Echo / Gas
~$599
Echo CS-2511T
30cc class
- 25cc
- engine
- 12 in
- bar
- 5.2 lb
- bare
Working climbers and arborists who prioritize minimum weight aloft for pruning and small takedowns.
Arborist
Echo took the CS-2511T climbing saw, moved the handle to the back, and claims the result is the lightest gas rear-handle chainsaw in the world at 5.7 lb. It is a strange and genuinely useful thing: a saw you can run one-handed off a sawhorse all afternoon, or hand to someone who should not be on a top-handle in the first place. That is the real case for it — a top-handle is legally and practically a climber's tool, and the 2511P gives ground crews and older owners the same engine in a layout that is safe to use standing up. One 84-year-old owner's review comes down to exactly that: the light weight and rear handle let him keep working with control. The reservations are honest ones. $599.99 is a lot for 25cc, the 3/8 low-profile chain draws complaints about chatter and vibration in small limbs, and there are scattered reports of units cutting out and then needing several pulls to restart.
Best for: Ground crews, landscapers and older cutters who want top-handle lightness without the safety compromise of a top-handle.
Specifications
Manufacturer figures except the engine class and single-pass cut, which are derived here. What each spec means
- Lightest gas rear-handle made
- 5.7 lb powerhead
- Climber's engine, ground-safe layout
What owners like
- 5.7 lb powerhead — Echo claims it is the lightest gas rear-handle chainsaw in the world
- Delivers the CS-2511T's 25cc X-Series engine in a layout that is safe to use from the ground
- Owners report it holding its own against larger Husqvarna and Stihl saws on small-limb work
- Spring-assist starter makes restarts easy from awkward positions
- Available with a 12- or 14-inch bar, unlike the single-length CS-271T
- Sold through Home Depot as well as Echo dealers, so parts and warranty are easy to reach
Common complaints
- $599.99 for a 25cc saw — the same money as the CS-2511T and more than the 50cc CS-4920
- Owners report noticeable chatter and vibration from the 3/8 low-profile chain in small branches
- Scattered reports of the engine cutting out mid-cut and then taking several pulls to restart
- 25cc caps it at pruning and brush work; it will not buck firewood
- Tiny 6.4 fl. oz. fuel tank means frequent refuelling on a long clean-up
Nearest alternatives
More from Echo
