Full Overview

This lightweight but powerful saw will handle tough chores. Easily adjustable chain and removable air filter makes maintenance a breeze.

Technical Details

- 40.2cc Engine
- 18" Bar & Chain Included
- Engine Oil Included
- Fully Assembled
- Easy Start Engine

I have owned this saw for about three months now, and am amazed at how great this saw is. My Dad has 200 acres of wooded land, and all year long, I along with my family members get firewood from this. My siblings have different types of saws all 20" bars. They have Poulan, Mcculloch, Homelite, and Stihl. I put this saw to the test against these other guys and it wasn't even close! Plenty of power, lightweight, nice balance, and fairly quiet. These weren't small trees either, some were up in the 25" diameter range. By the end of the day, everybody was wanting to use mine. It just doesn't get any nicer than this one. I was able to get this particular model for 300 clams, and would pay twice as much to own it after using it. Believe me that I'm not using this just a couple times a year around the house. I get TONS of firewood and use this saw all year long, and will not be looking to get another saw for at least 5 years because of there great warranty. Thanks Echo for making my family jealous - now I'm not the black sheep anymore!

UPDATE 6/22/09
WELL MY SAW HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 2 MONTHS NOW, WITH A BLOWN TOP ENGINE. REPAIR MAN TOOK IT APART AND SENT PICTURES TO ECHO AND THEY SAID THAT I DID NOT USE THEIR OIL AND WRONG MIXTURE. AND NOW THEY ARE NOT GOING TO COVER IT. AS YOU CAN SEE IN MY REVIEW THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH ALL KINDS OF SAWS AND SMALL ENGINES, AND FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT MIXTURE IS BS. THANKS ALOT ECHO FOR STICKING ME FOR $300 AND WIGGLING OUT OF IT, YOU HAD A SOLD PERSON HERE, BUT NOW I'M GOING TO DRAG YOU THROUGH THE MUD. BYE BYE ECHO - HELLO STIHL!!!!

Update 12/3/11
I've been noticing alot of comments lately from others saying not to believe people who have given this saw a negative review, because of operator error or ignorance. I have as you noticed dealt with many small engines and repaired also, not a ton mind you, but still knowledgable enough to do some. The reason I didn't do my own work on this saw is because you work on it, you void the warranty, which is kinda ironic. I use 90+ octane with stabilizer, and run oil a tad more rich in mixture, which creates a little more smoke, but better to be safe than sorry, and only use the manufacturer's oils. At the time that I had this saw, I also had an Echo backpack leaf blower, which has the same mixture for that engine as this saw. I used the blower at the same time that the saw was in the shop, with the same gas. Needless to say the blower ran fine and had no problems with it. They didn't even want to look at the can, they said that the PICTURES were good enough evidence, even after I told them that I had another product from them. I sold the blower as soon as I was told that Echo wasn't going to cover the saw, because I WILL NOT keep anything in my possesion with the name Echo on it. If you question my validity, that's fine, but please don't insult me with comments about my experience with this particular saw. I have had the Stihl Farm Boss now for a little over 2 years, couldn't be happier, I did pay more for it, but you knowing the saying. If you are in the market for a saw, just be aware of warranties, and customer service. I called Stihl about a year after I initally bought the saw, just for a general question, and they couldn't have been nicer. I'm not here to pump up Stihl, because their are plenty of good saws out there, just be careful when it comes to Echo.

I got my CS-400 as a gift and used it 2-3 times with great success late last fall. It started easily, ran fairly smooth (a little rough, but I thought it was still being broken in). When I went to start it this spring, I downed 3 trees and was getting ready to cut one up when it stalled and would not restart. The engine was seized and would not move.

I called Echo which said to take it to a service center, which is conveniently located near my home where they took it apart and photographed parts to send to Echo.

The result: Apparently, the gas I used was too old and no longer had the recommended 89 octane. I'm not sure how they knew that, but Echo will not cover the repair. They claim they can tell how it failed by the scoring marks in the cylinder walls, and are essentially saying it's my fault. I'm still arguing my case, but I don't know what recourse I have. I have used the same gas in my Stihl trimmer and Crafstman blower (both 10 years old) with zero problems, so I think the Echo saw had some sort of defect to start with.

I may as well throw the saw away and get a new one, since repairs are over $300 (200 parts,100 labor).

After reading through the warranty details, they basically cover nothing with their 5 year warranty. There is an exception for nearly every condition, including a seized engine.

Needless to say, unless I can get them to cover the repair, I will not end-up with an Echo again.

This saw the Echo CS-400 18 INCH CHAIN SAW is excellent lots of power ,saw will do heavy duty cutting to light cutting first pull will start, this saw will last a long time with proper maintenance will put some 700-1300 dollar chain saws to rest .I believe this saw is the best made at this time, for 10 years experience in tree cutting this is the best saw I have and i have own many (hint with any 2 cycle engine use fresh 89-93 octane fuel no older then 30 days , mix 2.6oz oil 50.1 let engine idle for 10-15 minutes for break in on new engines only ) some companies will not tell you this in the manuals .Also is a good idea is to use that co product in the equipment. have fun , 1/4/2011 Just adding an update saw is still running hard no problems yet I notice people is using fuel stabilizers very bad choice as long as I been using small engine all size and makes I never use fuel stabilizer it's a waste of money and does little to nothing for the engine , many companies state you need to use fuel stabilizer but this causes a big problem for the carburetors ,many problems with small engines is what? the carburetor, use only fresh fuel 89-93 octane , more chemicals added cause chemical reactions with the small parts like rubber and or plastic in the carburetors.Chain adjustment
pull bar up slightly tighten 2 side bolts but not fully tighten, screw adjusting screw thigh then back off 3 to 4 turns this may be a little off due to chain stretch so you have to notice for yourself ,what you,r looking for is that the chain moves easy on the bar with no binding any ware ,use gloves, now fully tighten 2 side bolts. binding, bad bar usually bent, bad chain usually damage due to bar being bent,overheating no oil , cutting while chain is loose. Be safe and have fun.

I tried several other chainsaws, admittedly most of them cheaper and therefore of lesser quality, before buying the Echo CS-400 18C last Winter. I used it to provide firewood for heating my home in the spring. Whereas other chainsaws were difficult to start, the Echo always starts up within 2 or 3 pulls. And it never stalls out or dies UNLESS my chain is so dull that it cannot cut any more. I have cut down a dozen trees in the past 6 months, some 36 inches in diameter, using the Echo and I must say that this saw is wonderful! It is worth the extra money over the cheaper chainsaws you can get at WalMart or Sears. Do yourself a favor and buy an Echo!
One thing I noticed....if I keep the chain too tight, the saw bogs down and acts weak and begins to over heat! Beware, because this may cause the engine to seize if run this way too long. The Echo seems to need the chain to be a little bit looser than other chainsaws I've tried in order to operate properly.

The CS-400 I have was (WAS) a fine tool indeed. I bought it a few months ago and cut maybe 4 cords of various type of wood. Started great, ran great, priced great. That was right up until it seized on me. Now I see that others have experienced the same. I use good gas and Amsoil two-stroke oil. All my other two-stroke tools do just fine. The Echo CS-400 is apparently poorly engineered or built or something. I'm not going to waste my time trying to get compensated for this failure, judging from the others' experiences. [...]
So, it's back to the old Poulan...

Great little saw- light weight, easy starter, kinda like the Kubota of chain saws. Here is the BUT... Mine barely ran out of the box, and required carb tuning to get it to run properly. I have seen many other reviews on the net stating the same thing. So, if you are not mechanically inclined - buy this at a dealer that can tune it for you and stay away from the big-box stores that give you the AMF (adios mother f***er) warranty. Once tuned, this is a sweet little saw - lots of power for the jobs it was designed to do.

Worked well for about a year and a half - other than the fact that it was a little cold blooded out of the box. Cut for a couple hours today and it just stopped dead. Based on some of the other reviews here, I doubt I'll even try to get Echo to cover it under warranty. Sounds like Echo has a problem they don't to admit to, or address. Like most things now days, it looks like this chainsaw is a disposable model. Obviously not everyone that owns one of these has had this happen to them, or at least they didn't bother post a review to that effect. If you buy one, I hope you get one that doesn't blow up. Good luck! I'll be looking for something from Stihl or Husqvarna as a replacement.

I have tried numerous chain saws (Craftsman, Poulin, mcculloch, etc). No comparison!!!!! Do yourself a favor spend the extra few bucks and get a saw that works when you need it. We live on a one acre wooded lot and needed a saw that's reliable. I have had the saw for about 4 months and cut down a few trees and cleaned up a lot of fallen trees as thick as 20" in diam. The saw starts fast about 3 or 4 pulls when cold. When the saw gets hot, its amazing. It restarts with less than ½ of a pull. When the chain is not engaged its so quiet it almost sounds like its not running. Smaller, light and quieter than most, it has enough power to do some pretty heavy work. Little or no vibration so its comfortable to use. My wife has been in fear of chain saws but when she saw how easy this one is to use she tried it and has cleaned up quite a few limbs from our yard. This is as good as the comparable Stihl at more than half the price and Echo trusts it quality and backs it up with a 5 year warranty.

This saw is fantastic. It will idle if you need to set it down for 20-30 seconds to move some wood. It has more than enough power. We use this to cut up some decent size firewood and for cutting fallen tree's etc. I choose this saw over Stihl, Husquavarna and other top saws b/c of the price and equally as important as the weight. This 18 in saw weights 1-3 lbs less than other brands with same size engine. The price was less and the reviews were equal if not better. Few notes, the chain must be tightened fairly quickly after initial use. It loosens up pretty fast. A tip for the occasional chainsaw user- when you mix up a gallon of gas mix some fuel stabilizer together with the 2stroke oil. It will help the fuel stay fresh and also make starting much easier in the future. Also make sure there is always oil in the saw for the bar oil. It will make cutting smoother b/c the chain won't get as hot and the engine won't have to work as hard with less friction. If your going to only use the saw 3-4 times a year do yourself a favor and mix that fuel stabilizer. Great saw, great price, would buy another. They also now make an Echo 18in hard case for this saw its $39.95. search the net.

This review is not for the CS-400, but for the CS-370. I purchased my first Echo chain saw from the Home Depot. It started on the second pull, and I proceeded to cut up the tree that had fallen down in the yard. I stopped and started the saw, and it started right up again when it was still warm. When finished cutting I cleaned the saw and oiled the chain and metal parts with a light machine oil.

Come to use the Echo a month later, it is extremely difficult to start. Took at least 200 pulls plus squirting fuel into the combustion chamber, checking the spark plug gap- highly irregular for a brand new saw. So I go back to Home Depot and exchange it for another one.

Now, I did not go do a break in drill for the first saw. I merely started it and proceeded to cut with it. So with the second one, I break it in. I carefully mix the oil and don't add quite 1 gallon of gas. The saw started on the second pull. I gently ran the machine without cutting. Let it cool, then gently ran it varying the rpms for a break in. After letting it cool for a few hours, I go back out and try to start it and guess what? It will not start. The compression is fine, I can not figure it out.

There is something very wrong with the Echo chain saw model. Either the carburetor diaphragm is made out of a plastic that is eaten away by gasoline, or perhaps the factory has coated the cylinder with a lubricant that allows the saw to start on the second pull out of the box and without this lube it won't start, I just do not know.

In conclusion, THESE SAWS CAN BE HARD STARTING!!! When you need it for an emergency and you are out in the heat pulling the starter rope over and over hundreds of times you will subject yourself to a heart attack! This saw has all the features that you want, easy access to everything, great air cleaner, metal on/off toggle switch, but it is hard starting. Does anyone here know a secret to getting this machine started?

9/16/11 update - Yesterday the weather turned chilly. I tried starting it up, and it started on the 5th or 6th pull. I let it warm up at idle, and continued running it varying the rpm's and letting it cool at idle, for more break in. Today, again no starting issue. I now have ran one and a half tanks of fuel through it. Once the second tank is run dry, I will consider the break in period over. To cold start, I choke it and crank it a few times. If nothing, I press the fuel bulb one time and crank it. If it burps I push the choke in and crank it, and it will start. If nothing while choke is on, I depress the fuel bulb one more time, and repeat. So it is picky about getting to much gas when trying to start it up cold. I wonder if the cold air outside is making it easier to start.

9/18/11 update - Finished the second tank, and with that my break in (I have started it multiple times every single day so far). Then today I put it to work. Cut up a large log and cut out some smaller norway maple trees around the house. Had absolutely no starting issues. I didn't need to press the fuel bulb to cold start it. It wants to start so bad that when I slowly pulled the rope checking the compression, it kicked. So I do not know if the starting issue has been resolved because of me breaking in the saw, or because the weather cooled down. More O2 and less water in cool air. I recommend anyone who buys this saw to break it in with the first two tanks of gas. Then afterwards with each use let it idle for two minutes after first starting, and let it idle 3 or 4 minutes afterwards before turning it off.

9/22/11 update - When pulling off the spark plug wire, the spring attached to the spark plug broke off. Echo saws are nothing but trouble. Looks like the spring has an L bend on the end which is just stuck through the insulation of the ignition wire. The spring is painted so it's conductivity is bad. I stuck it back and wrapped it with kevlar thread and black tape over that. It sparks but the saw will not start. I will be throwing this pos away and looking to purchase another brand the next time a tree falls down. Hopefully one never falls.

This is my final edit about these pos. These saws do not have a warranty even though Echo claims that they do. Anything that breaks or makes the saw not start is caused by the user (it's your fault not theirs) and therefore is not covered under the long 5 tear warranty.

Couldn't leave well enough alone, I took the plug out and cranked it like a mad man to triple check for spark. Three pieces of grey calking flew out of the spark plug hole. It was like a thin grey strip. Seeing this, I put the plug back in and cranked it over a few times and it started, and ran fine again. Teasing pos.