[Shop-talk] Echo and Worx Trivac Blower/Mulcher/Vac - Model# WG500 ???

[Karl Vacek]

Brian and all -
I agree completely about not buying such things from Homely Despot.  I
indeed purchased from an old local dealer where I'd been buying Toro and
Snapper parts for ten years.  Maybe 20 mowers and tractors in their
showroom, and they've been there since the 70's at least.  Same two guys as
I'd always dealt with there sold me the blower and worked on it too.  They
sold me a 6-pack of Echo oil with the blower and told me it was mandatory to
use it (it's not), but never mentioned the fact that Echo voids the
warrantee if gas isn't at least 91 octane or less than 90 days old.  I took
it back to them for the warrantee work the first two times, each repair
taking from October till May, and then they refused to work on it again.
Echo's warrantee at that time was 2 years consumer and (I don't recall)
either 90 days or 1 year for commercial use.

I called Echo after my dealer refused to repair it near the 2-year mark and
my final warrantee service (a new short block) took place at a huge
Chicagoland landscape supply dealer that didn't sell me the tool.  Large
enough that there were 3 service writers.  That dealer has a 3' sign at eye
level in the service department notifying customers of Echo's fuel
requirements.  I've used the blower/vac about once a year since then (3
years?), and babied it each time.  So far so good.

I bought an Echo based on my near-bulletproof 1970 Echo blower that to this
very day has only had 2 sets of diaphragms in the carburetor and a rubber
fuel-tank grommet in recent years.  Obviously not the same product.

Karl


-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Kemp
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Echo and Worx Trivac Blower/Mulcher/Vac - Model#
WG500 ???
Karl - I wanted to reply to your Echo comments.  I saw similar negative
reviews about Echo when researching heavy duty string trimmers.  Some
dealers have challenges, perhaps more so if you bring a product in for
service purchased at Home Depot or online. My local dealer seems pretty
good.  Buying from a local dealer may also get you better service since they
sold you the product.  With my string trimmer, it gets heavy protracted use
(2-3 hours at a time, stopping only to refill the gas) and I needed more
than what Home Depot had in the store.  The local Echo dealer had a better
price than Home Depot online and set it up, test ran it, and made sure I
knew how to start and operate it.  The warranty on current Echo products is
also 5 years for consumers and 2 years for commercial, so maybe things have
changed.  I'm very happy with my Echo trimmer and recommend anyone looking
for a serious product to see a local dealer (not big box).

Brian