Wild thing review

[stevejr33]

I get a kick out of the derision the Wild Thing takes here. Fact is, it's a good selling product for a reason. Few products have the customer satisfaction to dollar ratio of this saw.

One of my cutting buddies who is new to fire wood has one, with a muffler mod and a forester bar it lasted all winter fore fire wood. I have since sold him a better used saw that he is ecstatic about. but it still runs good and cuts fine. But I still don't want one.

 

[howellhandmade]

SNIP

I think it would be interesting if someone here who is really good at working on saws and maintaining them would buy a new wild thing, take care of it, use it and see how long it really would last. I think most people who get those saws don't understand how to use them and take care of them and that may explain a lot of our hatred of them. JJuday

I'm not one of the "really good at working on saws" someones here, but I've had a Poulan 2150 (basically a Wild Thing) for maybe 9 years. I've never had any real pride of ownership in it, it was just a cheap saw when I needed a cheap saw and I never expected it to last, but it has. It gets the worst jobs and most of the little ones and gets the mix that's just a little too old to put in my "good" saws. I do keep it clean and keep the chain sharp, but that's about it. I've replaced the sprocket ($9) twice and the oiler ($14) once -- the oiler was the same part number as for a Wild Thing, and is far better than the one I replaced -- worn out two bars and wrecked a bunch of chains, Woodsman Pro chains for it cost about $9 so I grab it when I reckon I'm likely to hit metal. The chain adjuster is a weak point and the air filter cover is held on with screws but I've way more than gotten my money's worth out of it and it shows no signs of crapping the bed anytime soon. These saws may indeed be junk, but you can't prove it by mine.

Jack

 

[stihl sawing]

They make really good halloween saws for texas chainsaw massacre dress. You don't have to worry about actually hurting anyone with one. They won't run and if ya got lucky, not enough power to cut flesh and bone.

 

[edisto]

Whether this is your first, second or third chain saw, no operation of the saw should take place until after reading ALL instructions.

It won't be your last...

 

[cmarti]

I just put a ring on one, and adjusted it richer for a guy at work. He cut 3 reasonably sized trees up and had a ring stick as it was set lean. It was down to 92 PSI, back to 135. He has one tree left to do. It cost him 150$, for the saw, 5$ for a ring, & a 12 pack for me. It was a couple hours of my life I will not get back, and frustration for him, but where else can you get storm damage cleaned up fro 170$?

I would still buy a MS 250 and be able to trust the saw to run. But he will put in on the shelf an call me in 3 years when the fuel lines are rotted out, because he will not store it properly. If I am busy, he will buy a new one.

 

[yodayoda]

I'm not one of the "really good at working on saws" someones here, but I've had a Poulan 2150 (basically a Wild Thing) for maybe 9 years. I've never had any real pride of ownership in it, it was just a cheap saw when I needed a cheap saw and I never expected it to last, but it has. It gets the worst jobs and most of the little ones and gets the mix that's just a little too old to put in my "good" saws. I do keep it clean and keep the chain sharp, but that's about it. I've replaced the sprocket ($9) twice and the oiler ($14) once -- the oiler was the same part number as for a Wild Thing, and is far better than the one I replaced -- worn out two bars and wrecked a bunch of chains, Woodsman Pro chains for it cost about $9 so I grab it when I reckon I'm likely to hit metal. The chain adjuster is a weak point and the air filter cover is held on with screws but I've way more than gotten my money's worth out of it and it shows no signs of crapping the bed anytime soon. These saws may indeed be junk, but you can't prove it by mine.

Jack

I've got a homelite my wife bought for me at walmart about 9 years ago that probably falls into the "wildthing" category. I never had a lick of problems with it, and for the typical homeowner, for trimming a few trees every year, if you take care of it, it is probably all you will ever need. It wasn't untill I bought an outdoor wood boiler and cut up a 12 cord semi load of logs with it, I thought maybe I should get a better saw.
Funny though, I never really knew any better untill I bought my 359, put a chisel chain on it and started cutting, wow, I couldn't believe I cut up that 12 cord with that Homelite:greenchainsaw:
The little homelite is still goin though.
Some of the guys here would argue, a homeowner needs at least a 372xp to trim the hedge. lol

 

[snofrog]

I have a wild thing saw . it gets the worst jobs and the least maint . still ticking years after it should have lasted . broke the handle and safety bar runing it over and put a few new chains on it . thats it ! when it gives up the ghost I will pull parts and throw it to the curb like uhh uhhh choose your own metaphore . Mark

 

[HorseShoeInFork]

Don't remember where I got this. I just have it saved in my favorites....

 

[stihl sawing]

Don't remember where I got this. I just have it saved in my favorites....

LOL, The king of muffler mods.

 

[howellhandmade]

SNIP
Funny though, I never really knew any better untill I bought my 359, put a chisel chain on it and started cutting, wow, I couldn't believe I cut up that 12 cord with that Homelite:greenchainsaw:
The little homelite is still goin though.
SNIP

Strewth. My Poulan is not the equal of my Stihl, Redmax, or Husqvarna saws. They are faster and more powerful, feel better built and seem in every respect as though they should be more durable. They are better saws, no question about it. But I'm in the "waste not, want not" camp, and I can't stand not to get the last drop of life out of a tool. The little green bugger starts and runs well, and although not particularly fast, it will pull a sharp chain on short bar through oak or locust just fine, and it has cut a lot of oak and locust, some of which I could just barely buck from both sides. Recently I used it to cut up a bunch of oak crotches and twisted bits from a tree that was just flat full of hardware, 190 years old and some of the metal was darned near the center. Sure, the MS 660 would have been a bazillion times faster, but better to toast a $9 chain than a $15 or $20 one. I'm not a pro and wouldn't claim to have subjected it to pro-level use, but I've run this saw a lot more than most homeowners would and it hasn't fallen apart or burned up, and the parts that have worn out would have worn out on any saw and were easily replaced. You can't take that away from it.

I wonder if some of the bad rap these saws get is due to the proliferation of "reconditioned" units.

Jack

 

[spacemule]

I wonder if some of the bad rap these saws get is due to the proliferation of "reconditioned" units.

Jack

It's the bright colors and the name, I think.

 

[cmarti]

Strewth. My Poulan is not the equal of my Stihl, Redmax, or Husqvarna saws. They are faster and more powerful, feel better built and seem in every respect as though they should be more durable. They are better saws, no question about it. But I'm in the "waste not, want not" camp, and I can't stand not to get the last drop of life out of a tool. The little green bugger starts and runs well, and although not particularly fast, it will pull a sharp chain on short bar through oak or locust just fine, and it has cut a lot of oak and locust, some of which I could just barely buck from both sides. Recently I used it to cut up a bunch of oak crotches and twisted bits from a tree that was just flat full of hardware, 190 years old and some of the metal was darned near the center. Sure, the MS 660 would have been a bazillion times faster, but better to toast a $9 chain than a $15 or $20 one. I'm not a pro and wouldn't claim to have subjected it to pro-level use, but I've run this saw a lot more than most homeowners would and it hasn't fallen apart or burned up, and the parts that have worn out would have worn out on any saw and were easily replaced. You can't take that away from it.

I wonder if some of the bad rap these saws get is due to the proliferation of "reconditioned" units.

Jack

The reconditioned units run better, my 4620 came adjusted rich. I think the ones on Walmarts shelf are seriously lean, and fried quickly by a new user. I do not know if the Recons are emission tested by lots like the new ones?

p.s. the colors are a distraction:fart:

 

[yodayoda]

The thing that actually made me start looking at a new saw was my homeliite wouldn't idle and I figured it wasn't worth fixing, well after I bought my new saw I decided to take a closer look at my homeliite before I threw it in the trash(maybe have a backup saw if I could fix it cheap) all that was wrong with it was the needle bearing on the end of the crank was shot, causing the clutch to drag and making it die at idle. $2.50 later, good as new

 

[slinger]

LOL, The king of muffler mods.

Holy crap, your avitar scared the socks off me!

 

[howellhandmade]

The thing that actually made me start looking at a new saw was my homeliite wouldn't idle and I figured it wasn't worth fixing, well after I bought my new saw I decided to take a closer look at my homeliite before I threw it in the trash(maybe have a backup saw if I could fix it cheap) all that was wrong with it was the needle bearing on the end of the crank was shot, causing the clutch to drag and making it die at idle. $2.50 later, good as new

Same here. Before I got "into" saws I had the same problem with my Poulan. I took it to a repairman who told me that the clutch was shot as was the oiler, that the parts were too expensive, the oiler ran off a little plastic gear that was too difficult to get to, would cost more than the saw was worth to fix, just pitch it. I figured if I was going to throw it out I might as well learn something by taking it apart, and I did. I learned that the only thing wrong with the clutch was that little bearing, and that the oiler was easily accessible and cheap.

Jack
no

 

[howellhandmade]

It's the bright colors and the name, I think.

I was thinking of these saws as a class. People here sometimes speak as badly of almost any saw sold at Wal-Lowes Depot. I agree the Wild Thing colors and name are unfortunate, but my 2150 is pretty much the same saw, as is my Craftsman, which is a serious and sober black.

Jack

 

[JJuday]

Yeah I have to agree with most people here, they are cheaply built little saws. Not something that was ever intended to cut more than about 6-8 cords over it's life span. I wouldn't hesitate to take a freebie off of someones hands to use where I wouldn't put a more expensive saw that is for sure. But with some good maint/care they probably could last a guy many years.

Chainsaws suffer many of the same fates as snowmobiles, they sit most of the year till someone wants to use it with the gas and 2 mix oil good and separated/varnished in the carb and tank, totally ignoring all common sense about engines and think that they will magically roar to life. I got a free Artic Cat 440 years ago and all it needed was to have the tank and carb cleaned out and the grounds scuffed up and some new fuel didn't hurt either. What a monster it was, and did I mention it was free!

 

[HittinSteel]

I was searching Craigslist a while back and low and behold a used Wild Thing, complete with case and 4 chains (one being a brand new stihl picco). So, my CAD starts churning and I think, well maybe this would be a project that I could fix up and give to a family member without a saw. The seller says it starts and runs well the chain just won't stop turning at idle :monkey:. I go and look at it and give him his $30 asking price.

Brought it home, soaked and cleaned a few years of sawdust out of it and removed the wild thing stickers. The limiter caps came right out with a drywall screw. Filed them down with a dremel. Opened up the muffler and retuned plus adjusted the idle. Purrs like a little kitten. Put it in some small wood for testing...... not that bad.

Wife came out to the garage and says, "thats a nice looking saw, I like the colors, can I have it?" Sure I said.

I can't help but think if this saw was orange instead of green and purple it would not suffer so much here.

 

[fredmc]

I fix em all the time, because our local engine shop likes the smell of his own fartz so much he doesn't touch them. long live the wild thingy!

 

[fredmc]

Same here. Before I got "into" saws I had the same problem with my Poulan. I took it to a repairman who told me that the clutch was shot as was the oiler, that the parts were too expensive, the oiler ran off a little plastic gear that was too difficult to get to, would cost more than the saw was worth to fix, just pitch it. I figured if I was going to throw it out I might as well learn something by taking it apart, and I did. I learned that the only thing wrong with the clutch was that little bearing, and that the oiler was easily accessible and cheap.

Jack
no

poulan has some of the cheapest replacement parts out there P&C for around $45