Smaller bar and chain

[Leckbass]

I have a saw with a 20in bar that works fine around the woodpile, but I'd like to start taking it off roading on hunting trails. I have a few storage boxes that I keep my tools in and the 20in bar will not fit. It's a 20in, 325 pitch, .058 gauge, and 76 DL.

What would I need to look for in a 14in or 16in bar and chain?

I appreciate your help.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

325 pitch, .058 gauge

 

[Leckbass]

325 pitch, .058 gauge

Thank you for your help

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have a saw with a 20in bar that works fine around the woodpile, but I'd like to start taking it off roading on hunting trails. I have a few storage boxes that I keep my tools in and the 20in bar will not fit. It's a 20in, 325 pitch, .058 gauge, and 76 DL.

What would I need to look for in a 14in or 16in bar and chain?

I appreciate your help.

I bought a 16" bar and chains to supplement my 20" bar that came with the saw. It was harder to find than I would have expected, but worth the time and effort. The shorter length makes the saw a more efficient cutter, and many fewer teeth to sharpen. I now only use the 20" when I have to, which is far less frequent. The bar and 2 chains was 40 or 50 bucks and totally worth it.

 

[TreePointer]

Pitch of drive sprocket on powerhead, pitch of bar (bar's tip sprocket), and pitch of chain must match.

Gauge of bar and gauge of chain must match. Drive sprocket on powerhead has a pitch but no gauge (gauge independent).

Any narrow kerf (NK) bar you put on a saw can run NK chain or standard kerf chain (either one will work). You can NOT run NK chain on a standard kerf bar.

 

[Leckbass]

Pitch of drive sprocket on powerhead, pitch of bar (bar's tip sprocket), and pitch of chain must match.

Gauge of bar and gauge of chain must match. Drive sprocket on powerhead has a pitch but no gauge (gauge independent).

Any narrow kerf (NK) bar you put on a saw can run NK chain or standard kerf chain (either one will work). You can NOT run NK chain on a standard kerf bar.

So if I buy a 15 inch bar with a 325 pitch and 058 gauge, would it work?

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

So if I buy a 15 inch bar with a 325 pitch and 058 gauge, would it work?

Yes
Make sure it says on the package that it is made for your saw.
Oiler holes and chain tensioning etc .
Oregon , usually are easy to use..try to stay with your saw company ..Stihl,Husky ,Echo..

 

[TreePointer]

So if I buy a 15 inch bar with a 325 pitch and 058 gauge, would it work?

I did leave out bar mount pattern. The new bar must have the same bar mount size/type that's compatible with your saw. For example, a Stihl MS-250 takes bars with a smaller 3005 pattern. A Sthil MS-362 takes the larger 3003 pattern bars.

15" bar that's .325 pitch, .058 gauge? It will work, provided the bar mount pattern is compatible with your saw/saw family. Also a new chain must match the specifications stamped on the new bar (pitch, gauge, number of drive links for new bar).

Since you are buying a new bar, note that you can switch to a different gauge if you wish. The saw doesn't care if you run a .058 gauge setup with your 20" bar and a .050 gauge setup on a 15" bar.

HOWEVER, to keep things simple and avoid a gauge mismatch down the road when we're not paying attention, I recommend using the same gauge on all saws as much as possible. (I do make exceptions for very small saws and very big saws. Example: .043 gauge on small purner saws.)

Also, if you want to run NK chains and standard kerf chains, then make sure to buy an NK bar.