Nik's Poulan Thread

[Duke Thieroff]

LOL, Your right, probably could make a commercial.
I couldn't make a comparison like that though. All my wood is cut with Poulans.

I just hope I don't have to go get the generator out tonight. Wind is really howling tonight. Back in Dec. 2006 we lost power for a week in ice storm.
Year later Bought a 11,000 watt generator. Have only used it a few times since, in summer..

Gregg,

We are getting the wind now a little ways east of you. I've lived here almost 3 years and have experienced 14 days without power.

After the big snow last year I was convinced on getting a wood stove. I was unable to make it home from work that night and my wife and daughter froze all night because our only options were oil and electric. The power ws out 5 days, and once it came on I came home to a house full of water because the pipes froze.


Getting your utilities from a grid has it's advantages but self suffciency is key in emergency situations, for sure.


Chris

 

[briantutt]

Ohhhh.....I'm getting it now. Firewood cut with a Poulan has more BTUs. I can see the commercial.

If any of the Poulans oil like my Husky 65 it may be true! About a pint of bar oil per cut should up the BTUs :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Tony's Equip]

Thanks for the welcome!

Hey, a new Poulan guy drops by, WELCOME!

Glad to hear you have some Poulan experiance to share with us. Keep it up!

Hello,

I apreciate the welcome,
I was a
Poulan dealer starting in 1978, became a MSD, sold some lawn & garden stuff too but they cut the head off my sales when they killed my Pro saws! most of my customers were professionals...
I was very upset...

I spent decades getting the pro's to switch to Poulans and what do they do to me?

I actually think I may have a new 525 and 455 sitting around, maybe even a 475!

I was unwilling to switch to Huskey's and start over so now only do this part time...

Lots of parts on the shelves for 80's and 90's vintage poulans, though some never got reordered.

Glad to help if I can.

really miss the 3400 series, my favorite overall saw, sold hundreds of them never junked one!

and of course the xxv Powersharp! them baby's kicked a$$ (just didn't cut wood)

Tony.

 

[briantutt]

really miss the 3400 series, my favorite overall saw, sold hundreds of them never junked one!

Someday I will find me a 3400 or 3700 around here...great saws by all accounts.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Hello,

I apreciate the welcome,
I was a
Poulan dealer starting in 1978, became a MSD, sold some lawn & garden stuff too but they cut the head off my sales when they killed my Pro saws! most of my customers were professionals...
I was very upset...

I spent decades getting the pro's to switch to Poulans and what do they do to me?

I actually think I may have a new 525 and 455 sitting around, maybe even a 475!

I was unwilling to switch to Huskey's and start over so now only do this part time...

Lots of parts on the shelves for 80's and 90's vintage poulans, though some never got reordered.

Glad to help if I can.

really miss the 3400 series, my favorite overall saw, sold hundreds of them never junked one!

and of course the xxv Powersharp! them baby's kicked a$$ (just didn't cut wood)

Tony.

Like I said, were glad to have you here, I'm sure your expericance will be much appreciated here. Hope you drop by now and then to share that experiance with us.

I worked at a Poulan dealer myself, way, way back in time. from about 78-82. We were mostly a Allis Chalmers dealership and the owner just picked up the Poulan line when AC quit selling saws. I was the mechanic/partsman etc.

Mostly farming area around here, none really what you would call pros.

I can believe you being upset back then, but you can really thank Eletrolux for all that BS.

At least Poulan was still worth buying and not just roadkill to die off like a couple of the others back then.

 

[Tony's Equip]

Electrolux

Like I said, were glad to have you here, I'm sure your expericance will be much appreciated here. Hope you drop by now and then to share that experiance with us.

I worked at a Poulan dealer myself, way, way back in time. from about 78-82. We were mostly a Allis Chalmers dealership and the owner just picked up the Poulan line when AC quit selling saws. I was the mechanic/partsman etc.

Mostly farming area around here, none really what you would call pros.

I can believe you being upset back then, but you can really thank Eletrolux for all that BS.
At least Poulan was still worth buying and not just roadkill to die off like a couple of the others back then.

Yup, was a bad deal....

I sold to tree services, loggers prob 70% of my business, mostly big saws, 24" and up! still have lots of big bars on hand, 32" 36" etc... I ran a 36 on my 8500.

We were warned in the early 90's that saw sales were slow, and ANY one of the major manufacturers had the capacity to fill all sales combined...

was sad to see the worlds largest producer of handheld lawn and garden products tore up...

Still a good product to be sure compared to some as you said!

funny thing was the poulan branded saws were built better then the husky rebadged versions that sold for more $

it is what it is... big business looking for profits.

wish I could go back to those days! working 3 jobs now getting few hrs to pay bills, made more in a week then I do in a month now!

:curse:

Gotta get better!

 

[Modifiedmark]

Yup, was a bad deal....

I sold to tree services, loggers prob 70% of my business, mostly big saws, 24" and up! still have lots of big bars on hand, 32" 36" etc... I ran a 36 on my 8500.

We were warned in the early 90's that saw sales were slow, and ANY one of the major manufacturers had the capacity to fill all sales combined...

was sad to see the worlds largest producer of handheld lawn and garden products tore up...

Still a good product to be sure compared to some as you said!

funny thing was the poulan branded saws were built better then the husky rebadged versions that sold for more $

it is what it is... big business looking for profits.

wish I could go back to those days! working 3 jobs now getting few hrs to pay bills, made more in a week then I do in a month now!

:curse:

Gotta get better!

Did you see the pictures of the 2 5200's that I just restored?

A NOS Poulan branded bar for one of the would be awsome!

I have been running a 32" on one of my older 5200's and it don't hardly even know its there. It pulls it with ease. I'm sure a 36" would be no problem on it at all.

Like I said, by 82 I was out of the business so I don't remember alot of what went on during the Elux takeover, and I find myself studing what I can find about that time frame.

Not only about the Poulan takeover, but it was devastating on Partner as well Pioneer.

 

[Tony's Equip]

Did you see the pictures of the 2 5200's that I just restored?

A NOS Poulan branded bar for one of the would be awsome!

I have been running a 32" on one of my older 5200's and it don't hardly even know its there. It pulls it with ease. I'm sure a 36" would be no problem on it at all.

Like I said, by 82 I was out of the business so I don't remember alot of what went on during the Elux takeover, and I find myself studing what I can find about that time frame.

Not only about the Poulan takeover, but it was devastating on Partner as well Pioneer.

Will see what I have, might only have poulan pro branded on hand though...

didn't see your pics of the 5200's, i'm on dialup and its pretty slow to load pics, prob. skipped them!

 

[Modifiedmark]

Well here is one of them.

I made my own set of double dogs for this one.

 

[kev1n]

Welcome to the site Tony, it's great to have you here!

Mark, that 5200 looks perfect. You did a great job matching the paint.
Kevin

 

[Modifiedmark]

Welcome to the site Tony, it's great to have you here!

Mark, that 5200 looks perfect. You did a great job matching the paint.
Kevin

Thanks, but my old buddy Mopar Mike is the one that came up with that color!

Its a old Mopar Sublime green and I think its very, very close!

 

[stubnail67]

oiler driving me nuts!!!

ok i am going crazy i have a craftsman 25da 2.1 it has an auto oiler on it the saw runs perfect done alot of work to it... the oiler keeps leaking???? i made a gasket no luck still squirts all over the housing from the bottom of the pump! found a good used one coated both sides with permatex 1 let it sit 24 hours same thing????? now i see in the ipl the o ring no 64? i think that goes around the oil pick up tube and inserts in the case could this be flat? is there another oring that goes to the back of the pump housing??? im getting ready to order a few new gaskets from bailys im going to try it one more time then its going to be a parts resource!!! to bad i rebuilt the carb ran new fuel lines' replaced the points 'the coil re did the gasket on the fuel tank cant get this thing to seal to save my life?is the oring supposed to make the pick up push tight i swear it looks like you could put another o ring to the back of the oil pump housing!!! maybe one of you guys can tell me what im doing wrong?

 

[Modifiedmark]

ok i am going crazy i have a craftsman 25da 2.1 it has an auto oiler on it the saw runs perfect done alot of work to it... the oiler keeps leaking???? i made a gasket no luck still squirts all over the housing from the bottom of the pump! found a good used one coated both sides with permatex 1 let it sit 24 hours same thing????? now i see in the ipl the o ring no 64? i think that goes around the oil pick up tube and inserts in the case could this be flat? is there another oring that goes to the back of the pump housing??? im getting ready to order a few new gaskets from bailys im going to try it one more time then its going to be a parts resource!!! to bad i rebuilt the carb ran new fuel lines' replaced the points 'the coil re did the gasket on the fuel tank cant get this thing to seal to save my life?is the oring supposed to make the pick up push tight i swear it looks like you could put another o ring to the back of the oil pump housing!!! maybe one of you guys can tell me what im doing wrong?

Most did not have a oring on the back of the pump, but some did.

I don't know what yours needs without seeing it.

 

[stubnail67]

thanks mark!

ok here is the pic of the one that was on it i have replaced it with one identical to this! see the lil indent on the back should an o ring go in there? or could it be the o ring on the oil line is flattend out which i think it was?

 

[Modifiedmark]

ok here is the pic of the one that was on it i have replaced it with one identical to this! see the lil indent on the back should an o ring go in there? or could it be the o ring on the oil line is flattend out which i think it was?

I'll have to look, I don't remember for sure. I thought the ones with the oring had the indent on the case and the oring went under the check valve and line.

The checkvalve should sit flush on the gasket if I remember right. Maybe the hole in your gasket is too big?

Like I said, I forget little stuff like this, I'll look at one in the shop later to jog that memory.

 

[stubnail67]

cool

I'll have to look, I don't remember for sure. I thought the ones with the oring had the indent on the case and the oring went under the check valve and line.

The checkvalve should sit flush on the gasket if I remember right. Maybe the hole in your gasket is too big?

Like I said, I forget little stuff like this, I'll look at one in the shop later to jog that memory.

cool this factory gasket has a bigger hole... but i did put gasket maker on both sides of the gasket... im sure that will be fun to clean off.....the gasket i put on there the first time i made had small holes and it should have mated up... i may try an oring in it from my oring kit... and see if that works that and a new one on the oil line ...heck ive had it apart so much its like takin off my hat LOL!!! thanks for the help! i wish joe 25da was on he is always tearing them apart!!!!

 

[Nardoo]

Hi Tony! I bought a new 3400 in 1982 and just loved that saw. I bought it from the friend of a friend who had the dealership in Myrtleford (Australia) - a real logging town. He sold to a lot of the pros and was a great fellow.

He lent me a 4200 to use when he was doing an oil pump repair on my 3400 and I really wanted that saw, but just did not have the cash in those days. I recently picked up a 375 which has given me a thrill of nostalgia. And now my sister's partner has promised to hand on his 3400 to me that he bought back then too.

Another friend bought a 3400 at the same time and he still has it though uses it rarely. I see it stting in his workshop when I visit him and it always gives me a kick.

I have used Stihls for so many years that I kind of forgot about the Poulans till recently. There are still a few around but are often beat up bad. Guess I will have to see if I can find some.

Mark is the resident expert and a veritable mountain of information. Lots of other really knowledgeable gents here too.

Will be great to have you for reference! Welcome.

Al.

 

[lunger]

Should I consider buying a new Poulan?:nailbiting:

 

[WillBrayJr]

Should I consider buying a new Poulan?:nailbiting:

If your wish is to be frustrated then yes.

 

[rms61moparman]

Should I consider buying a new Poulan?:nailbiting:

That depends on what you want a saw for!
If you are looking for an inexpensive homeowner saw for occasional use you could do a lot worse and pay a lot more for the privilege.
I modded a Poulan 4218 last year and have been VERY impressed with it.


Mike