Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Saw, January 25, 2009
This is a good chainsaw. I have only used it about 3 hours, so any reliability or wear issues are moot at this point. The best feature -- trivial, but you can see how much bar oil is remaining through the side of the saw.
My first chain saw was an antique McCullouch with a 24 in. bar that weighed about 20 lbs. I learned a lot from it, especially that light weight chainsaws are safer than heavy ones.
My second chain saw was a HomeLite E-Z 16" that was recommended by someone who once rented chain saws. It weighed about 10 lbs and cut fire wood for my stove for 15 years. I literally used this saw up, but it would still crank and cut wood when I got rid of it.
What I learned from these two saws is that the most dangerous thing to do is to try and cut a limb or log above your head. The saw will fall onto your thigh. The lighter the saw, the less likely it is that this will happen in an uncontrolled fashion.
My next saw was a saw that a professional tree cutter took up a 90 foot tree and topped it with the saw supported by his fully extended arm. I won't name the brand because it was a real mess on the ground, leaking bar oil all over the place in spite of repeated attempts to have it repaired.
Now I have this Poulan ES-350. I got it because I am too old to go deeper than an extension cord into the woods, and I am tired of the hazards and frustration associated with cranking the gas models. The electric is light weight, and I have been able to easily saw through 12 in. green maple logs. It isn't as fast at cutting as the above three saws, but it is light enough that one can safely cut at extended arm lengths (if one is careful).
A word about chains. The Poulan comes with a "low kick back" chain. I don't know why they make them, probably some regulatory-liability thing, because no chainsaw is kick-back proof, so Beware!. At any rate, I have read reviews of the replacement chain for this saw saying the the chains don't last. I have been unable to identify a chain that isn't "low kick back" for this saw, so I will use the Poulan replacement chain (after sharpening the original for a year or so). The main reason a chain goes dull is that it hits dirt, sand, rocks or wet wood. You can feel the sharp edge of a cutter blade just as you can feel the sharp edge of a knife. If it feel smooth, instead of "grabbing" your finger, it needs sharpening.
A word about extension cords. The hidden cost of this saw is a 100 ft. 14 gauge extension cord (most of the ones you have at home are probably 16 guage - not big enough). This brings the total cost of the saw to around $125, compared to $250 or even $350 for the gasoline saws I mentioned above. I don't recommend the following, but I have heard that this saw can run with 150 ft of 14 ga. extension cords. I REALLY don't recommend this, but I have heard that the saw can run with a 100 ft. 12 guage cord plugged into the wall, and 150 ft. of 14 guage exetension cords plugged into the 12 guage cord. (The longer the cord, the more likely you are to cut through it.)
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive Performance, November 13, 2008
I purchased this saw for a 'yard' tool on my acreage, to break tree trunks and limbs down to firewood length. Delivery was prompt, the price was right, and my first impressions of the Poulan 3 1/2 hp are very favorable. The bar and chain are the same size and type as my old Homelite saw, and the weight is similar. I'm using a 25' #14ga. extension cord at present, with no sign of excessive heat in the cord. This is my first a.c. electric saw, and I'm very impressed with the torque, cutting ability, and overall utility of this unit. I'd buy it again, and although I nearly purchased the larger four hp. version, I am very satisfied with this saw. After forty plus years of chain saw usage, I've never owned and seldom needed a bar length of greater than 16". The 'light' saws have always performed and lasted well for me, and this Poulan fits my needs.
Tips: The electric motor develops full torque and horsepower the moment the switch is triggered, unlike gas-powered saw which 'ramp-up' via a centrifugal clutch, so be prepared to cut when you hit the switch, i.e. have a secure grip; I've not had problems with the cord, but I'd guess that many will trip on, cut through, or otherwise abuse the power source. Be aware of your footing at all times; The saw is much quieter than my old 'gas-guzzler', but still loud enough that hearing protection seems a wise idea; The unit doesn't seem to use much bar oil, but the chain and bar remain reasonably cool after repeated cuts through green hickory, so I'm satisfied that the automatic oiler is working well.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works quite well, excellent price!, July 21, 2008
Moved into a house with overgrown trees in back. Had to do a lot of cutting. Was using a reciprocating saw which worked well but time consuming. Cutting a 10 inch branch took a lot of effort and most often than not bent the saw blade. Was constantly changing blades and the cost was rapidly adding up!
So I decided to see what I could get for around $125.00 and was surprised to see that I could get a pretty powerful saw for around $100 bucks! I had a cheapie electric chain saw a long time ago that someone left at the old house we lived in. Having a pretty good experience using it, I decided to go for this saw.
Suffice to say, I AM NOT DISSAPOINTED. This works very well and I can cut things down in record time! My only contention is that it uses a lot of oil, but if it saves the saw blade .. so be it! The other is that it's a bit heavy to lug up a tree for a person under 145 lbs. It's hard to handle one handed (sawing a large branch while trying to hold on with the other hand) and that could be an adventure. But it works and works well!
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to others. Great saw for the price!
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