How to Choose a Chainsaw Tire
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If you want to buy a saw chain, or a guide rail for an electric or chainsaw, but don’t know which saw headset will fit your model of saw, fill out the form with the parameters you know. Our technical specialist will select the consumables for your saw and contact you.
To choose a chain for a chainsaw, you should know three parameters:
- Chain pitch;
- Chain thickness (drive link thickness);
- Chain length (number of drive links).
Knowing these three parameters, you can easily select a chain for a saw, high-cutter or harvester head.
1. Chain pitch
The chain pitch is usually designated in inches, it is calculated as follows: measure the distance between the nearest chain drive links, or the distance between the three nearest chain rivets (from the center of the rivet), divide by 2 and convert to inches (1 inch = 25.4 mm).
The chain pitch must always coincide with the pitch of the drive sprocket of the saw and the driven sprocket of the tire.
- 0.25 chain" he’s 1/4". The distance between the three rivets (driving links) 12.7 mm ÷ 2 = 6.35 mm is translated into inches (÷ 25.4) in inches it is 0.25" (often referred to as 1/4")
- 0.325 chain". The distance between the three rivets (driving links) 16.5 mm ÷ 2 = 8.25 mm is translated into inches (÷ 25.4) in inches it is 0.325".
- 0.375 chain" he’s 3/8". The distance between the three rivets 19 mm ÷ 2 = 9.5 mm is translated into inches (÷ 25.4) in inches it is 0.375" (commonly designated as 3/8"not to be confused with.325")
- 0.404 chain". The distance between the three rivets 20.5 mm ÷ 2 = 10.25 mm is translated into inches (÷ 25.4) in inches it is 0.404".
- 3/4 chain". The distance between the three rivets 38.1 mm ÷ 2 = 19.05 mm is translated into inches (÷ 25.4) in inches it is 0.75" (commonly referred to as 3/4")
Video: How to Choose a Chainsaw Tire
2. Thickness
Chain thickness is the thickness of the drive link (can be measured with a caliper). This dimension must always match the thickness of the groove in the guide rail.
In total for electric and gasoline saws, as well as harvesters, there are 6 sizes that determine the thickness of the driving link:
3. The third main parameter when selecting a chain: Chain length (Number of drive links).
The chain length is determined by counting the number of drive (internal) chain links. Important:
- cutting links do not determine chain length (do not count them).
- the length of the guide bar does not determine the exact length of the chain (e.g. on a saw with bar 16" (40 cm) a chain length of 55, or 56, or 57 links can be installed, depending on the chain tensioning mechanism of a particular saw model).
- a chain of approximately 55-57 links in length will not work for you, only a certain size recommended by the saw manufacturer will do.
How long is my chainsaw?
The length of the cutting part of the tire differs from its total length. The length of the tire is considered to be the length of the cut (working part). this is the distance from the front of the saw to the rounded tip of the nose of the tire. This size is rounded to the nearest in inches or centimeters. An inch is designated as " equal to 2.54 cm.
For example, the length of the cutting part of a tire for a Stihl MS180 chainsaw is 40 cm. 40 cm ÷ 2.54 = 15.7 inches. With rounding it turns 16" (inches).
For the Stihl MS180 chainsaw, the 16-inch (40 centimeter) tire Oregon article 160SDEA074 is suitable.