i wont look at these little poulans the same anymore

[old 040]

i've never owned one of the poulan 42cc strat saws before, but have worked on/run several where i work, all of coarse were stock, but i always liked how these little strats ran and could tell they had potential, after reading some threads on these saws and eyeing one nearby on c-list for cheap i decided it was time to buy one and play with it, the one i bought off c-list, a 3816, did already run good and seams to be a low hour saw, it mainly just needed the carb reset, then i removed the muffler baffle plate and screen, enlarged the outlet gills and gave a go, it really does run well for what these saws are and i wont overlook them anymore. ironically after leaving the sellers place i stopped by the local flea market and found a brand new 3314 also 42cc for $75., guess i'm a little hooked on these saws...................

 

[Chris-PA]

Mine are all the older non-strato versions, but I have wanted to play with a strato. Put a decent chain on it too. The ones without A/V are a bit buzzy though, and I will not run a saw for long without it any more.

 

[old 040]

Mine are all the older non-strato versions, but I have wanted to play with a strato. Put a decent chain on it too. The ones without A/V are a bit buzzy though, and I will not run a saw for long without it any more.

if you can find a strat nearby reasonably buy it, all i've done so far is the muffler mod and i'm very impressed, i've had several of the non strats also, to me there's no comparison, this saw seams to run just as well as my husky 435 they just seam to have a very snappy response, far more than the non strats, and with the muffler mod they sound pretty darn good as well................

 

[redfin]

I cut lots of firewood with a pp4218. The problem was I was using crap oil and didn't ever tune it. I want to resurrect this saw and figure out some areas for improvement.

I have been looking for a cylinder and piston for it. I just can't bring myself to spend 80 on a 120 saw.

 

[tom reinbolt]

Love mine! Best saw I have--5 years, how many tanks, chains, etc. Heck, chains are $7 each--get 3 tanks of gas out of them cutting in the dirt and put a new one on--no fuss.

 

[old 040]

I cut lots of firewood with a pp4218. The problem was I was using crap oil and didn't ever tune it. I want to resurrect this saw and figure out some areas for improvement.

I have been looking for a cylinder and piston for it. I just can't bring myself to spend 80 on a 120 saw.

yeah i got a freebe 4018 from work that had been straight gassed other wise it looks as new, considering fixing it as well, i've found cylinder kits for less than $80., where did you shop for your parts?.............

 

[redfin]

I went to my local small engine guy that sells poulan and dolmar. I got away with cleaning up a rough cylinder on a craftsman I gave to my pastor.

I may try to clean up the cylinder on this poulan before I buy another.

 

[old 040]

I went to my local small engine guy that sells poulan and dolmar. I got away with cleaning up a rough cylinder on a craftsman I gave to my pastor.

I may try to clean up the cylinder on this poulan before I buy another.

just so you know, the 3314's are still available at lowes for $109.,(at least they are by me) i also saw a recon on ebay for $65. BIN with free shipping, they are also 42cc no matter what it says on the saw or the box, as far as i know, all versions of this series saw are 42cc.................

 

[Jeff Lary]

I have a 3314 no av hence Chris's Buzz.
I fixed it for a guy on my Guardrail crew it was brand new but his kid ruined the recoil some how and broke a flywheel fin off with a screwdriver I guess? Any how I bought a new flywheel recoil and a few little things it came to $ 65 .00 in parts .
Then the guy says nah you keep it my boy would just break it again anyway. He will do something to it just to get out of fire wood cutting like last time. He even took the idle screw out and tossed it. I guess trying to make sure it wouldn't run so he would have an excuse not to work. Stellar kid hua? And now to my question how do you know if the saw is a Strato or not? Also if you want a pretty much new 3314 $65 plus shipping and she is yours it does run good though. Jeff

 

[CTYank]

A year back, I got a PP4218 from VMInnovations, $94 f.o.b. my door. Allegedly refurb, but tank had never seen oil. IOW new.
Tossed the "torch" plug for 1 step colder NGK. After proper richening, OEM plug was still too hot- easy to see that.
Tossed the annealed OEM Oregon chain- first such I've seen so soft.
Now it's a damn fine saw. It rips, and the A/V is smooth as silk. Chris-PA take note. Buddy with 250 stihl gave his nod to the PP. It manages, with sharp chain, to make the nominal-18" bar work in northern red oak. Not bad for a backup saw.

Jeff Lary, to see if it's a strato-scavenged, just pop the air filter and look for an air-only throat with a butterfly that starts to open when the carb butterfly is opened well past idle. You'll see the two separate linkages. The air-only (no fuel) flow accomplishes the strato-scavenging.

 

[zogger]

I went to my local small engine guy that sells poulan and dolmar. I got away with cleaning up a rough cylinder on a craftsman I gave to my pastor.

I may try to clean up the cylinder on this poulan before I buy another.

More like 40 bucks and change. I was just looking at those last week with a new to me predator that has the 42cc strato engine. Just get the actual part number for the cylinder kit you want to swap in and run that number in google. I am going to try and fit this engine into some chassis with antivibe.

 

[Modifiedmark]

A year back, I got a PP4218 from VMInnovations, $94 f.o.b. my door. Allegedly refurb, but tank had never seen oil. IOW new.
Tossed the "torch" plug for 1 step colder NGK. After proper richening, OEM plug was still too hot- easy to see that.
Tossed the annealed OEM Oregon chain- first such I've seen so soft.
Now it's a damn fine saw. It rips, and the A/V is smooth as silk. Chris-PA take note. Buddy with 250 stihl gave his nod to the PP. It manages, with sharp chain, to make the nominal-18" bar work in northern red oak. Not bad for a backup saw.

Jeff Lary, to see if it's a strato-scavenged, just pop the air filter and look for an air-only throat with a butterfly that starts to open when the carb butterfly is opened well past idle. You'll see the two separate linkages. The air-only (no fuel) flow accomplishes the strato-scavenging.

This thread made me go look again before you posted and they still have the 4218's for $94 to the door.

I bought 3 or 4 of them a while back to peddle to some guys at work and they all worked out good. Cant beat em for that price.

I actually picked up a Husky 435 for a guy as well and put about a hours use on it trying it out. I'm not going to say anything negative about the 435 as it might be a little nicer saw but its not a better saw then the 4218 for over twice the price.

 

[Chris-PA]

It rips, and the A/V is smooth as silk. Chris-PA take note.

Oh, no doubt - I re-read what I wrote and I was not trying to imply the A/V versions were buzzy. My A/V Craftsman's are really quite smooth and I can run them for many tanks without issue.

 

[Jeff Lary]

mine is want it? buzz buzz

 

[machinisttx]

I cut lots of firewood with a pp4218. The problem was I was using crap oil and didn't ever tune it. I want to resurrect this saw and figure out some areas for improvement.

I have been looking for a cylinder and piston for it. I just can't bring myself to spend 80 on a 120 saw.

Stop at your local scrapyards if they'll sell to you. I don't know how many I have left at the local ones, often appearing that all they need fuel lines and maybe a carb kit. I probably have at least two or three more out in the shop that I need to go over.

 

[Duke Thieroff]

Dude,

Seriously?

All those gorgeous saws and vintage stuff you that you love and now you are singing the "Ode to Plastic?"

J/K dude, if it runs good it runs good. That's it.

 

[old 040]

Dude,

Seriously?

All those gorgeous saws and vintage stuff you that you love and now you are singing the "Ode to Plastic?"

J/K dude, if it runs good it runs good. That's it.

yeah, i better check my blood pressure, kidding aside, these are still great saws to throw on the atv for a trail saw and not get to worried if something happens to them along the way.............................BTW there sure is a lot of plastic on those "other" saws...........

 

[67L36Driver]

You guys made me look.

Fellow left a strato 40-18 Wild Thing here last week along with his J-Red 670. Said it was hard to start or some such.

Boy, was it.

Some kind soul had already removed the limiters and cut slots in the jet screws. But, they both needed 1-1 1/2 turns farther open for him to run.

A muff mod for the pup is in order..........................

18" full skip low pro...............................Bleah!

 

[flotek]

I used to cut wood with a guy who used a wood shark Poulon for firewood
To be honest I don't know how anybody could even remotely think these are worth more than 50 bucks .the things are so slow and weak it looks like it was almost made to fail from the factory. Not trying to be disagreeable on the subject but that was my experiences

 

[Chris-PA]

the things are so slow and weak

Not with a muffler mod, a bit of spark advance and a good chain. A few minutes with a Dremel will help even more....