Bought a new Poulan Pro 5020 to see what there about

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This provided a significant increase in power. It’s a bit louder (think Homelite Super XL/Mac 10 series loudness) but not obnoxious or crackly at all.
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Good lord that's ugly. Haha. I checked mine by time before and after opening up the muffler outlet and it really didn't change. Even though it sounded like it would be more powerful, it really wasn't. Did you time before and after?
 
It’s a gull damn Poulan from Home Depot, holes in the muffler are not going to make it look worse lol.

No I didn’t time it but throttle response is very markedly improved and cutting power is as well. I’ve run enough saws to know that it’s definitely significant.

I’ve timed a number of other saws though and noticed from 10 to 30 percent gains with muffler mods. Also improved torque in the cut.

Unfortunately I lost the cell phone clamp for my tripod which makes it tough to take videos until the snow recedes.
 
It’s a gull damn Poulan from Home Depot, holes in the muffler are not going to make it look worse lol.

No I didn’t time it but throttle response is very markedly improved and cutting power is as well. I’ve run enough saws to know that it’s definitely significant.

I’ve timed a number of other saws though and noticed from 10 to 30 percent gains with muffler mods. Also improved torque in the cut.

Unfortunately I lost the cell phone clamp for my tripod which makes it tough to take videos until the snow recedes.


Ok, good to know.
 
Ok, good to know.

To the extent anyone is still interested, the pp5020av saw (the subject of the original post) is not the same saw as the newer pr5020. The older saw has a Duralast Strato engine while the newer one has what the company calls an Oxypower engine. The new one is supposed to have the same power but lower emissions than the old. I own and run both versions and, for me, the older saw is the better saw. They share some parts, and the bars and chains are interchangeable. You can find a couple of articles comparing the two but the gist of them is the older model is a tougher, more durable saw than the new. In my view, Poulan/Husqvarna took a step backward by trying to make the new saw more "sophisticated." It may very well be, but side by side with the old it lacks the lower end torque to get through dense wood.

The PR5020 is the exact same saw as the European McCulloch cs50. The stickers and color schemes are only slightly different. The PR5020 has 2.8 horsepower, which is the same figure as the current Husqvarna 445. I've run those side by side as well, and, all things considered, would say the 445 is the better homeowner saw. It's lighter, revs higher, and is generally more maneuverable than the heavier PR5020. The PR5020 probably shouldn't run a 20 inch bar and runs better with an 18 or 16 inch bar. The pp5020, however, is capable of running the 2o inch it came with but, again, you will find marginal improvement with a shorter bar.

These aren't commercial saws. I think they do a pretty good job of doing what they are designed to do--help Joe Homeowner clean up debris after a storm or harvest firewood for the house. Joe doesn't care whether he's using a Strato or Oxypower engine--he just wants the yard cleaned up. Either of these will do it. But, if you're off to the woods to harvest firewood, I would take the older pp5020av. It's more reliable and brings a bit more pop to the task.

Finally, my aunt's beach house got clobbered by a hurricane a year or two ago and she asked for help cleaning it up. The government had restrictions on who could visit the area and supplies of everything were nonexistent--no food, no fresh water, no gas. I loaded my truck with what I could and took my Echo saw for the work.
 
To the extent anyone is still interested, the pp5020av saw (the subject of the original post) is not the same saw as the newer pr5020. The older saw has a Duralast Strato engine while the newer one has what the company calls an Oxypower engine. The new one is supposed to have the same power but lower emissions than the old. I own and run both versions and, for me, the older saw is the better saw. They share some parts, and the bars and chains are interchangeable. You can find a couple of articles comparing the two but the gist of them is the older model is a tougher, more durable saw than the new. In my view, Poulan/Husqvarna took a step backward by trying to make the new saw more "sophisticated." It may very well be, but side by side with the old it lacks the lower end torque to get through dense wood.

The PR5020 is the exact same saw as the European McCulloch cs50. The stickers and color schemes are only slightly different. The PR5020 has 2.8 horsepower, which is the same figure as the current Husqvarna 445. I've run those side by side as well, and, all things considered, would say the 445 is the better homeowner saw. It's lighter, revs higher, and is generally more maneuverable than the heavier PR5020. The PR5020 probably shouldn't run a 20 inch bar and runs better with an 18 or 16 inch bar. The pp5020, however, is capable of running the 2o inch it came with but, again, you will find marginal improvement with a shorter bar.

These aren't commercial saws. I think they do a pretty good job of doing what they are designed to do--help Joe Homeowner clean up debris after a storm or harvest firewood for the house. Joe doesn't care whether he's using a Strato or Oxypower engine--he just wants the yard cleaned up. Either of these will do it. But, if you're off to the woods to harvest firewood, I would take the older pp5020av. It's more reliable and brings a bit more pop to the task.

Finally, my aunt's beach house got clobbered by a hurricane a year or two ago and she asked for help cleaning it up. The government had restrictions on who could visit the area and supplies of everything were nonexistent--no food, no fresh water, no gas. I loaded my truck with what I could and took my Echo saw for the work.

Bought a used one off CL. It has the chain adjuster in the front. Is this a PP5020? And the newer PR5020's have the chain adjuster on the side?

btw- out of the country right now and cant look at the saw to confirm model number
 
Chain adjuster in the front is the older pp5020; chain adjuster on the side, next to the bar nuts, is the pr5020. I should have mentioned the new version (pr5020) improved the old one by moving the adjuster to the side rather than in front. Another way to determine the model is the color: the older pp5020 is primarily yellow with a touch of black; the newer pr5020 is primarily black with a touch of yellow.
 
I am not a forester and far from an expert. I harvest firewood from trees that are already down and clean up yards after storms. Certainly nothing heavy duty. With Poulan products, as you've probably seen, reviews vary widely from "junk" to best value for the buck. I've been fortunate with my Poulans, the pp5020 and the newer pr5020. I actually have three pr5020's because I bought two as cheap customer returns. One of those had a bad pull chord (easily fixed) and I never did figure out what happened to the second. As far as I can tell, it runs like it should. But they work pretty well for me. They aren't Stihls or Husky's, and even I can tell a difference when running them. But I do think they are vey good for what they are, provided you care for them. I admit I always take two into the woods with me, 1) because sometimes I pinch my bar in a downed tree and I need the second saw to extricate the first and 2) because I think the second identical saw might be a necessary source of parts if something breaks or goes badly wrong.
 
Your second return saw probably was returned after the original owner cut down one tree and once the job was finished they returned it with some sob story about how the saw wouldn’t run right. But the return policy’s loss was your gain.
 
I am not a forester and far from an expert. I harvest firewood from trees that are already down and clean up yards after storms. Certainly nothing heavy duty. With Poulan products, as you've probably seen, reviews vary widely from "junk" to best value for the buck. I've been fortunate with my Poulans, the pp5020 and the newer pr5020. I actually have three pr5020's because I bought two as cheap customer returns. One of those had a bad pull chord (easily fixed) and I never did figure out what happened to the second. As far as I can tell, it runs like it should. But they work pretty well for me. They aren't Stihls or Husky's, and even I can tell a difference when running them. But I do think they are vey good for what they are, provided you care for them. I admit I always take two into the woods with me, 1) because sometimes I pinch my bar in a downed tree and I need the second saw to extricate the first and 2) because I think the second identical saw might be a necessary source of parts if something breaks or goes badly wrong.
The two customer return saws you bought - were those the VMInnovations returns that are on ebay? Some are advertised as refurbished working, and some are advertised as not working, for parts only. I wonder if a carb cleaning would bring one of the parts only saws back to life.
 
Your second return saw probably was returned after the original owner cut down one tree and once the job was finished they returned it with some sob story about how the saw wouldn’t run right. But the return policy’s loss was your gain.

I think so, too. I know a lot of people say buying a Poulan anything, used or otherwise, is risky, but I only paid $50.00 each. Hard to go wrong at that price. Both had clearly been used but were almost new. The pull cord wasn't a big deal and the clerk didn't know anything about the other. Somebody else had taken it in, that guy wasn't working, the assistant manager didn't know anything at all about it, it'd been on the shelf awhile...I figured what the heck.
 
The two customer return saws you bought - were those the VMInnovations returns that are on ebay? Some are advertised as refurbished working, and some are advertised as not working, for parts only. I wonder if a carb cleaning would bring one of the parts only saws back to life.

No, I bought them both at a local Tractor Supply store. It's like a Rural King, or a cross between a feed store and cheap hardware store. The store close to me will put damaged goods in the same section with clearance items and mark them down. It's hit or miss.
 
Our local fleet supply is clearancing out Trilink bars and chains. Picked this up for $8 today.

This will be interesting to try in hardwood with the muffler modded 5020.

(Yes I know it’s 72 link, I got rid of the oddball 70 DL bar from this saw long ago.)

7EA80DAC-9A7E-45B2-A342-8A2D1CB1B1EA.jpeg
 
I think that's a great deal. I've used TriLink chain, too, with some success. The key seems to be keeping it sharp. Obviously. But doing so works for me without going to the more expensive brands.
 
I’m quite happy with the Trilink products I’ve purchased. Yes the chains stretch a bit more initially and the bars do not last as long but the prices are so reasonable (even at retail price).
 
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