I believe it's time to replace my trusty echo cs371t. Been a good one for my property needs. The 12 inch bar did it's job. But looking for a 14 inch and a little more power.

Now for your input. Top handle or rear handle for home use? I don't cut firewood. Just light property clean up after wind storms and such. So which do you prefer and way?
I like echo saws. Always had good luck with them. Looking at the cs355t for a top handle. Rear handle I'm still reviewing them.
Don't want something that is heavy or bulky. Just doing light work.
So what are your experiences with them?
Also, price limit is $500.

Thanks,
Sarge

I recently bought an Echo 18" DCS 5000 56 volt battery saw with 3 extra batteries. Been running it pretty hard daily since I got it.

I cut thru all the battery power I have and that gives me plenty of wood to keep me humping to split the rest of the day and stack it. Got tired of pull starts that made me work harder then I wanted to get going at times. On to the chargers for the next day.

Bob, I thought about battery power. But don't want to run out of power for storm cleanup or forget to charge the batteries. Hurricane Helen really did a number here. Always been concerned about battery power holding up over the long haul.
But, like you. I like not having to pull cords all the time. Plus not having the noise level would be nice.

Sarge

You need to have a few batteries on hand. It wouldnt be a good idea to depend on one. I have 2 - 5 Ah and 1 - 8Ah batteries. It gives me all the power I need to cut a couple of hours. The batteries are heavy but they do a good job. They have some You Tube videos showing some of the saws at work. Noise level is much better then the gas saws. Keep your chains sharp and a couple spare chains and you will be busy.

I have a top handle echo that I threw out of a tree in a temper tantrum, it was only a few days old.

Personally ide get a rear handle, top handles are asking for wrist pain or accidents if you don't actually need one.

CS 352 rear handle.
Bat saws are the future for home owners and more.

I did the same. I have only the one battery but it still impresses me. I did learn to be careful where to set it as it will leak bar oil but most saws do I guess.

I have an 18" Snapper chain saw that cuts as good as any saw I've had...I bought it along with a battery powered wheelbarrow as they both use the same 82V batteries, and it'll cut longer than I want to.I have 2 batteries so I can cut all day and maybe part of the next.... If I can't get what needs cut by then and no electric to recharge the batteries thats ok...the rest can wait.
It does leak bar oil, I haven't heard of an electric saw that doesn't, can't understand why.

Get an Echo timber wolf saw. Cost around $425 and plenty of power with 3-year homeowner warrantee. I purchased one last year and cut approx. 50 cords of firewood with the saw. Runs and cuts great. My other 6 saws are Stihl.

I picked up a very well cared for Stihl 026 last summer. Came with case, tools and 3 new chains. $150 out the door.

It runs circles around the 261 I have.

For $500, you should be able to find a used Pro saw.

Stihl hasn’t let me down (except when the 441 came out, but those are a little small for me, so I only ever bought 1)

100% Stihl pro saw fan, converted X-Husqvarna user.

I have a 441 and find it to be a pretty decent saw. I find myself using either a 360 or 441 mostly. My 661 stays in the bed of the UTV unless I’m blocking up some serious oaks.

Most of the trees I cut up are 16-20” in diameter.

I own a Stihl 250 which is just right for an old fart and a Husky 455 Rancher for the big stuff I try to avoid.

I have a Stihl 026 PRO and a 441 Magnum. Both cut like there's no tomorrow.

I put a lot of hours on saws and I use them to their fullest potential (more, actually since I have them all professionally ported and polished, and I run aftermarket mufflers or modify them myself) but needless to say, I found the weak spot in the 441’s. But again, anything in the 70cc class is small in my world, so I ask a lot of them. I use 462’s on occasion, usually down south where the wood is smaller on average (WA, OR, parts of CA) but my daily go to’s are 500i’s and 661’s. I run 32”, 34”, and 36” bars on 500i’s and I run 36”, 42”, and occasionally 50” on 661’s (they don’t really like pulling a 50”, that’s 880/881 territory)

I have been recommending the battery powered saws for the past couple years to anyone who just wants a saw for basic property maintenance around the yard or camp. They have come a long way in the last decade or so. Low maintenance, less noise, no mixed gas to keep around and ready to go at a moment's notice even if they haven't been used in a couple years. I would absolutely not want to have to use them to put up a winters worth of firewood, but they are just the ticket for 90% of homeowners.

As for rear or top handle. It's not even a question, rear handle all the way unless you are climbing with it.

I have 2 Echo top handles. EXCELLENT saws. Done a ton of tree work with them. You sound like a rear handle might work better for what you want to do.

Echo makes decent small engine equipment, especially for the price you pay.
I'd get a rear handle for ground work. The rear handle gives you more leverage, which makes up for the slight weight increase.
Front handle saws are what you need for one hand cutting when climbing.
I know a madman climber (all climbers are madmen in my book) who uses an Echo front handle and swears by it.

echo can be a good saw if you buy from someone who can properly adjust the carb rich enough

the common complaint is many of them at big box stores come adjusted too lean

I would also run a 455 rancher I have it in a Jonsered 2255 my freind has the 2250 wich would be the 450 husky

my brother has the Stihl ms250 I don't think it is as smooth as the larger saw cutting more shake in the hand but less weight.

the 450 with a 16 inch bar will cut a lot

the 455 18 inch bar

top handle is for in tree work only where you need to have it be that short , it works against you in leverage so if you are looking to work less for the cut let the saw do the work and just hold it , the only time you should need to muscle it is lifting it to the next cut just the weight of the saw and let it do the work on it's own weight

work smarter not harder.

remember only no E gas and startron with good oil and fresh gas often , make sure to run it every 3-4 months minimum
if you can't get no E run the canned fuel