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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 424 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
297 of 302 found the following review helpful:
 Very Good Chainsaw Jun 30, 2006
By Douglas Dowers
I originally bought the Poulan Pro 42 CC 18" Gas Chainsaw but after reading the reviews here I took it back without even taking it out of the case and bought this one instead. I am very glad I did. I only need a chainsaw for around the house to cut fallen trees or the odd job. So the idea of keeping a can of mixed gas and oil didn't appeal to me. Not to mention the saw would sit on the shelf for months at a time between uses and I didn't care for the starting problems or engine repairs of a gas chainsaw. However I was worried that this electric chainsaw would not be powerful enough. I had 2 fallen trees with a bases of about 15 inches that I needed to cut into firewood immediately. This chainsaw performed perfectly. I realize that it was new so the chain was nice and sharp but it still had no problem cutting through everything quickly. I loved being able to start it and stop it at will without the hassle of priming a gas engine or overheating problems or running out of gas or messing with the choke. I stopped whenever I felt like it and came in the house for a drink of water. Went right back out and with just a squeeze of the trigger was back to cutting again. I have a perfectly cut half cord of firewood in just a few hours. Amazon delivered the saw to my doorstep in 7 days with the free shipping. The saw did not come with a case or chain oil so I had to make a quick run to the store for some oil. I was happy to see that the saw used almost a quart of chain oil for the 2 trees. This told me that chain stayed nice and wet. Afterwards I spent about 10 minutes cleaning the saw back up like new and put it back on my shelf for the next time. It only took removing the two lugs and the chain and bar came right off for cleanup. Nice job Poulan.
115 of 116 found the following review helpful:
Great 4HP chainsaw for $90 Jun 15, 2006
By David F. Saunders
"Dave S."
As long as you can use it within extension cord reach, this is a great tool. the chain oiler is very good - the chain is always nice and wet without spraying oil, which is exactly the way I like it. And, of course with electric, there's no gas mixing and start up problems, and the saw is considerably quieter and lighter than a comparable 2-cycle powered tool. But, keep in mind, this is not a toy -- lighter saws can kickback easier, but on the otherhand they are easier to control as well.
Regarding the extension cord, I was worried that 4HP (4HP = 2984W = 27A @ 110V) would draw a lot of current. But I've had no problem using my regular old orange 14ga 100' outdoor extension cord. It seems to work just fine, and doesn't get warm even after an extended duty cycle. The saw only draws full power under extreme motor loading situations -- like if the chain is binding or dull or something....
106 of 111 found the following review helpful:
A GREAT little saw! Nov 04, 2006
By L. F. Smith
This is a great little saw and a real value at the price.
It's powerful enough for the typical yard cleanup jobs you run into, and it's clean and easy to use, since all you have to worry about is keeping the chain oil reservoir full. This is NOT a production-style saw that you can take into the woods and cut fire wood. It's a yard maintenance tool-- and a good one.
This saw more than justifies the "Best Buy" rating Consumer Reports gave it. I'm very glad I bought it, and I'd do it again.
92 of 96 found the following review helpful:
GREAT SAW-PLS READ BEFORE RETURNING! Sep 07, 2009
By musicreviewer
"musicreviewer"
YOU MAY NOTICE THAT ABOUT 90% OF THE REVIEWS FOR THIS SAW ARE GUSHING WITH PRAISE, AND THE REMAINING 10% SAY SOMETHING LIKE "QUIT WORKING AFTER 20 MINUTES." WELL, I THINK I HAVE SOLVED THE MYSTERY...
TURNS OUT, UNLIKE MOST ELECTRIC CHAINSAWS, IT HAS A "CHAIN BRAKE" WHICH IS DESIGNED TO STOP THE SAW QUICKLY IF YOU BUMP IT, AS YOU MIGHT IF YOU LOST CONTROL OF IT. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OWNER'S MANUALS DON'T SHOW THE CHAIN BRAKE IN THE DIAGRAM, IT REFERS TO IT AS A "HAND GUARD."
ALSO, THE TROUBLESHOOTING SECTION DOESN'T MENTION TO CHECK THE CHAIN BRAKE (I.E., HAND GUARD) POSITION EITHER. TO USE, IT NEEDS TO BE PULLED TOWARDS THE USER.
I WAS PERPLEXED DURING MY FIRST USE WHY AN EXCELLENT SAW JUST DIED. I CALLED AMAZON AND THEY PROMPTLY SENT A REPLACEMENT. WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE, I TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT THE "DEFECTIVE" SAW AND REALIZED THE HAND GUARD HAD MOVED FORWARD, ENGAGING THE BRAKE.
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SAFETY FEATURE FOUND ON ALL GAS SAWS, BUT I WOULD HAZARD A GUESS THAT MOST OF THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS ARE THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE OWNER'S MANUAL, NOT A DEFECTIVE UNIT, SO CHECK THIS OUT BEFORE RETURNING YOURS TO AMAZON!
AS FOR THE SAW, I LOVE IT. I'VE USED MANY GAS AND ELECTRIC CHAINSAWS OVER THE YEARS AND THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST ELECTRIC SAW I'VE EVER OWNED. IT IS QUIET, POWERFUL AND AFTER FAIRLY STEADY USE, HAS YET TO REQUIRE CHAIN RE-TENSIONING. I'VE OWNED REMINGTON SAWS THAT WERE PRETTY GOOD EXCEPT FOR THE TENSIONER.
THIS SAW DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB OF LUBRICATING THE CHAIN. JUST BE SURE TO EMPTY IT WHEN YOU'RE DONE SO IT DOESN'T DRIP DURING STORAGE.
UPDATE: AFTER TWO YEARS OF REGULAR USE CLEARING BRAZILIAN PEPPER TREES, THE CHAINSAW CONTINUES TO WORK FINE.
41 of 41 found the following review helpful:
Great saw, but heavy use will strip gears. Can be fixed. Mar 02, 2011
By Engineer Handyman
I do a LOT of wood cutting and I mainly use two of these electric saws. I only pull out the gas saws if I have to go far away. I've downed 4 foot diameter trees with these saws. Here are some tips:
-use heavy duty 12 gauge extention cords for 100 feet or more. I regularly use 2 of them connected together for 200' reach.
-keep it more than 1/3 full of oil and fill it up before you cut through sappy wood like pine. A stuck chain will strip the ring gear.
-the aftermarket Oregon chains work a little better than the Poulan chain.
-watch out for pinched chains. It will stip the ring gear.
-keep the chain sharp! I sharpen about every 2-3 oil fills. I use a diamond rotory file on my dremel. Works awesome. Be sure to lower the ramp in front of the cutting tooth as you sharpen it down so you have goood "bite".
The good thing about electric saws is that you have incredible torque. I mean you can just lean on your saw and cut through wood like butter. The bad thing is that if you bind the chain, it will likely strip the ring gear since it's made of plastic. There is no clutch like on a gas saw. Go easy when cutting sticky wood or really hard wood. Use a plastic wedge to hold open long cuts that might bind.
If you do strip the ring gear, you can replace it, but it isn't easy to get the saw back together again properly. They are only $13 from Poulan. There are a lot of screws and some of them are hidden. Watch out for the washer under the ring gear. You have to be sure to put the oil line back into the slot so it doesn't rub on the ring gear. Took me awhile to figure out why oil was pouring out from my saw after I put it back together. The oil line is easily damaged by the ring gear if it touches it. Get a new $2 drive sprocket before you use the Oregon chains and replace them every once in awile. Getting the torsion spring on the hand guard isn't easy. Set the chain brake "on" before you take the saw apart.
I've cut probably 20 cords of wood with these saws and gone through 6 chains and 8 ring gears. Good luck!
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