Looking to avoid ones made in China, recently looked at a Carlton one that were made there and I know Oregon can be a mixed bag as well.

Any insight is appreciated.

The only chains I've used are Stihl and Oregon.
They've both been fine for me.

Stihl or Oregon for me too, for chains and bars.
Getting the rakers to the right height is also very important. In my early days of chainsaw ownership, I wondered why they never cut as well as new, even after I had carefully sharpened them until I discovered what the rakers do.
Luckily I kept many of those older hardly used chains around and now they have a second life.

I had a Husqvarna for 25 years, when I no longer needed it after moving back to the city I sold it for close to 50% of what I originally paid for it.

First, make certain you know the correct chain pitch and gauge for your bar & drive sprocket. Pitch will likely be 3/8" or .325". Gauge is likely .050".

Stihl and Oregon are both good brands. I prefer Stihl chains, as they tend to stretch a little less when new. Both brands will stretch noticeably as they get older, especially with extended cutting in difficult conditions, where the chain and bar get quite hot.

Consider the tooth type on the chain. Faster cutting occurs with a "full chisel" tooth. The profile end-on is like a 7, with a definite sharp point on the tooth. Longer cutting between sharpenings occurs with a "semi chisel" tooth. The profile end-on is more like a question mark (?) -- a bit rounded. From a top-down view, the leading edge of the tooth is more rounded.

In the Stihl line, the full chisel chains often have a yellow colored marker, and are often part of the professional line. Stihl's semi chisel chains often have a green colored marker, and are part of their ranch/consumer line. Semi chisel chains are sometimes called "safety chains" or "low kickback" chains. Low kickback chains sometimes have a second piece of metal between the cutting teeth -- called a bumper. The bumper is next to the raker, which determines cutting depth. A chain with a bumper will cut more slowly than one without, but it will cut with less vibration. I don't care much for "safety" chains. I prefer full chisel chains, but I realize they have increased chances of kickback.

The #1 rule of chainsaw use is maintaining a sharp chain. It does more for cutting performance and parts longevity than any modifications to engine, exhaust, or carburation. I sharpen with pretty much every fuel tank refill. In dirty wood, sometimes twice per tank. A good sharpening tool is the Stihl 2-in-1 file. It's made by Pferd, so either brand works. The 2-in-1 file maintains proper raker height.

Make certain you have the right file size for your chain. Stihl uses a slightly smaller file than Oregon.

I usually buy Oregon.

I’ve only ever used Stihl or Oregon, or Husqvarna marked Oregon.

I used Oregon for years until I bought my Stihl last year. Just bought my first new chain for it...got a Stihl. The Stihl chain seems to stay sharp a little longer and stretch a lot less than the Oregon used to. I spend less time adjusting tension and more time cutting.

I just bought a 3 pack on Amazon for $12. I had a bunch of vines and stumps to cut in my woods. I was surprised how long the $4 chain lasted cutting that trash. I have a good Oregon chain on the shelf for big jobs with good logs.

Oregon for me.

Count me in as another user Stihl or Oregon chains.

And I've found this Stihl 2-in-1 tool to be of great use:

https://www.stihlusa.com/en/ap...filing-guide-1027074

Fyi -there are five different models for different pitches so if you order one make sure it's the right one for your chain.

Stihl chains for my Stihl saws.

Oregon on my solid McCulloch

I'm not a chainsaw expert, but I've had good luck with Oregon chains for my two cycle Echo, but don't have anything to compare it to since I've only used Oregon chains.

My friend is a heavy chainsaw user and true expert user, retired from Stihl as a manufacturing manager, product testing, etc., and he uses ONLY Stihl chains. Last time he ran his stuff at my house he used a large commercial Stihl saw with a new Stihl skip chain, man that baby threw down. I came to the conclusion that skill is more important than equipment (duh). I also watched him use my little echo at four times or so of the rated capability of that saw, with no ill effect, which is the reason I never upgraded my saw after seeing what he did with such a saw on a very big pin oak.