gotta love those poulan testamonials... of course the couple i have are 25 years old or more........
Box Store Poulans - They DO have a place
- Thread starter leeave96
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thomas72
Addicted to ArboristSite
The first saw I bought was a 260 Poulan. I cut firewood with it for a few months then my friend showed me his Poulan model 54. Then I thought, "I wonder how it is built, I need one". Basically if it is not a Bearid Poulan then it is not built for longevity, but the new Poulan saws do exactly what they were designed for which is periodic use in the yard and any other extensive cutting is just icing on the cake.
gallegosmike
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They do have their place, such as a home owner that is only going to cutting a odd tree here and there. Now if your going to be cutting a 8 cords of wood to heat your home in the winter. Well then, I guess you make do with a walmart poulan and hope it does not crap out on you.
Say that you use 8 cords of wood to heat your home for the winter. Thats 4 propane refills that you dont pay for @ 1.85 gal. Avg propane tank is 500 gal and you only fill to 80%. That comes out to 1600gal of propane = $2960.00 before tax. A 46cc poulan at walmart comes out to $139.00 local to me. Over 8 cords of wood, you going to burn 4-5 gal of gasoline and use about 3-4 gal of bar&chain oil. Plus you might wear out a chain or two. And also you factor in gasoline for a truck to haul the wood. Your going to save a heck of alot of money. :monkey:
Ive go a co-work that buys a new poulan from sears every other year. Ive tried to talk him into buy a pro-grade saw that will not wear out every two years. But the old fart does not get it..... LOL
Say that you use 8 cords of wood to heat your home for the winter. Thats 4 propane refills that you dont pay for @ 1.85 gal. Avg propane tank is 500 gal and you only fill to 80%. That comes out to 1600gal of propane = $2960.00 before tax. A 46cc poulan at walmart comes out to $139.00 local to me. Over 8 cords of wood, you going to burn 4-5 gal of gasoline and use about 3-4 gal of bar&chain oil. Plus you might wear out a chain or two. And also you factor in gasoline for a truck to haul the wood. Your going to save a heck of alot of money. :monkey:
Ive go a co-work that buys a new poulan from sears every other year. Ive tried to talk him into buy a pro-grade saw that will not wear out every two years. But the old fart does not get it..... LOL
CGC4200
Addicted to ArboristSite
Poulan Pro 260 (42 cc)
I thought the yellow & black PP260 was done for this time when it
suddenly quit Friday and sounded like something was getting
together inside. I got around to pulling muffler this morning to
check P&C. It still looked slick and oily. Once before the ignition
module had loosened up; it was the same thing again.
I cleaned it up a little, and applied some thread locker this time
before tightening. It fired right up and ran as good as it every did.
I use it quite bit for cutting up downed limbs. I like the 3/8" LP
chain and reach of the 18" bar for that purpose, but would not
recommend one for a firewood saw. It had a skip chain on it
when new. I suspect Poulan shipped them that way to keep
people from bogging them in cut as much.
I thought the yellow & black PP260 was done for this time when it
suddenly quit Friday and sounded like something was getting
together inside. I got around to pulling muffler this morning to
check P&C. It still looked slick and oily. Once before the ignition
module had loosened up; it was the same thing again.
I cleaned it up a little, and applied some thread locker this time
before tightening. It fired right up and ran as good as it every did.
I use it quite bit for cutting up downed limbs. I like the 3/8" LP
chain and reach of the 18" bar for that purpose, but would not
recommend one for a firewood saw. It had a skip chain on it
when new. I suspect Poulan shipped them that way to keep
people from bogging them in cut as much.
wahoowad
ArboristSite Operative
My 1997 WildThing keeps running. Cleaned out the oiler last month and now it is running even better. Idles perfectly. Cuts everything I point that 18" bar at. I can tell it doesn't have a lot of guts - can bog down with some of the more aggressive chains. I just take my time. Will make it a backup saw when I finally find a Dolmar 5100.
Bounty Hunter
Addicted to ArboristSite
I don't list our saws in my sig...If I did there would be a nice long list of Stihls...and plus or minus 5 Poulans. I love those cheapo saws...every time I see one running, whether its a groundie cutting up slash or a labor guy cutting construction scrap...I am smil'in cuz I'm making money and saving the Stihls from taking a thrashing and getting trashed.
Some guy straight gasses a Poulan? No big deal...we just pick up another one next time we are at Blowes. A Poulan gets a bent bar? No worries, we got a big stash of dead Poulan parts.
And on the flip side, there have been times (more than I like to count) where Both 200Ts crapped out and we finished the job with Poulans. They are great little saws for what you pay for them.
Some guy straight gasses a Poulan? No big deal...we just pick up another one next time we are at Blowes. A Poulan gets a bent bar? No worries, we got a big stash of dead Poulan parts.
And on the flip side, there have been times (more than I like to count) where Both 200Ts crapped out and we finished the job with Poulans. They are great little saws for what you pay for them.
joatmon
Addicted to ArboristSite
Listen up!
Bill,
I've waited long enough, but I've had it. Yes, the stupid BS, or Box Store, Poulans have a place. The Box Store. They're where they belong. Would y'all quite trying to remove them from their rightful place?
ole joat
Bill,
I've waited long enough, but I've had it. Yes, the stupid BS, or Box Store, Poulans have a place. The Box Store. They're where they belong. Would y'all quite trying to remove them from their rightful place?
ole joat
CGC4200
Addicted to ArboristSite
Rightful place for box store Poulans
I agree with Bounty Hunter's post on this thread.
I have a box store Poulan 260 I gave $90 (display model) @ Lowes &
a Husky 55 I bought from a dealer for $360, both a few years ago.
Guess which one gets used for the expendable saw work?
I agree with Bounty Hunter's post on this thread.
I have a box store Poulan 260 I gave $90 (display model) @ Lowes &
a Husky 55 I bought from a dealer for $360, both a few years ago.
Guess which one gets used for the expendable saw work?
Banacanin
Addicted to ArboristSite
It's funny every time someone bashes a Poulan its always a homeowner saw from a big box store. Why does no one ever bash a quality poulan like the 330 or the older stuff like the 245/306/361 era saws???? Or even the 3400-4000+ era saws??? Because they know better that's why...It's tough to bash a quality product so everyone jumps on the "Bash the wild thing/poulan is junk bandwagon"!
If you wanna bash poulan go run a quality model and get back to us!
So why are you selling the Dayton
Just teasing I agree 100%.
So why are you selling the Dayton
Just teasing I agree 100%.
It's a good saw, has its quarks like everything else but I just want something new. I donated it recently to a friend of mine who enjoys the poulans more then I. Despite the fact that i do not have any anymore, does not mean they are crappy though.
Banacanin
Addicted to ArboristSite
You are absolutely right, I was just teasing
Actually I also noticed that you have a Remington754 as I picked on up last week and want to restore it. How does yours run?
Btw if you don't have this you might need this
You are absolutely right, I was just teasing
Actually I also noticed that you have a Remington754 as I picked on up last week and want to restore it. How does yours run?
Btw if you don't have this you might need this
Thanks for that because I did not have it. I have 2 754's. One is beat and lots of broken parts but ran when I got it. It was a $20 CL find. The other one A member here gave me. It is in nice complete condition but locked up. I was gonna do a cylinder swap/ make 1 good saw but haven't gotten around to it yet. I've gotten addicted to the homelite's so the 754 is on the back burner, another reason why I donated the dayton....Still a great old saw none the less
CGC4200
Addicted to ArboristSite
Bashing old Poulans
I have a 4200 and 5400 countervibe, the only saws I have over 50cc
class. I use them when I need the torque & longer bars, but they
both seem a lot heavier than they were 25 years ago.
I have a 4200 and 5400 countervibe, the only saws I have over 50cc
class. I use them when I need the torque & longer bars, but they
both seem a lot heavier than they were 25 years ago.
stevephillips
ArboristSite Member
I live on 80 acres of pastureland in eastern Kansas that had not been well cared for by prior owners and was getting infested with cedar and hedge. I spent many days walking the pasture with a Poulan Wild Thing cutting brush, (and I cut quite a bit of firewood with it too.)
Ultimately the Poulan died (bearings), but only after vastly more than 50 hours of use and abuse. I immediately went out and bought another. I've got a much bigger Stihl for heavy cutting, but for me a Wild Thing has merit as a second saw for dirty work. It's much easier to carry than my Stihl also.
Ultimately the Poulan died (bearings), but only after vastly more than 50 hours of use and abuse. I immediately went out and bought another. I've got a much bigger Stihl for heavy cutting, but for me a Wild Thing has merit as a second saw for dirty work. It's much easier to carry than my Stihl also.
hunter0182
ArboristSite Member
Old green poulans
I RETIRED FROM THE DEPT OF TRANS FOR THE STATE OF GA. IN 2004,I HAVE HAD A LAWN BUSINESS SINCE 1993,I STARTED SELLING FIREWOOD ABOUT 10 YRS AGO,I SELL AROUND $15,000 TO $,20,000 OF WOOD USEING POULAN CONSUMER SAWS,1975,2150,2375,AND AT 10YRS OLD JUST SOLD THEM AND BOUGHT 6 POULAN PRO 4620 SAWS, DOING CHAIN,BAR AND MUFFLER MODS NOW, A FEW YEARS AGO I WENT TO A SALE AND THERE WAS A PALLET OF POULAN PRO 260s AND 295s A BOX OF 18INCH BARS AND CHAINS NEW,24TOTAL, I BID AND GOT IT FOR 100.00 SAWS HAD NEVER CUT WOOD,THE COMPANY CUT SOME SORT OF SOFT PLASTIC PIPE WITH THEM ,OUT OF 24, 20 WERE GOOD,I SOLD ALL BUT TWO ,I STILL HAVE AND THEY RUN LIKE CRAZY,SO FOR THE MONEY I DONT THINK YOU CAN BEAT THEM.:greenchainsaw:
I RETIRED FROM THE DEPT OF TRANS FOR THE STATE OF GA. IN 2004,I HAVE HAD A LAWN BUSINESS SINCE 1993,I STARTED SELLING FIREWOOD ABOUT 10 YRS AGO,I SELL AROUND $15,000 TO $,20,000 OF WOOD USEING POULAN CONSUMER SAWS,1975,2150,2375,AND AT 10YRS OLD JUST SOLD THEM AND BOUGHT 6 POULAN PRO 4620 SAWS, DOING CHAIN,BAR AND MUFFLER MODS NOW, A FEW YEARS AGO I WENT TO A SALE AND THERE WAS A PALLET OF POULAN PRO 260s AND 295s A BOX OF 18INCH BARS AND CHAINS NEW,24TOTAL, I BID AND GOT IT FOR 100.00 SAWS HAD NEVER CUT WOOD,THE COMPANY CUT SOME SORT OF SOFT PLASTIC PIPE WITH THEM ,OUT OF 24, 20 WERE GOOD,I SOLD ALL BUT TWO ,I STILL HAVE AND THEY RUN LIKE CRAZY,SO FOR THE MONEY I DONT THINK YOU CAN BEAT THEM.:greenchainsaw:
hunter0182
ArboristSite Member
muffler mod
ok i got a poulan 295 muffer the one that comes apart ,,do i take the screen off the difusser and drill more holes, and what about the adddional hole i am suposed to drill in the muffler ,in the side or front HELP, :greenchainsaw:
ok i got a poulan 295 muffer the one that comes apart ,,do i take the screen off the difusser and drill more holes, and what about the adddional hole i am suposed to drill in the muffler ,in the side or front HELP, :greenchainsaw:
For kicks we put an hour meter on a Craftsman 46cc saw with a 20" bar. Well taken care of, but we ran the snot out of it. Sticker on the saw said 125 hours rated life of the engine. We had 600 hours on it when I got tired of playing with it and sold it on CL for $85.00. It still ran very well, started easy and pulled hard for a saw less than 50cc.
If it didn't feel so flimsy I might have started buying them. lol
I got this one new with a "frozen" engine; homeowner said it failed the first time he used it. I took it apart and there was a very minor scratch on the exhaust side of the piston and cylinder. The ring was stuck with carbon, killing compression, but the saw was tuned lean. Homeowner had told me that he took good care of his stuff and was running oil at 16:1 even though the saw label said 40:1. I ran Stihl Ultra HP at 50:1 for the whole test.
Not anything scientific, but it sure reminded me to try and not be a saw snob.
Mr. HE
If it didn't feel so flimsy I might have started buying them. lol
I got this one new with a "frozen" engine; homeowner said it failed the first time he used it. I took it apart and there was a very minor scratch on the exhaust side of the piston and cylinder. The ring was stuck with carbon, killing compression, but the saw was tuned lean. Homeowner had told me that he took good care of his stuff and was running oil at 16:1 even though the saw label said 40:1. I ran Stihl Ultra HP at 50:1 for the whole test.
Not anything scientific, but it sure reminded me to try and not be a saw snob.
Mr. HE
Ive got one of the old clamshell designs made by Poulan known as a model 2900. I think its one of the first that were made that way. It has been used by more than one neighbor or friend and has been loaned out more than anything else we have. It has at least 500 hours on it. Still pushes 155psi compression and has been through a few bars and chains.
Best wishes,
Bob
Best wishes,
Bob
neutral4x4
ArboristSite Operative
I've had my share of wildthings.
My dad had a wildthing that he used on and off for a while before he switched to husky. He switched over because the ring caught on a port and ripped about 1 cm of the ring land off along with a chunk of the ring. He cut about 6 face cord with it before it self destructed.
I was a little luckier. I got a wildthing out of my uncle's junk pile. He said that the oiler stopped working and it wasn't worth fixing. I swapped the oiler out with my dad's old saw, cleaned up the carb (he set it aside for 3 years with gas in it before he decided to chuck it). After cleaning it up, it ran like a top for a while, then lost compression. The cylinder is made of aluminum without a plating on the bore. I guess it just wore out. I didn't try to fix it, but I kept it for parts. I'm not sure how much that saw cut, but I cut way over 6 cords myself and made enough money for quite a few more saws. I went through 5 bars on that saw.
They did what we wanted them to. The first one kept the house warm and the second one payed for the fleet of saws I share with pops now. They're a great saw to start out on and to use to pay for new saws.
I got a third one that I decided to port. It spins like a top and runs with the husky 350 pretty well (with a different chain of course). I don't use it much. I would rather run a quality saw like my CS-500VL to do the majority of my cutting.
The woman just threw out those two old saws that have been sitting around for a few years. Her excuse was that they were broken and the garage needed to be cleaned out.
Oh well, I guess I see her point. She must want me to buy more fixable saws
My dad had a wildthing that he used on and off for a while before he switched to husky. He switched over because the ring caught on a port and ripped about 1 cm of the ring land off along with a chunk of the ring. He cut about 6 face cord with it before it self destructed.
I was a little luckier. I got a wildthing out of my uncle's junk pile. He said that the oiler stopped working and it wasn't worth fixing. I swapped the oiler out with my dad's old saw, cleaned up the carb (he set it aside for 3 years with gas in it before he decided to chuck it). After cleaning it up, it ran like a top for a while, then lost compression. The cylinder is made of aluminum without a plating on the bore. I guess it just wore out. I didn't try to fix it, but I kept it for parts. I'm not sure how much that saw cut, but I cut way over 6 cords myself and made enough money for quite a few more saws. I went through 5 bars on that saw.
They did what we wanted them to. The first one kept the house warm and the second one payed for the fleet of saws I share with pops now. They're a great saw to start out on and to use to pay for new saws.
I got a third one that I decided to port. It spins like a top and runs with the husky 350 pretty well (with a different chain of course). I don't use it much. I would rather run a quality saw like my CS-500VL to do the majority of my cutting.
The woman just threw out those two old saws that have been sitting around for a few years. Her excuse was that they were broken and the garage needed to be cleaned out.
Oh well, I guess I see her point. She must want me to buy more fixable saws 
I have had great success with my woodshark. It is 4 years old and still cuts strong, idles when I set it down, and starts on the third pull.
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