A fun CAD desert packrat adventure!!

XPLRN · Apr 4, 2012

Ran across a CL listing for a ' Poulan 14" chainsaw............runs good' . So I had to call the guy and ask about it......turned out to be a Super25DA. Well I wasn't interested in that but he made inference to having some other saws so I asked him what he had. He said he had a "gnarly old bigger Poulan" ratholed away in one of his sheds that had ran a number of years ago but didn't have a bar and chain. Claimed he it ran years ago and that he would go out and start it up every once in awhile and that it had a lot of "bark" to it. Well that caught my interest and as I was going to be out running around I ask if I could come on by and check it out.

Talk about out in BFE..........he was way heck and gone out in the NW part of the Valley(Valley of the Sun/Phoenix). So I got directions and made my way out there. This guy was sooo cool......he's a mega collector and had 30+ years of "stuff" sitting around.....everything from a old Citroen car with the funky 2-cylinder opposed engine, sliding glass front and rear side windows(a really great design IMHO) and the weird one spoke steering wheel to a first year Honda Goldwing. All kinds of old motorcycles(think Kawie H3, Honda SilverWing............just crazy amounts of stuff!!

Anyways the "gnarly old bigger Poulan" turned out to be this;

Sooo what bar mount configuration will this saw require!?? :help:

Siberian Sam is guarding the 5200; "My saw" he sez!!

After we walked around the property looking at all the crazy unique stuff he'd collected up and drug out there after years of living in the city he seemed to warm up to me and decided to show me his prized yellow K1000 buried under a tarp in one of the buildings. Well I thought it was quite a nice bike, but it was the pan of parts I noticed on the floor by one of his shelving units that caught my eye;

That pile of parts will be a great back up to a recent small saw aquisition. I haven't had the time to even try to start it but it was claimed to have ran great and was emptied out of fuel mix then stored away. Anyways I was really happy to run across that collection of parts and the guy said as I was looking them over intently.........."You've got one of those don't you!!?" ........sharp guy!! :

I stayed out there at that guy's place till dark just talking with him and checking out all the cool "stuff" that he had rat-holed away out in the desert!!

Sooo then I get home and start researching basic stuff for the 5200.......like air filter availability........and run across this;

Modifiedmark said:
Your correct, the 5200 and 5400 use the same filter. The 8500 is completly different.

Looks like its time to figure out how to refilter a used original. I have had thoughts about it but no time yet to try anything.

Does anyone have a new 5200 air filter they would be interested in parting with......or has anyone figured out how "refilter" the 5200 air filter?? I talked with one cool shop owner (AS member it turns out) and he mentioned opening up the filter and fitting air filter pre-cleaner foam inside of the filter to provide additional filtering media.

I'll need to pull the muffler assembly off and check out the P/C condition before wanting to spend more money on getting other parts to try and bring this saw back to life.

jammin_with_j · Apr 5, 2012

I always like finding a good collector of "stuff". I got a call the other day from a friend who said he had found something I might be interested in. I went to this guy's house to see what it was, turns out it was a 1971 Honda mini trail! I have been looking for one for years, guy said he had it ten years and didn't do a thing with it. It must have been my lucky day. I talked with this guy till it got dark too, then stuffed the bike in the back seat of my car and drove it home. Did it ever put a smile on my fathers face. Guess you never know what you might find out there hiding.

Eccentric · Apr 9, 2012

Nice score. You should have gotten the S25DA too however. That's a much better tophandle saw than the little Homelites. Go back to BFE and pick up the little Poulan.

XPLRN · Aug 21, 2012

Update #1 for anyone that might have read this last year!!

Since it's a Poulan 5200 that I acquired in this adventure I've posted the 'Update #1' in the Poulan Stickie. Here is a link to it for anyone that might have read this thread last year and found interest in my lucky find; http://www.arboristsite.com/stickies/98495-1303.htm#post3797832

XPLRN · Aug 21, 2012

Sorry about my super slow response to your responses.

jammin_with_j said:
I always like finding a good collector of "stuff". I got a call the other day from a friend who said he had found something I might be interested in. I went to this guy's house to see what it was, turns out it was a 1971 Honda mini trail! I have been looking for one for years, guy said he had it ten years and didn't do a thing with it. It must have been my lucky day. I talked with this guy till it got dark too, then stuffed the bike in the back seat of my car and drove it home. Did it ever put a smile on my fathers face. Guess you never know what you might find out there hiding.

That's a great story and a great find. Sure cool that it put a smile on your father's face........goes to show that you never know what one might find when hooking up with the "stuff" collectors!! I truly believe it has a lot to do with how the "stuff" collector perceives you........if you show up in a ratty old car(I did)......dressed down(I was) and are genuinely interested in their "stuff"(I was!!). Those guys are very very perceptive......can't show too much interest or they know the value your placing on whatever it is and they jack the price up in their mind even before a price is given.

Eccentric said:
Nice score. You should have gotten the S25DA too however. That's a much better tophandle saw than the little Homelites. Go back to BFE and pick up the little Poulan.

Yeah.........I've learned A LOT since hanging around on AS for over a year since that visit occured. The reality is he'd sold the S25DA before I got there anyways soo I had high hopes for the "gnarly old bigger Poulan" that he'd told me about on the phone . I hope to have a nice S25DA someday..........what is the best model/year of that saw or didn't it really matter!??

Eccentric · Aug 22, 2012

Doesn't really matter. Late ones had electronic ign. There's a few minor changes. The CVA models are my fave for running, but they are a tad heavier and the AV mounts are getting tough/ expensive to find......and used saws often have at least one bad mount. Basically, any XXV family saw is a damn good one.

mad murdock · Aug 22, 2012

That 5200 is nice. I have one in craftsman red and black.

XPLRN · Aug 22, 2012

Eccentric said:
Doesn't really matter. Late ones had electronic ign. There's a few minor changes. The CVA models are my fave for running, but they are a tad heavier and the AV mounts are getting tough/ expensive to find......and used saws often have at least one bad mount. Basically, any XXV family saw is a damn good one.

Thanks for the intel on the AV mounts and that CVA models are your preference. BTW what does the 'CVA' stand for and why do you prefer that model?? I'll hope to find one down the road.

mad murdock said:
That 5200 is nice. I have one in craftsman red and black.

Thanks!! What shape was your Craftsman in when you got it?? What length bar are you running on it and how does it compare to your other big saws??

Chris J. · Aug 22, 2012

XPLRN said:
Thanks for the intel on the AV mounts and that CVA models are your preference. BTW what does the 'CVA' stand for and why do you prefer that model??[/UI'll hope to find one down the road.

Thanks!! What shape was your Craftsman in when you got it?? What length bar are you running on it and how does it compare to your other big saws??

IIRC, CVA = Counter Vibe (anti-vibe mounts) Automatic (oiler). I'm building-up a small collection of 38cc Poulan/Craftsman saws, am trying to focus on the anti-vibe models.

I notice that your 5200 has the full wrap HB, those have some $$ value on their own.

XPLRN · Aug 22, 2012

Chris J. said:
IIRC, CVA = Counter Vibe (anti-vibe mounts) Automatic (oiler). I'm building-up a small collection of 38cc Poulan/Craftsman saws, am trying to focus on the anti-vibe models.

I notice that your 5200 has the full wrap HB, those have some $$ value on their own.

Thanks for the definition of the CVA. When did they start the 'Counter Vibe' model on the 38cc saws??

Yes, the 5200 has the full wrap handlebar which is cool........unfortunately it's got some tweak in it that I'll have to deal with. :msp_sad:

Eccentric · Aug 23, 2012

Mid 1970's. The non AV saws (S25DA, etc) were still produced alongside the CVA saws up into the 1980's. There was also a late production Poulan Pro S25 AV which has a different AV setup than the S25-CVA saws. It also had a few other minor changes, such as a bar stud/nut setup rather than a socket head screw.

XPLRN · Aug 24, 2012

Eccentric said:
Mid 1970's. The non AV saws (S25DA, etc) were still produced alongside the CVA saws up into the 1980's. There was also a late production Poulan Pro S25 AV which has a different AV setup than the S25-CVA saws. It also had a few other minor changes, such as a bar stud/nut setup rather than a socket head screw.

Eccentric said:
Well then happy to be of service guys.................and thank you for saving me from buying the dang things myself. I fought off temptation for DAYS....:cool2:

Damn straight. A Micro series saw shares NOTHING in common with the XXV series, other than the MFG name, spark plug, bar mount pattern, and sometimes the displacement and/or parts of the model designation (Micro XXV Counter-Vibe for example). Micros are good saws...................but XXV's are GREAT saws. I've already done a buncha work with mine, and more will be done in the future...

The decal on this flywheel cover can cofuse people:

POULAN MICRO XXV COUNTER VIBE STARTER | eBay

...into thinking that the Micros are in the same family as the saws that wear this flywheel cover:

Poulan Super XXV Counter Vibe Starter Housing / Recoil | eBay

Thanks, Eccentric, for sharing your knowledge on the XXV's in the two quotes above. I now have a much better understanding of the differences between the two of them!! I might just have to call that desert dweller back and see if he found any other interesting treasures in all the small out buildings he had "stuff" rat-holed away in!!

A fun CAD desert packrat adventure!!

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A fun CAD desert packrat adventure!!

Help Support Arborist Forum:

Dad ^^^^ wouldn't understand the CAD!!! :-)

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Mister Wizard

Dad ^^^^ wouldn't understand the CAD!!! :-)

Dad ^^^^ wouldn't understand the CAD!!! :-)

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Dad ^^^^ wouldn't understand the CAD!!! :-)

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Dad ^^^^ wouldn't understand the CAD!!! :-)

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