I'm looking to replace my Poulan Pro 4218A. It began running rough and I tried cleaning out the carb and broke a small plastic piece that rotates for the throttle control (I think). Anyway, I bought a new carb that was the same brand replacement and got it running again. I still was having trouble getting it to quit bogging down and now I can't get the darned thing started at all. Replaced the spark plug thinking this was the problem but it wasn't. So, I'm losing my patience with this and would like to buy better quality saw. I'm definitely not a pro but now that I'm addicted to hoarding I think I need an upgrade. Did I mention that I'm cheap. I don't want to spend hundreds or thousands on a saw for the purpose of hoarding firewood. I'm not cutting down trees. Everything has been downed blow overs and lots of dead ash. I have seen some good reviews from members on Echo saws. There's a local guy that is selling tons of these out of his garage. I'm not sure what his deal is but he is selling all sorts of tools. He is on Facebook marketplace and has his address posted with pictures of all the product. Doesn't appear to be stolen since he is so open with his sales. He lives in a wealthy area and the police are very agressive so I'm sure he would have been busted already if this is not legit. His garage looks like a backroom for a big box store. Here is a sample that he just listed this week: CS-400 $200 CS-3510 $167 CS-310 $137 CS-490 $225 CS-590 $250 He is listing these as used but everything looks clean. If this guy is legit what do you guys think of these prices and what would you buy? I'm using a 18" bar now and don't really don't want to go smaller. A few weeks ago he was offering 20% off everything so I could probably knock more off these prices.
He has a lot of stuff in the garage...if he is not legit he is gonna be in trouble. Prices seem good to me!
Only issue I see is it appears as though you're getting a new saw, without the new saw warranty. If that doesn't bother you then they do seem like good deals. Can you run it and test cut something? Stupid question but I know they are knocking off Stihls and Husqvarna, are you sure these aren't chinese clones? In which case I'd say
What's your max budget? My 261 has been a great firewood saw. Recently I've been considering an upgrade but more than likely won't pull the trigger. I paid around $600 for that saw and it gets through anything I need it to. The way I figure is if that saw is too small or under powered for something, then chances are I shouldn't be dealing with that wood anyway. Still though, I do daydream of more power......
Warranty doesn't bother me if I can see it running and repair any issues that arise. Seems like a lot of work if he's selling fake merchandise out of his garage. A lot of the boxes look dinged up like they are store returns. I'll have to pay him a visit and ask more questions.
Does he have any echo cs4910's? A cs490 for that price is a great deal, but if you could get the 4910 for only a little more, do it.
A cs4910 is $360 max new from the dealer with 5yr homeowner warranty. My buddy and I were discussing new 50cc saws and doing all the comparisons, this saw has everything you could really need, especially at that price. A 50cc saw that weighs barely over 10 lbs without bar and chain, is a big deal.
I sent him a message and he responded within a few minutes. He says they are all clean returns or new. He doesn't have a 4910.
You make a really good point. I was thinking it would be nice to get a new saw for around $200 but then I have to deal with any issues that may come up plus won't have the warranty. This would definetely be more than I would ever need for my needs. 5 year warranty would take away any worries. I'm going to have to sleep on this one.
I have no experience with a 5 year warranty but I am skeptical of relying on it as a buying signal. I see a constant supply of Echo saws out of Houston on FBMP just like your guy. Supposedly, returns and such. Appears to be some real bargains.
Chud My 2 cents worth most saws returned to box stores have been problem childs or bad fuel victims,run without bar oil ,etc I get a lot of those saws through the door here sometimes cheap is not the best out for something as durable as a good saw if you spend a little more up front and there are any problems you do have the warranty to fall back on and a dealer to stand behind it . I am always suspicious of something that looks brand new and is half price of new . JB
I can't imagine only paying $200 for a saw that I want to cut a lot of wood with.... And JB has a good point on "new" used saws....... unless there's some kind of warranty still associated, there may be hidden issues just waiting to be uncovered and become a problem child.
Whatever you choose to buy just make sure there’s a dealer in the area that you can actually rely on for work and parts if needed. I fix all my own stuff but still need parts ect and I won’t buy any aftermarket stuff just because I don’t think it’s worth it in my opinion. What I’m thinking happened to you poulan is it cooked if it was running funny it either got an air leak or the first original carb plugged and leaned it out.
You could also check the fuel line to see if its soft and collapsed also or delaminating. Just got a wild thing in a pile that was burned down because the fuel line delaminated and shrunk which leaned the saw cooking it.
I'm confused about the 490. Echo lists a CS-4910 but not a 490. Is this the same saw you guys are talking about or is the 490 an older saw that they no longer would sell?
I believe the 490 was an older version. The 4910 is current and is the semi pro version of the professional 501p
