Poulan pro 18" vs 20"

I had a PP 5020 with 20" bar for a spare a few years back. It was ok but probably would've been better with a shorter bar like pen said

My preferences:

50cc = 16" bar, .325 pitch
60cc = 20" bar, 3/8 pitch

Depending on the scale of the job and how often you encounter such situations, it might be worth renting a 64cc Makita from Home Depot.

What is the displacement of the saw you're currently running?

The reason I ask is that you seem to be focused on bar length instead of how powerful the saw is. Other than reach, buying a 50cc saw with a 20" bar is no improvement over a 50cc saw with an 18" bar.

If you've had your current PP for a long time, keep in mind that the old ones had a very good reputation and the new ones are totally different. It was once a high-quality brand, but no more. Read some reviews and you'll find a lot of disappointed long-time Poulan owners who assumed a new one would be like their old one.

It might help if you were to link to whatever is giving you the impression that the chain on the 20" model is more aggressive. There are likely to be plenty of chain options for either saw, but I'm not seeing any specs to indicate what the pitch and gauge are.

JA600L said:

If I were to buy the 18" saw is there a premium chain available for these saws? Is there better chain options with the 20"?

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Yes, the 20" bar should be regular 3/8" pitch and .050 gauge. Can get "yellow" chain in chisel and semi chisel = more aggressive. The 4218 will probably be 3/8 and .050 BUT Low Profile (LoPro) "green" chain. You MIGHT be able to run regular 3/8 chain on 3/8 LoPro bar but cutters might be too tall or drivers are different. I've never tried - maybe someone has here.

I'd definitely recommend the PP5020AV. I have one and am very happy with it, especially for the price I paid for it. It's certainly no Stihl, but it seems to be a step above Poulan's other saws, and it gets the job done. It's definitely a bit underpowered for a 20" bar, so as long as you keep in mind that it does have its limitations it does a pretty good job. I found it on sale locally for $189 and took the ad to Home Depot for their price match +10% off, so I got it for ~$170.

dougand3 said:

You MIGHT be able to run regular 3/8 chain on 3/8 LoPro bar but cutters might be too tall or drivers are different. I've never tried - maybe someone has here.

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3/8 and 3/8LP chains are not interchangeable. A switch from one to the other requires a accompanying change in drive sprocket and bar tip sprocket.

If you want to buy new and can stretch the budget a bit, the Jonsered 2255 (20" bar, regular 3/8 pitch chain) is $349 right now at TSC. It's the same saw as the Husqvarna 455 "under the hood." The weight, however, might be a little more than you want to swing.

JA600L said:

My question is should I upgrade to the 20" saw? I like the 18" because it is easy to carry and feels about perfect. The 20" I noticed had a Beefy chain on it compared to the 18". Any thoughts on whether this is better? I have a bunch of locust trees to cut up so I need all the help I can get.

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The 20" is two inches longer than the 18"

Hope this helps

TreePointer said:

3/8 and 3/8LP chains are not interchangeable. A switch from one to the other requires a accompanying change in drive sprocket and bar tip sprocket.

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Well, that makes it easy. Changing drive sprocket and bar sprocket on a homeowner 42cc saw would be overboard. Get the 50cc with regular 3/8 if you want more aggressive chain.

The non-safety chains aren't likely to cut any faster than common safety chain unless you're bore-cutting. All else being equal, full chisel can cut faster than semi-chisel with the caveat that it dulls much more easily and is more challenging to sharpen. The main thing is to keep whatever chain you're using nice and sharp, with appropriate raker heights. Beyond that, avoid putting such a load on the saw's motor that it slows dramatically in the cut. If cutting is working the saw so hard that it bogs down and the chain frequently stalls, then you should apply less force, get a loop of skip chain, or get a more powerful saw.

JA600L said:

I need to cut a bunch of locust, but I don't have $400 to spend. I can get the 20" saw for $190.

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You have two $1000+ stoves in your sig (I'm guessing way over $1000) and you can't scratch together an extra $200 for a decent saw?

JA600L said:

I found the coil came lose and smashed the flywheel.

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Funny, I have a Craftsman 42cc/18" (really a Poulan) from 1994 in which the exact same thing happened. The 2 coil bolts are threaded in plastic and strip after a few hundred hours use. One loose bolt bounced around and broke flywheel fins. I got a used flywheel off fleabay and put trimmer line in hole to seat the coil bolts better. These saws are worth fixing if parts are cheap. Sometimes you find non running ones for $5-$15 with all the parts you need.
If you do pull flywheel - the 2/3 jaw puller form Autozone Loaner Tools works great.

Echo saws are great workers, and a little less expensive than Stihl/ Husky...

Sorry, I can't in good conscience recommend one of the new Poulans.

I have the CS-590 with a 20" Oregon bar and full chisel chain. I can bury the bar in oak, and as long as the log doesn't pinch, it just keeps going.

My local Echo dealer beat any online price I saw.

For your wants? I'd look at the CS-400 or CS-370. You'd be hard pressed to find anything bad written anywhere about either one of those. I've been thinking about getting a 370 with a 14 or 16" bar for smaller tasks.

No, I don't work for Echo or have any affiliation with them, just a satisfied customer who is not easy on his equipment.

Or if you can't find an extra $100 or so, have you thought about checking out the local craigslist for a used Stihl/ Husky/ Echo?

I have a 20 inch pro that does fine for what I want it for but it would be nice to have a little shorter bar. Is it as simple as slapping a 18 inch bar and chain on, or will I have to change sprockets too?

zig said:

I have a 20 inch pro

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Need the model # to tell. Or read the #s off the bar.

zig said:

I have a 20 inch pro that does fine for what I want it for but it would be nice to have a little shorter bar. Is it as simple as slapping a 18 inch bar and chain on, or will I have to change sprockets too?

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There's surely an 18" bar available that could be slapped on, but we'd need to know the pitch of the chain on your 20" bar in order to tell you *which* 18" bar would work. Is it .325", or 3/8"?

FWIW, I'd suggest a 16" instead. 18" is so close to 20" that it might not seem worth the trouble to switch back and forth.