DeWalt 20 in. 3/8 in. LP Pitch, 0.050 in. Gauge Guide Bar

Why I swapped in this bar

My 60V 20-inch cordless saw has become a go-to for weekend bucking and storm cleanup, and after a season of use the original guide bar was due for a break. I installed DeWalt’s 20-inch replacement bar to see how it holds up on the same work: bucking 12–18 inch hardwood rounds, limbing, and the occasional felling cut. Over a few weekends of mixed hardwood and softwood, it gave me a clear sense of where this bar shines and where it asks for a little finesse.

Build and design

This is a single-piece steel guide bar with a sprocket nose and a water-resistant finish. It’s sized for a 3/8-inch low-profile chain with a 0.050-inch gauge. The sprocket tip is a meaningful piece of the design on a cordless saw; reducing nose friction helps keep chain speed up when the motor is under load. The finish shrugged off a couple of wet mornings—no flash rust after sitting overnight in a damp truck bed—which is something I can’t say for some budget bars.

The bar is built with kickback reduction in mind. Between the low-profile pitch and the shape of the nose, it’s less grabby at the tip than a standard 3/8 setup, though technique and chain choice still dominate safety outcomes.

As for stiffness, this is a typical 0.050-gauge, 3/8 LP 20-inch bar. It’s not a tank-like solid pro bar, but it’s not flimsy either. On a high-torque cordless saw, you’ll feel some flex if you lean hard, especially near the tip. That’s part of the trade-off of the lighter, low-profile system that cordless platforms favor for efficiency.

Fit and setup

I ran the bar on DeWalt’s 60V 20-inch brushless saw. Mounting was straightforward: the slot length gave enough room to tension a fresh chain and take up stretch as it settled. Oil holes aligned well with the saw’s oiler, and oil flow was even along the rails. There’s no grease port on the nose—keep your bar oil topped up and the tip runs fine.

A quick fit reminder:
- Chain pitch: 3/8 low-profile only. A standard 3/8 chain won’t sit right.
- Chain gauge: 0.050 inch.
- Match the drive link count to your saw’s sprocket and the bar’s specific requirements.
If you’re cross-shopping bars, make sure the mount pattern matches your powerhead.

In the cut

Bucking hardwood: With a sharp low-profile, semi-chisel chain, the bar felt efficient on 12–16 inch oak and maple rounds. The sprocket tip did its job—less heat at the nose and consistent chip flow. Chain speed stayed high, which helped the cordless saw hold its torque. I kept feed pressure moderate and let chain speed do the work; the cut tracked cleanly with minimal wandering.

Full-bar length cuts (18–20 inches) are doable, but this is where technique matters. If you push the saw hard or twist mid-cut, you can feel the bar flex slightly. That’s a cue to back off, correct your stance, and let the chain clear chips. With proper pressure and alignment, I didn’t see scalloping or exaggerated bar wash.

Limbing: On wrist- to forearm-sized limbs, the bar is well behaved. It’s nimble enough for controlled, incremental cuts. Keep your chain tension in spec; a loose chain on a narrow-groove, low-profile bar invites derailments, especially when working at awkward angles.

Tip work: This is the one area where I’m more cautious. Low-profile setups tend to be less forgiving of nose-only cuts on small branches. I had one near-derail when touching the upper quadrant of the nose to a small sapling under tension. The antidotes are familiar: keep the chain tight, avoid the kickback quadrant, and don’t “poke” with the tip at twiggy material. If you do a lot of plunge cuts or nose-heavy work, a thicker, standard 3/8 system will be more tolerant—assuming your saw supports it.

Kickback behavior: With the right chain, it’s calmer than a standard 3/8 pro bar of the same length. That said, nose placement still matters. The reduced-kickback design reduces incidents; it doesn’t remove the physics.

Durability so far

Single-piece steel bars live or die by their rails and heat management. After multiple chains’ worth of cutting, I saw light burring at the rails that dressed out easily with a flat file. The groove depth remained consistent, and the chain sat snug with no “rocking.” The nose sprocket spun freely and showed no bluing or roughness by the end of testing.

The finish deserves mention. After cutting wet wood and leaving the bar overnight, I didn’t get the usual orange haze. It will still rust if neglected, but a wipe-down and a film of oil kept it looking new.

A couple of maintenance tips that helped:
- Flip the bar every few sharpenings to even out rail wear.
- Clean the oil holes and groove with a card or thin scraper; low-profile grooves clog faster with stringy softwood.
- Keep chain tension on the snug side of spec, especially before tip-heavy cuts.

Efficiency and battery life

Compared to a heavier standard 3/8 setup, the low-profile system cut faster in small to mid-diameter wood and used less battery per cut on my cordless saw. The sprocket tip is part of that equation; with less friction at the nose, the motor doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain chain speed. If you value runtime and smoothness over raw bite, this bar-chain style makes sense.

Ergonomics and balance

On the 60V saw, the bar keeps the balance neutral to slightly nose-heavy, which I prefer for bucking. Vibration felt modest, and because the bar runs a narrower kerf, there’s less chatter when the chain is sharp. The only ergonomic quirk is that flex you can feel if you force the cut; it’s more feedback than flaw, and it reminded me to let the chain do its job.

Where it fits in the market

There are stiffer, heavier 20-inch bars built for pro gas saws and standard 3/8 chain. There are also laminated homeowner bars that trade durability for weight. This DeWalt bar sits in the middle: a solid, single-piece unit optimized for 3/8 low-profile chains and cordless efficiency. It favors users who keep chains sharp, mind chain tension, and don’t rely on aggressive bore cuts in hardwood all day.

Pros and cons

Pros:
- Smooth cutting with 3/8 LP, 0.050 chains; efficient on cordless saws
- Sprocket nose helps reduce heat and maintain chain speed
- Water-resistant finish resists flash rust
- Rails wear evenly; easy to dress and maintain
- Straightforward fit on the 60V 20-inch DeWalt saw
- Backed by a multi-tier warranty

Cons:
- Not the stiffest option for heavy bore cuts or aggressive feed pressure
- Less forgiving of tip-only cuts on small branches; keep tension tight
- No grease port on the nose (common today, but worth noting for some users)
- Limited to 3/8 low-profile chains; standard 3/8 users need a different setup

Who it’s for

If you run a 60V DeWalt 20-inch saw and want a direct, durable replacement that preserves the saw’s efficiency and balance, this bar is a good match. DIYers, property owners, and pros using cordless for trim, storm cleanup, and moderate bucking will appreciate the smoothness and low maintenance. If your work skews toward frequent plunge cuts, heavy hardwood with full-bar engagement, or you prefer the feel of a thicker, standard 3/8 system, you’ll likely want a stiffer bar-chain pairing—again, if your powerhead supports it.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt 20-inch bar for users who value efficiency, clean tracking, and low-maintenance durability on a cordless platform. It pairs well with 3/8 low-profile chains, keeps chain speed up thanks to the sprocket nose, and holds up to regular bucking and limbing without fussy upkeep. The caveat is technique: give it proper chain tension, avoid nose-only cuts on small stuff, and don’t muscle it through full-length hardwood cuts. Within those boundaries, it’s exactly what I expect from a modern 20-inch bar and a sensible replacement for the 60V DeWalt saw. The warranty support is a nice bonus that rounds out the package.