Buy a Poulan?

[RED-85-Z51]

What is a Black Hawk chainsaw?
A Poulan ...?

<img src="http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/Assortments/PrimaryAssortments/Tools/CarpentryTools/CuttingWoodworking/0995404_450_CC_48929.jpg">

http://gateway.canadiantire.ca/driver.php?fileid=1408474396669608_1408474396670271_845524443283058_

Its made BY poulan, but it is the cheapest, lowest tier saw made.

It would probably run okay out of the box...but as I recall, they have aluminum bores and pistons, and dont last long. My cousins brother in law bought one, and we fought with it for an hour, and it never ran right. No matter what we did, it ran lean. I checked for leaks..found none, adjusted the carb all the way rich..but it still ran lean. So we ran it for what we needed to do..cooked the engine, he took it back and got another saw. I think he said he got it at Home Depot...but its been a couple years.

It is kind of like the Briggs OHV engines right now..

You have a 5.5hp Power Built, which is dirt cheap, Aluminum bore and piston, lasts a while.
then you have a 5.5 Intek- Aluminum Bore and piston, but built a little beefier, last a little longer
Finally you have a 5.5 Intek Pro, it has a Cast Iron Sleeve, and lasts a long time.

Prices go from say...189 to 300.

Same with the saws, if you want the cheapest possible saw, the black hawk is for you, might last a season of light light use..might last longer, not likely.

You can get a Poulan, which CAN last alot longer, and maintain power for longer.

Or you can get a Husky or stihl, which can last decades, but are NOT immune to flaws and failures.

 

[fubar2]

I went down the save a dime route from late sixtys till mid seventys. That was the time period my left arm increased three times the size of my right from pulling a rope. I learned a whole new vocabulary also. As i recall I went thru three el cheapos. A little Mac wound up on a stump and was used for target practice till I got my revenge on it. Then a guy sold me a used ugly looked wore out 031 Stihl. He did me one of the biggest favores of my life. That beat looking 031 heated my house for twenty two yrs. If you deceide to take the save a dime route come back in a yr or so and tell us how it worked out for ya. Im not giving you advice Im just telling how it worked out for me.

 

[samarsenault]

Just wanted to let you know how thinks went today....

Went and talked to a few friends who work at Canadian tire. They said you'ld be amazed at how many of their saws get returned the first week. I also talked to a guy in the check out line who was buying a new chains for his small green poulan and he said it works great for casual homeowner use.

I then took my Husky 444 "carcus" to a local shop and they convinced me it may be salvagable. So as of right now the plan is to attempt to rebuilt the Husky's top end if that can be done for the small amount of money I have. I've torn it down to the stage of removing the piston and am now waiting for 2 parts. I will be switching to a new thread called Husky 444 top end now. Please come there if you can offer me advice on rebuilding my first engine.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Good luck on the rebuild...

But yeah, for a chord or 2 a year, a nice poulan will do fine, if it breaks, parts are dirt cheap compared to a husky or Stihl.

Nothing wrong with the larger Poulan PRo models, just a little wieghty to me. Still lighter than a stihl..:greenchainsaw:

 

[GASoline71]

A guy I used to cut firewood with back in the late 80's had a 2800 Forester just like that one. I must say it was a pretty mechanically sound saw. Once I convinced him to ditch the safety chain, it cut very well. Same dude also had an old 3300 or 3400 Countervibe with a 20" bar. That was a pretty cool saw too.

...now as for the Poulans of today... I don't think I would even consider one. Especially after fixin' a few of them for friends.:bang:

Gary

As long as the piston is clean, a used one should be fine for that husky.

What about a late model used saw. 180 clams could get you something pretty decent. You could even get one from me, I'd give you a pretty good trade in on that 444 too.

If you buy a poulan buy one that has the body similar to this:

Some of the poulan pro models still produced are based on the 2800, a rock solid performer, if a little dated (these saws were first released in the early '80s).

The poulan you're looking at from canadian tire, my run a good while if properly maintained, but exepect a mechanical problem of some kind or another about every 2 cords. Especially oilers, I'd buy 3 to keep as spares if I got that saw.

 

[Diesel JD]

I remember back in the late 90s and around 2000, Baileys was selling a 3.7 CID Poulan Pro, does anyone have experience with that? I am not in the market just wondering how they have been if anyone knows. They looked like good saws adn I was sorely tempted at that time, when I had nothing in that CID range,
J.D.

 

[scottr]

Poulan Pro 380

I remember back in the late 90s and around 2000, Baileys was selling a 3.7 CID Poulan Pro, does anyone have experience with that? I am not in the market just wondering how they have been if anyone knows. They looked like good saws adn I was sorely tempted at that time, when I had nothing in that CID range,
J.D.

J.D. , I remember it well . It was a 60 cc , 3.8 cu in saw that was to compete with the 036 . I've seen a few on ebay and talked to a guy on the other forum that runs one . It went on sale for $329 .

 

[Cut4fun]

I had mentioned that i might get rid of the PP 220 and PP 305 earlier in this thread. The PP 220 has a new home now, so scratch that 220 off the list. It was a great saw and never missed a beat. Even smoked a few little stihls along the way that cost alot more, I ran them little stihls and IMO they were dogs.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

 

[Diesel JD]

Yes sir, Scott and Red, that's the one. Don't know if it would really comete with the 036/360/361 and Husky's similar saws, but I bet it would cut at least as well as my 390. I've been pretty impressed with Poulan's pro saws, the green ones back from the 80s and the ones that are Yellow today. I doubt I'd have a woodshark or a wild thing. They would probably work okay if like some of the responders you knew what you were doing and you didn't make them work too hard, but I bet they would puke exposed to some of my big firewood projects!

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Yes sir, Scott and Red, that's the one. Don't know if it would really comete with the 036/360/361 and Husky's similar saws, but I bet it would cut at least as well as my 390. I've been pretty impressed with Poulan's pro saws, the green ones back from the 80s and the ones that are Yellow today. I doubt I'd have a woodshark or a wild thing. They would probably work okay if like some of the responders you knew what you were doing and you didn't make them work too hard, but I bet they would puke exposed to some of my big firewood projects!

I bet My 306A would give it the devil... But we'd both be deaf due to the lack of muffler..:censored:

Here is a 306A