The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Poulan 245a vs Poulan 306a

     A common misconception within the TCM fan base is that the saw used in the original 1974 movie was a Poulan 306a. A fan brought a converted 306a when they met Gunnar Hansen which led to this misconception, but you can very clearly see it's a 245a in the movie. 

     The Poulan 245a and 306a are virtually identical saws- The 245a was introduced in 1971 and discontinued in 1980, and the 306a came just after, also in 1971, but had a longer run until 1987. The difference between them externally is the decals, the handle bar, and the fuel and air filter covers. This is what I'll go in to since we only see the exterior in the movie. 

     The most noticeable difference is the fuel/air tank covers. The 245a has a larger cover than the 306a. The covers on the 245a are twice the height of the 306a, and taper ever so slightly towards the back of the saw, while the 306a cover is half the height and tapers towards the front, going almost flush with the rest of the machine. 

     On a similar note, the handle bars are taller on the 245a to account for the added height on the saw, and the handlebar on the 306a is shorter. A quick search of behind the scenes photos with Gunnar holding the saw for a cast picture or the behind the scenes for the Leatherface fall scene on the official website show its got the tank and handlebar of a 245a.

     Lastly, the decals are covered by black electric tape in the film so the brand name Poulan isn't visible, however you can make out the white cursive writing that reads two forty-five, automatic on the right side of the saw. It is difficult to make out as the movie is old and the chainsaw is rarely stationary which leads to a lot of blurry screenshots, but it does say two forty-five.

     The Poulan 245a was used because of the low budget of the film, after Tobe Hooper couldn't get permission to use a saw from the brand he wanted. They would not have gone out of their way to convert a 306a to a 245a, or any other shit like that. The saws were cheap and being manufactured only a few years earlier so they would have bought it new or gently used- and an abundance of spare parts would be available so part swapping wouldn't be needed if something was somehow broken in such a short time. Converted saws only really started to happen because the 245a has aged after these 50+ years, and is now sought after by collectors, some of which had to build their saws from parts on ebay and created Frankenstein 245a 306a hybrids.

      Yes, Gunnar talked about a converted 306a in his Chainsaw Confidential, but the source material very clearly shows a 245a.

     Either way, the 245a and 306a are both beautiful saws and have both become collectors items within the Texas Chain Saw Massacre world, and among chainsaw enthusiasts. 

     Official website at thetexaschainsawmassacre.com with a clearer view of the Poulan: https://thetexaschainsawmassacre.com/original-texas-chainsaw-massacre-1974-behind-the-scenes/ see page three of the production stills, photos one and three.