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Are Poulan Chainsaws Any Good? What Happened to Poulan Pro

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Are Poulan chainsaws any good? For light homeowner work, plenty of people have been happy with them. But there’s a bigger issue now: Husqvarna, which owns the Poulan Pro brand, says it is no longer producing new Poulan Pro products. So if you’re shopping for a new saw, a Poulan isn’t really on the menu anymore. If you already own one, Husqvarna says it still supports it with parts, manuals and service.

I’ll tell you up front: I’ve never owned a Poulan. I’ve used them at work, and I hated them. I just had too hard a time getting them to start. We even had a nickname for them at work: “Pullin’, pullin’, pullin’.” I also have friends who swore by theirs. So here’s what I know, what I’ve seen, and what I’d buy instead.

Do they still make Poulan chainsaws?

No new ones from Husqvarna. On its Poulan Pro support page, Husqvarna says Poulan Pro is part of the Husqvarna family of brands, and “we’re no longer producing new Poulan Pro products.” It says it remains committed to supporting current customers.

The Poulan Pro name hasn’t disappeared completely. The official Poulan Pro website now lists steam cleaners, tillers, water pumps, generators, snow blowers and pressure washers, each with a separate support contact. Chainsaws aren’t on that list. The site also has a brand licensing page inviting other companies to make products under the Poulan Pro name.

What that means for you: a new Poulan chainsaw you find for sale is most likely leftover stock. Our own reviews of the Poulan Pro PR4016 and the Poulan Pro 18-inch saws found them getting hard to buy new.

Who makes Poulan Pro chainsaws?

Poulan started in 1946, when Claude Poulan founded Poulan Saw Co. in Shreveport, Louisiana. The company changed hands a few times over the years. Electrolux bought it in 1984, and when Electrolux spun off Husqvarna in 2006, Poulan went with Husqvarna. Today the Poulan Pro website carries a Husqvarna copyright, and Husqvarna’s own support page calls Poulan Pro part of the Husqvarna family of brands.

Are Poulan chainsaws any good? My take

From my land

I had them at work and I hated them. Friends of mine swore by theirs, so I know some people get along with them fine. For me it always came down to starting. I just had too difficult a time getting them going. At work we called them “Pullin’, pullin’, pullin’.”

That’s one person’s experience, not a test. But starting is the thing that makes or breaks a saw for a lot of homeowners, especially if you’re older, smaller, or only cut a few times a year. If a saw fights you every time you pull the rope, you’ll dread using it.

The saw I use every day now is a Stihl MS 251 C with easy start. Stihl says its Easy2Start system stores up energy as you pull the rope out slowly and steadily, so you don’t need a hard yank. It’s still possible to flood one, and I cover that in my Stihl chainsaw won’t start guide, but it’s nothing like “pullin’, pullin’, pullin’.”

If you already own a Poulan

  • Parts, manuals and service: Husqvarna says it provides parts, manuals and service resources for Poulan Pro owners, and has a dealer locator for servicing dealers. Start at Husqvarna’s Poulan Pro support page, linked in the sources below.
  • Specs, fuel mix and chain sizes: my PR4016 review and 18-inch Poulan review have them.
  • Hard to start? Fresh fuel is the first thing I check on any 2-cycle saw that won’t start. In my experience, bad gas causes more trouble than anything else.

What to buy instead of a Poulan

If you want a saw from the same company family, Husqvarna is the obvious place to look. The Husqvarna 435 is a 40cc, 16-inch homeowner saw, close in size to the Poulan Pro PR4016, and Husqvarna’s listing says it has Smart Start. I haven’t owned one, so read my Husqvarna 435 review for the details.

Husqvarna 435, 40cc, 16-inch bar

Check price on Amazon

If you’d rather go with what I run, buy a Stihl from your local Stihl dealer. That’s where the warranty support is, and Stihl’s manual says to have your dealer show you how to operate the saw. My gas chainsaw buying guide sizes a saw to the trees you actually cut.

Poulan chainsaw FAQ

Are Poulan chainsaws any good?

Some owners swear by them for light homeowner work. I used them at work and couldn’t stand how hard they were to start. Either way, Husqvarna says it’s no longer producing new Poulan Pro products, so a new one is most likely leftover stock.

Is Poulan Pro a good brand?

It has a long history, going back to 1946, and it’s owned by Husqvarna. But Husqvarna has stopped producing new Poulan Pro products, and the Poulan Pro name is now licensed for other equipment like generators and pressure washers.

Do they still make Poulan chainsaws?

Not new ones from Husqvarna. Its Poulan Pro support page says it is no longer producing new Poulan Pro products, and the official Poulan Pro site doesn’t list chainsaws.

Who makes Poulan Pro chainsaws?

Poulan Pro is part of the Husqvarna family of brands. Husqvarna says it still supports existing Poulan Pro owners with parts, manuals and service.

Where can I get parts or service for my Poulan Pro chainsaw?

Husqvarna’s Poulan Pro support page has a dealer locator for servicing dealers, plus parts, manuals and customer service for products made before and after 2024.

Sources

Every source below was opened and checked on 2 October 2026.