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Bosch chainsaw buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You open amazon.co.uk, filter to Bosch, and listings that all say 18 V run from under £100 to over £200. One box shows a battery, another says battery excluded, and another is a pole. The [Bosch chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/bosch-chainsaw) holds the price table for the kept ASINs. This buying guide walks the checks that prevent returns: what you are cutting, which battery mount you own, whether the listing is bare or a kit, and only then the star rating. Peter F. compared those listings and Bosch’s GB pages on 20 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You open amazon.co.uk, filter to Bosch, and listings that all say 18 V run from under £100 to over £200. One box shows a battery, another says battery excluded, and another is a pole.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch PKE18V-30-28 bare

Best overall

Bosch Bosch PKE18V-30-28 bare
9.6/10about £172.86
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare

Best value

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare
9.4/10about £104.94
View offer
Bosch Bosch UniversalChain 18 with 2.5 Ah

Rank 3

Bosch Bosch UniversalChain 18 with 2.5 Ah
8.8/10about £143.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are cutting
  2. 2.Which battery you already own
  3. 3.Bare tool or kit
  4. 4.What to skip in this kept set

What you are cutting

Bosch’s stated cutting diameters are smaller than the bar length, and that gap matters more than a 4.7-star line on a mini saw. On the GB range, the EasyChain is about 13 cm on a 15 cm bar, the UniversalChain 18 about 13.5 cm on a 20 cm bar, the pole saw about 14.5 cm, the GKE up to 18 cm in the title, the PKE about 27.5 cm on a 30 cm bar, and the AdvancedChain about 31 cm on a 35 cm bar. A longer bar is not permission to buck stove logs. Rounds that need a 27 cm or 31 cm stated cut move to the PKE on green 18 V or the AdvancedChain on green 36 V.

Which battery you already own

A Bosch chainsaw in the UK is not one battery system. Green POWER FOR ALL 18 V covers the EasyChain, UniversalChain 18, the pole saw, and the PKE. Green 36 V is a separate mount for the AdvancedChain. Blue Professional 18 V and AMPShare fit the GKE, and the alliance FAQ says DIY 18 V and Professional 18 V are not being unified. An 18 V label on the GKE does not mean a garden pack clicks in. Green 18 V only makes the AdvancedChain at £208.94 and the GKE at £204.98 the wrong purchase. A 36 V mower pack makes the £98 bare UniversalChain wrong the other way. Then size the pack: at least 2.5 Ah on the small saws, and a 4.0 Ah-class pack for heavier PKE or GKE work. The mount split is on Bosch chainsaw: 18 V or 36 V.
Bosch Bosch PKE18V-30-28 bare

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch PKE18V-30-28 bare
9.6/10about £172.86
View offer

Bare tool or kit

Many of these amazon.co.uk listings are bare tools, so the shelf price is not the first cut unless you already own the pack and charger. On the 19 October 2026 capture, bare UniversalChain 18 was £98.74 with 4.5 from 2,144 ratings and bare EasyChain £104.94 with 4.7 from 883. Small-saw kits with 2.5 Ah and an AL 1830 CV charger clustered near £143–£144, and the pole kit was £143.98. Bare PKE, GKE and AdvancedChain were £172.86, £204.98 and £208.94 with no battery. If you must buy a green 18 V pack anyway, compare the kit with the bare price plus a battery. Inside that class, the EasyChain is the lighter saw and the UniversalChain 18 adds automatic oiling plus a tip protector. Screwfix lists both without a chain brake.

What to skip in this kept set

The UniversalChainPole 18 kit is a telescopic overhead tool, not a handheld saw you take off the pole for ground cuts. Overhead fatigue, oil use and a head that clogs put it in the pruning story, not a firewood row. Corded UniversalChain 35 and 40 appear on Bosch’s GB range but sit outside this amazon set. Do not remove the UniversalChain tip protector; it is part of the listed undercut support. When wood, mount and box contents line up, use best Bosch cordless chainsaw for the model assignment.

Common questions

Which Bosch chainsaw is for branches rather than logs?
Stay with the EasyChain or UniversalChain 18 inside roughly 13–13.5 cm stated cut, or the pole saw for high branches you cannot reach from the ground. Step to the PKE or the AdvancedChain only when the wood regularly exceeds that pruner class.
Does the cheap listing include a battery?
Often no. Titles that say battery and charger excluded mean you need the matching system pack. On the saved listings the bare UniversalChain is £98.74 and the bare EasyChain is £104.94, both without a pack. The main comparison table marks battery in the box per ASIN.
Is a 15 cm bar enough for a small garden?
For many UK gardens yes, if you accept Bosch’s stated cutting diameter rather than forcing thicker limbs. The EasyChain pairs a 15 cm bar with about 13 cm stated cut. Measure a typical branch before you assume bar length equals capacity.
What is the difference between EasyChain and UniversalChain 18 if both stop near 13 cm?
Weight, oiling, speed, and the tip protector. The EasyChain is lighter, at 1.28 kg, with a higher listed chain speed of 6.95 m/s. The UniversalChain adds automatic oiling on the model page and the tip protector for undercuts, at 4.5 m/s on Bosch’s page.
When do I step up to the PKE or the 36 V saw?
When cross-cuts need the PKE’s roughly 27.5 cm stated cut on green 18 V, or the AdvancedChain’s roughly 31 cm cut on green 36 V, with QuickStop on Bosch’s spec. Stars on the mini saws do not change that bar class.
Why do Bosch pages disagree about oiling on the UniversalChain 18?
The category grid and individual model pages can differ on feature rows. Follow the manual for the exact model you bought, and treat retailer “no lubrication required” lines on the EasyChain as a different oil story from automatic oiling on the UniversalChain model page.

Related pages

How to use a Bosch chainsaw

Bosch chainsaw for pruning

Bosch chainsaw

Bosch chainsaw 18 V vs 36 V: which battery pack fits

Best Bosch cordless chainsaw: top pick, best value

Sources

Manufacturer pages and UK public sources first. Listing prices, stars and review counts are amazon.co.uk figures captured on 19 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test.

  1. Bosch DIY GB chainsaw range (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bosch UniversalChain 18 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bosch AdvancedChain 36V-35-40 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Bosch PKE18V-30-28 manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Bosch Professional GKE 18V-20 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)