I bought the avx model of this saw a couple of years ago and it lasted about two years with moderate use. While it ran it was a pain to start a pain to keep running and a pain to keep the chain on. I burned the piston rings up durning tornado cleanup, went and bought a stihl and never looked back.
My first chainsaw was a Husqvarna and it was IMPOSSIBLE to start. Always.
I eventually got so tired of it that I bought a Poulan about a year ago and I love it. Not the most powerful one out there, but it starts quickly and does the job for me.
Random, I know, but I’m pretty sure that this was the chainsaw in the Slack Tide episode of Dexter. Season 4, Episode 7. Arthur Mitchell used it to cut down a tree when he and Dexter were in the woods.
[youtube=fpgnYHHc9rw][/youtube]
No need to buy a special tool, a piece of appropriately sized soft copper works perfectly.
I ran an 18" Poulan Pro for about 15 years until I abused it and replaced it with a 20" Poulan Pro. Out of the box the new saw was very anemic (thank you EPA). After adjusting the fuel mixture it is now very easy to start and made short work of the walnut trees I had to clean up.
Not a bad price, but you would be ‘rolling the dice’. Poulan is well-known for hard-starting, or not starting ever. lol
I’m going to go with this Husky… it’s a smaller bar, but you can’t beat this price for a Husky…
No case, sorry. We’d list it in the Specs or Features if one was included.
If you are going to buy a poulan chainsaw make sure to buy one local so that you can take it back if you get a lemon.
I bought a poulan years ago it worked fine and I thought that all the nay sayers were full of it. Sold my farm and moved to town. When I got another country property i wanted a cheap saw to keep in my truck.
I went through 3 saws in a day untill i got one that ran right. Go to lowes get a saw. Get it home and dud, back to lowes get another saw ran fine for an hour then the engine seized. Got another saw and it ran right for about a day. Then I took it would not start. I then boutght a Sthil and have not looked back. Oh Husquivarnas are now made by poulan so scratch those off your list.
Another note Stihl has 3 grades of saw. Black handled saws are occasional light duty home owner saws city folks who have a downed limb or 3 a couple times a year.
Orange are midrange once a year wood cutting saws for say a farmer or home owner who is cutting up a couple cords of wood for the winter.
White handled saws are professional grade every day logging arborist wood cutter fireline saws. The best you can get and the price will reflect that.
Yeah poulan is a steaming pile.
They are sold new with the case. So WTF, why no case ? Yeah, Seriously. Its only a $150 chain saw new. Yes, with a case.
I have had a Poulan for about 10 years and it always starts easy,. I do not use it a lot but it has been a good saw, I also have a Stihl that is a better made saw but have had more trouble with it starting. If you don’t use it a lot the Poulan is a good saw.
I’ll give anyone out there my Poulan chainsaw for $35.
No, then I’ll give it to you for $5.
No, then I’ll send it to you for the cost of shipping.
No, then I’ll pay the shipping.
There! Finally got that piece of junk out of my garage.
If you need further explanation, I am not a fan of the Poulan chain saw.
“Factory-reconditioning” for chainsaws simply consists of sharpening the chain, adjusting the timing, and thoroughly washing off the bloodstains.
I have three friends who have Stihl saws, and my Dad has one, and they are all in the shop every year or two with starting issues or fuel problems. I have a Husqvarna 340 18" saw that I purchased from TSC about 7 years ago and it has been flawless. May take a dozen pulls to start if it has been sitting for a few months, but once warmed up, starts on the first pull. I do make sure to run ethanol-free gas, add sta-bil to the gas mix immediately, but never bother tto run the tank dry. I guess my point is that every brand has lemons and good ones, some more than others. You pays your money and you takes your chances. Take care of it and use good gas. Replace the chain after every so many cords of wood, and replace the bar every 2 or 3 chains, and it will continue to cut like butter.
Btw, I tend to think that chain saws work better the more you use them. If you cut up a cord of wood every month, any chain saw will do. If you use the saw once a year, you might want to invest in a local servicing dealer. Chainsaws tend to go bad quickly when you don’t use them and when you don’t take care of them.
I own this chainsaw. I bought it three years ago as a reconditioned item from a local dealer. I live on a 22 acre farm, and while I don’t cut my own firewood or anything like that, I’ve used this saw a fair bit. The gas cap did become very hard to remove, so I use an adjustable wrench. It seems to have become easier to remove again. I’ve only sharpened the chain once. It still cuts OK, but will soon need to be replaced or sharpened again. It starts easily IF you follow the starting procedure exactly. If you mess something up, it will take about 400,000 pulls to start, give or take. I maintain all my equipment well, so if I do start the saw successfully, it runs fine after that. I bought it intending to just junk it after a season and buy a “real” brand like a Stihl, but it just keeps running. I own an extendable Stihl tree saw (awesome piece of equipment) that is clearly higher quality and much easier to start, but it was also $600+ vs $120 or so. If you are an occasional use owner, this saw is a steal at the price. Make sure you use only ethanol free gas to help with easier starting for infrequent use.