Echo CS-400 Chainsaw

Last year, it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new chainsaw. Having used cheap chainsaws, I didn't want to go that route, so I went with one of my favorite brands: Echo. After a trip to the store, a brand-new CS-400 followed me home.

This saw has been everything that I would have expected from Echo: A powerful, responsive, easy-starting motor with a solid machine built around it, and it's been a true pleasure to use.

In buying a chainsaw, size matters, and it matters quite a bit. This saw comes with an 18" blade, and a 40.2cc motor. In my opinion, this is a pretty decent size for a residential homeowner, as it matches well to the size of trees that a residential user is likely to cut. If you have a tree that's too big for this saw, chances are that you don't have a place to safely "drop" it inside of a city. Climbing and sectioning a tree is something best left to the professionals, doing it safely takes a lot of knowledge, skill, and equipment.

This chainsaw does have what I call a "Nanny-Brake". There is a handguard which, if pushed forward even a little bit, engages a brake to stop the chain. This is an attempt to protect the user in case of a kick-back. The downside is that if you have large hands, you're wearing thick gloves, and are holding the saw at the right angles, you can trip the nanny-brake fairly easily. After you've used the saw a time or two, however, you get used to how you

Since buying the chainsaw, I've cut down and cut up a 40' tall poplar, and a cottonwood of similar size. I've also cut up the remains of a pair of 40' tall pine trees. Through all of that, the saw done just what you'd expect, and done it smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, that it almost makes the job boring! Between a powerful motor and a sharp chain, this is how sawing should be.

I once heard a person say that to start a two-stroke motor, "You have to use just the right combination of swear words." Well, that may be true on cheap or poorly-maintained equipment, but on good quality motors, it shouldn't be. And Echo holds true to its reputation with this saw. Starting it up for the first time in six months took three pulls with the choke on, then one pull with the choke off. Not bad for something that's sat around all winter.

This chainsaw has certainly lived up to what I expected, given the price. It does the job, and does it amazingly well.

Finally, if you're going to buy and use a chainsaw, play it smart: Learn how to use it safely and effectively.