Wildthing saw was won !!!!!!
- Thread starter bassman
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Justin Garrison
ArboristSite Operative
021 vs wildthing might be a pretty even match if you are running a used chain and he has never cut with the wildthing. No matter how bad wildthings are portrayed to be, people have cut themsevels out of tough times with them im sure.
Elmore
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've been using a red 42cc Craftsman for a few days last week. I've been told that it is a Wildthing. I have been using it pretty hard, limbing up a bunch of Red Cedar and some Hackberry. Some pretty big limbs. It cuts pretty good but I am afraid to stop the engine because it's a chore to get it running again. Sometimes it will just stop. Maybe got a little hot. I am trying to get the owner of this saw to let me mod the muffler and take the limiter caps off to adjust the carb but she does not want to alter it while under warranty. Maybe it will burn up before these acres of trees are worked. Maybe then she will go get a Dolmar.
Race & Plug
WESCOMAN , the race is suppose to be this weekend . Brad , have you looked at the plug in your sisters saw ?
WESCOMAN , the race is suppose to be this weekend . Brad , have you looked at the plug in your sisters saw ?
Race
WESCOMAN , the 021 being a 35cc saw and the wildthing being 40cc saw , what is this wager ?
WESCOMAN , the 021 being a 35cc saw and the wildthing being 40cc saw , what is this wager ?
Elmore
Addicted to ArboristSite
plug???....is it that white thing with the wire attached??? heh hehscottr said:
No. I will have a chance to operate this saw tomorrow. I may look at it soon. It does idle. When I first started using it a couple of weeks back, it had just been returned from the shop. Apparently it leaked gas from the primer bulb and maybe from the carb. It is basically a new saw. They fixed that and adjusted the idle. I have since lowered the idle as I was worried about me putting it down in a tractor bucket and it cutting my toes off or at the very least ruining my boots. I may run some Moble Racing mix in it and see if it improves the way it idles and runs in general. The main problem that I have had with this saw is the fact that if you turn it off it is hard to restart.
Hard to restart
Brad , the next time it's hard to start try pushing the primer bulb two or three times then set the fast idle and give it a pull . It should crank right up . If you turn the idle speed down too low , you'll hear a clunk when you turn off the saw .
Brad , the next time it's hard to start try pushing the primer bulb two or three times then set the fast idle and give it a pull . It should crank right up . If you turn the idle speed down too low , you'll hear a clunk when you turn off the saw .
well this is how it went....
took out the wildthing and ran 1 tant to break it in then removed both chains and my stihl dealer sharpened them .
about a month ago i cut down a spruce that was 24 inches around or about 8 inches thick .
i cut 2 pieces 5 feet long and mounted them to the blade of my old ford 9n tractor.
we drained them and used fresh gas mixed 50 to 1 with stihl oil and premium gas.
with the saws both running at what we felt was there best we went at the wood and cut 2 pieces off the log just to gut the hang of it.
the wild thing went first and cut 10 slices in 2 minutes 13 seconds and would have been faster but it seemed to be geared wrong as it bogged down if you pushed hard.
the 021 sliced 20 slices in 57 seconds and would have done it faster but i cut a couple sloppy and ran out of log so i jumped over to his side.
so there you have it
I won a 50 bucks and a wildthing that i gave back to him to keep his mothers yard trimmed
took out the wildthing and ran 1 tant to break it in then removed both chains and my stihl dealer sharpened them .
about a month ago i cut down a spruce that was 24 inches around or about 8 inches thick .
i cut 2 pieces 5 feet long and mounted them to the blade of my old ford 9n tractor.
we drained them and used fresh gas mixed 50 to 1 with stihl oil and premium gas.
with the saws both running at what we felt was there best we went at the wood and cut 2 pieces off the log just to gut the hang of it.
the wild thing went first and cut 10 slices in 2 minutes 13 seconds and would have been faster but it seemed to be geared wrong as it bogged down if you pushed hard.
the 021 sliced 20 slices in 57 seconds and would have done it faster but i cut a couple sloppy and ran out of log so i jumped over to his side.
so there you have it
I won a 50 bucks and a wildthing that i gave back to him to keep his mothers yard trimmed
You put 50:1 in both saws? Unless this is a newer Poulan with new requirements, all I've known take 40:1! And you should have both used *new*(not just sharpened) chains of the same brand(say oregon) or something. Might have made a small difference. But the biggest factor could well have been "user" variation. An experienced sawyer will do better than an inexperienced one most the time! Not saying the Stihl is a bad saw, but it could have been a slightly leveler playing field maybe. In the end, I liked your decision to let him keep the saw but cough up the $50....being you had a wager afterall!
Now, I have to add that I get a little tired of the high and mighy putdowns on Poulan in particular. I'm not going to say they are *better* saws than a Stihl, Husky, Echo, etc., but they can well hold their own. Especially for a vast majority of the population! Most of us do not cut day in day out, and a saw for occassional use at an affordable cost can be a wiser choice than forking out big bucks just to have a *better* name saw. The Poulan WildThing is, arguably, one of the best values in the chainsaw market right now. Where else can you get an 18" chainsaw with case and an extra chain for $140 brand new(even less recon'd or used)? If you were to even the mark some, remove the case and extra chain, the saw itself is closer to $100 cost. Not bad for an 18" saw!
Oh, but it's a Poulan you say? Well, I've had a WildThing for about 6 years now. It's been an excellent saw! Reliable and does its job. I also cut probably considerably more wood than most folks. I'm also not easy on my saws....they get a workout. I cut everything from pine to oak and inbetween(which is normal where I'm at). I've cut probably 15 facecords of wood this year so far alone....between my 18" and 14" saws...neither has skipped a beat! And they've gotten this kind of use every year. Got the 14" a few years ago....liked the 18" so much, I bought another Poulan! Even if the 2375(WT) gave up the ghost tomorrow, it's more than paid for itself, and I'd certainly consider buying another!
My brother's been so impressed with mine, he bought one of the newer WTs(the newer humpback style). He's well satisified with his so far. He had a 16" homelite before and the Poulan is a major improvement in his opinion.
I, myself, have used other saws in my time. Including a basically new Stihl 16" saw....I think it was an 026 or something. The guy paid like $3-400(no case, no extra chain, just a bar guard) for it from some small shop a few years ago. Not a bad saw by any means, but I'd take my Poulans over it just about any day. Just more user friendly and easier to operate(in my opinion). Not to mention I got a spare chain and case and 18" bar with my WT for less than 1/2 the cost! I've used a nearly new Homelite from a few years ago as well......not mine, but one I was able to use a few times helping someone else. Again, I'll take my Poulans over that anyday!
I have a POS Ryobi leaf blower.....got it around 5 years ago. Bought a Weedeater trimmer around the same time. The Weedeater still starts and runs like a charm, year in, year out! The Ryobi gives a new meaning to temperamental to me....I will not buy another! The Weedeater is like the Poulan chainsaws I've got.......reliable and dependable...no surprise it's the same company! And that's with considerable use each year! Not just a tree here or there, but truckloads each year! I'm cleaning up a bunch of dead wood in a section of woods right now, and the two Poulans are working as well as ever. I'm not easy on my saws and they still keep running as good as ever. Maybe I can't brag about having a Stihl or Husky, but I know deep down that I have good saws that do their job and do it well....and I can afford to buy another one if/when they do ever give up the ghost.
I have no problem with people using and loving their Stihl's, etc., but just because it's affordable doesn't mean a Poulan is junk....quite the contrary! I'm not going to challenge any other saw to a race or even say I can outdo anything else. A chainsaw is a tool and the Poulans I've had the pleasure of owning have easily done their job and then some. At a price that's not painful, I can smile a lot more when I talk about them. Afterall, I've got a 14" and an 18" saw that I can take out in the woods.....that cost me less than the smallest Stihl probably would have!
Now, I have to add that I get a little tired of the high and mighy putdowns on Poulan in particular. I'm not going to say they are *better* saws than a Stihl, Husky, Echo, etc., but they can well hold their own. Especially for a vast majority of the population! Most of us do not cut day in day out, and a saw for occassional use at an affordable cost can be a wiser choice than forking out big bucks just to have a *better* name saw. The Poulan WildThing is, arguably, one of the best values in the chainsaw market right now. Where else can you get an 18" chainsaw with case and an extra chain for $140 brand new(even less recon'd or used)? If you were to even the mark some, remove the case and extra chain, the saw itself is closer to $100 cost. Not bad for an 18" saw!
Oh, but it's a Poulan you say? Well, I've had a WildThing for about 6 years now. It's been an excellent saw! Reliable and does its job. I also cut probably considerably more wood than most folks. I'm also not easy on my saws....they get a workout. I cut everything from pine to oak and inbetween(which is normal where I'm at). I've cut probably 15 facecords of wood this year so far alone....between my 18" and 14" saws...neither has skipped a beat! And they've gotten this kind of use every year. Got the 14" a few years ago....liked the 18" so much, I bought another Poulan! Even if the 2375(WT) gave up the ghost tomorrow, it's more than paid for itself, and I'd certainly consider buying another!
My brother's been so impressed with mine, he bought one of the newer WTs(the newer humpback style). He's well satisified with his so far. He had a 16" homelite before and the Poulan is a major improvement in his opinion.
I, myself, have used other saws in my time. Including a basically new Stihl 16" saw....I think it was an 026 or something. The guy paid like $3-400(no case, no extra chain, just a bar guard) for it from some small shop a few years ago. Not a bad saw by any means, but I'd take my Poulans over it just about any day. Just more user friendly and easier to operate(in my opinion). Not to mention I got a spare chain and case and 18" bar with my WT for less than 1/2 the cost! I've used a nearly new Homelite from a few years ago as well......not mine, but one I was able to use a few times helping someone else. Again, I'll take my Poulans over that anyday!
I have a POS Ryobi leaf blower.....got it around 5 years ago. Bought a Weedeater trimmer around the same time. The Weedeater still starts and runs like a charm, year in, year out! The Ryobi gives a new meaning to temperamental to me....I will not buy another! The Weedeater is like the Poulan chainsaws I've got.......reliable and dependable...no surprise it's the same company! And that's with considerable use each year! Not just a tree here or there, but truckloads each year! I'm cleaning up a bunch of dead wood in a section of woods right now, and the two Poulans are working as well as ever. I'm not easy on my saws and they still keep running as good as ever. Maybe I can't brag about having a Stihl or Husky, but I know deep down that I have good saws that do their job and do it well....and I can afford to buy another one if/when they do ever give up the ghost.
I have no problem with people using and loving their Stihl's, etc., but just because it's affordable doesn't mean a Poulan is junk....quite the contrary! I'm not going to challenge any other saw to a race or even say I can outdo anything else. A chainsaw is a tool and the Poulans I've had the pleasure of owning have easily done their job and then some. At a price that's not painful, I can smile a lot more when I talk about them. Afterall, I've got a 14" and an 18" saw that I can take out in the woods.....that cost me less than the smallest Stihl probably would have!
Newfie
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you are happy with your poulans then why let others opinions about them bother you? As long as you are happy.
But modern day poulans are crap and designed for the homeowner market and your's will give up the ghost soon enough. They are better than homolites which are real crap. Until you've put real hours on a real saw you really don't know what kind of performance you are missing. Real saws are not marketed by the length of their bars and chains but other more meaningful performance guides such as Hp or displacement. For $300 you could buy a mid range Husky that is more powerful than a wildthing and will last forever if you take care of it.
But like I said if you are happy that's cool.
But modern day poulans are crap and designed for the homeowner market and your's will give up the ghost soon enough. They are better than homolites which are real crap. Until you've put real hours on a real saw you really don't know what kind of performance you are missing. Real saws are not marketed by the length of their bars and chains but other more meaningful performance guides such as Hp or displacement. For $300 you could buy a mid range Husky that is more powerful than a wildthing and will last forever if you take care of it.
But like I said if you are happy that's cool.
2Coilinveins
Former Member
I'll agree, Wildthings aren't nearly the junk most people make them out to be, and I use alot of them. I also use-up alot of them. Around the 10 cord(full, not face) mark they're shot and not worth rebuilding. Comparing them to a Stihl or a Husky is ridiculous. They're not in the same league. A Stihl or a Husky is almost broken in at ten cords. Get your hands on a properly tuned Stihl or Husky with a sharp chain and you'll understand the difference.
If you've never listened to a Harman/Kardon, then a Sony sounds pretty good.
If you've never listened to a Harman/Kardon, then a Sony sounds pretty good.
You're right, Newfie, that if what works for me works, that's cool. I feel the same way for others.....whether they use a Stihl, Homelite or whatever.
I do have a question for you, though....what do you consider "real hours on a saw" in your comment above? I certainly am no lightweight on using my Poulans and have given them more than their share of work over the past number of years and they still work as well as ever. I know I've gone out in the woods here and cut a full truckload of wood in around an hour with my Poulans. That includes cutting, limbing, blocking, and loading the wood in the truck, and a fullsize pickup at that...though not ranked, just tossed in, just heaping enough to not fall off.
What gets me is people knocking Poulans and saying they are nothing but cr@p. Depends on your usage, I guess. If I only needed a saw a couple days, or trees, a year, then who cares.....any old saw should do. Poulan markets the Wildthing and others to the consumer market, indeed....and it can well live up to that. To say they are mere cr@p isn't constructive....as it depends on what you're talking about for usage. If a person is going to get into the tree cutting business for a living, no, a small Poulan would be a joke...so would most any other "consumer" saw. When people just knock Poulan or any other consumer brand as junk, they are pretty much saying that anyone who buys them is stupid. Same if I were to say that all Fords are [email protected]'m insulting those who like that brand. It all comes down to usage, and if a person indeed needs "industrial strength" then one of the pro brands is definitely the thing to do. For consumer usage, which is exactly what Poulan markets to mainly, their saws can well serve that market and then some. As I've noted, I probably cut a considerably greater amount of wood than the "average homeowner" and have done so consistently for the past 6 or so years with Poulans. (and I've tried out Macs, homelites and other saws over the years and still prefer my Poulans!). My point is that these saws aren't necessarily the cr@p that many blast them as. For the average homeowner a Stihl or Husky is actually "an overpriced waste". Seriously......why should someone pay $300-400 just to cut a tree or two a year? When a Poulan or whatever could do them just as well. From my experience with Poulans, they can handle a LOT more than that, so if homeowners are just given the hype that they should buy only the big names, well, I could argue it's a disservice to "oversell" them on that. It's like selling someone a 1 ton 4wd pickup when all they need is a Ford Ranger type truck. Same argument in reverse, but it's all relative.
You, and others can say what you like about Poulans, but I am know, from experience(and not casual mind you!), that they can more than do their job! To cut them down is just as much a misnomer as it is for me to call Stihl's and Husky's overpriced and unnecessary for the majority of people(which is true, as most people don't NEED a heavy duty saw!). If you're happy with your husky or stihl, great, I'm glad. I am not out to tell you to ditch it and get a Poulan. Just that Poulan is worthy of more respect than they've been given in this thread for sure.
I do have a question for you, though....what do you consider "real hours on a saw" in your comment above? I certainly am no lightweight on using my Poulans and have given them more than their share of work over the past number of years and they still work as well as ever. I know I've gone out in the woods here and cut a full truckload of wood in around an hour with my Poulans. That includes cutting, limbing, blocking, and loading the wood in the truck, and a fullsize pickup at that...though not ranked, just tossed in, just heaping enough to not fall off.
What gets me is people knocking Poulans and saying they are nothing but cr@p. Depends on your usage, I guess. If I only needed a saw a couple days, or trees, a year, then who cares.....any old saw should do. Poulan markets the Wildthing and others to the consumer market, indeed....and it can well live up to that. To say they are mere cr@p isn't constructive....as it depends on what you're talking about for usage. If a person is going to get into the tree cutting business for a living, no, a small Poulan would be a joke...so would most any other "consumer" saw. When people just knock Poulan or any other consumer brand as junk, they are pretty much saying that anyone who buys them is stupid. Same if I were to say that all Fords are [email protected]'m insulting those who like that brand. It all comes down to usage, and if a person indeed needs "industrial strength" then one of the pro brands is definitely the thing to do. For consumer usage, which is exactly what Poulan markets to mainly, their saws can well serve that market and then some. As I've noted, I probably cut a considerably greater amount of wood than the "average homeowner" and have done so consistently for the past 6 or so years with Poulans. (and I've tried out Macs, homelites and other saws over the years and still prefer my Poulans!). My point is that these saws aren't necessarily the cr@p that many blast them as. For the average homeowner a Stihl or Husky is actually "an overpriced waste". Seriously......why should someone pay $300-400 just to cut a tree or two a year? When a Poulan or whatever could do them just as well. From my experience with Poulans, they can handle a LOT more than that, so if homeowners are just given the hype that they should buy only the big names, well, I could argue it's a disservice to "oversell" them on that. It's like selling someone a 1 ton 4wd pickup when all they need is a Ford Ranger type truck. Same argument in reverse, but it's all relative.
You, and others can say what you like about Poulans, but I am know, from experience(and not casual mind you!), that they can more than do their job! To cut them down is just as much a misnomer as it is for me to call Stihl's and Husky's overpriced and unnecessary for the majority of people(which is true, as most people don't NEED a heavy duty saw!). If you're happy with your husky or stihl, great, I'm glad. I am not out to tell you to ditch it and get a Poulan. Just that Poulan is worthy of more respect than they've been given in this thread for sure.
buck futter
ArboristSite Guru
I have never run a poulan, but a chainsaw for the most par is a fairly simply piece of equipment, I imagine if someone knew what they were doing they could get some decent work out of them although many people claim they are plaqued. One thing I know I wouldn't get along with is the rediculous bar size they put on them for the displacement. A wildthing should have a fourteen inch bar and maybe sixteen inch at most.
I have a question if the "Wildthing" is so reliable and all you needed why did you buy that monster "Woodshark"? If I took my stihl 025 out in the woods with nothing but gas oil a file and a scrench, I don't even know how long it would run with just banging out the airfilter and filing it, I bet I would wear multiple chains before it would have a problem and then it would probably be maintenance related like the bar or sprocket. The sub standard stihl (by stihl standards) is more saw than the woodshark and wildthing combined and the money is the same.
Don't get me wrong the poulans fill a need but don't fool yourself into thinking these are production saws.
I am very happy that you are happy with your saws, let us know how they hold up over time maybe I am mistaken. I would like to know how many gallons or hours you get on them before the have a problem and what goes first.
Lucky
I have a question if the "Wildthing" is so reliable and all you needed why did you buy that monster "Woodshark"? If I took my stihl 025 out in the woods with nothing but gas oil a file and a scrench, I don't even know how long it would run with just banging out the airfilter and filing it, I bet I would wear multiple chains before it would have a problem and then it would probably be maintenance related like the bar or sprocket. The sub standard stihl (by stihl standards) is more saw than the woodshark and wildthing combined and the money is the same.
Don't get me wrong the poulans fill a need but don't fool yourself into thinking these are production saws.
I am very happy that you are happy with your saws, let us know how they hold up over time maybe I am mistaken. I would like to know how many gallons or hours you get on them before the have a problem and what goes first.
Lucky
Hi Lucky. I would agree with you that I wouldn't likely rate the Poulans a "production" saw, at least their consumer lines. And whatever on that.
Reason I bought the "monster" 14" Woodshark was I hit a KMart closeout in early '02 and got it for 1/2 price. I think it was like $60 for the saw. I picked up the electric the same day for 1/2 off as well. So, partially it was because it was a steal. Even on sale at other places they didn't get down that far, so I scooped one up. I will be honest on another angle.....I was considering another Poulan/saw anyway. I was very happy with the 2375 and was sort of considering another one. But I hadn't justified another $130-140 for one by then. $60 was a no brainer to me for a smaller saw. I do a variety of cutting. Usually I am cutting up dead, down, or whole trees. Not just logs in a pile. And with a lot of the smaller wood, a 14" will more than suffice. In fact, I now normally grab the woodshark most the time.....unless I get into wood that requires a larger bar. I figure it's cheaper to replace than the 2375, and the bars/chains are cheaper to replace as well, so chew this one up if that's what happens. I had been wanting a 2nd saw to carry with out in the woods anyway. I don't mind carrying an extra bar/chain/etc. with, but an extra saw doesn't hurt. Even if I wore a chain down to needing sharpening in the woods, I could just grab the other saw and finish up. Shapen the other saw on the grinder when I get back, but not have to mess with changing chains or sharpening in the woods itself. Plus, just in case....I realize the day may come a saw could die, and I thought it'd be good insurance to a 2nd saw with at all times. Could finish what I needed at least. Have not had to worry about that yet. But it's nice to have both saws with all the time now. I have that backup insurance, and I can use whichever is more fitting. Smaller saw for limbing or small trees, and the bigger saw for larger wood. So, I got the extra saw partially because I wanted a 2nd saw with all the time, but also because I got a steal on the woodshark at the time. If I hadn't gotten that deal, I'd have likely picked up another wildthing later on. But that made my decision for me that day. So, combined I have aroudn $200 into both those saws....at least purchase price. I found an extra case for the 14" at a thrift store some months later(proper poulan case!) cheap too. The electric saw I won't brag about...it's their low end manual oiler and is not that comfy to use. It does work though. But that's why I have the 18 and 14 and not some other combination at this point. Both still run as good as ever too.
I think you may well have a point about the bar size vs. engine displacement. I haven't sat down and done hard comparisons on all that, but generally the Poulans tend to list that they can go up and down one size from what they come as. Going down would likely be best, but I have tried to stick with stock sizes for these two. I've heard it said elsewhere that a sharp chain is worth a fair amount of HP too. I'll admit I'm not the best at hand sharpening, so I got the dremel attachment and get far more life out of my chains nowadays. And hopefully out of my saws as well. After 6 years of consistent use of the wildthing and 4 seasons of use of the woodshark, with many loads of wood each year, I certainly can't complain. Like I said, if you look at the "value" factor, the Poulans can be a very good argument!
As for gallons or hours, I can't even begin to guess on that. LOTS in the least. I've got around 14 oversized facecords out back of the house right now....all from this year. And I'm not done cutting for this fall yet! Last year was real hard on the saws....lots of larger hardwood.....and had probably had total cut of around 18-20 facecords. The couple years before that were more hardwood and lots of it. Probably similar amounts of wood cut each year. 4 seasons now on the woodshark and going on 7 for the wildthing. They are pretty good on gallons of gas/mixture. I think I'm on maybe my 2nd or 3rd gallon for this year so far. But I use the same gas mixture in the weedeater too, so not really certain on that. They are much better on chains since I got the dremel sharpening thing too. Only two problems so far....one of the muffler screws fell out of the 18 a couple years into having it. Never did find it. Put in another screw to replace. That finally fell out this year....never found that either. Got a proper replacement from someone else who had a parts saw and just put that in a couple weeks ago. Had to pop off the recoil cover once and redo the cord, but haven't a problem with that in a few years. The gas cap on the 14 got notably tighter this summer, but that was after sitting in a hot pickup cab during a long hot spell Still works fine, just need pliers to tighten/loosen that cap now. Other than that, nothing other than bar/chain changes. I'm on my 2nd bar on the 14 and either 2nd or 3rd on the 18....but I was really hard on the first bar/chain combo on the 14. Have been through a few chains on each, but I always stay one ahead in stock. Very affordable saws to run, and have been reliable for me so far. And 4-7 seasons in for use, I don't think that's much to complain about.
Reason I bought the "monster" 14" Woodshark was I hit a KMart closeout in early '02 and got it for 1/2 price. I think it was like $60 for the saw. I picked up the electric the same day for 1/2 off as well. So, partially it was because it was a steal. Even on sale at other places they didn't get down that far, so I scooped one up. I will be honest on another angle.....I was considering another Poulan/saw anyway. I was very happy with the 2375 and was sort of considering another one. But I hadn't justified another $130-140 for one by then. $60 was a no brainer to me for a smaller saw. I do a variety of cutting. Usually I am cutting up dead, down, or whole trees. Not just logs in a pile. And with a lot of the smaller wood, a 14" will more than suffice. In fact, I now normally grab the woodshark most the time.....unless I get into wood that requires a larger bar. I figure it's cheaper to replace than the 2375, and the bars/chains are cheaper to replace as well, so chew this one up if that's what happens. I had been wanting a 2nd saw to carry with out in the woods anyway. I don't mind carrying an extra bar/chain/etc. with, but an extra saw doesn't hurt. Even if I wore a chain down to needing sharpening in the woods, I could just grab the other saw and finish up. Shapen the other saw on the grinder when I get back, but not have to mess with changing chains or sharpening in the woods itself. Plus, just in case....I realize the day may come a saw could die, and I thought it'd be good insurance to a 2nd saw with at all times. Could finish what I needed at least. Have not had to worry about that yet. But it's nice to have both saws with all the time now. I have that backup insurance, and I can use whichever is more fitting. Smaller saw for limbing or small trees, and the bigger saw for larger wood. So, I got the extra saw partially because I wanted a 2nd saw with all the time, but also because I got a steal on the woodshark at the time. If I hadn't gotten that deal, I'd have likely picked up another wildthing later on. But that made my decision for me that day. So, combined I have aroudn $200 into both those saws....at least purchase price. I found an extra case for the 14" at a thrift store some months later(proper poulan case!) cheap too. The electric saw I won't brag about...it's their low end manual oiler and is not that comfy to use. It does work though. But that's why I have the 18 and 14 and not some other combination at this point. Both still run as good as ever too.
I think you may well have a point about the bar size vs. engine displacement. I haven't sat down and done hard comparisons on all that, but generally the Poulans tend to list that they can go up and down one size from what they come as. Going down would likely be best, but I have tried to stick with stock sizes for these two. I've heard it said elsewhere that a sharp chain is worth a fair amount of HP too. I'll admit I'm not the best at hand sharpening, so I got the dremel attachment and get far more life out of my chains nowadays. And hopefully out of my saws as well. After 6 years of consistent use of the wildthing and 4 seasons of use of the woodshark, with many loads of wood each year, I certainly can't complain. Like I said, if you look at the "value" factor, the Poulans can be a very good argument!
As for gallons or hours, I can't even begin to guess on that. LOTS in the least. I've got around 14 oversized facecords out back of the house right now....all from this year. And I'm not done cutting for this fall yet! Last year was real hard on the saws....lots of larger hardwood.....and had probably had total cut of around 18-20 facecords. The couple years before that were more hardwood and lots of it. Probably similar amounts of wood cut each year. 4 seasons now on the woodshark and going on 7 for the wildthing. They are pretty good on gallons of gas/mixture. I think I'm on maybe my 2nd or 3rd gallon for this year so far. But I use the same gas mixture in the weedeater too, so not really certain on that. They are much better on chains since I got the dremel sharpening thing too. Only two problems so far....one of the muffler screws fell out of the 18 a couple years into having it. Never did find it. Put in another screw to replace. That finally fell out this year....never found that either. Got a proper replacement from someone else who had a parts saw and just put that in a couple weeks ago. Had to pop off the recoil cover once and redo the cord, but haven't a problem with that in a few years. The gas cap on the 14 got notably tighter this summer, but that was after sitting in a hot pickup cab during a long hot spell Still works fine, just need pliers to tighten/loosen that cap now. Other than that, nothing other than bar/chain changes. I'm on my 2nd bar on the 14 and either 2nd or 3rd on the 18....but I was really hard on the first bar/chain combo on the 14. Have been through a few chains on each, but I always stay one ahead in stock. Very affordable saws to run, and have been reliable for me so far. And 4-7 seasons in for use, I don't think that's much to complain about.
wow
got a few replys....
I think my prejudice towards the wildthing saw came from this site and the pile of 60 or more that they sell at a local surplus store all looking like new but without a bar and chain.
my simple outlook is this.
if you buy a drill and it drills it is good.
if you buy a saw and it saws it is also good.
but if you buy a saw and it works for a day and then quits and you take it back and they give you another and it has a differnt problem and so on i would say it is junk.
now i am not a ford vs chevy guy as i think they all at one time or another put out junk .... remember the 82 - 85 primer problem chevy had that made all of them look like burn victims???
my 98 ford explorer that saw the dealer every month for its life with a cripiling motor /tranny problem but yet my 86 bronco 2 that has 300 000 miles on it and never let me down that still to this day will start in the winter with a half dead battery .
well my point with the wildthing is more quality controll than anything.
you never see a pile of 60 stihl's at a surplus store???
why???
i think they dont sell junk and i have used there entry level saw .
now i see that some of you have these ugly things and some even work but in the end i wacked it with my 021 and say what you want about fuel mixture or chains it still lost.
BTW i am no expert but i did run both saws and the wildthing just did not have the power.
we also wore safety gear ... well work boots and some eye protection.
oh and the guy that said "If you've never listened to a Harman/Kardon, then a Sony sounds pretty good"
I used to sell both and we would get a palet of sony cd players and out of the 35 only 25 would work but we would sell 8 to 1 .
the luxman and harmon would never come back thats why we never tested them from the warehouse.
now maybe there are thousands of luxman and harmon in a pile but because of quality controll we never saw them.
but you also paid more for harmon than sony so yes it sounded better .
so maybe in the end you do get what you pay for??
later
shayne
got a few replys....
I think my prejudice towards the wildthing saw came from this site and the pile of 60 or more that they sell at a local surplus store all looking like new but without a bar and chain.
my simple outlook is this.
if you buy a drill and it drills it is good.
if you buy a saw and it saws it is also good.
but if you buy a saw and it works for a day and then quits and you take it back and they give you another and it has a differnt problem and so on i would say it is junk.
now i am not a ford vs chevy guy as i think they all at one time or another put out junk .... remember the 82 - 85 primer problem chevy had that made all of them look like burn victims???
my 98 ford explorer that saw the dealer every month for its life with a cripiling motor /tranny problem but yet my 86 bronco 2 that has 300 000 miles on it and never let me down that still to this day will start in the winter with a half dead battery .
well my point with the wildthing is more quality controll than anything.
you never see a pile of 60 stihl's at a surplus store???
why???
i think they dont sell junk and i have used there entry level saw .
now i see that some of you have these ugly things and some even work but in the end i wacked it with my 021 and say what you want about fuel mixture or chains it still lost.
BTW i am no expert but i did run both saws and the wildthing just did not have the power.
we also wore safety gear ... well work boots and some eye protection.
oh and the guy that said "If you've never listened to a Harman/Kardon, then a Sony sounds pretty good"
I used to sell both and we would get a palet of sony cd players and out of the 35 only 25 would work but we would sell 8 to 1 .
the luxman and harmon would never come back thats why we never tested them from the warehouse.
now maybe there are thousands of luxman and harmon in a pile but because of quality controll we never saw them.
but you also paid more for harmon than sony so yes it sounded better .
so maybe in the end you do get what you pay for??
later
shayne
