Upgrade Echo CS-400 to ?

^ Yep, what he said. I love my Stihl pro saws, but I don't think real highly of the plastic saws. I bought all mine used, & I use em to make firewood. I haven't sold a saw in a few years. If you wanna cut firewood, get to it with a saw you can use comfortably & that's reliable. I don't care what the name badge says. If it starts every time & makes trees into firewood it's a good saw. Pallet Pete, one of the mods here runs echo saws, & they'll run with my Stihl saws all day. We've done it more than once. Echo is a great economic saw. Keep in mind, I'm still a Stihl guy LOL. Hope this helps. Love the handle BTW.

 

Resale doesn't make any difference on how a saw cuts wood. I'd add that guys who know the difference between plastic vs: magnesium based pro saws will pay very little for the plastic models.

 

I am going to ring the 590 bell as well. keeping the cs 400 would give you a serious one two push of a great firewood kit that with sharp chains will heat your home for many years. I would also go to a 16" on the 400 with stihl ps chain, gut the muffler on both and rock on.
FYI I manage a Husqvarna dealership and run Dolmars and would run a 400/590 to fuel my coffee business.

 

Get the 590!!! If that's your shortlist

 

This is good advice. I have some Chinese earthquake saws I got cheap . I use them on the ATV, take them to the farm, or take as a backup or limbing saw. They start as reliably as my stihl saws and I have like $35 into them. If they walk away off the trailer no big deal, and they just cut. I don't care what it says on it. Yea I have a husky 372 and a stihl 650 aND a few other expensive saws, it's not a show off thing to me. It's fill the truck as fast and with as little work as possible.

 

I think the echo 590 is gonna be my next chainsaw. I have a pos 42cc craftsman I've had for years and now that I cut a lot the thing is useless. I've been reading up on a good brand that won't break my bank and I think $400ish is gonna be the maximum limit. I was at Home Depot looking at all the echos and I think the 590 from what people say is gonna be good enough for me. I'd love a husqarvana or stihl but the price is to steep for me....glad people recommend the echo 590 and know no matter what it will be better then my pofs craftsman 42inch 18inch bar. Time to save up

 

^^^^ echo rocks

 

I've run Pete's 590. Very impressive saw, runs with my 036 & 361 very evenly. I've worked on Pete's cars, the highlighted part is way more true than you'll ever know.

 

Sharpen the chain on that Craftsman and I bet it cuts a lot better.

 

590, keep the tune in check and chain sharp that saw will last a long time.

Internal quality is on par/better than any I've seen from stihl/husqvarna/dolmar.

They get plain nasty if you decide to get it ported

 

Sounds like a muffler mode is absolutely necessary

 

Ya what is this muffler mod everyone keeps talking about and what's it do...more power ?

 

Apparently - plus invalidates your 5-year Echo warranty, which is one of the big draws to the Echos.

 

You can always swap a factory muffler back on if something else happens and re tune back to factory specs

 

Basically your cutting a larger hole in the muffler. Making the outlet larger, possible removing any baffles inside and a cat if it has one. Your trying to get the exhaust out faster with less restriction. This in turns let you turn the fuel up which makes more power. Saw will run cooler as its not sitting In the muffler bouncing around struggling to get out a hole the size of a drinking straw.

 

You could. But that would be stealing.

 

What did you steal?