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. Poulan Pro PP4218AVX 18-Inch 42cc 2-Cycle Gas-Powered Anti-Vibration Chain Saw with Case
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.
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 $.
I have to be honest, this is my very first chain saw, so I'm no authority on the industry standards. The saw has tackled everything I've asked of it though, so I'm confident in at least saying that it's "good".
The pull-starter system get a "F" though. I was out cutting down trees for a food plot and just like almost everyone else, the pull string didn't recoil. Being an over-confident geek though, I decided to take it apart.
After looking at it for a while, I couldn't figure out what the problem was, but when I tried to put it back together, the "EPS Spring" wouldn't fit back over the plastic post. I looked at the spring more closely and found that it had been over-torqued and now had a coil in the middle that curved inward, instead of being in alignment with the others.
So I went to [...] and clicked on "Parts and Accessories". The parts schematic labeled that spring as the "EPS Spring" (I'm certainly not versed enough to know that off the top of my head). It was $3.50 or so, so I bought two -- grand total about $14 and change.
I also emailed Poulan customer service, which got me a response from someone at Husqvarna, which I assume owns Poulan. The service rep was helpful and conveyed opinion that I was right about the EPS spring, but they did recommend a "kit" replacement, which I think was $11, w/o shipping. I think the kit replaces the EPS Spring, some parts, and the flat, ribbon-like spring that sits against the wall/plastic. I passed on the kit.
The EPS springs arrived today, and while I haven't installed them yet, I'm ------ scratch that, I just went downstairs and installed one of my new EPS springs. Problem is solved!!!
It's really a piece of cake. There are 4 screws on the outside that hold the pull starter assembly onto the saw. There there is one screw that holds a plastic gear onto a post of the outer housing. Just remove that screw in the middle of the plastic gear and the EPS spring sits right there underneath the plastic gear. You don't have to mess with the the pull string or anything.
One thing to note, Husqvarna/Poulan customer support did recommend that I take the saw to an authorized dealer, as the saw has a 2 year warranty that YOU WILL VOID IF YOU OPEN UP THE SAW. Of course, I don't know how they would be able to tell that because I didn't notice any tamper evident tape on it -- but you've been warned!!!!
For me personally, $14 (which gives me an extra spring if this happens again) makes a lot more sense than wasting my time dropping off and picking up the saw at a service center. - Chainsaw - Chain Saws - Chain Saw - Pp4218avx'
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