Nik's Poulan Thread

[wendell]

All this talk about them makes me want another one.
Nick

Not until I get my first one! :msp_sneaky:

 

[ua 100 retired]

Got 2 Poulans

I bought a 3400 Vibe and a 300ES off Craigslist for $25.00 Es good shape 3400 needs a flywheel and gas lines. Hoping that some one might have one to sell. Thanks Dale

 

[Eccentric]

Not until I get my first one! :msp_sneaky:

You don't have a XXV Steve? I'll trade you one for your SD166.

 

[wendell]

You don't have a XXV Steve? I'll trade you one for your SD166.

Let me think about that....













No

 

[Eccentric]

Mark your post in the "if you like any TH saw besides an MS200T you are a cookie cutting wannabe" thread got me thinking. We should ask Joe Salva to work up some repro Poulan oiler diaphragms for us.

 

[HeRoze]

===
Thanks for any help.
-Dennis

Is this your saw's IPL? http://www.poulan.com/ddoc/POUI/POUI2007_USen/POUI2007_USen__530087572.pdf

Try here if not: http://www.poulan.com/customer-support/user-manuals/?query=1950&types=I

View attachment 227976

 

[diggers_dad]

Excuse me gentlemen

I usually hang out in the "fight" thread, but I have an opportunity to look at what the owner calls a "great big Poulan hoop saw" later today. I'm not familiar with the good models vs. bad, desirable sizes, models, etc. He claims it's been sitting for many years but ran when it was stored. Is this worth looking at?

Any advice appreciated!

 

[scottr]

Ok tonight I took the muffler off and was able to get it apart but when it did pop open the parts from the inside flew out on the floor so I wasn't able to see how it goes back together. I have a Screen wrapped around a metal square like tube that has holes on one side and flat on the other (are these parts the Spark Arrestor, and Diffuser?) How does this go back together? One end of the metal square is marked TOP CYLINDER.

Also in my short time researching repair work on Chainsaws I've been hearing alot about Muffler Modding would this be a wise idea on this saw? If so does anyone have a good link to some step by step procedures?

I also took a flashlight and shined it inside the cylinder and I didn't notice anything that I would call scoring on the piston. It looks smooth and shiny still.

Thanks for any help.
-Dennis

Hey Dennis, a muffler mod on that saw would make a big difference. You'll need to readjust the carb and that requires that the limiter caps be removed,trimmed, and replaced. A easy muffler mod would be to drill a 1/4" diameter hole down stream from each outlet louver.

 

[homelitejim]

I usually hang out in the "fight" thread, but I have an opportunity to look at what the owner calls a "great big Poulan hoop saw" later today. I'm not familiar with the good models vs. bad, desirable sizes, models, etc. He claims it's been sitting for many years but ran when it was stored. Is this worth looking at?

Any advice appreciated!

Any Poulan with a bow bar is worth looking at. The 4200-5400 and the 8500 are great saws, so is the 306 and 245A, heck any big Poulan is worth a look.
Go get it, then get back here and post pics.

pair of 8500's, 85cc

4900, 77cc

245A and 306, 75cc and 59cc

 

[blackoak]

It seems funny to me that some of us have run chainsaws like the Poulan DA for twenty years or so and now all of a sudden we have to have a saw with anti-vibe and a chain brake. I didn't need them then so obviously I don't need them now...

I must ask how have you ran your DA's over the years?? Have you earned a living with one using it every day?? To me, it's common sense when your hanging 75' up in a tree, or standing in a bucket truck one handing a chain saw every day of the week trimming limbs to use one with a brake. I have no idea how many injuries a brake has prevented or lessened, but if it's just one, that's a good thing. I'm guilty, I probably have more saws without a brake than with one and use them every so often, but if I used one to earn a living with every day, it would be one with a good AV system and a working brake. I don't know this, but I would bet OSHA reqiures it. I lived many years without a computer just fine, but would be lost without one now.

 

[diggers_dad]

Any Poulan with a bow bar is worth looking at. The 4200-5400 and the 8500 are great saws, so is the 306 and 245A, heck any big Poulan is worth a look.
Go get it, then get back here and post pics.

Thanks for the help. From what I understand they were a robust saw with a strong following. I'll get up there this afternoon and see what he has and what I can work out with the owner.

 

[zogger]

I usually hang out in the "fight" thread, but I have an opportunity to look at what the owner calls a "great big Poulan hoop saw" later today. I'm not familiar with the good models vs. bad, desirable sizes, models, etc. He claims it's been sitting for many years but ran when it was stored. Is this worth looking at?

Any advice appreciated!

ANY old big saw, USA old magnesium or not or not, is worth grabbing if you can get it cheap enough. Even if you don't want it, someone will want it or parts from it.

Heck, I am a cheaper date than that, ANY cheap saw I find I get. cheap/free/junker/box 0 parts, homeowner specials, etc. I have quite literally gotten deals heaped up outside in an oily mud puddle before, and got runners out the mess.

People are always going on in the swap meet "drat, got a 58 belchfyre, need the framis valve"...If you got the space and the spare cash, saw parts are worth it. Someone will always need or want them, then you got trading fodder.

I've had to pass on some great deals around me because I don't have the loot, example, good runner 394xp in my CL here right now, 375 asking price. Man, that's a toughie, new HO level medium saw from the box store, or a big 394 pro level saw, for the same loot... Saw an 090 going for cheap like that awhile back, and and a huge old homie for 350 immaculate shape.

I make do with lesser cash amounts, but still manage a few gems now and then, my 245a is my best score to date. I got it for what a bar and chain go for. I was sweating it out too, because even that cheap it was at a pawn shop mixed in with the home renter cheapie saws. Took me a few days waiting on my check, then swoop score! Couldn't believe it, they said it had sat there for months.

 

[diggers_dad]

ANY old big saw, USA old magnesium or not or not, is worth grabbing if you can get it cheap enough. Even if you don't want it, someone will want it or parts from it.

Heck, I am a cheaper date than that, ANY cheap saw I find I get. cheap/free/junker/box 0 parts, homeowner specials, etc. I have quite literally gotten deals heaped up outside in an oily mud puddle before, and got runners out the mess.

People are always going on in the swap meet "drat, got a 58 belchfyre, need the framis valve"...If you got the space and the spare cash, saw parts are worth it. Someone will always need or want them, then you got trading fodder.

I've had to pass on some great deals around me because I don't have the loot, example, good runner 394xp in my CL here right now, 375 asking price. Man, that's a toughie, new HO level medium saw from the box store, or a big 394 pro level saw, for the same loot... Saw an 090 going for cheap like that awhile back, and and a huge old homie for 350 immaculate shape.

I make do with lesser cash amounts, but still manage a few gems now and then, my 245a is my best score to date. I got it for what a bar and chain go for. I was sweating it out too, because even that cheap it was at a pawn shop mixed in with the home renter cheapie saws. Took me a few days waiting on my check, then swoop score! Couldn't believe it, they said it had sat there for months.

I hate to admit it, but I really like the little homeowner Poulans, especially the ones with anti-vibe. They are cheap enough to buy and practice on without worrying about breaking the bank. I did my first carb rebuild on a Wild Thing, then fuel lines, then my first muffler mod on another one, then first porting on another, first time putting in new rings, on and on and on and on. They are great starter saws and both of my boys (9 and 6) help out.

 

[scottr]

I hate to admit it, but I really like the little homeowner Poulans, especially the ones with anti-vibe. They are cheap enough to buy and practice on without worrying about breaking the bank. I did my first carb rebuild on a Wild Thing, then fuel lines, then my first muffler mod on another one, then first porting on another, first time putting in new rings, on and on and on and on. They are great starter saws and both of my boys (9 and 6) help out.

I don't mind admitting that my third saw a 2003 PP220 needed help so after a call to Poulan it became my experimental muffler mod saw.

 

[zogger]

I hate to admit it, but I really like the little homeowner Poulans, especially the ones with anti-vibe. They are cheap enough to buy and practice on without worrying about breaking the bank. I did my first carb rebuild on a Wild Thing, then fuel lines, then my first muffler mod on another one, then first porting on another, first time putting in new rings, on and on and on and on. They are great starter saws and both of my boys (9 and 6) help out.

Yep, what you said. I haven't done any porting *yet* but that will be how I go about it when I start. I bought a battery dremel but I need to rebuild the battery pack first.

I like making runners of anything, then going out and actually cutting a decent amount of wood with them. Not just a few test cuts in a log, but real world use. Then I know if they REALLY are runners or not, so if I go to later on using them for swap or selling them, they will function. I have a couple to finish up this afternoon actually, clear some more space on the bench. My latest 306a is gonna go back under the bench for now, still need some more stuff before I finish working on it. I think that one will turn out to be a full tear down and rebuild and paint, so I will have to research more on seals and whatnot.

And heck, spring snuck up on me, I need to switch gears now into mowing (job) and gardening (the only way we actually get to eat around here in the low budget realm), started mowing two days ago, then got two inch of rain last night. Gardens are still swamps, but SWMBO has most everything started in the greenhouse now, so I need to figure out how to till my mud soon. Which means I have to tackle my wheel horse again, hoping to get it so I can squeeze one more season out of it cheaply before I go to either rebuild or replace the engine. It has a severe case of "!!$$#@@ you, I ain't starting"! right now....

 

[diggers_dad]

Yep, what you said. I haven't done any porting *yet* but that will be how I go about it when I start. I bought a battery dremel but I need to rebuild the battery pack first.

The first one I ported was a disaster. I was in too big of a hurry. The second is in use by a friend. I told him to "run it like he stole it". He hasn't let me down yet, I've sold two more saws because of that one. So far he's completely burned up one (cheap) bar and cut three or four cords of red and white oak with it. He's very happy and says it will run circles around his other saw.

I have a battery Dremel and corded version. If you do it by battery, you'll be a while...

 

[redunshee]

The first one I ported was a disaster. I was in too big of a hurry. The second is in use by a friend. I told him to "run it like he stole it". He hasn't let me down yet, I've sold two more saws because of that one. So far he's completely burned up one (cheap) bar and cut three or four cords of red and white oak with it. He's very happy and says it will run circles around his other saw.

I have a battery Dremel and corded version. If you do it by battery, you'll be a while...

My battery dremel it both is as fast and powerful as my electric. What saw did you port and was it both intake and exhaust? I haven't gotten up the nerve to do the intake yet. Don't understand all that duration stuff.
Bob

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I must ask how have you ran your DA's over the years?? Have you earned a living with one using it every day?? To me, it's common sense when your hanging 75' up in a tree, or standing in a bucket truck one handing a chain saw every day of the week trimming limbs to use one with a brake. I have no idea how many injuries a brake has prevented or lessened, but if it's just one, that's a good thing. I'm guilty, I probably have more saws without a brake than with one and use them every so often, but if I used one to earn a living with every day, it would be one with a good AV system and a working brake. I don't know this, but I would bet OSHA reqiures it. I lived many years without a computer just fine, but would be lost without one now.

Most of us here don't earn a living using a chainsaw, in fact many of us are retired. I might have a different position if I did but knowing how I am and that I would work on my own equipment I probably would still opt for the Poulan. Most of my cutting with the DA was firewood cutting but I've cut a bunch, I never noticed much difference between the anti-vibe and the others except the anti-vibe felt looser. I do have some saws with a brake on them but I don't remember ever using it. You are probably right about OSHA. I don't know many areas of our lives that government doesn't control..I don't consider that a good thing.

 

[zogger]

The first one I ported was a disaster. I was in too big of a hurry. The second is in use by a friend. I told him to "run it like he stole it". He hasn't let me down yet, I've sold two more saws because of that one. So far he's completely burned up one (cheap) bar and cut three or four cords of red and white oak with it. He's very happy and says it will run circles around his other saw.

I have a battery Dremel and corded version. If you do it by battery, you'll be a while...

2 bucks at a yard sale, and it said dremel on it, meh. Worth a grab. Same day I got some snapon diesel analyser tool for three bucks.

Heck, I might just use files and save the dremel for the final bits and smoothing. I don't intend to remove much anyway....

 

[zogger]

I must ask how have you ran your DA's over the years?? Have you earned a living with one using it every day?? To me, it's common sense when your hanging 75' up in a tree, or standing in a bucket truck one handing a chain saw every day of the week trimming limbs to use one with a brake. I have no idea how many injuries a brake has prevented or lessened, but if it's just one, that's a good thing. I'm guilty, I probably have more saws without a brake than with one and use them every so often, but if I used one to earn a living with every day, it would be one with a good AV system and a working brake. I don't know this, but I would bet OSHA reqiures it. I lived many years without a computer just fine, but would be lost without one now.

The biggest safety feature on a saw is the operator, as in, running it all day long with your face hanging right over and inline with the bar is sorta lame, as is wildly swinging it about while it is running, not looking where you step, all that jazz.. Now, I agree that chainbrakes are an additional and useful safety feature, but it doesn't negate the use of saws without that either.

How about bar tip guards? Same deal. That's an additional safety feature, Do you use them on all your saws, because it might prevent an injury? My guess is, you don't. Safety chain, or "pro" chain? My guess is, you mostly use "pro" chain. See? just depends on how far you want to go.

Day in and day out, yep, I would pop for a new high dollar tophandle of the expensive kind if that is what I was doing for a living and it was a tax deduction/business expense, etc. Yes, on a climbing saw for professional use you want the most power in the best balanced package with all the modern bells and whistles. No one is really disputing that.

If I was joe blow who wanted a light trim saw for occasional use and thought a top handle config would fit my criteria...naw, I'd look for an older deal, like one of our green bricks, and just watch it when using it. I don't think I would go to herr expensive teutonic import shoppe and drop a months pay for me (not kidding either, they are more than a month's pay for me) on a tophandle saw.

Heck, I used an old school red tophandled brick as my one saw plan for a few years before. Because no one told me I shouldn't use a top handle unless I was a tree climber. It was just like a 20 buck saw that ran and presented itself when I needed some sort of anything for a running saw. First year where we are living now, that was it, cut all our firewood with it, too, cords, including beavering up and noodling a huge oak branch, something most guys here would whip out their modded 70s for. That was sort of an interesting project with that saw....