Poulan 3400 manual

Beaird-Poulan has established a solid reputation by building the highest quality products available. Pictured at left is (a) Model 2400, Poulan’s first saw. It was Claude Poulan’s invention, the bow guide, and required two men to operate it:

(b)the Model A was Poulan’s first one-man saw; (c) the B100 was Poulan’s first chain saw; (d) the F100 featured Reduction Drive;

(e)the K100 was powerful enough for the professional but was the first practical saw for the casual user;

(f)the Poulan Micro XXV chain saw sold for well under $100 and contin- ued revolutionizing the industry, and

(g)the Model 3400, Poulan’s new mid-priced chain saw has many fea- tures of the professional saws.

In 1944, with World War II at its height, a young Louisiana lumberman, Claude Poulan made a discovery which would eventually lead to the founding of a major American company, and the expansion and growth of a worldwide industry. As Poulan supervised German prisoners of war cutting down pulpwood trees in the lush forests of East Texas, he noted that an extra man was required to operate two- man chain saws,. The third man used a pry pole to keep the chain from pinching or binding as it cut through the trees. Realizing the need for a device to elimi- nate the extra man, Poulan took an old truck fender, hammered out a piece of it into a curved attachment which he called a bow guide. This simple innovation was the first step toward the founding of the company which still bears his name today: Beaird-Poulan.

When the war ended, Poulan moved to the small town of Alto, Texas, where he continued to produce bow attachments for major chain saw manufacturers including

Mall, Disston and others. In 1946, Poulan moved his business to Marshall, Texas. After several months of operating in Mar- shall, Poulan took $4,000 and, using rent- ed equipment, moved to a tiny 20 by 20 foot shed in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he formally established the Poulan Chain Saw Company. Using engines purchased from Homelite, he began producing the first Poulan Chain Saw, the Model 2400. Although Homelite was not in the saw business, they quickly became aware of this new industry’s potential and entered the market Poulan, however, was able to negotiate for the tool rights and began producing his own engine components for the Model 2400 two-man chain saw.

James M. Conly, Jr. joined Poulan in 1948 as chief accountant and office man- ager of the budding new company. Throughout the company’s history, Mr. Conly has played a key role in its devel- opment. Also joining the Poulan firm in 1948 was Ernest Garrett, whose