Top handle saws, Echo 355T in particular...

Anyone have one? I want a top handle saw and will have the money to purchase one shortly. As a Stihl fan, I am disappointed with their 201T. I shouldn't have to send it off and spend even more money just to get it to perform out of the box. Pretty crappy of Stihl to put that on the market, it needs to be pulled and the 200T brought back with better ergos. Which even the 201T lacks... Come on Stihl, step it up!

So I have been looking at the Echo, I have 2 leaf blowers and a string trimmer made by them that always work. However, I have not seen an Echo saw though, not even in a store. I wish I could find some place to demo these saws. The 355T gets good reviews, but I would hate to drop that coin on it and be let down.

Have heard the Husky T540XP is supposed to be good, what do you guys think?

I'm at a loss which to go with.
Echo 355t
Stihl 201t
Husky t540xp
or a used Stihl 200T

I wish I could buy them all and do a direct comparison.

 

Never had the 355..but I have owned 2 Echo cs-271T's . Still own one ! It has less power than the 355......but I bought it for cutting up the little branches and twigs for kindling . It was touted a year ago as the lightest gas chainsaw in North America....not sure if it is sill though .You literally can one hand it ! All I did was do a muffler mod and remove the carb limiter screws...and its perfect ! Cant go wrong with Echo .

 

I looked pretty hard at the Echo 355T and researched it for awhile. I couldn't find anything bad about it and was close to giving it a try but in the end I found a pretty decent deal on a Jonsered CS2135T and have been happy with it. The price on the Echo seemed to be really good when you compare it to a $600 dollar Stihl but I kept wondering what the differences were and why it was so much cheaper. Are you purchasing it for personal or professional use?

Looking forward to hearing others opinions on this one.

 

Personal use. Just have a lot of trees that need trimming. I don't really have to have a top handle saw, but it would be nice and I might as well get one now before they get any more screwed up. Bigger saws are easier to find used if the EPA makes any more stupid rules. Top handle saws are rare though and usually thrashed before being up for sale. I don't like the way saws are moving to electronics. I have no desire for that since I can't fix them myself if something happens. I'm sure they are great, but it's just not for me.

 

I have a Jonsered CS2139T & the Husqvarna equivalent 338XPT & love them both! My brother purchased a 201T & it doesn't come close to cutting with my 2. (Tried to get him to buy a Snellerized 201T but he was afraid to void the warranty.)

 

I hear good things about the Echo with a little muffler mod.

Hoping some top handles make it to the GTG this spring. I'd really like to see how my mean little 335XPT stacks up to a 200T.

 

I would be interested to see how this Echo 360T stacks up against the jred and husky...
It was horrible before the muffler job, but what a world of difference now...
I'm very pleased thus far...
When someone buys an echo saw, they should be buying it for what it "can" be, as opposed to what it is.
They are lower priced, but only good for those who can un-do what the epa regs have done..

 

It's VERY simple to make a 201 out perform a 200. I agree that you shouldn't have to, but that's just the way it is. All you have to do is a simple muffler mod, trim one little piece out of the plastic grid on the clutch cover, advance the ignition 6°-8°, drill the limiter stop out it the carb, and set the needles to 1 1/8 on the L and 2 5/8 on the H. That is not a typo on the H. They are but the typical 1 turn out that we're used to. I've done probably 50 of them. It now only takes me about 30 to do one.

On the other hand, the 355 does run better than the 201 as they come from the factory. But it's not equal to the 201 one they're both tweaked.

 

Brad I saw your 201 YouTube video of stock vs modded, it does make a huge difference! What bar length are you running on it? 16"?

I think I might give the 201T a chance. If it doesn't work for me I can always sell it... Not likely I would sell any tool I buy, but hey- it helps me sell it to myself. LOL.

I want to eventually own a 261 and a 441 to go with my 361. I think those few saws would do anything I could ever need and gives me options. I will be buying one of those two this coming fall for sure.

 

Hedge, We will have to find out at the next charity cut, - after you touch up my chains!
There is no way I would have a chance the way I sharpen my chains. But I am getting a little better at it.

 

Happy to help.

 

Can you tell me how to advance the ignition on the 360T? Looking to replace an old 015L with one.

 

First off thank you for the welcome.
I am looking to buy the 360T. Went to get some chains for my old 015L and they no longer make the 1/4 pitch chain, go lucky the guy had about 50 feet left. From all I read the new saws are not up to par with the older stuff I am used to. I have considered the Stihl MS200 but just hate shelling out that much money for a used saw.

 

Did consider the conversion, bought bar, chain and clutch and then it hit me, duh I needed a 6 tooth oil pump drive gear because the 1/4 pitch has a 8 tooth. With this being said these gears are about as rare as hens teeth. From what I read the 201 has some bad reviews plus it's 610.00 around here and the 360 is 299.00 quite a big difference when it comes to dollars not sure if the saws are that much different in the long run.

 

OK sounds good but mods include removing limit caps and getting guts out of muffler but the advancing of the timing is what is confusing me. I have worked on small engines in the past but this timing thing has thrown me for a loop.