So I decided the poulan wasn't enough

[Highbeam]

I was having a fuel delivery problem in the field with the poulan and this caused me to pull the rope about 1000 times leading to bloody knuckles and ultimately a broken pull rope. Well the rope has broken before and after a field fix I now have about a 12" pull. So it became obvious to me that the best way to fix this was with a new saw. After a bit of research and debate over the dolmar 5100s I got the Stihl 290 set up standard for the NW with a 20" bar and 3/8" chain. She, yes she, and she had some great "personality", threw in a bottle of oil and a new stihl RSF non safety non skip chain. I'm not sure if it is semi chisel or not but I am sure that it will cut well.

So I put it to work cutting this weekend loading the pictured 2.5 cords and it cuts very well. Lots of big chips vs. the smaller poulan chips. The oiler was set in the middle and I was getting almost zero oil on the chain so I maxed that out with much better results. Hint, you need a long skinny screwdriver like they give you with the saw but the broken off clip of a bic uniball pen will work too! I thought it was going to be heavy after reading about this saw and it weighs about the same as my poulan so no big deal. I love love love the chain tensioner being on the side vs. parallel with the bar. This saw is loud when compared to a poulan, they just are, wear your muffs.

I think this was a good decision.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

The 290 is only "good" if you consider anvil like reliability at a reasonable price to be "good."

Good choice on the 20" bar.

I highly recommend a skip-tooth round bit chain - no loss in cutting performance and half the teeth/rakers to file.

 

[North of 60]

It was about time you got a real saw. Now you can upgrade to a Cummins for your truck. LOL Enjoy your new toy.
N of 60

 

[JustWood]

Thats why they call them a Pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on. :cheese:

 

[smokinj]

good move on the 290

 

[Highbeam]

Thats why they call them a Pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on. :cheese:

To be fair to the poulan it has cut more than 30 cords of firewood and been used extensively in land clearing over the last 5 years. I even buried it once with a bulldozer and it took me more than two weeks to find it. Up until this fueling incident it has really been an extremely reliable saw. The fuel problem was an air leak somewhere. I would push the little plunger and the bubble would fill up with air. I could hear it sucking air instead of fuel. I checked each fuel line in the field so I think it is the carb diaphragm. They use a walbro brand carb just like the stihl (different model I'm sure) so the failure point is not a "saw" problem exactly. Hey, it was just over 100$ at walmart. The new stihl will have to last 20 to be cost effective. I have high hopes that it will last even longer and it would be worth replacing the diaphragm on the stihl, can't really say that about the poulan.

Did anybody catch the homemade wrought iron handle on the poulan? 3/8" square bar.

I have asked for a case for the stihl for my birthday. I want to keep this saw in great shape, It's my first full size saw.

 

[smokinj]

Thats why they call them a Pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on. :cheese:

To be fair to the poulan it has cut more than 30 cords of firewood and been used extensively in land clearing over the last 5 years. I even buried it once with a bulldozer and it took me more than two weeks to find it. Up until this fueling incident it has really been an extremely reliable saw. The fuel problem was an air leak somewhere. I would push the little plunger and the bubble would fill up with air. I could hear it sucking air instead of fuel. I checked each fuel line in the field so I think it is the carb diaphragm. They use a walbro brand carb just like the stihl (different model I'm sure) so the failure point is not a "saw" problem exactly. Hey, it was just over 100$ at walmart. The new stihl will have to last 20 to be cost effective. I have high hopes that it will last even longer and it would be worth replacing the diaphragm on the stihl, can't really say that about the poulan.

Did anybody catch the homemade wrought iron handle on the poulan? 3/8" square bar.

I have asked for a case for the stihl for my birthday. I want to keep this saw in great shape, It's my first full size saw.

just ask big redd! 30 cords no problem.If you got that out of a pullon your going to fall in love with the 290

 

[Arlo]

Nice Saw! I just got a 390 and love it to. I moved up form my Poulan as well. Some people recomend the pro series but for the rest of use the 290 /310 /390 series saws are plenty for us mear mortals who aren't pros.

Enjoy your new baby!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Thats why they call them a Pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on and pull on. :cheese:

To be fair to the poulan it has cut more than 30 cords of firewood and been used extensively in land clearing over the last 5 years. I even buried it once with a bulldozer and it took me more than two weeks to find it. Up until this fueling incident it has really been an extremely reliable saw. The fuel problem was an air leak somewhere. I would push the little plunger and the bubble would fill up with air. I could hear it sucking air instead of fuel. I checked each fuel line in the field so I think it is the carb diaphragm. They use a walbro brand carb just like the stihl (different model I'm sure) so the failure point is not a "saw" problem exactly. Hey, it was just over 100$ at walmart. The new stihl will have to last 20 to be cost effective. I have high hopes that it will last even longer and it would be worth replacing the diaphragm on the stihl, can't really say that about the poulan.

Did anybody catch the homemade wrought iron handle on the poulan? 3/8" square bar.

I have asked for a case for the stihl for my birthday. I want to keep this saw in great shape, It's my first full size saw.

just ask big redd! 30 cords no problem.If you got that out of a pullon your going to fall in love with the 290

I've had my 290 since 03 and have cut. . . 50+ cord. I've had the bar dressed 3 or 4 times. I've burned through half a dozen chains. And that's it. Even the spark plug is original.

 

[Highbeam]

I'm a bit troubled by the air cleaner situation. With the poulan I could wash it with premix in the field and put it back into service immediately. This fancy sithl filter needs to be washed and dried with water? And having a spare is 32$. Do the filters last a long time?

 

[smokinj]

I'm a bit troubled by the air cleaner situation. With the poulan I could wash it with premix in the field and put it back into service immediately. This fancy sithl filter needs to be washed and dried with water? And having a spare is 32$. Do the filters last a long time?

never had to clean one in the field yet,and never needed to replace one either.(I do have saw dust and chips flying everwhere) I find it in my shoes scocks pant legs eyeballs, but only need to blow the filter out maybe every 3 days of cutting

 

[savageactor7]

Congrats on your new saw Highbeam hey that Poulan was good to you for all those years. Nice load of wood too.

 

[Flatbedford]

I've had my 029 w/20" bar since 1996. Original air filter and plug. I just wipe the big chunks out of the filter from time to time.

 

[JustWood]

I'm a bit troubled by the air cleaner situation. With the poulan I could wash it with premix in the field and put it back into service immediately. This fancy sithl filter needs to be washed and dried with water? And having a spare is 32$. Do the filters last a long time?

My personal 046 that I'm running now has about 2 million BF and at least 100 cord of firewood on it and have never washed the filter. Blown it out many times and knocked it out daily but never washed. I just retired my old faithful 066 (1992 vintage) to my old man for his minimal firewood detail. That saw has gazillions of BF and firewood on it and never washed the filter. Just knocked it out daily and occaisional blow out.

 

[ikessky]

I've enjoyed my 290 so far. I haven't gotten in to any wood that I've struggled with yet and don't really think I will either. I can't wait for it to go out of warranty so that I can muffler mod it.

 

[Highbeam]

Good to know about the air filter. The poulan saw would begin to run like junk every so often, like every 3 cords, and the foam sponge filter would be caked with junk so it was an easy fix but the stihl filter is of course a different design and much larger so it is good to know that I don't need to worry about it. How do you "knock it off" do you remove it from the saw and tap it with a scrench or brush off the big chunks with your hand?

The last thing I want to do is make this saw louder! The muffler is staying stock for me. Not that I don't like engine noise, I have a straight through 4" exhaust on the powerstroke diesel that whistles and makes a racket as good as any of them but on a saw I like a little bit of stealth.

 

[Flatbedford]

I just take my filter off and gently wipe it with my hand. Compressed air also works, but I don't have a compressor. I did wash mine with soap and water after about 11 years of service. I don't think it made any more of a difference than just wiping it with my hand.

 

[Backroads]

...but on a saw I like a little bit of stealth.

You should of bought an electric then! %-P

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I'm a bit troubled by the air cleaner situation. With the poulan I could wash it with premix in the field and put it back into service immediately. This fancy sithl filter needs to be washed and dried with water? And having a spare is 32$. Do the filters last a long time?

I just pull it off and knock off the big chunks.

 

[Highbeam]

...but on a saw I like a little bit of stealth.

You should of bought an electric then! %-P

Just find me an electric with a 3/8" 20" long bar and 3.8 HP. Find me one that doesn't require a cord while you're at it! Seriously, I cut wood at a remote woodlot in an area where there are crackheads and looters with no electric service. If it became apparent that there was easy firewood available and being taken then I am likely to get some wood thieves. Once I get the logs home I could use an electric for final bucking but the log pile is about 250' from the closest outlet so I would have to run my generator to power the electric saw.

 

[Backroads]

Just find me an electric with a 3/8" 20" long bar and 3.8 HP. Find me one that doesn't require a cord while you're at it!

LOL, find it...We need to invent it! There will still be nay sayers though. I was reading that there is new battery technology coming out though. Somebody found a way to recharge the average cell phone battery to 100% in 10 Seconds!! I guess the technology is still forth coming for bigger stuff like electric cars and such but that's going to be sweet if they can make some new power tools when it becomes available. There's nothing worse than having to plan ahead to charge all the batteries for a good weekend of work.

Congrats on the Stihl by the way, I have the MS310 with a 18" bar and a 16" bar. A guy I cut with just upraged to a MS310 after cutting in the woods with me a few weeks ago and he can't get the smile off his face! Try to pick up a 16" bar for yours with a good chisel chain and you'll be pleaseantly supprised compared to running the 20". I only run a longer bar when I have to, and my saw thanks me for it. :coolgrin:

P.S.--After cutting about 10 cords I finally cleaned my filter, it didn't really need it though. It was still running perfectly fine, just wanted to do a little preventive maintenance on it. Just used some air and water after a day of cutting. Also on mine and my friend's MS310, we both had to turn the oiler up to keep the chain wet with the longer bars.

 

[Highbeam]

I'll try the 20" bar for awhile since the saw balances well and I don't have many 20" logs to bury it in so I may never feel the lack of power. We're in softwood here so the 20" bar will have power but it mine be less managable than a smaller one.

Oh yes, I have the oil cranked all the way to the max and the oil reservoir is still quite full when I refuel the tank. Though I have not run either tank dry yet.

Does the saw prime itself pretty quickly when run out of fuel? I notice no priming system like the poulan has.

 

[smokinj]

I'll try the 20" bar for awhile since the saw balances well and I don't have many 20" logs to bury it in so I may never feel the lack of power. We're in softwood here so the 20" bar will have power but it mine be less managable than a smaller one.

Oh yes, I have the oil cranked all the way to the max and the oil reservoir is still quite full when I refuel the tank. Though I have not run either tank dry yet.

Does the saw prime itself pretty quickly when run out of fuel? I notice no priming system like the poulan has.

yes it will fire right back up after running out of fuel. not much warning that your running out either 2 quick bogs and its done

 

[Backroads]

When you feel it run out of gas, shut it down and refuel. When you fire back up, let it idle for 15-25 seconds before you give it a go. This will get the air out of the line and it will be fine. The time is an estimate, after you do it once or twice you will get the feel for it. You are right, 20" in softwood should be fine. Here in the NE I only stick with hardwood for my firewood. It doesn't bog the saw down but the 16" has a quicker cut I found.

 

[LLigetfa]

I hate to choke a hot saw so I always shut her down on the first sputter and refuel.