Echo 590 or the X Series?

[Duds13]

I bought the Echo CS-590 Saturday morning from Home Depot. I haven't been there on a Saturday in awhile, and it was really bad. Not enough people working there, too much junk in all the isles, and the chainsaws are all locked up. I waited my turn for the guy to come and unlock it, and take it to the cashier to hold for me. Seems like big crime has made it to Tyler Texas.

I bought a can of Husqvarna premixed fuel because I was walking down the isle in Lowes and saw it, so I bought it. It has an octane rating of 95. I didn't compare the other brands to see what their octane rating was, but I did look at the pump that sells Ethanol free gasoline. It's 91 octane. The Supreme which is on the same hose as the 87 and 89 octane fuel has Ethanol. If I buy the Ethanol free gas, which has it's own hose, it's a lot less octane then the canned stuff, but it's only $3.50 a gallon plus the oil, compared to $30 for the Husqvarna fuel. Is the higher octane rating noticeable or needed? I'm committed to never using fuel with Ethanol in this saw, I'm just not sure if $30 a gallon for gas is being smart or wasteful?

I've only used the saw for an hour to cut up some rounds. It started easy, it's a lot lighter then what I'm used to, and it has a bunch of power. I like that the fuel tank is semi transparent so I can see how much fuel is in there. I thought about the muffler modification, but I don't see the need to modify anything just the way it is. I'll know more by the end of the year, but my first impressions are very good. It was $419 that I'm happy with spending that amount of money.

Thank you for all your help and suggestions.

View attachment 828088

Congrats! I just got a 15% off coupon in the mail for Home Depot. I know I said I wouldn't buy a saw there, but the 15% makes it tempting.

 

[WinterDeere]

I never grease the tips on my saws. My oldest bar has distinctive enough wear that it probably needs thrown out but the tip is fine.

Many bars, mostly cheaper ones, don't have grease holes. Stihl also ditched grease holes on their Rollomatic ES bars, about 10 years back, which is exactly when and why I stopped buying Stihl ES bars.

Most good roller tip bars have grease holes, and this is the best way of cleaning swarf out of the bearing, as the grease pressure ejects dirt and fiber.

 

[Hay Dude]

I almost bought a 261 about 10 years ago and kick myself for not stepping up to that model, but aren't the Stihls now almost double the price of the Echos?

I paid abou 600 for my 261C with a 20” bar. Comparable Echos was maybe 1/4-1/3rd cheaper.
I have no problem with Echos and have owned a few.

 

[xyz123]

Just curious today retail list prices. I have never paid list on husky or echo saws before. Refuse to pay retail on stihl saws so I dont buy them new. Plus husky would even sell to me PHO. Echo too.

16 in. Stihl 261 $699.99 † DSRP

18 in. stihl 261 $709.99 † DSRP

20 in. stihl 261 $719.99 † DSRP

20" Husky 550xp mark II $699.99

20" Husky 545 MK II $639.99

20" Echo 4910 $379.99

20" Echo 501 $549.99

Stock for stock the husky 550 quickest strongest in cuts. But they got heavy like the 1st Gen older 261. So not as light and balanced like they used to be. But if you never owned first 550 545 saws you wouldnt know.

Newer 261's lost the weight and echo ones lighter even still.

My Gen1 ones from 10 years ago.

 

[caver]

I had a Stihl 250 and it made me a believer until the 2 Stihls were stolen from my shed. I replaced the 250 with the newest model 251. I hate that saw. It's been in the shop 2 times as I was tired of monkeying with it. Within a year I bought a Makita (Dolmar)for larger stuff. That's a good saw but i would probably buy an equivalent Echo if I get fed up and sell the Stihl.

 

[WinterDeere]

Just curious today retail list prices. I have never paid list on husky or echo saws before. Refuse to pay retail on stihl saws so I dont buy them new. Plus husky would even sell to me PHO. Echo too.

16 in. Stihl 261 $699.99 † DSRP

18 in. stihl 261 $709.99 † DSRP

20 in. stihl 261 $719.99 † DSRP

20" Husky 550xp mark II $699.99

20" Husky 545 MK II $639.99

20" Echo 4910 $379.99

20" Echo 501 $549.99

Stock for stock the husky 550 quickest strongest in cuts. But they got heavy like the 1st Gen older 261. So not as light and balanced like they used to be. But if you never owned first 550 545 saws you wouldnt know.

Newer 261's lost the weight and echo ones lighter even still.

My Gen1 ones from 10 years ago.


View attachment 828379

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.

 

[tradosaurus]

Yes, it has the 20 inch bar.

I think the chain is too tight, but I left it like it was. There isn't any slack in it at all. I didn't know about the greaseable roller nose. I'll have to look into it. I didn't grease anything.

One thing that caught my attention was the smell of it while it was running. I was the same as an outboard motor out on the lake. It's hard to describe, but very recognizable. I've never smelled that with my other chainsaws, and I wonder if it's the canned fuel?

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.

 

[tradosaurus]

I bought the Echo CS-590 Saturday morning from Home Depot. I haven't been there on a Saturday in awhile, and it was really bad. Not enough people working there, too much junk in all the isles, and the chainsaws are all locked up. I waited my turn for the guy to come and unlock it, and take it to the cashier to hold for me. Seems like big crime has made it to Tyler Texas.

I bought a can of Husqvarna premixed fuel because I was walking down the isle in Lowes and saw it, so I bought it. It has an octane rating of 95. I didn't compare the other brands to see what their octane rating was, but I did look at the pump that sells Ethanol free gasoline. It's 91 octane. The Supreme which is on the same hose as the 87 and 89 octane fuel has Ethanol. If I buy the Ethanol free gas, which has it's own hose, it's a lot less octane then the canned stuff, but it's only $3.50 a gallon plus the oil, compared to $30 for the Husqvarna fuel. Is the higher octane rating noticeable or needed? I'm committed to never using fuel with Ethanol in this saw, I'm just not sure if $30 a gallon for gas is being smart or wasteful?


View attachment 828088

If I was using my chainsaw a lot and knew I was going through a lot of fuel I would use the non-ethanol with premix oil. Once I stored it beyond a few weeks I would use the canned fuel.

Since I might use my chainsaw a few hours ever few months I use can fuel because when my chainsaw starts with no issues after sitting 2-3 months. $30/gal of canned fuel is ridiculous but it's the price I pay to know my chainsaw starts with no issue.

 

[WinterDeere]

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.

Same greaser I use. Carry a $20 Victorinox Classic with the plastic toothpick, to clean out the grease hole before use.

Amazon.com

You can buy refillable greasers for this, but at $7/ea and for as long as that little Oregon unit lasts (years!), I just throw away and buy a new one when I manage to run out.

Oh, and replacement toothpicks @ $0.92/ea:

Amazon.com

 

[JeepHead]

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.

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....