Poulan Chainsaw Carburetor Adjustment

Poulan chainsaw’s have three carburetor adjustment screws

(T) Idle Speed screw -This carburetor adjustment screw controls the Poulan chainsaw’s engine speed at idle. If set too low, the saw will die. If set too high the chain will run. This is dangerous.

(L) Low speed adjustment screw - This is the low speed jet. This carburetor adjustment screw controls the Poulan chainsaw’s air/fuel mixture at idle. Adjust this screw too rich and the chainsaw will blubber and die at idle speed. Adjust this screw too lean and the engine will starve. The saw will race or surge. An extremely lean adjustment will also cause the engine to die.

(H) High speed adjustment screw - This is the high speed jet. This carburetor adjustment screw controls the Poulan chainsaw’s air/fuel mixture at high RPMs. Adjust this screw too rich and the chainsaw will blubber, too lean and it will over rev


Safe Basic Settings

If your reading this page you have already removed the carburetor limiter caps that cover the adjustment screws in the wal-mart parking lot and sent them back to Husqvarna with an appropriately nasty letter. If you haven’t do so now!
Screws (H) & (L) - Turn the adjustment Screws (H) & (L) down onto their seats (clockwise). Back them off 1 complete turn (counter-clockwise)
Screw (T) - Turn (LA) Idle Speed screw until the chain stops. Then turn counter-clockwise one quarter of a turn.


The Poulan Chainsaw Carburetor Adjustment

With your Poulan chainsaw idling turn the low speed jet until it starts to stall. Then turn screw L the opposite way until it starts to stall. Then put it in between the two stall points. The high speed jet is a little harder. Adjust it the same, but you want it as far counter clockwise as you can run it, and still have power in the cut. If you run the saw and it lacks power in the cut, crank it in just a little and keep trying it. Don’t go too lean because it will lack oil and run hot. Of course adjust the idle so it will run without the chain moving.


Fine Tuning – Screw (L)

Erratic idling behavior; poor acceleration - Idle setting too lean; turn low speed adjusting screw (L) counterclockwise until engine runs and accelerates smoothly. Readjust screw (T).

Exhaust smokes at idle speed -Idle speed setting too rich; turn low speed adjusting screw (L) clockwise until engine speed drops. Then turn screw back one quarter turn and check that engine still accelerates smoothly when you open the throttle. Readjust screw (T).

Poulan chainsaw carburetor adjustment settings tune-up is that easy. What could it be worth? a hundred bucks? Just have fun with it. Stay safe!

Poulan Chainsaw Carburetor Adjustment Part Breakdown
Chain Saw Safety

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  • Frnkht

    have you retried the starting proceedure. prime 6 times with full choke pull 5 times. move choke to half pull again. if restart, use half choke, pull rope.

    these engines do not start right away. keep at it. when it runs, let it warm up, then adjust the carb

  • Joe

    I believe i saw the answer,poulan chain saw.I replaced the carberator and it starts and idols great.when i start to accelerate it dies,is it the low speed adjustment to lean?Joe

  • Manuelbueno72

    I have a 2500 C.I poulan Farmhand chainsaw bought it from someone and it was woking fine til after I cut a tree down,then it would start and bog down then started smoking and smelling like yhe oil for chainsaw and that was it,it won’t start again

  • bonnie1956

    i cant get it to start….have fire…gas in bulb and lines….h and l screws only turn half way …chain saw old but have had it running lady in need please help it has run and i cut down tree…it die. now tryed adjusting but no luck this time

  • Skipper124

    I have a 2550 and when I think its adjusted right and start to saw it will start idling real high,how far does the idle screw have to be backed off from the seated postion

  • GWENELLISON

    I BOUGHT A POULAN SAW,LAST FRIDAY..AND JUST USE IT TODAY.. IT WORK TO DAME GOOD”’// STARD RIGHT UP.RAN IT FOR 2 HOUR.. IT NEED SHARPING NOW….. AND IT A PP4218 PRO STARD IT BACK UP 1 HOUR LATER..AND STEEL RAN.GOOOOOD……….IDLING GOOD TOO;;; WE AR GOING TO WORK THE THE HELL OUT OF IT THIS WEEKEND ,,BUT,,TO ME.. IT A GOOD SAW I WILL GIVE IT A,,100+

  • jamie

    my 2900 cranks idels fine, it runs and wont die but with trigger all the way down it surges back off a little and it is fine