Echo SRM-225 Trimmer - Major cost cutting. Slowly loosing respect for echo.

[Fordiesel69]

Even though I am somewhat of an echo fanboy, this new cost cutting is really making my blood boil.

If they left it the same quality and raised the price I would be happy.

If they kept the old price and made it with cheaper materials, I may still buy it, but would not be as happy. I wont be considering a new one now and will rather seek out an older one that is mint. Or keep collecting old ones and not care.

I was interested in buying a new one until i started looking it over;

I've owned mine since new (june 20014)

Old = June 2014 MSRP was $199 for a true quality lightweight pro-sumer piece of equipment. People used them for pro applications and got decent life out of them. Even more so when they had the 300hr engines.
New = April 2023 MSRP is $229 for what appears to be a 100% homeowner grade piece of equipment. There is nothing pro about it.

Old = My 2014 engine is rated at 50hrs and has a 1 ring piston, and what appears to be some kind of plated cylinder bore.
New = The new 2023 engine is also rated at 50hrs and has the same 1 ring piston, but has what appears to be a bare aluminum cylinder with almost no crosshatching and no visible plating.

Old = My 2014 engine casting is a very smooth aluminum with zero corrosion and its fit and finish is near perfect of the old echo times.
New = The several 2023 engines I looked at are extremely porous, the surfaces do not appear to line up well, and there is already corrosion present on the outside. Looks like a china clone engine.

Old = My 2014 engine has a solid aluminum flywheel.
New = The new 2023 has a black plastic flywheel.

Old = My 2014 has real friction material on the centrifugal clutch, and has a metal clutch drum.
New = The new 2023 has a solid metal centrifugal clutch and a metal clutch drum. (I personally don't know there if there is any benefit one way or another.)

Old= Cast aluminum clutch housing
New= Plastic clutch housing.

Old= Rubber isolated metal pole mount (aluminum) with two screws.
New= Black plastic, no rubber pole mount. Appears the plastic clamps directly the pole.

Old= Handle and trigger assy have nice soft vibration foam, and albeit mine is mint, but some say it deteriorated if left outside on a trailer.
New = Some cheap flexible plastic that is rock hard and does not feel very good.

Old= Throttle cable bracket is some kind of plated metal like a rainbow color and has no corrosion.
New = 2023 throttle cable bracket looks like it may not be plated and already has white corrosion on the metal.

Both have very crappy debris shields that require chaps.

New 2023 Model:

Older Model:

 

[nwjones18]

That's unfortunate. I recently bought a CS-4910 chainsaw which was essentially a CS-501P minus a few minor features for $100+ less. Really good value for what was essentially a pro saw. When I bought it the model had only been out a year or two and its already been replaced by a CS-4920 which is more of a home owner saw and not the equal of the model it replaced. My theory is they are trying to further differentiate between their homeowner/pro models to drive you to purchase the more expensive models..

 

[PF52]

I have the SRM-2620 which I think is the next one up the pricing ladder from the 225. It is a 2018 model I think and hopefully more like the OP's old unit than the new ones. It seems beautifully made with no corrosion or crude castings. It's super powerful too which is probably overkill for what I need unless I really get lazy and let things get overgrown.

 

[Cujet]

It's been some time since Echo offered their classic and robust engine at home box stores. They are now 50 hour engines, and the reasons for the shorter rating is clear. Lower quality.

However, I believe (but am not 100% sure as my local pro dealer went out of business) the pro store versions are still the good ones. Certainly the 26cc pro version I purchased a few years ago has 2 piston rings and a cast iron cylinder liner.

I think the "good ones" are the Echo X-Series.

 

[jeepman3071]

Yup, they are just cost cutting (like everyone else) to make the cheaper homeowner version, and the better commercial dealer versions.

 

[Blueshound]

Hard to compete with battery powered models at any given price point, I expect.

 

[Cujet]

Hard to compete with battery powered models at any given price point, I expect.

I'd say just the opposite, battery tools are about double the price for the same work capacity. Even then, they fall short. Just try mowing and trimming 2 acres with a battery mower and you'll see what I mean. I have both gas and battery and 2 rural acres.

I love my battery tools, for touch up.

 

[jeepman3071]

I'd say just the opposite, battery tools are about double the price for the same work capacity. Even then, they fall short. Just try mowing and trimming 2 acres with a battery mower and you'll see what I mean. I have both gas and battery and 2 rural acres.

I love my battery tools, for touch up.

Battery tools are great for intermittent use (like ratchets, impacts, small weed trimmers, etc). Constant use like mowing or trimming significant property is where you notice the difference. Both have their place.

 

[Tdbo]

Unfortunately, cost cutting is the way of the world.
I'll say that as an owner of the old SRM-225, and as someone that has purchased two Stihl pieces in the last five years, Echo all the way.
Especially if they still have the five year consumer warranty on them.

 

[walterjay]

Guess I'll hang onto my old 225.

 

[MParr]

Mine was made in April of 2016 and has been a good unit. It’s recently started leaking fuel mix. I took the covers off to see where the leaks are at. It appears to be around the carburetor and fuel tank grommet. I ordered the fuel system repair kit, air filter, spark plug, and the intake gaskets. I will make the repairs and see how it goes. If the leaking continues, I will replace it with a Red Max or Stihl commercial unit.

 

[Soft Cars]

Most of the Echo trimmers purchased at the big box store get returned because they won't run right or don't start. Why? Because the customer has no clue how to set air/fuel mixture. The pro dealers always run the equipment and set air/fuel mixture before putting the trimmer out for sale. A guy like me goes into the pro shop and buys the equipment still in the box because he knows how to set air/fuel mixture.

 

[Warlord]

I have a 225 as well and it pales in comparison to my huskies or even my old tanaka. Usable though.

 

[MParr]

Most of the Echo trimmers purchased at the big box store get returned because they won't run right or don't start. Why? Because the customer has no clue how to set air/fuel mixture. The pro dealers always run the equipment and set air/fuel mixture before putting the trimmer out for sale. A guy like me goes into the pro shop and buys the equipment still in the box because he knows how to set air/fuel mixture.

I bought my 2016 SRM-225 at Home Depot. It ran like a dream right out of the box. I’ve never had to mess with the fuel mixture. I’m confident that the fuel system repairs will stop the fuel leaking.

 

[Soft Cars]

I bought my 2016 SRM-225 at Home Depot. It ran like a dream right out of the box. I’ve never had to mess with the fuel mixture. I’m confident that the fuel system repairs will stop the fuel leaking.

It's just pure luck that it ran like a dream out of the box. Air density varies by location due to elevation and humidity.

 

[Freischneider]

I have a SHC 225S. It was the only gas hedge trimmer available at my local OPE dealer when I looked for one in the spring of 2021. It doesn't have all the plastic stuff like you are saying that you have on your trimmer. It does have a single ring engine, but it has a 300 hour emissions compliance rating.

I do hate the throttle grip and they need to have an automatic return stop switch like everyone else.

Edited to add that the cat muffler got so hot that you couldn't touch the plastic around that area. I bypassed the cat by drilling the hole through the baffle and is running much cooler now.

 

[jeepman3071]

I've been very happy with my Echo stuff and my customers with theirs. Sure they seem a bit cheaper than the older stuff but what brand hasn't cost cut in recent years? I do notice their chainsaws have a lot more plastic (plastic handle, etc) but they are also much lighter. I used to be a Stihl fan, but they have cost cut themselves out of my recommendations, and I no longer own any of their products. Husqvarna is also good, but it really depends on what model you buy, don't buy the cheapest for sure.

My favorite trimmer is my Makita RBC251. It's from the mid 1990s, straight shaft. Tons of power and super light, I'm not sure who made it (Dolmar maybe?), but it is still lighter and has more torque than many of the commercial machines I pick up today.

 

[bunnspecial]

I've been really happy with mine, bought last year from a local OPE dealer.

The manual claims the engine is rated at 300 hours(with the 5 year residential/1 year commercial warranty) and it has a lot of nice touches like metal fuel lines. I haven't looked at the number of piston rings.

Is there a difference in quality between the same basic model sold by big box stores and independent dealers?

 

[wag123]

It's been some time since Echo offered their classic and robust engine at home box stores. They are now 50 hour engines, and the reasons for the shorter rating is clear. Lower quality.

However, I believe (but am not 100% sure as my local pro dealer went out of business) the pro store versions are still the good ones. Certainly the 26cc pro version I purchased a few years ago has 2 piston rings and a cast iron cylinder liner.

I think the "good ones" are the Echo X-Series.

Echo has never used a cast iron cylinder liner on any of it's smaller engines. When I was selling them they all had chrome plated cylinders and two piston rings, even the lowest priced homeowner units. The only Echo 2-cycle engines that had a cast iron cylinder liner were in the larger engines used on their lawnmowers and snow-throwers that they built at one time.

 

[wag123]

I've been really happy with mine, bought last year from a local OPE dealer.

The manual claims the engine is rated at 300 hours(with the 5 year residential/1 year commercial warranty) and it has a lot of nice touches like metal fuel lines. I haven't looked at the number of piston rings.

Is there a difference in quality between the same basic model sold by big box stores and independent dealers?

No.