Milwaukee Tool recently showed off their new M18 FORGE battery technology, and it’s going to be a game-changer.

We had been expecting to see new Milwaukee M18 batteries with Li-ion pouch cells. And, that’s exactly what we have, with this new XC 6Ah battery. But, that’s not what Forge is about – Milwaukee Forge is bigger than that.

In Milwaukee’s words, REDLITHIUM FORGE increases the capabilities of the M18 and MX FUEL systems, providing the most power, the fastest charging, and the longest life without sacrificing compatibility.

Milwaukee’s M18 Forge XC 6Ah Battery

Milwaukee’s first M18 RedLithium Forge battery will be an XC 6Ah battery, featuring upgrades all-around.

To start off, the Forge XC 6Ah has upgraded plastic construction that is resistant to common oils, greases, and solvents.

The built-in charge level fuel gauge is all-new, not only for improved durability but easier visibility in sunlight.

The M18 Forge battery also has a new ingress coating that provides increased protection against the weather and jobsite conditions. Weep holes at the bottom give water a place to drain out of.

A similar ingress coating has been applied to the also-new MX Fuel Forge battery packs.

The XC 6Ah battery will feature pouch-style Li-ion battery cells.

You will not see this emphasized – or even mentioned in most product or sales pages – because Forge will encompass multiple battery technologies.

An upcoming Forge 12Ah battery pack, which was only touched upon, will feature tabless cylindrical cells – similar to the ones used in Milwaukee’s next-generation MX Fuel batteries.

Why this is a Major Turning Point

In the past 15 years or so, there have been just two major generational upgrades with respect to cordless power tool batteries.

First, brands shifted over from NiCad and NiMH to Lithium-ion. Improvements followed, such as in charge capacity and tolerance to cold temperatures.

For several years, tool brands introduced higher capacity batteries until a practical limit was reached with 18V 5Ah batteries. Some brands do offer 6Ah batteries built with the same technologies, but with diminished benefits.

In 2015, Milwaukee announced a new M18 High Demand battery with 50% higher cell count. Until then, most cordless power tools had 5 or 10 Li-ion cells. With the M18 HD 9Ah battery, Milwaukee went to 15 cells.

In 2018, Milwaukee launched their High Output line of batteries.

Milwaukee’s M18 High Output batteries were built using larger Li-ion cells that delivered more power and higher charge capacities. This led to a new generation of higher powered tools that users could operate for longer.

While the M18 HD batteries bumped things up a step, the HO batteries took things to new levels.

FORGE is going to do that again.

What happened every time Milwaukee introduced new battery technologies? New and higher powered and more demanding cordless power tools followed. You can be sure the same will be true here.

Other cordless power tool makers have also introduced new battery technologies, and I’m sure they’re not done yet. Competition is sure to drive innovation across the industry.

What does Milwaukee M18 Forge Mean for You?

With this new Forge XC 6Ah battery, you get:

• High Output 12Ah Power in a Smaller Size
• 15 minute charge to 80% with the new SuperCharger
• Longest life compared to earlier battery technologies

The new XC 6Ah battery – with its pouch-cell Li-ion battery technology – is 30% smaller and 40% lighter than the High Output HD 12Ah battery.

With High Output 12Ah-equivalent power delivery, this means that you can use the new M18 Forge XC 6Ah battery in more demanding tools with less arm fatigue – and without worrying about a potential drop in performance or the tool bogging down.

With new dual-port SuperCharger the Forge 6Ah battery can recharge to 80% in just 15 minutes (when charged at room temperature), and 100% in 25 minutes.

Milwaukee says that the new Forge 6Ah battery delivers “the longest life of any battery on the M18 system” while maintaining full system compatibility.

How Forge Compares

Milwaukee’s M18 batteries all fit into one of three categories – RedLithium, RedLithium High Output, and RedLithium Forge.

As mentioned, the Forge family batteries will deliver the most power, fastest charging, and longest life.

Milwaukee is also describing their batteries according to a new Power Scale:

• PWR 1
• PWR 2 (XC 5Ah)
• PWR 3 (XC 6Ah)
• PWR 4 (HD 12Ah, Forge XC 6Ah)

Power 1 likely includes compact batteries, like the CP 2.0 battery. Power 2 includes the XC 5Ah, and from what has said in the past, the compact HO batteries, such as the CP 3Ah and 4Ah batteries. Power 3 includes the HO XC batteries, such as 6Ah and 8Ah, and the now-discontinued HD 9Ah battery. Power 4 includes the HD HO 12Ah battery and the new Forge XC 6Ah.

This seems like a simplified way to categorize all of Milwaukee’s M18 batteries. I wonder if a similar system will be used to categorize their tools as well, so that users can always know which tools and ideally paired with different batteries.

It’s worth reminding readers that all Milwaukee M18 batteries fit all M18 cordless power tools.

I have used lower power and capacity batteries on heavier duty tools, and they’ll work for many tasks, but differences will become apparent during demanding tasks. Similarly, the highest capacity battery – the HO 12Ah – is not an ideal fit for more compact tools, with respect to size, weight, and balance.

That’s one of the reasons the new Forge XC 6Ah battery is so exciting – it delivers 12Ah power, but in a smaller and lighter package. It won’t match the runtime of the 12Ah battery, of course, but there are a lot of times when size and weight are higher priorities.

And with the new faster charging speed, you can back to work rather speedily.

Questions?

This is not first time that we have seen improvements in power deliver and features without an increase in charge capacity. Similar happened when compact High Output 3Ah and 4Ah batteries matched the power delivery and charge capacities of older 3Ah and 4Ah batteries.

We’ve only touched the surface here. I made it a point to learn as much as I could about the the Forge tech. While this post focuses on the M18 battery advancements, Forge tech will be coming to the MX Fuel line as well.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I will try my best to answer them.

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When cordless power tool brands switched to Li-ion battery technologies, they spec’ed and advertised batteries according to two fundamental characteristics – voltage and charge capacity, with units of volts and amp-hours, respectively.

Voltage is a widely-understood concept, and amp-hours less so. Still, with brands then offering compact batteries with lower amp-hour ratings, and larger batteries with higher amp-hour rating, thinking about charge capacity as the “size of a power tool’s gas tank” simplified things.

Most tool users should understand voltage (V) as being related to power, current (A) as a measure of electrical flow, and amp-hour (Ah) as a measure of charge capacity and how long a battery will power a tool or device.

See Also:
i) Cordless Power Tool FAQ: What Does “Ah” Mean?
ii) Revisiting What an Amp-Hour Means for Cordless Power Tool Batteries

Before some of you scream at me, yes – power is not a technically accurate ways of looking at voltage, but it makes things easier to understand.

When only talking about batteries of the same working voltage, such as comparing one 18V system against another 18V or 20V Max system, things are easy and simple.

But we’re no longer talking about just two battery sizes and only 18V – or 18V and 12V – cordless power tool systems.

Cordless power tool brands today have handheld power tools with voltages from 12V up to 60V, and some go beyond that.

Additionally, there are several very different technological generations of battery packs that are all still on the market.

Amp-hours aren’t as clear as they need to be.

An amp-hour is the duration a battery can deliver a current flow of one amp. If a battery can deliver a 1A continuous discharge current for 2 hours, it has a charge capacity of 2Ah.

With cordless power tools, we deal with battery packs – assemblies of multiple Li-ion cells with electronics, the battery management system (BMS) controlling things.

A battery’s amp-hour rating can change depending on the discharge current, but this is generally not paid attention to.

If you’ve seen the first Iron Man movie, consider the part where Stark builds his first arc reactor. As a fixed source of energy, it can power something small for a very long time, or something big for a very short time. Batteries are similar.

A few years ago, 4Ah batteries from Bosch, Dewalt, Makita, Metabo, Metabo HPT (Hitachi), Milwaukee, and others would all be built similarly. All of these brands had 18V (or 20V Max) cordless power tool systems, and 4Ah was 4Ah.

Now, a 4Ah battery can be built in very different ways.

Shown here is a Dewalt 20V Max 4Ah battery, likely engineered with 5x 21700-sized Li-ion cells, each with 4Ah charge capacity.

Here is an older-style Dewalt 20V Max 4Ah battery, engineered with 10x 18650-sized Li-ion cells, each with 2Ah charge capacity.

Here’s a Makita XGT 40V Max 4Ah cordless power tool battery, likely engineered with 10x 21700-sized Li-ion battery cells, each with 4Ah charge capacity. It has the equivalent energy capacity of an 18V 8Ah battery.

This Makita XGT 5Ah battery is physically larger than their 4Ah battery. To produce the 40V Max (36V nominal) output, groups of 10 cells are required, suggesting it’s built with 20x 18650-sized cells each with 2.5Ah charge capacity.

The Dewalt 20V Max (18V nominal) PowerStack 5Ah battery has 5x Li-ion pouch cells, the same count as their compact PowerStack 1.7Ah battery.

Here’s the Dewalt FlexVolt 60V Max/20V Max dual-output battery, with 15x 18650 cells each with 2Ah charge capacity.

Things have gotten confusing, and even more so for anyone that hasn’t been following cordless power tool battery tech for the past few years.

Bosch and Milwaukee have stayed with 18V, Dewalt has 20V Max (18V) and FlexVolt 60V Max, Makita has 18V and XGT 40V Max (36V nominal), Metabo HPT has MultiVolt 36V/18V, and Flex and Kobalt both have 24V Max cordless power tool systems.

We need to switch over to watt-hours.

A Watt is a unit of power, with 1W being equivalent to 1V x 1A. One watt, or one volt-ampere, is the electrical work that is done when an electrical flow of one amp is applied across a potential difference of one volt.

A watt-hour is a measure of energy capacity. 1 Wh = 1 V x 1Ah.

Charge capacity is an important battery characteristic. Watt-hours takes the voltage into account.

Portable battery banks boast incredible charge capacity figures, such as 10,000 mAh for a $20-30 pocket-sized device charger. That 10Ah is not the same as 10Ah in the cordless power tool world.

Which battery has greater energy capacity, a 40V Max battery with 2.5Ah charge capacity, or a 24V Max battery with 4Ah charge capacity?

For the 40V Max battery, that’s 40V x 2.5Ah = 100 Wh. For the 24V Max battery, that’s 24V x 4Ah = 96 Wh.

It wasn’t necessary to talk about watt-hours in an 18V-dominant market. But now we have 24V, 36V, and even 60V cordless power tools the same general size and weight as 18V cordless power tools.

An 18V or 20V Max battery can be built with 5, 10, 15, 20, or even 30 Li-ion battery cells. 36V and 30V Max batteries can be built with 10 or 20 cells. 54V or 60V Max battery can be built with 15 or 30 cells. These can all be the same or different sized Li-ion batteries. 24V Max batteries have 6, 12, or 18 cells.

One could argue that voltage and charge capacity are all that are needed to describe a battery’s energy capacity.

Perhaps, but how many tool users still mistakenly believe that 20V Max delivers higher power than 18V, and the same for 40V Max compared to 36V?

With watt-hours, a higher value simply means greater energy capacity. The same is not necessarily true for amp-hours. With watt-hours, users can compare batteries across brands and cordless systems with less technical understanding.

Consider portable air compressors. If two models both have 2 gallon tanks, which one holds more air? The one that fills to a higher pressure. Using amp-hours as a comparative measure across different cordless voltage systems is like comparing air compressors only by their tank volumes.

Amp-hours are still useful for comparing batteries within any particular cordless power tool system, but watt-hours are better for comparing across different voltage systems, such as 18V vs 24V Max and 36V/30V Max.

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Rechargeable Li-ion batteries are expensive across most industries. While not as expensive per amp-hour as camera and photo/video equipment batteries, cordless power tool batteries are often painfully pricey.

Using Makita as an example, their 40V Max XGT 4Ah battery is priced at $199 to $219 right now, depending on the retailer.

This particular battery has a nominal voltage of 36V, giving it an energy capacity of 144 watt-hours, which is comparable to that of an 18V 8Ah battery.

At the time of this posting, Makita has a promo on select XGT cordless power tool kits and combo kits, where you save $100 and get a free bonus battery,

The kit shown here is the Makita XGT rear-handle circular saw kit, GSR01M1. If you buy this kit via an authorized dealer, it’s $299 for the saw, charger, tool bag, 1x 4AH battery, and you get a free bonus 4Ah battery.

See Also: Best-Ever Makita XGT Cordless Power Tool Deals Started Today

So that’s $299 for 2x XGT 4Ah batteries, a tool, charger, and bag.

If you were to buy the same batteries separately right now, it would be $398 at one retailer (Home Depot), and $438 at all other Makita dealers I looked at.

$438 for 2 batteries vs $299 for 2 batteries, a cordless circular saw that retails for $264 by itself as a bare tool, a charger, and tool bag.

Makita also has an offer right now where you get a free bonus 4Ah battery with the purchase of 2 select XGT cordless power tools.

Maybe this is why replacement batteries cost so much by themselves? Something has to balance the aggressively low pricing in regular promotions.

Basically, it stands to reason that if you’re buying bare tools and batteries at full retail pricing, some of the profit balances against the low margins or even losses associated with promotional pricing. How else can a brand sell a kit with a tool, charger, battery, and bonus battery for 32% lower than the retail price for just the same two batteries?

A retail contact explained to me a long time ago that the prices you see for replacement or spare cordless power tool batteries are reflective of their true cost to manufacture, package, and place on store shelves, but there’s bound to be more to it.

I used Makita as an example here, but other brands have similar promotional offers and deals on occasion, where it’s more economical for a tool user to buy a kit or special bundle than the batteries separately.

At Lowe’s right now, buy a Dewalt PowerStack 2-pack for $199, and you get a free cordless power tool that’s valued up to $199. Home Depot has a similar promotion. You can buy the batteries for less at retailers that aren’t offering the same deal, but this does give you greater value for dollar if you could use a new tool as well.

If you don’t need a new tool, there are occasionally discounts on starter kits, battery 2-packs, and bundles.

There’s psychology at play here. Would you rather spend $160 on 2 batteries, or $199 on 2 batteries plus a tool that retails separately for $199 by itself? If I can’t justify the added expense for a deal bundle like this, I’ll likely to wait for the next promo where a discount or different bonus inclusion might be offered instead.

Compared to the camera and video industry, we have it easier. If you want to experience sticker shock, take a look at how much batteries for camera equipment costs. Whereas the Makita battery above is premium-priced at $1.48 per watt-hour, video equipment batteries can cost $4 per watt-hour and up.

With respect to cordless power tools, there are often ways to save money on batteries, or a least take advantage of deals to get more for the same money.

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I came across what looks to be a new Dewalt 20V Max 5Ah battery with Bluetooth connectivity and Lanyard-Ready tether attachment point.

The battery, model DCB205BTLR, is essentially a standard Dewalt 20V Max 5Ah battery pack that’s built with added features.

Dewalt says that the battery connects to smartphones via their Tool Connect app, for tracking and management purposes, as well as alerts and diagnostics.

The Bluetooth connection is described as forming a secure system, where once a battery is paired to a phone, no other phone in range can pair to it.

The battery also has a Lanyard-Ready tether attachment, which can be used with compatible Dewalt accessories.

Shown above is a Dewalt 20V Max cordless impact driver and battery (non-Bluetooth), both with Lanyard-Ready accessories.

The Bluetooth connectivity and Lanyard-Ready attachment are both specialty features, but essential in certain work environments.

Price: $185

If you don’t need the lanyard or tool tether attachment, a Bluetooth-only version of the 5Ah battery is also available. Acme has the 2-pack for $249.

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DeWALT has officially announced their new 20V Max* PowerStack 5Ah battery, DCBP520, which will be launching in the USA next month.

As with the brand’s 1.7Ah PowerStack battery, the new 5Ah battery is engineered with Li-ion pouch battery cells, and not the cylindrical cells found in most other cordless power tool battery packs.

I have been talking with DeWALT about some of the engineering that went into the new PowerStack 5Ah battery, and definitely learned more than I expected to.

NOTE: DeWALT is sponsoring ToolGuyd’s exploration and coverage of the PowerStack 5Ah battery.

In this post, I will be discussing some of the questions I asked and the answers I was given. Please let me know if you have any other questions, and I will try my best to get them answered for you.

If you are looking to get up to speed on the basics of DeWALT PowerStack pouch cell technology, consider reading these posts first:

Next-Gen Dewalt POWERSTACK Cordless Power Tool Battery
Dewalt is Launching a New PowerStack 5Ah Battery!

What is New About this PowerStack Battery?

This new PowerStack 5Ah battery delivers 50% more power¹ and 50% more work per charge², compared to their cylindrical-cell 5Ah battery, and also has 2X the lifespan³.

¹compared to DEWALT DCB205 battery, not in application

²based on usable energy vs. DEWALT DCB205 battery, not in application

³based on charge cycles vs. DEWALT DCB205 battery

DeWALT launched their first 20V Max* PowerStack battery towards the end of 2021. That battery was designed to provide significant size and weight benefits compared to the brand’s compact batteries built with cylindrical cells.

With this new PowerStack 5Ah battery, the focus is on power and efficiency.

How Did DeWALT Make a Bigger PowerStack Battery?

When talking about cordless power tool batteries engineered with cylindrical Li-ion cells, there are different ways a tool brand can increase charge capacity. Generally speaking, they can select higher capacity cells, add more cells, physically increasing the size of the battery pack, or do both.

With pouch battery packs, new battery cells must be developed.

Basically, the Li-ion pouch battery cells in the PowerStack 5Ah battery were engineered specifically for this battery pack.

What I Didn’t Think About Before

18650-sized Li-ion battery cells – and now 21700-sized cells – were never designed specifically for cordless power tools.

Tool makers have long-relied on cylindrical battery cells because they were convenient and available.

Improvements in the cylindrical battery cell industry drove improvements in cordless power tool battery packs.

But with PowerStack, everything has changed.

DeWALT says (with emphasis my own) that they are:

The world’s first major power tool brand to use pouch cell batteries designed for the construction industry.

The batteries are custom-built specifically for cordless power tool applications.

They are spec’ed for power tool use.

There are significant benefits when comparing PowerStack pouch cells to cylindrical cells, such as lower internal impedance – which keeps the batteries running cooler – and more efficient connections.

The PowerStack batteries were designed for todays’ high-demand cordless power tools.

How Does the PowerStack 5Ah Battery Deliver 50% More Work Done per Charge?

Simply put, there are lower heat losses, which means more of a PowerStack battery pack’s charge capacity can go towards getting work done.

As I understand it, the PowerStack battery will keep going under demanding conditions, whereas a battery with cylindrical cells might have drained more quickly – if it didn’t shut down due to thermal overload conditions.

How is the PowerStack 5Ah Battery More Powerful?

As mentioned, PowerStack battery cells are custom-built specifically for cordless power tool applications.

Because of this, its properties can be dialed-in.

With DeWALT’s first PowerStack battery, the goal was to shed size and weight to deliver a more compact pack.

Here, the goal was for a balance between power, runtime, and longevity.

Because the pouch cells feature a lower energy density, that helps them run cooler while also being able to deliver higher performance.

Do PowerStack Batteries Require a Special Charger?

No – you can charge PowerStack batteries on any DeWALT 20V Max* charger.

Part of the reason for this is because PowerStack battery packs are in fact built with Li-ion battery cells.

You can charge, use, or store PowerStack batteries in the same manner as any other DeWALT 20V Max* batteries.

Additionally, the PowerStack 5Ah battery has a protective non-marring overmolded base, and a fuel gauge.

Will it Boost the Performance of DeWALT 20V Max* Cordless Power Tools?

Actually, yes!

The PowerStack 5Ah battery will help unlock the full performance potential of the brand’s 20V Max* Power Detect cordless power tools.

Are there any Other Benefits?

Yes!

The way the PowerStack 5Ah battery is designed, there are 5 Li-ion cells connected in series, similar to the brand’s compact cylindrical-cell batteries. This would ordinarily limit them to a maximum charging rate of 4A.

However, the PowerStack 5Ah battery design allows it to recharge at a rate of up to 8A.

Are They Safe?

Safety is obviously a big concern for everyone.

I have been assured that the new battery has undergone thorough and robust testing, and can be treated in exactly the same manner as DeWALT’s other 20V Max* batteries.

The compact PowerStack battery has also been on the market and in users’ hands for about a year now.

How Does this Change Things?

Ever since I spoke with DeWALT about the engineering that went into the PowerStack 5Ah battery, and how it differs from their existing 20V Max* batteries, I cannot help but think of the words – “the proper tool for the job.”

It’s kind of like how everything and anything can be a hammer in a pinch, but a true hammer will deliver the best performance. Or, how a slotted screwdriver can be a prying tool, albeit with less than ideal results.

Cordless power tool brands all did a great job getting to where we are today using what in most cases are off-the-shelf cylindrical battery cells.

But now, for the first time, we’ve got new cordless power tool batteries designed specifically for the “cordless jobsite” that tool brands have been pushing towards over the past few years.

PowerStack batteries are pricier, but this can be offset with their claims of greater longevity.

Improvements in cordless power tool and battery capabilities have driven the industry forward in a progressive manner over the past few years.

In the nearly 14 years since I started ToolGuyd, I have reported on all of the gradual increases in battery pack charge capacity, the jump from 18650 to 21700-sized Li-ion cells, the introduction of brushless motors and higher voltage cordless systems, and more.

This is brand new territory, and definitely exciting times.

How Much Will it Cost?

DCBP520 (Single Battery) – $229
DCBP20C (Starter Kit) – $289
DCBP20-2 (2-Pack) – $349

ETA: The new battery will be launching at DeWALT tool dealers in the USA in December 2022.

Do You Have Any Questions?

I am extremely excited to see what the new PowerStack 5Ah battery can do, and will be putting it through extensive testing.

Please let me know if you have any questions or requests!

*Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is
18.

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DeWALT is launching a new 20V Max* PowerStack 5Ah battery!

The new DeWALT PowerStack 5Ah battery, DCBP520, features pouch cell technology, and is compatible with all of the brand’s 20V Max* cordless power tools and chargers.

The battery was previously announced in Europe, and has now officially been announced in the USA.

As with the compact battery that launched last year, the new DeWALT PowerStack 5Ah battery offers numerous advantages over existing options.

It is described as delivering The Next Dimension in Power.

Compared to DeWALT batteries 5Ah or less, the PowerStack 5Ah battery delivers:

50% more power – “compared to DeWALT DCB205 battery, not in application”

50% more work per charge – “based on usable energy vs. DeWALT DCB205 battery, not in application”

2X lifespan – “based on charge cycles vs. DeWALT DCB205 battery”

The Li-ion pouch cells used in the 5Ah battery pack have lower internal resistance compared to the cylindrical battery cells found in traditional 10-cell 3Ah, 4Ah, and 5Ah battery packs.

This means that the PowerStack 5Ah battery runs cooler, allowing for greater power delivery.

The new battery is an expansion of the PowerStack line, and was developed with power and efficiency in mind.

DeWALT has expressed that:

This battery can tackle more demanding construction applications compared to the 1.7Ah.

They have also said:

PowerStack batteries have been developed to make more power available to whichever tool they are paired with.

The battery can be used with all DeWALT 20V Max* batteries and chargers.

DeWALT PowerStack 5Ah Battery Pricing & Availability

DCBP520 (Single Battery) – $229
DCBP20C (Starter Kit) – $289
DCBP20-2 (2-Pack) – $349

ETA: The new battery will be launching at DeWALT tool dealers in the USA in December 2022.

*Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18.

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Festool has announced their “most powerful and durable” 18V battery yet – the Li-HighPower battery pack with Airstream technology and built-in Bluetooth signaling.

Festool says that their new battery delivers 54% longer runtime compared to their 5.2Ah battery.

They advertise that the battery is “extremely durable” and that “the high current resistant cells ensure durability.”

There is also a “smart extension” via their smartphone app.

The Festool WorkApp enables clever additional functions in combination with the Bluetooth function of the battery pack, such as the detailed display of the charging status and further operating data such as temperature or charging cycles.

To quickly and easily identify the battery with the lowest charge status, you can flash the LED indicator directly on the battery pack. Software updates are also possible: Install the newest version to work with the latest tool functions at all times

Unfortunate, it doesn’t look like the Festool WorkApp is available to iPhone users, at least not in the USA. I checked, and the app is not available in the iOS app store, although it does appear in the Google Play Android app store.

That seems neat, to be able to identify which battery has the lowest charge status from among more than one Festool 18V battery.

You would be right in saying isn’t that what a battery’s on-board fuel gauge is for?, but I’m assuming the app can read exact charge percentages, rather than simply having a 3 or 4 broad range LED indicators.

The 8Ah battery’s on-board charge status indicator looks very different compared to Festool’s current 18V batteries, but Festool doesn’t elaborate about how or why.

Festool says that the battery is “ideal for applications with very high power needs.”

The new battery is not compatible with Festool cordless sanders (ETSC 125, RTSC 400, DTSC 400), which have a completely different form factor, or the brand new CTC SYS cordless portable dust extractor vacuum, due to how its battery port is designed.

Although I could not find any published dimensional specs, the 8Ah battery certainly appears to be longer than the brand’s existing 18V batteries. According to Festool’s technical specs, the battery weighs 1.00kg (2.2 lbs), compared to 0.70 kg (1.54 lbs) for their 5.2Ah battery.

Thank you to Harrison for the heads-up!

Discussion

Professional cordless power tool brands added 8Ah Li-ion batteries to their 18V and 20V Max cordless power tool lines several years ago.

Bosch announced theirs in 2018, Dewalt in 2019, and Milwaukee launched theirs alongside the M18 Super Charger in 2019.

Festool advertises that their new 18V 8ah battery is due to launch in 2023.

4 years late to the party isn’t great, but that’s better than never. For instance, it seems that Makita is never bringing an 8Ah battery to their 18V cordless power tool system.

Meanwhile, Dewalt’s PowerStack battery has been out for about a year now, Flex launched an entire line of Stacked Lithium batteries earlier this year, and Milwaukee is currently still developing and testing next-gen batteries.

Festool has been heavily promoting their cordless power tool system on social media, such as with “product testers wanted” sweepstakes.

They seem to be doing some interesting things, but is it enough to drive adoption by Festool users and non-users?

I own several Festool cordless power tools and equipment, and have steered clear of their cordless system.

I donated my Festool impact driver test sample earlier this year, describing it as being perfectly unexceptional.

While their app functionality sounds like it could be convenient, it’s a moot point when Festool has only an Android app and not one for iOS. What’s the point of “smart” features that many users are locked out of?

Additionally, Festool’s new and higher capacity battery is not compatible with the new Festool CTC Sys cordless vacuum?!

Not to belabor the point, I don’t want to have to buy three different sizes of 18V batteries to operate different tools.

Festool’s cordless sanders have their own 18V battery system, matched to the tools’ ergonomics, and I can understand that.

But while it’s important to pair the right battery to the right tool for optimal performance, broad compatibility within the same cordless system is also important.

Little conveniences cannot offset big hassles.

There are several 18V cordless power tool system “alliances” where the same battery can be used across different brands’ tools, not to mention the number of brands that have “all of our 18V batteries fit all our 18V tools” types of claims.

Related: Bosch AMPShare – a Revamped Cordless Battery System

And then there’s Festool, following in the footsteps of other cordless power tool brands with an 18V 8Ah battery of their own, and you can’t even use it with their new 18V cordless dust vac that’s also launching soon.

I suppose this is still better than Festool not launching an 8Ah battery at all. Right?

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When I visited Milwaukee Tool for their Pipeline media event last month, I asked a burning question – when can we expect to see Milwaukee’s first pouch-style cordless power tool batteries?

The answer – when they’re ready.

This isn’t a race. There is no room for mistakes. Safety is paramount.

Although there’s always room for surprises, I don’t think anything is in the plans for 2022.

Read Also: Will Milwaukee Respond to New Cordless Power Tool Battery Tech in 2022?

To the benefit of cordless power tool brands, there is no shortage of companies vying for the attention and business of electric vehicle makers and other industries in need of next-gen battery cells.

Shown above is a series EnPower pouch-style Li-ion battery cells. EnPower is a US-based company focused on advanced battery technology development and manufacturing. They are one of many companies working on modern high performance Li-ion battery cells.

At the most recent Pipeline event, where Milwaukee Tool showed off their brand new state-of-the-art manufacturing center, a Milwaukee product manager confirmed to me that they are exploring multiple next-generation battery technologies.

During my tour of Milwaukee Tool’s headquarters last week, we visited one of their battery labs, which focuses on Li-ion cell testing and analysis. I last visited this lab in 2019, and as I have a deep interest in such things, I noticed that the room was populated with new equipment and test chambers.

Milwaukee has a separate room where they conduct battery pack testing and cycling, but it has not been a part of their media tour for several years.

Milwaukee Tool product managers and engineers haven’t let anything slip regarding their plans. Pouch-style batteries are something they are and have been working on.

But, I was also given the distinct feeling that they’re working on something else, too.

At the time of this posting, two Milwaukee competitors already have pouch-style battery packs on the market. Dewalt has a single pouch-style battery – a compact 20V Max 1.7Ah pack, and Flex has numerous pouch-cell batteries for their 24V Max line.

Milwaukee Tool seems convinced that, although they won’t be first, their next-gen batteries will be best.

I think that 2023 is going to be a big year.

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Harbor Freight has launched new Hercules Extreme Performance batteries for their line of 20V Max cordless power tools.

Hercules Extreme Performance batteries are built with 21700 Li-ion cell technology, for more power and longer runtime.

There are two new batteries – 8Ah and 12Ah.

Harbor Freight says that the new 8Ah battery deliver up to 35% more power compared to their 5Ah battery, 60% longer runtime compared to their 5Ah battery at 15A discharge, and 50% more cuts per charge when cutting 2×6 white pine with a circular saw.

The new 12Ah Extreme Performance battery, is said to deliver up to 90% more power than a 5Ah battery, 145% longer runtime than a 5Ah battery at 15A discharge, and 140% more cuts per charge when cutting 2×6 white pine with a circular saw.

Both batteries have built-in fuel gauges.

Safety features include innovative temperature and overload protection that optimizes the battery and tool during heavy use.

The cases also feature an impact-resistant overmold for increased protection against drops and jobsite debris.

Price: $100 for 8Ah, $140 for 12Ah

The new batteries are coming soon to Harbor Freight stores.

Discussion

This is good news for Hercules cordless power tool users, and I wonder – what kinds of new cordless power tools might be coming out soon that these beefy new batteries were designed to power?

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Milwaukee Tool has come out with a new M18 cordless power tool battery that’s specially designed to be resistant to chemicals commonly involved in automotive maintenance and manufacturing environments.

The new M18 XC 5.0Ah Resistant battery, 48-11-1850R, is designed with increased protection against exposure to common automotive solvents, greases, and oils.

The battery was designed for transportation maintenance and manufacturing trades.

Milwaukee says that the new battery features a resistant battery housing, fuel gauge, and side labels (the shield graphic) to differentiate it from their standard M18 battery offerings.

Price: $169
ETA: June 2022

Discussion

This is fairly straightforward. Most cordless power tool batteries are designed for general construction environments, and not automotive maintenance, repair, or manufacturing facilities where they could come into frequent contact with oils, greases, or solvents.

So, here’s a new M18 XC 5Ah battery with better protection against automotive chemicals.

Here’s what I’m wondering:

Existing Milwaukee M18 cordless power tools, such as their impact wrenches, are already being used in environments where they’re exposed to frequent automotive chemical contact.

Was this battery designed with existing tools in mind, or existing tools and potential new transportation maintenance and repair space?

That is, is this battery a standalone development, or part of a larger launch we have yet to be made aware of?

Will resistant M12 batteries come next?

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Makita has announced on social media that they will be coming out with a new XGT 8.0Ah battery, model BL4080F.

As Makita XGT is a 36V/40V Max battery system in an 18V form factor, this means that each 8.0Ah battery will pack a whopping 288/320 watt-hours of energy.

To put things into perspective, an 18V/20V Max 12.0A packs 216/240 watt-hours of rechargeable electrochemical energy.

The 8.0Ah battery is equivalent to an 18V/20V Max 16.0Ah battery.

This will be Makita’s largest cordless battery to date, in terms of charge capacity and physical size. XGT X2 80V Max tools would be expected to be powered by two of these batteries.

According to Australian preorders, the price will be $399 AUD, which would be around $298 USD.

Key Features & Specs

• 8Ah charge capacity
• 288 watt-hours nominal
• 76 minutes charging time
• weighs 1.9 kg (4.2 lbs)

Last year, Makita USA product managers made a big deal in showing off how other brands’ higher power battery solutions were ridiculously sized for handheld tools such as cordless impact drivers. They praised their XGT system for being different.

In spite of the biggest selling points Makita USA managers emphasized about the XGT system, here’s a battery that users are not going to comfortably pair with a compact drill or impact driver.

Weighing 4.2 lbs individually, or 8.4 lbs when used for XGT X2 tools, this new Makita XGT 8.0Ah battery is not the type of battery you’re going to attach to most handheld tools.

It’s nice to see Makita push boundaries, although it seems they’re simply using a massive number of cylindrical Li-ion cells. Meaning, this isn’t as innovative as Dewalt or Flex moving to higher performing pouch-style battery cells.

The question is, will there be any new Makita XGT tools that can fully utilize the charge capacity of this battery – if or when it launches in the USA?

Makita’s XGT collection is still very limited, compared to competing cordless platforms and also compared to their international releases.

For instance, where’s the Makita cordless table saw? And what about the improved XGT brad nailer that launched overseas one year ago – why hasn’t that been released to USA retailers yet?

Higher capacity in an oversized battery can be useful, I suppose, but personally I’d rather Makita increase their XGT tool selection, both overall and in the USA.

Here are some of the new Maktia XGT and 18V tools that launched overseas but not here:

• New Makita Cordless Lantern Radio
• New Makita XGT Cordless Router – 35% Faster than 18V
• New Makita XGT Cordless Air Duster Looks Very Multi-Functional
• New Makita 18V Cordless Heat Gun
• New Makita 18V Cooler and Warmer
• New Makita 18V X2 Cordless Kettle
• Makita 18V Cordless TV & Radio
• New Makita 40V Max XGT Cordless Brad Nailer

At this time, we don’t know if the 8.0Ah battery will be joining this list of Makita tools that aren’t available in North America.

If or when it is released here, are you in for one (or two)?

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By now, you have undoubtedly been made aware of the new Dewalt PowerStack battery, a 20V Max battery pack that’s engineered with lithium polymer pouch-style battery cells.

Dewalt has only released one PowerStack battery size so far – 1.7Ah – and it’s often described as delivering the power level of a traditionally-styled 5Ah battery.

It’s smaller than a 2Ah battery pack, and lighter too, but capable of higher power delivery.

Do I need one? No. Does anyone?

The batteries are pricey right now, with respect to the cost per amp hour of charge capacity.

The PowerStack battery does not deliver longer runtime than existing Dewalt 20V Max batteries. It also doesn’t provide next-level performance in power-hungry tools, at least compared to using any current Dewalt 20V Max battery 3Ah and up.

Few users will need this. That’s part of what makes this so interesting of a product launch, at least to me.

The battery does deliver substantial user experience benefits, however. It delivers mid-level power – by today’s standards – and in a package that is smaller and lighter than the next most-compact lighter duty batteries.

I have one on the way, as I purchased a Dewalt brushless jig saw bundle last month. (The retailer is still waiting on a delivery of PowerStack starter kits, and I’m told it should be arriving soon.)

I have not fully decided yet, but I might be buying another one or two, with another tool bundle promo.

The PowerStack battery is nice. I have one in-hand already – a media sample, thanks to Dewalt – and while it doesn’t deliver a mind-blowing experience, it’s quite nice.

If you’re working on something and expect to fully drain a 5Ah battery in a short time, this isn’t the best battery for the task. But if you’re using light or medium duty tools on different kinds of brief tasks, especially at-reach or overhead, you might appreciate the size and weight savings, and that there’s no compromise in power.

Oh, and it’s also said to deliver 2X the lifetime compared to the 20V Max 2Ah battery.

It’s a quality of life type of product that boosts the user experience in some way, at least if and when task-appropriate.

Judging from the state of the PowerStack promotional displays at my local home centers, where the batteries and starter kits have been cleared out, I’m guessing that a lot of others found the bundle offers as compelling as I do.

It feels strange for me to say this, but I would absolutely NOT buy a PowerStack battery at retail pricing right now, as – for me – the cost is too high compared to the benefits.

But, didn’t I just buy one? Technically, I bought a bare tool and am getting the battery for free as part of a promo starter kit. There’s also an offer where you buy a 2-pack and get a free bare tool. Some of the bare tools are the same price as the 2-pack, and so it’s almost like you’re getting half off the batteries and half off the tool.

Would I have purchased the jig saw right now if it were bundled with a different battery? No. There were plenty of great holiday season promos, but none of them drove me to a purchasing decision the way the PowerStack battery has.

Dewalt has been incredibly aggressive with their PowerStack battery launch, quickly introducing new kits, combo kits, and bare tool promotions. The waves from this, in my opinion, are going to impact the entire cordless power tool industry.

When I first learned of the Dewalt PowerStack battery, I thought it was an interesting product, although perhaps not a must-have upgrade. I still don’t think it’s a must-have. But if it’s bundled with brushless power tools for free (as with widely available promos right now), or included for a small premium, sign me up.

There are users who would definitely benefit from using the PowerStack battery. And, there will also be applications for which this battery would not be a good fit. (Maybe the next PowerStack battery launch might change that!)

I’m in the larger group of users in the middle, who could benefit from the size and space savings, but not enough to justify the cost.

Dewalt’s current promos are putting a lot of these batteries into our hands, and I have to say – I want more.

If I’m buying a more compact Dewalt cordless power tool, such as an Atomic series or brushless tool, I want more of these batteries. Maybe soon there will be a higher capacity battery that’s bundled with Dewalt’s heavier duty tools.

I have been covering the cordless power tool industry for well more than 10 years. First came Li-ion battery tech. Brands then raced to launch 5-cell and 10-cell batteries with higher charge capacities. Major brands launched higher capacity 15-cell batteries to power heavier duty tools. Then came the “high output” batteries.

Brushless motors, higher charge capacity batteries, larger batteries, and higher output battery tech all opened new doors. Dewalt’s PowerStack battery does not open new doors, at least not yet.

Dewalt says that “the power revolution is here.” I think that this still remains to be seen.

How might you end this statement: “You should buy this if…”? I would say: If smaller battery size and lighter weight is extremely important to you, and longer runtime and cost per charge capacity extremely unimportant.

It’s a luxury right now, and that’s okay.

This happens a lot in many other industries, especially consumer electronics, where new releases often serve user wants more than their needs, but it seems unusual for the cordless power tool industry. The PowerStack battery launch has been unlike any other.

I am very much impressed with how Dewalt pulled all this off, and I have the feeling that they’re not done yet. I would be very curious to know how many PowerStack batteries are now in Dewalt 20V Max users’ hands. While we might not be privy to such information, I would guarantee that it’s a far greater number than I would have anticipated when I first learned of the battery’s retail price points.

This is going to be an interesting year.

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I have been reporting on a couple of new promos featuring Dewalt 20V Max cordless power tool and PowerStack battery batteries, and there have been some questions about the battery’s size.

Officially, the Dewalt 20V Max PowerStack battery is 25% more compact than their 2.0Ah battery, and it weighs 15% less.

While 25% might not seem like a lot, this is only referring to its top-down footprint.

In-hand and when attached to compact tools, the PowerStack battery feels strikingly smaller.

The PowerStack battery is so much smaller than Dewalt’s compact 20V Max battery that it’s almost closer in size to their compact 12V Max battery.

Despite its smaller size, the PowerStack battery is more powerful than Dewalt’s compact 20V Max batteries. I ran into a local rep over the holiday season, and they touted that the PowerStack battery delivers the power of a 5Ah battery. I believe it – the PowerStack absolutely punches above its weight class.

It is reasonable to expect that Dewalt has higher capacity (and larger) PowerStack batteries on the way as well, and that this 1.7Ah battery is only the first.

Expired PowerStack Promos

Lowe’s: Buy a battery 2-pack, get a free bare tool
Home Depot: Buy a bare tool, get a free PowerStack starter kit
Ohio Power Tool: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
Acme Tools: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
Tool Nut: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
CPO: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit

Lowe’s has what looks to be an exclusive 2-battery “buy one get one” offer where you can choose a free tool, while other retailers offer a free starter kit with the purchase of a select bare tool.

Inventory is backed up a bit at many retailers, and so you might want to take availability into account. (I bought a jig saw bundle early last month and the latest shipping ETA is for mid-February.) The tool selection also varies a little between retailers.

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Many cordless power tool brands – Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, and others, have faster and slower battery chargers.

Shown here is Milwaukee’s M18 Dual Bay Rapid Charger, which charges batteries faster than their standard charger. Their Super Charger can recharge High Output M18 batteries at an even faster rate.

Do fast chargers negatively affect power tool batteries? This is an increasingly common question, and a very good one.

A reader wrote in today, prompting me to think about this again. Mosh wrote:

Does charging my tool battery with a fast charger kill them? My Dewalt fast charger has a built in fan for cooling.

In theory? Yes. In practice? Probably not.

Lithium-ion cordless power tool batteries are prone to wear. Each battery has x-number of charge cycles before it loses y-percent of its initial charge capacity. Once the battery pack holds noticeably less charge than before, or fails completely, it’s due to be replaced.

So, the question isn’t whether a fast charger will damage or “kill” batteries, but whether it will accelerate the wear on that battery.

There are several factors that can shorten a battery’s usable life, with heat perhaps being the most significant.

Charging a battery pack creates heat. Charging a battery pack at a faster rate leads to more heat.

Logically, if faster charging means more heat, then doesn’t faster charging also shorten the life of Li-ion battery packs?

Faster chargers typically feature active cooling that helps batteries shed their heat at a faster rate. Charging rates also typically slow down a bit once a battery reaches higher charge capacity, such as 75-80%.

Most sophisticated chargers also contain thermal sensors and will not charge a hot battery.

As long as the heat is controlled, there’s less chance of accelerated wear.

When Milwaukee’s M18 Super Charger came out, I asked them if their Rapid Chargers and Super Chargers affect the usable lifespan of battery packs.

If you have two battery packs, such as M18 5.0Ah XC, with one recharged on a standard charger and the other on a Rapid Charger, will there be any difference in charge capacities or usable lifespan after 50X/100X/500X use and charge cycles?

Here’s what they said:

No, there won’t be a difference in lifespan of batteries between standard, rapid, and super charger.

Packs outside of High Output have a ‘cap’ where they simply will not charge faster on this charger. That ‘cap’ is comprised of many things, like cell chemistry. The high output packs can handle this faster rate without degrading life due to the chemistry and mechanical design of the cell tech.

It’s possible for faster chargers to accelerate battery wear, but it’s also likely that power tool brands take temperature thresholds into account when designing their faster chargers.

In 2019, when I was at Milwaukee Tool’s headquarters for a new product media event, we were taken to one of their battery labs, and I was given permission to walk around while a product manager went over battery pack design basics.

I won’t go into specifics, but the nature of the equipment in the room indicated a level of Li-ion battery cell and battery pack research I never would have expected from a power tool brand.

A few years earlier, Milwaukee’s battery lab at the time included rows and rows of power tool battery and charger banks that were used to automatically cycle their battery packs, as well as competitors’. They have since moved this lab to a different location, and I have not seen it since.

I would assume at least this level of battery development and characterization sophistication from most major power tool brands today.

Can it be guaranteed that faster charging won’t damage a battery pack? No, I don’t think so.

But, to be frank, I have a bit of faith that power tool brands are careful in their charger designs.

The fact of the matter is that battery packs are still wearable products that will eventually need to be replaced.

For my own use, I weigh present value vs. future costs – I use a fast charger if I need the speed, and a standard charger if or when I don’t.

Hypothetically, if a battery that is always fast-charged gives me 200 charge cycles before it loses capacity, vs. 300 charge cycles for a battery that is always slow-charged, is it worth it?

Do you leave your battery packs fully charged for long periods of time? Do you completely drain your battery packs every time before recharging? There are lots of factors that can accelerate wear.

Unfortunately, answering the question about whether faster charging accelerates battery wear requires significant time and equipment investments.

Brands – or at least Milwaukee Tool – say that no, their faster chargers do not accelerate Li-ion cell degradation.

There are a lot of different cordless power tool brands, a lot of different battery pack sizes, and a lot of different chargers. It’s possible that faster charging can negatively affect some battery packs.

Faster chargers tend to be premium add-ons, or are sometimes included as standard with higher capacity batteries. Some other brands’ fast chargers are their “standard” chargers, with slower chargers being value kit inclusions.

If you’re worried about the potential for heat-related wear, simply don’t use a fast charger unless you need the speed benefits.

I think that this is a valid concern, especially with how much high capacity battery packs cost to replace. But, those pricier higher capacity and higher output battery packs can also handle faster charging rates.

How about an example.

Milwaukee Tool has table that shows how fast their M12 and M18 batteries recharge with different chargers. Their Rapid Charger is faster than their standard charger, and their Super Charger is faster than both when recharging High Output batteries. (This is because High Output batteries have a lower charger density and heating profile during charging.)

On Milwaukee Tool’s 3 tiers of chargers, the fastest that an M18 2.0Ah battery can be charged is 25 minutes. The fastest that an M18 compact 3.0Ah HO battery can be charged is 35 minutes. Their M18 6.0Ah XC battery charges in 64 minutes on a Rapid Charger and 35 minutes on a Super Charger.

A compact 3.0Ah battery is likely built with 21700-sized 3.0Ah Li-ion cells. An 18V or 20V Max compact 3.0Ah battery pack would have (5) of these cells.

18V or 20V Max 6.0Ah batteries are likely built with (10) 21700-sized 3.0Ah cells. (Some brands, such as Makita and Bosch, have 18V 6Ah batteries with 18650 cells.)

Okay, so Milwaukee’s M18 CP3.0Ah and XC6.0Ah batteries are built with similar or even identical 3.0Ah cells.

If a Super Charger can recharge each cell in a CP3.0Ah battery in 35 minutes, why couldn’t it also recharge each cell in a XC6.0Ah battery in the same amount of time? If you double the current across double the number of cells, each cell should create comparable levels of hear, right?

Thermal dissipation is important here. As long as the batteries can shed the heat, why would there be any negative effects from a faster charging rate?

A Milwaukee M18 XC8.0Ah battery is built with (10) 4.0Ah cells, and their HD12.0Ah battery is built with (15) 4.0Ah cells. The Super Charger recharges the 8.0Ah battery in 45 minutes, and the 12.0Ah battery in 60 minutes.

Hypothetically, since each battery has 4.0Ah cells, shouldn’t it be possible to deliver 50% more energy to recharge 50% more Li-ion cells in the same amount of time?

But, the 12Ah battery takes 33% longer to recharge than the 8Ah battery.

This could be due to power limitations, but it likely has more to do with cooling. When you have a 15-cell battery pack, there’s a row of Li-ion cells sandwiched between two others, leading to more complex heat distribution and dissipation profiles.

Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I like to think that, as part of the design process, brands take into account how fast their batteries can be recharged without added degradation over time.

If we disregard tool brands’ assurances, and we cannot easily test this experimentally, what about anecdotal evidence?

Faster power tool battery chargers have been around for quite a few years now.

Have any of YOU experienced noticeably accelerated power tool battery wear after using fast chargers long-term?

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Dewalt has launched new oil resistant batteries for all of their cordless power tool systems – 12V Max, 20V Max, and FlexVolt.

The FlexVolt battery came out earlier, when Dewalt launched their cordless pipe threader, with the 12V Max and 20V Max batteries being new releases.

Why buy one of these batteries over Dewalt’s other cordless power tool batteries?

Oils, solvents, and grease can be difficult to escape from in automotive and other work environments. Over time, these types of chemicals can damage common plastic materials. These batteries are made with a glass-filled nylon housing, making them more resistant to corrosion.

The 12V and 20V Max batteries also have a non-marring over-molded rubber base to help protect them from drops and impacts.

Dewalt Oil Resistant Battery Sizes

• 12V Max 3.0Ah, DCB124G
  • $89 at Acme Tools
• 12V Max 5.0Ah, DCB126G
• 20V Max 2.0Ah, DCB203G
  • $119 at Acme Tools
• 20V Max 5.0Ah, DCB205G
  • $179 at Acme Tools
• 20V/60V Max FlexVolt 9.0Ah, DCB609G
  • $219 at Acme Tools

Dewalt says that these 12V and 20V Max batteries are compatible with all Dewalt and Mac Tools 12V and 20V Max tools and chargers.

Oil-resistant batteries will be a great fit for the new Dewalt cordless ratchets. I wonder if we’ll see more new automotive-oriented tools from Dewalt in 2022.

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We recently posted about the new and upcoming Flex Stacked Lithium batteries, which promise to deliver i) more power, ii) longer runtime, and iii) faster charging rates.

Full details still aren’t available yet, but new details have trickled in.

Flex reiterates that their new technology promises many advantages over traditional Lithium Ion batteries:

• Significantly more power (watts)
• Significantly faster charging
• Significantly longer lifecycle

These are their exact words. Flex previously quantified the differences, claiming 20% more power, 25% longer runtime, and up to 50% faster charging.

These claims aren’t exactly new, but Flex also provided information as to the charge capacity and sizes of their new Stacked Lithium batteries.

Flex Stacked Lithium Battery Sizes

• 3.5Ah
• 6.0Ah
• 8.0Ah

Flex says their 3.5Ah Stacked Lithium battery is similar in size to a typical 2.5Ah battery, the 5.0Ah battery is similar in size to a typical 5.0Ah cylindrical battery, and the 8.0Ah battery is similar in size to a typical 6.0Ah cylindrical battery.

With traditional cordless power tool batteries, 2.5Ah is generally the limit for 5-cell battery packs engineered with 18650-sized battery cells, and 10-cell batteries are typically limited to 5.0Ah when engineered with 18650-sized cells. Stepping up to higher battery charge capacity sizes typically involves larger 21700-sized Li-ion cells, which leads to larger battery size and weight.

As Flex’s cordless power tool system is centered around a 24V Max battery form factor, their batteries are larger than typical 18V battery packs, but roughly similar to higher capacity 18V batteries.

With Flex Stacked Lithium tech allowing for a higher charge capacity in the same form factor as their standard batteries, users can benefit from a bump-up charge capacity and longer runtime without the typical increase in battery size or weight. This is on top of the Flex’s claims about greater power delivery potential and faster charging.

Full details on Flex Stacked Lithium are not available yet, and we’ll update you as we learn more.

Note: Flex is a ToolGuyd sponsor.

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The new Dewalt POWERSTACK 20V Max cordless power tool battery pack (DCBP034) was announced today, making Dewalt “the world’s first major power tool brand to use pouch cell batteries designed for the construction industry.”

That’s right, Dewalt PowerStack battery pack uses pouch cell batteries, and not the cylindrical form factor Li-ion cells that traditionally used in traditional cordless power tool battery packs.

Dewalt says that PowerStack will help to further realize the full potential of the cordless jobsite of the future.

The Dewalt PowerStack battery will be fully compatible with ALL Dewalt 20V Max tools and chargers.

Application imagery shows the new PowerStack battery being used in compact tools where smaller size and lighter weight are a priority, such as with their Atomic series of cordless power tools.

The new DCBP034 PowerStack battery is said to weigh 15% less than their compact 2.0Ah battery (DCB203).

Compared to the compact 20V Max 2.0Ah battery, the new PowerStack battery can also deliver 50% more power.

On top of all that, the new PowerStack battery is also 25% more compact than their 2.0Ah battery pack.

That’s not all. Dewalt says that their PowerStack battery will deliver twice the lifespan, with respect to charging cycles, compared to their compact battery.

The battery will feature an LED fuel gauge and durable non-marring overmold, for impact resistance and to help protect finished surfaced.

Dewalt says that their new battery is ideal for cutting, drilling, and fastening applications, precision and finishing tasks, and when working in tight spaces.

Okay, so let’s recap. Compared to their compact battery pack, the new PowerStack battery can deliver more power in a lighter, smaller, and longer-lasting package.

Dewalt says that their PowerStack 20V Max battery is:

A next-generation technological breakthrough that marks a new era of performance for Dewalt cordless power tools.

ETA: December 2021 (North America)

This is a developing story with more details to come. In the meantime, are you excited? What questions do you have about this new battery tech?

Here’s their teaser video:

Dewalt PowerStack Questions and Answers

What is the charge capacity? The new Dewalt PowerStack battery (DCBP034) will have a 1.7Ah charge capacity. (But, this is likely just the beginning!)

What tools can be used with PowerStack? Dewalt designed the PowerStack battery to optimize their more compact 20V Max tools – 2-speed drills, impact drivers, compact circular saw, brushless router, compact band saw, compact rotary hammer, oscillating multi-tools, and other such tools.

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