20 in. 50.2 cc Gas 2-Stroke Cycle Chainsaw

My only complaint so far, is the instruction book is totally wrong, when it says to start the saw with the chain brake on, because it will NEVER start with that brake on even after pulling 50 times!!! I mean come on people, who wrote this instruction manual? Once you release the brake, it will ALWAYS start on the first pull!!! :-) Then turn the brake on and let it warm up, or when walking with it. Other than that, it was reported as being light weight, I 100% disagree! I think its very heavy compared to my Craftsman chainsaw, that I thought was a beast at 15 pounds! The specs of this saw said it was 13 pounds, I disagree it sure seem heavier than that! The Echo Chainsaw had a model under this one, I should have bought, as in the store it was much lighter. But oh well, what is done is done. It cuts great, fast and runs along time between fuel fill-ups! I been cutting up 50 trees that fell or lost their tops because of a wind storm the end of June 2021 and now I have them all cut up and am down to 1 tree left a monster 3-4 foot diameter "Cottonwood Tree" that broke at the 30 foot level! For weeks now, (in-between my full time job) I been using this saw and it is doing great! (See pictures below.)

Great chainsaw overall. Except the clutch cover. Terrible design. The tightening screw is on the cover itself with thin plastic parts holding it. Mine snapped after I tried to mess with it. This wouldn't happen with a stihl or makita. That part is on the frame itself. Maybe other echo ones are not like this one but please be careful. That part is not easy to find or fix.

Pulled out of the garage today and this happened after 4 pulls. I haven't even cut a single pieces of wood with it.

This saw is great..! Some had trouble getting it to start. Tweak the carburetor governor screw a bit clockwise, prime the pump bulb and that should do it. Starts right up every time now. Magnesium case makes it very light yet larger size still has that safer feel of a large saw. Price as well worth it at $349. Cuts like a champ..!

So after doing a little research I decided to give Echo saws a try. The 490 is a beast. I cut almost 2 tri-axle loads of firewood and only sharpened the chain once. Read the start up instructions prior running it the first time. Echo has come a long way and I wouldn’t think twice about buying another Echo saw.

This saw is amazing. Cuts through the trees with ease. This has made work around the new house a breeze. I definitely recommend this to any home owner wanting a saw to do your own work.

Great saw. I've been buying junky $150 chainsaws every few years so I decided to go a bit better quality this time around. I'm glad I did. I've cut a bunch of big walnut, mulberry and cherry trees, limbed them all, bucked them up and the saw did fantastic. It came with the recommended Oregon chain, as well - and still very sharp after 3 days of constant cutting. It takes a bunch of pulls to get gas into the carb when first starting it up, but I've had no problem with it firing right up after that initial first crank. Buy it, you won't be sorry.

Great saw easy to start runs well little rich from factory but overall perfect

Great product. Cut through very large trees very easily. Couldn't be happier with it's performance.

Overall, the Echo CS-490 is an excellent chainsaw for the price, and a significant step up from the CS-400. The build quality is immediately apparent, with actual magnesium at the working end of the power-head, metal bucking spikes, and a clutch-driven chain-oiler. It qualifies as at least a "pro-sumer" grade chainsaw. I bought mine with a 20" bar, since that's what's carried in-store. However, I went ahead and swapped on an 18" Oregon 180VXLGK216 bar and more aggressive 20LPX072G chain. At just 50cc, it is possible to bog the saw intentionally, but it cuts surprisingly fast, well, and easily. It's also impressively light-weight which makes it easy to move around and to use in tighter spaces. My one significant caveat regarding the saw has nothing to due with Echo. Rather, it's that EPA emission requirements force manufacturers to render carburetors virtually non-adjustable. I live at high-altitude, about 6,300 feet, and initially starting the saw cold required treating it as though I was clearing a flood. NO choke, throttle wide open, and it started easily on the second pull! I suspect that anyone not realizing that the choke would simply flood the engine at altitude would have returned the saw as un-startable. Echo's manual states that operation above 1,100-feet requires carburetor readjustment by a technician... and my saw definitely needed some adjustment in order to start and idle properly, respond quickly, and to run well at high-RPM. There is a fairly simple way around this, but be forewarned that it will void your warranty. But properly adjusted, the saw is a definite "keeper". As a last note for anyone unfamiliar with 2-stroke engines, I strongly advise against using automotive fuel as the added ethanol absorbs water and does all kinds of nasty things to the engine and carburetor. Home Depot carries several good 50:1, non-ethanol, high-octane premixes, including Echo's own "Red Armor". After your saw has spent a season stored, you'll greatly appreciate the investment in proper fuel.