For the first time, I went to an auction with my neighbor. There was an old Echo 3100 chainsaw. I planned to bid up to $25 on it. I went to $30 & still lost. Since my neighbor is an auction regular, I asked him to look for saws for me. He said he had some that he didn't use. Long story a little shorter my struggling 3 1/2 saw plan is shot! I have added a McCulloch 1635 and an Echo 4600 to the fleet. Both run! The Echo 4600 came with a sharp chain but had been run hard & put up wet. After spending an hour de-gacking it, I added gas & oil. It took 6-7 pulls to get it started. I did a couple of cuts, it feels as strong as my Husqvarna 450e (soon to be on the chopping block? ). The MS 1635 started easily. The chain is shot on the McCulloch; I did not try any cuts. Now, my dilemma is two-fold. The roomie asked what I would like for Christmas. I said an Echo top handle. Do I change my mind and ask for something else? 2nd question, which model top handle; CS 2511T or CS 355T? The 2511 is very light 5-6lbs. However, if I'm out cutting with two saws it's not a lot of back up. The 355T could be a decent back up, but it's noticeably heavier. Dilemmas?!?
Congratulations on the Echo saw. I love my Echo 2511p. It is ported and is a nasty little ripper. I mainly use it for 6" and under wood, as I have larger saws for bigger stuff but have used it on 10-12" without issues. If you do get a 2511 id opt of the version with the Nano cutting set up vs the standard 3/8 lp. The saws listed as 2511TN or PN have the nano bar and chain.
Get the bigger echo top handle unless you are running it all day the little extra weight is nil. Having a reliable saw gives you good peace of mind when cutting. A problematic saw is frustrating when at a cut and takes away the fun factor IME. Ive considered a 2511 but having Stihl 194 &201 top handles already its not high on the list. If you enjoy tinkering and making them run (i dont) seek out your bargain saws and hidden gems, but have the good saws for when a score calls.
I still love tinkering with engines that just want to be left alone. But even after owning two dozen running saws (I know, rookie numbers ) at one point, I found that I truly enjoyed having 2-3 uber-reliable, woods-ported saws to do the majority of the work. It was fun to run something old/slow/loud for a tank, but waaaay easier on me and time-efficient to pull out a ported m-tronic and get after it when the novelty wore off.
I have to recommend the Echo 303T. I do this because I own one (it's grey and old, but same chassis) that is now technically an antique. Still works great. Not a performance monster, just a saw that you can count on for a long time.
The little Echo is becoming my choice, for cleaning up and limbing(sp?). My 3 1/2 saw plan was to evolve from a Poulan 3816, a Husqvarna 450e, a Supmix S6251 (the .5 saw) that is left at the cottage in Maine and my Echo CS620P. The 450e is a good running 50cc value saw. It is also a P.I.T.A. saw. In 35 +/- years of running chainsaws, I've never had a saw that spit off its chain as frequently and often as this saw! I'm on my 4th bar because in the process of puking off the chain the sprockets is often seized Thanks for the tip on the nano chain!
I am leaning strongly towards the 355T! Like you I do not enjoy swinging a wrench. I do enjoy well running machines that are strong! That said, I'm wondering if there are simple tricks to hot rod the Echo 4600? The muffler looks easy enough to open up. If I could get 3 1/2+ hp out of it, my Husqvarna 450e would quickly be elsewhere.
My two top handles are a Stihl 192 and the Echo 355. Both are good runners, the 192 is lighter and the 355 has more power. If your looking to use it in a two saw plan, a more powerful saw may be useful if your main saw gets pinched and you have to cut it out. The Echo responds well to muffler mods.
I agree 100%. I love bringing back old saws, running them a couple times a year for the novelty. I grab one of the 4 ported modern saws for real usage.
My cousin has a couple of these I believe. He used to use them in his tree service business. He won't sell them. Lol
Does that 450 have one bar stud? Definitely not a good saw to judge the brand on. I owned one when I first started out. Really disappointed with it and ended up selling in less than a year. Do you pull up on the bar to adjust slack and tighten the chain?
I have two versions. CS3400 & CS340. The 340 is the updated version where the muffler cover stays on when you remove the clutch cover. I bought it second hand on CL for $45 with a scored piston (cyl ended up being trashed too). Ended up popping a new short block into it that I found for $100.
