Since my buddy J. Dirt requested some info on this little saw I figured I'd post up a new thread rather than clutter up the echo 355 thread with it. I've had the opportunity to use this little saw on a few jobs now and it really punches above its class. It's so light it feels like a kids toy when you first handle it! But fire it up and it really rips for its size! Great saw for blowing out of the top of a tree, but does well even with the bar completely buried. I really like that the oil and gas caps are full size vs. the dinky ones on the echo 355. And the starter handle can be used to loosen them in a pinch. Air filter cover and lanyard ring are well thought out and easy to use. Captive bar nut and easy side chain tension adjuster. I was surprised there was plenty of clearance to remove the chain on such a small saw. Echo really went the extra mile with the ergonomics on this saw. Spring A/V has the vibration dampening working really well. Which brings me to the only downside that I see with this high quality little saw. The 3/8th lp .050 bar and chain set up is not ideal for it. I think fordf150 has been setting these up with a Stihl PMM3 .043 B&C which sounds ideal to me.
Just watched a video of a guy doing a pine removal with that little guy. Boy it sounds snappy and mean!!! I’m definitely on the hunt now haha
We have tried 3/8lp .043 on them and it does make a difference...the narrow kerf plus less aggressive chain combines to make them a bit smoother and just enough extra power you can feel. Have also sent a few bar/chain/drum combos out to run 12" 1/4" .050 chain on them. everyone that has run one with the 1/4" chain has really liked them however the only bar available is a 12" and chain prices just to around $18-19 vs $10 for 3/8lp
Neither and both. All my recent echo saws have said made in Japan by the Yamabiko Corp. As I understand it the company was formed when kioritz/echo merged with shindaiwa.
Just wanted to give a long term use update on this saw. After doing several jobs with this saw it became very apparent that the cat muffler and limiter tabs on the carb were strangling this poor little saw! It was bad enough to make the saw very hard starting and cold blooded. Only one way to easily fix that issue: I used my trusty dremel to cut some gills in the muffler and pulled the red carb limit tabs with a drywall screw. Overall it's a much happier saw not breathing through the cat in the muffler. Runs much cooler as well and now it starts on the 3rd or 4th pull.
Saweeeettt! Sounds like an angry little guy now! Wonder why they had the cats in some of the older saws, then made the 355 open can then went back to the cat?
Definitely! Cuts went from 7-8 seconds before to around 5-6 in that same piece of boxelder. The two cuts at the end I couldn't stall it but before I could totally stop the chain. Unfortunately I lost the before vid during editing. At least I wrote the times down. I still need to figure out if the 355 dawgs fit this saw.
Hey Barcroftb , you know that sticker says for professional use only right? J. Dirt, that little saw sounds mean from 30' up, no problem figuring out what tree Brad's in.
I like that "Made in Japan" sticker. What I don't like is that I already have two Echo top handle units and can in no way justify another (this one). The 5 year warranty surely is attractive!
Send me a cereal box pattern of the mount area and I'll make you an inner dog..... Now you have me wanting one of these puppies...lol
Seems a tad salty, but the last time I was in an Echo dealership is when I bought my 355T, that was around 4 years ago IIRC. It was 400 bucks out the door. Do an Internet search, check Amazon and fleabay.
