Is this late model Craftsman any good?

[FergusonTO35]

Hey guys. I found this late model Craftsman/Poulan 42cc on Craig's List for $35.00. Seller says it doesn't oil enough, other wise it runs great. He doesn't need a saw any more and wants to get rid of it. I'm thinking it would be a dandy back up saw with a new oiler, however I'm not familiar with these new style Poulans. Does this sound like a good deal? Are these saws at least as good as the ones that came before them? What Poulan saw is it based on? Here's some pics, I'm going to look at it after work.

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[Hedgerow]

Hey guys. I found this late model Craftsman/Poulan 42cc on Craig's List for $35.00. Seller says it doesn't oil enough, other wise it runs great. He doesn't need a saw any more and wants to get rid of it. I'm thinking it would be a dandy back up saw with a new oiler, however I'm not familiar with these new style Poulans. Does this sound like a good deal? Are these saws at least as good as the ones that came before them? What Poulan saw is it based on? Here's some pics, I'm going to look at it after work.

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The quick adjust tensioner on the clutch cover will be a constant source of frustration for you.
It can be replaced easy enough though.

 

[Kostas]

Hey guys. I found this late model Craftsman/Poulan 42cc on Craig's List for $35.00. Seller says it doesn't oil enough, other wise it runs great. He doesn't need a saw any more and wants to get rid of it. I'm thinking it would be a dandy back up saw with a new oiler, however I'm not familiar with these new style Poulans. Does this sound like a good deal? Are these saws at least as good as the ones that came before them? What Poulan saw is it based on? Here's some pics, I'm going to look at it after work.

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Same saw as Poulan 4218AVX.Not even close with the older Poulans but still good enough for their money.Just check the compresion and/or the condition of the P/C before you buy it.If it has a seized p/c,then it worths nothing.

 

[LegDeLimber]

How bad is the bar cooked? bottom looks a bit dark.
*If* they ran it dry long enough to burn the bar,
you may be looking at a chain and possibly a clutch too.

the oiler trouble is likely that plastic geared piston.
Seems like shipping (around $8) doubled cost of ordering the part.

 

[Kostas]

uh....well the lack of AV makes them a little less desirable for constant use. The 42cc engine can make a fair amount of power but most are set to lean/seize from the factory. Tuned right they can cut a lot of wood. The bar on that one looks like it has already cut a fair amount. Some of them have an easy pull recoil that makes it difficult to judge the condition of the PC by pulling the rope so take a compression tester or pull the muffler and take a peak at the P&C. With the right air/fuel mix they can last a long time. Without, not so much..:msp_scared:

Like the most of 2 strock engines.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

I muffler modded one last week.
Strong little saw for its size!!

 

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks guys. It looks like this saw is the Craftsman version of the non-AV Poulan 4018. Replacing the oiler parts will be around $15.00, replacing the crappy quick adjust setup another $18.00. That's assuming the bar and chain have some life remaining and it doesn't need anything else. Another thing I noticed: most Craftsman part numbers are the same as Poulan, unless the part is specifically for the Craftsman version. I'll make sure the saw runs and see what kind of a deal I can make.

 

[machinisttx]

Thanks guys. It looks like this saw is the Craftsman version of the non-AV Poulan 4018. Replacing the oiler parts will be around $15.00, replacing the crappy quick adjust setup another $18.00. That's assuming the bar and chain have some life remaining and it doesn't need anything else. Another thing I noticed: most Craftsman part numbers are the same as Poulan, unless the part is specifically for the Craftsman version. I'll make sure the saw runs and see what kind of a deal I can make.

I will almost bet $50 that if you go down to your local scrapyard, you'll be able to pick up enough parts saws for $36 that you won't have to buy another one for many, many years.

 

[mattinky]

We've got the same exact saw at my work, runs great but the oiler stopped working on it too. I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet, that must be a common problem with that model.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Got the saw. It seems to have not been used much. Starts right up , accelerates easy. The oiler does work just not very well. The paint is worn off the bar but the chain turns easily. I think I should be able to get it going with a minimum of fuss.

 

[FergusonTO35]

You bet! If I like it I may dress it up in Poulan colors.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Very true. My grandpa had a little red 1970's Craftsman 2.3 top handle made by Poulan that performed way out of proportion to its size and price. The saw disappeared some time after be died but I have the original owners manual for it somewhere. The manual is seriously 50 pages or so thick with photos on every page and very detailed instructions. Among the accessories for it included a sawmill fixture; a bit optimistic I think!

 

[Wagnerwerks]

If you decide to put any parts in the saw, I have one here that's scored that you can have whatever you need for the cost of shipping and Paypal fees. Let me know if you want me to check anything out on it.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks alot! Could you post a pic? What model is it?

 

[Chris J.]

oh no the red is nice.....and the only saw that gets less respect than a Poulan is a Craftsman. I used to love it when guys would bad mouth the Sears saws while using their 150 Homelites. I handed one guy my Sears 4.2 (Poulan 4200) and let him use it. He carried his saw to the truck and put it away.:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange: I love the red.

Stephen, I always thought that it would be fun to have a "Crapsman" basher run a Craftsman 5.2 (Poulan 5200) and a 6.5 (Homelite 650*) just to see the look on their face.

* Someone here posted that the Homelite 650 was indeed offered as a Craftsman 6.5. I confess that I've never one IRL or even a photo of one, & my searches have been futile.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Sears has rebranded all kinds of products over the years. Most of their outdoor machinery has been Poulan and AYP, however when I worked there in the 90's they had some Craftsman weedeaters made by McCulloch and Homelite and riding mowers from Murray and Snapper. They didn't sell the Mac and Homie weedeaters very long, maybe one season. I suspect they brought them in because they were a few pennies cheaper or Poulan couldn't keep up with demand at the time.

A couple weeks ago we were doing property cleanup at the church retreat. One guy had a Stihl MS170, I had my Poulan 2150. The Poulan was leaving the Stihl in the dust cutting the same size logs and I was running homeowner chain. I let him give the Poulan a try and he said "Wow, that's a bad dude right there!"

 

[FergusonTO35]

I noticed this little Craftsman has a respectable exhaust pop, more so than my Echo CS-400.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Craftsman 42

I must admit that I own a Craftsman 42 with an 18" bar. The chain is 3/8" pitch low-profile, and 0.050' gauge. Somebody told me that it was junk and gave it to me. Guess what? The spark plug was removed and the pull cord handle was missing. I replaced them both and the engine started on the third pull. Runs perfectly. Fabulous limbing saw for that price ($5).

Heheheheheh. Now it's mine. :smile2:

 

[Wagnerwerks]

I don't have any pics here of it, but I'm 99.9% sure its a yellow pp4018. It has the adjustable bar cover with the screw, but I believe its not perfect... Usable, but not perfect. I can gladly fill a flat rate envelope with parts if you want some. I have an av version and another non av saw that I should go over too.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Hmm, I might buy them from you, especially the PP4018. I really enjoying fixing up saws, send me some pics of them and what you think is wrong with them.