Unbelievable Echo Weedeater
I bought this 21 years ago at Home Depot. I ran the hell out of it for years, my driveway is in the woods and is 1/2 mile long.
I beat the hell out of this machine.
Then, 8 years ago we started hiring out the yard work. This machine has set in the tool shed for 8 years and has not been touched in all that time. This machine has never had any maintenance. Original spark plug.
I figured this old machine was kaput, and we were making plans to go to Home Depot and buy a Makita battery operated weedeater.
I decided to give the old Echo one last try. Today I cleaned out the air filter with gasoline, and I dumped out the old gas in the tank, and I filled it up. It started on the third pull and ran like a top. I ran it full out for 45 minutes, it ran flawlessly. Unbelievable machine.
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I am a 4-square Stihl man, but I ran a neighbor?s Echo weed eater for two weeks, helping her clean up her horse farm. That thing is a beast. Easier to re-string than my Stihls.
My next weed eater will be an Echo.0 -
As most of y'all know I am a chain saw maniac and I buy the best. I have a Husqvarna that I bought 4 years ago for $624, a very expensive saw. Also have a $580 Stihl that I am quite fond of.
I just bought this weedeater one day, years ago, didn't give it much thought, just a run of the mill Home Depot weedeater. But this is just a hell of a machine.0 -
got one looks almost the same except it is kawasaki, at time it was only one still had metal in it, no plastic in/around the motor that was 23 years ago, still starts 2-3 pull runs all out all day long if needed, bit heavy and shakes a bit, I think this is more the head out balance than the weedeater, but will still start whenever I need it...... 0 -
I have a Solo model 124 that I bought in 1985 or 86 . I have run the heck out of it ever since , using a brush cutting blade trimming trees and cutting shooting lanes in the deer woods . I have had to replace the fuel lines and rebuild the carb once in this time . Out cuts my son in laws new huskvarna without even half trying . Always stored it dry . 0 -
Yep, Echo makes good stuff! I have an Echo Chainsaw and Echo Weedeater and I've never had any issues!
The Weedeater is the PAS Series with changeable String Trimmer, Edger, and Blower attachments (one motor, three different functions).0 -
I have an Echo that I found in the trash dump.No spark plug and the throttle trigger was broken off.I took the plug out of my Husqvarna saw and put in it with some gas and it started right up.I put a new plug and trigger on it and it is the best trimmer I ever used.It uses .105 line and will chop big weeds pretty well.It is a little cold natured,but once warmed up it does a good job. 0 -
Damn! Too bad they did not build motorcycles and trucks. 0 -
The reason it was usable is when parked it had old petro fuel
and not alcohol. I run across this with old trucks that were parked before we
had this wonderful alcohol fuel. A little cleaning and new fuel and they crank up.
Weedeaters have aluminum carbs and the water in alcohol fuel corrodes them.0 -
I'm being converted to ECHO by this sort of performance. I now own 6 ECHO chainsaws from 30 to 50 CC and a 26 CC trimmer. All are decent performers and I really like the mid-size saws for their easy starting. The ECHO trimmer does OK for what it is but ECHO doesn't make a trimmer big enough for my needs.
That's why my main cutter s a STIHL. I bought the biggest STIHL I could afford 5 years ago and may upgrade during the winter sale this year. We're not talking about trimming around a few trees or along the sidewalk here. We're talking about running tank after tank of gas clearing tall grass/weeds out of a few miles of electric fence and running a 10" saw blade clearing scattered brush--that takes HORSEPOWER. That kind of power can't be generated by a 25 to 30 CC machine.0 -
I also use an Echo trimmer. (I will not call it a "weed eater," which is the trade name of an inferior brand) I don't recall its model number, but it is above the level of a consumer model, and at the lower level of a commercial model. It is a bit heavier than the average machine, because it has a solid steel drive shaft and not a flexible shaft.
Mine is somewhere around the same age as yours, somewhere over 20 years, and still going strong. I have done more work on mine, probably because I use it frequently, and have never hung it up for years at a time as you did. I replaced the plug once, just because, and fuel lines and primer bulb twice. Replaced the spool twice.
I used to buy the reconditioned Ryobis from Harbor Freight when they were on sale with free shipping. I'd buy multiples so I could use one until it quit and then pick up another. I finally got tired of fighting with the cheap charlie bump feed on the Ryobi and bought the Echo. No regrets, and since then, I have also bought an Echo chain saw and an Echo pruner.
BTW, the only fuel I use in it is 100% gasoline, 92 octane, with Echo brand oil.0 -
ECHO products just.......work.
My GT1100 trimmer(circa 1990) runs like new. I think I put a plug in it ten years ago or so.
My SRM225 straight shaft with a three lobed steel blade is an absolute monster.
Alcohol free gas and ECHO oil are the key. I run the same gas in my Husky chain saw.0 -
That's great, Allen.
I've got a 12-15 yr old 'weed eater' brand that is still running like a champ. Original plug,sat in storeage for 3 yrs.
Sure gonna hate when it does finally give up, I know the new stuff will not give that kind of service.0 -
My cheapo wally-world 'weed eater' brand trimmer was still going strong after 11 years until I tripped over a root in the yard and landed on it bending the trimmer shaft and cracking the neck housing. Though my wife couldn't ever get it started. I had the routine down and could start it 2nd pull any weather. We replaced it with a Troy Built 4 stroke commercial. I like the power plant part of it a lot. However, for reasons I am still not sure of, they only offered the commercial with the curved shaft. I am too tall for those and I have to hunch over to use it. I have had several back surgeries plus other back issues anyway. So, while the power head is great, I think I will go with a different trimmer head in the future. We also bought leaf blower, trimmer, edger, and seemingly one other thing for it. The leaf blower really warms the engine up but it does great with it too.
I love it when I make a good purchase like that. I bought a Benelli Super Black Eagle in the early 90's. I had to drive ~100 miles just to hold one. I absolutely love that gun. I now have a slug barrel, a short plus long barrel, other stocks, etc. It will honestly be the last gun I ever sell. When I bought it, a grand was a LOT of money but I considered it a cost saving since it shot all 3 common 12 gauge shell sizes. At the time, and for a while after, it was the only one that could do that.0 -
Those Echo s are nice and for the price hard to beat. I have use mostly Husky as they seem to fit me better as weedeaters. 0 -
allen griggs wrote:As most of y'all know I am a chain saw maniac and I buy the best. I have a Husqvarna that I bought 4 years ago for $624, a very expensive saw. Also have a $580 Stihl that I am quite fond of.
I just bought this weedeater one day, years ago, didn't give it much thought, just a run of the mill Home Depot weedeater. But this is just a hell of a machine.
Try an echo chainsaw....I love mine.0 -
Hell I may have to do that. Like I said I am a snob when it comes to tools, I buy the most expensive and usually, that means I am buying the best. Chain saws, 1/2 inch Milwaukee electrician's drills, cordless drills, circular saws etc.
Echo is a middle-of-the-pack type of tool but I must say I am very impressed.0 -
I agree! Have an echo weed eater that is over 10yrs old. I've never even changed the spark plug in it, just fill with gas and go. Runs perfect and still only takes 3 pulls to start no matter how long it sits. 0 -
Many years ago we were offered a chance to bid on their original facility in Lake Zurich, Il. That's back when the construction market was REALLY booming! Turned down the offer due to our backlog of projects on the books. I think they are up to over 500,000 sq. ft. now. Great story of a small company doing it the right way. 0 -
Good Lord, asop! Are you telling me the Echo is made in America? 0 -
Don't know about their weed eater line, but their saws are made in Japan. Parts for those are very expensive and very little AM or used parts available. I try to avoid Echo because of that reason....allen griggs wrote:Good Lord, asop! Are you telling me the Echo is made in America?0 -
I have a Husqvana weed wacker that is 21 years old. It would sit for a year then gets used, sit for 6-15 months then get used and now I use it just about every week from spring to fall.
I have never done anything to it. I blow out the air filter with compressed air once a year. Before winter I clean the original spark plug but not every year. What I do is I always use real gas and stihl mix. I run it dry after every use and never store it with fuel in it. I never use mixed gas if its over 6 months old.
I have a back pack blower that is 19 years old also a Husky and it runs like a top.
Both start on the 3rd pull every-time.
Husqvana's were my favorite dirt bikes too. I had a 1975 Husky 360 CR that would flat out get it.0 -
jrent wrote:
Don't know about their weed eater line, but their saws are made in Japan. Parts for those are very expensive and very little AM or used parts available. I try to avoid Echo because of that reason....allen griggs wrote:Good Lord, asop! Are you telling me the Echo is made in America?
They may have been in the past, but I think with today's internet buying Giants like Google and Amazon it is not much an issue.0 -
I have a rather large John Deere chain saw . It is / was built by Echo and painted yellow with the jd labels . It was bought new sometime around 1976 or 77 . Been in my possession since 1980 . Always stored dry . Carb and fuel lines replaced / rebuilt once . Still cranks on the third or fourth pull . I used it for years as my main saw on the farm and when I heatedwith wood . Now it is like I am , semiretired. 0
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