# I will never buy a Poulan Product ever again!!!!!!!



## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

I had a Poulan 2050 it was a small intrepid that I had used for the last 7 years, the primer and clutch wore out. I bought the chainsaw as a temporary fix until I was able to repair my Stihl 32V. The Poulan 2050 was light reliable chainsaw, every season it started without a hitch, so instead fixing the old Stihl I shelved. I had such good luck with Poulan; I decided to buy a Poulan Pro 295 and a Poulan “Wild Thing”. I was sadden and angered by the drop in quality and reliable over the last tens years! I was using the Poulan Pro for dead standing oaks and the Wild Thing for pruning dead branches off oak (don’t want to spread Oak Wilt). The Poulan Pro only lasted about 12 hours before it quit, and the Wild Thing the first time I pull started the rope broke, after fixing that, the chainsaw only lasted for a ½ day (maybe 2 hours) a hole blew through the piston. It pissed me off losing compression and horse power! 
So in my disgust I went out and bought Stihl MS270 and the parts for the Stihl 32V. The Stihl 32V was purchased by my father in 1974 (used) and in 1990 it was rebuilt. The recoil spring broke and the carburetor had fuel still in it and gummed it up in 1996. The Stihl is the best chainsaw I have worked with. The durability rating of the Poulan Pro is 50 hours of use the Stihl durability rating is for 300 hours. 
I will never buy a Poulan again!!!!!!!


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Ah come on, don;t you know that a Poulan is the best dawg gone chainsaw in the world! (Anyone remember that statement someone used to always post on that other forum?)

I for one can not knock Poulan Chainsaws, as I got over 20 + hard, and I mean HARD years out of 2 of my Poulans, a 3400 and a 3700 neither of which were Pro saws..........I even managed to get over 15 years out of a 2000 tophandle saw............and when you consider what I paid for these saws that were returns to the store and on the clearance table was less than $125 for all three..........I would say I should owe Poulan some money......But that was then this is now, and I would not get caught with a new Poulan / weedeater anything. There is just something abnout a company that makes a saw called the wild thing, and has them in Purple and green.


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

When Poulan and Weedeater merged and were bought by Electrolux the quality went down fast! Just like when Harley Davidson was part of AMF!
Poulan had a great product when it was an independant company, but since they are just a cog in a corporation only numbers count (how many unit sold this month). Compared to old Poulan "We only sell quality chainsaws or we are not in business next year". 

Hopefully Poulan can pull a Harley Davidson and become a independant company and produce a quality chainsaws again. 

Until then I will be happy Stihl for the next 25 years!


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

So you haven't heard Stihl was just bought out by Poulan Weedeater. Just kidding :lmao:


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## farmallmaniac (Feb 16, 2004)

:furious:


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## memmurphy (Sep 18, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jodyand _
> *So you haven't heard Stihl was just bought out by Poulan Weedeater. Just kidding :lmao: *


Jody,
You'll cause Wingnut to strip a thread telling him that after his experience. :furious: 



Wingnut,
Thanks for the heads up on the quality problems. I'll scratch Poulan off my list. I'm using an old Homelite XL my dad bought in the 70's when they were still a good name. Don't think its a secret they went downhill too a number of years ago. Seems like the list of companies making quality products gets shorter all the time.

Mark


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## CatDaddy (May 30, 2004)

Mark,
I've got an old Homelite XL (early 70's vintage) too. It kicks serious butt. I'd loaned it to my dad when he cut down a tree at the shop, and it sat almost 2 years with fuel in it before I got it back. I washed out the tank, flushed the lines, added fresh pre-mix & it fired up on the second pull. My paw-in-law's Poulan sat over the winter & wouldn't start until after a pricey trip to the shop.

Can't beat the old stuff, I say, it was built to last - and last - and laaaast!

-=A=-


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## Ernie (Mar 18, 2004)

I have a 10-12 year old Poulan 2150 that always starts on the second pull and sits most of the time except for limbing and has never let me down.....

Burning a hole thru a piston sounds as if the wrong fuel mixture or possibly the wrong plug.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Well I have a newer Sears saw, thit I belive is made by Poulan. Wile running well, I agree that it is pretty junky all in all. Fit and finish is REAL bad, and just using it, the handle distorts, and the housing starts to come apart. Just cheep, and cheesy. BUT it has run OK so far. Always has started, and does a fair job cuttin stuff. Am I sorry I got it? No. At least it has the safty stuff, so I fell better having my wife use it. And mostly the price was real good. Would I buy another? No. Next time, I will clime up the lader a few rungs, and get something nicer. I mean I can take a big jump with just a 100 more outlay. 

As for now, I also use my old vintage Homelite. She a big, old heavy, loud monster, that just keeps cutting and cutting.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Ernieg _
> *I have a 10-12 year old Poulan 2150 that always starts on the second pull and sits most of the time except for limbing and has never let me down.....
> 
> Burning a hole thru a piston sounds as if the wrong fuel mixture or possibly the wrong plug. *


Everything I have ever been taught or what I have read in my manuals etc states a hole in the piston is usually the result of one or two things. If its a 2 cycle engine, it is either going to be timing or spark plug was not right, in a 4 cycle it could be timing or spark plug or valve train interference....

Improper fuel usually leads to a sized condition, with gauling of piston to cylinder wall and / or main con rod journal bearing getting burned and overheated. Even if saw was to start again odds are permanent damage has occured and its usefullness and ability to run right is diminished greatly. When we sold powered equipment and snowmobiles it was amazing how many ignorant folks would take the advice of a jackleg mechanic and install hotter plugs in their sleds to reduce smoke from exhaust........When most of the time it was their riding habits and improper mixing of fuel that caused most of their problems.....Folks buying high performance sleds and using them to putter around the yard.............this was back when most 2 strokes used 20:1 ratio.

Oilers on Poulans are pityfull. They rely on a piece of plastic wedged on the crank to supply oil to the bar. Its a pretty common item to get undone and its almost a complete teardown to fix.


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## johndeere (Sep 17, 2003)

I have a Sears Craftsman that is a Poulan.I normally buy Stihl products but I just do not use a chainsaw very often.It is a cheap saw and I think of it like a Bic lighter.But it does start and does the small amount of tree trimming I need to do.The owners manual acctually saids ''For Occasional Use Only''I was surprised to read that.Almost like advertising its a POS.The only real complaint I have with it is.It leaks bar oil all over the inside of the storage case.I read this same complaint from other Poulan owners also.I just figure thats why they give you the free case to catch the mess.


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## chrpmaster (May 5, 2004)

:ditto: 

I have two Crapsman saws. my wife proudly got me a 16" for fathers day one year without asking me. It runs ok but is kinda cold blooded and definitely on the cheaper side. I also picked up a 20" at a pawn shop for $90. It was the same one I looked at in the store for $299. Seems alot better built than the other one and really cuts pretty well. Kinda heavy by the end of the day which is why I sometimes forget and pull out the smaller one. Then I end up wasting time dicking with it to get it to work. Usually I am far enough from the house by the time I realize my mistake that I don't want to have to go back and get the bigger one. 

An older guy who sharpens chain saw blades showed me how to maintain a saw and I religiously do it after every use. I think it makes a big difference but maybe it just makes me feel better 

Andy


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## catmando (Dec 18, 2004)

I always liked the old die cast saws. They seemed to be made to last forever. The new plastic ones?? BUT, they are sure a lot lighter than the die cast. Which is nice since I am getting up in years.

I think a more appropo comparison would be the "made in China" lighters. They make the Bics seem like a Cadilac!

So far my Husky has been good. Bought in 2000.


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## AlbanyBob (Aug 25, 2004)

*I work on them*

I work on POULAN SAWS as part of my mechanic's job. I also work on the trimmers and blowers. I have to agree that the newer stuff is not what it used to be.

But as far as the piston blowing a hole in it I would have made a call to where I bought it and asked for another one saying it didn't run right. The big box stores will gladly give you another one to replace it and then send it back to POULAN.

As for what I use, HUSQVARNA ALL THE WAY. I have an older Husky made by Husky before they were owned by Electrolux, the 262XP PRO is a hell of a saw and I mean I think it will and has out done a other saws the same size. 

A friend of my who is a tree man had to beg to borrow my saw to finish a job because his Stihl broke down and after he used and abused it and cleaned it up, he said he was going out and buy nothing but Husky from now on.

Just my 2 cents worth, may I have change now please.

:homereat: Bob


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

I prefer Husky myself. But I did learn you can not knock those newer polymer (plastic) housings on the saws today, that is if its a saw from a decent manufacturer, like Husky, Stihl or Echo etc...........certainly not the cheap plastic on poulans and such. I have dropped my Echo CS3400 quite a few times from a tree, also dropped limbs etc on it and my son has dropped it as well..........I even managed to backup on and over it, when a friend placed it behind the tractor so it would be out of the way, right, and it came through unscathed each and every time. Thats some tuff plastic.


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Aren't Husqvarna and Poulan the same company now? Is there a major difference in the saws from each?


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## Ernie (Mar 18, 2004)

I can"t dispute the fact that all things are made today to be throw away in reality. This society (ours) seems hell bent on always buying new and from what I have read in the above posts seems to confirm my sentiments... I still believe that you get what you pay for whether its tool or tractors or chainsaws...It's better to spend the money once than spend lesser amounts many times over our life spans and many hours cussing that pos out and may even shorten some life spans......



Michael, on your leaky craftsman pull the chain and bar and there is a cheap tin foil looking cover for the oiler... We just repaired one for the same problem and found a hunk of oak bark had gotten in behin and was aloowing it to empty the oil tank in a few days... so far so good...he uses it for pruning smaller trees in his business.... Good luck on the repair as I said that tin foilly looking thingy was a pure pain to get off abd reinstall...I was 
told by a pulan mech to get a new one for a few bucks........the cover that is....


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

I had a Poulan after we got married. It did fine for the light stuff, but I was always having to sharpen the chain. Turns out that the oiler never put out enough oil on the chain and it would dull them out super quick. It still works finr, but it has been relegated to light duty. I bought a Stihl 025 and have been happy ever since. The machine is well built and will cut just about anything that it can. It is a great saw.


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## tombukt2 (Oct 11, 2013)

fun to see these older posts/ threads what you were / are seeing is Amerika big buis buying up rights to fek up company names cuz they cant compete Stihl is under going same issue now I wouldnt buy a new stihl if they paid me.. the chainsaw design think tank is White consoldated Industries.. why you think all saws look reel similar? Baird Poulan were great Effin Saws You dont buy anything from them since the Ron Hartill design 3.3 cube super light weight saw If needing Big saws the poulan Green n black saws to 7.0 cubes notice they looked just like the original designs of the period of Andreas Stihl saws if anyone has any of these layin round broke id love to have em 919 383 7267


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