Keeping Track Of Chain/Bar Info

[toolmaker]

So you Pros out there that have a bunch of saws with different bar and chain combos.
How do you keep track of it all?
A couple of my bars are getting really hard to read, and I can't remember them all.
I was thinking of engraving pitch/gage/dl in the side of all my bars somewhere close to the powerhead for when I need to buy chains.

It would be nice if they were all the same pitch and gage, and I only had to remember drive links, but that's not the case.

How do you keep track?

 

[ammoaddict]

So you Pros out there that have a bunch of saws with different bar and chain combos.
How do you keep track of it all?
A couple of my bars are getting really hard to read, and I can't remember them all.
I was thinking of engraving pitch/gage/dl in the side of all my bars somewhere close to the powerhead for when I need to buy chains.

It would be nice if they were all the same pitch and gage, and I only had to remember drive links, but that's not the case.

How do you keep track?

You could do that or write it down somewhere where you won't lose it. I keep a carpenter pencil in my tractor shed and write all kinds of things on the inside.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[wiersy111]

So far I have been lucky to have everything 3/8 .050 and now 3/8 Picco with the addition of the 200T. As I get to the big bars its harder to find that combo in my area. So I will have to change when I go to a 42" bar. They won't be used very often so I will probably "borrow" a couple of the wife's plastic containers for the chains. All of my bars are still readable at this point so I'm not sure what to tell you there.

 

[Moparmyway]

Just the big-uns here

 

[Al Smith]

I'm not a pro just a collector / restorer , occasional modifier . I probably have at least 40 bars that are not on saws already and to tell the truth often it's just assuming what might fit and trying it .Some Husqvarna bars will fit McCulloch and Partner .Some large mount Homelite bars will fit large mount McCulloch and vice versa .Stihl mount with adapters can be modified to fit just about any of them but only a Stihl will fit a Stihl .Not much help but that's the way I do it .They're on nails hither and yon as are the chains which number more than 40.
These guys rattle off mount codes but it might as well be Chinese to me .

 

[sawfun]

No mistaking the old big Homelite 3 slot bars like on my 7-29. The closest is a Mall that has a different gauge.

 

[Philbert]

I used to make up 3X5 cards for each saw, with the bar length; chain pitch, gauge, and drive link count; spark plug type; sprocket; etc., and keep it in each saw's case for reference.

Or you can make up one listing all of your saws, and keep it in your vehicle's glove box, or on your 'smart phone', for reference when needed.

After a while, some of the stuff becomes 'automatic'.

Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

It is quite simple actually.

I have ONE work chain & bar for each saw.
When the chain gets dull and I do not have the time to sharpen it at that particular moment - I grab the next saw.
When the chain and/or bar wears out, I figure out specs and get a replacement.
For now I mostly "remember" what B&C setup each of my saws run.

Having added a couple saws to my stable last year my B&C requirements did become a little more blurred, but since I store my saws with their respective work B&C setups mounted on them it is still under control.

Only my large frame Dolmar's have secondary B&C setups.
My 9010 has one bar with a choice of two chain/sprocket pitches, I am hoping to ad a third pitch.

It is still manageable with only a dozen saws, but it can at times turn interesting when trying to run a play chain on different saws/PH's - like "Riiiight, this chain don't fit on this saw!"

I like the transparent orange Stihl chain storage boxes, they are stack able and I can place a note inside with chain specs that can be read through the plastic.
One could easily include info what saw(s) they correspondent to.

 

[Al Smith]

I have bars I have or had no idea what they fit .One is a new aftermarket hard nose for a smaller Mall in .063 gauge .Another odd one is a galvanized Mac bar with no oil hole because the chainsaw blowed the oil through a hole in the spur socket .I forgot the model number .People gave them to me .I've got maybe 40 bars in the garage and maybe 10-15 in the shed plus how ever many on saws,some run and some obviously did at one time .

 

[chiselbit]

I find it interesting that occasionally a stray Chain will show up, be hanging on a nail with a halfdozen other chains of various sizes, it won’t fit any of my saws, it will be a non pro, full comp , full safety, or a round file or something I never use,,, where do they come from? Weird.

 

[Philbert]

I have bars I have or had no idea what they fit .

Time for a garage sale, Craigslist post, or Trading Post ad, Al.

- clean out your shed;
- put some $ in your pocket;
- help out guys looking for those hard-to-find bars!

I find it interesting that occasionally a stray Chain will show up, . . .

Maybe came with used saws? Spinner and Breaker help to resize. Or post in a 'Easter Giving' thread?

Philbert

 

[Al Smith]

I've got plenty o money .I'd rather use the rare bars as trading stock .