★ CONSTRUCTION · REFERENCE TABLE · ROLLER CHAIN
100 links of #40 chain is 50.00 in long — 4 ft 2 in, or 127.00 cm. The table below lists every standard ANSI roller chain size from #25 to #200: pitch, roller diameter, width between inner plates, and minimum ultimate tensile strength. Pick a size and a link count to work out any chain length.
The chain number tells you the pitch: divide it by 10 to get the pitch in eighths of an inch, so #40 is 4/8 = 1/2 in and #80 is 8/8 = 1 in. The table gives the standard dimensions for single-strand chain under ASME/ANSI B29.1, and the calculator below it turns a link count into a length. Reference table #211 in the reference-table library.
Every size below is single-strand chain under ASME/ANSI B29.1. Pitch is the distance from one pin centre to the next. Roller diameter is the outside diameter of the roller that sits in the sprocket tooth. Width is the space between the inner plates, which is what the sprocket tooth must fit into. The tensile strength is the minimum ultimate tensile strength from the standard — the load the chain is guaranteed not to break below. Manufacturers publish higher average breaking loads for their own chain (for example, Diamond Chain lists average values), so do not compare a minimum from this table with an average from a catalogue: the two numbers measure different things. Millimetres are inches × 25.4.
| Chain size | Pitch (in) | Pitch (mm) | Roller dia. (in) | Roller dia. (mm) | Width (in) | Width (mm) | Min. tensile (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #25 | 0.250 | 6.35 | 0.130 | 3.30 | 0.125 | 3.18 | 780 |
| #35 | 0.375 | 9.53 | 0.200 | 5.08 | 0.188 | 4.78 | 1,760 |
| #40 | 0.500 | 12.70 | 0.312 | 7.92 | 0.312 | 7.92 | 3,125 |
| #50 | 0.625 | 15.88 | 0.400 | 10.16 | 0.375 | 9.53 | 4,880 |
| #60 | 0.750 | 19.05 | 0.469 | 11.91 | 0.500 | 12.70 | 7,030 |
| #80 | 1.000 | 25.40 | 0.625 | 15.88 | 0.625 | 15.88 | 12,500 |
| #100 | 1.250 | 31.75 | 0.750 | 19.05 | 0.750 | 19.05 | 19,531 |
| #120 | 1.500 | 38.10 | 0.875 | 22.23 | 1.000 | 25.40 | 28,125 |
| #140 | 1.750 | 44.45 | 1.000 | 25.40 | 1.000 | 25.40 | 38,280 |
| #160 | 2.000 | 50.80 | 1.125 | 28.58 | 1.250 | 31.75 | 50,000 |
| #200 | 2.500 | 63.50 | 1.562 | 39.67 | 1.500 | 38.10 | 78,175 |
Sources: ASME/ANSI B29.1 minimum ultimate tensile strengths, cross-checked against the published tables from U.S. Tsubaki and Diamond Chain (Timken). Pitch, roller diameter and width match across all three sources. Where a manufacturer's average breaking load differs from the standard minimum — for example, Diamond Chain lists an average of 34,000 lb for #120 and 95,000 lb for #200, against minimums of 28,125 lb and 78,175 lb — this table shows the standard minimum, because it is the only value that is the same for every maker.
Chain length is links times pitch. At the defaults — #40 chain, 100 links — the pitch is 0.500 in, so the length is 100 × 0.500 = 50.00 in. That is 4 ft 2 in (50 ÷ 12 = 4 ft with 2 in left over) and 127.00 cm (50.00 × 2.54). The same rule runs backwards: divide the length you need by the pitch to get the links. A length that does not divide evenly needs rounding up to whole links, because a chain cannot have a fraction of a link — 100 in of #60 is 133.33 links, so you buy 134 links and the chain is 100.50 in long.
| Case | Length (in) | Length (ft & in) | Length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default (#40, 100 links) | 50.00 | 4 ft 2 in | 127.00 |
| #50, 100 links | 62.50 | 5 ft 2.50 in | 158.75 |
| #80, 60 links | 60.00 | 5 ft 0.00 in | 152.40 |
| #25, 200 links | 50.00 | 4 ft 2 in | 127.00 |
| #100, 40 links | 50.00 | 4 ft 2 in | 127.00 |
| #60, 80 links | 60.00 | 5 ft 0.00 in | 152.40 |
| #40, 120 links | 60.00 | 5 ft 0.00 in | 152.40 |
Setup: chain size #40, links 100.
Line 1 — the pitch. #40 means 4/8 in, so the pitch is 0.500 in (12.70 mm).
Line 2 — the length in inches. 100 × 0.500 = 50.00 in.
Line 3 — the length in feet and inches. 50.00 ÷ 12 = 4 ft with 2 in left over, so 4 ft 2 in.
Line 4 — the length in centimetres. 50.00 × 2.54 = 127.00 cm.
Line 5 — the links for 10 ft. 10 ft is 120 in, and 120 ÷ 0.500 = 240 links.
Reverse: 36 in of #40 takes 72 links (exact 72.00 — 36 ÷ 0.500); 100 in of #60 takes 134 links (exact 133.33 — 100 ÷ 0.750 — round up, because 133 links is only 99.75 in); 72 in of #80 takes 72 links; 50 in of #25 takes 200 links; a 1.25 in pitch is #100, a 0.375 in pitch is #35, a 2.50 in pitch is #200 and a 0.75 in pitch is #60; 10 ft of #40 takes 240 links and 10 ft of #60 takes 160 links.
#50, 100 links: the pitch is 0.625 in, so 100 links is 62.50 in — 5 ft 2.50 in, 158.75 cm. A bigger pitch makes a longer chain from the same link count.
#80, 60 links: the pitch is 1.000 in, so 60 links is 60.00 in — 5 ft 0.00 in, 152.40 cm. With a 1 in pitch, the link count and the inch length are the same number.
#25, 200 links: the pitch is 0.250 in, so 200 links is 50.00 in — 4 ft 2 in, 127.00 cm. The same length as the default, from twice as many links at half the pitch.
#100, 40 links: the pitch is 1.250 in, so 40 links is 50.00 in — 4 ft 2 in, 127.00 cm. Three different chains — #40 at 100 links, #25 at 200, #100 at 40 — all measure 50.00 in.
#60, 80 links: the pitch is 0.750 in, so 80 links is 60.00 in — 5 ft 0.00 in, 152.40 cm.
#40, 120 links: the pitch is 0.500 in, so 120 links is 60.00 in — 5 ft 0.00 in, 152.40 cm. Ten feet of #40 is 240 links, so 120 links is exactly 5 ft.
Reverse — the other way round: 36 in of #40 takes 72 links; 100 in of #60 takes 134 links (133 links is 99.75 in, short); 72 in of #80 takes 72 links; 50 in of #25 takes 200 links; a 1.25 in pitch is #100, a 0.375 in pitch is #35, a 2.50 in pitch is #200 and a 0.75 in pitch is #60; 10 ft of #40 takes 240 links and 10 ft of #60 takes 160 links.
How strength scales: against #40's 3,125 lb, #80 is 4.00× (12,500 lb), #100 is 6.25× (19,531 lb), #200 is 25.02× (78,175 lb) and #25 is 0.25× (780 lb). Strength grows much faster than pitch: #200's pitch is 5× #40's, but its strength is 25×.
The table is single-strand chain: a double-strand chain of the same size has roughly double the tensile strength and a wider overall width, and it is not in this table. It assumes the chain is new and correctly lubricated — a worn chain measures longer than links times pitch, because the pins and bushings wear and the pitch grows. It assumes the tensile strength is the minimum ultimate strength from ANSI B29.1, not a working load: never run a chain anywhere near its breaking load — working loads are a small fraction of it, and the chain maker sets them. Rounding convention: dimensions are shown to three decimals in inches and two in millimetres, lengths to two decimals, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch | chain number ÷ 10, in eighths of an inch | 0.500 in (12.70 mm). |
| Roller diameter | from the ANSI table for the size | 0.312 in (7.92 mm). |
| Width between inner plates | from the ANSI table for the size | 0.312 in (7.92 mm). |
| Min. ultimate tensile strength | ANSI B29.1 minimum for the size | 3,125 lb. |
| Chain length | links × pitch | 50.00 in = 4 ft 2 in = 127.00 cm. |
| Links for 10 ft | 120 in ÷ pitch, rounded up | 240 links. |
| 36 in of #40 | 36 ÷ 0.500 | 72 links (exact 72.00). |
| 100 in of #60 | 100 ÷ 0.750, rounded up | 134 links (exact 133.33); 133 links is only 99.75 in. |
| 72 in of #80 | 72 ÷ 1.000 | 72 links. |
| 50 in of #25 | 50 ÷ 0.250 | 200 links. |
| Pitch 1.25 in | row whose pitch is 1.25 in | #100. |
| Pitch 0.375 in | row whose pitch is 0.375 in | #35. |
| Pitch 2.50 in | row whose pitch is 2.50 in | #200. |
| Pitch 0.75 in | row whose pitch is 0.75 in | #60. |
| 10 ft of #40 | 120 ÷ 0.500 | 240 links. |
| 10 ft of #60 | 120 ÷ 0.750 | 160 links. |
| #80 tensile vs #40 | 12,500 ÷ 3,125 | 4.00×. |
| #100 tensile vs #40 | 19,531 ÷ 3,125 | 6.25×. |
| #200 tensile vs #40 | 78,175 ÷ 3,125 | 25.02×. |
| #25 tensile vs #40 | 780 ÷ 3,125 | 0.25×. |
| #50, 100 links | same model, #50, 100 links | 62.50 in = 5 ft 2.50 in = 158.75 cm. |
| #80, 60 links | same model, #80, 60 links | 60.00 in = 5 ft 0.00 in = 152.40 cm. |
| #25, 200 links | same model, #25, 200 links | 50.00 in = 4 ft 2.00 in = 127.00 cm. |
| #100, 40 links | same model, #100, 40 links | 50.00 in = 4 ft 2.00 in = 127.00 cm. |
| #60, 80 links | same model, #60, 80 links | 60.00 in = 5 ft 0.00 in = 152.40 cm. |
| #40, 120 links | same model, #40, 120 links | 60.00 in = 5 ft 0.00 in = 152.40 cm. |
The dimensions are the ANSI B29.1 standard dimensions, and the tensile strengths are the standard's minimum ultimate values, cross-checked against the published tables from U.S. Tsubaki and Diamond Chain. What the table cannot do is tell you which chain your drive needs: the size is only the start — the sprocket teeth, the speed, the load and the lubrication all decide whether a size works, and this is not a sprocket-tooth chart, a chain-drive power or speed chart, or motorcycle or bicycle fitment. It is single-strand only: multi-strand chain has roughly double the strength per added strand and a wider overall width. For the wrench that fits the bolts on the drive, see allen key size chart; for the bolts themselves, see bolt size chart.
Bright Side Kit. "Chain Size Chart: ANSI Roller Chain Sizes & Pitch 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/chain-size-chart/ Accessed October 25, 2026.Divide the number by 10 to get the pitch in eighths of an inch. #40 is 4/8 = 1/2 in pitch, #60 is 6/8 = 3/4 in, and #80 is 8/8 = 1 in. The last digit is usually 0 for standard chain (a 5 in the last digit, as in #41, means a narrower lightweight variant of the same pitch). The size number alone does not tell you the roller diameter or the width — those are in the table above.
50.00 in — 4 ft 2 in, or 127.00 cm. Length is links times pitch, and #40 has a 0.500 in pitch, so 100 × 0.500 = 50.00 in. The same length comes from 200 links of #25 (0.250 in pitch) or 40 links of #100 (1.250 in pitch) — three different chains, one length.
160 links. Ten feet is 120 in, and #60 has a 0.750 in pitch, so 120 ÷ 0.750 = 160 links exactly. Ten feet of #40 takes 240 links. When the division does not come out even, round up: 100 in of #60 is 133.33 links, so you buy 134 — 133 links is only 99.75 in, short of the length you need.
4.00× as strong at the ANSI minimum: 12,500 lb against 3,125 lb. #100 is 6.25× #40 (19,531 lb), #200 is 25.02× (78,175 lb) and #25 is 0.25× (780 lb). These are minimum ultimate tensile strengths — the load the chain is guaranteed not to break below. Working loads are a small fraction of these numbers, and the chain maker sets them.
#60. A 0.75 in pitch is 6/8 in, so the chain number is 60. A 1.25 in pitch is #100, a 0.375 in pitch is #35 and a 2.50 in pitch is #200. If you measure the pitch with calipers, measure across several links and divide — a worn chain measures longer than its nominal pitch.
No. This page gives chain sizes and lengths only. It does not give sprocket tooth counts, chain-drive horsepower ratings, or speed limits, and it is not motorcycle or bicycle fitment — those chains follow their own standards and sizes. Use the table to identify a chain and work out its length, then size the drive from the chain maker's power-rating tables.