Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw (2024 Guide)

Deep Dive into Echo

Let’s dive into Echo, the company was started well over 70 years ago primarily to service the Japanese farming tool manufacturing sector. They were always driven by the need to innovate and solve critical problems, such as the food shortage crisis which saw a large percentage of crops being ravaged by pests.

This innovative nature is still present in the company today. This can be seen in the company’s commitment throughout the ages. Developing tools such as hand held motorized pesticides amongst others. They became extremely successful and in 1963 released their ECHO CS-80 (The first chainsaw from the company).

Later onwards they also produced the CS-802 which was one of the very first chainsaws to include anti-vibrating technology.

Read More:>>> Learn about great options of manual pole saws

As I have stated earlier, innovation is a key hallmark of Echo. In early 2000’s they developed the i-start system which was a soft starting technology that was a big hit. Winning them accolades across the globe – such as the prestigious Gold Award Uberwert in France 2001.

Interestingly a clip resurfaced on the former U.S president George W Bush using his Echo CS-3450. Furthermore – they are taking A.I to develop and improve their tools into the future.

With that being said – Echo has become one of the world leaders in chainsaws and we will dig a bit deeper as we do a proper comparison of Echo vs Stihl chainsaws in the next sections.

Deep Dive into Stihl

Stihl is a company that was started by renowned German innovator Andreas Stihl. He was very famous as being one of the foremost innovators in chainsaw technology. The company has gone on to be one of the top chainsaw manufacturer.

In 1959, the owners vision of a lightweight portable chainsaw was realized. This invention was catalytic in revolutionizing the tree work industry.

Read More:>>> Different types of saws and their uses

Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw: Product Ranges

When we talk about chainsaws, lets take a look at each Echo and Stihl. Looking specifically at the various products within their chainsaw ranges.

Echo lists over 20+ different chainsaws on their US website. These chainsaws are designed with a variety of technical parameters as described below:

• You can select chainsaws that have a chain gauge of between 0.050’’ to 0.058’’;
• There are options that provide for a variety of chain pitches – ranging from 3/8’’ low profile, 0.325’’ and 3/8’’ chain pitch;
• They also have a wide range of either gas powered or battery powered machines;
• When looking at the available bar length, echo has a wide range going from 12 inches all the way up to 32 inches.
• In terms of engine displacements their chain saws come in between 25cc and between 50.2cc, with both top and rear handle.

When it comes to the Stihl product range they also have a wide range of chainsaws to choose from. Within their catalog they have over 20 + different chainsaws on their US website.

Stihl focuses on practicality and function when categorizing their chainsaws, this can be very easily seen when viewing the technical parameters as listed below:

• They provide options for selecting chainsaws based upon how you intend on using it (i.e. arborist, firewood cutting, logging, tree maintenance, extensive usage etc). This is very useful especially for people that are less technically inclined.
• They also provide a wide range of chainsaws that can either be operated by gas or battery power.
• When looking at the powerhead’s overall weight, we can see that Stihl’s product range goes from anything below 9 lbs to over 15 lbs.
• The guide bar length of their various chainsaws has a range of between 10 inches to over 28 inches.

Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw: Warranty Information

For the Echo product line in 2007, they released a warranty system that has become the envy of the industry even till this day. It includes a 2 year commercial warranty and a 5 year consumer backed warranty.

For Stihl chainsaws, depending on the type of usage, there are different types of warranties. As listed below:

• Domestic Use (i.e. personal home usage) – They have a product wide 12 month warranty. This includes all of their chainsaws.
• Professional Use  - For this specific category it is actually quite interesting. They have broken it down into professional and semi professional use. However for both of these

Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw: Key Design Parameters

Chain oiling system

When it comes to the oiling system both the Echo and the Stihl chainsaws have exceptional automatic chain oiling systems.

For Stihl – they have an in house oil developed by their internal research and development unit. This oil is biodegradable, can operate over a large range of temperatures and it very environmentally friendly.

In fact, when this oil is lubricating the bar and chain correctly, you will have no issues with smoke and it retains its flow rate up to temperatures below and around -15°C.

These guys are really serious when it comes to making an oil that is compatible with their chainsaws. They have even won the prestigious Blue Angel environmental award for the work that they have undertaken to develop a biodegradable oiling system for their machines.

For the Echo chainsaws, from what I have seen they are a lot easier to operate when it comes to adjusting the bar and chain oil flow. With Echo chainsaws they generally have a screw under the main body that regulates the flow rate. This screw can generally be adjusted using a flat screw driver. For specifics consult your user manual as there a minor differences from chainsaw to chainsaw.

Specifics about the engines

Engine wise they both are pretty comparable across their entire product line. What does differ and this is seen over the large spectrum of comparable chainsaws between company, is that the Echo products are slightly lighter.

However I wouldn’t really sweat this that much – both of these are very high performing machines and engine performance wise, there really isn’t much of a difference to ride home about.

Anti-vibration mechanisms

When it comes to anti-vibration technology I would have to say that Stihl takes it. They have long been market leaders of developing anti-vibration technology for their chainsaws.

In fact, they were the very first manufacturer to develop and patent anti vibration technology. They did this in 1964. Furthermore, from 1964 right through to about early 1970 they established themselves as the go to leaders in anti-vibration technology.

Fast forward in the 21^st century, they now develop and create a very sophisticated form of anti-vibration for their chainsaws. It includes complex shock absorption system that has steel-spring elements, rubber and hard-foam buffers.

Read More:>>> Do you know what band saws are used for? Learn more

Safety

Both Stihl and Echo are world-class manufacturers with a global network of products. They both take safety incredibly seriously. So from my analysis there are no major differences in this regard.

Worth noting to operate and utilize both chainsaws effectively it is imperative to equip yourself with the correct personal protective equipment. These include, amongst others – helmet with shield guard, eye protection workman gloves and heavy duty clothing.

Both Stihl and echo put considerable amount of work into their user manuals when it comes to safety. In fact – if you visit their respective websites what you will find is a plethora of information and images showing you how and how not to use the machines effectives.

However since we are talking safety here are a few that are common to any chainsaw and not only to the echo or Stihl machines

• Always engage the chain brake when the chainsaw is not operational.
• Make sure that the area in which you are working or operating is clear and that you have full visibility on your cutting area. Kickback is a major problem which can occur when the chain and bar hits another surface and shoots back. A tip guard is a fantastic way to avoid this from happening.
• Once you have used your chain saw, add a scabbard to cover the cutting area as an extra precaution.

As I have stated above – both Echo and Stihl go way more in depth on their respective product manuals for each of the above.

Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw: Price Range

Stihl’s chainsaws go from anything around $50 to over $1500 on the high end. This shows the versatility as they have the right machine for everyone. From your occasional weekend warrior DIYer to a professional lumberjack who utilizes their chainsaw extensively.

Echo chainsaws are slightly more economical, with a median range of about $350 dollars. As with Stihl they have a versatility in their product range. I must say that Echo saws seem to be slightly cheaper than their Stihl counterparts.

My Recommendation based on all the information: Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw

Having looked at all the information between both of these great chainsaw manufacturers, I am convinced that either if you are after a lighter power tool, that has brilliant warranties, then the Echo brand of chainsaws are best for you.

However if you require a chainsaw that will have a high utilization rate and require professional grade performance over and extended period of time, I would fork out slightly more and go for the Stihl option. The small increase in your initial capital expenditure will be made back over the lifetime usage of the chainsaw.

Final Thoughts: Echo vs Stihl Chainsaw

I hope this article has helped shed some light on key similarities and differences when looking at echo vs Stihl chainsaws. I had a lot of fun creating this article, and as I have stated above, they are two of the highest quality chainsaw manufacturers. Depending on how you intend to use your chainsaw one might be better than the other – however both are incredible machines.