A NON Embarrassment Engine

Echo vs STIHL ?

My old Homelite Dealer who's shop was just down the road from me and worked on any brand said "they all will cut wood unless the chain is on wrong"!

klinemar wrote: My old Homelite Dealer who's shop was just down the road from me and worked on any brand said "they all will cut wood unless the chain is on wrong"!

Not sure I really understand Steve’s comment, I would put both brands in the quality saw category.

However, both of my Stihls are hard starting cold blooded SOB’s.

I've got a Stihl 028 and a newer 160 (i think).  The O28 farm boss has been hard to start until the local shop put a new carb on it.  I learned to only choke it a couple pulls when cold and then it might take a half dozen pulls before it fires.  Once it's run, it starts on the first pull.  I also have a HF battery powered saw which I like to use with the pto powered chipper to trim branches so the limbs feed better.

I think my echo ran about a half dozen times before it decided to never start again. Real good quality... I use a Milwaukee M18 saw now as I don't cut wood all day long. Works perfect for me.

  It sounds like Stihl has a tendency to require a number of pulls, doesn't really bother me. I think all the name brands are good, but put out the occasional lemon however.

Dorix wrote:   It sounds like Stihl has a tendency to require a number of pulls, doesn't really bother me. I think all the name brands are good, but put out the occasional lemon however.

We had two still saw at the farm the first one always too several pulls to start would never idle and didn't put enough oil on the chain. Went back to dealer twice they never did fix it the second time it was going to be awhile till the new carb arrived bought a second one it always starter on the second pull idled and kept the chain oiled. Finally got the first one back from dealer stil a POS. New guy at the farm used to be the small engine repairman at a local shop they had sent him to the sthil factory course so they could get warranty payments. He worked on the saw for a couple hours took it apart cleaned and set every thing to correct specs. After that it started on second pull ran great and oiled like it should. A good mechanic can do wonders for your saw. My Poulan has been a 3 pull saw since new when it finally quit starting I was unhappy went to pull the plug you can't doit without pulling the saw halfway apart. I found the plug wrench still in the package with the spare plug I bought 20 years ago put the new plug in changied the brittle broken fuel line. And it starts on the third pull again. When I took the original plug out you could hold the plug base in your hand and turn the ceramic with your fingers. My compression came back and it runs great.

Well at least you understood Steve!

Anyway, I don’t really care or have a strong opinion one way or other. Just browse through topics on this or other forums where people are talking about saw recommendations and it seems to me Echo usually comes out looking pretty good. Stihl, Husqvarna, then seems Echo falls in pretty quick. Maybe the older ones were better and the new ones suck? I know ours was good.

Oh well. I do wish my Stihls started a little easier.

DaveKamp wrote: Stihl, Husquvarna, Echo, Solo, Dolmar, Shindaiwa, Makita... all have 'professional-grade' saws.  I'd recommend ANY of them, unless you're cutting concrete, cast iron, or steel fabrication, then go with ICS. A plastic crankcase identifies a 'cheap' saw.  Drop them in the cold, they crack.  What identifies a 'professional-grade' saw?  There's differing opinions, but the acid test of a pro-grade saw:    --If you can call a local dealer and get a new crankcase seal, or a replacement carb, fuel lines, fuel pickup tube kit, or a chain-oiler rebuild kit on a WEEKDAY, it's a professional-grade saw.  If you can get it on a WEEKEND, you have a GREAT DEALER!!! Cracked crankcases leak, and the crankcase is a critical part of a 2-stroke's induction system... it provides the vacuum which pulls fuel-air mix in, and forces it into the cylinder.  With the universality of electronic ignition, 90% of all modern saws fail either from being run with bad fuel (saturated ethanol or improper/insufficient 2-stroke oil) or failure of crankcase seal. NO chainsaw will start worth a hoot if the fuel system isn't kept clean.  EVERY chainsaw will start if it has a clean fuel system, good compression, and an operable starter.  A well-maintained saw ALWAYS starts well. PROFESSIONAL_GRADE Chainsaws that don't start well, fail not because of the color of their paint, or country of origin, but because the contents of the gloves holding the saw have not been properly applied to maintaining the machine. McCulloch was at one time, the primo saw.  Not so today... that brand, and many other once-great names have been relegated to the big-box-store shelves for under $200... have plastic crankcases, and no dealer to support them.  They're disposable.  They get bought by people who don't know, used once, and thrown away when they won't start three years later.  Big-box companies love them... why sell you one saw, when they could sell you one saw every three years? McCulloch had an electric start saw with a battery... cool idea, but problematic THEN.  Today, it's totally possible, and would be cool for SOME saws, but still, a LIGHT saw, is a good saw. ECHO made a TWO CYLINDER small chainsaw.  The CST-610 EVL...  The 'EViL Twin'... definitely a collector's piece for those so inclined...  John Deere sourced MANY of theirs through Echo, and they sold the EVL as the '66SV'.  if you have one, hang onto it. Chainsaw carbeurators all pretty much have the same design lineage.  The carb doesn't use a float bowl, it uses a diaphragm and spring.  It has a similar diaphragm and spring that receives impulse pressure from either the crankcase, or the exhaust port, to pump fuel from the tank to the carb.  There's a very fine-mesh screen on the fuel inlet into the carb.  If all this is clean, they WILL pump fuel, but expect to pull the cord a half-dozen to dozen times to get fuel from the tank into the carb.  If you expect it to start on first pull, it is because you're expecting fuel to be stagnant inside the carb, which is NOT a good thing. Use good FRESH gasoline, good oil, keep it clean.  Empty it out when done.  Clean the saw up thorougly when done using.  Give it a complete refresh of fuel and oil lines, pickups, and a carb kit every two-three seasons, and keep the chains sharp.

I figure it doesn't have enough fuel, because I turn the choke on before I even try, it will eventually fire finally (hey, maybe 8 if you get lucky).  Go to the 1/2 choke setting, will run the next pull, but don't be in any hurry to go to normal.

Edited by Tbone95 - 14 Apr 2021 at 1:39pm

I have an el cheapo post hole digger with a Chineese 2 stroke engine.. About $200. ... the catch is it has a plastic BULB on the fuel line that you pump 4-5 times to pressurize the carburetor. You can feel when it gets hard...it is full.... After setting 6 months in the garage, it will start on 1-2 pulls             ......  Not getting fuel is a BIG problem with a lot of small 2 strokes.