Chain saw bar

Hi Fellas

I need a new bar for my saw. I have 4 or 5 chains for the current bar, so I would like to get one that will work with the chains that I have. How can I tell that a new bar will match the chains? I see numbers stamped on it but I'm not sure what they mean

You would be money ahead to go to a saw repair place to purchase a bar. Wrong or worn chains can ruin a bar and the drive sprocket. I learned the hard way.

Need to match the sprockets on the clutch and bar tip, but I guess that is your question. Probably can measure the chain spacing. Count how many teeth per foot maybe.

Your bar should have 3 numbers on it.

If you see 3/8 or there abouts that is the pitch to match your drive sprocket
If you see a number around .050 that is the thickness of the link- therefore the bar - chain you run.
If you see a number say 72, give or take that is the number of drive links in your chain.
Hope this helps. Not knowing what what brand of saw or size, if you can take to a dealer he can tell you more.

Zim

2X marked on the bar!

3/8 058 72 dl

Got it. Thanks guys

I would just check that 058 number and make sure it is not 050. I say that as one time I got a bar for my Sthil 441 that was a different width from the standard .050 and ruined the chain and bar.

Zim

I did the same thing as Zim once but fortunately the new bar my neighbor picked up for me was too narrow to run my 3/8" chains so I didn't damage anything. Learn every day.

Pete

They do make .50 .58 and .63 gauge bars. That is the grove width of the bar. .50 is allot more common but there are lots of bars 58 gauge. You should be able to see a number on the drive link of the chain. Oregon chain has a 72 number= .50 You may have to look up what number is stamped on the chain driver link to figure out what gauge it is
On the bar that is stamped 72 dl (chain length) that is how many drive links it takes for the bar

http://www.madsens1.com/bnc_pitch_gauge.htm
http://www.madsens1.com/bnc_bar_maint.htm
http://www.madsens1.com/bnc_noses.htm
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/repair..._and_Types.html

The 3/8" or .325" is the pitch or distance between drive links.
The .050" or .058" or.063" is the gauge of the chain or thickness of the drive links.
The 72 DL is the number of drive links required for that length bar. (this is likely a 20" bar)

I believe I've had more .058 gauge in 3/8 drive and more .050 in .325 drive. The .063 saws were all pro grade saws, and only one of those was .325 pitch. You can change the number of drive links by running a shorter or longer bar, you can change the pitch required by changing the sprocket and bar tip.
Bar maintenance just like chain maintenance is important, I've had a bar cut 100s of cords of fire wood and last many years.
A suggestion, when I buy a new saw I buy an extra bar: if I have an extra bar in the tool box and a log pinches my saw, I can quickly change the bar and chain and use the same power head to relieve the pinch; some guys carry an extra saw for this purpose, but I find the extra bar handier. You could use your old bar for this.

New saw is what I've found to work. Easy for us!

The pitch is actually HALF the distance between drive links or HALF the distance between any 3 rivets. 3/8 pitch chain will measure 3/4" between two drive links and 3/4" over any three rivets.

Good idea on the pinched bar trick ! Thanks

Can anyone answer for sure if, a stihl and husqavarna of same length and pitch chains are interchangeable? .325

As long as the pitch, gauge, and length are the same it should not matter what the brand is. I've run Stihl, Oregon, Husky chain on both my Stihls and Huskies.

Thanks W17, I been told different by a "salesman", but didn't believe him.

As long as the pitch, gauge and drive like count are correct, you can use it. I buy all my saw chain in 25 or 100 foot reels and make my own loops. Lately, my firewood is from town and has electric insulators, sign brackets, nails, screws, car parts, etc. that have grown into the tree and it will rip the cutters right off the chain before you even know that they are there. I just bust the tie strap, replace cutters, grind to same length as rest of teeth and keep going. Pitch, gauge and drive link is all you need to know for your saw and bar. If your bar is worn out, then your drive sprocket might be worn too. Keep everything the same as it was designed for optimum performance with this size.

I knew that! duh on me...
It is explained better with pictures on one of the links posted

I always carried a spare bar and several chains to dig myself out of a log if needed. Happens often when felling trees, and making firewood. Spare air filters too.

It's been a few years since i worked every day with a saw,but then the Stihl had a narrower gauge bar than a Jonsered or Husqvarna.In an emergency the Stihl could be put on the others,but not vice versa.The Stihl chain would fir loosely in the grouve of the other bars and want to fly off easier.

I once was a cutter for a Bolt Mill. I killed Big-tooth Aspen by the semi load so the guy could cut pallet bolts to sell to a pallet making factory. I am the only guy my boss ever hired that got one chainsaw stuck twice in the same tree at the same time. Yep, I pinched bar #1 real good, so removed it and put on bar #2 so I could finish cutting the tree......nope, got that hung up too. It took a walk back to the mill to retrieve bar #3 to unstick the bars and carry on. My boss never let me forget that one.

you can run any chain you want on any saw...... if the numbers match. Honestly a Stihl chain on a husqavarna saw is awesome.

The numbers are extremly important - if you get something wrong you can wreck a chain or clutch, or sprocket really fast.

Whatever the name on them most chains are Oregon's.

Stihl manufacturers their own chain. Different in many respects from Oregon/Carlton chain.

My guess is steel hardness may be a big difference among various chains