camelot-forum.co.uk

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

ecogeorge wrote: ↑Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:52 pm 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.

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

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.

ecogeorge wrote: ↑Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:52 pm 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.

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

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

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.

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

Mike