Nik's Poulan Thread

[HeRoze]

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

Unless someone wants to argue a CC or two,.. and I would bet there are exceptions, but in general...
18xx = 1.8 CI, 20xx = 2.0, ... 33xx=3.3, 36xx = 3.6 CI, .... up to the 6000 = 6.0 CI. It seems to go to cc after that (7700 = 77 cc)

works the same for the pro 3-digit saws as well.

So, if its a 3600, 3.6 CI ~ 59 CC. [CI*16.39 ~ CC]

I would love to know other exceptions to this rule, other than the >6000 or occasional 1/10 a CI discrepancies.

 

[promac850]

Unless someone wants to argue a CC or two,.. and I would bet there are exceptions, but in general...
18xx = 1.8 CI, 20xx = 2.0, ... 33xx=3.3, 36xx = 3.6 CI, .... up to the 6000 = 6.0 CI. It seems to go to cc after that (7700 = 77 cc)

works the same for the pro 3-digit saws as well.

So, if its a 3600, 3.6 CI ~ 59 CC. [CI*16.39 ~ CC]

I would love to know other exceptions to this rule, other than the >6000 or occasional 1/10 a CI discrepancies.

Wow, I like how they set up the CC/CI thing... much easier to remember... simple.

59cc... just a hair under 60... nice...

Is porting a good idea, or are the cylinders and pistons hard to come by? I don't want to do anything more than some casting clean up and polishing if the cylinder is difficult to find.

 

[promac850]

---

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

Sweet... will have to get right on it after I get that 790, Super 44, and Pioneer NU-17 back together... I've already got way too many saws apart right now... not gonna open another one for more than a spark plug until the others are done.

So, Woodsharks aren't worth a cow pie? You all are making it sound that way.

I'm thinking since the rear handle one (2.0ci IIRC) just needs a handle, and maybe a couple of small cheap parts, I would try some serious porting on the tiny thing and make it run hard, and fast... and see how long it lasts... hell, even if it is a decent/good saw, I'll do that anyways...

 

[rms61moparman]

Wow, I like how they set up the CC/CI thing... much easier to remember... simple.

59cc... just a hair under 60... nice...

Is porting a good idea, or are the cylinders and pistons hard to come by? I don't want to do anything more than some casting clean up and polishing if the cylinder is difficult to find.

They aren't as common as the box store Poulan parts, but are readily available.
Go ahead and have some fun with it.
It will surprise you how well they can be made to run.

There isn't anything wrong with the Woodsharks, they are just a homeowner saw and should be compared to other homeowner saws. Dollar for dollar they are one of the best buys out there.


Mike

 

[8433jeff]

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.

This is what happens when you leave the shop unattended. They don't all blow up, or get busted handles, or need fuel lines. Dollar for dollar, they are fine. If I spend the $249 for a 250, I get a plastic saw I have to de-handle every month to clean out the oiler line. I get to buy a new air filter every time I try to clean one, I do get a dealer that will work on my saw, for a price, and I don't get affordable parts. What a husky brings and gives you, I don't know, but what these plastic Poulans give you is a working saw, and if you leaned any of the others out as much as these are, they would last as long you expect or think these do. Yeah, they vibrate. So did the old saws, so do a lot of the new ones. Any saw will go to hell in a basket in short order if it isn't taken care of. There are weak spots, as there is in all saws, as there has always been, and will be as long as God doesn't start to manufacture them. I never see them without spark. I can always find cheap, many times free parts, and they are not hard to figure out. The one you have is a good saw, I have a 3450, and love the saw. Hate the puddle of oil seemingly always under it, but it cuts wood as well as the 029 Super I had, and I could buy 6 of them (including what I needed to make it go) for what I sold my 029 for. And that dribbled a few times also.

The micros are praised here, never used one. Have worked on a few, and they have their quirks, like any little saw from back in the day. I have three or four of the plastic Poulans, way easier to work on, and will cut you a tankful of wood any time you are up to picking up one. Not a saw I would run all day, my hands would leave the job site before I would, but there are AV saws in the same set up. A Craftsman I recently came into does, and its smoother than my Wild Thing or the Woodshark or the P3314 or any of the three for sale at the shop.

As smooth as the traded in MS250? Pretty close, which says more about the Poulan than it does for the 250. Which would I buy? At the same price, the Stihl. I can get more in resale for it. But pay twice as much as the Poulan, no, not me. But many would, and most wouldn't have a solid reason other than its a Stihl.

 

[promac850]

Shop Monkey thanks you all for the lessons.

Looks like I'll have two Woodsharks to port, polish, muff mod, and tune... and a nice old school Poulan to do the same with... since Mike says parts aren't too hard to find, and since I've already done a little porting, I'll do a little on the 3300/3600 or whatever particular one it is.

 

[Mastermind]

Wow, I like how they set up the CC/CI thing... much easier to remember... simple.

59cc... just a hair under 60... nice...

Is porting a good idea, or are the cylinders and pistons hard to come by? I don't want to do anything more than some casting clean up and polishing if the cylinder is difficult to find.

Ask Mike how his PP330 runs. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

This is what happens when you leave the shop unattended. They don't all blow up, or get busted handles, or need fuel lines. Dollar for dollar, they are fine. If I spend the $249 for a 250, I get a plastic saw I have to de-handle every month to clean out the oiler line. I get to buy a new air filter every time I try to clean one, I do get a dealer that will work on my saw, for a price, and I don't get affordable parts. What a husky brings and gives you, I don't know, but what these plastic Poulans give you is a working saw, and if you leaned any of the others out as much as these are, they would last as long you expect or think these do. Yeah, they vibrate. So did the old saws, so do a lot of the new ones. Any saw will go to hell in a basket in short order if it isn't taken care of. There are weak spots, as there is in all saws, as there has always been, and will be as long as God doesn't start to manufacture them. I never see them without spark. I can always find cheap, many times free parts, and they are not hard to figure out. The one you have is a good saw, I have a 3450, and love the saw. Hate the puddle of oil seemingly always under it, but it cuts wood as well as the 029 Super I had, and I could buy 6 of them (including what I needed to make it go) for what I sold my 029 for. And that dribbled a few times also.

The micros are praised here, never used one. Have worked on a few, and they have their quirks, like any little saw from back in the day. I have three or four of the plastic Poulans, way easier to work on, and will cut you a tankful of wood any time you are up to picking up one. Not a saw I would run all day, my hands would leave the job site before I would, but there are AV saws in the same set up. A Craftsman I recently came into does, and its smoother than my Wild Thing or the Woodshark or the P3314 or any of the three for sale at the shop.

As smooth as the traded in MS250? Pretty close, which says more about the Poulan than it does for the 250. Which would I buy? At the same price, the Stihl. I can get more in resale for it. But pay twice as much as the Poulan, no, not me. But many would, and most wouldn't have a solid reason other than its a Stihl.

Very well put. Alot of people knock these little poulans but $ for $ they are a very good deal and with the proper diet will put alot of wood through the stove!

 

[Modifiedmark]

This is what happens when you leave the shop unattended. They don't all blow up, or get busted handles, or need fuel lines. Dollar for dollar, they are fine. If I spend the $249 for a 250, I get a plastic saw I have to de-handle every month to clean out the oiler line. I get to buy a new air filter every time I try to clean one, I do get a dealer that will work on my saw, for a price, and I don't get affordable parts. What a husky brings and gives you, I don't know, but what these plastic Poulans give you is a working saw, and if you leaned any of the others out as much as these are, they would last as long you expect or think these do. Yeah, they vibrate. So did the old saws, so do a lot of the new ones. Any saw will go to hell in a basket in short order if it isn't taken care of. There are weak spots, as there is in all saws, as there has always been, and will be as long as God doesn't start to manufacture them. I never see them without spark. I can always find cheap, many times free parts, and they are not hard to figure out. The one you have is a good saw, I have a 3450, and love the saw. Hate the puddle of oil seemingly always under it, but it cuts wood as well as the 029 Super I had, and I could buy 6 of them (including what I needed to make it go) for what I sold my 029 for. And that dribbled a few times also.

The micros are praised here, never used one. Have worked on a few, and they have their quirks, like any little saw from back in the day. I have three or four of the plastic Poulans, way easier to work on, and will cut you a tankful of wood any time you are up to picking up one. Not a saw I would run all day, my hands would leave the job site before I would, but there are AV saws in the same set up. A Craftsman I recently came into does, and its smoother than my Wild Thing or the Woodshark or the P3314 or any of the three for sale at the shop.

As smooth as the traded in MS250? Pretty close, which says more about the Poulan than it does for the 250. Which would I buy? At the same price, the Stihl. I can get more in resale for it. But pay twice as much as the Poulan, no, not me. But many would, and most wouldn't have a solid reason other than its a Stihl.

Pretty much spot on. Hard for some folks to figure out though it seems...

Too bad it won't let me rep you this time...

 

[8433jeff]

Very well put. Alot of people knock these little poulans but $ for $ they are a very good deal and with the proper diet will put alot of wood through the stove!

If I'm going logging, I can fire up the "good" ones. If I have to trim some dead fall, or need to cut some small city tree up after a storm, I'm grabbing one of them, and won't think about it. Its easily replaced if something happens. And will do the job.
I replaced a guys micro with one. If he starts it once a year, he'll nearly double his use. The micro needs a couple things, like seals and something for the oiler so it works. I cut a tankful with one every time I go out, lets me appreciate the better ones. And they'll last longer. I have a Plastoulan at Dads, and one at the home place, and a couple at the brother in laws, as loaner saws. If they want "better" ones, they can buy themselves one. Dad couldn't start the one, he thought the choke was the oiler. "It'll pop, but thats all." One pull with the choke, it was running. He ran it out of fuel, said he wanted me to start it. I said pull the rope after you push the primer a couple times. First pull. "Thats better than that (insert old saw here, they all would need yanking a couple times if you ran them out) was." Yes, it is. But they cut a lot of wood too, and that was better than the buzz saw. Which cut a lot of wood, but that was better than the hatchet and ax and misery whip. Which was better than going back to Germany or burning buffalo chips. Which had to be better than freezing, but I sleep well when its cold.

 

[tbone75]

I catch a lot of crap because I tell people I like them little Poulans.They don't know what there missing.LOL You just can't beat one for the money!

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

I catch a lot of crap because I tell people I like them little Poulans.They don't know what there missing.LOL You just can't beat one for the money!

Alot of dumbazz's have no idea. I used to love it when I would bust out the 5400 and guys with their 029-290 FARMBOSS'S would just stop what they was doing and stare at it with a 36'' bar and nice sharp chain just eat a 30'' log like it was candy... the best part was when I would tell them I bought it for 40 bucks lol.:msp_scared:

 

[Nardoo]

Hey guys, keep it down. Nobody down here in Oz knows about Perlans but me. If I am gunna keep getting them cheap we gotta keep it that way. How about a few posts about how crappy they are?:wink:

Al.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Alot of dumbazz's have no idea. I used to love it when I would bust out the 5400 and guys with their 029-290 FARMBOSS'S would just stop what they was doing and stare at it with a 36'' bar and nice sharp chain just eat a 30'' log like it was candy... the best part was when I would tell them I bought it for 40 bucks lol.:msp_scared:

Well, the secret is still safe on ebay. You can't give one of the smaller Poulans away there. I rebuilt several 25s and micros here and tried to sell them there and couldn't get a good price for any of them. They are great saws but seem to be out of favor. Maybe I'll try painting one of them orange and white.

 

[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,

I thought the saw had new fuel lines because when I looked into the gas tank I saw they were yellow and thought they were new. When I tried to move the line to look at the filter the lines were hard as a rock, so I replaced the vent and the fuel line along with taking the carb apart and cleaning it. I'll get a kit for it in a day or two. I will say that the carb looked pretty clean but the parts inside were old. The only other things I could find were a couple of missing screws and a few places where the paint is missing.

 

[cheeves]

Same saw

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)

Wrote this last night after having (ablation proceedure on the back). Must have been the medication because this morning the saw looks identical to mine. Ask redunshee. He'll know. He set me straight on what model # mine was. Yours just seems to be faded but most likely is a 3600. Look on top of the cylinder. Mine says 5k. Bob

 

[jerrycmorrow]

---

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

please excuse this slight deviation in the thread. after all these years i have to finally admit i only have an idea of what an impulse line is. i think i know but wouldn't swear on it. it could be that i've been dealing with them on my saws but didn't realize that's what they were. or, i may not have them on my saws. either way, will someone please provide an explanation? ok, now let the beatings begin:msp_biggrin:

 

[67 Mustang]

please excuse this slight deviation in the thread. after all these years i have to finally admit i only have an idea of what an impulse line is. i think i know but wouldn't swear on it. it could be that i've been dealing with them on my saws but didn't realize that's what they were. or, i may not have them on my saws. either way, will someone please provide an explanation? ok, now let the beatings begin:msp_biggrin:

Jerry, my simple understanding of an impulse line is the tubing that runs from the crankcase to the carb (or carb adapter) and provides the impulse (push/pull or suck/blow generated by the upstroke and down stroke of the piston) to operate the diaphragms inside the carburetor. On most of the older Poulan saws the impulse is provided directly through a small hole from the crankcase through to the carb and therefore there is no impulse line as such. No need for a beating. IMO you had the balls to ask about something you don't understand.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

Jerry, my simple understanding of an impulse line is the tubing that runs from the crankcase to the carb (or carb adapter) and provides the impulse (push/pull or suck/blow generated by the upstroke and down stroke of the piston) to operate the diaphragms inside the carburetor. On most of the older Poulan saws the impulse is provided directly through a small hole from the crankcase through to the carb and therefore there is no impulse line as such. No need for a beating. IMO you had the balls to ask about something you don't understand.

so, it sounds like there has to be some type of impulse transfer between the tank and the carb for the saw to work. therefore, all saws have an "impulse line". correct?

 

[OhioGregg]

Hey Steve! While your splaining stuff.. I know the saws like 3400, have an impulse passage directly from the crankcase though the manifold to the carb. And some like my 380, have a nipple on the crankcase, with a separate piece of tubing to the carb.
I'm assuming, and I know one can get into trouble doing that!, LOL, On a saw such as 245, 5200, S25, etc that uses reed valve system. The reeds serve the same function? I never could quite grasp how they work.


Gregg,