What size chainsaw chain do I need?
Pitch, gauge and drive links: where to find each one on your saw, and what to do if the stamp's worn off.
Chainsaw chain size comes down to 3 numbers, and they're the same 3 on every saw. Pitch and gauge, plus how many drive links are in the loop. All 3 have to match what your saw is set up for, because a chain that's the right length but the wrong gauge will either sit sloppy in the bar groove or won't drop into it at all, and bar length on its own tells you nothing useful.
The quickest way to get all 3 is to read the stamp on the bar, usually down the back near where it bolts onto the saw. A lot of bars have the lot printed there, something like 3/8 LP .050 52. If yours does, you've got your answer and you can order it.
Archer Chain Loop Semi Chisel - 3/8" LP .050, 52DL
Where do I find the pitch and gauge on my chainsaw?
- Stamped on the bar near the mount. Most people walk straight past it because it's buried under sawdust and bar oil, so give it a wipe with a rag first.
- The manual, or the spec page on the maker's website if the manual disappeared years ago.
- The old chain itself. The drive links usually carry a small code stamped into them that identifies the chain, and the maker's chart turns that code into pitch, gauge and length.
How do I count the drive links?
Drive links are the little pointed tabs on the underside of the chain, the ones that ride inside the groove of the bar. Take the chain off, lay it out flat on the bench, and put a texta mark on one drive link so you know where you started. Then count every single one the whole way around, not every second one.
Counting is honestly the only way to be sure, because 2 bars both marked 16 inches can take different drive link counts depending on the saw, which is one of the reasons a 52 and a 56 in the same pitch and gauge both exist. Same pitch, same gauge, 4 links longer.
Archer Chain Loop Semi Chisel - 3/8" LP .050, 56DL
What if the stamp on the bar has worn off?
Then you measure. For pitch, find 3 rivets in a row, measure from the centre of the first to the centre of the third, and halve it. About 19mm across those 3 rivets is 3/8 inch. About 16.5mm is .325.
For gauge you're measuring how thick the drive link is where it sits in the groove. .043 is about 1.1mm, .050 is about 1.3mm, .058 is about 1.5mm and .063 is about 1.6mm. Vernier calipers make short work of it, and if you haven't got a pair, bring the old chain in and we'll measure it for you.
Which Archer chain matches my numbers?
| Chain | Pitch | Gauge | Drive links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Semi Chisel 3/8" LP .043, 44DL | 3/8" LP | .043" | 44 |
| Archer Semi Chisel 3/8" LP .050, 52DL | 3/8" LP | .050" | 52 |
| Archer Semi Chisel 3/8" LP .050, 56DL | 3/8" LP | .050" | 56 |
| Archer Semi Chisel .325 .050, 72DL | .325" | .050" | 72 |
| Archer Semi Chisel 3/8" .058, 72DL | 3/8" | .058" | 72 |
| Archer Semi Chisel 3/8" .063, 72DL | 3/8" | .063" | 72 |
What if my numbers aren't in that table?
.043 is a thinner gauge that turns up on a lot of the smaller saws, and if your bar says .043 and you count 44 drive links, this is the one.
Archer - Chain Loop Semi Chisel - 3/8" LP .043, 44DL
Bigger saws run a heavier chain, and the 3 I list in 72 drive links cover the sizes I get asked for most. Read your gauge carefully here, because .058 and .063 look identical sitting next to each other and they are not interchangeable.
Archer - Chain Loop Semi Chisel - .325 .050, 72DL
Archer - Chain Loop Semi Chisel - 3/8" .058, 72DL
Archer - Chain Loop Semi Chisel - 3/8" .063, 72DL
If in doubt, bring the old chain in and we'll Hardware CSI it. We'll read the bar, count the drive links, check the gauge and match it on the spot. Too far to pop in? Give me a ring on (08) 8536 4333 or send us a message with your saw model and the numbers off the bar, and we'll work it out from there.
Cheers,
Candeece
