Tricks to get a good running Poulan 4218?

[EngineNoO9]

That sounds like lack of compression. My rule is that if they have less than 110 lb compression, they are history and not really worth rebuilding. Save it for parts if another one comes along. One time I tried rebuilding one and while tightening the cylinder mounting bolts I heard a crack! The party was over. and that's the last time I ever tried to rebuild one.

I need to check the compression. It’s not really hurting anything sitting around but I also really don’t need it.

 

[Hand Splitter]

I have good saws (346xp, 288xp, ms660) but, I can find these saws cheap and want to see what I can get out of them

Makes since if your just doing it for fun and the challenge. I wouldn’t put to much money into one, not much left on the back end. Have fun and good luck!

 

[Hand Splitter]

Hand splitter? Maybe you should quit wasting your time and get a hydraulic splitter. You will be much happier in the long run.

I don’t need one. Don’t want to spend the money, store, maintain, or transport. Not sure if hydraulics would be faster or not, I’ve never used one. And most important, my wife says I need to get more exercise!!

 

[drumbum]

Buy a new one and trade it for an older non strato version?

 

[Cliff R]

I have a shop and work on small power equipment, have for coming up on 4 decades now. I avoid plastic "box store" saws and for good reason. Even the re-badged Poulan saws that Husqvarna marketed for a while. They will be lessons in humility if you are looking for a good running rock solid saw to add to your arsenal.

It is money better spent to buy or obtain much better made saws and put the time and effort into them instead.

Not saying you can't get a Poulan Wild Thing or other bottom of the barrel offering from anyone to start, run and cut wood. You will just find that in the big scheme of things that if you want to spend less time/funds over the years and get more wood cut it's just better all the way around to obtain and maintain better made equipment.

One also has to realize here that even the big names in the market make low end equipment and some of it is not any better if not worse than the stuff Poulan cranks out. So my advice is to pick and choose carefully and fill your line-up with well made equipment. These Forums can certainly help with that, but still be aware that some folks defend complete garbage to the brink of extinction because they are all caught up in some sort or "brand loyalty" crap. Those same folks are willing to polish turds then go on public Forum and boast as to how great the piles of bovine excrement they use for chainsaws are.

I can't fix all that but for sure I can tell anyone reading this that you will never for any reason see any of the bottom shelf saws from Poulan in my arsenal or being worked on in my shop......FWIW.....

 

[pioneerguy600]

I have a shop and work on small power equipment, have for coming up on 4 decades now. I avoid plastic "box store" saws and for good reason. Even the re-badged Poulan saws that Husqvarna marketed for a while. They will be lessons in humility if you are looking for a good running rock solid saw to add to your arsenal.

It is money better spent to buy or obtain much better made saws and put the time and effort into them instead.

Not saying you can't get a Poulan Wild Thing or other bottom of the barrel offering from anyone to start, run and cut wood. You will just find that in the big scheme of things that if you want to spend less time/funds over the years and get more wood cut it's just better all the way around to obtain and maintain better made equipment.

One also has to realize here that even the big names in the market make low end equipment and some of it is not any better if not worse than the stuff Poulan cranks out. So my advice is to pick and choose carefully and fill your line-up with well made equipment. These Forums can certainly help with that, but still be aware that some folks defend complete garbage to the brink of extinction because they are all caught up in some sort or "brand loyalty" crap. Those same folks are willing to polish turds then go on public Forum and boast as to how great the piles of bovine excrement they use for chainsaws are.

I can't fix all that but for sure I can tell anyone reading this that you will never for any reason see any of the bottom shelf saws from Poulan in my arsenal or being worked on in my shop......FWIW.....

One has to be so careful these days telling it as it is, good job. The bottom end saw defenders will get their panties all wadded up at the very mention of the saws not being equal to the PRO line.

 

[lauren]

I may get my depends all wadded up.

 

[Cliff R]

There will ALWAYS be someone on any Forum with any topic who gets their "panties all wadded up" when you talk about something they are a brand loyalist to no matter big of a POS it is.

My comments are never meant to hurt feelings, just to put up usable and accurate information as I know it to be from actually doing this **** every single day, not regurgitating something I read or heard someplace. IF you have good results with some of this junk I'm happy for you.......Cliff

 

[jeffbecky1]

I have a shop and work on small power equipment, have for coming up on 4 decades now. I avoid plastic "box store" saws and for good reason. Even the re-badged Poulan saws that Husqvarna marketed for a while. They will be lessons in humility if you are looking for a good running rock solid saw to add to your arsenal.

It is money better spent to buy or obtain much better made saws and put the time and effort into them instead.

Not saying you can't get a Poulan Wild Thing or other bottom of the barrel offering from anyone to start, run and cut wood. You will just find that in the big scheme of things that if you want to spend less time/funds over the years and get more wood cut it's just better all the way around to obtain and maintain better made equipment.

One also has to realize here that even the big names in the market make low end equipment and some of it is not any better if not worse than the stuff Poulan cranks out. So my advice is to pick and choose carefully and fill your line-up with well made equipment. These Forums can certainly help with that, but still be aware that some folks defend complete garbage to the brink of extinction because they are all caught up in some sort or "brand loyalty" crap. Those same folks are willing to polish turds then go on public Forum and boast as to how great the piles of bovine excrement they use for chainsaws are.

I can't fix all that but for sure I can tell anyone reading this that you will never for any reason see any of the bottom shelf saws from Poulan in my arsenal or being worked on in my shop......FWIW.....

I agree that these saws are not professional quality. I have a 346xp, 288xp, 660 etc... I just like to play around with any saw to see if I can improve it. These PoulanPro saws are everywhere and I just want to see what People might have already done to improve them