...am I nuts? Chainsaw selection time.

Ok, I burn maybe 1.5 cords a year. Small time for this site.

I am looking at new saw. The local farm supply has Huskies and Poulan Pros. I do want to buy local so internet shopping and chain stores are out.

The 50cc 20" bar Poulan Pro is $130 cheaper than the 445 Husky with a 18" bar. I'm seriously thinking of the Poulan based on the price and the amount I use it.


Give me your thoughts please.

There's only one way to find out , and that's to buy it . I'd say that for no more than you plan to use it , you'll be just fine .

If you plan on cutting 1.5 cord all at once- and why would you not- just rent a saw once a year. No maintenance, no storage, etc.

I own a few power tools that I wish I had rented

A lot of people here will talk bad on Poulin, but for very limited use it should last you a long time. Remember fuel stabilizer or drain gas at the end of the season.

I cut lots of wood with a poulan from walmart. They are cheap, quiet, easy to start and run really well. Having a nice sharp chain is very important as you will find with any saw. The only thing is that they won't last as long as some more expensive name brand models and when something breaks it is very often cheaper to replace the saw than to repair. It shouldn't break unless you break it though.

I have no regrets about buying and using the poulans. I like using the stihl better, especially in bigger wood.

Thanks. Ive always liked buying quality equipment, but also bang for the buck is very important to me.

Good idea on the rental idea, but I usually pick and choose times to cut and have some property to maintain.

Stabilizer is great idea....if I remember to do so. LOL.

What saw do yo use now to cut wood?
Have you looked on CL or at the used market?
Rent is an idea but travel to & from the rental place & rental cost every year, can add up to the price of a good used saw in a few years.
1.5 cord is a few truck loads & means you need 4.5 cords CSS to be ahead & let it season 2 years

A poulan pro would be fine for your needs. I trimmed my yard last night with my ongoing ethanol experiment, a poulan weedeater with ethanol mix in it from last summer. Ran great.

*caveat don't try this at home

poulan pro would be fine, but if you look hard enough, same money will buy you a used 028 or some other older, but reliable Husky or Stihl. Certainly nothing wrong with a cheap saw, just doesn't leave a lot of room for growth.

I really like my Blue Max, it is the cheap saw that you can get at menards. You will also find them on black friday for super cheap.

1.5 cords I would run down to wally world and grab a Wild Thing!

090 with a 20" bar. Easy decision.

They aren't any worse than the consumer grade Stihl or Husky. Main issue I see when they show up here is the chain tension system. The little t-bar that fits into the chain bar is plastic and is easily sheared off. That may have changed by now.

For the same money or sometimes less he could get a 30yr old Poulan 3400 that will still run circles around any of their newer models made after 1995.Much better anti vibes + chrome plated bore on the older ones too.

Ya, but, it doesn't have that new car smell or all the shiny plastic, and most importantly it won't impress the Jones's across the street. ( sorry that just popped into the lack of thought process)

At 1.5 cords I wouldn't even think that deep!

LOL I do sometimes tend to overthink stuff.....Parts are starting to get scarcer for them now,that's why I grabbed a 2nd one last year 'just in case'.Not as good looks wise,but seems to run as strong as Dad's ol' beast.

What I'd really like is one of their S6000 models - mid '70's 100cc monster w/ full wrap handlebar made by Sachs-Dolmar.You wouldnt believe what they're going for either restored or NOS. Unbelievable.

As was mentioned before .... Fresh fuel ,stabilizer , and a sharp chain.... And your saw will serve you well .
On the subject of stabilizers , Stihl Ultra , and Husqvarna xp oils have stabilizers in them . So, I guess what I'm saying is don't go cheap on mix oil .

Didn't know that about the oils...would make it a lot easier

^^^ I'm not saying that other oils don't contain stabilizers , just that I know these two do . But at any rate , as you are a fairly infrequent cutter, get rid of any mix that's more than a month or so old , and get fresh fuel . Your saw will love you .

How big is the wood you're cutting? If a 16" bar would suffice, I'd suggest something along the lines of a Stihl MS210/MS211 or MS230. If the 18" bar is more comfortable, MS250. MS250 is the most saw you can buy new for $300. If the 20" on the Poulan is a necessity, well, not too many other options in the under 50cc category wearing a 20" bar.

Spend what you're comfortable spending, realizing you get what you're paying for. I've never regretted buying the best possible tools I can afford and have a few where I bought cheap and regretted it.

If you're a tinkerer, and like fixing your own tools, then the Poulan is probably a good buy. But if you rely on others for service work, then I'd stick to the Husky/Stihl dealerships that will take care of you as a customer.

An Echo might be a good fit. They make some pretty reasonable "homeowner" saws that carry a 5 year warranty. They have a dealer network, although not as good as Stihl, that is way better than Poulan.

If that Poulan goes down count on waiting a while for parts and maybe fixing it yourself. If that sounds tolerable, then get one. If not, shop elsewhere.

Some tools are worth skimping on....others aren't. I go back to my harbor freight hammer drill example. I use it twice a year, at most, and it will eventually die and I won't be able to get it fixed and I'll have to buy another one. I'm OK with that.

I use my chainsaw every couple weeks. It will eventually die...but not for long time...and if it does...I can drive and get parts...have them fix it or fix it myself in a couple days. I'm not OK with a throw-away saw or waiting a long time for parts. That's a PERSONAL preference and you might think otherwise...which is perfectly fine.

.... Throw-away saw..... hmmm... Are those the ones you throw at the tree when they no longer cut?

That's the best way to get any use out of them...

That's my thoughts exactly. Horrid Freight type tools are great for one time/infrequent use, not much more.

I don't have a great demand for wood, but I'm also just starting out, so I figure the first couple years I will cut more, then it will settle down to 1.5 cords a year.

I'm hoping the Poulan Pro isn't a POS but I know it's not Stihl/Husky quality either.

I've got an older chainsaw (see my sig) with a 14" bar, and I've come across a great stand of trees I will hopefully be working on this weekend. ( I need to take a picture and post it in the wood shed) where some of trees are fairly good size. I thought about dropping down to a 18"/40 cc Poulan Pro, but it's only $20 less.

I also looked at renting. One place wanted $40/day for their Huskies, so that doesn't make much sense for me.

I grew up with a lumbard! WildThing is a hudge step up! 1.5 cords is splitter crap! (or saw dust) lol Oh I got one more if your careful and dont hit the dirt and clean wood you can do a 3 year supply with one chain!

Just when ya think ya got enough saw.........