Bought an Echo Timber Wolf Today

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on one to try out.

good saw for the money, I have the little trim saw, works fine

I got one for saw labor payment. Dying to try saw. P&C were scored as bad as I've ever seen. Went to get a topend and it's $175. Nope, won't pay that. Upon disassembly - saw seems very well constructed.

I love mine. I'm not a pro but it cuts great and has lots of power. There are better saws out there, but it seems like this is the best bang for the buck.

I love mine. Shoots a rooster tail of chips 10 feet. Eats wood.

CentralVAWoodHeat said:

What’s everyone’s thoughts on it starting? It’s the only saw I have that takes a good 4-6 pulls after choking to get started. Anyone else find it a bit of a tough start?

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I hit the bulb till I see fuel.
I do full choke with compression button down.
Then rip it 3-4 times.
If it doesn't fire up, I take choke off and then it fires up.

I always though 3-7 pulls was normal. I've never had any power tool start better then that.

After it is warm and there is gas in the carb, it is 1-2 pulls.

(EDIT)
I mis-spoke. My saw has no bulb. With 3 saws, I get confused.

sportbikerider78 said:

I hit the bulb till I see fuel.
I do full choke with compression button down.
Then rip it 3-4 times.
If it doesn't fire up, I take choke off and then it fires up.

I always though 3-7 pulls was normal. I've never had any power tool start better then that.

After it is warm and there is gas in the carb, it is 1-2 pulls.

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Same for me. My only other gas saw was a poulan pro that was a lot harder to start, so I just thought this was normal. Once it is warm, it starts with a half pull.

JSeery said:

Same for me. My only other gas saw was a poulan pro that was a lot harder to start, so I just thought this was normal. Once it is warm, it starts with a half pull.

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I have a poulan pro. It is total garbage. Throw away saw.

To be far, it is comparing a $50 saw with a $350 saw. They each have their place.

Although I regret spending $50 on it when I could have put $50 towards a nice, small, name brand $120 saw.

sportbikerider78 said:

I have a poulan pro. It is total garbage. Throw away saw.

To be far, it is comparing a $50 saw with a $350 saw. They each have their place.

Although I regret spending $50 on it when I could have put $50 towards a nice, small, name brand $120 saw.

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Yeah, I heard that the old, vintage poulans are actually very good saws but this thing was total garbage. Night and day difference with the Echo.

I have the CS590 Timberwolf as well. It’s a beast. Cuts just as well as my Husky Rancher 455 (that I quit using because the chain oiler often clogs).

I have run my 40cc echo through the wringer. It has born the burden of me not knowing how to properly use a chainsaw over my past 5 year learning curve. Never had the oiler clog. Not saying it can't happen, it has just never happened.

It is good exercise.

CentralVAWoodHeat said:

Mine has no primer bulb. It's apparently a newer feature.

All my Husky saws are 1-2 pulls on choke and then one pull off choke to start, even in very cold weather.

I'm gonna run it for a few more hours and then see what we cant do in terms of carb adjustment to remedy the hesitant start.

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There's a few youtube videos on how to adjust the carb for even better performance. Maybe you already know how to do that but I haven't even bothered because it already has enough muscle for me. Check out Youtube profile "bobe8888". He also has a video explaining a muffler mod he did on the CS 590 in case you want even more power/noise.

I can't imagine tinkering with a carb to get cold starts from 3-6 down to 3-4. To each his own.

Hello all, new poster here, I own an Echo CS590 which I loved until recently, but I'm pretty distressed about my saw now. It is only 11 months old and it started to stall under load and wouldn't idle without stalling, so I installed a new spark plug and air & fuel filters (both plug and fuel filter looked fine but I replaced them anyway) and it ran better but still not right.

Then I put new fuel it it and it wouldn't start at all, so I had the dealer I bought it from rebuild the carburetor and now they said I have to have the saw rebuilt because I used it at altitude and it burned up internally and they wanted $200 for the parts and labor until I complained enough to get Echo and the dealer to help out.

Echo says without the adjustment by a dealer I have no warranty, the thing is there are no dealers up here where I live (6000ft) to adjust it for the altitude. The nearest dealer (a different one from where I bought it) is only at 1400ft and he told me none of his customers that live up where I live have needed the adjustment.

I was first told the problem was using old gas, but I have bought and mixed new gas 3 times in 11 months. Then I was told after they tore it down that it was the altitude, but with no dealer local and the one nearest me telling me that shouldn't be a problem I'm not convinced I should invest time and money in a 11 months old machine that seems to be engineered with tolerances so tight that it burns up because of altitude.

My neighbor has a Husky that he abuses and he has never had it adjusted for altitude and it's running fine after over three years???? He's had it since before I met him. And he uses it for harvesting firewood to sell, way more then the 4 cords I've cut with mine.

CentralVAWoodHeat said:

What’s everyone’s thoughts on it starting? It’s the only saw I have that takes a good 4-6 pulls after choking to get started. Anyone else find it a bit of a tough start?

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I've been told to use ethanol free gas or the carburetor goes bad real fast. The dealer that is working on mine told me to buy premixed fuel from Home Depot that has no ethanol in it, it costs about $8 a quart and needs no oil added. Another dealer closer told me told me CA gas (and gas in general) goes bad in as little as a month and the gas causes the bladders in the carburetor to go bad fast.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-Red-Armor-32-oz-50-1-Pre-mixed-Ethanol-Free-Fuel-7450001/204659267

Then I was told using gas and mixing yourself could void the warranty "bad gas is not covered under warranty" he said.

$200 for P&L for whole topend is a good deal. Parts are ~$150+. If it's just a piston = bad deal. Take the cylinder off and look over P & C. Or at a minimum, pull muffler and look at piston and intake wall. Post pics here. If it doesn't run now, you won't be worse off.

Hard to believe going UP in altitude damaged saw. Saw will run richer but I seriously doubt enough to cause severe carbon buildup to scratch P & C.It will run boggy unless you lean out the screws, esp H.

You may have had a clogged carb screen or stiff diaphragms when you initially had running troubles.

Arrowbear Buff said:

Echo says without the adjustment by a dealer I have no warranty, the thing is there are no dealers up here where I live (6000ft) to adjust it for the altitude. The nearest dealer (a different one from where I bought it) is only at 1400ft and he told me none of his customers that live up where I live have needed the adjustment.

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Don’t fold on the altitude crap. At 6,000 feet there is less oxygen. Regular carberated Saws come lean from the factory. Thank govt regs epa for that. Going up in altitude will richen the saw period. And running rich will not burn up a 2 stroke.

Take it to another dealer. Total crap. A reputable dealer will richen the saw for break in and readjust after 5 tanks run through it.

Where’s Echos 5 year warranty ?? Isn’t that a selling point ?

If your forced to buy another saw grab an auto tuned Husky or Mtronic Stihl. They self adjust for everything including altitude and density of air etc.

Sorry your Echo failed you. I’ve heard good things about Echo

dougand3 said:

$200 for P&L for whole topend is a good deal. Parts are ~$150+. If it's just a piston = bad deal. Take the cylinder off and look over P & C. Or at a minimum, pull muffler and look at piston and intake wall. Post pics here. If it doesn't run now, you won't be worse off.

Hard to believe going UP in altitude damaged saw. Saw will run richer but I seriously doubt enough to cause severe carbon buildup to scratch P & C.It will run boggy unless you lean out the screws, esp H.

You may have had a clogged carb screen or stiff diaphragms when you initially had running troubles.

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Thanks for the reply. The saw has only lived and been used at 6000ft.

I don't know what the exact parts are that are needed, or the labor, the dealer that has it is far away (San Diego) and a friend of a family member, he did say they took off the muffler to discover the damage after installing the carb-kit and testing it; maybe I mistook his explanation when I wrote rebuild. My bad.

After complaining to the Echo rep through the dealer, this whole thing is costing me less than $100 including the parts I installed, but I'm still worried about using the saw after the repair if I can't find someone to adjust it for altitude; at my altitude.

I just feel that if Echo is going to sell in CA and then say bad gas like CA's gas that has ethanol can void the warranty, that their 5 year consumer warranty is an empty promise. I check the station and the fuel wasn't flex fuel or higher than 10% so I'm pretty sure it was just running rich, which can void the warranty too if not adjusted by an authorized dealer. But it seemed to run fine before last week, so how would I had known? I don't even mind buying the $8/qt gas from HD since I ended up discarding 2/3rds of the gas I mixed before it goes bad anyway.

My Black & Decker electric, may not be as badass but it has no issues or maintenance, and even my old Craftsman (Poulan) ran after months of sitting. I stopped using it when I got the Echo 11 months ago and it started with the old gas and the new gas.

woodhog73 said:

Don’t fold on the altitude crap. At 6,000 feet there is less oxygen. Regular carberated Saws come lean from the factory. Thank govt regs epa for that. Going up in altitude will richen the saw period. And running rich will not burn up a 2 stroke.

Take it to another dealer. Total crap. A reputable dealer will richen the saw for break in and readjust after 5 tanks run through it.

Where’s Echos 5 year warranty ?? Isn’t that a selling point ?

If your forced to buy another saw grab an auto tuned Husky or Mtronic Stihl. They self adjust for everything including altitude and density of air etc.

Sorry your Echo failed you. I’ve heard good things about Echo

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Thanks, I tell that to the dealer.

Arrowbear Buff said:

I've been told to use ethanol free gas or the carburetor goes bad real fast. The dealer that is working on mine told me to buy premixed fuel from Home Depot that has no ethanol in it, it costs about $8 a quart and needs no oil added. Another dealer closer told me told me CA gas (and gas in general) goes bad in as little as a month and the gas causes the bladders in the carburetor to go bad fast.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-Red-Armor-32-oz-50-1-Pre-mixed-Ethanol-Free-Fuel-7450001/204659267

Then I was told using gas and mixing yourself could void the warranty "bad gas is not covered under warranty" he said.

Click to expand...

FWIW, I only use the pre-mixed gas from Home Depot in my CS-590. I've heard enough things about ethanol effects on carbs to not want to mess with it. I use the saw relatively infrequently, so I figure it saves me money and headaches in the long run.

I use nothing but about 1 year old gas with "up to" 10% ethanol. It all gets sta-bil as well as whatever stabilizers the 2 stroke oil has. I keep 20 gallons on hand and rotate the numbered jugs over the course of a year.

I've never had a carb problem in anything that burns old ethanol gas whether that's the mower, generator, blower, or saw.

Not sure if it's an excuse, a myth, or what.