The Dayton 2Z463 is a classic, hard-to-find chainsaw from the late 1970s, sold under the Dayton (W.W. Grainger) brand but manufactured by Poulan.
Essentially a rebadged Poulan 245 SA, the 2Z463 enjoyed a very brief production run—introduced in 1978 and discontinued by 1980. It featured a 4.5 cubic‑inch (74 cc) single‑cylinder two‑stroke engine.
The saw pictured here is listed on eBay (at the time of posting) by seller stihlsawing.
The listing description:
Dayton 2Z463 Vintage Chainsaw! Powerhead Only! Same As Poulan 306
Selling as parts or repair, starts with fuel in the carburetor, Runs with fuel in the carburetor. Powerhead only. Rope might need replaced at some point.
Observe all pictures, decals are in good shape, paint just a tad faded.
Absolutely no returns.
The 2Z463 was marketed by Grainger under the Dayton name and shared almost all components with the Poulan 245 SA, including replacement parts compatibility (exterior parts, top‑end kits, carburetors, flywheels, etc.).
Some people say the Dayton 2Z463 is the “same as” the Poulan 306A because the Poulan 306A and 245SA (on which the 2Z463 is directly based) share a very similar platform—they’re part of the same family of saws.
The Poulan 245SA (which the 2Z463 is essentially a rebadged version of) shares many parts with the Poulan 306A, including:
- crankcases
- ignition systems
- carburetors (some versions)
- fuel tanks
- handles
- bar mounts
- starter assemblies
So while they’re not literally the same saw, they’re close cousins, and calling the 2Z463 “same as a Poulan 306” is a useful shorthand for sourcing parts and understanding general design.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Model Number | Dayton 2Z463 |
| Base Model | Poulan 245SA (closely related to Poulan 306A) |
| Engine Type | 2-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled |
| Displacement | 4.5 cu in ( 74 cc) |
| Bore x Stroke | 1.875″ x 2.000″ (47.6 mm x 50.8 mm) |
| Horsepower | ~4.0–4.5 HP (estimated; not officially published) |
| Ignition System | Breakerless solid-state (electronic) |
| Carburetor | Tillotson HS-59A (stock); also compatible with Walbro SDC series |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | ~1 US pint (0.47 L) |
| Oil Tank Capacity | ~0.35 US pint (0.17 L) |
| Fuel Mix Ratio | 40:1 (standard for era; many use 32:1 or 50:1 with modern oil) |
| Starting System | Recoil |
| Bar Length (stock) | 16″ to 20″ standard; capable of running up to 24″ |
| Chain Pitch | 3/8″ |
| Gauge | .050″ or .058″ depending on setup |
| Mount Type | Poulan large frame mount |
| Clutch | Centrifugal |
| Chain Brake | No (not standard for saws of this era) |
| Anti-Vibration | Basic (hard mounts or minimal AV, not modern AV system) |
| Weight (dry, no bar) | ~16.5–17 lbs (7.5–7.7 kg) |
| Production Years | 1978–1980 (short run) |
| Manufacturer | W.W. Grainger (Dayton brand) / Manufactured by Poulan |
| Notable Features | Large displacement, all-metal case, optional PowerSharp chain system |
The info on the top cover:
MODEL 2Z463
Dayton
21″ CHAINSAW
Dayton Electric MFG. Co. Chicago 60648, USA
Leightweight Push Button Sharpening
4.5 Cu In Engine
21″ Roller Nose Bar
Dayton is a brand owned by W.W. Grainger, a large industrial supply company in the USA. Grainger sold tools and machinery under the Dayton name, often manufactured by other companies (in this case, Poulan).
The original bar length fitted to this model was 21-inches. It’s capable of running bars from 16″ up to 24″, but came with a 21″ bar as standard. It used a 3/8″ pitch, .050″ or .058″ gauge, and had a roller nose bar (more on that below).
Dayton Electric MFG. Co., based in Chicago, Illinois (ZIP code 60648), was the headquarters of the company that owned and operated the Dayton brand. Dayton didn’t manufacture the saws—they distributed them under contract.
“Lightweight Push Button Sharpening” refers to PowerSharp, a now-retired Oregon bar/chain system with an integrated sharpening mechanism.
The bar had a special hollow nose and a sharpening stone attached to a button or lever. When the button was pushed with the chain running, the chain would briefly grind against the stone, sharpening the cutters in seconds.
This was innovative but not widely loved—many saws had the PowerSharp system removed or disabled over time.
The side cover:
Dayton
21″ CHAINSAW
Automatic Chain Oiling
You can see a “Power Sharp System” sticker as well.
There aren’t many reviews of the 2Z463 online, but ‘Locoweed’ on ArboristSite said:
I had one of those back around 1980. A friend still has it. It cut like a banshee then and I hear it still does.
And ORbowHntr said:
Bought a new chain for that ol’ gal (Dayton 2Z463) gonna dawg er hard (jammin) in that log to see how she all goes,,bought er for 5 bucks at a yard sale got er all clean an runnin after they tell it ain’t run for several years,man that machine runs good.
Or to rephrase that:
I bought a new chain for the old Dayton 2Z463 and plan to put it through its paces in a log to see how it performs.
I picked it up for five bucks at a yard sale. After giving it a good cleaning and getting it running—despite being told it hadn’t run in years—it turns out this machine runs great.
However, you can also look up reviews for the Poulan 245A or 306A. They are so similar to the 2Z463, and there are a lot more out there.
All-in-all, another cool chainsaw model.
Check out this ECHO CS-4400 that was also listed by eBay seller stihlsawing.
