How we verify specs — editorial policy

Every number on this site follows the same rule: if we cannot point to where it came from, it does not get printed as a fact. This page explains the method, so you can judge the pages — and so readers can see exactly what they are trusting.

Sources, in order of authority

• Manufacturer operator manuals and bar & chain combination tables — e.g. Husqvarna's manual tables listing bar length, pitch, gauge, chain type and drive links per model; Echo's operator manuals naming the factory-fitted Oregon chain type.
• Manufacturer fit-up charts and selector data — e.g. Oregon's published selection/fit-up data mapping model and bar to pitch, gauge, links and file size.
• Chain-maker and dealer product data — e.g. Oregon product pages stating pitch, gauge, drive links and file size per part number; Stihl dealer listings stating the OEM chain designation (such as 61 PMM3 55, part 3610 005 0055) and its fitments.
• Owner and forum evidence — used only to illustrate (for example, a real bar stamp reading) or to flag a question, never as the sole source for a published spec.

The bar-first rule

A model name does not determine a chain; the fitted bar does. Every spec on this site is therefore keyed to a bar length, presented with its variants separated, and paired with the bar-stamp verification step. Where the same model shipped with more than one gauge or pitch across production years, the page says so.

When sources conflict

We print the conflict. The Stihl MS 250 page, for example, shows each reported specification with its source type, because the leading web results disagree on that saw's pitch, gauge and drive links. Silently picking one would make the page tidier and the reader worse off. The resolution we recommend is always the same: read the stamp on your bar.

What “verify on your bar stamp” means

Some bar-length variants and older models have no specification we could trace to an authoritative source. Those cells are marked “verify on your bar stamp” rather than filled from a secondary roundup. It is a deliberate gap, and it is how you can tell the filled cells earned their place.

Prices

Prices are shown only as dated examples (“checked 23 Oct 2026”) taken from listings we actually saw, never as live prices and never invented. Retailer prices change; the checkout price is the real one.

Corrections policy

If a spec is wrong, we want to know. Send the model, the bar length, and — ideally — a photo or transcription of your bar stamp via the contact page. Verified corrections are applied to the page, and where a correction changes a published spec, the page notes the change. We do not quietly edit numbers.

Retailer links and editorial independence

Buying links are added after a spec is settled, and only to chains that match the spec on the page. Those links are currently untagged and earn no commission; if that ever changes, it will be disclosed and specifications will not. See the Affiliate Disclosure.

Last reviewed: 23 October 2026.