Buying a chain by bar length alone is the most common mistake in this category, and it is why so many arrive and will not fit. You need three numbers, and all three are usually stamped on the bar near the saw body.
- Pitch: the spacing of the rivets, commonly 3/8 inch low profile, 0.325 inch or full 3/8 inch.
- Gauge: the thickness of the drive links that sit in the bar groove, usually 1.1 mm (.043), 1.3 mm (.050) or 1.5 mm (.058).
- Drive link count: how many links go round. This one is specific to the bar and cannot be worked out from the length.
What to buy
| Product | Why this one | |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Chain for 14 inch Bar, 3/8 inch LP, .050 gauge, 52 drive links | The most common 14 inch specification. Check your bar before ordering: length alone is not enough. | Check price |
| Oregon Chain for 14 inch Bar, 3/8 inch LP, .043 gauge, 52 drive links | The thinner .043 gauge version, used on many lighter battery saws. | Check price |
| Oregon Chain for 16 inch Bar, 3/8 inch LP, .050 gauge, 56 drive links | The standard 16 inch chain for most homeowner saws. | Check price |
| Oregon Chain for 18 inch Bar, 3/8 inch LP, .050 gauge, 62 drive links | For 18 inch bars running low profile chain. | Check price |
| Oregon Chain for 18 inch Bar, .325 inch pitch, .050 gauge, 72 drive links | The .325 inch version, used on more powerful petrol saws at the same bar length. | Check price |
| Oregon Chain for 15 inch Bar, .325 inch pitch, .058 gauge, 64 drive links | A common Husqvarna specification. Match all three numbers from your own bar. | Check price |
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Where to read the numbers
Look along the flat of the bar, near where it enters the saw. Most bars carry the cutting length, pitch and gauge there. If the markings are worn away, count the drive links on the old chain, and measure the pitch across three rivets and halve it.
Taking the old chain to a dealer is faster than any of this.
Chisel, semi-chisel and low kickback
Full chisel cutters have square corners and cut fastest in clean softwood, but dull quickly if they touch dirt. Semi-chisel has rounded corners, cuts slightly slower and stays sharp longer, which suits firewood and dirty timber. Low-kickback chain adds guard links and is what nearly every domestic saw ships with, for good reason.
How long a chain lasts
Five to ten sharpenings before the cutters reach the wear mark, which for a homeowner is often several seasons. What ends a chain early is dirt: one touch of soil, grit or a hidden fence staple blunts every cutter at once.
Keep a sharpened spare. Swapping chains takes a minute and is far quicker than filing in the cold.
Fitting it the right way round
The cutters on the top of the bar point forwards, towards the nose. A chain fitted backwards will spin, smoke and produce dust without cutting, and it is the most common reason a saw “stops working” after a chain change.
Related
Browse the saws themselves by petrol, cordless or corded, or see the best chainsaws overall.
Last updated November 2026