I have a Poulan Pro with an 18" bar and it cuts great as long as I can keep the chain on. I can only get 5 - 20 log cuts out of it before the chain slips off. I was never taught about chainsaws and taught myself. I went to Poulan’s web site but it doesn’t seem to have that info.
Here is my normal chain attachment procedure:
Take off the nuts that hold the plate in place that covers the wheel that spins the chain.
Put the chain on the bar and put the bar over the bolts and the chain over the wheel that spins it.
Pull the bar out hard while replacing the big nuts that hold the plate in.
It seems taught enough when I do it. The chain will pull out of the bar by hand with just the tip of the bottom teeth showing if I pull. There is an adjustment screw on the bar itself but it moves a piece that does not touch anything else.
I had the same problem with my smaller chainsaw. Any help is appreciated.
First off don’t use the saw with a chain that loose, personal injury could result.
I don’t own a Poulan, so all I can do is tell you how my McCullough works.
On my saw there are 2 nuts that hold the bar in place. To tension the chain loosen these 2 nuts a turn or so. If you look at the inboard side of the bar, there is a screw head. Turning this screw forces the bar forward tightening the chain. When the chain is tight to the point where you can only pick it up about 1/2" or so, tighten the nuts. If after doing this the chain still keeps getting loose, make sure the chain oiler is working, and oil is getting on the chain.
If you have not yet done so, read the manual. You do not want to screw around with a chain saw, bad things can result. Screw up bad enough and you will have to change your user name to “Lefty” or “Eileen”. Here is a link to chainsaw maintenance (look near the bottom for chain tension)
Yes, my uncle when he was about 70 was working with his son-in-law cutting some wood. He had never used a chain saw and after using one for a short period he handed it to son-in-law saying, “Here, you do this. You’ve got longer to learn to use one arm than I have.”
You should get some chainsaw safety training. If you are self-taught, you probably are doing more things wrong than just adjusting the chain. But, a loose chain is a pretty huge deal.
Take it to a saw dealer and have them set up the saw correctly. Watch them while they do it and ask questions. You probably should also get the chain sharpened or get a new one. Throwing the chain that often can cause problems.
I too have a Poulan 18" chainsaw. It is a piece of crap and of poor design, but you can get it to work right. The screw does tighten the chain, it’s just that it gets so full of crap that it doesn’t pull the bar anymore. Undo the two bolts and take the plastic cover off. Then, take the bar off.Clean the bar off, and you’ll see a channel and two small holes. The adjuster fits into one of those small holes. What has happened is that the adjuster got so full of crap, that it won’t go into the hole, so when you’re tightening, the adjuster just moves around. Now that you have the bar off, look at where it connect. You’ll be able to see the adjuster screw and a brass colored little finger that moves back and forth when you adjust the screw. That is what is supposed to adjust the bar. If the bar is put on while any crap is on that screw or next to that finger, there isn’t a tight enough fit to make it so the finger moves the bar. So clean that area real well. And include from now until that wheeping cricket we call a chainsaw dies, a toothbrush in the case. Because if you have to change a chain in the field, I can promise you you’ll face the same problem again, so you’ll need it to make sure everything is clean.
Oooh, and I almost forgot. You have to adjust the finger to just above loose when you put the bar back on. Otherwise, it doesn’t go in all the way and slips out the moment you srt tightening. So use one hand to put the bar in and keep it straight, yet taught enough that the chain doesn’t fall off. Use your other hand to tighten the tow bolts on the plastic cover. Use your third hand to push down on the bar where the finger goes into the hole.
Shagnasty, when you are putting the bar back in place you need to look veryt closely at the little screw tensioner. You should see a flange or elbow or bit of metal that sticks out and mates with a slot in the bar itself. Moving the screw adjusts the flange in and out to make minor adjustments in tension to the chain. If you are nbot seating the flange in the slot the bar can vibrate and throw the chain no matter how tight your nuts are.
Thanks for all the help. Even though I am fairly chainsaw ignorant, I am not inexperienced. I have processed literally hundreds of trees and wore my 14" one out.
I am going to have to take a close look at how that chain tensioner works. I have basically been ignoring it completely until I took a look at it yesterday. I didn’t know a lot os stuff people in this thread have told me.
Right. The chain tensioner must have that little lip or pin in the bar so it works. Sometimes you have to look kinda close, and clean things up a bit, but it is there. You may need to back the tensioner off a bit before everything fits toghether, get the bar on, tighten the bar just a little, and then tighten the chain and finnaly, tighten the bar.
I’ll never buy anything but a Sthil. Husquavarna is good. But, if you want a saw that starts every time in any type of condition/weather. Buy a Stihl.
Even though these posts are 11 years old, they helped me today, so I’m going to thank everyone.
The main issue was indeed the tensioner. The little nub that moves up and down via the screw was not seated in the hole on the chain bar. So the tension never changed other than what was originally set with the two bolts and the nub must have pushed the bar out of kilter so it kept falling off (and binding / stalling).
Seating the bar properly made the experience so much better. It’s a nearly new saw, and it’s been doing this from the beginning, so it was a defect in assembly.
Yes … Shagnasty is still a regular poster here and appears to be able to use both hands to do so … Congratulations … I have the electric version of that chainsaw and I love it to pieces … not a single issue with the carb in all these years !!!
Strictly D-Fir, so the 18" bar doesn’t always reach half-way through
I’ve had some close calls with a chainsaw recently. They are to be taken very seriously! Here’s my recent thread.
On a more positive chainsaw note, I bought one of these recently,worked great, first cutting after the first sharpening went very well. Kind of pricey but compared to having them sharpened by the dealer or hardware store it should pay for itself pretty quick.
Thank you! I still have both arms and most digits (technically all of them). I still don’t think that I am that good at chainsawing but I took the advice in this thread. I have cut down hundreds of trees with only a few injuries and some loss of property (mainly insured luxury sedans owned by people I don’t like so no big whoop). I call that a winner. I now have free space and lots of firewood.
Right. The chain tensioner must have that little lip or pin in the bar so it works. Sometimes you have to look kinda close, and clean things up a bit, but it is there. You may need to back the tensioner off a bit before everything fits toghether, get the bar on, tighten the bar just a little, and then tighten the chain and finnaly, tighten the bar.
[quote]
Yep. Tensioner pin not set is common. A new chain will stretch rapidly and need repeated tightening. Make sure the bar oil is getting onto the chain.
Old ad from Stihl had their logo with a dotted line around it. Then said “Cut this out, stick it on your saw and pretend it starts.”
My electric chainsaw starts every time … luckily all my cutting is within 50 feet of an appropriate electric outlet so my 50 foot 10-guage extension cord works fine …
Word of caution: A friend of mine loaned us a chain saw he bought cheap. Not sure if I should mention the retail store. Anyway, the chain kept falling off. Terrible. Useless. Lesson learned - avoid cheap imitations!