Poulan chainsaws have a long history of serving both professional loggers and everyday homeowners, with models ranging from tough 1970s workhorses to lightweight consumer favorites.
While the original company has changed hands over the decades, the Poulan Pro brand lives on today—modern models are still available at major retailers like Tractor Supply Co., where they remain a popular choice for budget-conscious users.
For collectors and chainsaw enthusiasts, however, it’s the older Poulan models that often spark the most interest, and that’s what the following adverts showcase.
You can find original ads like these for sale on eBay through sellers like these:
Now, let’s get into the ads!
Poulan’s story begins in 1946, when Claude Poulan, a veteran timberman from Louisiana, founded the Poulan Saw Company in Shreveport. Having spent years in the logging camps of the American South, Poulan understood firsthand the inefficiencies and hardships of felling trees with the heavy and unwieldy saws of the era.
His goal was to produce chainsaws that were not only powerful but also lighter, easier to use, and more suited to one-man operation—something that was still a relatively new idea in the mid-20th century.
Early Poulan chainsaws were based on modified versions of existing designs, and in the beginning, they often used engines made by other companies. But Claude Poulan had a vision for something better, and that vision quickly began to take shape.
During the 1950s, Poulan refined its product line and gained a reputation among professional loggers. In 1958, Claude Poulan sold the company to Beaird Company, and the brand became known as Beaird-Poulan.
This acquisition gave the company more resources to expand manufacturing and development. Poulan began producing more of its own components, including engines, allowing for greater control over quality and performance.
The 1960s marked Poulan’s rise from a small regional player to a nationally recognized brand. Known for their distinctive green saws, Poulan became a trusted name, especially among Southern loggers who needed efficient tools to tackle softwoods like pine.
By the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Poulan started expanding beyond the professional logging market and began targeting homeowners and landowners with consumer-grade chainsaws.
These saws were lighter, more affordable, and easier to maintain—qualities that helped Poulan tap into the growing postwar suburban market where many people were now caring for their own trees, cutting firewood, or managing small plots of land.
This was also a time when outdoor power tools were beginning to become household items rather than just professional equipment. Poulan’s strategy of producing powerful yet cost-effective tools paid off, and they became one of the top-selling chainsaw brands in the United States.
In 1972, Poulan was acquired by Emerson Electric, a large American industrial company. Under Emerson’s ownership, Poulan expanded further into the lawn and garden sector, adding products like trimmers and blowers to its lineup.
Around this time, the company launched the Poulan Pro line, aimed at more demanding homeowners and semi-professionals. These tools bridged the gap between light-duty consumer saws and full professional equipment, offering more power and durability while remaining affordable.
A major shift occurred in 1986, when Poulan was purchased by the Swedish multinational Electrolux, which already owned Husqvarna, another major name in chainsaws. Under Electrolux—and later under the Husqvarna Group after the outdoor division was spun off in 2006—Poulan became part of a global portfolio of power tool brands.
From this point on, many Poulan and Poulan Pro tools began sharing internal components and engineering with Husqvarna products. While sold at a lower price point, they benefitted from Husqvarna’s manufacturing expertise and supply chain.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Poulan’s reputation as a go-to brand for homeowners remained strong. It offered a balance of performance and affordability that appealed to the casual user.
While professionals might lean toward Husqvarna, STIHL, or ECHO, Poulan chainsaws were often the first saw a homeowner bought, and they were widely available at big-box retailers like Walmart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot.
While it no longer operates as an independent company, Poulan’s legacy lives on in its products, many of which continue to be manufactured and sold by the Husqvarna Group.
Poulan’s history reflects the broader evolution of the chainsaw market: from a tool used exclusively by lumberjacks to a common household item. What began in a small Louisiana workshop with Claude Poulan’s vision to make life easier for loggers grew into a brand that helped bring chainsaw ownership to the average American.
Though it has changed hands multiple times and become part of a larger corporate family, the Poulan name still holds a place in the story of American forestry and do-it-yourself culture.
| Model | Years Produced | Engine Size | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poulan 245A | Introduced 1971 | 74 cc | Early pro-grade saw; known for reliability and performance. Often sought after by collectors. |
| Poulan 306A | Introduced 1970 | 59 cc | Rugged, durable saw. Popular among serious users; now collectible in working condition. |
| Poulan 3400 | Introduced 1979 | 56 cc | High-performance saw with a loyal following. Shares design elements with some Craftsman models. |
| Poulan 3700 | Introduced 1980 | 61 cc | Pro-level saw. Durable and powerful; one of Poulan’s top-tier offerings before Husqvarna era. |
| Poulan 4000 | Introduced 1983 | 65 cc | Heavy-duty saw; could be used with a bow saw attachment. |
| Poulan XXV | 1970s | ~42 cc | Lightweight and compact; good for collectors of classic home-use saws. |
| Poulan Pro 415 | Introduced 1993 | 65 cc | Poulan Pro-branded saw known for excellent power-to-weight ratio. Often collected for performance. |
| Poulan 5200 | Introduced 1975 | 85 cc | Massive saw, very collectible. Sometimes referred to as the “Green Giant” in chainsaw circles. |
| Poulan Woodshark | 1990s–2000s | 33–38 cc | Not rare, but iconic for its affordability and entry-level appeal. Often a first chainsaw for many. |
| Poulan Pro 5020AV | 2000s–2010s | 50 cc | Modern-era consumer saw. Not yet antique, but some versions are collected for nostalgia or parts. |
Other thoughts:
- Many older Poulan saws were rebadged and sold under the Craftsman and Weedeater names, often using the same engines and components.
- The green models from the 60s and 70s are especially sought after by collectors due to their build quality and aesthetic.
- Some collectors specialize in pre-Electrolux Poulan models (pre-1986), as they represent the “original” Poulan era before corporate changes.
Poulan saws are also notable in that they were used by Leatherface in the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. They feature on merch to this day, such as the following t-shirt on Amazon.
Please share any more old Poulan advertising with us, and we’ll add it to the list here.
Be sure to check out these old McCulloch ads and vintage Homelite ads as well!
