If you have at least once encountered the need for professional felling, cutting lumber, or something similar, you are well aware that amateur class chainsaws are not suitable for such matters. Having worked as a cheap “Chinese” without any anti-vibration system, in a couple of hours you will curse everything in the world. The only tool that is ideal for such purposes is the Echo professional chainsaw.
The power of this kind of saw was at least 2 l / s, and the resource was several thousand hours. They can work "from dusk to dawn" without the risk of overheating or failure of the motor. Saws of this class are distinguished by some “chips”. These include a high-quality anti-vibration system, excellent balancing and an ideal ratio of engine power and tire length. For example, the Echo 350 chainsaw differs in all of these indicators.
By the way, the last factor is rarely paid attention to when buying, but in vain, because if the tire is long with an insufficiently powerful engine, then such a tool can firmly sit in a tree. And if you add to this the disgusting work of the inertial brake on cheap saws (to which such an incorrect ratio is just characteristic), then you will get a practically guaranteed failure of the unit.
In our conditions, the key to choosing any tool is almost always its value. But in the case of professional chainsaws this will not work, power, weight, as well as other aspects of working with this tool that can save your wallet and health are important. That is why we will talk about how to make a choice.
Let's start with power, which is often the main parameter. Many people think that you should buy a saw with a "margin". But this is not so. In the case of a gasoline tool, buying a model that has surplus kW is contraindicated. The fact is that the use of a “half-power” saw will inevitably lead to its premature wear. In addition, for excess power, you simply in vain overpay money. But insufficient indicators of this parameter are even worse. You will have to constantly push the saw, forcing it forward in the material. Of course, the Echo chainsaw is a fairly reliable tool, but even she cannot survive such extreme use.
Unfortunately, buyers to this day practically do not attach importance to indicators of ergonomics, but in vain. You can talk for a long time about the differences in saw weight, the presence or absence of rubber pads on the handles. But here everything is subjective, and much depends on whether it is convenient for you to work with the tool or not. To find out this fact exactly, you have to pick it up, try to touch all the switches and buttons, in practice checking the usability.
By the way, do not forget that the “clean” Echo chainsaw will seem lighter, heavier after filling all technical fluids. So if you have any doubts about this parameter, it is better to look for a tool easier. As for the anti-vibration system, it is unfairly considered to belong exclusively to professional saws. This is not so, because even if you often face the need to cut branches, you will quickly appreciate all its advantages.
When choosing a tool, pay attention to its configuration. A normal manufacturer will attach a spare chain, tire, sprocket, and manual with valuable operating tips to their products. Sometimes it is worth reading, so as not to refuel your brand new saw with diesel fuel. By the way, the Echo chainsaw is quite “capricious” in this regard, preferring only high-quality high-octane gasoline.
It is unacceptable to buy some cheap Husqvarna with a chain pitch of 0, 32, hoping to “stick” a chain on it with a stroke of 0.4 from a Stihl or other professional saw. A big step is a sign of a powerful engine. Putting such a chain on a low-power, amateur saw, you will get constant breakthroughs when sawing, a huge consumption of gasoline and oil, as well as instant engine wear. The same can be said about the length of the working tire. It should be noted that you can buy a professional saw with a set of tires of different lengths, but you cannot put a long tire on a cheap tool. In this case, a gross violation of the ratio of engine power and the length of the cutting surface occurs.
As you can see, the choice of a gasoline tool is not an easy task. But it’s worth it, since the Echo chainsaw, the price of which will pleasantly surprise you, can become your faithful assistant in the household.