In '98, when Poulan announced they were discontinuing the most popular tree climbing saw in America, I pulled 2 from inventory and stashed em in a closet, for sentimental reasons mostly ...and a day like this.
Neither have so much as sniffed petrol.
Think I'll give them away this year, here on Treebuzz. One's going to the best "early career memory" (Poulan link not required), and the other to the highest bidder (paid direct to treefund.org). When the time comes, I'll let friends vote.
Little something to liven up spirits.
In 1998 the Poulan S25 DA sold for $250.
Who (or who's dad) remembers this bad boy?
- Thread starter Tobe_Sherrill
- Start date
in 98 I was 17, and had made the decision to get a BA in biology/ biochemistry. with the intent of Med school. ( 2/3 of all incoming freshmen want to be doctors) that summer after my first year I needed money to help pay for this endeavor so I took a job roofing a old barn for a professor... it was massive. as we got the tear off done there was a tree that had grown up the side of the building, it should have been weed whacked 15 years before. the logical thing to do was go buy a saw so I could remove the tree. so I bought a husky 350. from the local home depot.. the interesting thing was huskey made a lot of saws with that badge, the one I had was actually a prograde or near. I still have it, its almost exactly like the much newer 346xp. so I am sure I tied a lot a knot around my new saw, shimmied up the weed tree, locked my legs around something and proceeded to perform my first removal aloft. turns out that was more fun that laying shingles and studying. I worked for a crack head tree "dude" for like a week and realized he was nuts for doing what I did one time as a career. so I found another guy, and then another guy each inching very slowly with very small steps in the direction of a CTSP. ( the second guy waited till after his gas station breakfast sandwich to do his coke, the first guy was just reckless.... nothing on his stomach at all). I switched up companies upscaling companies and learning and now I'm here. thanks for the donation to the tree fund. I am on my 4th tour and its really hard to raise money for that cause. we can use any help we can get. I have never run one of those saws , but I am pretty sure I would not like it.
but that is my what was I doing in 98/ first saw story.
but that is my what was I doing in 98/ first saw story.
Tobe_Sherrill
New member
- Location
- North Carolina, USA
Wow, that's a good one ...crack heads aside.
I remember my first climb with a chainsaw in tow like it was yesterday. Was a tall cherry that needed to be removed from my crowded yard and I'd never climbed for a removal, only for learning/recreational purposes. I just recall having to consciously unlock my knees. It was mildly nerve wracking to say the least.
I remember my first climb with a chainsaw in tow like it was yesterday. Was a tall cherry that needed to be removed from my crowded yard and I'd never climbed for a removal, only for learning/recreational purposes. I just recall having to consciously unlock my knees. It was mildly nerve wracking to say the least.
treevet
Branched out member
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio
He probably decided he ain't giving nuthin away lol.
Probably too busy out signing autographs.
Probably too busy out signing autographs.
Tobe_Sherrill
New member
- Location
- North Carolina, USA
Not yet sir, look for it mid June! Come on guys, surely some of the ...more seasoned climbers ...have funny or interesting tales about early climbing saws. We used to sell these Poulans 25's by the hundreds!
Hmm, just occurred to me, guys my age (55) aren't as active on line as the younger crowd. Somebody go wake up the old man!!
- Location
- Home of the New Jersey Devils
You call me Tobe?
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
I’ve always thought of the Poulan 25DA as the VW Beetle of the saw world. It was produced over such a long period of time (over 30 years?) as basically the same unit while adding functional upgrades here and there. Solid state ignition, automatic oiler, a little more displacement and anti vibe made a great saw even better. I forget how many names that same saw was sold under but I think it was 10 or 15 different companies, including Sears, that had it branded with their name.
When I first set my sights on doing tree work I bought a small Echo thinking it would do the job. Then I went to work for Sinclair Tree Service in Los Altos California and all the climbers were using the Poulan. A few cuts and a couple of minutes of handling it and I could see why. Next trip downtown to the saw shop and I had my very own 25DA, about $150 at the time. That tear drop shape would slip through the branches as I climbed, and the solid metal body always fared well when I accidentally let it slam hard against big wood.
One time I was seventy feet up a Eucalyptus tree working toward removing it. It was a weekend and my brother in law had come by excited about the prospect of getting the free wood. For some reason I had my saw off the lanyard and dropped it. It hit the ground tumbled around and rolled for quite a few feet, landed upright and sat there purring away, I asked my brother in law to shut it off. Only injury incurred was a bent bar. He would recount that story with amazement. I would beam inside and think, “Yeah, that’s my saw.”
Like any love affair we have had our issues...hard starting at times, bits of sawdust getting sucked into the carb and holding the reed valve open, screws backing out and needing to be locktited. But seldom do I not get it fixed myself and often right there in the field and back to work.
One time a buddy and I were talking about our saws and came to our 25DA’s. No single piece of equipment could we think of that was in on the earning of more money. He placed it as $250,000 that his current Poulan had been a part of . I would usually get a year or so of trouble free work out of one before I started needing to put time into this or that.
I have been seduced at times. Some other saws look like they are made right, technological wonders. Every time I am around some one that has a high end top handle saw I ask to run it for a few cuts, and I have even bought one here and there. But for sheer power and getting the job done I always come back to the venerable Poulan 25DA.
I’m glad to have had this saw be such a prominent part of my career. Even today there is no saw I would rather be running.
When I first set my sights on doing tree work I bought a small Echo thinking it would do the job. Then I went to work for Sinclair Tree Service in Los Altos California and all the climbers were using the Poulan. A few cuts and a couple of minutes of handling it and I could see why. Next trip downtown to the saw shop and I had my very own 25DA, about $150 at the time. That tear drop shape would slip through the branches as I climbed, and the solid metal body always fared well when I accidentally let it slam hard against big wood.
One time I was seventy feet up a Eucalyptus tree working toward removing it. It was a weekend and my brother in law had come by excited about the prospect of getting the free wood. For some reason I had my saw off the lanyard and dropped it. It hit the ground tumbled around and rolled for quite a few feet, landed upright and sat there purring away, I asked my brother in law to shut it off. Only injury incurred was a bent bar. He would recount that story with amazement. I would beam inside and think, “Yeah, that’s my saw.”
Like any love affair we have had our issues...hard starting at times, bits of sawdust getting sucked into the carb and holding the reed valve open, screws backing out and needing to be locktited. But seldom do I not get it fixed myself and often right there in the field and back to work.
One time a buddy and I were talking about our saws and came to our 25DA’s. No single piece of equipment could we think of that was in on the earning of more money. He placed it as $250,000 that his current Poulan had been a part of . I would usually get a year or so of trouble free work out of one before I started needing to put time into this or that.
I have been seduced at times. Some other saws look like they are made right, technological wonders. Every time I am around some one that has a high end top handle saw I ask to run it for a few cuts, and I have even bought one here and there. But for sheer power and getting the job done I always come back to the venerable Poulan 25DA.
I’m glad to have had this saw be such a prominent part of my career. Even today there is no saw I would rather be running.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
I was thinking of confessing that right off the bat but then thought it would just be redundant information. And too...I didn't want to further tangle my poor writing skills. 
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
Merle said a mouthful!
Most of the time I had 3-4 running for two climbers. They'd last at least a couple of years I think. When the crankcase sealed started leaking they got stripped and sorted into five gallon buckets for parts. A neighbor would weld aluminum and magnesium cheaper than I could buy parts
Lots power too! I preferred the non-AV because they were a little less bulky. The rubber mounts would tear and I'd replace them with a piece of threaded rod and jam nuts
I wish I had more pictures of those workhorses
Most of the time I had 3-4 running for two climbers. They'd last at least a couple of years I think. When the crankcase sealed started leaking they got stripped and sorted into five gallon buckets for parts. A neighbor would weld aluminum and magnesium cheaper than I could buy parts
Lots power too! I preferred the non-AV because they were a little less bulky. The rubber mounts would tear and I'd replace them with a piece of threaded rod and jam nuts
I wish I had more pictures of those workhorses
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Tom it's good to hear your work around for the first generation Poulan ant-vibes (25CVA?) I didn't like those either for the same reasons you mentioned but, I do have a couple with life left in them that I will now get out and revive some day. Did you ever get your hands on the more recently produced 25AV?
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Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
There's the other side showing the improved AV. (Amazing what I can get up with my phone after only 20 minutes of pushing random buttons.)
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
Ahhh...the muffler cover side shield! I had a steam burn from the muffler hitting my sweaty jeans many times!
Another of my solutions...after threading the bar screw into the magnesium body it would strip out. That lead to a helicoil insert to restore
The threads
I didn't like that so I would take a piece of threaded rod, cut it to length and Locktite it in place as a stud. No more stripped threads
No chain brakes in that era either. Just the plastic knuckle guard across the top handle
I have a chunk of mag from a rear handle stashed in my camping gear to use as a fire starter
Another of my solutions...after threading the bar screw into the magnesium body it would strip out. That lead to a helicoil insert to restore
The threads
I didn't like that so I would take a piece of threaded rod, cut it to length and Locktite it in place as a stud. No more stripped threads
No chain brakes in that era either. Just the plastic knuckle guard across the top handle
I have a chunk of mag from a rear handle stashed in my camping gear to use as a fire starter
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
Muffler burns...one of the main things that had me switch over to long sleeve shirts. I was happy for the plastic muffler guarded 25DA and AV's to come along.
Tom they did have chain brakes somewhere. Maybe for the Canadian market. I have some I bought as add on parts off ebay. I will try to dig one up soon and post a picture.
Acres site of chainsaw collecting/history shows good pictures of whole saw with chain brake.
Tom they did have chain brakes somewhere. Maybe for the Canadian market. I have some I bought as add on parts off ebay. I will try to dig one up soon and post a picture.
Acres site of chainsaw collecting/history shows good pictures of whole saw with chain brake.
Merle Nelson
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- SF Bay Area, CA
acresinternet.com
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
I remember zeeing them but never owned one with a chain brake.
