What causes the stir within the DIY community and confused the people about it is when false advertising came in. This led them to have two different cordless power tool lines, the 18-volt line that already established its name and the 20-volt Max that was supposed to be the successor. The confusion about Dewalt’s 18-Volt and 20-Volt Maxx batteries began when they decided to change the designation for their power tools from the 18-volt Ni-Cad battery to the 20-volt Max lithium-ion. However, for the people like you or the technical-oriented enthusiasts clearing this issue up is important.Īnyway, to have an idea about it. Some even don’t have any idea of what it is about. While everyone is arguing, which are more powerful between 18-Volt tools and their 20-Volt Max tools, there are also plenty of DIYers getting confused about the 20-Volt Max vs. Dewalt 18 Volt & 20 Volt Max: Attempting to Clear Up the Confusion If we can understand what started this confusion and how it began, the answer will make more sense. However, there’s a statement that holds the key in all of this. Then the answer you read earlier may further perplex your thoughts about it since it was a bit puzzling. Suppose you are trying to figure out and looking for a reliable source that will clear out the issue of the 18-volt and 20-volt battery of Dewalt. However, there are situations they can also be interchangeable, provided that both the 18V and 20V cells have the same design and style. They are not interchangeable since the 18V cell is made for its own product range and the same as the 20V cell. I can’t leave a conclusive answer for now, but so that you know. You first need to know about what started this issue and where did the confusion begin.

I'm still running them hard.If you take a look at it closer, the answer I provided is a bit confusing, but to understand its point. The other two are showing signs of age with their full-charge run time declining slightly.

One recently decided it was time to retire and refused to take another charge. The introduction of this battery adapter is awesome now we can start transitioning towards newer technology, bit by bit, piece by piece. You can go to hardware store, home center, or today and get an 18 volt NiCd battery, or even a brand-new 18 volt tool. That's simply incredible, considering the modern system of 20V MAX tools has been out for 4-5 years.

Was it an 'engineered obsolescence' sales scheme? Although many people bought new cordless tool sets, lots left to shop elsewhere, swearing off the brand as they went out the door.ĭeWalt on the other hand, has supported tools that last for a seriously long time. People would end up purchasing new tools, rather than ordering older batteries from the factory. It was odd, even though each generation was a same voltage, NiCd battery, there would be a slight change to a a bump or ridge on its case, preventing interchange between versions. It was common that I'd bear the brunt of a shopper's frustration when they learned that each year's version of the store-brand tools had an battery configuration incompatible with the prior model. Years ago, I worked a second job, at a department store selling their popular exclusive brand of tools. They've outlasted and out performed any other brand of cordless tools I've owned by several years, leaving me a bit of a fan-boy. I've had my own set for about 8 years, and all the tools are still going strong. They're certainly the most common brand on the construction sites I've visited. It's been one of the most popular lines of professional-quality cordless tools, for a very long time. I believe DeWalt's 18 volt line of cordless tools has been in the market for about 20 years. I've run it through its paces for a month on a variety of my tools. When DeWalt gave me an early-bird chance to try out their new battery adapter and bring modern battery technology to my older tools, I couldn't wait to put it in action. Regular readers of this blog know that I've been personally wielding DeWalt 18 volt cordless tools on my projects for years.

20 volt dewalt battery adapter