Had this for 4 or 5 years now. It was my only '60cc' unit until last December. Initial impressions will make the saw look bulky or unwieldy mostly due to the fat rewind case holding the EZ starter (more on that in a bit). The assumed bulkiness is not felt when working. The saw feels in the hand to be the same weight as the 562 I purchased last December despite their physical sizes looking quite different. Handlebar/trigger grip ergonomics work for me. I do a fair amount of bucking in particular with this saw. No reason other than that's how things are. It was bought with a .325x20" guide bar. Tested the 3/8 setup above and was pleased, so that's how I've been running it. The saw does use the small Husky mount K095 and the spline drive is the smaller size also requiring an 'adapter' sprocket for 3/8 pitch. The engine uses a stratospherical design where there are two distinct intake paths to the cylinder, with two coresponding butterfly assemblies. I have done zero modifications to this saw(that's a lie, I changed the fuel and oil caps)...not even a muffler mod (it's got a cat and I just can't be bothered to dig it out of there). These saws will *run, even stock. With equal chains, I'm going out on a limb and will say it will outrun a stock 562mkii in the cut. With that said, it has to be in tune to do so. I have had the saw completely in tune only a handful of times so far. It is a persnickety unit to get dialed in (for me at least), I'm no tuner, but manage to keep all my others in good shape 99% of the time. This one likes to mess with me. Even if the tune is not 100% optimal, the saw will still just eat the wood. This may be in part to my changing it to the larger diameter drive sprocket that 3/8 pitch uses(7pin). None the less having a larger drive sprocket, the saw never lacks for power with a 20" guide bar on it. I'd say it would happily run an 8 pin .325 setup if desired. An 8 pin for 3/8 would require port work to be optimal in my opinion. It has never been difficult to get running. I am generally against 'ez start' aids as I believe you should be physically able to start a saw if you intend to use it. I have to admit...it's really nice on this saw. (no experience with the many other variations out there in the market) In fact I would recco these saws because of the starter to folks who may have disabilities preventing them from starting a normal 60cc saw without difficulty. Choke on, primer bulb, one or two easy, slow pulls and you'll be off and running with zero drama. The unit flat out has the BEST air filter setup I've ever seen on a saw. No fines at all have ever gotten by it, and it is very easy to remove and clean. I will say the BEST again, because it's that good. Sortof annoyed that there is no outer spike option to add to the saw. One can modify a clutch cover from a EA5600 to fit if desired to get the outer spike. Behind the plastic cover lay an inboard clutch setup and a very nice backing plate which covers the oil pump assembly. Tension adjuster is saw mounted with nothing in the clutch cover involved. The saw does oil nicely...more than adequate but not excellent like my Echos. The single felling spike is substantial but not aggressive. Gets the job done. Oil and fuel capacity are *high. Probably holds more oil and fuel than does my 70cc Jonsered. You'll be ready for a break when out of fuel. Usually 1/5th tank of oil left when time to fuel. Single lever kill switch/choke. Overall pretty pleased with it. Wish it would 'stay on the pipe' better for me but at this point we'll say I have decided to 'live' with it....it's still here afterall. It's probably just my lackluster tuning by ear but again I usually don't have much trouble. This saw still will surprise me with speed in a cut, years later. 4 stars because I have to fiddle with the carb too often, your mileage will probably vary. No hesitation to recommend especially to those who may need a little bigger saw, but cannot easily start them. Makes a dandy firewood saw for this rank amatuer. I see used units (out of production) for around $300-500 and if in good order are well worth that price.
