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Bosch 18V vs 36V electric chainsaw

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already own a green Bosch 18 V lawn mower, and the AdvancedChain on amazon.co.uk looks like the saw for a thicker limb. The choice is locked before you pick a bar length. In this set, 18 V packs run the EasyChain and the UniversalChain 18, and they do not run the AdvancedChain 36V-35-40. Stay on 18 V inside about 13–13.5 cm. Step up only for the 31 cm cut Bosch states, which needs a 36 V pack. Prices are on the [Bosch electric chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/bosch-electric-chainsaw), from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026. Peter F. did not lab-test these saws. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own a green Bosch 18 V lawn mower, and the AdvancedChain on amazon.co.uk looks like the saw for a thicker limb. The choice is locked before you pick a bar length.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare
9.6/10about £104.94
View offer
Bosch Bosch UniversalChain 18 bare

Best value

Bosch Bosch UniversalChain 18 bare
9.2/10about £98.74
View offer
Bosch Bosch AdvancedChain 36V-35-40 bare

Rank 3

Bosch Bosch AdvancedChain 36V-35-40 bare
9.2/10about £208.94
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two green systems, 18 V and 36 V POWER FOR ALL
  2. 2.What the 18 V saws in this table actually cut
  3. 3.What 36 V adds on the AdvancedChain
  4. 4.Buying path when you already own packs

Two green systems, 18 V and 36 V POWER FOR ALL

Bosch's green range splits garden batteries into two grids. An 18 V POWER FOR ALL pack fits the EasyChain and the UniversalChain 18. The AdvancedChain is 36 V, the battery is not included, and the listing does not say an 18 V pack fits. The AL 1830 CV charger on the 18 V kits does not turn an 18 V pack into a 36 V saw battery. A 36 V pack does not fit the shorter saws either. Blue GKE tools and the corded UniversalChain 35 sit outside this comparison.

What the 18 V saws in this table actually cut

Four of the five listings are 18 V. The EasyChain states a 13 cm cut, 6.95 m/s. On 19 October 2026 the bare tool was £104.94, 4.7 from 883 ratings, with no battery. The 2.5 Ah kit was £143.99. Neither names a chain brake. The UniversalChain 18 states a 13.5 cm cut, 4.5 m/s, automatic oiling, and a tip protector. Screwfix lists it without a chain brake. The bare tool was £98.74, 4.5 from 2,144 ratings. A 12 cm limb sits inside both diameters. A 20 cm trunk does not, because bar length is not the cutting diameter. The bare EasyChain is the top pick for light pruning. The bare UniversalChain 18 is the best value if you want the tip protector. Jobs are on the best Bosch electric chainsaw page.
Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare
9.6/10about £104.94
View offer

What 36 V adds on the AdvancedChain

Only the bare AdvancedChain steps up to 36 V. Bosch states a 31 cm cut, 14 m/s, and QuickStop, which is not in every amazon.co.uk bullet. A brake or tip guard does not remove kickback, as HSE INDG317 states. 14 m/s is a published chain speed, against 6.95 m/s and 4.5 m/s, not a time to finish a log. A 25 cm round sits inside 31 cm and outside both 18 V diameters, if you have a 36 V pack. On 19 October 2026 the bare listing was £208.94, 4.5 from 97 ratings, with no charger. Work near buildings or off the ground still needs a professional.

Buying path when you already own packs

If you already have green 18 V packs and the wood stays inside 13–13.5 cm, buy bare. On 19 October 2026 that was £98.74 or £104.94. With no pack, the kits near £143–£144 add a 2.5 Ah battery at the same diameter limit. The AdvancedChain at £208.94 is bare only, this set has no 36 V kit, and it will not run on 18 V. Bare versus kit is on the buying guide.

Common questions

Will my 18 V lawn mower battery fit the AdvancedChain?
No. The AdvancedChain 36V-35-40 in this set is a 36 V POWER FOR ALL saw, and green 18 V packs fit the EasyChain and the UniversalChain 18 instead. The amazon.co.uk listing says the battery is not included, and it does not say an 18 V pack fits. A pack from an 18 V Bosch mower can run the two shorter saws if it is a green POWER FOR ALL 18 V battery. It will not start the AdvancedChain.
Is 36 V worth it for firewood?
It is worth it when the rounds are thicker than the 13 cm and 13.5 cm cutting diameters Bosch states for the EasyChain and the UniversalChain 18, and still inside the 31 cm figure for the AdvancedChain. Published chain speed is 14 m/s, against 6.95 m/s and 4.5 m/s on those 18 V model pages. The bare tool was £208.94 on amazon.co.uk without a battery, so it is the dearer saw for kindling you could already cut on 18 V.
Can I buy the AdvancedChain bare if I only have 18 V packs?
You can order the bare listing, and the box will not contain a battery or a charger. You still cannot run that saw on the 18 V packs you already own. It stays unused until a 36 V POWER FOR ALL pack and a matching charger are in the house. If the wood is inside about 13–13.5 cm, a bare EasyChain or UniversalChain 18 is the purchase that cuts with those packs.
What does the chain-speed difference mean in plain language?
Bosch lists 4.5 m/s for the UniversalChain 18, 6.95 m/s for the EasyChain, and 14 m/s for the AdvancedChain. A metre per second is how far the chain travels in one second, so 14 m/s is a faster chain than 4.5 m/s on the model page. That is a published speed, not a measured time to finish a log, and it does not say how long a 2 Ah or 4 Ah pack lasts. Use the stated cutting diameter alongside the speed.
Which saw has QuickStop?
QuickStop is named on Bosch's AdvancedChain 36V-35-40 model page, the only 36 V saw in this table. It is not in every amazon.co.uk bullet, so a thin basket description can omit it. The UniversalChain 18 lists a tip protector with gripping teeth, and that is not the same part. The EasyChain listings do not name a chain brake. A brake or a tip guard does not remove kickback.
Do both voltages use the same charger label?
No. The 18 V kits here, the UniversalChain 18 and the EasyChain, list an AL 1830 CV charger with a 2.5 Ah pack. The AdvancedChain listing includes neither a battery nor a charger, and an 18 V charger does not make an 18 V pack run that saw. Match the charger to the voltage printed on the pack you own. One Bosch garden-charger label in a shop answer is not evidence that the two grids share a plug-in unit.

Related pages

Bosch electric chainsaw pruning

How to use a Bosch electric chainsaw

Bosch electric chainsaw

Best Bosch electric chainsaw UK: which listing fits

Bosch electric chainsaw buying guide: size and pack

Sources

Sources from the research digest. Prices and star lines checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. Bosch DIY GB chainsaws (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. HSE chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE INDG317 chainsaw kickback (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. OPSS chainsaw safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Electrical Safety First garden chainsaws (retrieved 19 October 2026)