I've wondered the same thing......where are all these saws coming from?

I can't comment on the quality of the saw in question, but I have had very good luck with ECHO products in general.

If you were looking at the 55 Husqvarna you won't want the CS346 Echo as it is too small. It's only a 33.5 cc engine where the Husqvarna is has a 53 cc engine. As far as the saw goes it is a great little saw but I think Echo should not have put that handle configuration on the saw. If you want an Echo for use other than light trimmming go with the CS440 or larger. Later Butch

I own and use the ECHO CS-346 around the house on small jobs and it does a great job, it is a very light chain saw,
great for a trimming saaw, on the big stuff I use a John Deere CS-56 w 18 inch bar and it does a great job on the big stuff, but I am looking into buying a Stihl MS-270 CQS or MS-280 CQS before winter

DH

I had a Husky 55. Now I have a Shindaiwa 488. It has very similar power to the 55 but in a noticeably lighter saw -- very pleasant to use.

butch has some good advice if you want to stick with Echo. Echo makes good saws, darn near pro quality, but on the low end of the pricetag range. a good deal all the way around. it just depends on what needs your saw needs to fulfill.

Rangers

I ended up buying an Echo cs-346 on one of the ebay auctions because the only negative that I have been able to find on this saw on several internet forums is that it may be too small. With the exception of one, most postings were positive both for Echo in general and this saw in specific. I looked at one at HD and it does seem a little flimsy but then what saw would not at 7.5 lbs? I plan to use the Echo cs-346 for cutting firewood until I can buy a bigger saw for felling. Who is butch and where can I find his advice?

Click on my page and send me a e-mail. Later Butch

I purchased an echo cs 346 on ebay from an authorized echo dealership in Massachuessetts less than two years ago. Since then Echo corporation has stopped their dealerships from selling on e-bay. The saw broke down within the warranty period yet echo corporation is refusing to honor the warranty claiming anything sold online isn't covered by their warranty. Even worse it was the clutch that broke and Echo claims that clutches are excluded from their warranty. I will never buy an echo product again.

I work for an Echo dealer and something about this does not sound right. They are normally very good about covering warrantable failures.

I've had a total of five (3 346's and 2 341's) of the smaller echo's (still have 3). For the heavier stuff I use the larger professional Stihls and Husqvarnas. The smaller echos are-I think-better than the cheaper smaller Stihls and Husky's which I'm thinking are not made in Germany and Sweden, but are farmed out to other companies. The echos are great for small trees and limbs and for trimming wood for the purpose of turning stuff. They start easily and cut well. Incidentally, most of the ones I got came from Ebay sellers. If you want to spend a lot, then the Stihl 200T is fabulous. If you have larger trees and will be cutting often, then I recommend the Stihl 361 and up and the Husky 365 and up, but these are all $500 and up. Remember, chainsaws-even the smaller ones- are incredibly dangerous. You absolutely need eye, ear and head protection and probably should wear chaps as well. good luck, HB

There was a news report the other night on the fencing of stolen property on Ebay. The Echo 346 Chainsaw was one of the items specifically mentioned.

I have an echo CS345. I bought it because of it's light weight and relatively strong engine. The engine is great. It is a great around the house saw and doesn't wear me out like the heavier saws. My only complaint is that it doesn't have one of those dials to tight the chain up. Seems like I am always having to adjust and retighten or the chain comes off right at the end of my work.

Are you tightening the chain properly? Pick the chain up at the centre of the bar, the drive links should not quite clear the bar rails. Do this with the chain cold, not warm. If the chain is dull it will heat and stretch more. IMHO, the dials for tightening the chain are a gimmick.