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How to choose a chainsaw chain using the bar stamp

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already own the saw. The bar says 16 inch, the old loop is off, and amazon.co.uk results claim to fit most saws of that length. How to choose a chainsaw chain is the order of the numbers, not a hunt for the cheapest three-pack. Write down pitch, gauge, and drive-link count before you compare prices. Bar length is only the first clue. On the [chainsaw chain comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-chain) the 16 inch rows use 55, 56, or 57 links. Prices are the amazon.co.uk figures stored on 19 October 2026. Peter F. checked those listings. There is no cut test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own the saw. The bar says 16 inch, the old loop is off, and amazon.co.uk results claim to fit most saws of that length.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain

Best overall

Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain
8.5/10about £14.11
View offer
CHAMSUREUK CHAMSUREUK 16 inch 56-link three-pack

Best value

CHAMSUREUK CHAMSUREUK 16 inch 56-link three-pack
8.0/10about £14.99
View offer
FuGuiB FuGuiB 14 inch 1.1 mm three-pack

Alternative

FuGuiB FuGuiB 14 inch 1.1 mm three-pack
6.4/10about £10.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Bar length is not the chain
  2. 2.Pitch, including 3/8 and 3/8 LP
  3. 3.Gauge and the 1.1 mm trap
  4. 4.Count the drive links
  5. 5.What to do with the numbers

Bar length is not the chain

A 16 inch title is the bar’s cutting length, not the loop. In this set the split is 55 links at £19.99, 56 links at £14.99 or £19.99, and 57 links at £14.11 or £14.99. One reviewer had 56 links against 57. At 14 inch a £17.99 Rotatech pair is 50 links. The other rows are 52.

Pitch, including 3/8 and 3/8 LP

Pitch has to match the sprocket and the bar nose. STIHL UK treats 3/8 inch and 3/8 inch P as different pitches. P, Picco, and LP are low profile, including Oregon’s 91 family. A title that only says 3/8 has not said which. The CHAMSUREUK pack at £19.99 is .325 inch LP, .058 inch, and 76 links. It shares 4.4 from 1,361 reviews with the 16 inch pack, which is not evidence the .325 inch chain fitted.
Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain
8.5/10about £14.11
View offer

Gauge and the 1.1 mm trap

Gauge is drive-link thickness. .043 inch is 1.1 mm, .050 inch is 1.3 mm, and .058 inch is 1.5 mm. STIHL UK says a 1.1 mm chain leans in a 1.3 mm groove. FuGuiB at £10.99 is 52 links at 1.1 mm. Its pitch attribute, 52 teeth per inch, is not a pitch. Rotatech at £19.99 is also 52 links, but 1.3 mm, for Husqvarna 135, 235, and 236. Do not read 0.50 in a title as .050. The 55-link Rotatech listing writes both, and one bullet says 14 inch against a 16 inch title.

What to do with the numbers

Only the Anesty set at £22.90 includes a bar, still at 52 links, 3/8 inch low profile, and 1.3 mm. If you only know the saw is a 16 inch Titan or a 14 inch Stihl, you do not have a match. If the chain will not meet, the problem is the count. Fitting it is how to fit a chainsaw chain.

Common questions

Is a 16 inch chain enough of a description?
No. In this set a 16 inch title covers 55, 56, and 57 drive links, generally at 3/8 inch low profile and, where the bullet is clear, .050 inch. Husqvarna UK makes the same point: bar length does not fix the link count. Write down the number on the bar stamp or count the old chain before you order, including when two packs sit at the same price.
What is the difference between 3/8 inch and 3/8 inch LP?
STIHL UK says they are not interchangeable. LP, P, and Picco are the low-profile pitch used on most homeowner saws here, including Oregon’s 91 family. Plain 3/8 inch is a different pitch for the sprocket and the bar nose. A title that says only 3/8 has not told you which one you are buying.
Where are pitch and gauge written?
On the bar stamp, together with the length and the drive-link count. If a previous owner changed the bar, the stamp on the bar you have now is the specification, not the model on the saw body. Listings repeat those figures in the title and the bullets, and sometimes the attribute line disagrees with the bullet. Believe the stamp first.
How do you count drive links?
Mark one drive-link tang, then count every tang around the loop until you return to the mark, including the marked one once. That count is the length. For the bars in this folder you should land on 50 or 52 at 14 inch, on 55, 56, or 57 at 16 inch, or on 76 for the 20 inch .325 inch chain.
Can 52 links mean two different chains?
Yes. FuGuiB at £10.99 is 52 links at 1.1 mm. Rotatech at £19.99 and the Anesty set at £22.90 are 52 links at 1.3 mm. The link count matches and the groove does not. STIHL UK warns that a thinner chain leans in a wider bar and is more likely to come out of the groove.
What if the bar stamp is worn off?
Count a complete old chain if you still have one that ran on that bar. If you cannot, ask a dealer rather than changing pitch or gauge to make a cheap pack fit. A worn drive sprocket is the same stop. The chain is not the part that repairs a hooked rim, and a model name on the engine is not a substitute for the stamp.
Does the cheapest three-pack match a 1.3 mm bar?
Not this one. The £10.99 FuGuiB three-pack states 1.1 mm, which is .043 inch, on a 14 inch, 3/8 inch LP, 52-link loop. A bar stamped .050 inch or 1.3 mm needs the thicker gauge. Price per chain does not matter until the groove matches, and the pitch attribute on that listing is not a usable pitch.

Related pages

Best chainsaw chain

Chainsaw chain

How to fit a chainsaw chain: direction and tension

Low-kickback chainsaw chain: reduced, not prevented

Semi-chisel or full chisel chain: the corner to trust

Sources

Public sources listed below. Prices and star lines are from the eleven amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026.

  1. Husqvarna UK, choosing a chainsaw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Husqvarna UK, chainsaw chain size explained (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Stihl UK, how to choose the right saw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Chainsawbars.co.uk, chain, bar and sprocket identification (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE, INDG317 Chainsaws at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE, AFAG308 Top-handled chainsaws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE, chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Oregon UK, 91P057E chamfer chisel chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)