 Great machine for the Price |
| Review Date: June 13, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Michael C. Schwab, Cibolo, TX USA |
Here's my review after compare the machine to the Wild Thing model....
I bought the Poulman Wild Thing saw for $149 at big box retailer. At first I thought it was OK. It did feel very light, and it seemed to start easily the first time (about 10pulls). After about 15min of use (cutting scrap highway bridge rail supports) it suddenly bogged down and died. I tried for 1/2 and hour to get again it to start to no avail. The engine's run characterstics seem to change drastically as the engine heats up. Perhaps they used too much aluminum in its construction, or perhaps the carb was mal adjusted. You cannot adjust the carb's settings so you're stuck with that. My guess is that it's a Chinese import. The pattern repeated the next day (starts, runs for a while, and dies) except that after about an hour of cool down, I finally got it to start and run for about another 5min before it died again. I contacted Poulan support, they gave some suggestions, none of them helped. Finally I returned it and upgraded to a Poulan Pro 18" 42cc for another $20 ($169). This machine is unbelievably better! I cut 5 times the wood in 1hour than I was able to cut in 3days with the "wild thing".
The Poulman Pro has many features that are better than the Wild Thing
1.) it does not leak oil everywhere when you sit it down like the wild thing
2.) Padded grips on the starter rope , not that that that matters much since it starts in 3 pulls!
3.) better chain adjustment (no tools required)
4.) heavier construction and smoother running. It's own weight is all I applied to cut through the rail posts in < 10 seconds.
5.) Cuts much better/faster than wild-thing (even though the dispacement is only 2cc more)
6.) Idles well without dying (wild-thing had to be 'petted' to keep it going, I didn't even realize that wasn't normal.)
7.) Mine came with a free extra chain! (that's almost worth the extra $20 right there)
8.) Springs between body of machine and handle to reduce vibration.
In summary, the Puolman Pro is a much better machine and gets more done, is easier to start and use and seems to use less fuel too all for $20 more. It also feels like a more solid machine and aggresively tears through wood without staggering. I'm able to completely cross cut through heavy 8" logs at 3/4 throttle, using full only occsionally as I hit knots and such. Stay away from the Wild Thing! It's a POC and sure to get you laughed at if you try to use it for any serious work!
I'm not comparing this machine to Stihl... if you are a logger or landscaper that uses chain saws as part of your livelihood, get a Stihl, but for the person that neeeds to cut a cord or 2 of wood every year, you'll be very satisfied with this machine. |
Great saw
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| Review Date: April 1, 2006 |
| Reviewer: James A. Pierce, livingston, mt |
| I have had my poulan pro for a couple of years now, I cut about 4 to 5 cords a winter. I did have some starting troubles, but that was due to a bad plug. I love this saw, it cuts just fine. I am thinking about getting a bigger husky, some of the trees that I am cutting down I have to cut from both sides now. I am definitely going to keep this saw for a backup and around the house. I would recommend this saw to anyone, especially for the $. |
You can do better
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| Review Date: March 24, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Handy Enough, NJ USA |
| I bought a Poulan because of the price. Bad idea. You do get what you pay for. After a year of light use, starting it got very hard. Once it did start, it would run for a minute or two, stall out, and then could not be started until it was fully cooled down. I took it for service at a small engine shop I know and trust. When I went to pick it up, the mechanic told me he couldn't do much with it because the carb has very limited adjustability. He said the only fix would be a new carb, which he would not recommend because of cost, and because I would probably encounter the same problem again. |
waste of money, waste of time
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| Review Date: January 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Vernon Irwin, Denison, TX USA |
2 friends recommended this brand so i gave it a shot. I've waited over a year to give it a review so that i could be as accurate as possible. Out of the box it was hard to start, pullrope kept hanging up (out) and i had to either smack it on something or take it apart to get it to go back in.
Beside the pullrope issue it is extremely difficult to start once it gets warmed up. It pumps way too much oil for the bar/chain (which in some respect is better than too little) and drips the rest while not in use. Anti-vibration is a joke, i feel the vibration worse with this saw than any other saw i've owned/used. The idea of the chain adjustment actually being in the bar sounds great but its a real failure. It is either too tight or too loose, no in between. Replacement bar is more expensive than normal. After having to replace the clutch, bar and chain due to a combination of abuse and poor quality, i bought an ECHO brand chainsaw. The 16 inch ECHO works like a champ (again over a year old) and puts the Poulan to shame. I work on the Poulan 70% of the time and get 30% use from it. I work on the ECHO 5% of the time and get 95% use from it. Something you should also keep in mind..POULAN,CRAFTSMAN,HUSQVARNA..same saw in different clothing, all products of ELECTROLUX. Word |
Not a good choice!
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| Review Date: September 9, 2006 |
| Reviewer: gbotts, Portage, MI |
I purchased the saw because of price and once again got burned.
After 2 months the saw became very hard to start. I brought the saw into a dealer, who indicated that it needed carburator work. The saw has been there for over 3 months now. I had to buy another saw to get my work done, while waiting for this one to be fixed.
I called Poulan and they are not helpful at all. They just tell me that it should be fixed soon. I thought that after all this time, that if the saw can't be fixed, it should be replaced. But they didn't see the wisdom in that line of thought.
All I can say is buyer beware!! |
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