We’re off to Dewalt’s 2017 new tool media event!
It was during last year’s event that Dewalt introduced their new FlexVolt lineup of next-generation cordless power tools.
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Ah, good memories:
Introducing Dewalt Flexvolt!, Plus a Teaser of New 20V Max Tools
Dewalt FlexVolt Q&A – Everything You’ve Asked About, and More
So… what do you think is in store for us this year? Here are my predictions:
1) A strong push into plumbing and electrical markets with a PEX fitting expander, a cordless drain snake, a large cable stripper, etc.
These tools have already been announced, but the event will likely give us a chance to get some hands-on time. Maybe there will be some surprises?
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2) FlexVolt Expansion? Well, what do you think Dewalt has in store for us this year?
A larger 120V Max corded-cordless table saw, perhaps? A 60V Max cordless 10″ sliding miter saw? We already know about the new cordless compressor.
What would you want to see come to the FlexVolt lineup?
3) 20V Max cordless expansion. Well, we know there are new nailers coming out, a new cordless grinder, and a cordless fan that we’re waiting on imagery and further details about.
Will there be more?
4) Tool Connect. The big reveal will probably be the new Dewalt Tool Connect cordless power tools you can buy, and the kinds of things the new connected-tool system can do to make pro users’ lives or work a little easier.
There’s also that new Dewalt WiFi thingie.
5) Will there be a Craftsman teaser? Probably not.
Anything Else?
I anticipate that there will be a few surprises, but I can’t really think of what they could be.
There will be 4 one-hour “rotations,” which I’m guessing will focus on Tool Connect, the plumbing and electrical specialty tool expansion, new FlexVolt offerings, and new 20V Max offerings. Maybe some of those categories will be smushed together and there will be one additional rotation. Hand tools, tool storage, and mechanic’s tools, perhaps?
Maybe we’ll see a refresh and expansion of the 12V Max lineup? Ha – just kidding. *frown*
Austin
I would love to see more 120v max flexvolt tools that can also be plugged in. That’s a big reason I bought their miter saw. 10″ table saw is on my wish list and I will get it as soon as it comes out if it ever does.
Chris
A two flexvolt battery table saw would be nice.
Adam
or any table saw that doesn’t use an 8-1/4″ blade. I refuse to buy tools that end up costing more in the end because of consumables. 5-3/8″, 6-1/2″ ,8-1/4″ blades never seem as great of a deal as 7-1/4″, 10″, or 12″, not to mention the wider blade selection options.
Darryl
Table Saw is coming 2018
Nathan
I’d love to see them make more of the MAC tool crossovers. IE I’d love to see a 20V max or even flex volt 3/8 drive ratchet machine and or 1/4 driver. The newest impact wrenches are pretty awesome so far.
I want to see the tablesaw but I’m not in the market for one. Price drops on flexvolt batteries and the powerstation would be nice.
updated or modified OPE would be nice – especially on the flexvolt system to make them common battery again.
The mythical bigger compression with X2 battery setup would be nice to see in the works. – but I’d doubt it – not much desire for it in the market I suspect.
More USA built tools
and I’m very curious as to the uses for the new wifi product. I don’t think it’s for me but I’m curious.
Bill
I’m waiting for the new Milwaukee 3/8″ M12 Ratchet, but maybe I’ll wait and see what Dewalt does in this area. It would be nice to have some options.
Cole Kemp
You and I both
I’ve already given up on dewalt 12v line
fred
I’m sure SBD keeps their eye on their arch rival TTI – and to a lesser extent Makita and Bosch. Makita recently announced an 18V brushless trim router to compete with TTI’s Ryobi and Ridgid offerings. I’m betting a Dewalt will not be far behind. More Dewalt OPE would be another guess that I’d make.
What I’d like to see is a cordless PEX stapler that could handle both 3/8 and 1/2 inch. and come with an extension arm as an option.
fred
BTW – Makita seems to be moving more into tools for concrete and masonry trades with dust collection and some new tools like their rebar and bolt cutters:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073SMDN7N
https://www.amazon.com/Makita-XCS01Z-Cordless-Rebar-Cutter/dp/B013AQVLQ2/
Jason
They all are pushing dust collection because of OSHA silica dust rules.
fred
Exactly – it wasn’t based on some recently discovered concern for our lungs.
alex
Here’s what I want :
A true guide rail system like Bosch have. Love the Dewalt track saw but I want more accessories and above all I want more compatible tools. The flexvolt circular saw they have in Europe already work with the rails. C’mon Dewalt bring it over here. I want my jigsaw to work on it too.
A new dust extractor and new dust protection accessories improving existing tools (Europe already has some). I would love it to be able to carry tstak cases as well.
A backpack flexvolt vacuum.
Accessories modular cases that would work with either the tstak or the tough cases.
A tough case compressor
Small trim saw and jig saw. 12v would be great but I don’t mind them to be 20v as well.
Better lighting options
Nathan
OH didn’t think of that – a flexvolt shop vac – with a few dust adapters (like say the 2.5 inch for the table saw).
double battery and corded
6gallon or more capacity. maybe remote turn on capable.
jtr165
exactly. A ‘real’ cordless shop vac was the first thing I wanted when i read up on the flexvolt platform. The little 20v max one is acceptable power wise for me, but the capacity is what makes it kind of useless for a lot of situations I find myself in. My outdoor/garage electrical situation is less than ideal, so cordless tools that replace bigger equipment is always on my radar. I simply can’t run my planer and a decent shop vac at the same time without some major rewiring, and for that machine I need a vacuum with a lot more room than a gallon or two…I’d do it, but if more ‘big’ cordless stuff is on the horizon…I’ll let it be the next owner’s problem haha.
the FV air compressor gives me hope that those style of shop tools are in consideration.
Predictions, though: They’ll definitely show the 20v max 12″ chainsaw i’d imagine. A handful of comments on various tool review youtube videos have been talking about a cordless 1/4″ router, palm sander, and new cordless table and miter saw options (i’d guess that would be a big 120v FV 10″ TS, and a ‘middle’ ground miter saw to slot in between the current 7 1/4″ 20v and 12″ 120v saw(s)). Those comments are always ‘my friend is a rep for Dewalt’ type things, so who knows…but all sound reasonable to some degree.
Ryan
I’d love to see a new cordless pinner to round out their nailer lineup.
Nathan
what do people use a 23 ga pinner for?
I keep seeing them and I just don’t know what I’d use that on that I wouldn’t just pop a 16g in? let alone 18
fred
I have a 18ga brad nailer, a 21ga pinner and a 23ga pinner – all pneumatic and all used. The pinners drive “headless pins” much easier to conceal – if you see them at all. They are my choice for small accent moldings on furniture and boxes – where the brad nailer would split the molding. I like the 21 ga. Cadex for cabinetry for things like rope, egg and dart, and dentil moldings.
alex
Woodworking and trim carpentry. You use them mainly as a clamp to hold a piece while the glue is drying. Brad works too but sometime the hole they leave is too big or the piece you want to hold is too delicate.
Chris
Fine finishing, detail moulding, thin return pieces on crown and baseboard.
It’s irreplaceable for a finisher or cabinet installer.
I carry my 23ga hand in hand with my 18 and 16ga finishing guns.
Chris
I’d like more woodworking tools. Like a benchtop jointer maybe and a benchtop combination sander.
David
DCS577 left blade rear handle framing saw was listed 4th qtr.
Satch
I know their focus is primarily the 20v Max lineup but the near abandonment if the 12 volt segment is beyond comprehension.
Justin Derrer
Why? What advantage would you have with 12v tools? The 18/20v tools are increasingly compact. With all the companies adding speed and power options you can make the tool as “delicate” as you’d like. I would have zero interest in 12v tools when I can get better performance in the same form factor with 18/20v tools. Obviously they’ve done the homework and came up with a similar conclusion.
I would love to see a flexvolt impact wrench. Just out of sheer curiosity if nothing else. Yes, the challenge would be making the anvil strong enough to handle the massive amount of torque. How about a compact flexvolt impact gun. Let’s say the size of an impact driver that can produce the same power as the big guns. Slap on a compact flexvolt battery, and I’ll buy it on the spot.
jtr165
but there can’t be a ‘compact’ flexvolt battery. It by design needs the 3 rows of 5 cells, unlike 18v that just needs one. With current cell design, there fundamentally can’t be a ‘smaller’ 60v battery than the current 6.0/2.0 AH option…unless i’m missing something?
alex
I agree with you but they would need to provide smaller batteries as well and I don’t know if it’s possible. 20v batteries connector have a large foot print.
fred
As an all-purpose tool/battery platform you would likely stick with 18V. If you worked all day installing hinges, cabinet trim and lighting – you might appreciate the lighter and still more compact (than even compact 18V) 12V tools. Our installers – all seemed to ask for and like their M12 tools. That’s just one example. Milwaukee seems to keep expanding their M12 lineup – so others must be buying them.
alex
Yeah it make senses to some trades you are right.
Anyway I see 12v/20v as the same line since you can charge the battery in the same charger and you’d never use a 20V 4AH battery on a 12v tool anyway even if you could. It’s just too big. So it might sense to have small batteries that are 12v instead of 20v
jtr165
honestly I think Dewalt’s screw up with their 12v line started with them all being slide packs. They’re simply not as compact as Milwaukee and Bosch 12v lines. I get that both competitors have bigger slide-like batteries for those, but dewalt instead pushed that full sized handle (which is a great handle, that’s pretty unanimous) and only slide battery compatability…it just fights against the main reasoning for a small power tool.
they backed themselves into a corner with that, imo. They can’t develop ‘competitively compact’ 12v batteries that current tools will support. And what they did release, are functional, but not significantly smaller than their bigger brothers…but significantly weaker.
Aaron Rhodes
I run a fairly heavy mix of M12 and m18 tools. Nobody has come out with a compact form factor 18. Tools such as Dremel and compact flashlight suffer way too much with 18v batteries. My M12 jacket has been enough to keep me warm through Canadian winters and even tho they make 18v adapters it is just extra bulk I don’t need. That said half of my love for the M12 is that it will use my m18 charger. If I had to choose 12 or 18 I would choose 18 but some tools are just better smaller and lighter
Satch
There are times when you simply cannot use a full size drill or driver due to lack of clearance or working room. Really more like some of the comments below. It comes down to battery size. When you have your arm up to your elbow in a motor contro, cabinet or inside the wiring box of a Vulcan range, no 18v bat pack is going to fit. You would catch it on everything. And the 12v models are slim enough to tuck into a Veto bag. Many times with an extra battery to boot.
I certainly understand the 18//20 volt lines for most work since that is where the industry sweet spot is for power, price, size, versatility. As Fred mentioned the M12 line is pretty significant in its scope and Bowch’s own 12 volt lineup is fairly robust as well. They must be fairly popular.
Matt
Its more of a vanity thing. Maybe more often than not, we just want 12v tools.
Look at any 12v platform, and, i apologize for being repetitive, but look at m12, or Dewaltor Makita or Bosch…. Each brand has a somewhat smaller platform than their high performance 18v/20v. Bosch has Compact Tough, M18 Compact Brushless, Makita Subcompact, Dewalt has the compact XR…..each one offers compact performance while maintaining a smaller footprint… And except for the Dewalts and Makita i dont really think these are flying off the shelves.
Why? We want 12 tools. We want the m12 gear. The CXTs. We just want them. I personally carry a bosch 12v ec drill driver in my every day kit. I love it. I wouldnt trade it for an 18v compact tough drill…not for every day chores and when i hit a higher demand job i go for a rotary hammer or my 18v brute tough….just me though.
I would buy new brushless dewalt 12v drills just to have, by the way. I like tools.
Gene
I am really ready for the 20V Max Router. I modified a PC 19.2V to accept a Dewalt 20V, but it is bulky. I would also love to see a 20V Max belt sander.
The yeti
Tool connect … can only imagine how much easier that’s gonna make life . . My drill needs WiFi.
Hey why not put touch screen controls on tool boxes . Then u could like play games on the tool box or watch movies and stuff .
Makes work a bit easier …
Bill
Maybe with that touch screen I can see if that wrench I’m looking for is inside my toolbox without needing to open it, or should I look elsewhere. You know like the Samsung frig.
fred
I want the parts totes to sense what’s getting low and prompt the office to order more or the shop to cut and thread replacements for the nipple tray.
John Blair
Well since the Milwaukee event had a poorly disguised Tough Systems case getting a cinder block dropped on it, I predict at some point a poorly disguised Milwaukee tool will be abused to show how much the Bumblebee (Dewalt Yellow and Black) is better. (Tongue firmly in cheek)
Aaron Rhodes
I hope not. I have a stack of DeWalt tough cases destined for the dump as soon as the Milwaukee’s are available. I don’t know if I am just that much harder on the boxes then everyone else but the tough boxes all had under 4 month life span with DeWalt tough cases. I really can’t wait for a better box to come out.
Eric
I would like to see more Flexvolt outdoor tools. I have the trimmer and blower and will get the chainsaw in the future. I love having the big batteries that work with my 20v tools if I want.
I would buy the following Flexvolt tools on announcement: hedge trimmer, pole saw, attachment capable trimmer (would keep line trimmer). A bit price drop on the power station would encourage me to buy one.
Cole Kemp
I believe there is a hedge trimmer out
Raoul
I would like a lawnmower too.
Raoul
Lawnmower announced 8/18 but it is a dual 20v battery configuration.
Big Adam
Wish list:
1) Mower
2) Random Orbit Sander
3) Belt Sander
All cordless of course. I’m all over the fan and new ‘cute’ chainsaw already.
Jonw9
Amen to the belt sander; but they advised me there are no plans. Will have to go with another brand.
Whiskey and wood
Saw photos yesterday of a rear handle blade left flexvolt saw
David
DCS577
Rcward
Can’t we get a power tool that you can start up with ” Alexa”? That’s what we really need for about a 200 dollar premium
David R Zeller
How about “Alexa, where is my drill?” 🙂
fred
“wherever you left it, dear henry, dear henry, wherever you left it”
Yoshi
A Flexvolt lawnmower is what I’m waiting for…
Big Adam
I’ve kinda given up hope for a T50 staple gun/tacker.
JoeM
…I have two manual DeWALT Staple Guns that accept T50 staples… The 350 and 410 both do… Unless you mean an Electric, in which case, ignore me.
Big Adam
I have the Stanley equivalents…….but want a 18/20V version!
🙂
JoeM
Ah. Ignore me then. I thought you meant the manual ones. I’d want them to at least release an adapter/cartridge for T50 staples on one of the models at the very bare minimum. A full blown dedicated Staple Gun if at all possible. I agree totally with you there.
I just got a little confused, and I apologize. Both my DeWALT manual Staplers, the 350 and 410, do T50 staples, and I got confused. To the point I can never remember the letters that come before 350 and 410. Something like DWHTTS or something? They’re across the room. I’m not going all that way just to look at model numbers.
David
DCG413F flat head 20V grinder
mike douglas
two new jigsaws, both BL
new model upgrade from dcs331
b) barrel grip
2)
router
JoeM
A Brushless 331 would be nice, and a Barrel Grip brother saw would be cool. But the 331 is already pretty close to perfect already. It’s hard to justify making any changes to it, other than cool factor, or runtime.
A Router though… I can only see DeWALT Routers working if they make different sizes with specific settings. If it has to switch, or cover a range of sizes, I can see it causing a problem. The 20 Volt batteries now come in 3 sizes. Compact, Full Size, and FlexVOLT. Imagine having to try and get a Router to perform the same with any of those three sizes attached to it? The Ergonomics alone hurt the brain… It would have to be a Router designed to work specifically with one of each size, to maintain balance and ergonomics without compromising the tool’s effectiveness. Could be done, but… Man would it be a headache for DeWALT’s size batteries.
Nathan
I could see a 20Vmax trim router – battery on top – 1/4 shank collet
and then a flexvolt big router – similar or same performace as the current corded job – same collar depth adjustment – again battery on top – 1/2 shank.
JoeM
Yeah, that’s basically what I mean. They’d have to be different sizes to be specific to the size of battery. They’d work great, and DeWALT would do a great job making them… it’s just… How do we handle the Slim, Full Size, and FlexVOLT battery sizes? They’re all 20 Volt batteries, just the FlexVolt can also do 60 Volts. The sizes are a balance factor, and I think that would be my only concern for cordless routers from DeWALT right now. As long as they can balance, and there’s a label that clearly states “This is only for (Battery Size), due to balance and vibration issues, you can’t plug a different battery size into this tool” I think we’re good there.
BikerDad
I don’t see the market for a single battery Flexvolt slider, unless we’re talking a 7 1/4″. So if they bring a 10″ SCMS I’d expect it to be 120v. The key reason is the same that has hurt the 60v Flexvolt table saw. The buyers’ want the option of going corded. Basically, were I DeWalt, I would build all PORTABLE Flexvolt tools in 120v, and all HANDHELD in 60v. Now, they MIGHT come out with a 60v corded adapter pack, which would be freaky cool.
I expect to see some serious product in the jobsite lighting department. Milwaukee is spankin’ ’em there. I HOPE to see a mid torque 20v XR Impact Wrench. I doubt if we’ll see any really high torque Impact Wrenches from DeWalt, those will remain the domain of Mac.
We’ll be seeing some more tool storage. And just maybe an answer to Bosch’s CORE batteries. And while I have an academic interest in their 12v platform, I really don’t care one way or the other if they continue to let it languish.
jtr165
Not sure what you mean about Dewalt’s impact wrenches. They’ve had a 20v brushless ‘high torque’ (1200 lb/ft break away, 700 fastening) model since 2015. That break away figure is one of the highest of any cordless impact wrench, and is enough for crank pulley’s on commercial diesel engines. Mac doesn’t make one more powerful, do they? (they have one that is pretty much the same tool rebranded)…
there are several other smaller anvil impact wrenches, and compact sizes too irrc…filling out the mid-torque category.
Raoul
A midsize BL impact with 450lbs or better torque would be nice. The high torque is great but it’s a monster and overkill for a lot of the jobs I use it on.
BikerDad
hmm, I’m not sure, but I think Mac may have a more powerful unit than the 899 you bring up. I had overlooked that one, thinking that their “high torque” model was the gawdawful oversized 20vMax BRUSHED thing in their lineup.
That said, what I’d really like to see is exactly what Raoul is looking for, a midsize with 400-500lbs. Available both in 3/8″ and 1/2″ drive.
jtr165
Ah, yeah, they do have a massive one that released not long after the 20v platform became a thing. The newer XR brushless one is an animal according to reviews, though.
Also, I do see what you’re saying now…Didn’t realize it, but the 3/8″ drive impact wrench seems to basically be their newest impact driver with a 3/8″ anvil instead…torque is only 150 lb/ft unless i’m missing a different model or something…so yeah, if correct, quite a gap between their smaller impact wrenches and the ‘high torque’ one.
JoeM
…Uh… Honestly I just want more from DeWALT. I’d love to see them extend the Heated Gear a little more, maybe to heated boot insoles, or glove liners. Redesign a little bit, maybe cross-license with ScottEVest for their pocket designs. So, maybe, a tablet of some sort might be chargeable and hidden inside the jacket to use with that “WiFI Thingy” sort of thing… In case you are working in cold enough weather that you genuinely forget what you’re supposed to be doing, so you pull the tablet out of your jacket and, fully charged by said jacket, you can check the plans in case you missed something. At the very least, an expansion to fit a FlexVolt battery into the same jackets we have now, just in case we forgot to bring any strict 20 Volt batteries with us that day, and FlexVOLTs are all we have.
I think, genuinely, that I would love to see an expansion of 8V Max lights, not screwdrivers. Right-Angle, Gooseneck, Lantern, IR/UV light for inspections.
As to the 12 Volt system… I think a total discontinuance of everything that isn’t a light, instrument, line level, laser, or inspection tool of some sort, would be entirely logical to me. The 8 Volt system handles small stuff better than the 12 Volt system does, and the 20 Volt system, now augmented with the FlexVOLT family members, handle everything else really, really well… The thing the 12 Volt system does that neither of them does is be a lightweight, anti-fatigue tool battery. So… Flashlights that fit upright in a chest pocket, IR Thermometers, Wall Scanners, Inspection Cameras, all those little things that are hyper-specialized high tech stuff, that is where the 12 Volt Max system can’t be matched. Making 8 Volt versions (aside from Lasers) would be too weak, and making 20 Volt versions would be too bulky for long periods of time. Otherwise… Big and Baby Brother systems cover the entire spectrum of what both Home and Industrial users really need.
My deepest, darkest desire for DeWALT will never happen in a million years. So, I really just leave it at simple requests like this one. Plus, I echo the wants of many of the other posters already. 120 Volt versions of the Table Saw and Air Compressor in larger sizes, Tough System and TSTAK expansion throughout the tool families, Attachments, Guide Rails, Straight-Edge Guides, and other painfully neglected accessories for the Max family systems. Nothing that most of you don’t already want. Even the Impact Wrench. It’s not a GIANT market, but I’m sure having a 60 Volt All-Metal body Impact Wrench would serve someone, and save some industry huge amounts of time and energy.
The Superintendent at my building has to manually bolt in our parking lot’s removable speed bumps in the winter. The handle on the ratchet he uses for doing that has to be 4 feet long. I can only imagine, if he needs that much more leverage for torque, that being able to put those same bolts in with a FlexVolt Impact Wrench would make the job take 20 minutes, rather than 4 hours like it does now. And that’s not even a MAJOR use for the thing.
I still won’t ever get the thing I’ve wanted from DeWALT for years now. It’s basically impossible, and 90% of all tool people I’ve ever talked to just look at me like I’m crazy for wanting it. The other 10% are family members who look at me and say “You’re a Genius. Make enough money to buy DeWALT and do it yourself if you want it that bad.” So that doesn’t help anything.
jtr165
This impact thing seems to keep popping up throughout the discussion…
Dewalt already has a 1/2″ cordless 20v wrench that can deliver 700 lb/ft of torque. Very few fasteners can put up with that amount of force…a 60v option that has even more torque delivery; where can that be used? Outside of industrial equipment settings; I can’t think of many.
Even with a 4 foot breaker a person has to push ‘175+ pounds’ against the handle to exceed what the current offerings create torque wise. My guess is, in your example, the guy was using a big breaker for other reasons (even with similar torque, that method can be a lot ‘easier’ on fasteners)…and was constantly breaking fasteners/bolts when using commonly available current impacts.
Nathan
well curiosity as me ask
what is this mythical thing you want so bad.
On the impact – I’m not sure I see the appeal of a flexvolt impact wrench – unless the extra voltage made the body smaller. I could see the appeal of that – same specs smaller body due to smaller motor housing . . . . . and multiple torque limits etc. I’d give it a hard look
JD
Yes, Exactly. If you could have a flexvolt impact with say 1200ft/lbs breakaway in the same size form of a 18/20v impact driver I would buy that immediately.
JoeM
The Mythical thing I would want is crazy. I don’t mind sharing, as I don’t want to make money off it. I just want it really badly in the world.
I desperately wish DeWALT and Dremel were announcing they are separating from their current parent companies, taking all their current patents with them, and forming their own new company. That they were going to reach out to ScottEVest/TEC and do cross-licensing of their battery tech (both the Dremel 8 and 12 Volt Max battery systems, as well as the DeWALT 8/12/20/now FlexVOLT systems) and ScottEVest’s multi-pocket network system for the heated gear.
Then Dremel goes back to developing only Rotary Tools, The Moto Saw, its Glue Gun, Versatip Tools, and Engraver. Dropping all of the rest of their lineup and letting Bosch release them exclusively as Bosch tools (where they belong) and DeWALT can drop all its Stanley based Hand Tools and Tool Boxes, and focus solely on the Max system Power Tools, Heated Gear, and Attachments. Unless it was originally developed by Dremel or DeWALT, the new company doesn’t make it at all.
“That’s Crazy, How could they compete with that? And WHY?” Yeah… That’s why I said I’d never get to have it. But it’s what I’ve wanted for a long time. Knowing my two favourite brands were a separate company, and didn’t give a crap about TTI, Bosch, Festool, or Hilti anymore? That would make me happy. That they’d be free to develop what the user base wants, with updated, modern assets and newer out-of-the-industry benefits to expand the market, rather than just trying to mock or release a better version of the competition.
And… frankly… I think the benefits of a FlexVOLT Impact Driver have nothing to do with Torque, just Runtime and CONSISTENT Torque. The same amount of Torque on the first bolt you put in as on the one six hours later, when the battery is blinking at you that it is low on power. If that means smaller, better balanced impact wrench capabilities, brushless motors, and a selection of chucks for the job… great… but I think an all-metal designed FlexVOLT Impact Wrench would be about Runtime, and staying cool for longer. Maybe it will mean higher speeds, maybe it will mean chuck varieties, or even an interchangeable chuck size… who knows that much? I think the greatest thing a FlexVOLT based 20 OR 60 Volt Impact Wrench would bring, would be in longevity and flexibility. 20 Volt Max/XR Impact Wrenches and Drivers already have the right amount of Torque. A FlexVOLT battery has other benefits for the tool to consider other than Torque. It would still be a small market for that need, but I can honestly say the FlexVOLT battery, pretty subconsciously, makes me feel okay with the capability for DeWALT to be able to build a tool with those capabilities for the first time in a cordless market.
As I obviously demonstrated with my “Dream for DeWALT and Dremel” up there… It means I can think of the possibilities in a positive way. It doesn’t necessarily mean I have any delusion that it either will happen, or is necessary for anyone’s job survival. It just means I can see the specs in my head, and not see it as violating any laws of physics that it would work.
I’m more Nerd than anything, guys. I’m a Nerd that likes to build stuff, big AND small. I don’t even drink, smoke, do drugs, or bother with porn. I’m THAT Nerdy. So, I’m sorry for the long posts, and the eye strain. I’m just kinda… riffing off the ideas you guys are coming up with, and enjoying the ideas as a whole. If I see something is POSSIBLE, that is. I still doubt DeWALT would ever listen to me. They’d probably want to lock me up in the loony bin for some of my ideas.
fred
Not crazy at all. From my perspective it is better to stick to your knitting and focus on what you do best. There are lots of examples of companies getting in trouble by deciding that they wanted to be all things for all people.
Others have posted similar ideas about what SBD should do with their Porter Cable brand and now their Craftsman brand. It would indeed be easier for us consumers, if we knew to: look for Dewalt when we wanted power tools for construction trades; look to Porter Cable for innovative and world class routers, planers, sanders and other woodworking tools; look for Craftsman when we wanted good quality mechanics tools at a reasonable price – or to Proto for professional quality; look for Bostitch for fastening tools; etc.. SBD might then position its other brands like Blackhawk, Chesco, Facom, Hanson, Irwin, Lenox, Mac Tools, Oldham, Stanley and ViseGrip to represent what they are best known for. This probably cause great consternation among the SBD marketing gurus but it might be nice for us tool buyers.
One downside, might be that whatever completion exists between the brands would be diminished.
JoeM
Well, I see the benefits going beyond the TOOL market, that’s why it’s crazy. There’s people like Adam Savage, the former Mythbusters host, who are spearheading a movement toward Makers and STEAM Fields for kids to go into. (STEAM= Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) To this end, there’s a new market that the OLD companies haven’t really reached out into. There are companies like ScottEVest and Utillikilts that are entirely out of left field for all of the construction guys, but they do make some proprietary designs for their garments that our shared Tool Industry can use.
But, how many of us even know about those two companies? How many of us are paying attention to Tested.com, and their Maker videos? How many of us work in hot weather enough to genuinely consider the Terrycloth Kilt that Utillikilts makes, called “The Workman” on their site? It’s a combination of a pleated Kilt, with a modesty snap in the middle so you don’t go flashing everyone when on a ladder, and an old fashioned Tool Belt/Apron combo. It’s a Kilt that can hold a Hammer and nails, and hold up tools, and yet is open to the air in hot weather. How many of us, talking about DeWALT versus Milwaukee, TTI versus SBD, wants and desires for them to release some tools, have ever stepped back and looked at our health and safety requirements and said “Hey… This is the 21st century… Global Warming is real… and a more modern set of work gear would really benefit me while I’m using these tools!”
Y’see… I’m a NERD. I considered the ScottEVest line of tech pockets and load balancing jackets a long time ago, and even though I’m from Canada, sometimes it IS hot enough here to say “I’m man enough to wear a kilt while I do this work, so I don’t boil my junk to death…” Then enter all these great conversations we have with eachother on this blog, which Stuart and his compatriots have shared with us, and I get ideas going through my head that combine the modern Maker and Convention Circuit companies with the Tool companies.
What if one of those 8-in-1 year-round 36-custom-pocket ScottEVest jackets had a little 12 Volt or 8 Volt Max Dremel or DeWALT based heater in one of the layers? Or, what if it went the other way, and a DeWALT thermal jacket had the license for the ScottEVest/TEC internal and external pockets and wiring solutions built in? Where the jacket itself has a place to hang ear buds, maybe ear PLUGS so you don’t lose them during the day? Or a pocket on the inside, or on the outside on the arm of the jacket, where your Phone is plugged in, and you can use it while keeping your hands free on the job. These pocket designs are already on ScottEVest jackets, and if DeWALT’s jackets could use the license for them, in return for licensing the heating element system and battery system to ScottEVest, suddenly their market for Heated Gear is doubled, or even tripled. What if the Utillikilts had the license to hook up the load-bearing designs of the DeWALT Drill Pro Drill Holster, or had a pocket that was the exact right size for the DeWALT Max family batteries, so you always carried a spare while working?
I don’t see SBD reaching out to these innovative companies for this kind of cross-brand partnership. I don’t see Bosch lending the Dremel name to allow ScottEVest or Utillikilts to include any of the right pockets, heating elements, or advanced tool tech that they’d need to enter the Tool Gear market, or get the name of DeWALT and Dremel out to the younger market that is involved in making Props, Costumes, and Collectables for the Maker market. Dremel has a 3D Printer now, but it is so awful that the real market for it has shunned it completely.
I’m ranting, and I’m sorry. Probably gives a lot of you headaches when I do this. It’s just… There’s this GIANT world market for the things that DeWALT and Dremel excel at above all other brands, and because their parent companies only seem to focus on the large-scale building markets, they’re totally missing out on shared licensing that would bring both brands a massive upswing in markets they’ve never been dominant in. Suddenly, their decades of expertise in making quality, specific tools would make them THE NAMES in the Maker community, and their Profits would be through the roof.
The problem is… Competition… TTI and the German brands are, themselves, focused on Industry, rather than Makers. Having any kind of SHARED anything would be shot down in a heartbeat. Patent and License sharing outside their own family of brands is unheard of in the Tool industry. My wish to have the most specialized brands separate from the Tool industry so they can dominate at BOTH their own industry AND the Maker industry through Licensing… I sound like a lunatic, no matter how much I could prove the profits would make up for it. The Corporate and Marketing side of this industry would spit on my grave if they had the chance to hear that this is what I was thinking.
I just get frustrated when I see Dremel, that amazing Rotary Tool company I was raised with, stooping to releasing rebranded Bosch tools like the SawMax and Ultra Saw, and making absolute lunatic tools like the Trio… Why? Dremel made TWO major products that made their name for them. The Rotary Tool, and the Moto Saw (The Motorized Coping Saw/Table Jigsaw thing) and then proved they could make hard-durable housings for small tools like the Versatip Electric, and their Engravers. It wasn’t until Bosch started tossing Oscillating Tools, Grinder/Saw Combos, and Wacky Routers off to Dremel to dilute their credibility for quality that Dremel started to lose money. But if Dremel and DeWALT were together alone, what would Dremel even NEED from DeWALT? Nothing. A factory, maybe. Motor manufacturers, maybe. That frees them BOTH up to double their customer base by reaching out with licensing to the untouched DIY/Maker market. TTI couldn’t follow up that act, Bosch, Hilti, Festool, SawStop… They’d be fighting among themselves, while DeWALT and Dremel just went about their business, making money in ways the 21st century called for, and still making everything they are famous for. It would no longer be a question of DeWALT versus Milwaukee. It would be Milwaukee locked out of the secondary market of Tech-oriented work gear, and just stuck making tools. Dremel would be THE brand talked about at ComicCon of all places, because suddenly the small props and costumers are using Dremel EXCLUSIVELY to do their passion work, because a lot of them own ScottEVest gear, and the Dremel batteries fit their clothes already. If not for heated gear, than as USB charging devices hidden in their jackets.
Meanwhile, back in the Industrial sector, DeWALT goes High-Tech, and that WiFI thingy they introduced, the mesh networking devices, are keeping people in constant contact with their supervisors, and their phones are right there, usable through their heated gear jackets, which also happen to charge those devices while working.
I’ll stop now… I’m sorry… it’s just… When asked “What do you want to see from DeWALT”… THIS is what I think of… I want them to come into the 21st century, and embrace the high-end Nerd/Geek culture that is already using their tools, but not on a jobsite. They’re the market that saves up enough to buy multi-thousand dollar toys, and statues for their passions, and yet DeWALT doesn’t seem to think a group that can drop that kind of cash on a statue isn’t going to think to buy a $500 Table Saw, or $300 Drill/Impact combo set? It’s marketing craziness to ignore that market, with that much liquid capital. Hell, some people drop $5 Grand on TICKETS to ComicCon… and $1800 on making a COSTUME for it… How does a Tool company not see the value in marketing to people who are THAT driven to remaking exact copies of movie props, costume bits, and custom workspaces for themselves year-round? It doesn’t matter that they don’t wear a hard hat, and have a Union card… These Nerds and Geeks (Much like MYSELF) WILL put out the money to a company they see as serving their needs.
Stuart
I shared some gripes about holes in “sophisticated hobbyist” space that I’d like to see Dewalt or other SBD brands fill.
At this point, I have very high hopes and expectations for the Craftsman brand. I hope that, under SBD leadership, they reach new heights and tools that were promised but not delivered in recent years when under Sears leadership.
Jeremy N
A Brushless 20v 6 1/2″ Circular Saw with the blade on the left. Also 20v Heat Gun like Milwaukee came out with would be really helpful for my business. I will be buying the fan though the second it’s available.
Nathan
I could see a flexvolt heat gun.
and to be fair – I wouldn’t so much mind a flexvolt portable fan
Big Adam
Flexvolt heat gun: Absolutely
FV fan: Why? Blowing away thunderstorms?
fred
I would think that they’d want to bring out tools that really took advantage of the Flexvolt concept – rather than me-too-ing stuff that Milwaukee has introduced. OPE and cordless benchtop tools where higher voltage might be a big deal would seem like a place to focus. How about a Flexvolt router table – multiple batteries running at 120V ?
jtr165
I totally agree, and it’s the main reason i try to keep up with the FV line. Dewalt maintains a pretty ‘construction’ oriented position overall, though. The idea of an FV benchtop 6″ jointer, a ~12″ thickness planer (limit it’s max cut depth to 1/16th, maybe?), full sized cordless shop vacuum, etc. are incredible to me…but, none of those are job site tools for the most part; they’re wood shop tools, save the vacuum. Any of those are possible in the 120v configuration…but I have a hard time seeing how they’d market the reasoning for it.
So it’s hard to know exactly what direction they’re looking to go with all this. Expand into a cordless shop space? They could, but that usually has much less of a premium on power outlets/power in general. Dewalt does have a very good line of corded woodworking shop tools, but even then has some odd grey areas (haven’t made a belt sander in years). Any good ‘small’ planer will push 70 or 80 plus pounds, and they create so much dust/debris it’s something most want permanently installed with collection in place. For tools/machines like that…I can’t really see what being cordless really accomplishes. With that said, I mentioned earlier, i want a big cordless vacuum because my garage wiring get’s pretty annoyed with a planer and vac running simultaneously…but my situation is an outlier i’d imagine.
Sanders and routers though. I’d buy a 60v router and ROS the second they become available. They’re the only corded tools left that I own that I’d really prefer to be cordless.
fred
We would sometimes bring a small Bosch router table to a jobsite. The same was true for a 6 inch jointer. So 120V cordless ones of these might have a niche market – but certainly not as large as a cordless miter saw or table saw.
David
Tough case vacuum, with on board tool storage and blue tooth activation.
Mr. Gerbik
The entire flexvolt lineup having the corded option would be nice. Some applications require more than battery power. As well as some metal tool boxes, not that plastic tough stack crap. Cordless nailers from pin to framing. Rechargeable cordless lighting. Doesn’t necessarily have to be battery powered. Husky makes one. Flexvolt Drill press would be cool. As well as a scroll saw. Large blade corded circular saws like the Bigfoot and the one makita makes for cutting 6×6 & other large timbers. More pneumatic tools besides nailers would be nice. Die grinders, air hammer, nibblers, etc. More automotive tools across the board. Their socket sets are great, they need to expand on specialty tools. But that may be for the sbd craftsman tools we have yet to see. Better hand tools from screwdrivers to pliers and everything in between. Better drill bits and fastener bits as well as extensions. Thats just a few things Dewalt can improve upon or need to make available. I’m sure that 99% of this media event is about the flexvolt, which to me would be rather boring. Dewalt has so much more to offer than flexvolt but they’ve hyped it up so much that they seem to be putting more effort into that instead of things that could use improvement which they need to address but have yet to do so. There’s a hell of a lot more to Dewalt than flexvolt.
jtr165
I mostly agree, but I will say for me personally…I’ve found their 20v Max platform to become the most impressive after the initial flexvolt lineup. Meaning, most of the best tools the platform has started to offer have come after flexvolt became a thing. And with more coming soon.
I like the FV line, but i’ve yet to dive into it as I simply haven’t needed any of what’s offered so far.
Roger
DeWalt version of heat gun. I’d be thrilled if they came out with a new 120V FlexVac and maybe a brushless fan. Either of these would get me into flexvolt. But I’m mostly waiting out for 20V in BL.
RipHarambe
More tough system storage options and accessories. Would love to see a tough system vac, bagless hepa. I’d love to see a tough box dedicated more towards hand tool storage. Or even better inserts than the goofy hand tool one that comes with the ds400.
I’ll be purchasing that fan immediately. Also they need better lights. Specifically a better compact area light. Something for crawl spaces, drop ceilings, etc. Been looking at the syslite 2 but have trouble spending that much on a light like that.
Also they need an updated usb power source really bad. Something that can fast charge my phone.
Nathan
I’m thinking along the lines of a flexvolt blower that’s also AC powered. so I can cart it with me to the attic tomorrow and I’m moving some boxes up there – and not find a plug for it. Or I can take it sideways on the ground next to the car when I change the oil in the driveway tomorrow when it’s 94 and 90% humidity but I’ve got to change the oil anyway.
etc etc
or if I want to I can plug it in. That’s the type of cordless fan I’d like. (and if they could package say a 1000 btu AC unit in there too well that’d just be all sorts o nifty but I can dream right.
OH – flexvolt impulse driver – most of the energy of the current 20V impact driver – half the noise output.
I have to say I’m looking forward to it.
Big Adam
So, 2x 20V mower is confirmed.
Now, how do I ship it back from the US? (where it will be a heap of $$$$ cheaper than UK)
jtr165
Wait, what?
Mike
If they make 20v chainsaw hope they do like Makita and use two batteries I just think 20v is not enough power for a chainsaw
BikerDad
Oh, forgot one thing. I’d LOVE to see, but don’t expect, some 20v XR/Flexvolt hydraulic (i.e. QUIET) impacts.
jtr165
completely agree. I use my impact driver all the time, but most of that is because i need 1/4 of it’s torque, but just like having the driving bit ready in a separate tool.
A quieter tool for simple fastening with a 1/4″ hex on the same battery platform…definitely would buy
Mr. Creek
20v/Flexvolt wireless charging adapter with 2 slide bars to choose voltage and amps. So while camping, on the jobsite playing music or going in and out of the truck all day. I can just set my phone down on top of a disk that is attached on a Dewalt battery and give my phone (or any other wireless charging device) a quick drink of electrons. Working with my hands for decades, I’ve busted my fingers too many times, I struggle with dexterity at times. Those little usb plugs are a pain especially with work gloves on.
JoeM
Can I just add to all of your ideas here, that the benefit of FlexVOLT batteries isn’t just raw power, it’s also Longevity. A FlexVOLT fan doesn’t necessarily have to generate Hurricane Winds, it could generate the same airflow as a 20 Volt fan, but do so for much longer. After all, the two FlexVOLT battery models are 6 and 9 Ah at 20 Volts. So, regardless of the tool idea you guys want, it may benefit more from the long run times of the new battery platforms far more than the voltage increase generating more power for the tool.
Having to change batteries less often is just as valuable to a tool as having that tool have enough power to get through tough materials without blowing up. Supplying consistent, long lasting power, effectively defining the tool’s “Stamina” if you will, is an important feature that I think a lot of your ideas would have if they were FlexVOLT based, you just might not have realized your idea was inferring this benefit. The compressors, the fans, the heat guns, the impact drivers… all of these ideas would, inherently, need to change batteries less often than their predecessors. So it’s worth considering that.
And to those of you who want Corded/Cordless functionality… Just want a 120 Volt FlexVOLT edition. There’s already the dual battery adapter available separate for the Miter Saws. It already is the size of two battery connectors side-by-side. Problem solved. AC/DC tool ready. Easy and already established, with nothing crazy having to be developed for it.
jtr165
‘ A FlexVOLT fan doesn’t necessarily have to generate Hurricane Winds, it could generate the same airflow as a 20 Volt fan, but do so for much longer.’
I’m in agreement with you, but objectively…isn’t that exactly what they’re already doing? Multiple 20v max tool kits include an FV battery(s) for the exact reason you’re saying. A big old endurance battery for an 18v nominal tool, of which will still work with other non-FV batteries…
If a tool isn’t going to take advantage of the output 60v allows, and the limit of only using FV batteries…they shouldn’t build it as a Flexvolt tool, right? It should just be a 20v tool, and be compatible with the high AH advantages of FV batteries…which i think is what they’ve been saying since FV’s announcement.
Sorry, I’m just saying your post makes it seem like you’d like to see a 60 or 120v Flexvolt tool with output similar to 20v tools, instead with a focus on run time, but that is only compatible with Flexvolt batteries. Doesn’t line up for me, personally.
JoeM
No, I understand where you get that. But with limiters in the fan, rather than the battery, the fans themselves could be more diverse in nature, and last longer per battery. 3-4 fans in one cabinet, for example. Turns it into a kind of air-exchanger mode for working on sites with heavy chemical adhesives or plain old painted walls. With the bigger battery, you could run other things with the fan, maybe even a mode that IS “Hurricane Strength” for those dehydration needs that some people may need in the South. Dealing with Damp, Mold, Humidity… The new battery platform opens up some unique possibilities, above and beyond the 20 volt range. In one mode, they could last twice, or even three times as long. In another mode, they could circulate air.
The more power you have available to you in the platform, the more possibilities for its capabilities. Since we’ve been begging DeWALT to do certain things quite a bit in recent years, and we’ve only had a bit of a trickle of that so far, with the odd burst of additional stuff thrown in, I don’t know what to suggest as a design for it, because I am not entirely positive they are interested in hearing that.
Funny you should say 120 Volt… I think with FlexVOLT now in existence, and the 120 Volt AC Adapter that DeWALT has made for the Miter Saws, the idea of 120 Volt stationary tools of ALL sorts becomes a very desirable request. If you design any kind of stationary tool, heaters, fans, Area/Flood Lights, dehumidifiers, Table Saws, Miter Saws, Tile Saws, and on and on and on with that theme, the second you say 120 Volt edition of one, you’re talking about one that is compatible with that AC Adapter, which makes all of these tools Corded/Cordless tools. Cordless for when you’re setting up the site, and haven’t run the power yet. Then on AC when you’ve got it running.
I think the popularity of doing this with tools will dictate whether or not DeWALT comes out with a 60 Volt AC adapter for the backward-compatibility with the current FlexVOLT Table Saw and the large Worklight. More than anything, I’d rather these things happen so DeWALT sees they’re possible, and moves forward with innovation along these paths. I see the possibilities as a positive thing, and I fully expect most of you think I’m crazy for doing so. I don’t mind being called crazy in these situations, because I do go a little ga-ga over DeWALT innovations. It’s a very apt description of my Nerding out on the subject, and I actually end up learning TONS of stuff I never knew from the rest of you in the process.
The yeti
I hope they don’t abandon the 40v line
neil
Sorry late to the conversation, been up north working. I’ll keep it short and simple.
(Mower was first on the list, now that that is taken care of here’s the rest)
1. More 20V lighting options, just take a look and Milwaukee/Ridgid/Ryobi lights, nothing short of incredible, too many to list but check for your self. I really like the new dewalt Flexvolt jobsite light, but shrink it down a bit so I could fit it in my van please!!!
2. 20V fan, mech rooms with no windows get REAL hot in the summer
David
Have dewalt brought a saw out to rival the sthill saw?