Bosch Power For All Cordless Platform
Bosch Power For All Tools
The Power For All system is a cordless lithium ion battery platform that spans the Bosch DIY and garden product ranges. With the announcement of their upgraded 12v system, we take a look at the options available on the market today, and the advantages of the technology built into them.
As you may be aware, Bosch split their power tool ranges into two main product groups: Blue – Professional, and Green – for the home consumer market. The Green product group includes DIY power tools, which can be identified by their green & red colour scheme, and garden power tools, which are usually more of a turquoise colour (there are also products that don’t quite fit into either category, like cordless vacuum cleaners, radios and Bluetooth speakers). While tools from the Bosch Blue range have to be built to withstand daily abuse in industrial environments, the Green ranges are built to a lighter duty specification and hence come with a much lower price tag, making them an attractive option for users such as homeowners, DIYers and weekend woodworkers. Combined with Bosch’s enviable reputation for engineering prowess, this has resulted in Bosch Green tools occupying a premium position in the home & garden sector for decades.
Power For All is a relatively recent addition to the Green product group, and is a lithium ion battery platform that spans 10.8v, 18v, and now 12v cordless tools. As with other battery platforms, the batteries and chargers are designed to be interchangeable with tools in the range as long as they correspond to the same voltage. However, the good news for everyone who has already invested in 10.8v Power For All tools is that the new 12v range is backwards compatible with the 10.8v range – that is, all 10.8v batteries and chargers can be used with the 12v machines and vice versa. The very simple reason for this is that the batteries and chargers are actually still exactly the same! In America, where power tool manufacturers usually label their batteries according to peak voltage, Bosch have always marketed their 10.8v range as 12v, and to achieve greater international consistency, they have decided to rebrand their European 10.8v range as 12v as well. So while this will have no doubt caused some confusion at first, eventually all the existing 10.8v tools will be phased out or rebadged as part of the Power For All 12v system.
So the Power For All user essentially has a choice between 12v and 18v platforms. The 18v machines offer a good balance of power and runtime while the 12v machines deliver less power but with the advantage that they are smaller, lighter, and less physically demanding, making them ideal for lighter duty tasks and situations such as working overhead or in cramped conditions.
Syneon Inside
Something common to all new tools (and many pre-existing tools) on both platforms is the inclusion of what Bosch call a Syneon chip. This is an integrated circuit which provides an intelligent battery management function; it monitors load conditions on the tool and ensures that energy is delivered when it is needed (for example when driving larger screws or sawing through dense wood) but also conserved during less demanding applications. As well as providing a boost in performance when needed, this helps to minimize unnecessary energy drain and ultimately provides the user with longer runtime per battery charge. For example, in tests by an independent laboratory the Bosch PSR 18 LI-2 Drill Driver was found to drive on average 20% more screws or drill 37% more holes per charge than market alternatives. As well as this respectable margin of endurance, the Syneon chip also ensures that performance remains constant right up until the point that the battery is discharged, rather than the gradual slowdown that can signify battery drain in many other cordless tools.
Electronic Cell Protection
Electronic Cell Protection, or ECP for short, is another Bosch technology built into Power For All tools which helps to maximize the usable lifetime of the attached batteries. Based around subverting three damaging conditions that can affect lithium ion batteries – overload, overheating and deep discharge, the ECP system automatically shuts the tool down if it detects the battery is becoming overloaded or overheated and ensures that the battery cannot reach a critical level of discharge. All of this helps to keep Power For All batteries performing at their best for longer.
Power For All Warranty
One of the other advantages of the Bosch Power For All range is that unlike the standard one year warranty offered by many other tools intended for the home & garden market, they carry a three year guarantee if registered with Bosch after purchase (though note that as DIY tools this does not cover professional or commercial use).
New Tools
Amongst long term stalwarts of the range and best sellers like the Bosch ART 23-18 LI 18v Cordless Grass Trimmer, Bosch ALB 18 LI 18v Cordless Garden Leaf Blower, Bosch PST 18 LI Cordless Jigsaw and Bosch PSR 18 LI-2 18v Cordless Compact Drill Driver, there have been a number of new and innovative tools added to the lineup over the course of the last year or so.
First of all, Bosch debuted some power tool technology that had never been seen before when they introduced the Nanoblade in 2017; essentially a miniaturised chainsaw which was developed to assist with easy to control, vibration free sawing. Amongst the first three tools to be equipped with this feature was the Bosch EASYCUT 12 LI 12v Cordless Nanoblade Saw, part of the new 12v Power For All range. Occupying a sort of middle ground between the garden and DIY ranges, this innovative little tool is ideal for pruning branches in the garden as well as assisting with woodworking and DIY tasks, where the reduced vibration makes it an easier to control alternative to tools such as jigsaws or reciprocating saws.
Also appearing in 2017, the Bosch ADVANCEDGRIND 18v Cordless Angle Grinder is the first of its kind in the Green range. A 125mm (5”) machine with variable speed control, a soft start motor and rapid action brake, this tool enables Power For All users to accomplish a variety of cutting, grinding and wire brushing tasks without being tethered to a power lead, making it perfect for working outdoors, while up a ladder, or in any other situation where a cable might get in the way.
Bosch are well known for their oscillating multi tools and both the 10.8v and 18v Power For All ranges are represented in this context by the Bosch PMF 10.8 LI 10.8v Cordless Multi Tool & Bosch ADVANCEDMULTI 18v Cordless Oscillating Multi Tool respectively. The 10.8v machine has a slimline form factor and is perfect for precision tasks, while the larger 18v tool includes an LED light strip for improved visibility and an anti-vibration auxiliary handle for maximum control.
The cordless combi drill, a staple tool of DIYers everywhere, has also been the focus of the Bosch engineering and design teams recently. The result, the Bosch PSB 18 LI-2 ERGONOMIC 18v Cordless Combi Drill, is a decidedly futuristic looking machine which is intended to provide better ergonomics (hence the name) while offering additional technology more commonly found on Professional grade tools: this includes a brushless motor, constant electronic speed regulation, and a kickback control system for user protection against high torque reactionary forces (in the event of a bit or accessory jamming). The PSB 18 LI-2 also has a base mounted worklight which ensures illumination of the work area is not obstructed by the chuck.
Power for Everyone
Of course, this is just a small selection of the Power For All range. Whether you’re a homeowner, keen gardener or dedicated DIYer, Bosch have got a multitude of cordless tools to suit your requirements and the range is always expanding. To make it easier to see what’s available, we have a dedicated Power For All category on our website (currently 18v only) which is regularly updated with new releases and special offers.
Do you have a favourite tool in the Power For All range? Let us know in the comments below.
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I am interested to know if/when the easy cut will be available in 18v.
Hi Jim, there is now officially an 18v Nanoblade saw: it’s called the AdvancedCut 18 LI and we’re just loading it onto our website now
No info on an 18v EasyCut at the moment Jim, but I think it would prove very popular given the success of the Nanoblade series so far and the larger market share of the 18v system. Maybe in time for the summer……? 🙂
A DIY chain are having a clearance sale of various 18v cordless green Bosch tools, in particular the PSA 18-Li cordless reciprocating saw. Do you know what it is being replaced by? I was thinking of buying one.
Hi Jed, unfortunately I don’t have any info regarding a replacement for that machine – it’s still listed on the Bosch site as a current model, though recently they have begun phasing out a lot of their old style partcodes and replacing them with names like EasyDrill and AdvancedHedgeCut so if they are replacing it there’s a chance it could just be a name change… but without further info I couldn’t say for sure I’m afraid
Hi Jed, slightly late but I was just responding to another comment when I saw your message again – in the last month we got a new model in; the AdvancedRecip 18 (https://www.tooled-up.com/bosch-advancedrecip-18v-cordless-recipro-saw/prod/442126) which is quite different to the previous generations. So I guess that’s what’s replaced it. Not sure if you’ll still be looking one year on though 🙂
I have had my 4ALL 12v battery on the charger for a number of weeks.
It is used to power a Easy Hedge Trimmer which, of course, is only used periodically. I wanted to use the trimmer yesterday but was dead! was this because the battery had been on the charger to long?
Hi Nigel, I’m afraid I’m not too sure. Had a quick look on the internet and there seem to be a number of different views on whether it’s a good idea to leave a lithium ion battery on a charger or not. I always instinctively disconnect them once they’re charged but the manual for the 1815 CV, 1830 CV & 1880 CV seems to suggest that you can leave a battery in one of these chargers and keep it fully charged ready for use. It’s probably best to contact Bosch technical support for clarification or advice on your specific equipment (there’s a Contact option at https://www.bosch-garden.com/gb/en/garden-tools/homepage/index.jsp)
Hi there,
First, thanks for this very thru in depth presentation of Bosch cordless tools.
I have some Bosch corded and cordless tools and recently I wanted to go cordless all the way 🙂
My question is I have this PSB 18V Li (1, I suppose, from 2013.) it’s now Li-2 a little bit different on photos, are they compatible? Say I buy one or two of these Power4All 18V Li-2 tools will they be interchangeable with my PSB?
Also, these blue and green 18V batteries interchangeable? then I can mix and match pro and DIY tools and that would be perfect!
Hi Sinan, thanks for reading the blog. I’ll start with your second question as that’s easier to answer but I’m afraid it’s probably not the answer you want! Unfortunately although the Bosch Green and Blue 18v ranges use similar batteries, they are not cross-compatible. (You can, however use Power4All batteries on all Green DIY or Garden tools, as mentioned in the article). With regards to your drill, I can’t find much info on that model but as long as it uses Power4All 18v lithium ion batteries you’ll be able to use the current generation of Power4All batteries with it. However, some of the very first older chargers will not charge the very latest batteries & a battery charger upgrade may be required depending on the age of the one that came with your machine.
Thanks a lot!
I think I’ll buy one of these nano blades that you were reviewing with the charger and the battery, I’ll see how it goes:)
But I’ll definitely come back to your blog for more…
Keep up.
No worries! The Nanoblade seems to divide opinion a bit at the moment but we’ve sold quite a few of them (and just got three types of replacement blade in stock which were a bit harder to find when it first came out)
I have a 4amp li-ion battery in my USB 18-2 drill. Is this battery compatible with power4all?
that should have been GSB
Hi John, I think that model is from the Bosch Professional range? (the easiest way to confirm it is the colour of the machine. Bosch Blue = Professional. Bosch Green = DIY) If it is, I’m afraid the batteries and chargers are not cross compatible between the two ranges. I think apart from a few very early examples, just about all compatible batteries will say either “Power4All” or “Power for All” on them.
I have a question for you if you don’t mind. What do you think about Dewalt drills vs Makita? Are they really that much better than something like a Ryobi? I just got a job where I need a Lithium Ion tool kit. Thank you very much! 🙂
Hi Dalton, well perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind if you need a tool kit for work is that DeWalt and Makita both supply their tools with a warranty for commercial use (usually three years but check the individual kits you are looking at) whereas companies like Ryobi won’t guarantee their tools if used for business purposes as they are only intended for use around the home, and aren’t really designed to cope with everyday usage. So if you’re going to be using the tools a lot, the advantage of the professional brands is that you can get repairs and replacements for any failures under warranty period, and they should also be constructed to a more heavy duty grade to help avoid this scenario. In many cases you might not notice a huge difference in performance between the DIY brands and the professional brands but it’s really the longevity of the tool that you’re paying for (along with other niceties like improved ergonomics) – when it comes to DeWalt vs Makita I think you’d be happy with either to be honest – they’re the two biggest sellers here in the UK to the professional market.
I wonder if you can help me? I have a Bosch PSB 1800 Li2 drill set with 2 x Power 4All 18V 1.5Ah batteries and an AL2215 CV charger 1.5A. I see the new 18V Power for All batteries are slightly different in shape with white labels instead of yellow green.
I am thinking of buying an EasyGrassCut 18-26 trimmer. Will my batteries fit the trimmer? If so, will they power it given the battery,if supplied with the trimmer, is an 18V 2.5Ah? Would my charger charge the 18V 2.5Ah battery’?
Thanks in anticipation.
Hi John, the batteries have retained the same connections throughout the Power4All series so your 1.5ah batteries will work fine with that grass trimmer – in comparison with a 2.5ah battery they will deliver the same amount of power but won’t last as long before they need to be recharged. If you find they don’t give you enough runtime you can also get higher capacity Power4All batteries separately (the higher the AH rating, the more runtime you can expect) – however, your charger is an older design and unfortunately the higher capacity batteries won’t physically fit into this charger as they are too big (that charger was designed before they were released). So yes, the batteries will work, but your charger won’t be able to charge some of the bigger batteries that are on the market nowadays should you decide to upgrade. Hope that helps you weigh up the decision!
Hi I’ve just purchased the Bosch pressure washer home/green version and was wandering if I can use a bigger ah battery over the standard 2.5 ah? Cheers
Hi Owen, I’m guessing you’re referring to the Bosch Fontus? This can be used with all the current Power4All batteries yes. There are 1 or 2 tools in the range which the bigger batteries won’t physically fit onto but in the vast majority of cases you can use any ah rating you like.
Hi ,i have a 24v gks saw,with Nimh 2.6 batts ,that are poor,can i use a higher voltage battery ie 3000ah or the equivalent Nicd as replacements?
Hi Bob, well the voltage will have to be the same for the batteries to work with the saw but I think you mean the capacity. To use the Power4All range as an example, all tools in the 18v Power4all range can (in principle) use an 18v Power4all Lithium ion battery of any capacity – 1.3ah, 2ah, 4ah etc, as long as the voltage is still 18v, and it is actually a Bosch Power4all lithium ion battery, as opposed to an 18v lithium ion battery from a different manufacturers power tool range for example. All the capacity effects is the length of time the tool will run for before the battery needs recharging so ordinarily you are free to use any capacity battery you like, but the reason I say “in principle” is that in some cases there are exceptions – for example there are some tools which larger batteries won’t physically fit on to. The other thing you mention is using a Nicd battery in place of a Nimh battery – as far as I know this won’t work, but since everything has switched over to lithium ion these days I’m not familiar with those older platforms and I may be wrong. Certainly lithium ion tools can only be used with lithium ion batteries. Slightly long winded answer but hopefully that all makes sense
I can buy a complete drill package cheaper than a battery
Hello, I’m wondering whether the 18v 4.0 Ah Al 1820 CV battery (which I have for my Bosch Professional GSB 18-2-LI Plus cordless impact drill/driver) would be compatible with the Bosch Power For All 18V cordless reciprocating saw AdvancedRecip 18?
Hi Richard, although that tool is called the “Advanced” Recip, it is not compatible with the Bosch Professional batteries and can only be used with the Power4All batteries used by other tools in the Bosch Green cordless ranges. There are however, Bosch Professional 18v reciprocating saws which will be compatible with your battery – for example the GSA 18V-LI and the GSA 18 V-32
Hi, Could you tell me if the Power4 All 18v 2.0 Ah that I purchased with a cordless Bosch drill about 5 years ago would work on a brand new Bosch Home and Garden 3 600 HB8 000, 135 mm 96 dB UniversalChain 18 Cordless Chainsaw. ?
Just trying to save myself another battery and charger ?
Hi Nigel, yes it will work. Although the external appearance of the Power4All batteries has changed slightly over the years they still use the same connections so any generation of tool and battery will be compatible with each other. You might want to bear in mind though that chainsaws are high energy tools compared to drills and you may not get an especially long runtime with a 2ah battery (especially an older one)
Hi, Just recently I have bought Bosch stick accu vacuum cleaner the last 8 series . I got 2 LI-ION batteries 3.0 Ah with the fast charger AL 1880 CV. I know that that the batteries and charger are form Power for ALL green line program. Can I use this batteries with Bosch rotary hammer GBH 18 V Li Professional from blue line. I just need to use it form time to time ( 2 times a year) for not more than 2-3 holes. I just want to avoid to buy new batteries and charger again.
Thank you in advance for your answer.
Hi Slobodan, no I’m afraid the Green and Blue Bosch 18v ranges don’t share battery compatibility, and the GBH 18 V Li can only be used with Bosch Professional 18v li-ion batteries. If you specifically want an SDS drill that runs on the batteries you already have there isn’t much to choose from in the green range currently – only the UNEO MAXX, which uses the propietary Bosch SDS Quick system and is suitable for drilling holes of up to 10mm diameter in concrete. You can view it on our website here if you’re interested.
Hi agian. Just add on my previuos post. Bosch has not good device in green/DIY program for drilling in concrete and therefore we have to look in blue program although we are not professionals.
Yes it seems a slightly strange omission really, since Bosch helped develop the SDS system in the first place and they have plenty of Professional 18v SDS drills. At the moment there’s only one (corded) SDS plus machine in the DIY range and that’s the PBH 2100 RE.
Can the bosch power for all garden tool 18v and 36v batteries use the same charger?
Hi Rod, as far as I’m aware Bosch have never released a charger that will accept both 36v and 18v batteries so I think you would always need two separate chargers with the available equipment that’s on the market currently.
Any plans to make a blue 18v pump for tires please?
As all my tools are 18v blue.
Many thanks
Are the pro core 18v 12ah any good please, I have the 8ah, & it’s fine, many thanks
Ive had the brushless 18 li-2
Ergo drill now for 3 years & it is the most brilliant drill in my kit.
Plenty of power & 2:5 ah batt lasts for ages. The Syneon chip is a game changer.
Light & easy to use.
Never buy a brush motor drill again.
Well done Bosch.
I have 4 tools using the Power4All 18V batteries. They work very well, but unfortunately the design with regard to battery removal is very bad. After you push down the release button you need to pull out on the battery, but there is no handle or anything to pull on. If you try to grab around the battery you have to let go on the release button and the battery won’t come out. Is there a trick to easy removal of these batteries?
Hi there, i just bought a Bosch ALB 18 LI leaf blower. It came with a 18v 2.5 Ah battery, is it possible to use the larger 18v 5.0 Ah battery Ive seen online for sale and would that extend the usage time?
Hi Steve, yes you are correct that you would get longer runtimes with the higher capacity batteries, BUT you might want to double check the battery you’re looking at, as I’m not actually aware of there being any 5.0ah batteries in the Power4All / Power For All range currently? They make a 6ah battery (which can be viewed here) but bear in mind that if it is a Bosch Professional 18v battery (which will look very similar!) it won’t actually be compatible with the leaf blower, or anything in the “Green” range of home and garden tools.
Oh OK. Sorry but it turns out the 6ah battery was a bad example! It states on our website that it can’t be used with the ALB 18 LI, although I’m not sure what the reason for this is. It does appear that Bosch are only recommending the 2.5ah battery for use with that machine, although it looks like you’d be able to fit a bigger battery onto it no problem…
Hi Steve, I’ve spoken to our contact at Bosch and he’s confirmed that unfortunately the ALB 18 LI is only compatible with batteries up to a maximum capacity of 2.5ah. I asked why this was the case and he said it’s due to it being an older model which uses “different technology” – I’m not sure what this technology is but there you have it. So I guess it’s just the 1.5ah, 2ah or 2.5ah batteries which can be used in that particular machine.
Do we know if the Bosch green batteries are compatible with the Blue range? I’ve got a green drill and and green jigsaw but looking for an upgrade to the blue drill if I can swap the batteries between the two ranges without upgrading everything to the blue range?
Hi Cameron, I’m afraid the batteries are not interchangeable between the two ranges (even though they do look very similar)
Why have I had to trim a small black tab of some of my green Bosch 18v Li batteries so they fit some of my 4All appliances? All my batteries now fit. It’s like it’s aimed at ensuring older batteries can not be used, so you have to buy the newer batteries. Seems a bit of a dirty trick to force obsolescence for older 18v LI batteries. I’m sure that’s not the case, and not intended to alienate loyal customers to this brand. All my batteries work perfectly well with this very easy modification. Why oh why…?
Morning Bosch
This might have been answered before, but here goes anyway:
I have an arsenal of Bosch Professional (blue) handtools and 5x 18v, 4.0Ah batteries to go with this.
Now I am looking at buying a lawn mower, edge trimmer and leaf vacuum, but I cannot seem to find something that will work with the set up (batteries) I already have…
2 questions:
Are there any garden tools available that uses this 18v 4.0Ah batteries?
Can the Bosch Pro hand tools use the 36v batteries that I find available on most of your garden tools?
Your feedback would be very much appreciated.
Regards
Pieter H. Fourie
Baden-Baden, Germany
I bought a Bosch Professional Blower kit GBL 18v- 120 and my Power for all 18v- 40 A/AH does not fit ,what battery do i need ? and why did they claim all my Bosch batterys would be compatible, as they fit my other 3 tools.
Hi Terry, basically Bosch make two separate power tool ranges for different markets – Professional (Blue) and Home and Garden (Green). Although the 18v batteries look very similar in both ranges, they’re not cross-compatible and to power that blower you’d need an 18v Bosch Professional battery; for example this one.
Have any insight on whether Bosch professional will come out with some of these lawn and garden tools or not? I want some of these items, but have the full line-up of Bosch professional tools (blue) and would like to not have to switch to a new line of compatible batteries.
Hi Joel, according to a Bosch press release from 2 months ago they are going to be bringing out cordless garden tools that use the Bosch Professional 18v batteries – starting with a grass trimmer, brush cutter, hedge trimmer and leaf blower – with a lawnmower in the works as well. This is freely available to view on the internet (e.g you could try searching for the GRT 18V-33 grass trimmer to take a look at it) but I’m afraid I don’t have any info on how widely available these tools will be, or what the planned release date might be.
I have a Bosch Hedge Trimmer with a 12v 2.0Ah battery.
I must have lost the battery recharger, as I cannot find it.
Can you please supply a replacement Charger?
Peter Moody
Hi Peter, sure – I believe this is what you’ll need? It may look different to your original charger as it was released fairly recently