Stihl and Echo are both well-known tool brands focused primarily on outdoor equipment, such as chainsaws and trimmers, as opposed to household and garage gear like drills and drivers. However, while they have that in common, they are still pretty different kinds of tool companies. Stihl was founded in Germany nearly 100 years ago and is currently a global corporation that manufactures its tools across the globe, including in Germany, China, the Philippines, Brazil, and the United States. Its German plants
handle assembling and shipping final products, though its sole U.S. facility — located in Virginia Beach — is its largest factory in the world and comprises a 1.4 million sq-ft work floor.
Echo is not a European company but instead was originally founded in the U.S. before being bought by the Yamabiko Corporation, a power tool manufacturer based out of Tokyo, Japan. The umbrella company runs production facilities in Japan, China, and the U.S, though Echo assembles its final products at its flagship factory in Lake Zurich, Illinois.
Generally speaking, Stihl's equipment is professional-grade and industrial-grade, whereas Echo's products are more consumer-friendly. Echo isn't a "cheap" brand for casual DIY homeowners, and some of its equipment is indeed used by professionals, but it isn't quite as heavy-duty as Stihl. It does sell some industry-level items, though. Because they have different consumer bases, Stihl sells its tools through dealers — you won't find its products stocked on Home Depot shelves or on Amazon. Echo, however, can be found at both retailers. Stihl's equipment, perhaps unsurprisingly, is typically more expensive than its counterparts made by Echo. For example, Echo's chainsaws start at $219, while Stihl's start at $279, with most being a lot more than that.
Read more: Every Major Cordless Impact Wrench Brand Ranked Worst To Best
Both Brands Make Powerful Cordless Equipment, But Echo Keeps Things Simple
Perhaps because both companies make heavier-duty gear than many other tool brands, you won't find new corded electric products from either Stihl or Echo. Both manufacture tools that are either gas-powered or cordless and powered by proprietary batteries that are interchangeable with other products. Stihl has three distinct cordless power systems — the AS Battery Hand Tool System for compact and lightweight tools, the more powerful AK Homeowner System, and the industrial-grade AP Professional System. Batteries and chargers can be used interchangeably for tools within a given ecosystem, but not across them — you won't be able to use AP batteries on AK tools, for example.
Echo is more convenient in that it maintains a single, unified battery ecosystem for all of its cordless tools, which also has a simple name — the Echo 56V system. That means that if you own an Echo 56V battery and a charger, you can use them to power any of the brand's cordless electric tools. You'll find many of the same kinds of outdoor tools — gas- and battery-powered — offered by both companies, but the focus of each brand is a little different. Echo is more landscaping-based, while Stihl's tools hedge closer (no pun intended) toward forestry and other more heavy-duty applications.
Both brands make pressure washers, chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, augers, and lawn mowers. Both make different kinds of mowers, including robot lawn mowers, but only Stihl sells large, riding zero-turn mowers, which are manufactured by Briggs & Stratton. There are some product categories totally exclusive to one brand, such as wet/dry vacuums, which Stihl makes but Echo does not. Echo, meanwhile, produces mobile generators and a towable welder that you won't find from Stihl dealers.
Does One Brand Have Better Reviews Than The Other?
When you look at the Consumer Reports ratings of various tools offered by Stihl and Echo, you'll find that both brands generally have well-liked products along with a few duds. Interestingly, string trimmers make up the bulk of both companies' best-rated tools. Currently, the Echo PB-500H Leaf Blower is its top-rated product, but 10 of the top 12 are string trimmers. Trimmers make up six of the top seven top-rated Stihl tools, with its Stihl RMA 510 Mower in the number five spot.
Professional reviewers who've spent hands-on time with their equipment also seem to be fans of both brands. At Pro Tool Reviews, Many Echo products, like pruning saws, backpack blowers, and string trimmers, are scored 9 out of 10 or higher. For some reason, the publication doesn't assign numerical grades to Stihl gear, but if you read through their hands-on feedback, you'll also find them to be good-to-glowing. One reviewer was "genuinely impressed" with Stihl's MSA 300 C-O Chainsaw, and another said the "standout achievement" of the FS 70 R String Trimmer was its "very comfortable" handle design, saying: "The ergonomics are excellent, especially the trigger lockout."
Regular users also seem to like both brands. Many of the products on Stihl's website have overall customer scores of 4 out of 5 or higher, such as its RMA 460 Cordless Lawn Mower, which has a 4.6 user rating. Similarly, most user ratings and reviews for Echo products on Home Depot's website are very good, like its 21-inch 56V Push Mower, which has a 4.7 out of 5 score. It seems that, while Stihl and Echo differ in some significant ways, both share good reviews for their products in common.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
