Stihl MS 201T v. Echo CS 355T

M

mmr364

I wanted to get some opinions on how these two saws stack up against each other. I work for a municipality, so I won't be doing any modding (warranty violation). I have always used Stihl in the past and have been happy, but I'm open to other options. Thanks for any help.
 
I own a 201 and after break in ( bout 5 or 6 tank fills) and drilling a 1/2" port in the muffler it rips quite well. I have heard that recently the dealers are offering an upgrade entailing a different flywheel and carb. I can't verify that.
But I'm very happy with my 201 performance. But do not drop it from even one meter of height. It is not built to withstand any drop at all.
 
Snellorized 150. Usually I'd have had the 200 or 201 sent up but you get the idea. WAY better in the canopy...and if a few chunk downs...why bother to ask for a change. Echo blows.
 
I have an Echo CS-360t. I got it because of its low price point. It has work well for me as a part time guy--arborist work for me is a weekend and summer deal to supplement my teacher salary. My friend I assist runs a 200t that makes my Echo seem a bit wimpy. But it has worked for me passably well. I know these aren't the saws you mentioned, but there may be some similarities. If I was a full time guy, I think I'd opt for Stihl or Huskie.
 
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I've used both the 201 has throttle lag and just doesn't rev out like the 200s did plus its a bit heavy. the echo is OK a bit awkward to hold not well balanced (the one i used had a 16" bar though to be fair) and lacked torque even with the small chain size but if only using for side jobs I'd honestly get the echo just for the instant throttle response. I hate having to wind my 201 up just to cut a 3" limb.
 
I thought I was liking the 201... Till I tried my climber's 200. Like night and day. My 200 had been with mastermind for the past 3 months wracking his head.
 
I use both the 201 and the 355. I feel the 355 with 14in bar rips better then 201 and its a third of the price
mmr364 said:
I wanted to get some opinions on how these two saws stack up against each other. I work for a municipality, so I won't be doing any modding (warranty violation). I have always used Stihl in the past and have been happy, but I'm open to other options. Thanks for any help.
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Sell you a 355t $300 i have an extra
 
I have an echo 271T and I want to get a saw that can cut faster and bigger.
Locally I have to chose from stihl or echo there are no huskie dealers around.
I want the best so I am seriously considering the stihl 201tcm and opening up the exhaust. I really dont care what brand i get but i have a hard time believing that the echo 355T can be better at 300 dollars cheaper.

There are voices on both sides of the fence, i just wish i could cut some limbs with both to decide what i like better. :)
 
I run 355T's. They are not the best top handle out there, but they are the best out there for the price! New ones are now $350. I'd still take a 355T over a 201. The 540's I've ran were better saws but not twice the saw as the price reflects.
 
My dealer does keep branches and logs out back behind the shop, and will gladly let you cut with different saws. They also rent equipment, so they've usually got something ready to go, but he's set them up out of the box for customers to try (myself included). They're not a Husky dealer, but he does carry Stihl and Echo.

Today we cut up brush from a prune job into kindling and ran the smaller stuff through the chipper. We just took 3 tophandle saws, MS-150TC, MS-201T and CS-271T. The Echo has a mufler mod and retuned, both Stihl's are Snellerized saws. All three are very low hours or new.

I honestly can't say anything bad about any of them. The weight difference between the two smaller saws and the 201T feels like a lot, when you're switching between them. The 150TC is slightly lighter than the 271T but has a smaller engine. All of these saws will get stronger as they get some hours on them, so I'll see how I feel about them at the end of the summer, but I don't expect any surprises.

In the past week, I played with the 201T and 200T and if there's any performance difference between them now, I can't tell it. The 200T was stronger before the mods to the 201T, but not any more.

TophandleSaws-1.webp
 
This is what we were cutting up... Silver Maple from two large ones we pruned. Filled the 8'x12' trailer twice and grabbed the last bit with this trailer when we dropped off the stump grinder (to cut out an ash tree stump we left last year).

SilverMapleBrush.webp
 
dentrophillos said:
I really dont care what brand i get but i have a hard time believing that the echo 355T can be better at 300 dollars cheaper.
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It all depends on what you mean by better. Better as in performance or better as in durability and quality?
Don't forget, Stihl's budget for advertising is mega huge. I don't know how it is over there but Echo's budget is over here probably virtually zero. So that 300 dollars difference has nothing to do with one being better than the other.



Wolter
 
the 201TC is badass, no two ways about it. At least, ours is. They've got their computer-controlled carbs worked out beautifully, from what I can see.
 
Gave the little Echo CS-271T a workout today... two dead pines blew down on an acreage I already contracted to do tree work for last fall. All of the pine trees died from blight, most of the elms are dead or dying of DED, lots of ash with broken out tops. Real mess. Anyway I did the two dead pines (one 14" DBH the other 15" DBH) today to get that mess out of the way. All limbing done with the little echo, and all of the spar until I hit 9" wood, then I switched to the MS-261C-MQ but that amounted to maybe a dozen cuts. Also took out a dozen or more small volunteer mulberry, hackberry and ailanthus trees growing in the treeline. Cut it all into small brush for the chipper, kindling and campfire/firepit wood. The little saw went through four tanks of gas and refueling/bar oil was just about the only time it wasn't running.

Never gave one bit of trouble and the property owner couldn't believe that little saw could rip through 8" wood so fast. It just got stronger as the day progressed. Green saplings and dead, dry pine all day. Very happy with the little saw. A few pics of the first tree, before I forgot about taking pics...
FriendNE-01.webp FriendNE-02.webp FriendNE-04.webp FriendNE-05.webp FriendNE-06.webp
 
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the tc are a nice saw I have 3 of them I due have the 355 to its junk
 
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