Why Choose Poulan?
The Poulan Chainsaw is an affordable, heavy-duty option that’s perfect for the homeowner or professional. The company provides tools with the power for tackling tough jobs that are small to medium in scope. The manufacturer uses patented tech to produce incredible fuel efficiency and to minimize the user’s carbon footprint.
Whether you go with a gas or Poulan battery powered chainsaw, it’ll quickly become a valuable ally in your landscaping projects. Poulan Pro Chainsaws deliver ruggedness, lowered weight and emissions, and wondrous features like Soft Start and OxyPower.
Yet, despite its sophistication, the Poulan Pro chainsaw has the simplicity any newcomer can appreciate alongside the intestinal fortitude the experienced user will embrace.
Any one of these Poulan products will make your life easier. With Poulan’s line of chainsaws, get ready to drop trees, clean up the yard and cut firewood fast!
History
The Poulan Saw Company was founded in 1946, pioneered by Claude Casper Poulan (1915–1995) in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Poulan Pro’s legacy goes back seven decades. Today, the brand is an outlet for exceptional outdoor power equipment that’s designed for the beginner to mid-level consumer. Yet, you’ll find these tools in the hands of a pro, too.
The Poulan Pro brand is unique, an upscale line of advanced power solutions that include lawnmowers, leaf blowers and chainsaws.
At the tail end of WWII, in Texas, Poulan supervised German prisoners responsible for cutting pulpwood. The chore required three men to manage a single chainsaw. Two men handed the actual operation of the extremely heavy chainsaw. The third prisoner handled a pry pole. This is a tool utilized to stabilize the chain. Otherwise, there could be binding as the saw cut through a tree.
Poulan felt this cumbersome three-man task could be streamlined. So, he took an old truck fender and repurposed it. Poulan sculpted it into a more curved piece and then used it to guide the chain. He called his creation a “bow guide.” With the innovation, the chainsaw now required only two operators instead of three.
Not surprisingly, the change revolutionized an already fast-growing wood cutting industry. Suddenly, the more efficient operations were freeing up manpower and increasing productivity.
In 1946, the success of his newly designed gas-powered chainsaw led Poulan to start a business in Louisiana. There, he began production on chainsaws that incorporated engines his company purchased from engine manufacturers.
By 1950, Poulan and his company were highly regarded in the U.S. logging industry. The company was manufacturing a series of impressive, powerful and fast chainsaws. A year later, Poulan Chain Saws began producing both its engines and chainsaws internally.
While records are sketchy, it is believed Poulan Chain Saws was bought out in either the late 1950s or early 1960s. The purchaser was Beaird Company. Today, Beaird is a leading consulting firm in project management.
After the acquisition, Poulan’s company was renamed Beaird-Poulan until 1972. That’s when Emerson Electric acquired the company. Emerson is currently a Fortune 500 company providing engineering services for the consumer, industrial, and commercial markets.
The chainsaw manufacturer was again acquired in 1984, this time by Electrolux, a company headquartered in Stockholm. In the mid-2000s, Electrolux would spin one of its affiliates, Husqvarna, off into its own brand. Poulan-Beaird went with the new venture.
Despite all the shifts in leadership, Poulan the company remained focused on its branding. In 1970, Poulan the founder decided his company’s chainsaws were still too heavy. It was still a tool that required two pairs of hands.
The company dove into the research and development of its line. The eventual redesign made the chainsaws lighter, improving flexibility for both professional and domestic users at reasonable costs.
Founding and Milestones
A Swedish manufacturer, the Husqvarna Group has a line of power products that include trimmers, cultivators, mowers, brush cutters and chainsaws. Their designs lean more toward the professional, though.
Still, the partnership with Poulan was a good fit. While Husqvarna focuses on higher-end chainsaws for commercial use, the company shares technology and production with Poulan Chain Saws.
Eventually renamed Poulan Chainsaws, the company marked all of its offerings with a rich green color. However, sharing advancing tech with Husqvarna, Poulan created an upscale brand of products that employ a gold and black color scheme. The move took the company to the next level. The “Poulan Pro” brand pushed the Poulan Chainsaws name to the forefront of its industry.
Production and Manufacturing
One extremely satisfied Amazon customer called his Poulan Pro chainsaw a “beast,” saying it easily “destroyed everything I’ve thrown at it so far.”
If you’re looking to destroy everything you throw at it, here’s where Poulan’s beasts come in.
Manufacturing
Poulan Chainsaws is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. But the company also has factories in South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia.
It also makes sense that as a partner of Husqvarna, Poulan Pro likely takes advantage of its parent company’s facilities to manufacture its products. Husqvarna has factories in Sweden, Germany, France, China, Brazil and the United States.
Key Facts
Here are a number of interesting facts about the company.
- Poulan Pro brands are produced mainly for the domestic DIY market.
- Despite its focus on do-it-yourselfers, there are many professionals that rely on Poulan to get the job done.
- In its market, Poulan Pro produces a wide selection of chainsaws, greatly improving the chances of everyone getting the exact model they need.
- Husqvarna, too, is respected for its chainsaws, making the Poulan/Husqvarna partnership an outstanding sharing of characteristics, but with Poulan Pro making products at lower costs.
- One of Poulan’s earlier models, the 306a, was the chainsaw you see Leatherface swinging at victims in the original movie “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
- It’s important to consider your experience with chainsaws before buying one. While ideal for the beginner, a Poulan Pro gas-powered chainsaw will be very powerful. Read all instructions carefully and watch a few videos before tackling one of these beasts.
- If you do a lot of close-to-home DIY projects, consider a Poulan battery chainsaw. You can also consider a Poulan cordless chainsaw. With these choices, you can be outside without worrying about your tool quitting in the middle of nowhere.
- No accidents have ever been reported involving one of Poulan Pro’s chainsaws.
Warranty Information
Anyone who purchases a Poulan two-stroke gas chainsaw or any other Poulan chainsaw (for personal or household use, not commercial), gets a warranty that lasts one year.
The warranty doesn’t go into effect unless you register the product. You can do this by snail mail or online. The registration requires a copy of the receipt. Keep the original receipt at the ready, though.
Extended Warranty
The consumer can extend the company warranty. The buyer must purchase two bottles of Poulan Pro’s Pre-mixed Fuel + Oil when they buy the chainsaw. All the purchases have to be on the same, original receipt.
With that, the standard Poulan Pro warranty is extended an additional two years for a maximum of three.
You also have to hang onto the proof of purchase for the entire period of the warranty, as you’ll need it to take advantage of any required service. There’s a good chance that even though you already sent a copy of the receipt, Poulan will ask for another copy whenever you need maintenance.
Multiple Purchase of Units
You can buy multiple chainsaws. With all your purchases, products qualify for an extended warranty if the shopper buys two bottles of the Pre-mixed Fuel + Oil per unit. Each product then has a three-year warranty.
Poulan Chainsaw Parts
Poulan Pro chainsaws offers a variety of optional accessories and replacement parts that ensure your chainsaw is always on point.
Chainsaw Bars
Here are the most common signs indicating it’s time to change the bar.
- The bar is bent or damaged.
- The chain begins wiggling side to side.
- Blade edges tilt at an angle.
- You have a damaged or jammed nose sprocket.
Poulan offers both bars (of up to 20″), as well as bar and chain kits.
Chainsaw Chains
Watch for the signs of wear and tear for your chains to determine its usefulness. If the chainsaw pulls to one side, creating a crooked finish, or if the top of the device’s teeth is gone, it may be time to replace the chain before a mishap causes damage or injury.
There are wear markers to keep an eye out for. If teeth are filed past those markers, there’s a greatly reduced performance in cutting. That also promotes a greater possibility of a tooth breaking while operating the device. Generally, the markers and tooth damage occur at roughly the same time.
Poulan offers replacement chains for all its models.
Bar and Chain Kits
It’d be a good idea to keep a combo kit handy. Inspect your chainsaw regularly, especially before a project. If there are signs of serious wear and tear, you won’t have to delay work until you can make a trip or wait for a delivery to get a replacement.
Carrying Cases
A buyer can protect and carry their chainsaw safely when it’s stored in one of Poulan’s hard plastic cases. The solution lessens daily wear and tear. The case safeguards the chainsaw from the conditions of harsh environments.
Check Out More Poulan Content From Chainsaw Selector
Chainsaw Selector is excited about partnering with Poulan Pro.
Poulan Product Reviews
Whether an option powered by a 33cc 2-cycle gas engine or an ergonomically designed Poulan Chainsaw electric chainsaw, the manufacturer gets high marks from reviewers and consumers alike. There’s high praise for their OxyPower motors, the ESP start and their superclean filtering system. All are recognized as points of excellence at Poulan.
Poulan Product Roundups
There are many roundup articles about Poulan products. They offer a broad spectrum of opinions that compare Poulan devices both internally and against their chainsaw competitors. Roundups are excellent resources, giving you a wide range of information to guide you in making a purchase decision.
Poulan Press Releases
Another great resource for what’s going on at Poulan is its press releases. They provide the latest information about product launches and other relevant information.
Poulan Recalls
On record, there only appear to be a few Poulan recalls and none affecting their chainsaws. That’s definitely a sign of the quality and reliability you can expect from this manufacturer.
Where to Buy
Poulan chainsaws are available at major retail outlets, both online and brick-and-mortar. Here are a few to check out.
Similar Brands
While we attest to the versatility, affordability, and reliability of Poulan chainsaws, shoppers should always do their research to find the brand that will work best for them.
“Compare, compare, compare” is the motto for getting the best deal. To help get everyone started, here are competing or similar chainsaw manufacturers to take a closer look at.
Online Presence
Poulan keeps a visible presence on the internet, ensuring everyone can find out what the company is up to or to get the latest news. The effort bridges the gap between consumers and manufacturers, giving all interested parties the scoop on the company’s new products, discounts, sales, project ideas, and more.
Contact Information
The contact link on its website advises anyone with concerns or questions to use the “Ask Our Experts” widget in the right corner at the bottom of that page.