Checking a chainsaw can be a little tricky. We've found that people treat their chainsaw and its brand like they would their vehicle. Ford hates Chevrolet, Dodge is better than Toyota…you get the idea. When we agreed to review the ECHO CS-400 18-Inch Chainsaw, we wanted to put it in the hands of someone with years of experience in professional tree trimming. Of the two we ended up choosing, a competing brand was used.
To avoid any prejudice – since that's how we function as humans – I gave them the Echo CS-400 chainsaw for us, but tried to provide some much-needed context when needed. As it turned out, I was angry for no reason. Both operators are very satisfied with the performance of ECHO. "This is the best chainsaw I've ever used that doesn't bill itself as a professional model," said one. Not bad, really good.
Editor's note: Check out our best battery chainsaws or best professional chainsaws articles for our top recommendations.
Build Quality of the ECHO CS-400 Chainsaw
Well, there's nothing surprising about the Echo chainsaw, except… well, it does come across as a "pro" model — which surprised us pros. They previously viewed ECHO as a "prosumer"—that is, a product developed for consumers and professionals. Well, to be honest, that's totally true. ECHO has this chainsaw in both markets (as opposed to the professional-focused Echo Timber Wolf chainsaw CS-590.
It is incorrect to conclude that prosumer products do not work well for professionals and cannot be used and abused badly. Besides being able to power through wood, our guys love that ECHO didn't put any consumer "frills" on this chainsaw. This is a serious tool. It doesn't include questionable features like a tool-less chain tensioner. As an air saw, it does not require a separate kill switch. Finally, the Echo avoids excessive body styling, recessing the controls instead of making them easily accessible.
The ECHO CS-400 makes every function practical and accessible. When the saw gets dirty or needs maintenance, all major components are within easy reach. Speaking of components, our saw comes with the guide bar and chain removed. The kit includes a T-wrench, manual, kick plate and a bottle of ECHO Power Blend XTended Life 2-Stroke Oil.
Balance and Ergonomics
Take a look at the ECHO CS-400 and you'll immediately notice that it has a very solid design and feel. Pick it up and you'll immediately recognize the perfect balance of this tool. I mean perfect. You can hang it by placing your fingers under the wraparound front handle. With a standard 18" pole, this tool will not tip forward or backward at all.
The fully enclosed rear handle provides a pedal for resting your foot while starting the motor. As you might expect, the pull launcher is on the left side of the tool. There are also fuel and chain oil fill points on that side. The kill switch is a simple steel toggle switch – simple, reliable and durable. On the right you can see a simple T-wrench style chain tensioner.
Loosen the twin bolts holding the bar securely in place to release the chain tensioner. Tighten it to the desired amount. The air filter is located on top of the tool body. You can remove it manually by simply turning the knob. We love that ECHO chose to use an automotive-style air filter. It's a higher quality filter than some we've seen, and it's easy to replace when it gets dirty. The fuel filter is also easily accessible and replaceable when needed. Maintenance, seems to be something very simple and hassle-free that ECHO has crafted.
Field Test CS-400 Chainsaw
Starting up the ECHO CS-400 is easy. The i-30 starting system reduces the effort required to start the chainsaw by approximately 30% – and it's proven. Starting the bulb, engaging the choke and pulling the wire will usually start the engine after two quick pulls. With the choke closed, another pull or two and the saw starts.
ECHO enables the user to tune the carburetor after going through a few tanks. We recommend using non-ethanol gasoline because typical low-grade ethanol-containing fuels are inherently oil-absorbing. ECHO only recommends that you use gasoline with an octane rating of 89 or higher. You can adjust idle speed or fuel mixture by simply adjusting the low and high speed needles. The Echo also provides an idle adjustment screw. This helps when you need to change the idle speed of the chainsaw or stop the chain from starting to spin before you hit the throttle trigger.
run quietly
Speaking of throttle, the CS-400's sound pressure level at idle is about 82dB, not loud at all, really. But when you turn it up, this baby puts out about 107dB SPL — big enough to cause some serious hearing damage over time. That's before cutting anything, which just makes the saw louder. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you use earplugs or other hearing protection if you are going to be doing any prolonged chainsaw cutting.
Using the ECHO CS-400 Chainsaw
We have used the ECHO CS-400 18" chainsaw on several community projects. Our favorite place to use the tool is Parker Street Ministries, an urban outreach nonprofit based in Lakeland, Florida, that serves people who live in particularly depressed parts of our town. Their new facility that recently opened has a palm tree that was felled weeks before the chainsaw arrived.
Of course, the remaining stumps have been erected quite a bit and need to be tamed before we can use the stump grinder. This is a perfect first test of the original chainsaw. Anyone who has used a chainsaw in Florida knows that a palm tree is one of the hardest things to cut because of its density and the nature of the succulent inside. Unlike harder woods that turn into sawdust with their nice blades, palm trees spew nasty pulp-like debris.
Quartered Palm Stumps
We start by quartering the stump vertically, ready to cut in and remove in sections.
We happily saw the saw down into the stump and it ate up the material with gusto. In no time, we had the stump ripped apart and started the next phase.
When we stuck the Echo into wood, our resident chainsaw expert kept exclaiming that it was one of the best chainsaws he's ever used at this price point. It compares very favorably to the $600 model he typically uses for tree trimming and treatment projects. We really appreciate the way the CS-400 effectively expels debris—even the sticky, nasty stuff that makes palm trees. Check out the photo above, and you can see the Echo literally pouring the guts of the palm stump out of the ejection port. Very impressive.
tear off some decorations
After dealing with the stump, we wanted to do some more cutting. Grabbing a section of old floor that needed to be removed, we used the ECHO CS-400 to cut through 5/4 of the floor and pressure treated 2×4 lumber that made up the old cover for the basement entryway. The chainsaw cuts through the material like butter.
While we tried not to hit any nails on purpose, we were almost certain we hit a few along the way, but the saw didn't seem to mind, and because of the sharp blade and the way the chainsaw powered through the cut. Many times, kickback occurs when you are cutting, for example, the tip or top edge of the saw comes into contact with another piece of material and then makes the saw jump or kickback the material as it begins to cut through the secondary material. The design of the Echo chain does a great job of reducing this while still providing a great cut.
small tree
Next we took out some smaller trees on another part of the property, giving us a chance to see how well the chainsaw handles finer tasks, such as removing 2 -3 inch branches.
The ECHO cuts off the branches with ease and handles the trunk itself quickly, allowing us to make quick and accurate cuts. After the tree fell, we cleared the stump that was almost level with the ground, then repeated the steps for several other trees.
We use these chainsaws all over town. In fact, we sent it out of town in another ministry project with the local church. Feedback on the project has been so good, we were able to put the tool into the hands of six more users, ranging from experienced to novice. All had positive reviews, and no one had any serious difficulty starting or using the chainsaw.
Review conclusion
There are certainly some commercial products on the market that will satisfy the needs of users who require durability, sustained heavy-duty use, and an excellent warranty and support system. ECHO seems to have achieved this with packaging that is much cheaper than many similar products on the market. While we can't speak to their long-term reliability (yet), our experience is that they're making some great outdoor products that appeal to consumers while also being surprisingly durable — good enough for pros and Use by the discerning homeowner or rancher. For performance, we score it a whopping 9/10. This saw has impressed us and the professionals we have used it with. For Value, it easily gets a 7/10 because while it may be more expensive numerically, it has features to support the cost and a 5 year warranty that exceeds almost every other manufacturer on the market.