Nik's Poulan Thread

[a. palmer jr.]

I bet I can guess why it was at the shop, and for sale. A customer brought it in cause he couldn't get it started, been sittin for some time. "fuel lines & carb most likely". The shop owner takes a look at it, and says... "An old Poulan...don't think ya can get parts for them anymore, you'd be better off just buyin a new saw" Then there it sat, till somebody with at least half a brain comes along and saves it. LOL Not saying you have just half a brain!.Just a generalized statement.


Gregg,

My wife uses that "half a brain" statement quite often..

 

[Applehead]

Here's a pic of my "new" saw.

Clean looker.
Did you pay more than $35. ?:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[jerrycmorrow]

i been haggling over a 3400 for a while now. we're still $5 apart. is that ridiculous? hahaha, yeah i know it is but since i don't need the saw i'm still haggling. plus never started it.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Any one have specs for the Fairbanks style starters?
Particularly the recoil springs!
How do you measure or what are the sizes.

For the project below.
Super 72
(the recoil is actually in good shape under all the AGE and debris!)

Matt, I bought a bunch of Poulan recoil springs awhile back and in that bunch are some that I believe to be FM springs. I'll try to photo one after bit.

 

[Modifiedmark]

For Matt, anyone but me think these are Fairbanks Morse springs?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Clean looker.
Did you pay more than $35. ?:hmm3grin2orange:

Closer to 10. I checked it real quick a minute ago, it has plenty of spark and compression, didn't use a compression gauge but feels like plenty enough so I'll probably fuel it up and see if she runs.

 

[joe25DA]

Got a nice low hour Craftsman 3.4 in. It was a dirty greasy mess but it cleaned up well. It has a 150lbs compression dry.

Needs some fuel lines and TLC like the rusty muffler cleaned up. I think this will get a deflector style muffler mod.

This might be up for a rehomeing.

That sure is a nice looking saw mark. I had one just like it but sold it, should have held on to it

 

[Modifiedmark]

Craftsmans done

Got the Craftsman done.

She runs super. Just had to do the regular maintence on it. Carb diaphragms, fuel and vent lines, new air filter etc, plus I did a muffler mod that should get er done.

The original 20" control tip bar had a coat of paint drying so it didnt make the pictures.

 

[Applehead]

You do nice work.:msp_thumbup:

 

[stubnail67]

holy cow!

Got the Craftsman done.

She runs super. Just had to do the regular maintence on it. Carb diaphragms, fuel and vent lines, new air filter etc, plus I did a muffler mod that should get er done.

The original 20" control tip bar had a coat of paint drying so it didnt make the pictures.

Holy cow that was fast!!!! I like the muff mod i see your showing us guys with no way to weld how its done!!! did you leave the factory holes also?

 

[Eccentric]

For Matt, anyone but me think these are Fairbanks Morse springs?

Looks pretty close to a Homelite C-Series Homelie FM spring. The outer end's a bit more "elaborate" than what's on the Homelite springs. The Poulan FM housing is a bit different, so that might still be the right spring. The inner end looks right for hooking to the FM pulley.

Got the Craftsman done.

She runs super. Just had to do the regular maintence on it. Carb diaphragms, fuel and vent lines, new air filter etc, plus I did a muffler mod that should get er done.

The original 20" control tip bar had a coat of paint drying so it didnt make the pictures.

NICE work Mark. I really don't need it..............but I kinda want it. Damn CAD....:yoyo:

I've seen a couple of those grey 3.4's (or 3.8's......hard to tell from a CL pic when the saw has no decals) listed locally recently. Haven't struck fast enough though. Missed a 245A that was a good 200 mile round trip away last month (actually twice.....over two months). Listing's expired (twice), but I still have the old guy's numbers. He took two weeks to return my call when I left a message. He left his own message (I was working when he called). Called him again (left another message.....arghh) and he never called back.

He relisted it a month after that (with a different # that I never called)..................and it expired again. I suspect he's not too computer savvy. He did post a pic and a goofy description. The saw looked to have foam pipe insulation wrapped with duct tape covering the handlebar. Home made AV!

Also missed a Wright version of a 306A a few months ago (think it was a 136). the seller listed the Wright model #, and I crossed it to the 306 on Acres site. It was about a 120 mile round trip, and I couldn't call 'til the weekend. Gone....

 

[cheeves]

Fondness for my old workhorse 3600

Lawrence (Petesoldsaws) has a great Pioneer thread, and I hope to start a Poulan thread. I think there's enough of us out here who enjoy these fine specimens. So lets start a Poulan thread!!! To get things rolling, I want to talk about the 8500 countervibe. The long and the short of it is I want one. Never seen one (outside the 1986 catalogue I have), don't know who has one, or even run one. Gregg, Mark,Mike and Bob, lets get the ball rolling. (Lawrence and Jerry, we want your input too) Old Poulan owners UNITE!!!!

Just now waiting for some parts in the mail for my 3600 that Bob (Redunshee) has been helping me with when I spotted your old post. I know an old timer that may have an old 8500 if you havrn't already located one. Also Scott (Chainsawr) up in Stannard, VT might have one, or anyone you might be interested in for that matter. He helped me put together a 262 Husky that had been discarded in a dumpster.

I,m thinking of doing to the 3600 what you were talking of doing to one of your Poulans. Nothing to loose! It was shot down until Bob told me how to fix it. The guys fantastic! Really put a bug up my butt and has inspired me to get it so it will produce firewood again like it once did. They are disceptive, I guess you would call them. They don't seem like much until you're running them and the chips are flying and the pile of wood keeps getting bigger and bigger! Mine always started. Not I might add like my 310 Stihl sometimes in the winter.(Not to disparage Stihl.) My old 032 always starts and runs like a top. Anyway glad you started this post. Because of you guys my Poulan will "ride again". Much appreciation! Bob (cheeves)

 

[promac850]

Anyone know what Poulan the one in this picture is? It says made in the USA on it, and Weedeater in small font is below the Poulan name...

It's got heft (not excessive, though, but enough to make me think it must be much better than an average HD and Lowe's pooplan) and feels to be well built... also does not have a chain brake, just the plastic knuckle guard thingy... Is it a good/better Poulan or a homeowner pos?

 

[rms61moparman]

Anyone know what Poulan the one in this picture is? It says made in the USA on it, and Weedeater in small font is below the Poulan name...

It's got heft (not excessive, though, but enough to make me think it must be much better than an average HD and Lowe's pooplan) and feels to be well built... also does not have a chain brake, just the plastic knuckle guard thingy... Is it a good/better Poulan or a homeowner pos?

Promac610,

That looks like a 3300 or one of the saws in that line.
They are VERY good saws and most of us would choose them QUICKLY over the offerings from the competition.
They will spank their 025/026/029 etc. counterparts handily and are MUCH easier to work on.
HTH


Mike
P.S. - Some of us here aren't very fond of terms like pooplan and pull-on.
As we have proven time and again (much to the grumbling and chagrin of the snobs) even the little Wildthing stacks up nicely against its "high dollar" competetion.
There are VERY FEW saws IN ITS CLASS that can run, cut or last with them if given any care at all!

 

[cheeves]

Where rings for 306A Poulans?

Since this is the Poulan thread I will ask if anyone on here would know where to get piston rings for the 306A saws. I have two of them and they currently do not need anything to make them work properly but I am not one to leave good enough alone. LOL. One saw has 135-137 lbs comp and the other over 140 lbs. If I ever get the hankering to take them apart I would do some porting and like to install new rings at that time, the pistons and cylinders are in real good shape with a smooth bore and absolutely no scoring on the pistons. We have no Poulan parts suppliers in these parts and the 306A saws are older than any of the repair shops know about around here. The only Poulans known to these parts are Wildthings. LOL
Pioneerguy600

Probably Scott at Chainsawr.com.

 

[cheeves]

Anyone know what Poulan the one in this picture is? It says made in the USA on it, and Weedeater in small font is below the Poulan name...

It's got heft (not excessive, though, but enough to make me think it must be much better than an average HD and Lowe's pooplan) and feels to be well built... also does not have a chain brake, just the plastic knuckle guard thingy... Is it a good/better Poulan or a homeowner pos?

Looks exactly like my 3600 except it's yellow and not green. Bob(Cheeves)

 

[promac850]

Promac610,

That looks like a 3300 or one of the saws in that line.
They are VERY good saws and most of us would choose them QUICKLY over the offerings from the competition.
They will spank their 025/026/029 etc. counterparts handily and are MUCH easier to work on.
HTH


Mike
P.S. - Some of us here aren't very fond of terms like pooplan and pull-on.
As we have proven time and again (much to the grumbling and chagrin of the snobs) even the little Wildthing stacks up nicely against its "high dollar" competetion.
There are VERY FEW saws IN ITS CLASS that can run, cut or last with them if given any care at all!

I forgot to add the exception to the WT... I've seen the videos of you saw nuts racing them!!! They're crazy fast!!! Makes me want one.

Thank you for identifying my Poulan... I planned on keeping it ever since I picked it up and felt the heft... you have driven that nail home.

My question to you... are there any newer plastic Poulans from HD and Lowe's that really are not good?? Is it the lean tune that blows them all up? Just curious.

No, I am not going to go buy new Poulans from HD... I've already got that money going into several much better saws... this 3300/similar series will be one of them. I figure a little cleaning and work, it should fire right up...

Also, I happen to have a little tiny top handle WoodShark... and a Micro Super XXV Deluxe that is a basket case... and a bigger Woodshark with a broken rear handle... I have heard the little Micro XXV's are good pruning saw... I plan on getting that one going. My question is on the Woodsharks... are they even worth the effort of fixing? The bigger one has compression, which makes sense since it looks fairly new and has a broken rear handle... the smaller one is a basket case.

 

[promac850]

Looks exactly like my 3600 except it's yellow and not green. Bob(Cheeves)

Alright, this question for you... how many cc's are these saws? I estimated about 50-60cc... am I in the right range?

 

[barneyrb]

---

Alright, this question for you... how many cc's are these saws? I estimated about 50-60cc... am I in the right range?

Yep, new fuel line, impulse line, carb kit, and fuel filter. If compression is decent it should be good to go.

 

[tbone75]

I forgot to add the exception to the WT... I've seen the videos of you saw nuts racing them!!! They're crazy fast!!! Makes me want one.

Thank you for identifying my Poulan... I planned on keeping it ever since I picked it up and felt the heft... you have driven that nail home.

My question to you... are there any newer plastic Poulans from HD and Lowe's that really are not good?? Is it the lean tune that blows them all up? Just curious.

No, I am not going to go buy new Poulans from HD... I've already got that money going into several much better saws... this 3300/similar series will be one of them. I figure a little cleaning and work, it should fire right up...

Also, I happen to have a little tiny top handle WoodShark... and a Micro Super XXV Deluxe that is a basket case... and a bigger Woodshark with a broken rear handle... I have heard the little Micro XXV's are good pruning saw... I plan on getting that one going. My question is on the Woodsharks... are they even worth the effort of fixing? The bigger one has compression, which makes sense since it looks fairly new and has a broken rear handle... the smaller one is a basket case.

If you get to fixing that woodsharks I got some parts?