Anyone who knows their hardware knows the name Poulan. When it comes to gas-powered chainsaws, the Poulan brand name has been as good as gold in the hardware industry since the release of their unstoppable Poulan 2800 gas-powered chainsaw in the late ’80s. But when a fifty dollar Poulan electric chainsaw caught my eye at Wal-Mart, the obvious question on my mind was, “How does Poulan’s line of electric chainsaws stack up against their tried-and-true gas counterparts?”
Enter the Poulan 1420 electric chainsaw: With a cutting surface of only 14 inches, it is the smallest model in Poulan’s line of electric chainsaws, and gives new meaning to the phrase ‘dynamite comes in small packages.’ I matched this incredibly lightweight, 11-pound electric chainsaw up against a 75-foot juggernaut of a walnut tree in my backyard, setting the stage for a David and Goliath style struggle between the enormous walnut tree, and a comparatively puny, 14-inch blade. I had little hope for the featherweight saw, and was convinced the day’s work would conclude in a shower of sparks, raining down on me from a cloud of 10.5 amp, 2-horsepower engine smoke!
Fortunately, I can report my prediction could not have been more wrong. Seconds after getting it out of the box, the chainsaw was plugged in to a fluorescent orange extension cord, and my backyard instantly transformed into a battlefield, pitting man and a mere 14 inches of steel, against 75-feet of fully mature walnut tree. Despite the discomforting odds, I pressed on, and the Poulan 1420, to my joy and amazement, effortlessly cut a clean incision at the base of the walnut tree, and dropped the 75-foot behemoth neatly in the center of my backyard!
The 90-minutes of brushwork that followed the falling of the gigantic walnut tree flew by. During the process of pruning away the light branches, my ground man found it an unexpected challenge to keep up with the electric chainsaw, and was impressed at how fast I was able slice and dice the tree’s upper limbs.
The awesome efficiency displayed by the Poulan during this extensive brush work cannot be attributed solely to its deceptive power. It’s obvious the dedicated engineers at Poulan carefully crafted a design for the 1420 that is lightweight, and compact, resulting in a less cumbersome, more maneuverable chainsaw. The solid, ergonomic grip, and safety-locking trigger, serve to further enhance user comfort and confidence, two key factors of immeasurable importance to smaller, and less-experienced operators.
During its final test of cutting power and durability, which was to make logs of the massive walnut tree’s three foot wide trunk, the Poulan 1420 exemplified superior hardware design. Not only did its unassuming 14-inch chainsaw blade unflinchingly attack and destroy the walnut tree’s formidable trunk, but it did so non-stop, for the better part of three hours! As my ground man stacked over a cord of walnut logs, the Poulan 1420 electric chainsaw performed an inspiring exhibition of durability and power. The marathon cutting session it was able to complete was a jaw-dropping display of ingenious hardware design. It was enough to convince me, beyond any doubt, that the Poulan 1420 electric chainsaw possesses all the qualities that made its gas-powered predecessor, the Poulan 2800, a legendary piece of hardware.
I purposely pushed this saw to do more than I thought it capable of, but the Poulan 1420 rose to the occasion. Though, intended to be little more than a humble pruning saw, its modest two horsepower engine went above and beyond what should be expected of such a small motor. Putting this machine to the test revealed its deceptive power, and matchless endurance. This chainsaw proved its worth, by walking a harrowing gauntlet of three-foot thick walnut logs, with grace, and only a single case of very minor kickback!
By releasing an affordable, high quality electric chainsaw like the Poulan 1420, Poulan has proved that their excellent reputation in the hardware industry is deserved. The Poulan 1420 exceeded my expectations in every aspect, from price to convenience, to power and durability. After seeing what the Poulan 1420 can do first hand, I can, with complete confidence, recommend it to anyone who appreciates the usefulness of solidly-built hardware. It gets a ten out of ten!
