I've used both professionally. The Echo will last longer. Replacement parts are cheaper as well. Everyone that's been in the business for a long time knows Stihl took several steps backwards when they replaced the 200T with the 201T.
Echo are great saws for owner operated company. When you got employees using equipment Stihl it is much easier to operate with less headaches. We run our 201 for one year then replace them. We run our saws daily with multiple removals
Thanks for the video from someone who has experience with both saws. Im just a homeowner and will only use it a few times a year, so im going to go with the Echo. You just saved me $400. Thanks!
I actually have a 355t I bought at my local small engine repair shop. I was in there getting something fixed and the guy knows I have a bunch of saws and somebody had dropped the Echo off and never came back to pick it up so I gave him $45 think that was what the bill was and he gave me the saw lol. He said it had been sitting there for a year he had called over and over and the guy never came back so now the saw is mine lol. As far as cost even though the Stihl is 2x the price doesn't seem like that much of an issue to me. If you are using these for a living they more then pay for themselves so you might as well have the better saw but you should have a backup saw and having the cheaper Echo is perfect for that.
Excellent review. Having worked on a crew that had a 201t with a 16" bar, and my own echo 355t" on the truck, I didn't really care which i went up the tree with 90% of the time. My choice would be based on which bar lenght was optimal for the climb. A quick note, its easier to fill the echo using the one liter cans you get premix in, and for the oil the one liter bottles. Also, give it time to break in, when its fresh out of the box, it is a little weak, once its had time to break in.... you will not regret your purchase. Second note, the echo's aren't as durable as the stihls, so don't expect them to survive being dropped as well as the stihl. ps, we also had 193's on the truck and i would NEVER take them up a tree with me. For the price, you can't beat the 355. If that is your price range, and you only want a stihl or husqvarna because of dealer support, then get the t435, which sits closer to the echo in power than the 193.
@@kontsombos7540 I should stop being lazy and say "201t-cm's", from the last couple years, not first releases. They have just enough more power than the echo that its only in the largest cuts i care which i am using. Same with the t540. That being said, I know someone with a ported 200t. Would love to have one of those!
Echo warranty tells a different story…if echos are less durable…why is their warranty 1/2 year commercial 5 year residential…echo stands behind their products and are easieer to service with parts more quickly available… Stihl is making their money off people afraid to not look “professional” or feel less because they have a brand other than stihl… I bought stihl when i bought my property because thats what all the pros had, 40 acres of timberland…my stihls were in the shop constantly, my dealer ended up with an echo account…i switched after my stihl 460 needed a rebuild, been 7 years, not even a carb rebuild…just new bars and chains, air filters and spark plugs…
Plastic vs magnesium. There is a difference. I've found with echo an essential part of the tool kit is plastic weld or E6000. That being said, not had any issues with how the 355t runs, unless you want 100% performance every day, then you have to tune the carb regularly. its quite finicky. That being said, I don't think most people who don't pay close attention would notice. With Stihl, you are paying a good chunk of money for the name and reputation, and given the price difference, I'd rather buy a ported 355t for the cost of a stock 201t if i have that kind of money to spend on a climbing saw.
Thanks for the review. I bought the echo because of a sale and I was tired of using other people's saws. It's my first saw so I'm going to take care of it while climbing....hopefully.
Love the style of the video. I don't really need to know exact power and weight, or how many seconds it takes to make a cookie, but all the little things, like how easy it is to gas and oil the saw add up. I dislike Stihl as a company, I'm not a fan of the electronics, and $800 is highway robbery for a 30 something CC saw, but those 201s just run. On the other hand, I want to love the 355. The price it right. I could even get the saw professionally ported and still come in cheaper than the 201, but I could see excessive vibration and a small fuel tank getting old fast.
I dropped a cheap chinese husky knockoff from 40'.... the handle got knocked out of place and a cover was a bit off... bit of shimmying and coaxing and it was perfect again nothing broke... depends on how it falls more than anything I was really lucky
Thank you for doing the comparison and sharing your opinion. I was looking for something lightweight to use on our mountain property we have so many down trees it’s a constant job cleaning up. My husky 352 is just to heavy to lug around all day doing the work and I am definitely buying the Echo 355T.
@@KennysTreeRemoval They make a rear handle version not sure what the model is but its basically the 25cc top handle saw with a rear handle. Its probably better anyway if he is just cutting stuff that is down. I have a RedMax gz360 I think the model is which is just a rear handle top handle saw I bought to have a nice light saw for when I don't need to use my 261, 440, 460, my Makita 6421. Husqvarna makes the same saw not sure what the model is but a RedMax is just a red Husqvarna. I have a 355T too I have used a bit but I only paid $45 for that saw lol. Somebody dropped it off and it sat for a year or so at the small engine shop and the guy sold it to me for what the bill was since the owner never paid and never came to pick it up. I am not climbing trees or anything though lol. I have bucked up a few cherry and ash with it though when I first got it haven't touched it since.
It’s funny that you say you dropped it. I used one for a month. Normally I was using a 200 T. It’s the only saw I’ve ever dropped out of a tree, some plastic piec broke,. Nothing major but I just couldn’t get used to it on the belt and climbing ,
I run echos ive got a 7310p 2 620pws a 590 a 800cs a 4510p a 355 ,2 2511ts and a echp ppt 2620 polesaw if they start breaking i think my next saw will be a 390 or a 395 maybe 372 or 572 have a good day kenny
What about parts replacement, cost and availability? I am told that you can fix everything yourself on an Echo. Not so much on a Stihl. Stihl also has a microchip which you have to have replaced by a dealer. Is any of this true?
I think the Echo is better because it costs less, I have the Stihl Farm Boss, great saw, the only thing I don't like about it is that there's no primer bulb
Cheaper doesn’t always mean better, just like more expensive doesn’t mean better. Both saws have their pros and cons, but we have used both and Stihl is the leader for heavy duty daily use like we do.
My 355t took a nearly-30' fall and showed NOTHING from it!! I was notching an Oak trunk I was chunking-out and got bar-pinched, had no option but cutting it out and there was no safe way to "dangle-drop" it it would've compromised my line and I had no other way to get down if I broke my line so couldn't "let it swing on its rope" once freed I had to let it fall to earth, was sure it'd kill it but it didn't.....and embarrassed to admit but I dropped it a 2nd time from maybe 15' while messing about with its lanyard while aloft, like an idiot, anyways I did put a small crack in muffler-cover from that one but it's nothing still functions fine & crack is hardly visible ;) Re the handles/holding it/anti-vibe....I hate saws that wiggle from gentle touches, AV is needed for real force it shouldn't be sloppy on the bench (like my 2511 is, but yeah teh 355t is much firmer), but echo invented AV on chainsaws so I'll always trust theirs LOL and the grip on the 355t with that palm rest?? Forget about it, LOVE that thing, literally used electric tape and rubber to create larger palm-rests on other climbsaws, when 1-handing it gives you SO much more control/precision!!
I had the opposite experience with dropping the echo, 15', seemed fine. Then on another climb a little later, my foot slipped while pulling myself up to the next branch, dropped onto my lanyard and smacked into the trunk. The antivibe broke. Echo did warranty it, so there is that. Another time it was dropped from 15 ish, the throttle lever from the trigger to the carb somehow disconnected. After taking the grip and trigger area apart and reattaching it, it was fine. Never regretted buying this awesome little saw at under $400
@@nate2838 Yeah triggers/switches surely won't take a crash just body panels, am very glad hearing they actually stand behind their strong warranty claims, have never taken them up on it lol and mine are all so heavily modified they probably wouldn't help anyway... My 355t is old now and beaten and only 'crack' is one of the burnt muffler-casing 'lattices' but they're burnt on all 35cc climbsaws that see real use :P Will say the 2511 on the other hand feels kinda cheap, don't get me wrong I'm in love w/ it and use it more than any other saw, wouldn't trade it for anything but it just feels chintzier than any Echo I've held, I have a video on it but have gone and taped the handle up in such a manner as to both reinforce it & give myself the 355t style "palm rest" which IMO is very very helpful especially 1-handing especially 1-handed top-bar cuts!
@@joescissorhands141 When I first got my 355t, I thought the handle felt weird as I had been working with my bosses t540. Now that i've used my 355t primarily for the last 2 years, and recently picked up the t540 again, I have to say, I like the echo grip better, that swell at the bottom makes it easier to position the saw on off angle and horizontal cuts. Last week a dropped 1" diameter branch landed tip first and smacked my chain brake handle. The tread well on the left snapped off at the case. Fortunately it was easy to fix with plastic weld. After having had a couple plastic pieces break on my saw, I would recommend that anyone who gets this saw keeps plastic weld on hand. Superglue might have worked just fine as well, and if i didn't have a backup with me, and if i had superglue on hand, I would have tried that on site. Regarding the front handle breaking at the anti-vibe, it did take 2 weeks for them to get the replacement in, which sucked waiting for it, and given how well plastic weld has been holding, I honestly would rather plastic weld anything that breaks than wait on a warranty. But thats me. Glad you're saws have been holding up great :)
Reputation is in the craftsmanship not the tools. I’d do a better job with an echo than someone using a stihl. But I have both. If your smart get the echo very reliable and durable
If you’re a one man show yes. When you are running a company with multiple teams a stihl is more efficient and reliable. From starting the saw easiness to holding more fuel per tank and much more don’t have time to sit here and list all the pros of a stihl. If solo go cheap route of echo if running a company with multiple employees Stihl
honestly, I used to work for Bartlett, and we could do most the tree with a 201TC. and we used the same saws for years. So if someone's killing a 201TC in a year, they're not maintaining it.
Nice ! , Just subscribed to your channel bro , Appreciate you making them , I’m a young climber and Love that you take time to show people how to get down
I never used the Stihl 201T, however I climbed with 200T for decades. Finally I could no longer cobble together my aging 200s and bought the Echo cs355t, and I couldn’t be happier. Four years now and not a single issue. I disagree completely with the creators opinion. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the 355, where my experience with Stihl top handle saws is the mufflers have a tendency to rattle off and the muffler bolt holes wallow out, and it seems they have a tendency to let bar oiled seep into the clutch housing and makes for a stinky mess. I didn’t appreciate the saw originally, was biased to the 020 and felt the power was a smidgen lacking comparatively. But seriously, after four years I’ve not experienced a single issue with cs355t. It feels just as solid in my hand today as it did the day I took it out of the box, and I haven’t even so much as had to replace the recoil cord yet. I’ve nothing but good things to say.
I've used both professionally. The Echo will last longer. Replacement parts are cheaper as well. Everyone that's been in the business for a long time knows Stihl took several steps backwards when they replaced the 200T with the 201T.
Echo are great saws for owner operated company. When you got employees using equipment Stihl it is much easier to operate with less headaches. We run our 201 for one year then replace them. We run our saws daily with multiple removals
Thank you. Starting to contract climb after 9 years of experience. Just got the eco. And you’ve helped my buyers remorse. Stay safe!
finally a real review thank you and painless quick to the point!
Thanks for the review. Checked out your website too. Very professional. I feel very comfortable with your opinions...
Good video and well done, don’t normally take a time to say this either but the way you communicate is the way. Cheers
Love your videos, homie. Genuine blue collar reviews. Keep up the good work
Appreciate the love brother.
Agreed! Both are great saws! Love my 201t 👍👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for the video from someone who has experience with both saws. Im just a homeowner and will only use it a few times a year, so im going to go with the Echo. You just saved me $400. Thanks!
Glad to help
I actually have a 355t I bought at my local small engine repair shop. I was in there getting something fixed and the guy knows I have a bunch of saws and somebody had dropped the Echo off and never came back to pick it up so I gave him $45 think that was what the bill was and he gave me the saw lol. He said it had been sitting there for a year he had called over and over and the guy never came back so now the saw is mine lol. As far as cost even though the Stihl is 2x the price doesn't seem like that much of an issue to me. If you are using these for a living they more then pay for themselves so you might as well have the better saw but you should have a backup saw and having the cheaper Echo is perfect for that.
Excellent review. Having worked on a crew that had a 201t with a 16" bar, and my own echo 355t" on the truck, I didn't really care which i went up the tree with 90% of the time. My choice would be based on which bar lenght was optimal for the climb.
A quick note, its easier to fill the echo using the one liter cans you get premix in, and for the oil the one liter bottles. Also, give it time to break in, when its fresh out of the box, it is a little weak, once its had time to break in.... you will not regret your purchase.
Second note, the echo's aren't as durable as the stihls, so don't expect them to survive being dropped as well as the stihl.
ps, we also had 193's on the truck and i would NEVER take them up a tree with me. For the price, you can't beat the 355. If that is your price range, and you only want a stihl or husqvarna because of dealer support, then get the t435, which sits closer to the echo in power than the 193.
I find The 201t with 12 inch bar unstoppable but when i tried with 16 inch bar I wasn't very impressed.
@@kontsombos7540 I should stop being lazy and say "201t-cm's", from the last couple years, not first releases. They have just enough more power than the echo that its only in the largest cuts i care which i am using. Same with the t540.
That being said, I know someone with a ported 200t. Would love to have one of those!
Echo warranty tells a different story…if echos are less durable…why is their warranty 1/2 year commercial 5 year residential…echo stands behind their products and are easieer to service with parts more quickly available…
Stihl is making their money off people afraid to not look “professional” or feel less because they have a brand other than stihl…
I bought stihl when i bought my property because thats what all the pros had, 40 acres of timberland…my stihls were in the shop constantly, my dealer ended up with an echo account…i switched after my stihl 460 needed a rebuild, been 7 years, not even a carb rebuild…just new bars and chains, air filters and spark plugs…
Plastic vs magnesium. There is a difference. I've found with echo an essential part of the tool kit is plastic weld or E6000.
That being said, not had any issues with how the 355t runs, unless you want 100% performance every day, then you have to tune the carb regularly. its quite finicky. That being said, I don't think most people who don't pay close attention would notice.
With Stihl, you are paying a good chunk of money for the name and reputation, and given the price difference, I'd rather buy a ported 355t for the cost of a stock 201t if i have that kind of money to spend on a climbing saw.
Thanks for the review. I bought the echo because of a sale and I was tired of using other people's saws. It's my first saw so I'm going to take care of it while climbing....hopefully.
You’re welcome. Echo is a great choice, ran our first echo hard for over a year climbing every single day.
Thanks for the info bro thanks 🔥
👍
Love the style of the video. I don't really need to know exact power and weight, or how many seconds it takes to make a cookie, but all the little things, like how easy it is to gas and oil the saw add up.
I dislike Stihl as a company, I'm not a fan of the electronics, and $800 is highway robbery for a 30 something CC saw, but those 201s just run. On the other hand, I want to love the 355. The price it right. I could even get the saw professionally ported and still come in cheaper than the 201, but I could see excessive vibration and a small fuel tank getting old fast.
I agree. But if you have employees stihl is so much easier to operate and less headaches
I like the Palm Rest on the Echo 355t
I love the echo, I dropped an old school echo from 50' and it just bent the bar.
I dropped a cheap chinese husky knockoff from 40'.... the handle got knocked out of place and a cover was a bit off... bit of shimmying and coaxing and it was perfect again nothing broke... depends on how it falls more than anything I was really lucky
Thank you for doing the comparison and sharing your opinion. I was looking for something lightweight to use on our mountain property we have so many down trees it’s a constant job cleaning up. My husky 352 is just to heavy to lug around all day doing the work and I am definitely buying the Echo 355T.
If you want something even lighter and similar power to 355t, is the 2511t from Echo and same price.
@@KennysTreeRemoval They make a rear handle version not sure what the model is but its basically the 25cc top handle saw with a rear handle. Its probably better anyway if he is just cutting stuff that is down. I have a RedMax gz360 I think the model is which is just a rear handle top handle saw I bought to have a nice light saw for when I don't need to use my 261, 440, 460, my Makita 6421. Husqvarna makes the same saw not sure what the model is but a RedMax is just a red Husqvarna. I have a 355T too I have used a bit but I only paid $45 for that saw lol. Somebody dropped it off and it sat for a year or so at the small engine shop and the guy sold it to me for what the bill was since the owner never paid and never came to pick it up. I am not climbing trees or anything though lol. I have bucked up a few cherry and ash with it though when I first got it haven't touched it since.
Still have that extra power though I mean if your cuts are clean anything with that Echo for bigger stuff you got that power with the steel
It’s funny that you say you dropped it. I used one for a month. Normally I was using a 200 T. It’s the only saw I’ve ever dropped out of a tree, some plastic piec broke,. Nothing major but I just couldn’t get used to it on the belt and climbing ,
Stihl has been my favorite for years and it will remain the same
A real good compare. Im not a pro but own a 201. Im gonna get the echo also, and at half price, cant go wrong.
Exactly
Kenny i love that echo too. Had it a few months now. Its been perfect. My helper grabs the echo, says he likes it better.
I run echos ive got a 7310p 2 620pws a 590 a 800cs a 4510p a 355 ,2 2511ts and a echp ppt 2620 polesaw if they start breaking i think my next saw will be a 390 or a 395 maybe 372 or 572 have a good day kenny
Good choices. Thank you as well.
Sir echo or sthil great performance
Echo es japonésa y la otra echa en China acá en Argentina, ,,,la echo es una bestia
What about parts replacement, cost and availability? I am told that you can fix everything yourself on an Echo. Not so much on a Stihl. Stihl also has a microchip which you have to have replaced by a dealer. Is any of this true?
We run these saws hard daily, and replace them every year, nevee have to worry about fixing them
I can confirm some of Stihl's saws are controlled by a computer. It's the dumbest thing ever.
I got a echo 45-10 and the 271 top handle echo, will never buy another brand.. echo for life on my side
Echo is very durable and half the price. Great when you're starting out.
I think the Echo is better because it costs less, I have the Stihl Farm Boss, great saw, the only thing I don't like about it is that there's no primer bulb
Cheaper doesn’t always mean better, just like more expensive doesn’t mean better. Both saws have their pros and cons, but we have used both and Stihl is the leader for heavy duty daily use like we do.
@@KennysTreeRemoval one thing I don't understand is that the CS355T has a much bigger engine than the CS2511T but the CS2511T costs more
My 355t took a nearly-30' fall and showed NOTHING from it!! I was notching an Oak trunk I was chunking-out and got bar-pinched, had no option but cutting it out and there was no safe way to "dangle-drop" it it would've compromised my line and I had no other way to get down if I broke my line so couldn't "let it swing on its rope" once freed I had to let it fall to earth, was sure it'd kill it but it didn't.....and embarrassed to admit but I dropped it a 2nd time from maybe 15' while messing about with its lanyard while aloft, like an idiot, anyways I did put a small crack in muffler-cover from that one but it's nothing still functions fine & crack is hardly visible ;)
Re the handles/holding it/anti-vibe....I hate saws that wiggle from gentle touches, AV is needed for real force it shouldn't be sloppy on the bench (like my 2511 is, but yeah teh 355t is much firmer), but echo invented AV on chainsaws so I'll always trust theirs LOL and the grip on the 355t with that palm rest?? Forget about it, LOVE that thing, literally used electric tape and rubber to create larger palm-rests on other climbsaws, when 1-handing it gives you SO much more control/precision!!
I had the opposite experience with dropping the echo, 15', seemed fine. Then on another climb a little later, my foot slipped while pulling myself up to the next branch, dropped onto my lanyard and smacked into the trunk. The antivibe broke. Echo did warranty it, so there is that.
Another time it was dropped from 15 ish, the throttle lever from the trigger to the carb somehow disconnected. After taking the grip and trigger area apart and reattaching it, it was fine.
Never regretted buying this awesome little saw at under $400
355t great saw great price.
@@nate2838 Yeah triggers/switches surely won't take a crash just body panels, am very glad hearing they actually stand behind their strong warranty claims, have never taken them up on it lol and mine are all so heavily modified they probably wouldn't help anyway... My 355t is old now and beaten and only 'crack' is one of the burnt muffler-casing 'lattices' but they're burnt on all 35cc climbsaws that see real use :P Will say the 2511 on the other hand feels kinda cheap, don't get me wrong I'm in love w/ it and use it more than any other saw, wouldn't trade it for anything but it just feels chintzier than any Echo I've held, I have a video on it but have gone and taped the handle up in such a manner as to both reinforce it & give myself the 355t style "palm rest" which IMO is very very helpful especially 1-handing especially 1-handed top-bar cuts!
@@joescissorhands141 When I first got my 355t, I thought the handle felt weird as I had been working with my bosses t540. Now that i've used my 355t primarily for the last 2 years, and recently picked up the t540 again, I have to say, I like the echo grip better, that swell at the bottom makes it easier to position the saw on off angle and horizontal cuts.
Last week a dropped 1" diameter branch landed tip first and smacked my chain brake handle. The tread well on the left snapped off at the case. Fortunately it was easy to fix with plastic weld. After having had a couple plastic pieces break on my saw, I would recommend that anyone who gets this saw keeps plastic weld on hand. Superglue might have worked just fine as well, and if i didn't have a backup with me, and if i had superglue on hand, I would have tried that on site.
Regarding the front handle breaking at the anti-vibe, it did take 2 weeks for them to get the replacement in, which sucked waiting for it, and given how well plastic weld has been holding, I honestly would rather plastic weld anything that breaks than wait on a warranty. But thats me. Glad you're saws have been holding up great :)
Do u sell the old ones when u replace them
Keep them for parts or sell them
@@KennysTreeRemoval I'll buy a used 201! Ha! Are the stihls just bust after one season? I've heard they can last for years
What about power comparison?
When I have the free time
Reputation is in the craftsmanship not the tools. I’d do a better job with an echo than someone using a stihl. But I have both. If your smart get the echo very reliable and durable
If you’re a one man show yes. When you are running a company with multiple teams a stihl is more efficient and reliable. From starting the saw easiness to holding more fuel per tank and much more don’t have time to sit here and list all the pros of a stihl. If solo go cheap route of echo if running a company with multiple employees Stihl
If you can't do a perfect job with either of those saws, than your not an Arborist, your just a tree guy with a bucket.
Wait are you running a top handle saw so hard you are only getting a year out of them?
Indeed
honestly, I used to work for Bartlett, and we could do most the tree with a 201TC. and we used the same saws for years. So if someone's killing a 201TC in a year, they're not maintaining it.
Ypu guys do a lot of small stuff and mostly pruning, we do mostly removals and lot clearing
I will keep my Poulan S25AV 😎
Hey Brother you ever think of running 14” bar on them ?
Got a 14” on the other 201 we have. Definitely like it better with the smaller bar.
Nice ! , Just subscribed to your channel bro , Appreciate you making them , I’m a young climber and Love that you take time to show people how to get down
I like the echo better .
Great saw
I never used the Stihl 201T, however I climbed with 200T for decades. Finally I could no longer cobble together my aging 200s and bought the Echo cs355t, and I couldn’t be happier. Four years now and not a single issue. I disagree completely with the creators opinion. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the 355, where my experience with Stihl top handle saws is the mufflers have a tendency to rattle off and the muffler bolt holes wallow out, and it seems they have a tendency to let bar oiled seep into the clutch housing and makes for a stinky mess. I didn’t appreciate the saw originally, was biased to the 020 and felt the power was a smidgen lacking comparatively. But seriously, after four years I’ve not experienced a single issue with cs355t. It feels just as solid in my hand today as it did the day I took it out of the box, and I haven’t even so much as had to replace the recoil cord yet. I’ve nothing but good things to say.
Great saw