poulan pro 5020

[Muzzleblastm38]

ok homestead on a budget and milling with a poula pro 5020 with no power rough idling.its what i can afford for wood cutting for heating and milling wood when building project.decided to do a muffler mod.am no expert i drill 4 holes of 5/32 in front adjust the carb and run 40;1 with synth stihl oil.
its a new saw idle perfect run cooler and stronger
why poulan are sold adjusted lean and with no power

 

[alleyyooper]

Just what several companys do to meet EPA regulations.

Al

 

[Muzzleblastm38]

now am thinking of installing a 28 inch bar and scipe chain to slow mill some pine

 

[old guy]

That is likely to disappoint, that is too much bar for that saw.

 

[csmillingnoob]

I have used a 5020 a lot. It's not a bad saw, but I would not exceed the 20' bar that it comes with. It's a very good saw for running a 16" bar, but I've always felt that the 20" is a bit too large. Others may disagree. However, I don't think the 5020 would last very long running a 28" bar when cross-cutting due to low power and oiling issues . No way would I even think about milling with a 28" bar.

For your building project, do you really need more than 12" wide boards? A 2x12 is pretty stout. A 4x12 beam is too. Assuming you are using an Alaskan mill, you can cut 14" boards with a 20 inch bar.

If you are "cursed by big trees, I would pick up a Haddon Lumber Maker (vertical mill) or a cheaper knockoff to square larger logs to 12 or maybe 14 inches. Then mill into planks with your Alaskan. The Haddons are a bit under $100.00. The knockoffs can be had for under $40.00. The strength of the metal of the clamp portion of the knockoffs is soft; so the durability doesn't compare to the Haddon.

 

[Brent Nowell]

If you can even find a 28” bar for that saw... but if you can I agree with the others there will be some very very large shortcomings.

Dry wood is much easier to cut than wet or frozen, my
562 will mill with a 28” full comp dry wood pretty good. But with wet or frozen wood even at 12” slows it down some.

If you are serious about trying I would absolutely use a full skip on dry wood. But in reality I think your better off saving the money from the bar and chain and putting it into a better saw.

 

[Bobby Kirbos]

A 50cc saw is pretty much maxed out with a 20" bar. I doubt you would be happy with the performance of 50cc with a 28" bar.

Could it pull a slightly shorter 24" bar with a skip chain? Most likely if you need it to, but you may need to stop for a piss break before the cut is finished.


If it were me, I would run the 50cc saw with the 20" bar and save the $$ you plan to spend on a longer bar. Look for an Echo CS-590 with a 24" bar. They can be found on eBay for around $300-$350 new, under $300 used.

For what it's worth, I had a 28" bar on my 74cc saw. I just backed it down to a 24" bar. Not because the saw couldn't pull it, but the 28" bar was often more than I needed and would actually become a hazard sticking 7" out of the other side of the log. I had to be careful not to hit whatever was on the other side of the log - the big rock, the ground, the other log, etc. The saw also balances better with the 24" bar.


ETA: Up the oil. Milling is hard on a saw. Having an under powered saw multiplies the wear and tear. I don't mill, but I think the guys that do run no less oil than 32:1.

 

[Brent Nowell]

A 50cc saw is pretty much maxed out with a 20" bar. I doubt you would be happy with the performance of 50cc with a 28" bar.

Could it pull a slightly shorter 24" bar with a skip chain? Most likely if you need it to, but you may need to stop for a piss break before the cut is finished.


If it were me, I would run the 50cc saw with the 20" bar and save the $$ you plan to spend on a longer bar. Look for an Echo CS-590 with a 24" bar. They can be found on eBay for around $300-$350 new, under $300 used.

For what it's worth, I had a 28" bar on my 74cc saw. I just backed it down to a 24" bar. Not because the saw couldn't pull it, but the 28" bar was often more than I needed and would actually become a hazard sticking 7" out of the other side of the log. I had to be careful not to hit whatever was on the other side of the log - the big rock, the ground, the other log, etc. The saw also balances better with the 24" bar.


ETA: Up the oil. Milling is hard on a saw. Having an under powered saw multiplies the wear and tear. I don't mill, but I think the guys that do run no less oil than 32:1.