Nik's Poulan Thread

[Modifiedmark]

Totally agree. I have an 036, and a Makita 6400 and many Poulans. The 036 and 6400 are about the same size, newer and higher revving than the Poulans. I'd imagine using a 20 in. bar they would be faster but if you get into longer bars not sure that would be true.

Up to 16-18" wood the 036 would stay with the 4200. After that it's game over.

 

[redunshee]

Well I dunno..... it just pops into my head. If I don't ask the people who might know how will I ever learn anything. I am not going to live long enough to figure this stuff out on my own. My rather limited experience with both saws was that they seemed to cut about the same...69cc old school vrs 60cc newer design....18% bigger engine making up for the more efficient design.

I have never cut firewood with a saw newer than my 4200. I am just trying to figure out if I should, or just stick with what works for me.

I don't know. For years I cut with my 3400. Great saw. Now in really big wood up in Vermont, I use my 441 or 288XP. However when bucking or limbing I go to my trusty 3400 or 4000. Kinda heavy but I'm used to them. Newer saws are lighter and faster but I don't cut for a living so a second or two doesn't mean much to me.

 

[redunshee]

Up to 16-18" wood the 036 would stay with the 4200. After that it's game over.

Interesting Mark. I would have guessed that in smaller wood the 036 would be faster and lose in the bigger wood. I'll have to do a test and see as I have both. Naturally chains would have an effect on outcome.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Interesting Mark. I would have guessed that in smaller wood the 036 would be faster and lose in the bigger wood. I'll have to do a test and see as I have both. Naturally chains would have an effect on outcome.

Thats what I was meaning, it would be game over for the 036 in the bigger wood. The 4200 would pull away by quite a bit.

 

[rms61moparman]

I have a 4200 that I would put up against any reasonably stock 036.
The 036 has a little faster chainspeed...............until it hits the wood.
I have raced every 65cc saw I have been able to find with my 6400 Dolmar and none have even been close, but I wouldn't race it against my 4200, or ANY good running 4200 for that matter!

When I was introducing Andyshine77 and Fatguy to the 4200s, we tached it out of the wood and it seems like it was 10,700. We tached the same saw cutting a 14" ash limb and it was within 200 rpms of the "out of the wood' speed!!

The 036 has only two advantages over the 4200 that I can see;

1) Weight - this is just something we are gonna have to live with, but you might be surprised how close they are.
2) Parts availability- Give them another 10 years and this will be getting a lot closer to being a non-issue.

I am going to put an 8 pin on my fast 4200 for the upcoming GTG season and see how many eyes I can bug out!
I may get surprised...............but then again, I may not be the surprised one!!!LOL


Mike

 

[redunshee]

I have a 4200 that I would put up against any reasonably stock 036.
The 036 has a little faster chainspeed...............until it hits the wood.
I have raced every 65cc saw I have been able to find with my 6400 Dolmar and none have even been close, but I wouldn't race it against my 4200, or ANY good running 4200 for that matter!

When I was introducing Andyshine77 and Fatguy to the 4200s, we tached it out of the wood and it seems like it was 10,700. We tached the same saw cutting a 14" ash limb and it was within 200 rpms of the "out of the wood' speed!!

The 036 has only two advantages over the 4200 that I can see;

1) Weight - this is just something we are gonna have to live with, but you might be surprised how close they are.
2) Parts availability- Give them another 10 years and this will be getting a lot closer to being a non-issue.

I am going to put an 8 pin on my fast 4200 for the upcoming GTG season and see how many eyes I can bug out!
I may get surprised...............but then again, I may not be the surprised one!!!LOL


Mike

Alright Mike! I agree with your Dolmar 6400 exp. as my Makita 6400 HD special really rips. Hope my 4200 performs like yours!
Bob

 

[redunshee]

Poulan 3800

Is the 3800 similar to the 3700? Does it have thick rings as opposed to the normal 3700 thin rings? Did a parts # search but didn't come up with compatible saws.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Is the 3800 similar to the 3700? Does it have thick rings as opposed to the normal 3700 thin rings? Did a parts # search but didn't come up with compatible saws.

The 3800 is like the 3400 in that it has the thick rings and a chrome piston/unplated bore. It has the same bore dia of the 3700.

 

[OhioGregg]

The 3800 is like the 3400 in that it has the thick rings and a chrome piston/unplated bore. It has the same bore dia of the 3700.

Is it correct, that the (red)Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the Poulan 3700, and that the (grey & black) Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the 3800?
I know its possible to find a contradiction to most any of the Poulan saws that were produced for others, etc. but as a general rule.

Gregg,

 

[redunshee]

Is it correct, that the (red)Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the Poulan 3700, and that the (grey & black) Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the 3800?
I know its possible to find a contradiction to most any of the Poulan saws that were produced for others, etc. but as a general rule.

Gregg,

Gregg, if memory serves me right I had a Poulan 3700 with thick rings and had to order the thick rings from a Craftsman in order to fit. I think it was the gray and black Craftsman, but I'm not sure. I believe Mark directed me to the right Craftsman model #.
Bob

 

[67 Mustang]

Is it correct, that the (red)Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the Poulan 3700, and that the (grey & black) Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the 3800?
I know its possible to find a contradiction to most any of the Poulan saws that were produced for others, etc. but as a general rule.

Gregg,

:agree2: I think that's the general rule, Gregg. At least mine seem to follow that line of thinking, but like Bob says, could be an exception. Then again when you buy a used saw it's hard to say what the previous owner(s) have done to it.

Lot's going on here in the last 3 or 4 pages. A couple of footnotes on some of the questions that arose. The 7700 & 8500 are the same basic saw except for the top end just like the 3400 and 3700. One noted difference in moving parts between the 5200 and 8500 is the piston part #. The jugs are the same. Can't remember about the crank. I think it and the push rod are the same. That leaves the deck height as a factor to keep one from using a 5200 piston in the 8500 I suppose. I have an 8500 project and the piston looks pretty toasty. That's why I've considered these possibilities.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Is it correct, that the (red)Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the Poulan 3700, and that the (grey & black) Craftsman 3.7 was the same as the 3800?
I know its possible to find a contradiction to most any of the Poulan saws that were produced for others, etc. but as a general rule.

Gregg,

Greg, I thought the same as you and still believe that most red 3.7 Craftsmans saws were 3700's BUT I have seen at least one red 3.7 that was indeed a plain bore thick ring 3800.

I do believe till proved different that all the grey 3.7's were 3800's/

Gregg, if memory serves me right I had a Poulan 3700 with thick rings and had to order the thick rings from a Craftsman in order to fit. I think it was the gray and black Craftsman, but I'm not sure. I believe Mark directed me to the right Craftsman model #.
Bob

Bob, if I remember right you used a 3800 part # for those rings.

 

[Modifiedmark]

:agree2: I think that's the general rule, Gregg. At least mine seem to follow that line of thinking, but like Bob says, could be an exception. Then again when you buy a used saw it's hard to say what the previous owner(s) have done to it.

Lot's going on here in the last 3 or 4 pages. A couple of footnotes on some of the questions that arose. The 7700 & 8500 are the same basic saw except for the top end just like the 3400 and 3700. One noted difference in moving parts between the 5200 and 8500 is the piston part #. The jugs are the same. Can't remember about the crank. I think it and the push rod are the same. That leaves the deck height as a factor to keep one from using a 5200 piston in the 8500 I suppose. I have an 8500 project and the piston looks pretty toasty. That's why I've considered these possibilities.

Keep us posted to all that if you can. Nothing like real world info.

I just missed a 8500 by a couple days.... :censored:

 

[redunshee]

Poulan 245A

Got saw running. Put on a 16 in. bar I had and you can hear the rpm's dig in once it hits the wood. Don't know if this is a function of the governor. However one quirky item is that it won't return to idle quickly after you release the throttle. Takes about 10-15 secs. Has a new metering needle and lever and throttle linkeage doesn't stick. Anyone ever run into this situation?
Bob

 

[Modifiedmark]

Got saw running. Put on a 16 in. bar I had and you can hear the rpm's dig in once it hits the wood. Don't know if this is a function of the governor. However one quirky item is that it won't return to idle quickly after you release the throttle. Takes about 10-15 secs. Has a new metering needle and lever and throttle linkeage doesn't stick. Anyone ever run into this situation?
Bob

Bob, yes that governor does what you describe. It blubbers out of the wood as it opens and sends extra fuel to the saw. Once you hit the wood the rpms drop and the governor stays closed.

Thats why that saw has to have the H needle set in the cut.

From my experiance with those saws when everything is right is the L and H needle need set 1 turn out.

Seems the L sometimes needs about a 1/8 turn in from that, but the H should be really close to 1 out.

Sounds like the carb is set lean if it takes time to come back to idle. Either that or a air leak. Check the carb and reed adapter gaskets. Dribble some carb cleaner on them when running to check for a leak there.

 

[redunshee]

Bob, yes that governor does what you describe. It blubbers out of the wood as it opens and sends extra fuel to the saw. Once you hit the wood the rpms drop and the governor stays closed.

Thats why that saw has to have the H needle set in the cut.

From my experiance with those saws when everything is right is the L and H needle need set 1 turn out.

Seems the L sometimes needs about a 1/8 turn in from that, but the H should be really close to 1 out.

Sounds like the carb is set lean if it takes time to come back to idle. Either that or a air leak. Check the carb and reed adapter gaskets. Dribble some carb cleaner on them when running to check for a leak there.

Think there's an air leak as in tuning the L needle, I noticed that the saw speeds up as I turn it in. I assume you can tune the Lo speed in the conventional way i.e. midway between the two settings where saw starts to bog.

 

[8433jeff]

Think there's an air leak as in tuning the L needle, I noticed that the saw speeds up as I turn it in. I assume you can tune the Lo speed in the conventional way i.e. midway between the two settings where saw starts to bog.

Thats exactly what its supposed to do. Set the low speed needle where it accelerates well from idle. Hesitation usually means its too lean, excessive smoke too rich. Find an air leak as described before, wd-40 or carb cleaner around the gaskets and seals if you can get it there, otherwise vacuum and pressure test the case.

 

[redunshee]

Thats exactly what its supposed to do. Set the low speed needle where it accelerates well from idle. Hesitation usually means its too lean, excessive smoke too rich. Find an air leak as described before, wd-40 or carb cleaner around the gaskets and seals if you can get it there, otherwise vacuum and pressure test the case.

Generally the speed will increase as you lean out the needle. To a point, at which it will bog down. Same thing going richer. Midway bewteen these two extremes is generally spot-on. I asked because of the governor and wondered if it had an effect on this adjustment. From Mark's thoughts I guess not. I'll run saw and spray some carb clean around the carb and reed valve assembly. If saw speeds up I have a leak. If not, you are correct I may need to do a vacuum and pressure test for seal leakage or cylinder leakage. Lets hope seals are okay as I'm not sure they are available.
Bob

 

[67 Mustang]

Lets hope seals are okay as I'm not sure they are available.
Bob

Aftermarket seals are readily available, Bob. If you need the numbers, just mention in here and several of us can put them up.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Generally the speed will increase as you lean out the needle. To a point, at which it will bog down. Same thing going richer. Midway bewteen these two extremes is generally spot-on. I asked because of the governor and wondered if it had an effect on this adjustment. From Mark's thoughts I guess not. I'll run saw and spray some carb clean around the carb and reed valve assembly. If saw speeds up I have a leak. If not, you are correct I may need to do a vacuum and pressure test for seal leakage or cylinder leakage. Lets hope seals are okay as I'm not sure they are available.
Bob

Bob, the carb cleaner will kill the saw at a leak, not make it speed up.

Aftermarket seals are readily available, Bob. If you need the numbers, just mention in here and several of us can put them up.

Steve, were talking a 245, I have not found a aftermarket seal for the smaller of the two. Please list it if you have it.