Difference between Stihl .050 Gauge and .063 Gauge Chains

[GutDeer]

I was wonder what the differece between gauge of chains were?
Can my Ms361 run a .050" gauge chain or a .063 gauge chain or just one or the other?

Thanks Pat

 

[breymeyerfam]

the side of your bar will tell you the gauge of the bar. your powerhead can run both, but the bar can not.

 

[Evanrude]

The guage is a measurement of the width of the drive links on a chain. You're bar must match the chains guage. If you have a .050" guage chain now, you've got a .050" bar (unless you dont have the bar/chain combo that came origionally on the saw). The .063" chain will not fit in the .050" bar. If you try to outfit a .063" bar with a .050" chain, the chain will be sloppy and wear both the bar and chain out quickly.

So basically, bar/chain have to match.

 

[mattinky]

It won't matter on your sprocket but you'll need to use a .050 gauge bar with .50 gauge chain, and you'll have to use a .063 gauge bar with the .063 chain. The .050 will have too much slop if you try to use it with the .063 bar, and the .063 chain will be too tight if you try to use it on the .050 bar. Hope this makes sense..

 

[GutDeer]

thanks went down stairs and looked at the bar right after posting and relized thanks for return the question so quickly

 

[mattinky]

Oops, Didn't mean to repeat the same info, we must have all jumped in at the same time!

 

[cop0110]

W hat is stock on the 361?

 

[breymeyerfam]

depends. mine has .050 , better just look at your bar

 

[HolmenTree]

Ideally change over your saw to.063. Bailey's sell bars as short as 16" in .063.
All sprocket nose bar tips and rim sprockets are .063 anyway and you will have an even balanced cutting system with the .063 sawchain. A Stihl .050 3/8 chains rivet hubs between the cutters is .063.

 

[blsnelling]

All sprocket nose bar tips and rim sprockets are .063 anyway and you will have an even balanced cutting system with the .063 sawchain.

?????

 

[Bowtie]

Ideally change over your saw to.063. Bailey's sell bars as short as 16" in .063.
All sprocket nose bar tips and rim sprockets are .063 anyway and you will have an even balanced cutting system with the .063 sawchain. A Stihl .050 3/8 chains rivet hubs between the cutters is .063.

That is false information. You can get sprocket nose bars in any pitch and gauge for the most part. Holmentree has no clue what he is talking about.

 

[Roy M]

I am puzzled too. What do see as the advantage with 3/8x.063? It is heavier. Nobody here on the wet coast stocks .063 except in .404.

 

[RiverRat2]

I was wonder what the differece between gauge of chains were?
Can my Ms361 run a .050" gauge chain or a .063 gauge chain or just one or the other?

Thanks Pat

Basically the 063 drive links are a little more heavy duty,,, Thicker Material,,,:monkey: and as stated by others should match the guage of the bar.....

An .063 chain wont do very well in a an .050 bar,,, and vice versa a .050 chain will run real sloppy in an 063 bar,,, Good luck

 

[HolmenTree]

That is false information. You can get sprocket nose bars in any pitch and gauge for the most part. Holmentree has no clue what he is talking about.

Bowtie ,all sprocket nose tips whether its Oregon ,opps I'm talking to firewood cutters here. I should have said "replaceable sprocket nose tips", I have never used a consumer laminated bar before and yes the gauge is even to the tip on a laminated bar.
Anyways all replaceable [rivet joint to bar body] sprocket nosed tips are .063and so are your rim sprockets. I had the oppertunity once to see a .50 chain cut on a .050 pro bar with .063 tip on a high speed camera at Oregon Omark . The slow motion viewing of the chain cutting at wot showed the chain wobbling like a fish swims at the tip area. Not a good balanced movement.Puts alot of stress on the chasis. Then we watched an .063 cut straight and true and smooth.

 

[Justsaws]

Some tips are labeled 50/58, Windsor for example. Apparently just for kicks.

 

[BobL]

I am puzzled too. What do see as the advantage with 3/8x.063? It is heavier. Nobody here on the wet coast stocks .063 except in .404.

FWIW, I wouldn't run anything less than 063 in a bar longer than 30" in Aussie hardwood - chain stretches too much for comfort. 3/8 - 063 makes a reasonable compromise on a CS mill - 404 works fine but just generates too much sawdust. I do run 050 on a 20" bar and that seems to be OK.

 

[SawTroll]

depends. mine has .050 , better just look at your bar

.063 is the only option here, but I believe .050 is the most usual option in the US.

 

[SawTroll]

That is false information. You can get sprocket nose bars in any pitch and gauge for the most part. Holmentree has no clue what he is talking about.

Actually he is right, regarding most replacable tip bars.

This has been discussed here before.......

 

[funky sawman]

I use nothen but .063 gauge chain on everything I run. (75 jgx or stihl semi skip chisle.)

 

[Tzed250]

Chain guage again...so after this will it be another oil thread ???