You know, everybody knocks poulan pretty badly around here. I have a Patriot 1900 ( by Poulan ) that is 36 cc with no anti vibe and came new with a 12" bar and semi skip safety chain originally. Ok you can laugh, a little. After several years it still fires right off when cold and runs like a top. I didn't run it long before fitting it with an 18" bar and 91 VX chain that really has some bite to it. Around the first of the year I was feeling the bug to see if there was more in this saw that hadn't been tapped, there was. I opened up the muffler without getting carried away and the saw has more bark now to better match the bite. I wish I had done this a long time ago. BTW, the bore still looked good with some crosshatch showing. It is my goto saw after I have felled a tree. I have thought nothing of burying it to the spikes in Elm, Mullberry, Oak, Locust and Hedge. Sure the case is plastic, it wasn't expensive and it doesn't have the displacement of a saw 6x its price. After the first year it owes me nothing. I can cut firewood for a good part of the day and it isn't what wears me out.
I get some snickers from the yAhoos standing around the parts counter when one asks how my pull-on is cutting. I just say, I stihl don't have as much in it keeping it going as you spent to start with." I really do think that if you are going to have something you should take care of it. It will serve you well if well cared for. I cut for heat mostly. I burn 3 1/2 to 4 cords a year and sell another 5-6 as well. I get called on to help out a few friends with fireplace wood or storm damage. It has probably only cut 100 cords. The way it runs, it will easily cut another 100. I hope I never have to buy a bigger saw to heat my house. If my income depended on it , then , sure.
I'm not a big advocate of 400 - 600+ dollar saws. I'm not in the market for one. If I needed to make firewood faster I'd consider a bigger cc'd saw than my Mac 4600 and the Patriot. Anti vibe would be nice on the Patriot. But for what I am doing my line up works for me.
When the bug starts to gnaw at you for more power, what you have will make a working backup for a 2 saw plan.
Saws :
Homelite Super XLAO 32" bar, Neandersaw gets called on when the job warrants it.
McCulloch 4600 46 cc w/20" bar ( slight muffler mod ) It works when needed.
Patriot 1900 36cc w/18" bar, polished port, gasket matched and muffler modded, my goto saw.
Homelite Super 2-AO 12" hard nosed limbing saw. Always reliable and isn't a'skeered of heights. Serves double duty on cedars and brush.
Parts saws:
Homelite Super XLAO parts saw, maybe bring this one back to life.
PPro 260 42cc anti-vibe, prevoius owner lean seized it, going to be ready for spikes, a 22" bar from PP330 and a serious muffler mod.
Remington YardMaster no champion but it started it for me a long time ago.
