Mystery Chaninsaw???

[Gilbert Vega]

A buddy of mine bought this saw and was trying to find out what kind of saw this is. It is about 25" from the sprocket to the end of the reardrop bar. It appears to be a Poulan. He is hoping to swap the bar for a regular straight bar. Any ideas what it is??

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k240/00lightning/chainsaw1.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k240/00lightning/chainsaw2.jpg

[Jim Becker]

Freddie Kruger might love it... :D

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If it's a standard Poulan head, it likely can be fitted with a normal bar, but the sprocket may also need to be exchanged if that wicked looking thang isn't using some form of standard chain that matches the straight bar.

[jerry cousins]

that style of bar was used for cutting brush.
jerry

[Dick Brown]

These bars were great for cutting small stuff as said before. The finger at the front bottom of the bow was put below the log, pole or brush and let the operator stand while cutting. Very interesting when falling small stuff with it like clearing right-of-way and the tree get down inside the bow!!!

[CW McClellan]

Down South it's called a bow saw --great for cutting pulp and fire wood --good on the back also --don't sell them anymore because cutting the leg --you have a tendency to lay saw across your front and thats when it gets ya -- I've had one for many years -- blue jeans on left leg at above knee got cuts -- barley got meat --Gov. won't let them make em anymore just like the three wheelers --SAFETY

[Gilbert Vega]

I've had one for many years -- blue jeans on left leg at above knee got cuts -- barley got meat --Gov. won't let them make em anymore just like the three wheelers --SAFETY

Can you tell me what the model # is and whether a straight bar can be installed? Thanks.

[Ed Labadie]

Down South it's called a bow saw --great for cutting pulp and fire wood --good on the back also --don't sell them anymore because cutting the leg --you have a tendency to lay saw across your front and thats when it gets ya -- I've had one for many years -- blue jeans on left leg at above knee got cuts -- barley got meat --Gov. won't let them make em anymore just like the three wheelers --SAFETY

There is no "law" against making Bow bars, they are still available new. Baileys carries them. Aside from being dangerous they did have their place in the pulpwood industry for bucking logs at the landing.
Technology has made them obsolete. A guy with a chainsaw can't compete with a feller-buncher and a forwarder when it comes to production.

Ed

[Stan Terrell]

This saw looks like a Pioneer to me. The Pionneers with a bow or a bar were popular among the pro''s before Stihl and Husquavarna came on the seen. A bar can be used with no problems. Might even find one that the chain will fit. If not correct chains are really available.

Stan

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

An X-Mass Tree farm guy near me has one of those bars on his saw. HE likes it for the small trunks.

I imagine the extra inches on the track might make the motor work harder.

[David Duke]

Can you tell me what the model # is and whether a straight bar can be installed? Thanks.

Gilbert, it looks like the Poulan CounterVibe 4200 to me, I've had one for 30 yrs but without the bow. You should be able to get a standard bar for it.

[Greg Dykes]

Having spent many days with one of these bow saws in my hand I can speak with authority on its uses. I made extra money in high school and college cutting pulp wood. I could cut about 4 cords, load it and haul it to the yard in a single afternoon. Four cords would make me about $100 back in the late 70's and for a school kid, I was rich.Someone posted that it was made to cut brush and small trees. That is is not true. It was designed for the log/pulp wood cutter in mind. The smaller rail meant that it was less likely to get pinched. As for the bow saw being harder on the motor, that too is incorrect. More teeth on a single chain made cutting easier and caused the motor to not work as hard (that is if you kept the chain sharp). I have a friend that is a manager of a small engine shop and a dealer for Stihl. He just informed me that you can not purchase a saw with a bow on it anymore from a dealer. You can buy a bow and install it yourself though. As for the model, I described it to him and he thinks it is a poulan. He said the easiest thing to do is take it to the local saw shop and ask them if they have a sprocket and bar that will fit.

[Dick Brown]

Greg is right in they were intended for pulp and cord wood. However, in the big timber country of the west, we used a smaller version with maybe only 12 or 14 inch across the bow to limb on the landing, cut off tops, clear brush, fall and buck small jackpines on right-of-way and even take the finger off and cut wood altough they were easy to get hung up used for that. Always had a saw with as regular bar on the landing for the larger stuff. Wished I had one the last few summers as I have been cutting the low limbs off Junipers for fire prevention.

[Gilbert Vega]

The saw will be used primarily for cutting larger logs so a straight br may be more practical.

[Stan Terrell]

If you are going to be bucking logs that are already cut, try the saw like it is before you spend anymore money. That's what the bow was designed for.

Stan

[Steve Clardy]

My father used to have a bar like that on a Homelite saw.
Scary looking thing.