First let me point out that this is the first chainsaw I have ever owned, and I am not a small-engines guru, so unlike lots of other in-depth/technical reviews I have read on chainsaws, I am approaching my review from the position of a newbie, focusing on assembly and use and less on the specs of the chainsaw.
Initial assembly was fairly straightforward taking me about 20 minutes, although I suspect someone with better familiarity would buzz right through the set-up in a matter of minutes. Note that chain oil and 2-stroke oil is required and not provided – again being a newbie I had not considered this (nor did I see the rather small reference to such on the box). Additionally – if you don’t already have a one-gallon gas canister in which to properly mix 89 octane gas with the 2-stroke oil, grab one before you leave Home Depot. The chainsaw comes with a detailed user manual (obviously) but also extensive how to use / safety instructions included which was great for this first-timer. My first impression after assembling the 20” bar is this thing is heavy. Just for fun I weighed it prior to adding gas & oil and by my measurement it weighs 17.2 lbs all-in. While that felt heavy walking around with the chainsaw, once put to use (and holding properly) the weight felt right – heavy enough to feel sturdy, not too heavy to be tiring.
Having used the chainsaw a few times, I can report that each time it has started on the second or third stroke. Per the instructions I let the engine idle for a few minutes when cold, and then went to work. Operation is extremely smooth – little vibration at all. Again, the feel is very sold and sturdy. The saw made quick work of small logs less than six inches in diameter – cut through like butter. Larger logs required slightly more effort, although the saw did not show any signs of strain on logs up to 12” in diameter. Unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to use on anything larger, but with a 20” bar I’m sure it would be quite effetive....

This saw made mince meat out of the 30 foot tree we dropped. A little heavy but that helps. Just hold it and steer it. It does the rest. Easy to start, if you follow the directions correctly. A bit pricy but worth the money if you have a lot of wood to cut

After assembly I filled the oil and fuel tanks pulled out the choke, flipped on the ignition and started pulling. I did NOT use the priming function. Six pulls and I got the pop of it trying to start. I pushed in the choke and two pulls later it came to life. I hit the throttle to set it in idle and gave it 5 minutes to warm up and break in a bit. I then got to work starting on thinner stuff to break it in without having to go wide open throttle. About a half tank later I got to larger stuff which was 12 - 16" thick semi dry valley oak. At the wide end of the logs it started showing the limitations of the engines power. Stihl's win out in this area but they do cost a heck of a lot more. In the first use of this saw I cut around 1/2 a cord of oak.
After refueling it took a few pulls to get it started again. This engine seems a bit tempermental when you try to restart it warm after refueling; though not nearly as bad as the Poulan's I've used in the past. The chain oiler works alright but it does seem to go through the oil a bit fast. It is a bit on the heavy side and that will wear on you if you are doing a lot of limbing or thin stuff. All in all it worked well enough for the first time out and time will tell if I rate it better or worse.
This saw was used at 4900 feet in 75- 78 degree weather

This thing tears through some wood! I would not recommend this saw if you plan on using it less than once a month. If you have some serious needs though, this is your saw. I have 10 acres of woods and fire a wood stove for heat. this saw does not leave me wanting for more power. It could be a bit lighter to make it easier to wield, but the reliability, durability, and power of this saw has to come at a price somewhere. I was considering a Husquvarna that was around the same price as what I paid for this. I decided on the echo for several reasons: USA Made, 5 year warranty (an addition 3 came for $60 from THD which brought my coverage up to 8 years and the price the same as the Husqvarna) and the 60cc of power will move through most any wood you encounter. Husqy offers only a 2 year warranty but will extend it out to 3 if you buy their premixed fuel. The Echo is a much better deal. Additionally, I;ve heard great things about Echo's customer service.

I've been using this saw a lot for the last few months, and I've bucked about 8 full cords of wood, and taken down a lot trees, everything from oak to beech, live and dead avocado, and even some sappy ficus.

I think it's got good power and handles the 20" bar pretty well. There are more powerful 60cc class saws out there, but of course they cost more. Does the extra power make a difference? Probably, if you use it all day every day. It did bog down on some of the heavier stuff. But if you just use it "a lot" and aren't a sawing wood for a living, I think you'll be more than happy with the power. Weight is on par with similar 60cc class saws. It's 18 lbs fully gassed and ready to go. Note that most companies list their saw "head only" dry weight. After you add the bar and chain, gas an oil, you pretty much always get an 18lb saw.

Starts really easy, every time. There's a decomp valve which does cut the starting effort in half, but I never use it because it starts so easily. From the factory it was tuned correctly - not too lean or rich, good idle. Has good safety features - chain catcher, well-designed brake, safety throttle, and optional bar nose-guard which you should use! Has the standard safety-type chain, but it has a full chisel profile so it cuts pretty fast.

Don't let all the plastic on this saw scare you. I've banged it around, and even accidentally dropped a big log on top of it (oops), nothing broken yet! Sometimes plastic is better because it flexes rather than breaking. Crankcase and cylinder are aluminum, not magnesium as some people claim; handle is plastic (the CS600 has the aluminum handle). Air cleaner removes with a big thumb knob, no tools, super easy to service. Gas and oil tanks are good sized, and have a slot so you can use the service wrench to snug them up. Translucent gas tank is really cool, you can see immediately how much fuel you have.

Bottom line, a great saw for what its designed for.

As someone that cuts wood for a living I do recommend this saw. It is on the hefty side but that's to be expected. I can bog it down only because I cut faster than most. I also cut for over 10 hours a day usually with this saw. We have used several different brands. Dont waste money on the cheaper saws like Poulan. Echo seems to be a very good year around saw. The engine is top notch. I would have to say its up there with Stihl. These saws are easy to start. Also down here in the Texas heat these Echos keep going tank after tank where our Huskys have fits in the heat. The only thing to really watch out for is the oilers. If they don't oil correctly throw some transmission fluid in with the bar oil. Watch the bar oil screw underneath the saw. We have had a few that have lost the screw. It still functions without it. In addition the Echo brand chains are pretty good but throw a Stihl chain on there and its even better. That will really get you moving through a tree. We run 20inch and 24s as far as bars go. Mainly mesquite and post oak. For the price there isn't a better saw in its class. Hope this review helps

I have ran two + cord trough the CS-590 so far. And played around cutting on some big stuff as well. And I am happy to say. So far it seems to perform like my old Stihl 041 Rancher. I like that the cs-590 is a simple newer saw. Easy to start, Has plenty of power. It started running even better after the first cord of wood. It is sounding good. But I may get another ear on it, to make sure it is in tune. Its a great saw for a firewood cutter like myself. The one thing you may probably want to do if you get one, is run a little grease around where the double air filter connects to the carb hole. It eliminated dust real good and the filter was hardly dirty but there is no tight gasket there and so little particles may still get in. So just use a little grease. Other than that – Real nice chainsaw in my opinion. :)

This is for real wood cutting, not a cheap light weight build, If you want a real chainsaw this Echo, Stihl or Husqvarna equivalent or bigger is what you will want. Thank you Echo for making a decent product

Note: I almost never give 5 stars in a review, never mind across the board.

I'm a homeowner with an acre lot. Over the years I've had to maintain a number of older trees, removing limbs. I've also had to cut down a number of trees. This is my third chainsaw, and I must say it's a fantastic saw.

Before I extol the virtues of it slicing through wood like butter, let's be clear about something. Almost any saw will cut like butter with a sharp chain. With a dull chain this saw will perform just as poorly as a $30 used saw with the same. I say this because it's easy to get impressed with a new saw with a new chain. I wanted to look beyond the initial excitement of how quickly and effortlessly my first cuts were.

This saw has many features that set it apart from a less expensive unit. Below are some highlights of the saw:

- 60 cc engine is a great price/performance point for a homeowner.
- Electronic ignition (see ignition notes).
- Decompression button. This releases compression in the cylinder for easy pull starting. Fantastic!
- Adjustable auto chain oiling. My first saw had a manual button I had to keep pressing during operation. My next saw had auto oiling, but it wasn't adjustable. You can max it out for hardcore usage to protect your chain and bar.
- Effective chain tension adjustment. Believe me, this is far superior to anything I'd have in the past.
- Easily accessed air filter a "pre-filter" (see filter notes).
- The translucent gas tank allows you see the level without opening it.
- Fantastic vibration control. It's a pleasure to use this saw.
- Great format, size and weight. When I take this saw out I smile inside, if not literally. It's a great looking saw that's comfortable to use and is so well constructed I thoroughly enjoy using it. Come on guys ... you know what it's like to worship a quality tool!
- Between the automatic chain brake and the tip guard this saw has much more emphasis placed on safety (see automatic chain brake notes).
- Made in Japan