Chainsaw chain......

[ecogeorge]

I have a small Stihl chainsaw with an 18" (45cm) bar. Clearly marked as 18".
I have bought the below believing they would fit -same length etc
3X Replacement Spare Chainsaw Chain 18 inch 325 1.5mm 72 Drive Links For Oregon
However they are too long !! i googled 72 links and it comes back as 18" , I've counted the links and they have 72 whereas my current chain has 68 ?? but the bar is definitely 18".
Where am i going wrong ??
George

[Oldgreybeard]

I have a small Stihl chainsaw with an 18" (45cm) bar. Clearly marked as 18".
I have bought the below believing they would fit -same length etc
3X Replacement Spare Chainsaw Chain 18 inch 325 1.5mm 72 Drive Links For Oregon
However they are too long !! i googled 72 links and it comes back as 18" , I've counted the links and they have 72 whereas my current chain has 68 ?? but the bar is definitely 18".
Where am i going wrong ??
George

Is this a metric versus imperial thing, I wonder? The Stihl bar is really 450mm, rather than 18", so is a bit shorter (18" is 457.2mm). I believe that Oregon, being a product from the USA, may be imperial, Stihl may be metric.

[ecogeorge]

That's a good point , can anyone confirm ?? thinking of buying an oregon 18" bar ...........to save wasting chains.
George

[marshman]

There are plenty of .325" 68 link chains for a Stihl with 18" bar, and there are also plenty of 72 link chains as well - all Stihl chains for Stihl chainsaws. I believe the difference is the width of the bar, the 68 link being for a narrower bar than the 72 link - by narrower I mean less broad! I had this issue on my old Stihl chainsaw. The writing on the bar was illegible and I ended up having to count the links as I came across the two different no.s of chain links on genuine Stihl chains.

As long as the pitch is the same i.e. .325" and NOT 3/8" then you should be OK to get a suitable bar to fit the 72 link chains - or see if you can return the chains and exchange for 68 link ones.

[openspaceman]

I have a small Stihl chainsaw with an 18" (45cm) bar. Clearly marked as 18".
I have bought the below believing they would fit -same length etc
3X Replacement Spare Chainsaw Chain 18 inch 325 1.5mm 72 Drive Links For Oregon
However they are too long !! i googled 72 links and it comes back as 18" , I've counted the links and they have 72 whereas my current chain has 68 ?? but the bar is definitely 18".
Where am i going wrong ??
George

That bar is a 3005 mount 0.325" pitch 0.063" slot 68 drive link one for a small saw.

The 72 is likely for the next size up 3002 mount used on larger saws.

Easy enough to punch out the rivets to shorten it, you will need a replacement preset and tie strap.

[Fintray]

It looks to show "68 x" just below the tooth symbol, which confirms what others have said.

[ecogeorge]

Thanks folks ....understand where i have gone wrong .............
a little knowledge is a dangerous thing...................
George

[SafetyThird]

I buy all my chains from https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk Very helpful folks and a wealth of knowledge. Any questions you have I'm sure they can answer.

[Sunrisemike]

Agree, really helpful. Been using them for years. bought my Alaskan mill and loads of stuff from them. Planked up around 10 trees.

Mike