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Bosch electric chainsaw buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have searched Bosch electric chainsaw because a limb in the garden is too thick for loppers, and the amazon.co.uk results have mixed a mains saw with several battery tools. This buying guide sorts that list into the five green battery models on the [Bosch electric chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/bosch-electric-chainsaw): what diameter you can actually cut, whether you already own an 18 V or 36 V pack, and whether the cheap listing includes a battery. Prices below are amazon.co.uk shelf figures from 19 October 2026 and will move. Peter F. used those listings and Bosch's UK DIY model pages. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have searched Bosch electric chainsaw because a limb in the garden is too thick for loppers, and the amazon.co.uk results have mixed a mains saw with several battery tools.

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.What you are cutting
  2. 2.A battery Bosch saw versus a corded UniversalChain 35
  3. 3.EasyChain versus UniversalChain 18
  4. 4.When the AdvancedChain fits
  5. 5.Bare tool or a kit

What you are cutting

Start with the wood, not the star rating. Bosch states a cutting diameter shorter than the bar: about 13 cm on the EasyChain, 13.5 cm on the UniversalChain 18, and 31 cm on the AdvancedChain. A longer bar does not allow a thicker log. A limb around 80–100 mm sits inside both 18 V saws. A 20 cm firewood round does not.

A battery Bosch saw versus a corded UniversalChain 35

Amazon still lists the corded UniversalChain 35. Electric there means mains, and this table does not include it. On the UK range it is an 1800 W saw with a 35 cm bar and a kickback brake on retailer specifications. It suits an outdoor socket and work that would flatten a 2.5 Ah pack. The corded saw is a runtime alternative, not a sixth row in this battery table.
Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7 bare

Testsieger

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

EasyChain versus UniversalChain 18

Both 18 V saws stop near the same stated cut, and they are not the same tool. The bare EasyChain at £104.94 is 4.7 from 883 ratings, 1.28 kg, brushless, and 6.95 m/s. It is the top pick on score if you already own a green 18 V pack. No chain brake is named, and the model page says there is no automatic oiling. The bare UniversalChain 18 at £98.74 is 4.5 from 2,144 ratings and the best value if those packs are on the shelf: 3.6 kg, 4.5 m/s, automatic oiling, and a tip protector. Screwfix lists it without a chain brake. Leave the protector on. Technique is on the Bosch electric chainsaw pruning page.

When the AdvancedChain fits

The bare AdvancedChain at £208.94 is 4.5 from 97 ratings, 14 m/s, brushless, OptiCut, and 3.56 kg, with 50 ml of oil and no battery. Bosch states a 31 cm cut on a 35 cm bar and names QuickStop, which is not in every amazon.co.uk bullet. An 18 V pack does not run it. One UK reviewer reported about fifteen to twenty minutes across two 4 Ah packs and one 6 Ah pack. That is one report, not a Bosch runtime. Buy it for wood in the 15–30 cm band if you can supply green 36 V packs. The split is on the Bosch 18V vs 36V electric chainsaw page.

Bare tool or a kit

The bare UniversalChain 18 at £98.74 and the bare EasyChain at £104.94 exclude the battery and charger. Without a green 18 V pack they are not a working saw. The usual first buy is a kit near £143–£144. The UniversalChain kit at £143.00 adds a 2.5 Ah pack, an AL 1830 CV charger, and 80 ml of oil, 4.4 from 771 ratings, and its weight line is 2.6 kg rather than 3.6 kg. The EasyChain kit at £143.99 is 4.6 from 72 ratings. Choose bare only when a charged 18 V pack is already in the house. The AdvancedChain has no kit row, so £208.94 always needs a 36 V budget on top.

Common questions

Does electric mean corded or battery for a Bosch chainsaw?
On amazon.co.uk the word covers both. The corded UniversalChain 35 is a mains saw and is outside this five-model table. EasyChain, UniversalChain 18, and AdvancedChain in the comparison are battery tools on Bosch's green system. Read the title for 18 V, 36 V, or a wattage before you compare the price. A wattage line is the clue that you are looking at a plug-in saw rather than a pack.
Is the sub-£105 listing complete?
No, not if you need a battery. The bare UniversalChain 18 at £98.74 and the bare EasyChain at £104.94 exclude the pack and charger. The box still includes a small oil bottle, a bar, and a chain. A first-time buyer should compare the kit prices near £143.00 and £143.99, which add a 2.5 Ah pack and an AL 1830 CV charger. Those kit prices are the realistic first-cut cost.
Should you pick EasyChain or UniversalChain 18 if both stop near 13 cm?
Pick the EasyChain when weight and the 6.95 m/s chain matter and you will oil the bar the way the manual describes. Pick the UniversalChain 18 when you want automatic oiling and the tip protector for undercuts, and you can live with a slower 4.5 m/s chain and a heavier body. Both need a green 18 V pack. The EasyChain's 4.7 from 883 ratings does not make it a firewood saw.
When is the AdvancedChain worth £208.94?
It is worth that bare price when you cut towards the stated 31 cm diameter and you already have a green 36 V pack, ideally larger than 2.0 Ah for heavy work. It is poor value if you only prune small limbs, or if you hoped an 18 V mower battery would fit. Add the cost of a 36 V pack and charger before you compare it with a £143 18 V kit.
Do you need chain oil on the EasyChain?
Yes. You still oil the chain and bar. The kits include a 50 ml bottle, and the bare tool includes one too, but Bosch's EasyChain model page says there is no automatic oiling. The UniversalChain 18 model page does claim automatic oiling and several boxes include 80 ml. Do not copy one oil habit across both saws, and do not run the bar dry.
Is there a chain brake on the UniversalChain 18?
The amazon.co.uk listing names a stabilising tip protector with gripping teeth and SDS tensioning. It does not name a chain brake. The hand guard is not a substitute. Screwfix's bare-tool page also describes this model without a chain brake. AdvancedChain's QuickStop is a different saw on 36 V. Leave the tip protector fitted, and do not treat any of these battery saws as kickback-proof.

Related pages

Best Bosch electric chainsaw

How to use a Bosch electric chainsaw

Bosch electric chainsaw

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

Bosch electric chainsaw pruning: ground and branch size

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)