Small Poulan Chainsaws - Advice Please

[Bill VA]

I am thinking about buying a small Poulan chainsaw for some brush clearing - something a little easier on my back!

The model I am considering is the Poulan Pro PP3616AVX. It has a 35cc engine and a 16 inch bar. About $140ish at Lowes.

Here is a link to the saw:

http://www.poulan.com/poulanpro/viewProductDetails.do?productID=161

Anyone have and use a smaller Poulan or Poulan Pro chainsaw?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Bill VA]

Slight correction - it is PP3516AVX

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have a small Poulan my dad bought once. Its junk. Won't survive real work or store for any period and run again. And it doesn't run now.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I agree with Gerald. I had an older Poulan my dad had bought. It was finicky, hard to start, and fragile.

Faced with the need to limb trees and clear brush, I bought an Echo CS-346 through ebay for around $200. This is a great little saw for this work. Lightweight, starts easily, solid, reliable. It may not be suitable for arborists or loggers but I'm very happy with it for farm use.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Have Poulan Pro 42cc/ 18 inch bar and have used the crap out of it for five winters: no problems. Easy to start, light to swing around. Take care of it and it should be good reliable saw for years to come.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have a Poulan Wild Thing 18" saw, bought at Kmart probly 8 or 9 years ago, still going good, just got a Poulan Pro 20" off of ebay, used it yesterday for the first time, cuts like crazy and is not very heavy to handle. Also ahve a Poulan Pro 18" saw. They work good for me is all I can say, I don't see spending $300+ dollars on a saw unless your going to make a living with it.

 

[JDemaris]

I can't speak for all the Poulans, but I'll tell you this. I worked on many over the years when I was a Homelite and Stihl mechanic - back to the late 1960s. For the most part, all the small Poulans were absolute junk. Especially the cheap cylinder walls they used to have.

That being said, some of the newer ones are excellent. I heat with 100 % wood, my home and my workshop and I cut a lot of wood. One day I spotted a black "Sears Best" 55 cc chainsaw at a yard sale and bought it for $50. I didn't expect it last long. Well, I used it and used it - hard. If anything, it's every bit as good as my Stihl 031 or 041. Not as much torque as the 041, but makes up for that with faster chain speed and being lighter. I found out later it's actually a Poulan Pro 3.3 cube. After that, I kept my eyes open and bought three more. Two more 55 cc saws and also a 40 cc. All have been excellent. The new 40 cc I keep up at a summer camp in the Adirondack mountains. It sits all winter, and when I come up - starts 1st or 2nd pull.
For a cheap lightweight saw - I really like them.

 

[rvirgil_KS]

I have a Poulan model 2150 16 inch and a 2450 18 inch and I am very happy with both.

One thing to watch for on a Poulan is the chain. The original Poulan chain on both of my saws had 2 spacer links between each cutter link. Get an Oregon or equivalent chain with only one spacer link between cutter links.
Bob

 

[JT]

I am a Poulan dealer, do not sell, just service and do warranty. Their warrnty work is just about none. For someone who uses it to cut a little wood, they are by far the best saw on the market for the price you will pay for it. Most that complain about them do not take care of the saw, they leave gas in it, don't service properly, for the buck, with care, they will last a long time.

 

[Super Steve]

I totally agree, my uncle burns wood so every summer i help him cut. He has a poulan and i have an Echo 3450 that i bought used for $100(still original tank of gas, owner needed bigger one). Well by the time he gets his going ive burnt half a tank of gas, then he gets it going and its fine until he shuts it off to fuel up, then it wont start so u let it sit and load the truck, then start it ALL over again. Meanwhile ive burnt 4 or 5 tanks and cut a pile of wood. So really i cut wood and he hauls it and burns it lol.

 

[Andrew Youngman]

I have 2 Poulan saws. The first is the 42cc motor. It uses a heavy duty cylinder and sleeve - I cut for about 200 hours one summer 3 summers ago, and many more hours since. I purchased another one to have a spare because they are cheap. They both start the same way. prime, 3 pulls with choke then 1-2 pulls half choke and then they start coming right give half throttle for 5-10 seconds and it is ready.

I have had VERY good luck. I watched the father in law run through a stihl in 5 months, and have to buy another there goes maybe 600-or 700 less than a year.

Get a big poulan, dont have to have the big bar nessacarily just the better motor. I think mine are the crappers and they go like heck.

In fact I used a chainsaw mill on the first mill thats right. I made boards with it, out of white oak (burr oak) which ate the blades, and boards out of white pine. Good enough saw. Just use it a bunch and keep the carb open.

 

[El Toro]

I have 2 Sears saws made by Poulan. The big one is the Pro model was ideal for fire wood. Never had any problems with either saw. Had to replace the plastic fuel lines, but I did that myself.
I had an old Lombard that I bought used too and I cut a lot of wood with it. Hal

 

[Stumpalump]

I have a real nice Huquavarna pro model 346xp.
It's a great fast saw and I'm happy. My old saw and back-up is the Poland you described. It is still my favort saw of all time. I had the bigger Poland and it was just fair but that small little saw is the best for light work and limbing trees. I'd buy another in a heartbeat. The 346xp I have is a whole different animal and would highly recomend one of those to sombody wanting a lot more saw in a still small size. When you get your saw modify the carb screws so you can actually turn them. Dang California emissions.Then carfully open up the exhaust muffler up without harming the sceen inside. Just a little untill it sounds a little louder. You can put a sweet tune on the saw then and it will run cooler. Oh and buy chainsaw chaps and ware high top boots because a chainsaw is still the single most dangerouse tool a consumer can buy. I've cut my boots and my chaps... it happens so fast.

 

[IH2444]

I have an old 2150 poulan and an older poulan pro vt220 16 inch. Both saws have done great, had to replace the oil pump on the 2150 but the guy had been running used motor oil for the bar.
I cut around 20 or more stacked pickup loads of winter a year, I have been using the VT220 for over 5 years for that and brush clearing. Chains, bars and one antivibe support spring is all I have done to it. The little sucker even has the origional plug in it.
The 2150 was just given to me last year.

Also open up the 2 little exhaust ports in the back of the muffler and they run faster It improved my 2150 quite a bit.

The newer poulan pros have a different engine and I cannot really say from experience about them.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Had one Predator here for 5 years ,, Good handling saw , Lots of Power ,Cheap on Gas as opposed to a 425 that I have in a crate of parts .., Chep price TOO ,, However On a 95 degree Day with a dulling chain She got to smelling hot And I think I gaulled the Cylindar ,, Nephew traded Me an O25 Stihl For it ,, He is going to Pour ome Lucas Do gooder in Her and give it New Life ,

 

[Anonymous-0]

Echo CS-330T
Forget the Pulan.
Tom

 

[Bob Thomas]

Have about a dozen Stihls and Huskys. But trees are my business. Prior to this I used to buy new Sears branded Poulans from Sears. If they are still available buy a Sears (Poulan). Far better service and warranty. Sometimes you can get one on sale. Those little fellars lasted forever and Sears had all the parts needed.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have the same model Poulan and it is a great saw! I use the heck out of it. I have a Husky for heavy work and a next to worthless 1 1/2 year old Sthil (or STILL...) MS290 that sits and watches everybody work.