Poulan History

What is the history of Poulan chainsaws?

I read bits and pieces, but is there a time line and some history?

When did Poulans arrive? When was the Poulan company bought and sold. Who owns them now? Is there a "Poulan group" that actually designs Poulan chainsaws or are they rebadged saws (except for the 330)? Are there Poulan factories - where? Is Poulan a USA saw or an import? What re-badging did Poulan do over the years and when? What is the Pioneer/Partner connection? Were Poulan chainsaws always greenish in color? When the change to yellow? When did the Poulan Pro name come into being?

Thanks!
Bill

I really do not know a lot about Poulan, but this is what I have gathered from hunting for saws around here. Poulan produced their own saw and engine in the early 50's and somewhere in the late 50's early 60's Poulan became Beaird-Poulan. From the 50's to late 70's Beaird-Poulan produced professional quality chainsaws until Electrolux bought them out. Poulan marketed their professional line of saws based on durability and that they were. Though out the southeast Poulan chainsaws where the number one pulpwood saw in the 60's and 70's. The sand cast saws were designed to be completely overhauled from the trigger to the crank to last thousands of hours.

I'm always looking for more info on the Poulan company. What I have found is according to this link Poulans Nashville, Arkansas chainsaw factory is the largest single chainsaw factory in the world producing over 1 million units annually.
http://www.husqvarnaoutdoorproducts.co.nz/poulan.html

This other article gives a little timeline on the company


If I rembember correctly the Poulan Pro name came into being in 1988.
Poulan did have a few saws badged for them but it had to be a small fraction of the saws they rebadged for others.

Some off the top of my head that had Poulan badge saws for them were Sears/Craftsman, Skil, Dayton Wizard, Wright, Ridgid, JC Pennys, Allis Chalmers, White motors, Gamble, Jonsereds, Spiegel, Dolmar and maybe more.

Poulan had some badged for them by Dolmar and Partner/Pioneer.

Poulans were mostly always lime green untill the Poulan Pro line came out but some Canadian saws were orange.

Best I can do for now.

Never would have quessed that Mark would have this info!!!!!!!!

redunshee said:

Never would have quessed that Mark would have this info!!!!!!!!

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Mark is just his nickname...his real name is Mr. Poulan...heavy on the MR. part. He is a very good source on these old saws.

I read original post and was thinking Mark. Scrolled down and there it was. Thanks for the info Mark.

There is a guy here in Minnesota who claims to have invented and patented the first string trimmer (Weed Eater), but I could not find his info. I did find this guy in Texas who said HE invented it and Ballas invented the industry (i.e. marketed it).

http://gary.alicefoster.googlepages.com/iinventedtheweedeater,georgeballasinvete

I know that the guy behind RollerBlades did not invent in-line skates, but he was the one that got rich off of them.

So it is probably true that a number of people often come up with a similar idea, but one guy gets the first patent on it, and someone gets rich making and selling it, but not always the first guy to think of it or even to make the first one.

Philbert

Poulan info... Also posted on Poulan thread

I wish I had a lot to offer you guys but I really don't have a lot of technical or substantive things to offer. I mostly have just good memories of the folks that they were. I know that my grandfather was a very modest genious. As I said, I know that I regret not being very receptive as a yound man to his attempts to share his technical knowledge with me.

Both of my grandparents gave a lot to others and especially to the church, which they believed in strongly. They never wanted others to know. Their faith got them through a lot though.

I always did listen and asked questions about the history of the company and the saws. I found it interesting and historically significant. I found it interesting how Claude worked with the German prisoners cutting wood. He spoke very positive about his experience with them. He also said that they took and active role and interest in developing and improving the bow guide, which was initially shaped out of a truck fender. I got the feeling that they got along well. After that I know that Claude and Gertrude worked hard building the first bow guides in their garage (I think it was in Tyler, Texas) while Claude worked elsewhere during the day.

From there the company found it's roots in Shreveport with Claude and his brothers and some primary engineers. They began to develop and sell their own models from the ground up. In the early 60's Claude sold the business to Charles Beaird and the factory remained in Shreveport for quite sometime until Electrolux bought it years later.

After selling the company Claude began to develop and manufacture one of the first self-propelled lawn mowers. I believe that the company was called "Pro". They had a beautiful home on Cross Lake in Shreveport where they raised horses and cattle. The last time I visited the property the old boathouse was still there. My Grandad loved to fish and we also spent many weekends on their camp on Toledo Bend on the Texas, Louisiana border. That love for fishing has carried on through me to my son.

In the mid-1970's My grandpartents followed us to San Diego, CA. (A world away from Shreveport), and that's where they stayed. My grandmother died in the mid-1980's and Grandad died in 1995. He donated his body to medical research.

I wish I had more to offer that you guys were interested in but I really don't know much about chainsaws. I do have one kind of funny story though. When I was around 14 or 15 my Grandad taught me to use a chainsaw and turned me loose in their yard. I was told to cut down certain trees in the yard but I was having fun and went a little overboard. When they came out to see my work they were a bit miffed that I had cut down some of their favorite trees. (I guess I can relate through that to the enjoyment you all get handling the saws more than I realized). Anyhow, they were cool about it, it's the kind of people that they were and will always be to me.

I do know that my Uncle Harry's son Key Poulan, has some good knowledge of the early history of the company and an excellent Poulan collection. You may want to contact him for further information. Here's a copy from a forum he contributed to and his email address (below)

Best,

Ty

Thank you Michael for letting me know about this forum. I collect old Poulan saws 1946-1960 from when my grandfather (Harry) and his brother (Claude) owned the company. The company was actually divided into 2 parts: Poulan Saw Company (Harry Poulan - President, Claude Poulan - VP) and the Poulan Manufacturing Company (Claude Poulan - President, Harry Poulan VP). It was my great-uncle Claude that invented the bow saw which was created by using the fender off an old truck so the back side of the chain wouldn't bind. Since I was born in 1962, I never was around to see anything affiliated with the family owned company. My father worked in the shop in Shreveport when he was a teenager and actually hand stamped the serial numbers on all of the name plates.

Here is a list of what is in my current collection. I have many other things (newer items) that are not listed but I usually stick with the old stuff unless it's unique or interesting.

24 - (2 Man Saw) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
42 (Model 0142) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
44 - (2 Man Saw) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
44 - (2 Man Saw) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
A900 Boat Motor Poulan Saw Company <--- ULTRA RARE... ONE PROTOTYPE KNOWN.
F 200W Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
F100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
F100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
F200W Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
FD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
FD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
FD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
H100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
H200 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Bow) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Bow) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Fully Restored) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Parts) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Parts) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
KD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
31 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
41 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
43 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
61 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
61 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated

If you have anything that you think would look good in my collection, please let me know!

Key Poulan
[email protected]
Fresno, CA

Hello.

I sincerely appreciate the info

Tyrol, thanks for joining us. Your grandpa sounds like a great guy and I really like his namesake machines, have 7 of them in the garage right now!

Modifiedmark said:

....
If I rembember correctly the Poulan Pro name came into being in 1988. .....

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Yes, and the first Poulan Pro models were mostly directly "inherited" from Pioneer/Partner, after the 1988 merger. More Partner models (from the P7700 "family") were added in the early 1990s. I believe those were the last rebranded saws sold as Poulan Pro?

SawTroll said:

Yes, and the first Poulan Pro models were mostly directly "inherited" from Pioneer/Partner, after the 1988 merger. More Partner models (from the P7700 "family") were added in the early 1990s. I believe those were the last rebranded saws sold as Poulan Pro?

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That's not all quite correct. There were Pioneer/Partner models for sure but the lineup also included about as many pure Poulan designed models as well. By the time the P7700 based models arrived the complete Poulan Pro lineup was really quite an impressive one that covered models to cover almost any one's needs and were as good or better then anyone else had to offer back then.

It's no wonder Electrolux killed it off since they wanted Husqvarna to be there premier line up.

Key,

First, thanks for joining and we hope you have some additional information concerning a great company.

There are many of us that wish we could sit down with your grandfather over a cup of coffee. I often wonder what if brand A had not been bought out by brand B, and them merged with brand C. I think the Global saw market would look different if minor things had fallen into place. There are several members on this forum that have a great deal of background with your namesake product line. I would like to visit some of the production facilities that are now closed or have gone on to produce other items. Shreveport being one, Port Chester, (Homelite), being the other.

Glad you are a member.

Hello. I'm new here and have a unique request. In an earlier post, Tyrol stated, "From there the company found it's roots in Shreveport with Claude and his brothers and some primary engineers." One of those primary engineers was Ernest D. Garrett, my grandfather. He was Chief Engineer and also Secretary for the Board. Tyrol also stated, "After selling the company Claude began to develop and manufacture one of the first self-propelled lawn mowers. I believe that the company was called "Pro". They had a beautiful home on Cross Lake in Shreveport where they raised horses and cattle." Ernest lived on Cross Lake, as well. I am working on his biography and am hoping you can answer a question. We have limited records that he worked for Pro, Inc. possibly beginning in 1962, when he left Beaird-Poulan, but definitely by 1966. He resigned at the age of 63 in 1968. The address we have for Pro, Inc. is 4225 Pro Street in Shreveport. Is this the same Pro, Inc. Claude began? Does anyone know? Thank you for your help in giving this biographer a clue.

This thread was last active over 2 1/2 years ago, you may want to try a PM.

Guido Salvage said:

This thread was last active over 2 1/2 years ago, you may want to try a PM.

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Thanks!

TxBelle said:

Hello. I'm new here and have a unique request. In an earlier post, Tyrol stated, "From there the company found it's roots in Shreveport with Claude and his brothers and some primary engineers." One of those primary engineers was Ernest D. Garrett, my grandfather. He was Chief Engineer and also Secretary for the Board. Tyrol also stated, "After selling the company Claude began to develop and manufacture one of the first self-propelled lawn mowers. I believe that the company was called "Pro". They had a beautiful home on Cross Lake in Shreveport where they raised horses and cattle." Ernest lived on Cross Lake, as well. I am working on his biography and am hoping you can answer a question. We have limited records that he worked for Pro, Inc. possibly beginning in 1962, when he left Beaird-Poulan, but definitely by 1966. He resigned at the age of 63 in 1968. The address we have for Pro, Inc. is 4225 Pro Street in Shreveport. Is this the same Pro, Inc. Claude began? Does anyone know? Thank you for your help in giving this biographer a clue.

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Idk but I have this really cool saw from "pro inc" and I can't find any info ANYWHERE. So I'm grasping at 5 year old straws here I know lol but Im desperate for info. *FINGERS CROSSED*

The lime green color saw are like Lays chips--You can't have just 1-David Old poulan bows #1 any color-sand cast,gear reduction.

46 Poulan said:

The lime green color saw are like Lays chips--You can't have just 1-David Old poulan bows #1 any color-sand cast,gear reduction.

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Forgive my ignorance lol but what is sand cast? I keep hearing that. Im pretty sure I know it when I see it like my k100 or 31. Or that b40 up there. But does that mean?

Sandcast refers to the method the saw castings were made. It is a cruder appearance and sometimes required extensive machining. It is cheaper for short runs of parts. Die casting came along later and allowed for more intricate designs with less machining required.