Technical guide · Bar tails & studs
Identify a STIHL bar mount
Bar length, pitch and gauge do not prove that a guide bar fits the powerhead. The tail must match the saw’s studs, oil feed and tensioner. Start with the stamped STIHL tail code; use slot width as a family check only.
How to identify the mount
Find the stamped tail code
Clean the bar near its mounting slot and look for a part number beginning 3005, 3003 or 3002. That prefix is more reliable than dimensions taken from a worn slot.
Measure the slot width
With the bar removed, measure straight across the long mounting slot. The reference widths are 8.2 mm, 12.2 mm and 14.0 mm. Do not measure the chain groove or the usable cutting length.
Check oil and tensioner alignment
Slot width narrows the family; it does not complete the fitment. Both studs must seat without binding, the oil inlet must align, and the tensioner peg must enter its hole through the full adjustment range.
What about stud spacing? The reviewed manufacturer charts identify these families by the slot and full-size tail pattern, not by one universal stud-center number. Stud spacing alone is not a safe cross-reference because a bar can share a slot width while its oil or tensioner holes differ. When the stamp is unreadable, compare the removed bar against a manufacturer’s 100% scale mount drawing.
Standardized STIHL mount families
| STIHL tail | Common Oregon code | Slot width | Coverage here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3005 | A074 | 8.2 mm | 13 families · 57 model records |
| 3003 | D025 | 12.2 mm | 22 families · 96 model records |
| 3002 | E099 / D033 / E031 / E086 | 14.0 mm | 5 families · 21 model records |
Small STIHL mount · 8.2 mm slot
Nominal 8 mm family. Slot width identifies the family only; oil and tensioner holes, pitch, gauge and drive links must also match.
Families on this site: MS 150 · 150 T · 151 · 015 family · 017/018 · MS 170/180 · MS 192 · 193 · 194 · MS 162 · 172 · 182 · 212 · 019 T · MS 190 T · MS 191 T · …
Medium STIHL mount · 12.2 mm slot
Nominal 12 mm family. Slot width identifies the family only; oil and tensioner holes, pitch, gauge and drive links must also match.
Families on this site: 028 (Wood Boss) · 024 · 026 · MS 260 · MS 240 · 030 · 031 · 032 · MS 270 · MS 280 · MS 261 · MS 271 · MS 291 · MS 300 · …
Large STIHL mount · 14.0 mm slot
Nominal 14 mm family. Oregon aliases vary with the exact tail pattern, so confirm the full bar application rather than substituting aliases blindly.
Families on this site: 08 · 08 S · S10 · 07 · 07 S · 050 · 051 · 075 · 076 · Contra · 070 · 090 · MS 720 · 084 · 088 · MS 780/880/881
Proprietary, nonstandard and unresolved mounts
Heritage, BL / BLK and gear-drive applications
No safe standardized modern-tail cross-reference. Match the exact saw, original bar and oil/tensioner layout; generic replacement-bar links are intentionally withheld. This site does not show a generic replacement-bar shopping link for these records.
E30 electric mount
Available sources do not establish a safe mount assignment. No replacement-bar link is shown until the tail pattern is verified. The E30 is the only record currently carrying this label.
Before ordering a bar
- Match the exact tail or mount code.
- Match the chain pitch to the drive sprocket and bar nose.
- Match the gauge to the bar groove.
- Match the drive-link count for the exact bar length and nose design.
- Confirm the oil inlet and tensioner-hole alignment before running the saw.
Technical sources
- STIHL guide-bar service and identification
- GB Forestry guide-bar mount drawings
- Oregon guide-bar part-number system
- Cannon Bar Works mount cross-reference
- L&S Engineers STIHL mount-size guide
Have a stamped bar or factory document that resolves a gap? Report a correction →