Echo 355T

[Matagorn]

That's a tough one, but it's not really an option. The 200's just aren't sustainable anymore. There are four of them in our shop that guys are always shelling out 2 or 300 dollars at a time to get worked on... replace the clutch, replace the carb, replace the oil seals, replace the manifold, replace the piston and cylinder, replace the feul lines and filters, then, somehow three months later, something else is hooped. Vacuum test riddles at this point.

Man... they WERE sweet though, weren't they?!

Yes sir. My last one was torn from my hand about 30 feet up when I was chunking down a spar. It landed on a rock. My fault for a sloppy back cut. It was real windy and I was looking to get out of the tree. So on to the 201Tcm this year. I’ve never run a husky topper but you make it sound pretty nice.

 

[Nutball]

Nutball sold me his modded 590 with a 24 bar. It rips. Hell, they are great out of the box. But my modded 590 is a beast.

I've made them a lot better since then, that was the first I did some tinkering with, but yes "Little porting, muffler mod and tune"

They are the best bang for the buck if you keep an eye out on ebay for discounted new ones, or dealer day discounts. Echos tend to be easy to work on, but have squishy AV, and poor oil pickup/scavenging since the oil line can't move around the tank with the oil.

The easiest mod is to take off the muffler, take off the exhaust deflector, throw away the spark screen, grind through the 2-3 welds on the lower deflector plate until it can be separated from the top deflector without damaging it, then reassemble minus the small inner deflector.

 

[Matagorn]

It's cheap and it works. I bought one and then another as back ups.

Just tried one today. Not bad with the 14 inch bar. For the price, it’s impressive for sure.

 

[chris_girard]

Hey guys. I’m thinking of getting an echo 355 T as a back up climbing saw to my Stihl 201Tcm. Any thoughts from those who have run the 355t?

I was very surprised how much I love that little saw!

 

[Raj]

The 355T fits me nicely. Decent saw, decent price.

 

[Matagorn]

The 355T fits me nicely. Decent saw, decent price.

I’m diggin it so far. Does it take the same gauge bar and chain as a Stihl? Just got mine. It has a safety chain on it.

 

[SkwerI]

I’m diggin it so far. Does it take the same gauge bar and chain as a Stihl? Just got mine. It has a safety chain on it.

Pitch, gauge and link count will be stamped on the bar. If not, Google the bar part number for the info. You will need it so you don't look like an idiot when you go to the saw shop for spare chains.

 

[Burnham]

Brian, in my saddened experience of the last decade or more...it's as likely as not that the current crop of "saw shop techs" will be the one's looking like idiots.

Not to say you don't need to have your specifics in hand when asking for X, Y, or Z from your saw shop. I agree completely.

Just sayin'...don't take anything you need for your saw, just giving general info at the saw shop counter. You best have all the part numbers, or the chain specs you specifically want, down to the nitty gritty.

It saddens me to have to shout this out. But the truth is, my beloved Stihl saw shop of many a decade past, has foundered on the shoals of the near death of the timber industry here. 20 years ago my local Stihl saw shop would have had 30 or more saws on their shelves. From 200T's to 088's. Three or four of each model, available to buy right now. A few scatterings of the homeowner models in there, too.

Nothing like that, today. If you wanted a pro model saw, you might find one in the lower mid range on the shelf...one. Special order for anything bigger, or smaller, or top handle.

To survive, they have shifted to servicing homeowners and landscape companies. The really talented saw service technicians I went to there for advice, parts, and service have all retired years ago.

 

[BeerGeek]

If you have the 16" bar, it's 57 links as compared to the 55 links on the Stihl 3/8P chain for their bar. And the Stihl bar will most likely not fit on the saw, as the mounting bolts are spaced too far away for my Stihl bars to fit. You need either the Echo original or find an aftermarket compatible for it.

 

[Matagorn]

Pitch, gauge and link count will be stamped on the bar. If not, Google the bar part number for the info. You will need it so you don't look like an idiot when you go to the saw shop for spare chains.
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If you have the 16" bar, it's 57 links as compared to the 55 links on the Stihl 3/8P chain for their bar. And the Stihl bar will most likely not fit on the saw, as the mounting bolts are spaced too far away for my Stihl bars to fit. You need either the Echo original or find an aftermarket compatible for it.

Thank you kindly. Figures. I’m sure my local power supply place will have a nice proper chain. They cater to arborists.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yup. Get the Stihl chain. Have one spun with the link count beer geek gave ya. I run it on my 2511. More better. PM3 chain i think....?

 

[Nutball]

You most likely will need a custom loop made as Echo often takes a different DL count than Stihl. A Stihl bar would need oil and tensioner holes modified/redrilled to fit Echo. I consider Echo bars junk compared to Stihl. I'd try to mod a Stihl .043 bar to fit.

 

[lxskllr]

I like WoodlandPro bars on those small saws. They're no Stihl, but the price is good, and the quality is at equal to oem. They also have a broader nose, so it makes boring easier.

 

[Jed]

Gentlemen: PLEASE understand that the Echo 355 comes stock with 3/8ths .50 gage guide bars, meaning that zero mods are required in order to run Stihl picco 63ps. In other words: you can just throw a full-corner Stihl chain directly onto that pig. Never, never, never, never... run that disgusting semi-chisel they try to give ya.

 

[Brock Mayo]

About to purchase a 355t. Any updated thoughts on how they’re running? I’ve been pretty impressed with the 2511t with a muffler mod. I have a feeling the 355 will be pretty solid with a muffler mod…

 

[Nutball]

I have heard and experienced that they sometimes need an odd tune to run well. On the rich side if I remember correctly.

 

[Mick!]

I look at them in the shop and think I’d like a few days with one just to see.

These days though I rarely use the 201/540 as my wrist suffer, so unlikely I’ll ever get one.

 

[Kaveman]

I have the 355t. Way better saw than the sthil top handles.

 

[lxskllr]

I like mine, but I don't have a ton of time on it.

 

[Mick!]

I have the 355t. Way better saw than the sthil top handles.

How so?

 

[Kaveman]

More power/torque at my altitude. Also more reliable and easier starting.

 

[Nutball]

I can understand the easier starting since the 201t randomly acts like it has super high compression and often takes almost 10-20 pulls to cold start. Also, Echo engines tend to have better torque due to the port timing, but peak power suffers for the same reason.

 

[Brock Mayo]

do you change the port heights on them nutball? I’ve been pretty impressed with just the muffler mod on the 2511, but might do a little grinding, just cause I have some time right now.

 

[Nutball]

I haven't modded many 355's, so i cant comment much. Their design doesn't leave a lot of room for improvement, and that's not saying that they are that good to start with. Redesigning the air filter box with an aftermarket kit would probably help a lot.

 

[Brock Mayo]

Thanks nutball! I have a feeling the quick muffler mod will suite my needs. An aftermarket air filter might be a good project for someone. The 2511t air filter seems like it could be improved, though I like how easy it is to clean.