Full Overview

Includes 40cc Gas 18-in Rear Handle Wild Thing Chain Saw - P4018WT, Carrying Case, Owner's Manual

Technical Details

- Perfect for light cutting and most jobs around the yard
- Super Clean Air Filter System - extends the life of the air filter
- Gear driven automatic oiler
- Primer bulb for easy starting
- Non-CARB Compliant/Not For Sale In California

I'm on my second Wild Thing. The first lasted about 7 years and the second is going into its seventh year. I've worn out several bars and a half dozen or so chains. I've got 7.5 acres of Texas mountain cedar and live oak that I've been working my way through. I've had troubles getting them to start and run consistently at the start of the cutting season, but then I figured out that if I use fresh gas the problem disappears. It takes two pulls on full choke and two pulls on half choke to get it to start from cold, but then they run like a champ and will start on the first pull at half choke if you shut it down and then restart while it's still warm. Now admittedly it isn't a 3 or 400 dollar saw and won't last forever, but the fact is that at about $150 each with not a penny spent on maintenance I don't care. It does the job I bought it for and that's all I can ask.

Had this saw 7-8 years, no problems. Always started easy, ran great. Wore out 2 chanins and 1 bar, replaced myself very inexpensively. Cost me $119.00 back then. I cleared 10 acres of 6-12" hardwoods, and cleaned up after 3 hurricanes, including a dozen very large oaks that fell. One day after a hurricane, I was in my driveway about to saw up a large oak that fell across the driveway. A pair of professional tree cutters that came in from Kentucky pulled in and asked me if I wanted a price for cutting up the trees. I said no, I've got it. The guy said "With that Poulan"? I said "Yep". He pulled out a big orange chainsaw and said "You'll need one like this to clear all these trees". He fired up his saw and cut a piece off a large limb. He knew I was timing him, and it took him 12 sec. I fired up my Poulan, and cut it in 11 sec. He turned red, and said "It cuts fast, but it won't last very long". I said "It's already lasted more than long enough". I laugh at these saw snobs. They pay 3-4 times more for a saw that cuts no better and lasts 20% longer at most, and are expensive to repair. If I was a Pro, I would get 3 Poulans instead of 1 brand S or H. Your money is much better spent, and they're American made.

This saw will cut fast and make short work of bigger logs. I bought it to just cut some small fire wood and bushes but I had to put it to work and i have been cutting a bunch of firewood and it flys thru wood like butter.

What others have said holds true.. check the chain every time before use. I wasn't sure if it was the chain wearing in, or if the bar was sliding, but make sure its tightened properly.

Also, the oil does tend to leak out when it sits a while, so don't go fill happy on the bar oil if you're only going to use the saw for one or two cuts. Also, check to make sure you don't have a build up of saw dust at the end of the bar that blocks the oil passages.

As for starting and idling, I have the same issues. I have had a chance to adjust the low idle speed, but I have a feeling that should clear up the random stalling when idling (sometimes I can move a bunch of logs with it idling fine, other times it stalls out between cuts). As for starting, I've found the easiest way to start it is full choke, prime 6 or so times. Pull until it "tries" to start. At that point turn the choke off, hold the throttle on while pull starting (I use one hand on the hand bar and my foot on the rear hand gaurd with steel toe part of boot holding throttle open some). *Make sure there is nothing near the bar nor the bat is on or near the ground). Tends to start with minimal pulls this way.

Other than those issues it has worked fine for around the home/back yard wooded areas for me.

The other thing I'm going to be having soon is the rubber o-ring.on the gas cap is starting to split/rip so ill have to replace that.

in three years with my saw, & only had to clean the muffler screen after it clogged up & wouldn't start...thought it was flooding, & my friend came over & showed me exactly what was wrong with it & VIOLA! It ran! Screamin' ran! If you use the correct fuel mixture, & keep your chain sharp, & oiled, you won't have any issues with your Poulan, & for $150, you can't beat the price that you pay & the amount of cords you'll get outta this saw, for firewood...I live in a small cabin in BFE Alaska, where the temps can get to -40 below for weeks, & need a lot of wood to stay warm. With that lil' secret that my friend showed me, I cleaned up my old Poulan that was replaced with this one, & it too started right up! (Bought one eBay to try to get parts for my old one & fixed that one up too! Now have THREE runnin' Poulans & in all paid for less than the priceier pro models & get the same amount of cords that the people who use them more expensive pro models...) All my neighbors tease the hell outta me sayin' "Yer gunna be pullin' & pullin' on that Poulan!" but, I just sit back & laugh quietly, knowin' the truth...Likewise, if you can port your rig & Muffler mod it, it will work EVEN better than stock! (don't get racin' port but work port, done)

I picked one up after we got hit with a tornado here in Indiana, and I lost about 7 trees in total. After having a patent holding mechanical engineer friend rework part of it for me the bar is holding stable, the chain is tight, and it's working well. The controls are well laid out, and it's easy to use in my opinion. It's lighter than my dad's 14" McCullich, which seems to actually pull harder, but with the trees already down the weakness is not so much of an issue for me. The original setup is terrible. It tosses chains, and burrs them, making them require filing to salvage. It's not complete junk, but you have to work with it an awful lot to get it right. I really didn't expect much better for the $120 I paid for it though.

After 5 hours cutting time...

Pros:
Lightweight
Easy to use controls
Cheap
Includes case
Nice color

Cons:
Requires A LOT of work right out of the box
Weak motor
Without proper setup of bar it will toss chains
Burrs chains causing them not to rotate unless de-burred

If you follow the directions to the tee, I mean does exactly what they want on the side of the chain saw it will start every time! Its solid and good power, only slight complaint is that the chain comes off after 10 min or more of use, it could be me with not adjusting but that might be why they give you a hand tool? Overall if reliability is what you want again 7-8 years later and it's still starting with NO issues

had the wild thing for about 6 years, have used it on several occasions. most recently cutting up a medium-size oak tree in my brother's yard. had 2 other friends there, with a stihl and a husky. the poulan kept up with, if not cut faster than both. poulan says on the wild thing box it's for 'medium duty' but so far has held up very well. only thing i've done is replace the chain once and keep it properly adjusted. only (minor) complaint is it starts hard when cold.once it's warm, it starts with 1 pull every time. definitely worth the money.

The title says it all. Idles very badly - constant restarts! The stock chain is worthless. I spent an hour trying to fell a tree that should have been 5 minutes tops. Finally this "wild thing" died when the drive sprocket went bad - 18 total cuts. It's light on the pocket book but add $100 for repairs and a decent chain...not so cheap after all!

Don't waste your money on the Poulan Wild Thing. It won't idle well and has to be restarted constantly. Forget trying to use it off the ground on a ladder. It has to be started and restarted just like it has a cold engine each time. Believe me, it is so complicated to start you will wish you had never purchased it. I only give this product a one because I can't go any lower and still write a review.