I've finally come to realize that I need more than one chainsaw. I've been strictly using my Echo cs600p for almost 2 years now for everything. Being that I'm in the business of selling firewood, it gets a lot of use. I figured that I want it to last longer, and the best way to do that would be to take some of the work load off of it. Well, I found a Ryobi 3716 on Facebook for $20. Guy said it worked fine, as they do, just didn't have a chain. Seemed like it was worth the $20, because it did run. Only problem was the the oiler must have seized up after sitting for 12 months. That saw is at the repair shop. My next idea was to take my dads beat up old Stihl 025 and get it fixed, and that's why I'm posting this. I want to know if you guys think it would be worth the repair bill to get it working again. It must have gotten ran over or something because the bar is bent, the gas tank is cracked, and the oil tank is missing a chunk. I've gotten it to start in the past, but i tried starting it the other night in 0 degree weather with no luck. Would it be worth it? Not sure what the bill would cost for something like that, or if I would be better off buying new. I'd take it to the shop and just pay for it to be totally fixed up. Probably put an Oregon bar on if I can and just run Oregon chains. Im not interested in fixing it myself. What do you guys think of the 025? 45cc seems like a good middle weight saw for branches and smaller stuff. Itll be nice to have a couple cheap small saws to accommodate my Echo on scrounging expeditions. I might think about getting another 60cc and up saw this year if the budget allows. Let me know your thoughts, thanks.
You'd be best to learn to fix your own equipment. By the time you pay to fix a chainsaw a time it two, you could've almost bought a new one. I'm sure you've heard all that before though. I cringed when you said the ryobi you just bought is at the shop? I thought those were throw away saws. Lol The kinda budget you are playing with would help us better understand and advise you.
I've honestly never heard anything about the Ryobi brand. The saw seems like it runs really good besides the oiler lol. I suppose if I were to put a dollar amount on it, I would say under $400 dollars and a saw under 50cc. Thats why I was thinking I could put less than that into these two saws and have a decent setup. Im just not too familiar with how much repair shops costs. I know my echo needed a new oiler and I'm pretty sure they fixed it for less than $75. I got that saw and 10 brand new chains for $300.
What do you want it for just limbs and small wood?you can buy a new ms 271 for 450$ and I have the parts to send for the 025 if you want to attempt a repair yourself.
If you're cutting wood and selling it, get the biggest that your money will buy you. An echo 4910 is right there. 379.
Second that! An echo 4910 and 600p will make an excellent combo. Heck you might even find yourself grabbing the 4910 more often than not. Don’t forget the muffler mod: Echo 490
Echo is a good saw and offers a long warranty but make sure you have a good dealer around to work on it if needed. I also wouldn’t buy from a box store that needs to ship it to a service center for repair. If no good dealer around close spend a bit more and buy a husky or Stihl.
The Stihl 025 is still available new as the MS250. $400 - so use that to gauge if putting money into the 025 is worth it. I'm not sure I'd recommend the 025 or MS250 for production firewood use though as that heavy usage pattern will be hard on the chain oiler and the engine air filter. If your time is $$ and you'd benefit from a faster saw, maybe it's time to consider a second pro-level unit. If you want something smaller and lighter than the 600p for small work, then have a look into the 50cc class. Stihl MS261, Husky 550XP, Echo 501p etc. If you want something to share the same workload as the 600p, then maybe a 620P, Stihl MS400, or Husky 562XP are what you're after. I love the in-betweener saws like the 600p, Echo 4910, Husky 545/555, etc. But IMO, the money saved over top-shelf pro offerings quickly becomes insignificant when you are profiting off the end product. You might save a $100 up front, often less, but the extra performance and/or durability will last for the life of the saw. Which, should be many years, if you take care of your gear. That said - stop dinking around with consumer level equipment. Bought new, you aren't saving yourself any money in the long run, quite the opposite actually. And even when you pick something up for $20 off FB marketplace, you already are spending money and time on it without knowing if it will ever earn a return on that $$$. I've had a couple customers that love a good FB Marketplace "bargain" and there's a clear pattern that emerges vs the guys that just buy an expensive, high-quality saw upfront. The bargain hunters would drop off their latest CL/MP scores every couple weeks for me to go through them and try to get them running long enough to earn their purchase price. (No complaints here! ) The other guys, well, I honestly can't say what became of them because it was rare for me to ever see those saws back in the shop short of flat-out abuse. They were usually back for chains, sharpening, maybe a bar. If money's tight - take really good care if the equipment you have, if you must replace something or add to the fleet, buy gently used, top-shelf gear. I've seen well-cared for Echo saws run like new for decades. Years of even daily, tree-service type use. If money isn't an issue, ie: the tool will earn many times it's purchase price, then buy the absolute best tool available to you.
My piece of advice...... don't buy other people's problems unless you can fix them yourself. I've never been disappointed in Echo equipment. Just search Echo parts and any IPL along with OEM parts are super easy to get online. Try that with Stihl.
Doesn’t matter much on that end if you’re getting it repaired at a shop then just pick your favorite dealer that’s close. If repairing your own yes Stihl is dealer only unless you want to pay20-40% over msrp off the internet. In my area we don’t really have many echo dealers and none within 60 miles. Husky is slower than molasses in January with parts up here. Had the dealer order me a clutch drum and I already found the right one in a pile of nos parts from a Stihl dealership I bought parts from before it came in. Was an Oregon drum not husky but the owner just wanted it fixed .
That echo 4910 is really a pro saw with the only downgrade from a pro saw in Stihl or husky garb, is the plastic handle. You can swap that out for an aluminum one if you want. Then there's the muff mod that sounds like it needs.
Some Pro Stihl saws have non metallic handles. A saw getting ran over or a tree dropped on it will have a broken or mangled handle regardless if it's metal or plastic is my thoughts.
A second saw is a great idea, but fixing either of those two may be a losing and aggravating battle. Pricey too. Nothing more frustrating than having a "fixed" saw break when at a cut. You are young and ambitious. Invest in a reliable saw that will give you years of dependable service. It may sting the wallet at first but will pay dividends in the long run. Im not familiar with Echo, but have heard great things about them here. Many FHCers love them. If dad's 025 is sentimental, you can get it working at a later date and use accordingly. Let us know what you end up doing.
I have zero issues with them either. An aluminum bar is not even on my radar as a necessary feature. The composite bars will actually give and return where aluminum will bend and stay. I've had it happen.
