Did that oak tree for my buddy last Sunday and my friend/groundie that I was paying to come help me couldn’t make it, so I attacked the tree by myself. Snap cutting pieces and tossing it. Well one of them flipped out my hand and landed on my echo Cs355t. I know it’s not a super popular in our community but the brake handle, casing and the fuel tank all broke. Figured I would shoot my shot and see if anyone had a dead one lying around that would have good parts for mine. Let me know if you do so I may purchase it from you
My Cs355t got attacked by an oak branch 😢
- Thread starter TINYHULK
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flushcut
TreeHouser
Bummer! Live and learn. Might be a good time for a modded 2511.😉 I doubt you will regret it.
SkwerI
Treehouser
If you are jump cutting horizontal limbs, make your top cut behind your undercut. This will prevent the dreaded 'saw snatcher' where the jumped limb grabs the bar of your saw and rips it out of your hands. The reason for this is because if you make your top cut past your under cut then the wood fibers will stretch before the limb pops off. Once the limb pops, the stretched fibers snap back and grab the bar. If your top cut is behind the under cut then the stretched fibers are on the other side of the cut and your saw is safe.
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- #5
The saw didn’t leave my hands, it was already on the ground, I had my 2500 with me in the tree. Did a mismatch/snap cut. When I went to toss it my arm got caught up and the limb went away from the target. Landing on the 355. Luckily it was 6in in front of my 500i so I’m very happy my beginner top handle took the brunt for my baby. But never the less super happy to receive the input about the jump cuts. I was just asking myself the other day on different ways of how to do them. I have my 2500 which I love in the tree plus my boss has a 201tc that is free for me to use. My original plan was a modded 2511 until I heard of the 2500 and wanted to go electric. My next top handle will either be a 2511 or the husky t540I. I think the next rear handle saw I want is going to be a lighter modded saw with a full wrap handle, like a 362 or or 261 (would have to get the full wrap custom made). Something small that would rip with a 25in bar for blocking down a stem
I think it's a rite of passage to have a bad throw get something. I've done a ladder rung, two spool handles and reshaped my rope box multiple times. Word: flexible low cost rope receptacle cause it's always going to get hit. I'm sort of anti-productive with the time I take to move stuff well out of the way these days.
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- #7
When I staged my equipment and saws it was with the expectation that my groundie was going to be showing up any minute. Well he never did so I went up the tree before I realized the danger my gear was in and I wasn’t wanting to get out of the tree once I got up there. I loved the saw when it was my only one and I was only climbing 2 times a month (old company). Now I climb almost every day and the weight of that saw began to hurt my wrist so I went lighter. Would be a great ground saw but I don’t want to put over $300 in it. At that point I’d rather buy a modded 2511, 201tc, or a larger 261, shoot even a 251 just to have another good saw that would be my step up from the top handle
Nutball
TreeHouser
I have a good parts 355t but it too needs a fuel tank/engine cover. Someone ripped the handle off when it got pinched... or pulled the wrong handle when starting it 
, and broke the handle mount off the tank. Looks like a tricky spot to JB Weld, and not something I'd want to risk breaking loose again.
, and broke the handle mount off the tank. Looks like a tricky spot to JB Weld, and not something I'd want to risk breaking loose again.
Nutball
TreeHouser
Mine needs part 16, and likely 2x #17 too since I loctited the studs in this case. I order parts from: Echo parts lookup, echo chainsaw | Echo Parts Online - https://www.echopartsonline.com/
Just search whatever part number I need. Hmm, only $50 for that part, I thought it was over $100.
Just search whatever part number I need. Hmm, only $50 for that part, I thought it was over $100.
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- #10
I took mine to my dads auto shop just to get it out the vehicle for now but mine is in slightly worse condition. Just like you, I discovered Echo 35.8cc Top Handle Chain Saw | CS-355T | eReplacementParts.com - https://www.ereplacementparts.com/echo-cs355t-c23411001001-c23411999999-358cc-top-handle-chain-saw-parts-c-35043_35970_447201.html
They sell all genuine echo parts and looks like they have everything in stock. I need to tear down the saw and make sure there isn’t anything else that I need but only about ~$150 isn’t bad to fix everything. I’d do that just to have another good running saw
They sell all genuine echo parts and looks like they have everything in stock. I need to tear down the saw and make sure there isn’t anything else that I need but only about ~$150 isn’t bad to fix everything. I’d do that just to have another good running saw
SeanKroll
Treehouser
Mentioning your wrist hurting, climb higher, cut lower, as you can.
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- #12
Getting all the way out on limbs and having to use one hand to stabilize and to one hand to saw a notch on the back side to swing just a few feet was next to impossible with such a heavy saw. Can do it easily with my new dcs2500 and fairly well with a 201. That Cs355t with a 16in bar was too much saw to ne doing that. Side note. Talked to the guys at the local stihl shop and they said they just got back from a demo day. Stihl is coming out with a new electric top handle that matches the power of a 201. I want it 😁
SkwerI
Treehouser
Reading your posts takes me back to my climbing heydays. I remember doing my annual taxes and seeing I had spent $4000-$5000 per year for 3 years straight at Sherrill buying climbing gear. I had it bad!
Nutball
TreeHouser
Does it match the run time?
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- #16
Didn’t ask them any questions about run time. With my 2500 I have a battery charger and power inverter mounted on a board. A battery lasts longer than one charges so it’s becoming a norm that a hood gets popped to charge a battery once one dies. I guess if that’s the case with this new saw from stihl then I would be happy
SeanKroll
Treehouser
Light is right!!
ruel
TreeHouser
If you consider your time it may be cheaper Just to buy a new 355
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- #20
Quite possible Ruel. I enjoy tinkering and have an automotive back ground. I would love to turn that into a well versed chainsaw tech. Honestly the chainsaw could die for all I care but it seems like I’m getting side work without even trying so I might as well stay prepared with a larger top handle. I’m thinking more and more about a modded 2511 as my next top handle
Nutball
TreeHouser
Definitely worth it for ease of use and power to weight, but in my opinion it's hard to leave a 35cc top handle out of the saw lineup. "there's no replacement for displacement" and the 355t also has bigger gas and oil tanks than a 25cc for powering a 16" bar through a lot of wood. All a 355t needs is a 1/2" hole drilled in the exhaust deflector at the bottom where it will blow out through the exhaust hole in the plastic guard, and maybe a modified air filter.
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- #22
Definitely some good mod ideas. When I rip the saw apart to fix it I’ll probably do the exhaust at the very least. I love my electric 2500 and will pull through bigger wood but just seems to struggle and die so easily. I limbed up 3 80ft pines. They were skinny but I still did all 3 trees on just 1.5 batteries, I’ll go through 4-5 on an oak tree of 30-36in dbh. If they made a high output backpack that would plug in to that saw and give it a higher ah and run time then it would be a dream
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