chain saw

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
Moderator
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
I found a new in the box Poulan pro 18 for $100
Is it worth it? I don't know a lot about saws so am asking. I want it for some small tree falling around here, cut some firewood occasionally and for maybe taking wheeling in the winter for those trees that seem to fall across the trail.

opinions?
 
I got an old poulan 3400 countervibe thats a good 15 yrs. old, heavy and a solid saw. Always had carb vaporlock issues. But after figuring out how just to treat it between shut offs it's been great. The poulans though like the homelights have been building cheaper lighter home use saws for several yrs now and aren't near the saw they used to be. If its anything 5yrs old or newer I'd stay away and use that 100 toward either a Josenred Huskavarna or Still saw in that order. Each except the Reds can be found in pawnshops and yardsells with light use for various reasons, some not so ligit for around the same dollar and they are better saws. I've used them all. My personal favorite is a big Husky that isn't made for the US anymore due to restrictions, can't remember the model number but its well over 60CC and totes a 24 inch bar stock and has larger ones available. You just lay it against the logs and she eats.....
 
Save your money, or apply another eighty dollars and get a Stihl that will cut circles around that POS. Also, stay away from Husqvarna (Husky), Echo, Craftsman (rebadged Poulan), and even Shindaiwa.

In other words, if you have to buy it from an independent shop, it's usually higher quality. Might pay more, but it will be there when you need it. That doesn't work for all items though. Echo is sold everywhere now, and it's just going downhill. Shindaiwa is following the same path ever since Echo purchased them.
 
A more money saw isn't in the future. I just don't need one very often. I've seen the nicer saws melt thru logs/tree's. Stihl's are nice. What I am asking is specific issues with this saw???
 
Chip, my experience with the Poulan saw was they were extremely hard to start. You will be worn out trying to start it before you cut the first limb. I have gone to the Stihl and use the commercial grade with the larger offset chains. You can probably pick up a Stihl reasonable in good used condition if you look around.
 
I have a Poulan Pro 18" bar, ~8 years old. Was the smallest saw that had a real chain brake (52cc ?) It was $150 back then and I expected it to only last a short time. To my surprise the saw has been a good saw. It starts and runs on the 2-3 pull even after setting for 6 months. I find that keeping the chain in good condition helps the most.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
The poulans though like the homelights have been building cheaper lighter home use saws for several yrs now and aren't near the saw they used to be. If its anything 5yrs old or newer I'd stay away and use that 100 toward either a Josenred Huskavarna or Still saw in that order.
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That is exactly what I have noticed too. JT's father has an old (20 yrs?) homelite that I borrowed when I first bought my house and had a few trees fall down in a storm. It is built more rugged and is just more HD looking than the cheaper models sold today. It was easy to start, and cut great. I now own a Stihl Farmboss for logging and Stihl MS192T for limbing. Both work great and have been used heavily during the winters the past 3-4 years for clearing my land of pine trees. I found the Stihl Farmboss used for sale on this website! I have run the hell out of it, and it still fires right up and works great. I've never used a Husqvarna chainsaw, but have heard great things about them too from a guy I know who does tree work for a living. Basically, what I am saying is that I would rather own a 10+ year old used Stihl saw than a new Poulan.

Another thing to consider is getting parts if you need them. I ran over my MS192T with JT's cab truck one night, and had to buy $150 worth of parts to fix it. Farmers Feed and Seed was able to get me all the parts within a few days.
 
My dad has the walmart "wild thing" model - runs well and has a brake, but somehow the chain tensioner tab broke off the main body during operation (got whacked) a few years ago. It's a pain to keep any tension on the chain now

I told that story to give a heads up on the chain tensioner design - if it's not robust you may end up with damage that might not be easily fixed, and render the saw useful in a few-minute spurts
 
Save your cash and get a stihl u can get a ms180 for 199 great saw but its only a 14in bar. It will cut circles around that poulan crap!
 
Hold off on the Paulan. A couple more $$ will get you a used Stihl. I have a 15yr old Husky that is 88ccs. Thing is awesome. I am skeptical of Husky now since they are sold everywhere. I think Stihl is the way to go these days. Stihls have two rings on the piston and Huskys only have one.

In short, don't waste your time and money on a POS. Get something that will not need to be replaced every 6mths. It will piss you off when you NEED the darn thing to work and it won't.
 
frankenyoter said:
Hold off on the Paulan. A couple more $$ will get you a used Stihl. I have a 15yr old Husky that is 88ccs. Thing is awesome. I am skeptical of Husky now since they are sold everywhere. I think Stihl is the way to go these days. Stihls have two rings on the piston and Huskys only have one.
In short, don't waste your time and money on a POS. Get something that will not need to be replaced every 6mths. It will piss you off when you NEED the darn thing to work and it won't.
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again good info...


the shop i work at is a stihl and echo dealer save youself some trouble i see those junkers everyday nothing but a pain in the ass
 
I have a Poulan 20" thats 17 years old now. I used it a lot over the years. I went to start this summer after a full year of not using it......... 3rd pull it fired up and ran like a champ! I have never had any problem with mine, starts fast every time.
 
Hurley said:
My dad has the walmart "wild thing" model - runs well and has a brake, but somehow the chain tensioner tab broke off the main body during operation (got whacked) a few years ago. It's a pain to keep any tension on the chain now
I told that story to give a heads up on the chain tensioner design - if it's not robust you may end up with damage that might not be easily fixed, and render the saw useful in a few-minute spurts
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I've got the same "wild thing" here.
I also have an older Stihl saw that is a beast...hands down the Stihl is a better saw.

THAT SAID...I bought the poulan for $89 on some closeout BS deal just because t was cheap. I have used it a good bit and it gets left at our little hunt camp cabin for use down there.

It is 6-7 years old now and has performed well.

It is definitely not an expensive cadillac saw, but I know that, use it as such and it does fine.
 
SkyHiK5 said:
I've got the same "wild thing" here.
I also have an older Stihl saw that is a beast...hands down the Stihl is a better saw.
THAT SAID...I bought the poulan for $89 on some closeout BS deal just because t was cheap. I have used it a good bit and it gets left at our little hunt camp cabin for use down there.
It is 6-7 years old now and has performed well.
It is definitely not an expensive cadillac saw, but I know that, use it as such and it does fine.
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Agreed, had the chain tensioner not broken so easily, I would be cheerleading for it as a viable option. Google says broken chain tensioners are common
 
I've owned quite a few saws over the past few years. You get what you pay for, but you can get a great used Stihl or Husqvarna for what you'll pay for a new Poulan. Ideally look for an ugly one that runs great. The ones that look great and are priced cheap are that way for a reason. Turd polish is much cheaper than mechanical parts.

With that said, for what you are intending to do with it, that Poulan will probably last you a while. They aren't as reliable, aren't as well built, and are more difficult to get parts for. I would buy an old Poulan (pre-plastic) before I'd buy a new one, but that's just me.

A quick search on hickory craigslist, I found this Stihl:
http://hickory.craigslist.org/grd/2005449977.html
It's an 028, which is one of the best saws Stihl has made. My dad has owned his 028 since Hugo came through, and its been through multiple chains and 1 bar, and needed absolutely ZERO maintenance other than sharpening and tightening chains.

Another thing, I wouldn't own a saw without a chain brake. As soon as I finish a cut, my wrist pops the brake and it doesn't come off till I'm stable and ready to cut again.
 
My first saw was a Poulan. It had a plastic oil gear that fed off a metal gear. After the second replacement in no time, I sold it on Ebay.
I am by far a lumberjack. Use one maybe twice a year? So I went with a good used saw rather than throwing money towards another bad new one. Got my Stihl Pro 390 for $200. They are around $400 new.
Another thing to consider for long term, buy the saw for 2" more bar than you will need. Then swap out bars for 2" less and it'll last forever more. Mine was original 20" and I went to 18". Big power difference. Heck, even lumber mills can only cut up to 36" logs.
 
in the end they are all tools and you get what u pay for. are the kind of guy who commonly relies on a cheaper possibly less reliable tool, or a stuborn ass like me who wants the best he can afford and most likely will not question if it will get the desired job done effectively. the housings, guides, chain, bar, throttle assemblies ect. ect. are all cheap and if used like a tool will fail early. If its for tinkering and hobbying around well you'll get some entertainment.
 
Another to look at is Dolmar/Makita I just picked up a Makita and I like it over the Stihl I had been using. More power, I like the way it starts over the the Stihl personal preference.

Dave
 
oscar80 said:
Another to look at is Dolmar/Makita I just picked up a Makita and I like it over the Stihl I had been using. More power, I like the way it starts over the the Stihl personal preference.
Dave
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I haven't personally run one, but going off of what Dave says, the Dolmar's are really well built saws and are gaining a lot of popularity. They've been around for a long time in Germany. They used to be Sachs, now Dolmar, and also currently rebadged as Makita.
 
Chip, I have an old Poulan I have toted in Ole Granny since long before we've known each other. I keep the chain sharp and the gas fresh. The thing always starts, always does what I need it to do, and it has never let me down. Plus, it's a heck of a lot lighter and easier to pack than the big "high-dollar" saws. If I were timber cutting for a living, I would buy a Stihl... for occasional cutting the Poulan works just fine. This comment not based on opinion... it's first-hand experience.
 
Hurley said:
My dad has the walmart "wild thing" model
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Got one of those sitting in the garage right now. Fawking Poulan, too. I call it the My First Chainsaw. I thought I figured out most of the quirks and could get it started reliably, but you can't hand it to anybody else w/o it coming back broken. Good fawking luck getting it started in a strange position (ie, up a ladder, etc), too. It is not easy to start by any means.

If I'd paid any money for it, I'd be pissed.
 
My friends have some of these;

picture.php


Wood just don't stand a chance, modded up Rotax engine.
 
You can always use mine. Wish i was closer but anytime you need it just let me know.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
saf-t scissors said:
Got one of those sitting in the garage right now. Fawking Poulan, too. I call it the My First Chainsaw. I thought I figured out most of the quirks and could get it started reliably, but you can't hand it to anybody else w/o it coming back broken. Good fawking luck getting it started in a strange position (ie, up a ladder, etc), too. It is not easy to start by any means.

If I'd paid any money for it, I'd be pissed.
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x3. had the same hard starting and running problems when i used to have a 'wild thing'. now have a husky and a newer homelite.
 
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