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Chainsaws

Husqvarna Bar Sizes and Compatibility

This page gives you GENERAL INFO ON HUSQVARNA BAR SIZES. Read if you want to understand Husqvarna bar sizing and compatibility.

Quick answers to most Husqvarna bar questions can be found on related pages:

In this article, I will give you an overview of Husqvarna guide bars from a compatibility point of view and tell you how to find a fitting bar for your Husqvarna saw. In summary, Husqvarna guide bars use two different mounts, 6 pitches and 4 gauges. The different mounts and pitches are mutually incompatible, and a Husqvarna saw will only fit guide bars that match the mount type and chain pitch of the saw.

1 Husqvarna pitch & gauge

HUSQ.
SAW

Mount
PITCH&
GAUGE

Pitch**
GaugeHusqvarna
saw model
Small
mount
.325M
(Oregon)
.043”535i XP, 540i XP
T535i XP, T540i XP
3/8M
(Oregon)
.043”
.050″
120i, 536Li XP, T536Li XP
120, 130, 135, 240, 439
T435, T525, T540 XP
.325”
(Oregon)
.050”
.058”
435(e), 440, 445 II, 450(e), 450 Rancher
543 XP, 545 Mark II*, 550 XP*
545 Mark II*, 550 XP*
3/8”
(Oregon)
.050”
.058”
455 Rancher, 460 Rancher
555
Large
mount
3/8”
(Oregon)
.050”
.058”
365 XP, 372 XP, 390 XP, 395 XP, 562 XP, 565, 572 XP, 576 XP
3120 XP*
.404″
(Oregon)
.063″3120 XP*
**links to bar lists
(more models here)

The table above lists the pitches and gauges of current Husqvarna saw models and links to Husqvarna and Oregon replacements bar lists. More saw models: see my HUSQVARNA SAW PROFILES.

Husqvarna’s guide bars use a total of six (6) different chain pitches and four (4) gauges, which form nine (9) pitch-gauge combinations in the current lineup. The combinations are not cross-compatible.

What’s special about Husqvarna’s chain pitches is that there are mostly only two nominal pitches in the current lineup: .325” and 3/8”. However, both of these come in two different, mutually incompatible profile versions: a regular version and a low-profile, narrow-kerf Mini (more info on narrow kerf here.) Husqvarna does offer bars in the pitches 1/4″ and .404″, but the selection there is very limited. See my Husqvarna bar data page for a list.

2 Husqvarna bar mounts

Husqvarna uses two different bar mounts in their saws and bars that are simply called Small and Large. The mounts are not interchangeable: the bar must match the mount of the saw. The mounts and compatible Cannon, Oregon and Sugihara replacement bar mount codes are listed in the table.

HUSQVARNA
MOUNTS

Engine
size
Bar
mount
Slot
width
Other
bars
< 60ccSmall.323”
(8.2 mm)
Cannon: H5, H6
Oregon: K095
Sugihara: BC2, BC3
> 60ccLarge.354”
(9.0 mm)
Cannon: H1
Oregon: D009
Sugihara: VT2, VT3

Most Husqvarna saws with an engine under 60 cc in cylinder displacement have the Small mount and those over 60 cc have the Large mount. (There is some mixing around 60 cc.)

The second table lists all the mount for most Husqvarna models. Note the use of the “series” notation that I used to make the table shorter and more readable (120 series would include 120, 121, …, 129).

HUSQVARNA
MOUNT
SAW MODEL
Small30, 40, 50 series
120, 130, 140, 150 series
230, 240, 250 series
261, 262
310, 320, 330, 340, 350 series
360, 362 XP
400 series
520, 530, 540, 550 series
560 XP
Large60 series (61, 64, 65, 66)
70 series (70, 77)
160 series
180 series
260, 263, 266, 268
270, 280, 290 series
365 (XP)
370, 380, 390 series
562 XP, 565
570 series
1000, 2000, 3000 series
(more models here)

More saw models: see my HUSQVARNA SAW PROFILES.

3 Husqvarna bar lengths

Bar length is strictly not a compatibility issue: the fit between saw and bar is up to the bar mount and chain pitch. To be practical and safe, the bar length should still be reasonably matched to the saw. Husqvarna gives out a recommended maximum bar length as well as a list of suggested bars for each of their chainsaw models.

Motor size [cc]Husqvarna
models (e.g.)
Bar length
min [in]
max [in]
40…45 cc120, 130, 135
440, 445 II
12”…13”16…20”
50…55 cc450, 455 Rancher
545 Mk II, 550 XP
13”20…24”
60…80 cc365 XP, 372 XP
460 Rancher
560 XP, 562 XP
572 XP, 576 XP
16”20”…32”
80…100 cc390 XP, 395 XP16…18”28”…36”
120 cc3120 XP24”42”
(more models here)

The table shows the approximate minimum and maximum recommended bar length for Husqvarna gasoline-powered saws in each engine size class. I compiled the table using Husqvarna’s recommended maximum bar length and list of suggested bars. I should note that these did not always agree, and I followed the latter in case of conflict.

The table is intended as a rough guideline only, and there is obviously quite a lot of variance in the maximum bar length in some of the engine size classes. Please see the specs of your saw model; you may also want to check my bar length vs. cc rules.

Available bar lengths

I assembled the available Husqvarna bar lengths into the table below separately for each pitch, gauge and mount. For an extensive list, see the data page; you may also want to check the much wider Oregon bar selection for Husqvarna.

M
o
u
n
t
PitchGaugeLengths
[in]
Husqvarna
saw models
S
m
a
l
l
1/4”.050”10”
.325”
Mini
.043”12"...16"Battery saws
3/8”
Mini
.043”12"...16"< 40cc
< 2hp
.050”10"...16"
.325”.050”16"...20"40...50cc
2...4 hp
.058”16"...20"
3/8”.050”14"...24"50...60cc
3...4 hp
.058”16"...24"
L
a
r
g
e
3/8”.050”16"...32"60...100cc
5...8 hp
.058”16"...36"
.063”24"...36"
.404”.063”32"...72"> 100cc

The bar length options you have vary a lot with pitch:

  • Light-duty bars with pitches .325” Mini Pixel, 3/8” Mini Pixel and 3/8” Mini are available only in shorter lengths between 10” and 16”;
  • Medium-duty bars with .325” Pixel and .325” in lengths between 13” and 20”
  • Heavy-duty bars with pitch 3/8” are available in many lengths between 16” and 36”
  • Bars longer than 36″ only in the .404″ pitch (fit 3120 XP)

Note: Husqvarna-compatible extra-long bars from after-market bar manufacturers like Cannon. Remember to check the mount matches; the Cannon, Oregon and Sugihara codes for large Husqvarna mount are in the first table above.

Identifying pitch & gauge

Because of Husqvarna’s many chain pitch versions with the same nominal pitch, measuring the pitch and gauge on the bar or chain are not enough to determine which one you are really dealing with.

Instead, the best places to check the pitch of your Husqvarna saw are the saw specifications and the markings on the original bar and chain:

  1. Check pitch table: If our Husqvarna saw model is included in the table above, you will get an idea of the pitch and gauge.
  2. Check bar markings: Husqvarna bars have pitch and gauge marked on them (along with length and number of drive links). See example of the markings on an old Husqvarna bar in the image below; newer markings are even easier to read.
  3. Check chain markings: Husqvarna chains have a number code on each drive link that allows you to identify the chain.
Markings on an old Husqvarna bar tell the bar pitch and gauge along with bar length.

Identifying the mount

Use the following alternative methods to find out the mount type of your Husqvarna saw or bar:

  1. Check engine size: Determine the cylinder displacement (cc) of your saw. If the displacement is much below 60 cc, the saw should have a small mount; if it is much higher than 60 cc, the mount should be large. NB: With engines around 60 cc, verify the mount with one of the other methods.
  2. Check model from table: If your saw model is listed, the table should tell you the mount.
  3. Measure slot width: The small Husqvarna mount has a slot slightly narrower than the large (.32”, 8.2 mm vs. .35”, 9.0 mm). If available, measure the slot width with a caliper or a ruler, and determine which it is.
  4. Measure bar studs: Bar studs are the bolts in the powerhead that take the bar and the nuts. Their diameter at the root should be close to the bar slot width, and can be measured with a caliper. Compare the measurement to the widths in the first table.

Finding bars with right mount

Husqvarna replacement bars often indicate the mount size in the bar model name (unlike Stihl), allowing you to easily tell which mount the bar has.

Husqvarna also has a list of recommended bars for each of its current chainsaw models. Although the list does not include all compatible bars, the ones indicated are safe choices from a compatibility perspective.

Sometimes you find a Husqvarna bar which does not have the mount in the model name or in the specs, which leaves you at a loss. If a search with the model number on Husqvarna’s website does not give any more info, I suggest avoiding the bar, and finding an another with verifiable mount type.

Bar compatibility in brief

The principles of chainsaw guide bar compatibility are discussed at length in an earlier article, but here is a short summary:

To be compatible with a given chainsaw, a guide bar must have: 1) the same bar mount and 2) same chain pitch as the saw. To be further compatible with a certain chain type, a bar should also be matched to 3) the chain gauge.

These matching principles also apply to Husqvarna bars. Compatible replacement bars for your Husqvarna will therefore be those that have the same mount and pitch as your saw. Bar length, gauge, brand, kerf, construction, nose profile, etc., are important, but do not affect saw compatibility as such.

The bar matching challenge is that like Stihl, Husqvarna uses many different mounts and pitches across their chainsaw product line, all of which are mutually incompatible.

Husqvarna bar fit examples

Husqvarna bar compatibility is a complex topic, so let us take a few bar selection examples to show how to use the data above.

Which bar for Husqvarna 455 Rancher?

The Husqvarna 455 Rancher is a popular medium-sized saw for the farmer and the demanding home-owner.

Looking for compatible bars for the 455 Rancher, we first note that the saw has a 55 cc engine. Based on the mount table above, the saw most likely has the small Husky mount. The second table confirms this, as all of the 400 series saws have a small mount (at least as of early 2021).

Moving to the pitch and gauge, we see the 455 Rancher listed in the pitch table as having the chain pitch 3/8” – that’s clear. The gauge, on the other hand, is indicated as either .050” or .058”. The saw does not really care about the gauge and will indeed take either gauge bar. (Just make sure the bar and chain have the same gauge.)

The bar length tables now give us the rest of the deal: based on engine size 55 cc, the length vs cc table suggests bars between 13” and 20” to 24” will be a good match for the power of the 455 Rancher. Finally, the bar availability table shows that fitting 3/8” bars with a small mount and either .050” or .058” gauge are available in lengths of 16”, 18”, 20” and 24”.

The Husqvarna 455 Rancher takes 16” to 24” bars with Husqvarna small mount, 3/8” chain pitch and either .050” or .058” gauge.

We see that although the 455 Rancher currently ships only with either 18” or 20” bars, it can actually take a wider length range.

(A side note: the Husqvarna bar and chain fit chart on the company website does not include the 16” bars (.050” or .058”) or the 24” .058” gauge bar for the 455 Rancher. I would still expect these bars to fit and work.)

Which bar for 450 and 460 Rancher?

How about the 455’s siblings 450 Rancher and 460 Rancher?

The larger 460 Rancher has a 60 cc engine, but takes the same bars as the 455 Rancher: small mount, 3/8”, .050” or .058”, 16” to 24”.

The smaller 450 Rancher is different: it has a small mount but the lighter .325” Pixel chain pitch at .050” gauge. The maximum recommended bar length is lower at 20”, and the .325P bars are indeed offered at lengths of 13”, 16”, 18” and 20”.

Q & A

To end, I will give a specific answer to a few questions around Husqvarna guide bar compatibility.

Are Husqvarna bars interchangeable?

Husqvarna bars are interchangeable in some cases:

  • Full interchangeability: Husqvarna bars that have the same mount type, pitch, gauge and length are fully interchangeable – they will fit the same saw and exact same chain loops.
  • Saw compatibility: Bars that have the same mount type and pitch are interchangeable to the extent that they fit the same saws, if not the exact same chain. If they further have the same gauge, they will fit the same type of chain.

For more information on which bars are interchangeable, you can read the rest of this article and my earlier article on bar compatibility in general.

What size are Husqvarna bar nuts?

Husqvarna bar nuts are standard metric M8 size flange nuts with a thread pitch of 1.25 mm.