Poulan Countervibe 3400

[Ultraman]

I have a Poulan Countervibe 3400 that I bought new several years ago when the rage was heating your home with wood. I cut a bunch of logs and trees in the back yard with this saw and it served me well. The last few years of ice storms in NC have prompted me to bring out the saw and get it ready to run. Right now I'm cleaning it up and hope to get it started this weekend.

My question is what is your experience with this saw. It runs and cuts great, but I'm thinking of getting a Stihl. I'll be helping my son clear some trees from his property and I got a case of the wants for a new saw after reading the posts on this site.

On the other hand, the Poulan hasn't let me down ('cept it won't start now). It seems to have the horsies at 3.4cu.in. It's in top shape. Well cared for.

So, do I keep the saw or sell it and put the bucks toward a Stihl. Just don't want to hang on to it if it's going over the hill.

Kinda rambling post. Your comments and experience with this saw solicited.

Thanks!
U

 

[vsteel]

Well if it was me, if the saw is working good for you, I would keep it. I would just upgrade when that saw wears out. If you are not cutting that much, that saw should last you a good long time.

 

[Stumper]

Despite all the trash talk about Poulans. They made a lot of very good saws for the price. I suppose that "for the price" is the real qualifier-Stihl , Husqvarna/Jonsered, Dolmar etc. were always a bit ahead both in quality and performance. I had a Poulan 3700 for several years-which is how long it took to wear it out in professional Arbo use. If you want a newer, hotter saw go for it. That Poulan will probably serve you well for a long time either as your primary saw or as back up to the new whatever.

 

[jokers]

Hi Ultraman, of course vsteel`s logic is financially sound provided that your saw has safety features like a funtional chain brake and decent anti-vibe but the "I wants" are a force to be reckoned with. I don`t see anything wrong with you wanting to upgrade. My only questions are why you want a Stihl and what model?

Russ

 

[Ultraman]

New Stihl Saw

The Poulan is all prettied up now, fueled and ready to go as soon as I get some time to fool with it. I settled on a Stihl because of the number of dealers around here. I checked their site and there's one just 2 miles away. I did a lot of reading on this site and am leaning toward the Stihl but may be swayed by a Husky. I just bought a John Deere lawn tractor and really like it. I looked at the JD saws online, but like one poster said, who will be making them next year.

My Poulan may do all I need, but I'm inquiring here to find out if I'm holding on to a model of this saw that has a poor reputation.

I do want one that has some moxie, as where I used to go to pick up my lumber I got to see some other saws run. Some seemed like they were running on a small model airplane motor and not cutting worth diddley.

Thanks so much for the advice and comments guys. I hope there will be further posts.

U

 

[jokers]

Hi Ultra, BTW, welcome to the forum.

Dealer support is a very good reson to choose one brand over another but the implication is that the dealer is worth a hoot. Not saying the local guy isn`t, just research dealers abit before you buy if you can. Do you know any long time or regular customers of the local shops?

Some Stihls are a joy to use, some are not, choose your model carefully. I doubt that you would be satisfied going down in displacement unless the primary use of your saw is clearing and cutting small trees. What model are you looking at?

Russ

 

[tony marks]

it sounds to me like u know more about the 3400 than anybody here will. especially for your needs. poulan takes ideas that are in good saws and cuts back every where they can on individual parts quality. the results is a higher profit line on these saws. the problem i think most on this forum have is that they have witnessed the samething w homelite mcculouc[sp] and other previous good names in saws. the end results is ,a pretty junky tool.
that by the way was my experience with the green poulans.

 

[Ultraman]

No Soap

Tried starting her today. No soap. Fresh gas and oil. I had sprayed carb cleaner in the tank and carb opening a few days ago but that didn't seem to help any. Would not crank. I then sprayed carb cleaner in the carb. It would fire and run that out but then quit. Just not drawing fuel. Thinking about taking the high and low speed needles out and spraying carb cleaner in there. Or is a complete carb cleaning in order?

Once again, advice welcome.

Seems like the Stihl saw is getting closer. I haven't settled on a model yet. It seems the 290 is closest in displacement to what I have already. I've also read about the 280 but it's not on the Stihl site.

Thanks again for all your help guys.

U

 

[wak110]

Try changing the fuel filter in the tank, that's a cheap quick fix that's worked for me with a couple of saws that sat for awhile.

Bill

 

[Jake]

Check your fuel lines. I had to repair one for my boss. The fuel line and vent lines where both cracked. Jake

 

[Bill G]

Ok it is nearly 5am here and I fell like stirring up a storm.


Did Poulan male that may more junk sawsthan other manufactures or does their poor rep come from the fact that they no longer make saws and elux just sells low grade saws under the Pull-on name.

Humm, just my random thoughts( I encourge agruement)

Bill

 

[tony marks]

i cant say about saws back then . but i do remember hearing how good poulan was as a kid.seemed to be a respected name.altho i didnt hear about them as much as say homelite.
ive got a partner 500 and it amazed me to see how close it and the new pp295 are to being the same saw . even weigh the same. [295 after i put a 16 bar on it.]
as to whether it will hold up as well as the old partner. only time will answer that.

 

[vsteel]

As mentioned, the desire to upgrade can be strong. I would give one caviat though, the 029 ms290 or what ever its call these days, it not the most loved saw on the boards. You might want to look at a 026. I persoanally have an 029 and I fall trees and block firewood with it, I have had problems with it stalling. I have not had a chance to try the fixes mentioned on another thread on this site. If you take that out though its been a workhorse of a saw. If I had to do it all over again though, I would have bought a different saw. I will never buy another sthil that is not a pro saw.

 

[jokers]

Ultraman, as vsteel pointed out, the 029/ms290 is not the most beloved saw here. Without even getting into the quality debate, let`s assume that it`s equal to any $300 saw, the power to weight ratio and anti-vibe are about on par with technology from the 80s. Will that be an upgrade worthy of the expenditure for you? Only you can answer that question. If you are bent on getting what I consider a non-pro Stihl, you can see the details of the ms270 and 280 on the stihl.ca site. If the price of an ms260 is in your budget you can`t go wrong with this model. 1/4 hp less than the 029 but a more pleasurable saw to use and it is higher quality. Resale is also excellent on the 260 because of it`s reputation.

Russ

 

[Mike Acres]

The 3400 does not have a chrome plated cylinder. If the compression is below 90 psi it will not run. Some parts are now obsolete for that saw. Rear handle for one.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I ran Poulan saws for many years. They fit my "value" better than other brands. I have one carcass and two runners that are sisters to the 3400. I think they are both just a little bigger. I did have a 3400 too.

The reason that Poulan gets bad mouthed is because what the company has become, not what it was. Mention the Poulan XXV series to climbers older than forty and you'll find many fans, even in die hard Stihl/Husky ranks. Now, one of the best uses for Poulans is to attach a rope to it and tie the other end to your boat. With enough saws tied on, you won't drift down stream.

If you need parts, let me know. I'll look in the pile. I moved my shop so most of my older stuff went to recycling.

Tom

 

[Stumper]

I agree with Tom's analysis. Poulan resisted the consumer "junk out of the box" reputation far longer than Homelite and McCulloch.-Probably because of the XXV more than any other reason-They had a great small saw design that they could market to Joe Homeowner in a number of minor variations but still far superior to the Red and Yellow toy saws. All three maintained some decent saws for a while after going after the under $100 homeowner market. The irony is that even the current line of Bug Gut Green Poulans are really a good value for the market they target-most purchasers don't wear out those saws-they set them in the garage and let the carb varnish up!(Which may be your problem Ultraman. Try pouring gas through the carb and starting it and running till it dies. Often, after several repititions the carb will ungunk enough to start pumping fuel again.)

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Ultraman it sounds like you need a carb rebuild, have some cracked fuel lines, or possible low compression. Since it ran when you put it away I doubt low compression is the problem.

It "probably" has a Walbro carb, which are easy to rebuild. I would get a rebuild kit (about $10) and have at her. Also buy some fuel hose and go ahead and replace them, It is about time anyways.


If you cant get her running I will take that saw off your hands for ya

 

[Ultraman]

Excellent Sleuthing!

Excellent sleuthing guys! After company left today I threw the saw up on the bench to take a look at the fuel system. Drained the fuel out and heard something rattling around.

Ah Ha!

Turns out it's the fuel filter, which has come loose from the fuel line, which has broken completely where it enters the tank. So the fuel filter and a piece of loose fuel line are in the tank.

So, I'm off to a Poulan dealer this week to replace all the fuel line and get a filter. I still may have gummed up jets but I'll deal with that fix if this fix doesn't fix it.

I did get by Lowes today while buying stuff for a home improvement project and laid hands on Husqvarnas. They had two models: 340 and 350. I kinda liked the 350 model. My son and I plan to buy one, and we usually both buy the same thing at the same time.

Since, from what I read on this forum, there's no law against owning two or more chainsaws, I'll proceed in that direction. Keep the Poulan and add a Stihl or Husky.

Haven't investigated the Stihl dealer yet.

What a great forum!

Thanks again guys for all the excellent advice and counsel. I'll keep you posted on my repair.

U

 

[wak110]

One can never have too many chainsaws, firearms or motorcycles