coming from a stihl 22" bar gas powered unit, it takes a bit of readjusting your 'task profile". It cuts quite well, but early on it got pinched, and it actually bent multiple guides on the bottom of the chain, had to replace it with an oregon chain,
cut through 18 7-8" live oak trees - very hard wood - with ease, and i love that I'm not screwing with fuel and starting etc.

At long last!!! A cordless electric saw that is the comparative equivalent of a similar sized gas saw..... As with any other subject, there are strengths and weaknesses to consider. I have had ample time to use this saw before writing this review, so I am speaking with experience rather than initial impressions. The only true dislike or actual negative thing I can say here. is that the safety switch is all wrong! That is it, literally and period! The safety switch requires that you use your thumb to pull it back before you can activate the trigger. If it where to be a true saw, it would have a safety switch that disengaged when you squeeze the handle like on a gas saw. The only cordless electric saw I have not compared is the new Milwaukee model. Which came out after I got the Echo saw. This model has a bar & chain oiler that is as reliable as any Stihl or Husqavarna gas saw. For the casual user,,, I recommend it as the ONLY choice to consider. The Stihl model is excellent and reliable. But only targeting the tree pruner, arborist. Once again, with the exception of the Milwaukee model which I have not tested yet. The one I received had a chisel tooth chain on it already. And it cuts just as fast as any gas saw of similar size and weight. Though the bar I think is a little cheaper than a good aftermarket bar. So it's chain roller and channel pinch tight easier if you get the bar pinched. And yes, the physical size of the power head is slightly larger than a gas saw would be. But lighter. So still about the same weight to a comparable gas saw with the 4 amp battery. Lighter with the 2 amp battery. The 4 amp battery will cut about half a cord of soft wood and one quarter of a cord of seasoned hard wood per charge. So continuous use is not what you get this saw for. You get this saw for occasional use where you only use it once or twice a year.... OR!!! you want to go camping and cut firewood at night time without bothering the other campers!!! It truly shines as a trail clearing and maintenance saw. Or a yard maintenance saw. Presently I have been using it for log cabin building. It is faster than a gas saw for this. You do not have to start it each time you want to use it! Just pick it up and cut. And it is the only choice if you want to poach tee-pee poles or some fire wood or logs. I honestly dislike the safety switch enough that I considered giving it less stars.... But in fairness, there is no other choice. Unless the newer Milwaukee model is as good or better........

With this saw, I currently own 7 chain saws. I grow timber and although I generally don't harvest it myself, I do a lot of thinning, clean up and firewood. Most of my saws are made by Stihl.
My little limbing saw is an Echo, but after 20+ years it has really lost power, so was looking for a replacement.
I have been eyeing battery saws for a while and figured now was the time to get one.
Most of these battery saws look like they are made for occasional home owner use so I was skeptical they would hold up.
My first choice was the Stihl but the cost for the saw, charger and 2 batteries was right up there with what I paid for my 32" gas saw!
Looked like the Echo was the next best choice so that is what I purchased, with a spare battery.
Pros:
good weight, good price (relatively), good battery life, and good power delivery.
The saw cuts really well. So far I have cut are green Fir trees, Madrone, Plum, & Maple.
The balance is nice and the trigger lock doesn't get in my way too much.
I am a true believer now. This will be my go-to saw for sure!
Cons:
- It has plastic dogs. What a bad idea. When I looked at the pictures, it looked like they screwed on like a typical gas saw. I thought I would just make a set of steel ones and replace them. But they are part of a much longer casting that is the whole bar side of the saw. I was really disappointed to see that.
- Low kick-back chain. I understand why they did that. I replaced it with Oregon 16" bar #27857 and # S56 chain: 3/8"p, 0.050g 56 links, 5/32" teeth
- The supplied chain loosens up faster than any other chain I have. It spit the chain on the second branch! When it did it cut into the plastic dog casting. So I had to stop and shave the plastic and fix some of the chain drive dogs.
The supplied bar has very little clearance to the hub so it is a pain to mount. Just replace it with the wider bar/chain

I think I will do the trick of putting a strip of velcro over the tool holder. Mine hasn't fallen out yet but it looks like it could. I am used to carrying them around since none of my other saws have a tool holder.
Some folks complain about the nuts instead of a handy tool-less adjuster. I kind of like the simplicity and don't mind using a tool. Been doing it for over 30 years. The lack of the tool-less mechanism also allows you to flip the bar.
One of my 2 batteries stopped charging. This is a known issue. I contacted support at Echo, they asked for the serial number and then immediately sent a new battery. I did not have to send the old one back. I got the new one within a few days and it has been working fine. I was disappointed that the battery died but very happy with the Echo support.

I used this saw for about two hours one day and everything was fine. The next time I used it, it spit the chain off the bar and damaged the housing. Undaunted, I went to Home Depot and got another chain and had exactly the same thing happen after a couple of limbs.

I wasn't going to waste any more money on that because another purchaser had already given the solution. I bought a new Oregon bar and chain combination and installed it on the saw. The new bar and chain are .050 instead of the skinny .043 which makes for a more rigid bar and a tougher chain. I got the bar and chain as a combination purchase right here on Amazon, just look Oregon S56 bar and chain combo.

Now, I can run the battery down on ironwood trees without any problem at all. This is a nice saw that you don't have to pull thirty-seven times to start and buy expensive ethanol-free fuel to keep the carburetor from plugging up. For cleaning storm damage and yearly pruning for a homeowner, this saw is great after changing the bar and chain. It charges quickly and gives me time to gather the piles of cuttings. I may eventually get a second battery to extend the work time between charges, but for now, it gives me some time to rake and pile or get another cup of coffee.

The bad: Made in China.
The good: I was genuinely surprised how powerful this saw is. My old gas saw was getting hard to start and I bought this on the recommendation of the Project Farm rating on YouTube. I use it for cutting firewood and other trimming chores. I usually wear out before the battery does. For all practical purposes it is as powerful and as fast as a gas saw of the same size. For the casual user this is superior to a gas saw. No messing with gas/oil mixture, pull starting, noise, etc. Just squeeze the trigger and cut wood.