540 bar

[jbr]

Hello, I am looking for an original Homelite bar for a nice 540. I am having trouble with exactly which bar is correct.

[blythkd]

Might help to have an idea how long you want. The options went something like: 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 31, 36 and 43 inch if I'm not mistaken. Most of the shorter models were G5/H5 mount pattern and some of the longer versions were G2/H2 mounts.

I'm guessing the period correct style would have been the gray painted bars but the 540 came along right about the time Homelite switched from bare bars to gray so not 100% sure.

[undee70ss]

A bar that will fit or a period correct bar? A period correct bar would be in .063 gauge for both 3/8 or .404 pitch. Period correct bars are very difficult to find.

[undee70ss]

Period correct bars

[blythkd]

The .063 gauge is going to be tough. I was looking at 8800 listings which showed .050.

I don't have an accessories catalog old enough to show a 540. Was the 540 only showed using .063 gauge bar and chain?

I'd just look for .050, nobody will know the difference.

[jbr]

I would like to have a 24” bar if I could find one, but any correct bar would be worth considering. My 540 is a nice saw and I want a comparable bar to go with it. What is the difference in the G2 and the H5 bars?

[blythkd]

I don't really know the difference but notice from the listings that the G2s are Gas Welded (hard tip) and the H5s are Sprocket Tips. I don't think there's a difference in the bar profiles. One little detail that I seem to recall, and I could be wrong, but I think the Sprocket Tip bars had a little different oil hole for some reason. Some oil holes were reduced diameter down to something like .060" diameter and it seems like that was on the Sprocket Tip bars.

Maybe someone with more knowledge could chime in on the differences.