Stihl and Echo Chainsaw Review- Which is Better? 

I was running this saw for about 2 hours at about a 30-50% duty cycle ru-vid.comUgkxfQm1wmg0ItKDLavxj1nXtQY9HP7EF504 and it did a great job. I used the lever for the built in sharpener to clear chip buildup out more than to actually sharpen the chain. It managed to cut some hardwood stumps much larger than it's size without bothering the neighbors with hours of 2 stroke noise.

I opened an Echo chainsaw repair business four years ago and I am still waiting for my first customer. My best friend opened a Stihl repair shop around the same time and has now moved to the Bahama's into a house on the ocean with my wife that left me for a wealthier man.

I used Stihl for years - in a big storm, I bought an Echo as a "Back-up" saw - it was, tbh, cheap. I now use that cheap Echo as my go-to daily saw & it refuses to die or give grief. I am- unashamedly - an Echo fanboy these days.

I ran all Stihl for years, saws, blowers, & weed eaters until I picked up an Echo, I now have nothing but Echo.

I have 35 years experience using chainsaws and currently have en echo CS 3700 and a Stihl MS 250. Whilst the Stihl is a very good saw, the Echo in every way is a superior machine and I have not found a brand to beat it. Japanese quality and reliability is still in my view the best

I love echo, echo is my first choice of equipment, I like stihl too, but the stihl chainsaws are a bear to start, constantly flooding, breaking your arm by how hard they are to pull, and the fact that they are extremely overpriced.

I have the Echo timber wolf for a couple years now, badass saw..plenty of power..very happy with it..

Nobody with any brains would use a Stihl MS290 before a Echo CS590. The Echo is better at everything and cost less . Some are uniformed and are wearing Stihl shorts

Well fellows after some nearly 40 years using chainsaws I find comparisons are sort of like Ford/Chevy in that many saws cut well and feel well in different hands and folks have personal preferences. Most saws hold up more in the hands of those who use them properly, the way they personally cut things. Both here are good saws in the end.

Unfair test ,First off Echo in not broke in,Stihl is well worn,second Different bars and chains you should be using the same chain and bar size.

I have a Stihl MS-250 chainsaw and it have not lived up to my expectation since it is hard to start, and I can't get anything done with it. Before I purchased the Stihl, I had a Poulan which I purchased in 2000, and it works great still, but I only use it around home. It sounds like the Echo chainsaw would be much better if I could find one in my area.

I've owned an Echo CS 346 for over 12 years, cleared and cut down lots of trees, too many to count. The Echo still works almost perfect, l'm very impressed cause l bought this saw already well used at a pawn shop for $149 .

I bought the Echo because I couldn't justify 200 dollars more for a comparable Stihl. That price delta will buy a lot of consumables. I went with arboristsite reviews because that is probably the canonical pro and prosumer arborist website. The Echo is well made, and you can get the 600 if you want the pro version differences or just replace the bar with an upgrade (if necessary for your use case) when you wear out the original. No matter what saw you buy, there's always a better, more expensive saw available. The Echo is IMO great bang for the buck.

Its amazing how many people cant figure out that lower level Stihls saws are heavy, gutless and low quality and cost too much for what they are.

I have owned two Stihls, a pro 036 and 310. Both were good saws, but I recently sold both and bought a Echo 590 and smaller 400. The 400 I bought 1st looking for a lighter saw for trim work, and wow, what a great lightweight saw that cuts surprising fast through anything, and is so balanced, does not wear you out. I was so impressed, I bought the 590. The 590 simply smokes the Stihls............it has surprising power, not for the in-experienced. Again, Stihl makes great saws, but as far as performance goes, Echo out cuts them. Time will tell if the last as long, but for now I am totally satisfied.

I'm an ECHO owner, but have no horse in this race. Having said that, the fanboyism is strong when the same guys who brag about how bombproof and durable old abused Stihls are the same ones who say, "No fair! The Stihl is older!" 😂 Pick a struggle! You can't both brag about their superiority and make excuses as to why it just got outgunned by the ECHO. Anybody in their right mind knows that Stihl, Husqvarana & ECHO all make great saws and that they perform within 10% of each other. One cuts faster, one starts easier, one takes neglect better and they're all priced in the same range (Timber Wolf, Farm Boss & Rancher). They aren't your typical homeowner saw and they're not what the pros use day in and day out. They're know as "Prosumer" grade saws for non-professionals who need more than just your typical $100 14" plug in big box store chainsaw that's nothing more than a pruner on steroids. I'd take any of either 3, but there's no denying that the ECHO is right up there with the other two big boys and being made in Japan is a BIG PLUS when it comes to reliability and durability. They've been around for almost 1/2 a century. Deal with it. So keep your powder dry and don't get emotional over chainsaws. When you start sponsoring comparison videos by providing equipment to the testers, then you can gripe. Personally, I would've love to have seen identical bar lengths & identical chains on both so that you're getting a real test where the cutting touches the wood. But there's no getting around it...ECHOs run like bobcats on meth. It just is what it is. Test after test proves it. I notice that no one is making excuses as to why the ECHO went through those logs like Child Support goes through a tax return so spare us your indignation. 😂

Echo saws have been gaining favor with the loggers around here for a few years. Their trimmers and top handle climber's saws have been popular for a long time and proven reliable. When the saw shops started carrying Echo's bigger saws people started trying them and liking them. There are three Echo dealers near me. Two of them also sell Husqvarna and the other sells Stihl. All three say Echo is their most reliable brand.

I have an echo cs600p been running it for 4 years now and has never let me down. I use it on the farm all the time and cut about two or more tri axle loads of wood a year. An echo will hold up just as long as a stihl in my opinion.

Both chains are throwing dust. Should be throwing chips if they were sharp

Problem is, you are still comparing an old saw to a new saw.

Stanley, first time I ever commented on your videos which I truly find both informative and entertaining. 5 years ago, I had to make the decision between Stihl and Echo. I went with Echo due to simplicity and mist of all - balance. The Farmboss is way to heavy on the motor end fo my liking. Today I had to use the Echo again. Even though it was left with a tank full of stabilized fuel, it started right up and performed flawlessly ( I had to remove the spark plug to relieve the compression and turn it over a couple of times). Stihl may be the name, but times are changing as they say. Stay safe...

Stihl has started making products in China. So yea... press F to pay respects I guess...

An embarrassingly biased comparison stacked against the Stihl, and I love Echo saws. Delete this garbage.

I love Echo all around and less espensive, more durable too

i cut timber professionally, an i have for many years. i understand these saws are a smaller caliber than i use on a daily basis. but i have smaller saws than those you are showcasing that cut much faster than that...i have to say this video makes me absolutely nauseous.... one saw is brandnew.. the other is obviously well warn.. an they have different size bars? not to mention neither chain is sharp. also echo chain is extremely an dangerously lose... come on man i love your videos but after this ive lost alot of respect.

It's obvious this vid is a plug for Echo, which are darn good saws, but Stihl can match or better just about anything on the market. As far as this comparison goes, the horsepower, the type of gas mix, how sharp the blades are and the overall condition of the chainsaws can make a huge difference, so this demonstration is basically a joke. It pisses off all the Stihl folks and gives all the Echo dudes a hard on. Respect the powerful beast that a chainsaw is and give it lots of TLC in the maintenance department and it will serve you well, and stay away from the crappy consumer models, especially ones with batteries. :)

Painful to watch amateurs. You and your crew. What pro buys a farm boss?

Really a new chain? Judging by the size of the saw dust chunks, it’s obviously not a “new” chain. Maybe a freshly sharpened chain but without properly set rakers. Also a new 59.8 ccsaw, vs an older smaller 55cc saw. . Yeah lots of variables there. This test is invalid. Let’s see a echo Timberwolf against an ms362. Or at least an ms 311 that is a 59cc as well.

Beware, the choke knob sticks out from the body and could get snagged and broken. The Stihl is hidden for this reason.

3 echo saws on shelf electronic problems no parts makes me sick, sthil saw ms 290 never failed

I have both an Echo and Stihl. I service them myself. I use them for how they were designed. If I need a bigger and more powerful saw, I will purchase another. For now, using them within their design parameters, they are both good tools.

Used an ECHO for 4 years (for everything, my wood heat included) without a single breakdown or issue, NOTHING! It has performed flawlessly and with great power no matter what obstacle I put it against....wood, ice, shingles, extreme cold, doesn't matter. You can't stop an ECHO. They really are great machines.

With the opinions like below its no wonder Stihl manages to sell low powered, heavy , low quality saws like the one in this vid

Check your chain tension watching that echo have allot of under slop

I've been very happy with the quality, Warranty and price of my echo blower. I will always consider an Echo product.

Good vid. Thx. Been running a Huski 390xp and a Poulan Pro 52cc 20" , Echo is next on the list.

i bought my a 490 and returned it for the 590 after i saw this video, the echo 590 is a badass saw. i sold my stihl170 to help pay for it. great video!

Tried to make the comparison as FAIR as possible? Really? THE BAR ON THE STIHL IS **WAY SHORTER**! Holy crap, is Echo paying you guys to do this disservice? Also, the Echo saw appears new, while the Stihl is much older. The supposed tuneup was not as good as could have been. The sound and bogging down attests to this fact. Echo makes a good saw. I own one myself, but this is just bad propaganda. Shame on you.

i use to work with echo 400, after many reviews of 590 lord of wolves i just bougth it and WOW, definetely i prefer echo over the shitty stilh. Echo #1. is my everyday tool on my tree removal company.

I’ve been a professional urban forester for decades, climbing for the better part of that tenure. I always swore by Stihl, but when the time came to get a new top handle saw I chose an Echo cs355t. That was almost four years ago and in that time I’ve had absolutely no issues with it, not even a replacement recoil cord....as a matter of fact I’ve never even removed that cover. As far as I’m concerned that 355t is twice the saw as Stihl’s 201t, and for half the price. Like as not I’ll never buy another Stihl. And now I’m gonna pick up a 24” Echo cs590, as a “bucking” saw for when the diameter of the wood I’m climbing challenges the capabilities of my cs355t.

I think my ryobi cheap saw cuts almost as good as the stihl

The problem with stihl is you have to purchase two of them.

I have 6 stihl chainsaw and love them the best money can buy

Or you can just go buy a Husqvarna problem solved

Both saws are their homeowner farm saws. The prices are about the same. The stihl is a plastic clamshell. The echo is a magnesium case. Echo is a better built saw and will make more power and outlast the 290. The timber wolf will spank the rancher 455 and 460 also. Those are also plastic clamshell motors. May want to mention to guy in video he holds the saw totally wrong. Right hand is to be on rear of the handle. This guy looked awkward and unsafe.

hard to believe y'all would leave out the fact that in every echo product made gets a commercial grade forged piston 300hour engine where as a stihl farm boss is a home owner grade engine that's not a forged piston 300 hour engine.

In the past 5 years I have purchased Stihl, Husky and Echo. Future buys will only be Echo.

One only get's the top quality with Stihl saws when buying their larger saws. Made in Germany quality. I own 5 Stihls, 3 Echo's and love everyone of them. Like one Commenter said, it's like comparing Chevy's and Fords. But my favorite "go to saw" would have to be the Echo CS-5000. Mabey a little on the Hot Saw Circuit but a Powerhouse in your presence. Cut with other Stihl lovers and they spent more time watching the Echo 5000 cut than their Stihl Farm Boss's. Nothing internal but minor carb, exhaust, timing mods. Get ya Sum!

I generally love the echo and shindaiwa products, I really think they are underrated. Never had any major problems with any of their petrol products, they just perform.

Timberwolf is a better saw than 290 Stihl. When I hear the word Stihl I don't get goosebumps. I run other BETTER BRANDS

LOVE MY ECHO chainsaw and bp blower

If you're worried about what the good ol boys will think of you down at the co-op, buy the Stihl. If you live in the 21st century and aren't afraid of what the dinosaurs will say about you, buy the Echo. Quality product without the b.s. price and service options.

This was a great comparison of an old, homeowner grade 56cc saw and a new pro grade 60cc saw. If you actually wanted it to be apples to apples you would have had a new ms362 to go against that echo.

Echo 501 P, vs Husqvarna 550xp - RU-vid

All im says is ive seen a Kia car out preform a Nissan....🤔new generation fellas🤷🏾‍♂️ we just a squirrel tryna get a nut..

Great video guys. Too bad there are so many uptight dudes leaving negative comments LOL ... I thought you did the best you could with the test. Don't let all those negative whining comments bring ya' down. Cheers

I have been a echo technician for 10 years and all we do is get Stihl back never echo

Also all farm boss and MS models are junk!, the only good stihls are models that start with O as in 026. 056. 064, 036 etc etc all others are garbage.

I've got an echo 400 and a Stihl 391. They are technically homeowner saws but I'm a landscaper. I've been running them pretty hard lately and very happy with how both are performing.

Stihl is gutless! Hate them! Had to use them! Never again! BIL cuts wood all the time and has gone through 3 stihl to one Husquvarna. No comparison! Get what you pay for.

Oh wow.... Speechless. Except! Send me that saw and I'll run a review worth while!

Even 7 years later. I continue to hear good things about Echo. Lots of people still swear by Stihl and probably will. I plan on getting an Echo though.

Your shop was lazy and did not sharpen the stihl. Also the 16in bar does not mean it will run more efficiently. Efficiency is more tied to chain and bar size and tooth arrangement. do the same trial with a 18in bar with 3/8 chain, skip tooth and see what happens.

I'm going with echo my landlord bought a brand new stihl payed around 700 and man that thing from beginning was issues starting and took it back for repair meanwhile the older stihl still starts up on couple pulls so I'm not a fan of the new stihls I'm going with echo

I've been buying echoes used for years . I see one laying there and I say yeah what you going to do with that saw ? And they tell me they're going to sell it for xxx. And I always say yeah but it's not a Stihl . I can only give you this much . It's getting harder y'all cut it out no more reviews thank you

I own a tree service company and my to go big saws is husky that said I also own echo and echo will last you for ever now I just bought the new echo top handle and the 7310 and had a Timberwolf for the past 3 years and going strong.

Go with the Echo, you can actually understand their manuals. Stihl's are very hard to understand. And their cheaper saws are hard to start.

590 in action, this saw handles most of what your going to run into. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lwBrNl9VNLM.html

Not a fair comparison but I will say Echo has caught up to Stihl and is now starting to pass them up. The diehard Stihl guys refuse to believe it but it’s true.

I bought a Stihl and it was very underpowered and cut limbs and small trees but not good for much else I then bought a echo both 40cc 18 inch saws the echo is like the stihl with twin turbos and nitrous will never buy another stihl echo or husquavarna for me

Echo is owned by Shindaiwa the best two-stroke products on the market. Test their backpack blowers....freakin awesome machines.

The neat thing about all my Echo machines is that start and will not stall at low RPM. They putt, but will not quit.. :)

Stihl for me, quality and easy starting! Also power and tork!

I like echo but do a better comparison the 590 vs the 360. The echo 620p will cut faster than the new 362

One thought about the Echo having a longer bar, this gives more chain teeth to clear the wood cuttings which means there is less chance of clogging. Would be interesting if the Stihl was fitting with the same length bar an chain. However looks a good saw.

I bought 2 of these 590s at home depot for 300.00 they were refurbished and on the half price table, should of bought the third one too.

Have the Echo with an 18" bar, bought it when it was first released. Best saw I've owned. Power to spare without being a heavy brute. The Echo warranty is actually better than Stihl - not that it really matters as both are top quality machines.

Stihl sucks. Just used a brand new 450.00 dollar weedeater from them. It barely ran and it was hard as hell to start

Did I mention that I am a certified echo technician? I'm also a highly qualified tree care professional that uses professional grade saws every day. I like where echo is going, but I've done my own comparisons. Putting the echo version of a professional saw against a non-professional grade saw is bad enough, but then choosing the biggest turd a company has ever made, just makes you look bad.

MS361 vs That echo should be the fair match. 60cc

Bought a john deere 55 back in early 80's made by echo and used it today 07-18-2018 ran like brand new. Because of age parts are hard to find but saw still runs and cuts fantastic.Keep chain sharp and don't abuse bar.

The 290 is 56cc. The ms310 would be better to compare to the echo since it would be the same cc

Stihls number 1 selling saw is the one in this vid the MS290 which is gutless, heavy, built cheap and has way over rated HP. Should tell you something about people wearing Stihl shorts.

I have stihl saws, but I saw that these echo saw was built by the Japanese and every thing I love is built by those guys down to the Nintendo.

Not even close to a fair comparison. The Stihl would likely have cut faster with a longer bar. Anytime the nose of the bar is buried in the wood it works the saw much harder. Power should be close on these two saws. The 590 is a de-tuned and downgraded version of the 600P. Great saw for the money.

Pulling off the plastic limiter caps and tuning them a bit richer, they'll run neck and neck with a 550 or a stihl ms 261. Nobody needs an autotune carb. Two screws, too simple. He's talking about a 50 cc Echo. Someone I believe, not your bs billy bob

Well new chain on farm boss would make it far i have farm boss half that time with a 20in bar but its a new model i run same test 28 seconds so next run a far test thanks....

Sthil is trash made in China and could never match the superior engines of Japan Echo is boss!

I have a Echo cs500evl that I bought brand new in 1982. I use it every year cutting my annual firewood supply, usually 3 to 4 cords and for various projects. The only mechanical issue I had was the ignition coil about 20 years ago. So for very long term durability they can't be beat.

Hold on...these saws are not equal! Rip Off. The MS290 is old and has been out of production for years! I guess you'd match a used 2000 model truck against a 2019? Echo says in it's advertisements this CS-590 is a professional grade saw and you've matched it with an old farm and ranch series. Want a fair test? Match the Echo CS-590 against a new Stihl MS362, 59cc saw. Ridiculous! By the way, like your new Echo chaps...did Echo outfit you well with a lot of little extras?

The stihl saw was years old, and the Echo was new. Compression ain't the same on an old saw. Not saying the echo still wouldn't have more power, just that the test was flawed.

Just bought the cs 400 today. That thing is a beast cut like a hot knife through butter

The farmBoss is a homeowner type saw, plastic case and all. Let me be clear Stihl makes top of the line products!! However take into consideration the low and mid range models are often over priced for what they are. Sometimes you're paying more for the name and clever marketing, than the quality of the actual product. The same can be said for many Husqvarna saws as well. Echo on the other hand is trying to build the brand up, by producing quality at a more reasonable price. The issue Echo has is lack of supporting dealers. When it comes down to it, these saw are only similar in price. The cs-590 is based on the pro models cs-600, cs-620 and cs-620pw, all of which have mag cases. Mag cased saws are normally more durable more powerful and lighter than the plastic clam shell designs. Right now the Echo cs-590 is without a doubt the most saw you can buy for the money today.

I’m pretty much an echo guy. Only way stihl is worth it is the pro models but I’ve found that pretty much all of echos equipment is built to the same level of longevity as stihl pro saws. Echo doesn’t really have all the bells and whistles and they have fewer big chainsaws, stihl has a better selection in this size range but echo’s are great and if you have an older one it is most likely gonna last you til they don’t make parts for it anymore and you finally break something that you can’t replace.

I have a GT-200R Echo trimmer I bawt in 06 it's 100% unmalested used every yr from spring till fall I don't abuse it. It shows plenty of wear. the original spark plug is still in it. Air cleaner + fuel lines,primer bulb still original. I found an identicle 1 in the trash last fall fixed it with Loctite Super Glue just recently sold it for $50. If I had to buy a new trimmer I'd certainly buy Echo with out a doubt.

Of course you picked the farm boss 290. It's the worst saw stihl ever made. why not try a smaller saw? I'll put a little ms261 up against your echo.

The chainsaw operator 4:20 , who's operating the Stihl should get some training. He's a danger to himself.

I'll tell you this much I've got an echo Timberwolf I've also got an 029, 039, ms271, ms310 and ms441 magnum. I put the Timberwolf up against the 441 Magnum both had 24 inch bars with new chains and the Timberwolf wood cut through almost twice the wood is that Magnum I just traded a load of wood and some cash for ms310 the exact same size as the Timberwolf just to compare there is no comparison the Timberwolf beat it both hands down I've only got one Stihl chainsaw they will compete with it and that's the old o39 it will run right behind it. The MS 271 and the o29 no comparison

Well, I don't think you purposefully tried to skew the results, I just think it wasn't a fair comparison. I know that you have a lot more knowledge of chainsaws, and wood cutting. Maybe you should just try to get Stihl to send you a new saw for testing , and do a part 2. I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thanks, Leo

I can not say enough good things about this saw. I run it with a 24" bar and almost no bog down on full cuts. This is an awesome saw. Add in the value, no need to worry, this saw just cuts. Runs like a dragster to my Husky.