Chainsaw Chain .050 vs .063: Which One Should You Buy?

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The quick answer

Buy the gauge your bar takes. Check the owner’s manual or the stamp on the guide bar for pitch, gauge, length and drive link number, then match all four. The .050 listings here cover 14-inch bars with 52 drive links, 20-inch bars with 72 drive links and 25-inch bars with 84 drive links, all at 3/8-inch pitch. Never mix gauges: the wrong gauge will not sit right in the bar groove.

Gauge	What it is	Examples from listings
.050″	Drive links .050 inches thick	KAKEI 14″ / 52 drive links, 20″ / 72 drive links; Stihl 33RS-84 / 84 drive links for 25″ bars
.063″	Drive links .063 inches thick	No .063 listings are cited here; match your bar stamp

What chain gauge means

Every saw chain is described by four numbers: pitch, gauge, length and drive link count. Pitch is the spacing between links, gauge is the drive-link thickness that rides in the bar groove, and the drive link count sets the chain length for a given bar. The KAKEI listings state this plainly: check the owner’s manual or the guide bar side stamp to find the pitch, gauge, length and drive link number, and select the chain by those parameters. All three .050 listings here use 3/8-inch pitch, but pitch and gauge are independent: you still need the right gauge.

How to find your gauge

Look at the guide bar first. Most bars are stamped with pitch, gauge and drive link count on the side, and the owner’s manual lists the same figures. The KAKEI listing points to both sources and offers its customer support for matching by chainsaw or bar part number. If the stamp is worn off, take the old chain or the bar to the dealer rather than guessing: a .050 chain in a .063 groove will wobble, and a .063 chain will not fit a .050 groove at all.

Chainsaw chain .050 vs .063: which should you buy?

Buy whichever gauge your bar is cut for. If your bar takes .050, the listings here give a sense of the range: the KAKEI 14-inch chain has 52 drive links and comes in a 3-pack, the 20-inch has 72 drive links in a 4-pack, and the Stihl 33RS-84 has 84 drive links for 25-inch bars in a 2-pack. If your bar takes .063, buy a .063 chain to match; gauge is not an upgrade path, it is a fitment. When the chain is right but the saw still struggles, the problem is usually sharpness, not gauge: see our chainsaw gear guides for sharpening.

Buying the chain: packs, cutters and fitment

Buy chain the way the listings sell it: in multi-packs. The KAKEI 14-inch comes as a 3-pack, the 20-inch as a 4-pack, and the Stihl 33RS-84 as a 2-pack. A spare chain is not a luxury. Swapping a sharp chain onto the bar takes minutes, while filing in the field takes far longer, so keep one sharp spare with the saw and rotate them.

Match the cutter to the wood. The two KAKEI listings are semi-chisel, and the 20-inch listing credits its heat-treated semi-chisel chain with a higher tolerance for debris, plus low-kickback, low-vibration behavior that reduces user fatigue. The Stihl 33RS-84 is full chisel, sold as a Rapid Super professional chain for demanding cutting applications. Semi-chisel forgives dirty wood; full chisel rewards clean wood with speed.

Read the safety lines before buying. The KAKEI 14-inch listing states its chain met the kickback performance requirements of ANSI B175.1-2012. The 20-inch listing carries the opposite warning: the chain may produce kickback that can seriously injure the operator or bystanders, and it tells buyers not to use it without kickback-handling experience and specialized training. Either way, the chain is only as safe as the hands running it.

Look at what the chain is made of. The KAKEI 14-inch listing describes Germany steel shaped with heating temperature control and a punching system, with all saw chain rivets hardened and quenched to resist wear and improve strength. The 20-inch listing describes a premium industrial hard chrome outer layer over heat-treated semi-chisel cutters. These details decide how long a chain stays sharp: hardened rivets hold the chain together under load, and hard chrome on the cutters resists abrasion from bark and dirt.

Confirm fitment from the listing’s own checklist. The 20-inch KAKEI names compatible models, Husqvarna 257, 261, 455 Rancher and 460 Rancher, and Stihl MS 290, MS 310 and MS 391, and notes the saw needs a 3/8-inch sprocket. The KAKEI store lists more than 60 sizes, so an unusual bar length is still covered. When in doubt, the listing’s advice stands: check the owner’s manual or the guide bar side stamp for pitch, gauge, length and drive link number.

What this guide does not cover

This guide covers gauge selection only. It does not cover chain sharpening angles, raker depth or kickback technique: the KAKEI 14-inch listing notes its chain met ANSI B175.1-2012 kickback performance requirements, and safe cutting technique belongs in the saw manual and in-person training. Every chainsaw guide on the site is collected in our chainsaws section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which gauge my chainsaw takes?

Check the owner’s manual or the guide bar side stamp for pitch, gauge, length and drive link number, as the KAKEI listing advises.

How long is a chain for a given bar?

It follows the bar and the drive link count: the listings here pair 52 drive links with 14-inch bars, 72 with 20-inch bars and 84 with 25-inch bars.

Can I run a .050 chain on a .063 bar?

No. The gauge must match the bar groove, so select the chain by pitch, gauge, length and drive link number.

What does semi-chisel vs full chisel mean?

It describes the cutter shape. The KAKEI 14-inch and 20-inch listings are semi-chisel, and the Stihl 33RS-84 is full chisel. Full chisel generally cuts faster in clean wood; semi-chisel holds its edge longer in dirty or frozen wood.

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