower.

Cutting east coast hardwoods, you're going to be very disappointed trying to run a 20" bar on a 45 - 50cc saw. The guys cutting pine and fir in the PNW get away with that, but not us. Stick to 65cc or above, if you need to run a 20" bar with nose fully buried in oak or hickory.

Not even in the same league with those PLASTIC cases. I only compare MAG cased saws in same market.

We are talking 50cc MAG cased saws. Not 45cc and 56cc PLASTIC cased saws.


Those plastic saws you drop down to the lower grade echo plastic saws that are even cheaper.

I only did 20" because homeowner buyers always go for the most bar length.

Me 50cc saws I like 16" even though my echo came with 18". It came in as a trade in.

20"- 24" for me is 65cc-80cc class. But stay with 20 if able. Running 20" on my 67cc right now.

 

[Hay Dude]

I run a 20” bar on a 261C 50cc saw and it saves me from having to bend over further than a 16” bar to buck anything laying on the ground.
50+ year old people still working outside 8+ hours a day appreciate any/all tactical advantages they can get to keep working.

I get that the recommended bar length is 16-18”, but 50% of what I cut around here is pine anyway, so it works for my situation. I had little problem cutting poplar, too.

 

[xyz123]

I understand that for lot of people myself and with the bending over and the back etc etc. I am way deep into your 50+ age deal too.

But still do short bars. I even put 12" on my top handles instead of 16" like most do.

I'm just that guy that was always the big block in a vega. Even ran short bars on ported 66's 84's etc etc.
Was just fun cutting rounds licky split so quick.

 

[Hay Dude]

I understand that for lot of people myself and with the bending over and the back etc etc. I am way deep into your 50+ age deal too.

But still do short bars. I even put 12" on my top handles instead of 16" like most do.

I'm just that guy that was always the big block in a vega. Even ran short bars on ported 66's 84's etc etc.
Was just fun cutting rounds licky split so quick.


View attachment 828587

I hear ya. If I was doing firewood, I would be running shorter bars, too.

So much equipment use/style is situational. I am more of the mentality to squeeze every ounce of utility out of every dollar-hence the longest bar.

Its also known as being self employed.

 

[WinterDeere]

I run a 20” bar on a 261C 50cc saw and it saves me from having to bend over further than a 16” bar to buck anything laying on the ground.
50+ year old people still working outside 8+ hours a day appreciate any/all tactical advantages they can get to keep working.

Ever see the bow type bars that guys used to run down south? They'd be useless for a lot of what I do, but I believe the marketing behind them was almost entirely aimed at your situation, cutting logs on the ground from a standing position.



Talk about a large kickback zone! Of course, any kickback force would be far less violet, due to reduced angular velocity around a larger radius. More of a "pushback" feel than the usual snap-action behavior you get off the upper quadrant of a small bar tip.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have seen that before. Dedicated saw that Looks dangerous and takes a lot of storage space.

 

[EddieWalker]

I didn't know about that either until about a year into chainsaw ownership with my Echo CS 490.

This is the greaser I use for the roller nose.

I just ordered the Oregon Greaser from Amazon. It should be here Friday. Thanks!!!!