What size Stihl chainsaw chain fits your guide bar
Updated: 15 October 2026
The saw in the shed can say Stihl, the amazon.co.uk title can say Stihl, and the loop can still be the wrong part. What size Stihl chainsaw chain you need is the pitch, the gauge, and the drive-link count on the bar you run, or on the chain you are about to throw away. We set the twelve amazon.co.uk listings in our [Stihl chainsaw chain comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/stihl-chainsaw-chain) against Stihl's UK notes on bars and chains, as those pages stood on 15 October 2026. We did not time a cut or score edge life. A qualifying purchase from amazon.co.uk can earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The saw in the shed can say Stihl, the amazon.co.uk title can say Stihl, and the loop can still be the wrong part.
The saw in the shed can say Stihl, the amazon.co.uk title can say Stihl, and the loop can still be the wrong part. What size Stihl chainsaw chain you need is the pitch, the gauge, and the drive-link count on the bar you run, or on the chain you are about to throw away. We set the twelve amazon.co.uk listings in our Stihl chainsaw chain comparison against Stihl's UK notes on bars and chains, as those pages stood on 15 October 2026. We did not time a cut or score edge life. A qualifying purchase from amazon.co.uk can earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Pitch | Gauge | Drive links | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Stihl Stihl PMMC3, 35 cm, 50 links | 3/8 inch P | 1.1 mm | 50 | 8.8 | about £16.98 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Stihl Stihl PMC3, 35 cm, 1.3 mm | 3/8 inch P | 1.3 mm | 50 in title; 68 in field | 5.9 | about £22.56 | View offer |
| Preis-Tipp |  CHAMSUREUK CHAMSUREUK 12 inch, 44 links, 3-pack | 3/8 inch LP | 1.1 mm | 44 | 8.5 | about £15.99 | View offer |
On this page
The three numbers on a Stihl chain
Pitch is the spacing that has to match the sprocket and the nose of the bar. In this set it is 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) or about 9.5 mm (3/8 inch), with P or LP on low-profile 3/8 inch chain. Stihl's UK technology page places Picco Super 3 Pro on bars for 3/8 inch P at 1.1 mm, and other bars on 3/8 inch at 1.6 mm.
Gauge is the drive-tang thickness in the groove. These listings print 1.1 mm (.043 inch) and 1.3 mm (.050 inch). A review of a genuine 1.3 mm loop said the lugs were too thick for an MS 170 bar, even though the listing named that saw. Full-size 3/8 inch chain at 1.6 mm is not on these twelve rows, so a bar marked 1.6 mm sits outside this set.
The counts here are 28, 44, 50, 55, 57, and 64. An MS 170 may be 44 or 50 drive links, because more than one bar has been sold for it, so the model name does not choose the number.
Where the listings in this set disagree
Two of the twelve amazon.co.uk pages print two figures for one loop, and both stay in view. B003RJTER6 shows 50 and 68 drive links. B01DXXGH2K shows 14 inch and 16 inch, plus 0.50 inch and .050 inch. 0.50 inch is 12.7 mm, while .050 inch is 1.27 mm, the print shops use for a 1.3 mm gauge.
B0F383594F prints .043 inch and 0.04 on the same page. .043 inch is the familiar way to write 1.1 mm. 0.04 is shorter and not the same text, so the description disagrees with itself. Section 9 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats the description as part of satisfactory quality if the chain does not match the page.
Count the tangs in the groove once around, not the cutters. If the loop is gone, read the pitch mark, the gauge in millimetres or inches, and the link count on the bar, then the bar and chain combination in the operating instructions, as Stihl's UK replacing guide asks.
Which family is which
A shared saw name does not put two chains in the same family. About 10 cm (4 inch), 1/4 inch pitch, and 28 drive links is the short loop on the Stihl GTA 26 chain page. A 30 cm (12 inch) 1/4 inch chain here has 64 drive links. Reading only 1/4 inch orders a 64-link pack for a saw that needs 28, even when the pitch matches a GTA 26.
A 30 cm chain marked 3/8 inch LP with 44 drive links is a different pitch, though both titles can say 12 inch. PMMC3 rows are 50 drive links at 1.1 mm. PMC3 rows are 1.3 mm. Genuine Picco or a compatible multi-pack comes later, on the genuine Stihl chain versus compatible page.
What to do if the numbers do not match
If pitch, gauge, or drive-link count is off, leave the chain off the saw. Do not tap the tangs into the groove, and do not file them thinner so they will start. A 1/4 inch chain on a 3/8 inch P sprocket is the wrong pitch, including on a small domestic saw. The box saying Stihl does not make it fit.
Write the pitch, with P or LP if printed, the gauge as 1.1 mm or 1.3 mm (.043 or .050 inch), and the drive-link count from the old chain or the bar. Keep a listing only where the three agree. If the listing argues with itself, the bar wins over the title. Direction, tension, and oil come after, on how to fit a Stihl chainsaw chain. A fitting guide cannot widen a 1.1 mm groove.
Common questions
How do I know which Stihl chain to buy?
Copy pitch, gauge, and drive-link count from the bar or the old chain before the saw model. In this set: 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) or about 9.5 mm (3/8 inch), P or LP on low-profile chain, 1.1 mm or 1.3 mm, and 28, 44, 50, 55, 57, or 64 links. Order the row that matches your chain.
Is 3/8 inch the same as 3/8 inch P?
Stihl's UK technology page lists 3/8 inch P at 1.1 mm, including Picco Super 3 Pro, as its own line, and other bars for 3/8 inch at 1.6 mm. A bare 3/8, or 0.38 inches, is not a complete size.
What is the difference between 1.1 mm and 1.3 mm?
1.1 mm is .043 inch and 1.3 mm is .050 inch. The tang has to match the groove. A reviewer found a genuine 1.3 mm loop proud of an MS 170 bar.
Why do two listings both say MS 170?
More than one bar has been sold for the MS 170, so 44 and 50 drive links can share the name. A reviewer found a 1.3 mm loop too thick for the bar they owned.
The title says 50 drive links and the table says 68. Which do I trust?
Do not pick a winner. B003RJTER6 shows 50 and 68 drive links, different loops. Count the tangs or read the stamp. Stihl's UK guide points to the operating instructions if both are missing.
Is 12 inch the length of the loop or the bar?
12 inch is the bar's cutting length. A Savior listing uses it that way. A 30 cm title can be 44-link 3/8 inch LP or 64-link 1/4 inch, and the loop is longer because it runs around the nose and the sprocket.
Can I use a 1/4 inch chain on a 3/8 inch P saw?
A 6.35 mm chain will not run on about 9.5 mm (3/8 inch P). A GTA 26 loop is about 10 cm and 28 links, not 64 links at about 30 cm. If the tangs will not enter, stop and check the gauge.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK and product-listing sources, last accessed 15 October 2026.
- HSE — Working with chainsaws (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HSE — INDG317 Chainsaws at work (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HSE — Chainsaw personal protective equipment (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- PUWER 1998 — Regulation 5 (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 — Section 9 (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- STIHL GB — Chains and bars (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- STIHL GB — Replacing a chainsaw chain (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Amazon.co.uk — Example Stihl PMMC3 listing (retrieved 15.10.2026)