Echo top handle saw

TimBr said:
@Treespotter; Great post. Thanks for the specifications and the comparison, plus the photo you posted earlier.

So, assuming that is your saw, how are you liking it so far? Thanks in advance for any answers you choose to give.

Tim
Click to expand...
It's mine indeed.
I love it, but don't use it on a daily base. It's my bad weather pruning saw for the rainy days when I can't use my husqy battery saw.
The Echo is a little monster. I use mine with a Stihl 1.1 mm groove bar and Stihl chain. These are not as wide as the standard Echo/Oregon chains.
You have to bare in mind that the saw is the bottom line in power but that said it rocks in what it's capable of weighing like a feather.
There was one little problem with the saw. I wasn't able to get the settings right after a while. The Echo rep told me there was a modification on the primer bulb. Vibrations of the saw working on the bulb triggered a wrong mixture in the carb. I replaced it for a modified bulb and from that moment on it revved like a gem again.

Wolter
 
@Treespotter; Hey, Wolter! I think I saw a YouTube video of you using that saw to take down what I think was a pine tree of maybe 8 to 12 inch diameter, just guessing. I think your saw model in the video was the 2510. Man, that little saw was a beast! Never had to switch to a bigger saw to take down the stem. It just looked really powerful for its size. Thanks for sharing your experiences on YouTube that way.

Tim

Here's the link to the video, for those that have not seen it.

 
Yes it does.
When you buy one, do yourself a favour.
Take the ring off and modify it as shown in the pictures. Put it back on upside down and you'll have a ring that stays 'open' while attaching to your harness.
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cc047e83476530fe22af8e60c88848f9.jpg
f8f5b020b7d2e43e9031a4f6fbd7d56b.jpg


Wolter
 
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So glad I found this thread. Any idea when the 2511T will be readily available in the USA? I ask because I really want to see it on display next to a 271T and 355T.

I'm a homeowner with property containing 15 palm trees, 5 crepe myrtles, 4 oleanders, 5 pecan trees, 2 big live oaks and about an acre of underbrush and vines that need thinning.

I'm currently using a 16" rear handle homelite saw, but the bar oil tank is cracked, and I throw a chain several times a day no matter what; new chain, correct tension, lubed chain, sharp chain etc. So I'm dumping the homelite for an upgrade!

I'm looking into getting a top handle saw, mostly for keeping the palm trees and crepe myrtles at bay. This saw should also come in handy when the pecans lose big limbs (turns out pecan trees are weak!) and for just all around underbrush and garden cleaning around the back of my property. Palms need trimming about twice a year, so I see myself spending most of the time with the saw reaching overhead to trim off palm leaves from a ladder or from a climbing tree stand; of course with harness and 100% tie off gear.

For this reason I'm thinking the CS-2511T will be the preferred saw since not much power is required to cut palm leaves and the light weight will make for easier work overhead. But will I wish I had more power?

Seems like the 271T and 355T both get good reviews with more followers of the 355. I guess that's because it has more power and bigger bars. The 2511T has almost no real world reviews except this thread so I'd be taking a risk, but going with a name like Echo and their warranty I'll feel confident. Will the 271T right in the middle serve me well? It is looking like the cheapest route to go. Although truthfully, the price differences are not a huge determining factor. I just want to make sure I'm happy with whichever top handle saw I choose. BTW the Mrs will use it as well, I'm thinking the lighter the better.
 
Hey, @matemike! Welcome to the TreeBuzz forum! I think you are going to like it here.

First let me say that I'm not a pro arborist like many on this forum, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

The first thing that jumps out at me in your post is that it sounds like much of the work that you do will happen while having both feet on the ground. My understanding of things is that having a rear-handled saw is more appropriate for that type of work because a rear-handle saw provides more control and stability than a top-handled saw. I get the impression that the top-handled saws were created as a concession to the needs of climbing arborists who often have many limbs in close proximity to each other, and therefore less room to maneuver a saw. Eliminating the handle at the back allows them to get the saw into tighter spaces, at the cost of some stability. You might want to consider the purchase of two saws, if you can afford it; one for ground work that might be a little larger in size, and one for in-tree use.

The other thing that occurs to me is the question of safety when trimming palm trees. I've never even seen a palm tree in real life, but I have seen quite a few videos about guys getting crushed by them when the fronds suddenly flop over on a guy. Not sure how this happens, but you should go on YouTube and look for videos on this subject to try to learn more about it.

Also, working from a ladder to trim trees can be a very dangerous undertaking, as the many videos on YouTube on this separate subject can show you. Cut limbs will frequently swing down and into the very ladder a cutter is standing on, knocking it out from under them and sending the cutter to the ground.

I don't consider myself to be an unreasonable person or an alarmist type of person. I'm just trying to give you a heads up about possible hazards you can run into while doing the things you are proposing to do. Trying to avoid a blindside accident.

As to the Echo chainsaws, I managed to buy one of their 330T chainsaws before they were discontinued, just because it had a good bang for the buck appeal, and at the time was readily available to me. I don't need to use it often, but it has been reliable for me, so far. Most of the cutting that I do can be done with a Silky hand saw. If you don't own one of those, too, you should really take a hard look at them. Amazingly sharp, very light weight. I can fairly easily cut a 1&1/2" or 2" diameter branch with these things. I have also cut six inch diameter limbs with a Silky saw, but it probably took me 15 minutes to do it.

Good luck in your hunt for the perfect saw!

Tim

P.S. I just did a search and found this as a place to buy the Echo 2511T in the USA. Here's the link.

http://www.baileysonline.com/Chains...saws/ECHO-CS-2511T-25cc-with-12-bar-chain.axd
 
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Thanks Tim, I was also going to entertain a CS-400 with 18" bar for ground work at shoulder height and below.
Completely understand the dangers about trimming limbs from a ladder. But my plan is to only trim palm leaves from a ladder. They weigh only a few pounds a piece and should not cause the ladder to shift should one contact it. I only ever cut from an A-frame ladder if that matters.

I'll need to check out some videos as you suggested because I don't really understand how the fronds could crush a man. I am not going to take the tops down, that would kill the palm tree. I just remove a hand full of leave stocks a couple times a year from each tree.

You are not the only person who has said that reaching overhead with a top handle is not what their intention is. So now I'm getting confused; even if I'm standing on the ground cutting back crepe myrtles and oleanders as well as sago palms, date palms and grape vines, all at about shoulder height or a little higher, that a nice little 6 or 7 pound top handle saw would not be the best choice? I ask because the majority of my "feet on the ground" trimming is too low for a pole saw, but too much of a reach for a 10 or 12 pound rear handle saw.
I realize my experience has been with this old homelite turd, but I'm coming off my third hernia surgery in 5 years and the root cause of me getting hernias has been lifting and reaching with heavy objects. Exercising in the gym and using proper lifting techniques I have no problem. I can actually lift quite a bit of weight when dong things correctly. But the worst is lifting while reaching. It's the awkward lifting, like wielding a chain saw that gets to me causing discomfort in the previously herniated region. Imagine lifting a 5 gallon buck of water out of a truck bed swinging it over the bed rails, or trying to swing heavy suit cases into the back hatch of an SUV and getting them as far in as possible. I'm thinking the motion of reaching out to arms length with a heavy chain saw will have the same stress on me if doing it repeatedly. So this is why I'm thinking the lighter chainsaw the better. Does that make sense or am I looking at this all wrong? Please direct me to a better solution if there is one.
 
@matemike; What size is the diameter of most of the limbs that you will wish to be cutting? A Silky saw might be perfect for the kind of trimming you are talking about. Also, I bought a Silky pole saw within the last couple of years that only goes from 4.8 feet to 12 feet, with a weight of 4.3 pounds. I like mine because it's a folding saw that can fit in a trunk, if need be. Here's the link to mine.

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=157&item=889

They also have a second short pole saw that is lighter in weight, but does not fold up, and is less expensive. Here is that link.

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=157&item=887#detail

I think when using a chainsaw, the working position people shoot for is one in which the chainsaw is being used at waist height. I think this allows more control over the saw, and the operator isn't straining to hold up a weight at the same time that they're trying to accomplish a complex cutting task. The other huge factor is that it might be just plain unsafe to be cutting overhead with a chainsaw. If you experience kickback with the saw held in this position, the saw may try to cut your head in half.

Just because a branch is at shoulder height doesn't mean you can't use a short pole saw. The pole saw will allow you to be offset and out from under the falling branches.

A big part of the reason folks learn to climb is to allow them to get their body into the proper position relative to the branches that they are trying to cut, so that they can use the saw properly and safely. I'm not saying that you should learn to climb. I am saying that if you cannot manage to get into the proper position to make a cut with a chainsaw, you should not make the cut. Safety first, last and always.

That's about all I have for now. Please consider the use of the Silky saws, if most of your cutting is of smaller diameter branches. Another thing to consider, which I've never owned, is a power pruner. I have no experience with them, though, and therefore cannot make a recommendation about their effectiveness.

Tim
 
Most of the cutting will be less than 2 inch green stick stuff. I have a manual pole saw like that, although not Silky brand, it's a true temper I think. It works well for me at the deer camp to trim out a shooting lane here and there without raising a racket by running a 2 cycle engine. But at home when I get in a trimming mood I literally make hundreds of cuts in a day. The silky saw would slow me down quite a bit I think. Slowing me down would have been nice a year ago before I had a tractor. I'd cut down a few cubic yards of brush and limbs then have to gather it all by hand. Nowadays I just push it all together with the loader bucket into the most convenient spot and burn it after it's dried out.

I watched some palm tree trimming disaster videos. I had no idea! The common root cause of each mishap seemed to be that there was far too much time between trimmings. It would take my palms four or five years to get to the state some of those trees were in that dumped a pile of fronds onto the unfortunate arborist. As mentioned above, I like to trim mine twice a year, that way I only handle 10-20 fronds at a time per tree. Not 200-300 like I saw in the videos.

So I'm thinking the CS-361P could be a nice compromise. It's light weight (8.4 lbs dry) and has a rear handle. But gosh is it expensive at $399 MSRP. The CS-271T is $120 less.

Apologies for the thread jack, guess I should have made a new thread. Wasn't expecting the responses to be so forthcoming on this site. TreeBuzz FTW!
 
@matemike; No worries about thread jacking. It's kind of a pastime around these parts. Thanks for taking the time to look at the palm trimming disaster videos. It makes me feel more comfortable knowing that you've seen what is possible.

I would bet that the power of the 271T might surprise you. Not sure if they make a version of it with a rear handle or not.

Tim
 
Some buddies who work in the drainage district are going to let me borrow their Stihl MS-201t and an Echo CS-355T to see how a top handle feels to me for what I want to do on the ground. Surprisingly they said please run them! Run them as long as you want!!! They need to be ran! Turns out I might even be doing them a favor and this should maybe delay me needing a saw for another six months. Score! Not the super light things I had in mind, but it should be an eye opener one way or another.

I also found a local place that can get a Stihl MS 193 C-E with rear handle next day for a way better price than I was expecting.
 
Treespotter said:
Yes it does.
When you buy one, do yourself a favour.
Take the ring off and modify it as shown in the pictures. Put it back on upside down and you'll have a ring that stays 'open' while attaching to your harness.
fd998f47e38556cd79ba783aa73546ad.jpg
cc047e83476530fe22af8e60c88848f9.jpg
f8f5b020b7d2e43e9031a4f6fbd7d56b.jpg


Wolter
Click to expand...

Just heard about this model a few days ago. I'm currently running the 271t for my climbing saw with 12 in bar. Despite some of these lighter Echo's not having as much power as some of the bigger climber's, they certainly can get the job done, even on bigger pieces.
 
matemike said:
Some buddies who work in the drainage district are going to let me borrow their Stihl MS-201t and an Echo CS-355T to see how a top handle feels to me for what I want to do on the ground. Surprisingly they said please run them! Run them as long as you want!!! They need to be ran! Turns out I might even be doing them a favor and this should maybe delay me needing a saw for another six months. Score! Not the super light things I had in mind, but it should be an eye opener one way or another.

I also found a local place that can get a Stihl MS 193 C-E with rear handle next day for a way better price than I was expecting.
Click to expand...

@matemike welcome bro! Not to buzzkill, haha, too much, but the top handle saws also encourage cutting of the left hand, for occassional users and unwitting professionals. A ladder/tophandle/homeowner/palm branch combo sends off warning bells in my mind. Tie yourself in and keep two hands on the saw, even if the frond is stabbing your face.
 
Treespotter said:
Not in my case. I got my primer bulb directly from the Belgian/Dutch Echo import company.

Wolter
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Is there an updated part number for the primer bulb?
Any idea when the updated version came out?
I seem to have trouble with my 355T and have to keep idle rpms a little high and high adjustment has a small window for adjustment or it will bog down when revving.
Just pulled the plug the other day and can see I've been running lean.

I love this little saw.
I put an Oregon 14" narrow kerf bar and micro chisel chain on it and it rips like a beast.
My Stihl 193T is now my backup saw.
 
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