Poulan 3400 manual Time of development

A time of development

The Model A (top) was Poulan’s first one-man bow saw offering Reduction Drive. The Model B100 (bottom) featured Gear Drive and let to dramatic growth of the company.

Through the mid-1950’s Poulan contin- ued to be an innovator in the chain saw field. It was during this period that Poulan recognized the evolution of “one-man” operation and introduced the Model A reduction drive saw. This model was untested and troublesome and Conly remembers the valuable lesson learned from it: “The salesmen would go out and put a modified part on the saw at the deal- er’s place of business. Two weeks later another salesman might follow up and take off that modification and install a new one. It was

a time of testing and learning for the company.

While the Model A unit was setting new sales records, an even more progressive model, the B100 Gear Drive unit was com- ing on line. The B100 was faster and more versatile than the Model A and put Poulan into the thick of the business.

In addition to establishing Poulan’s reputation for quality, the B100 led to dramatic growth in the company's two-step distributor/dealer sales system.

Poulan again influenced the market with the introduction of the F100 Reduction Drive chain saw. It was a highly efficient and very popular unit with professional loggers.

Poulan moved quickly in the develop- ment of a direct drive unit and in August 1957, the H100 was introduced. It was fol- lowed a year by the streamlined Model F200, a more powerful version of the

F100. The F200 pushed Poulan sales in the professional market to record levels. Its innovative design and dependability made it very popular with the professional, so popular in fact, that demands for the unit continued for four years after the F200 was discontinued.