Are There Such Things As Poulan Dealers?

[Allan.K]

Stick with Stihl you won't go wrong...I do like Husky's too but they weight in same as a MS260 maybe a few oz's less...I would go with the MS170 or MS180... Being that you have a stihl already stay with them as long as your dealer is good..
Box stores stay away from no service or parts...

 

[timberwolf]

Trees here sound much the same size, but I find that anything over 12 inches and I put the 260 down and pick the 066 up. Your a lot biger guy than I.

If I had a 180 to go with my 260 (9.3 lb vs 10.5 lb) I just could not see using it enough to justify having it, I would wait a bit if cash dictated and get an 044/440 or at least a 361 or even a 039/390 if not cutting a whole lot.

But like other said the 180 cuts nice if a smaller saw is what you are set on.

 

[pyromaniac guy]

Trees here sound much the same size, but I find that anything over 12 inches and I put the 260 down and pick the 066 up. Your a lot biger guy than I.

If I had a 180 to go with my 260 (9.3 lb vs 10.5 lb) I just could not see using it enough to justify having it, I would wait a bit if cash dictated and get an 044/440 or at least a 361 or even a 039/390 if not cutting a whole lot.

But like other said the 180 cuts nice if a smaller saw is what you are set on.

the reason i was looking at the 170 is because it is over 2lbs lighter than the 260. aren't 044/440 and 039/390 bigger and heavier than my 260? i definitely want to go smaller...

 

[Chris J.]

Some folks might prefer to set down the bigger saw, and fire up a smaller saw to finish up without swapping out the bar & chain. Of course most of you guys probably can swap out a bar & chain quicker than you can scratch your bawls.

 

[clearance]

Are there any Poulan dealers?-who gives a flying ----. Kind of like are there any Homo-lite dealers, get something real.

 

[Allan.K]

Are there any Poulan dealers?-who gives a flying ----. Kind of like are there any Homo-lite dealers, get something real.

 

[begleytree]

just pick up a ms170. price is 159 before tax, and comes with a 5 year homeowner warranty. I hear a lot of stuff about the ms180, like the pain in the butt tensioner, and the dealers like 'em 'cause they can make more money on them. 180 is not different enough to warrant the extra money, imo. you're just paying more for markup and bells and whistles that you probably won't like anyway.
If you get a 170, you'll probably find that you use it more than the 260, and with a 260 running a 20" bar and chain, the 170 running a 14" probably cuts about as fast. save the 260 for the bigger stuff. BTW, get the 170 with a 3/8 low profile, pico micro 1.3mm, not the junky micro mini 1.1 bar and chain. after about 10-15 tanks of gas, you'll like it just fine. I have 2 myself.
-Ralph

 

[CITREEMAN]

Go Get Yourself A Jonhny 2141 Or 2145 Wont Be That Far Over Your Budget Wont Brake Your Back Or Vibrate The Living Sh** Out Of Ya Neither. Skwerl Is Right In My Experience On That Gas Mix Heck My Local Dearler Tells Me To Do That, As Far A Getting Any " Warranty" Work Done On A Poulan Hup Well First You Got To Find One Who Will Do It. They All Tell Me They Cant Get Paid Whats Due To Them For Doing It , Just My 2 Cents. Good Luck

 

[THALL10326]

ok, let me try to clarify myself a little here before i take more of an a$$ whuppin' from you guys:

1. the largest tree around here that i would ever cut might be 36" diameter. i don't have large trees on my property like you guys do. i am just a weekender, not a pro.
2. i run my 260 with a 20" bar on it, but could put the 16" back on.
3. do i need another saw? nope. i am 6'1" 260 lbs, not fat but not built like a brick craphouse either. i just have some extra money, and since i'm a toy junkie, wanted to look for another saw.
4. i will never run a 440 or 660 or even a 300 series for that matter.
5. i said about the fuel mix and oil because i was just parroting what all the manufactures say "use our oil and mix or your legs will rot and fall off"

sorry if you guys wasted your time in replying...

You were catching alittle slack there weren't ya. From what your describing the MS180 is about what your looking for. Since you already have one Stihl you'll be using the same gas can for both, making it simple. The MS170 and the MS180 do have a differance regardless of what your being told here. Putem side by side in a block of wood and the 180 will show it does have some more grunt and speed. As for putting larger chains on, the 63PM1-50, verses the one that comes on both of them, the 61PMN-50, the 61PMN-50 will cut faster. The 63 series holds up better because its a heavier chain but its not going to cut any faster because it drags some of the rpms away from the saw to pull it through the wood. Neither the MS170 or MS180 have alot of power so those rpms need to be kept up there for good cutting. As for warranty both have one year, not 5. I don't know of any chainsaw that carries a 5 yr warranty. So there you go , no slack, just fact.

 

[pyromaniac guy]

just pick up a ms170. price is 159 before tax, and comes with a 5 year homeowner warranty. I hear a lot of stuff about the ms180, like the pain in the butt tensioner, and the dealers like 'em 'cause they can make more money on them. 180 is not different enough to warrant the extra money, imo. you're just paying more for markup and bells and whistles that you probably won't like anyway.
If you get a 170, you'll probably find that you use it more than the 260, and with a 260 running a 20" bar and chain, the 170 running a 14" probably cuts about as fast. save the 260 for the bigger stuff. BTW, get the 170 with a 3/8 low profile, pico micro 1.3mm, not the junky micro mini 1.1 bar and chain. after about 10-15 tanks of gas, you'll like it just fine. I have 2 myself.
-Ralph

thank you for your post. this one and chrisj's kinda summed up my feelings on this. i just wanted a second opinion....

what will the different bar and chain do for me?

 

[THALL10326]

just pick up a ms170. price is 159 before tax, and comes with a 5 year homeowner warranty. I hear a lot of stuff about the ms180, like the pain in the butt tensioner, and the dealers like 'em 'cause they can make more money on them. 180 is not different enough to warrant the extra money, imo. you're just paying more for markup and bells and whistles that you probably won't like anyway.
If you get a 170, you'll probably find that you use it more than the 260, and with a 260 running a 20" bar and chain, the 170 running a 14" probably cuts about as fast. save the 260 for the bigger stuff. BTW, get the 170 with a 3/8 low profile, pico micro 1.3mm, not the junky micro mini 1.1 bar and chain. after about 10-15 tanks of gas, you'll like it just fine. I have 2 myself.
-Ralph

Ralph where you getting your info from. A MS170 with 5 year warranty, cuts as fast as a 260, what. Its the slowest cutting , cheapest saw in the line up. It won't hang with a 180 and it sure won't hang with a 260. Look at the last page on the new Stihl catalog and see if it has a 5 year warranty. Stop steering that man wrong.

 

[begleytree]

Thall, I just bought another one a few months ago. price before tax was $159. They put the warranty in my personal name verses the company name, and it has a 5 year warranty. Maybe that was a special that has expired.
the 170 is 30.1cc at 1.7hp. the 180 is 31.6cc with 1.9hp both weigh the same.
you're telling me that you can tell the difference with only a 2/10 hp difference? I doubt it.
while the 170 may not be a big named pro saw, it pulls its own weight, and is very under-rated on this site, much the same as the 260 pro and 360/361 are summarily overrated here. Somedays I feel like I could buy up a bunch of pro stickers and sell some of you guys anything.
I have run many a 026, for more hours than I care to think about. with a 16 or 18" b&c they are tolerable. wearing a 20" b&c, it's gonna be slow. My 029 super is bigger by 1/4 hp and is slow wearing a 20" unless you run skip chain.

So, sorry you don't like it, but I doubt there's much difference in cutting times on small 2-3" material between a 170 w/14" and 260 w/ 20". And I've actually run both of them.

Anyway, the man has a 260, he doesn't need you trying to sell him another one. If the 180 and 170 were the same price, I'd buy the 170, I despise the quick adjust bars. He'll be quite happy with the 170 for his intended usage. And for his intended use, the 180 would be more money for an insignificant hp gain.
As far as the chain I recommended, thats my personal preference. I hate breaking the micro mini stuff all the time. yes, it might run a bit faster, but a lot slower when it breaks.
-Ralph

 

[Lakeside53]

Saws MS170 though MS390 - 1 year warranty for personal use, 90 days commercial. Never have seen a 5 year warranty on any Stihl saw...

 

[TimberPig]

Saws MS170 though MS390 - 1 year warranty for personal use, 90 days commercial. Never have seen a 5 year warranty on any Stihl saw...

Maybe he's confusing the 5 year ignition parts warranty with a warranty on the whole saw?

 

[begleytree]

Maybe he's confusing the 5 year ignition parts warranty with a warranty on the whole saw?

possibly. the shop was full, and I care little about warranty myself. I'll call them today to find out.
-Ralph

 

[THALL10326]

Thall, I just bought another one a few months ago. price before tax was $159. They put the warranty in my personal name verses the company name, and it has a 5 year warranty. Maybe that was a special that has expired.
the 170 is 30.1cc at 1.7hp. the 180 is 31.6cc with 1.9hp both weigh the same.
you're telling me that you can tell the difference with only a 2/10 hp difference? I doubt it.
while the 170 may not be a big named pro saw, it pulls its own weight, and is very under-rated on this site, much the same as the 260 pro and 360/361 are summarily overrated here. Somedays I feel like I could buy up a bunch of pro stickers and sell some of you guys anything.
I have run many a 026, for more hours than I care to think about. with a 16 or 18" b&c they are tolerable. wearing a 20" b&c, it's gonna be slow. My 029 super is bigger by 1/4 hp and is slow wearing a 20" unless you run skip chain.

So, sorry you don't like it, but I doubt there's much difference in cutting times on small 2-3" material between a 170 w/14" and 260 w/ 20". And I've actually run both of them.

Anyway, the man has a 260, he doesn't need you trying to sell him another one. If the 180 and 170 were the same price, I'd buy the 170, I despise the quick adjust bars. He'll be quite happy with the 170 for his intended usage. And for his intended use, the 180 would be more money for an insignificant hp gain.
As far as the chain I recommended, thats my personal preference. I hate breaking the micro mini stuff all the time. yes, it might run a bit faster, but a lot slower when it breaks.
-Ralph

Ralph I'm not trying to sell the man anything at all, I'm just giving him the facts between the two saws. There is no 5 year warranty by Stihl, though your dealer may have given you one of theirs and if so you got a good dealer looking out for ya. They didn't give you a 5 year Stihl warranty because there is no such thing. As for the cutting I told him neither one of those saws are very powerfull, thats truth and nothing more. The 180 has a little more grunt to it beleive or not. Use em both in the same tree and you will see that you can tell the differance. For limbing real small stuff you are 100%correct, you'd never tell the differance. Wack off some 10-12inch round limbs and then it becomes very apparent the 180 is the faster and more powerfull of the two just like it says in its specs. If that man walked in my showroom I wouldn't try to sell him either one. He'd be going out the door with a back handle MS200, the ultimate lightweight powerhouse for what he is wanting to do. Squeezing them pennies out of his pocket may be a challenge but thats what good salemanship is all about. Would he hate me if I sent him home with a back handle MS200, having spent all that money. No way. He'd use it one time and be happeir than a ole sow in mud. He stated his needs and I would sell him what I know would make him happy. Ralph good thing you didn't step up to my rack, you'd have a back handle MS200 too,haha, just messing with ya.

 

[pyromaniac guy]

Ralph I'm not trying to sell the man anything at all, I'm just giving him the facts between the two saws. There is no 5 year warranty by Stihl, though your dealer may have given you one of theirs and if so you got a good dealer looking out for ya. They didn't give you a 5 year Stihl warranty because there is no such thing. As for the cutting I told him neither one of those saws are very powerfull, thats truth and nothing more. The 180 has a little more grunt to it beleive or not. Use em both in the same tree and you will see that you can tell the differance. For limbing real small stuff you are 100%correct, you'd never tell the differance. Wack off some 10-12inch round limbs and then it becomes very apparent the 180 is the faster and more powerfull of the two just like it says in its specs. If that man walked in my showroom I wouldn't try to sell him either one. He'd be going out the door with a back handle MS200, the ultimate lightweight powerhouse for what he is wanting to do. Squeezing them pennies out of his pocket may be a challenge but thats what good salemanship is all about. Would he hate me if I sent him home with a back handle MS200, having spent all that money. No way. He'd use it one time and be happeir than a ole sow in mud. He stated his needs and I would sell him what I know would make him happy. Ralph good thing you didn't step up to my rack, you'd have a back handle MS200 too,haha, just messing with ya.

it's not really a money issue, i just think i'd be happier with a 170. i have run tophandles and i am not particularly fond of them. the max diameter i would be cutting with the 170 would be 4-6", so i think bumping up to a 180 would be a waste....

 

[THALL10326]

it's not really a money issue, i just think i'd be happier with a 170. i have run tophandles and i am not particularly fond of them. the max diameter i would be cutting with the 170 would be 4-6", so i think bumping up to a 180 would be a waste....

Well thats cool. If ya got ya mind set on a 170 then so be it. As for the back handle 200 its not a top handle. They took the 200T and put a back handle on it and for super lightweight handling and the thing is awesome. Fun to use is a understatement. If all your gonna do is wack off 4-6 inch limbs the 170 will fill that purpose just fine. Not trying to sell ya anything but should ya ride by come on in.................

 

[pyromaniac guy]

Well thats cool. If ya got ya mind set on a 170 then so be it. As for the back handle 200 its not a top handle. They took the 200T and put a back handle on it and for super lightweight handling and the thing is awesome. Fun to use is a understatement. If all your gonna do is wack off 4-6 inch limbs the 170 will fill that purpose just fine. Not trying to sell ya anything but should ya ride by come on in.................

you actually sound like the salesman at my local stihl dealer. actually, it's the third farthest from my house, but i got the best service from him. he spent quite a while with me when i bought my 260.

i might have to check out that 200 if it ain't a top handle...

 

[THALL10326]

you actually sound like the salesman at my local stihl dealer. actually, it's the third farthest from my house, but i got the best service from him. he spent quite a while with me when i bought my 260.

i might have to check out that 200 if it ain't a top handle...

Well you could buy almost 4 of those 170's for the price of the back handle 200. Would you be mad afterwards, no way. Do you need it, most likely not. You would however use it one time and never look back. You may come home and tell your wife what you paid and get your butt smacked but when you go out and use that thing you'd be nothing but smiles. I can steer you in the right direction based on what you said your needs were but I can't make you buy what you don't want or don't want to pay. Those are your decisions to make. I'm jsut pointing out based on what you said concerning weight and easy handling. The 200 is king of the hill in those areas. The 170's and 180's will fill the bill but driving a Porche is alot more fun than piddling with a Pinto. As for your dealer spending some time with you he should, your his paycheck...