Identify Your Model
How to Measure Chainsaw Chain Pitch, Gauge, and Drive Links
Updated 2026-05-20
A model-identification guide for chainsaw chain replacement, explaining why bar length alone is not enough.
Read the Bar Stamp
Most bars stamp the chain pitch, gauge, and drive-link count near the mount. Use that stamp before searching by bar length.
A 16 inch chain can still be wrong if the drive-link count, pitch, or gauge differs.
Count Drive Links
Drive links are the lower tabs that ride in the bar groove. Count every one when the old chain is off the saw.
If the old chain is missing, use the bar stamp or model page and verify against the sprocket and bar groove.
Match the Whole Cutting System
Pitch must match the sprocket, gauge must match the bar groove, and drive-link count must match the bar length and mount.
Replacing only one part of a mismatched bar, chain, and sprocket setup can leave the saw cutting poorly or unsafely.