New top handle

[Ledburyjosh]

2 hours ago, Mr. Squirrel said:

While I love the little echo battery, and use it all the time, I think you’re selling it a little hard there. It’s crap with a 10” bar, 8” is much better but even at that if you’re burying the whole bar the battery will last no time. Great saw, but it’s a pruner imo. 

I'd disagree and say its far from crap on a 10". The extra 2" also makes poking the bar in between branches for some pruning cuts a bit easier before the body gets in the way.

[Mr. Squirrel]

3 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Top handles seem to have split into two categories.

Take down saws. ie 201, 540 petrol, 542 battery etc.

Trim saws, Stihl 151, Echo 2511.

 

What are you after?

Takedown saw’s the one I’m after. Have t540 mk3, t540i, 150 and dcs 2500. All decent saws but nothing to match the 200. 

[Mr. Squirrel]

3 hours ago, spudulike said:

Yes, the first ones were absolute Shyte but the Mtronic ones are far better. The MS200 always benefits from a lot of grunt from low revs, the Mtronic MS201 doesn't have that but it does pull well once the revs are up....I know from porting both saws and doing timed cuts. It was close but the 200 still has it.

 

Yeah I feel like the earlier 201s really struggled to get the revs up at all though eh? As a well looked after 200 I’m hoping I can get a bit more life out of it yet, but it can’t go on forever. 
 

Mechanically, does the 201 seem fairly solid now? Bearing in mind my benchmark is ~14 year lifespan with ~£250 spent on it in that time 😂

[Mick Dempsey]

Ok, I had three 200s, good saws, but not worthy of the reverence they receive.

 

The first 201s were gutless rubbish, Brad Schnellinger (a US saw guru) fixed them with an upgrade to the timing or something, Stihl copied his upgrade and sold it as their own idea.

Then started selling them already “fixed”

My 201s lasted much longer than the 200s ime, but opinions vary.

[Mr. Squirrel]

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Ok, I had three 200s, good saws, but not worthy of the reverence they receive.

 

The first 201s were gutless rubbish, Brad Schnellinger (a US saw guru) fixed them with an upgrade to the timing or something, Stihl copied his upgrade and sold it as their own idea.

Then started selling them already “fixed”

My 201s lasted much longer than the 200s ime, but opinions vary.

That’s really helpful, cheers Mick.
 

I’d partially agree re the 200, the young team who turn up with battered old ones they found in a bin and ’rebuilt’ who think they’ve got a unicorn are deluded. A thrashed saw is a thrashed saw. But they were decent work horses, with pretty simple mechanics and if looked after they never really let up. If I could get another one fresh out the box I would snap it up in a heartbeat. 

[spudulike]

13 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Ok, I had three 200s, good saws, but not worthy of the reverence they receive.

 

The first 201s were gutless rubbish, Brad Schnellinger (a US saw guru) fixed them with an upgrade to the timing or something, Stihl copied his upgrade and sold it as their own idea.

Then started selling them already “fixed”

My 201s lasted much longer than the 200s ime, but opinions vary.

That's Brad Snelling me old mucker👍

[Mick Dempsey]

9 minutes ago, spudulike said:

That's Brad Snelling me old mucker👍

Close enough!

[spudulike]

21 hours ago, Mr. Squirrel said:

Mechanically, does the 201 seem fairly solid now? Bearing in mind my benchmark is ~14 year lifespan with ~£250 spent on it in that time 😂

There wasn't really too much wrong with the physical build, more the ignition timing, carburetion and exhaust design.

There aren't too many issues now, the mufflers crack in the middle of the base but the rest of it seems pretty sorted now.

 

[Mark_Skyland]

The thing that I would suggest to check on a 201T is the air filter cover. If its cracked or damaged replace it. Once damaged you can get a lot of dust and crap bypassing the air filter, if it gets really bad so much dust gets through the carb that it can block one of the ports in the black plastic splitter that sits between the carb and the intake boot. I had to put a pot and piston on one once because of this. There was a massive amount of crap inside the crankcase.

 

[kram]

 

Echo has a new one, DCS3500T.

2.2kg plus battery. It can use the 2.5Ah but has no more power than the 2500T like that, 0.9kw.

With the 5Ah, doubles the power to 1.8kw and doubles the battery weight, making it 4kg total.

28 cells in the 5Ah battery, they use 18650 cells.

 

Nice idea one saw that can do both jobs. Except the  you'd be swapping bars and chains constantly. Pruning I like a 10" and removals I want 14" or bigger.

 

 

I quite like my Makita UC003  but its not got the same power as my 020T for spear cuts, and the 2511 is still better for small pruning.