Gauge and Pitch?

Hi all. New here. What is the chain gauge and pitch and what is the difference between them?
- J.R

The normal pitch of a chain is 3/8’s of an inch and it is the spacing between the rivets on the chain (the saws sprocket will also have the same spacing). The chain gauge is the thickness of the chain.

The most common bar/chain sizes is .050 gauge & 3/8 (.375) pitch. The good thing about this size ,
since it's so common, is you can get just about any type chain for your saw you want.
But smaller saws have smaller pitch but may have .050 gauge. (small radius nose on the bar needs a little smaller pitch)
Gauge is the thickness of the drive links & the width of the grove in the bar that the drive link runs in.
On the chart you can see 1/4", .325", 3/8", .404" & some PICCO (low profile) pitch sizes & the Gauge sizes.
Oregon & Stihl are the most common chain manufacturers . (Oregon makes chains & bars for Husqvarna)
Most bars have the pitch & gauge on them.
If you change the bar & chain , It is important to match the saw's drive sprocket (rim) to the chain & bar specs.

Differences, usually smaller pitch & gauge are for smaller saws. Mid sizes for middle size saw & large for larger saws.

Welcome to the site, JR. I second what Bogydave said, lots of pitches and gauges out there, just remember whatever gauge/pitch you use, make sure the bar and sprocket correspond to that size. 3/8" .050 is the most common size of most older and newer saws 60cc and above, .325 Picco seems to be on a lot of the saws under 60cc's nowadays. 1/4" pitch is used mainly by chainsaw carvers, and the big .404-063 is used by a lot of loggers.

Yep, what they said. To determine pitch, measure across 3 rivets & divide by 2.you'll come @ .325 or .375 usually.

If you like, I recommend saving the chart that Dave posted for future reference. Very handy. Come back when they ask if you want chisel, semi chisel, safety, pro, skip tooth, full comp chain etc. & we'll confuse you even more.

Oh yea BTW: Welcome to Hearth. com! A C

There's a pretty good thread with a ton of info on it already. Check this out.

http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/chainsaw-education.75380/

http://www.hearth.com/talk/bookmarks/95/view-item - Link to my specific post in that thread.

The above is not correct. As already stated by others, the pitch is the spacing between any three rivets divided by two. The gauge is the nominal width of the guide tooth, which travels in the groove on the bar. 3/8" x 0.050" is very common on mid-sized saws these days, but by no means ubiquitous. Your saw does not care what chain you run, within reason, as long as your sprocket, chain, and bar are a matched set. Your sprocket determines your chain pitch, and the bar determines the gauge. If you have a sprocket nose bar, the sprocket in the nose should be compatable with the pitch of your saw's drive sprocket.

Sounds like you're saying the same thing.

Thanks for those two links, I've been looking for
something a little more comprehensive than what's on Widipedia. BTW, the link I quoted above is a dead link.