A couple of years ago I posted about the difference (or lack thereof) between Dewalt 20V Max and Dewalt 18V XR tools, but there is still a lot of confusion about what Dewalt 20V Max really means.
In the most simplistic terms, Dewalt 20V Max = 18V. These aren’t 20V battery packs, they’re 18V battery packs.
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If you didn’t already know this, don’t worry, it’s not just you. 4-1/2 years later, lots of people still assume 20V Max is more powerful than 18V.
I have yet to determine whether there are more people that know what 20V Max means, or more people that assume 20V Max is more powerful than 18V.
If you are first learning that 20V Max and 18V are the same, don’t feel too bad, you’re probably still in the majority.
When Dewalt first launched their 20V Max lineup with 20V Max branding, their marketing exec said it was to “avoid confusion.” They said that the intent was to differentiate the new tools from previous 18V tools so that users would know they were not backwards compatible.
Things have gotten a little more convoluted since then. Everywhere outside North America, there is no “20V Max.” Dewalt’s current generation of Li-ion power tools are simply branded 18V XR.
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Here in the USA, Dewalts more premium brushless tools and higher capacity battery packs have 20V Max XR branding. These tools and batteries didn’t exist until a few years after the 20V Max platform launched.
So now we have 20V Max and 20V Max XR, compared to 18V XR everywhere else.
4-1/2 years ago, in a comment following my Dewalt 20V Max power tool line launch post, I responded to a reader and said:
When I pushed my questions about this, I was told that there is a far larger existing Dewalt userbase in the USA and that when they observed groups’ behavior when comparing tool lines, they saw much confusion. Users would try to connect the 20V Max batteries to the 18V tools and vice versa.
20V Max does also have marketing benefits. Here in the USA, many of us always assume the bigger, the better.
Which would you think is more powerful, an 18V power tool or 20V power tool? “Well duh, 20V,” is the default thinking of a lot of people, or at least many if not most Americans. It’s how we’re trained to think.
A 2.4 GHz computer processor is faster than 2.0 GHz, right? And a 24 megapixel camera is better than 18 megapixel, right? No, not necessarily. The same applies to power tools and voltage. No longer is it even true that an 18V tool is more powerful than a 12V tool. Err, excuse me, 12V Max.
Bigger, more, larger is often considered better. This used to be true for a lot of things, especially emerging technologies, until it stops being true. More pixels, faster processors, higher voltage cordless power tools.
But that’s not the case now because there are so many other variables. More pixels can be worse for camera image quality if the pixels are smaller and less sensitive. Faster processors won’t result in better performance compared to processors with multiple cores. A cordless power tool with a higher voltage battery won’t necessarily out-perform a tool with a lower voltage battery.
It doesn’t really matter why Dewalt decided to go with 20V Max branding in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and 18V XR everywhere else outside of North America.
What is important is that users understand that 20V Max battery packs operate at 18V nominally.
If you measure the output of a 20V Max battery pack when it’s pulled right off a charger, it’ll measure somewhere around 20V. But once a load is applied and that battery pack is put to use, the output will be 18V.
When you look at the battery cells these packs are made from, the combined voltage adds up to 18V. They’re sold as 3.6V cells, not 4.0V cells.
I stopped adding “20V Max = 18V nominally” in 20V Max coverage because I assumed most people are aware of the distinction, but that unfortunately isn’t the case. It’s not that this piece of information is hidden, but it’s not made obvious enough by retailers, distributors, or even some Dewalt product pages.
Making matters worse, some sources perpetuate misinformation and confusion. For example, there’s one magazine that ran an entire review roundup featuring the “top 20V cordless drills.” 20V Max drills are 18V drills with fancy branding.
Now, before you get mad at Dewalt and other SBD brands for doing this, keep in mind they weren’t the first, and they’re not the only ones.
They also don’t hide that 20V Max = 18V nominally.
Kobalt rebranded their 18V power tools as 20V and “relaunched” them alongside new higher capacity battery packs. Rockwell also uses 20V Max branding, as does Craftsman for their Black & Decker-made 20V Max Bolt-On modular power tools.
Here’s why I’m not too upset at Dewalt for creating “20V Max” branding:
Back when 12V Max tools were released, they were 10.8V tools. I believe it began with Bosch’s 10.8V Pocket Driver.
Makita’s compact line started off as 10.8V too.
But then Milwaukee came out with M12. If you look carefully, you might notice that Milwaukee never ever references the battery voltage of their tools. Their compact line is simply M12, and full-size tools M18.
It was a clever way to brand a 12V-class power tool line without describing them as 10.8V.
After a while, Bosch moved to 12V Max in order to maintain competitiveness. Makita did the same.
I guess it works.
When Dewalt’s 12V Max Li-ion lineup launched, they immediately followed the 12V Max convention that other brands established.
So when the new 18V lineup was ready to launch, they went with 20V Max instead of 18V XR. Can you say that you would have done differently?
As a consumer, I still think it’s messy to have to look at a box and find out what the asterisk in 20V Max* means. But it’s still written out on the box.
Right on the front of a Dewalt cordless tool combo box, it says, in 3 languages, :
*Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18.
Yes, it’s a little small, but it’s there, and possibly in multiple locations too.
It’s the worst-kept secret ever. But… that’s if you have a 20V Max power tool box in your hands. 20V Max is not as clearly disclosed online by retailers or even on Dewalt product pages.
For example, look at this Dewalt 20V Max cordless drill kit on Amazon. That’s their special $99 holiday promo drill/driver kit that has been very popular. Where on this purchase page does it say that 20V Max = 18V nominally?
In Amazon’s Technical Details list, it shows “20 volts” for Voltage.
But when you look at Dewalt product pages, there’s a disclaimer on *some* 20V Max tool pages, in the form of an image (link).
But then I look at other pages, such as for this screwgun, and it says 20V under Specifications.
Anyway, while I’m not excusing the decision, I can understand it. Outside of North America, 12V Max is simply 10.8V. Dewalt is at least consistent, following 12V Max with 20V Max.
One thing is for certain, there isn’t a lot of user confusion as to whether 18V XRP and 20V Max are one and the same. Most 18V XRP users are well aware of and upset at the incompatibilities, although an adapter is finally in the works. Even if that explanation was just the one Dewalt gave to media, it’s at least true.
It is what it is.
I can’t change Dewalt’s branding. If given the chance, would I? Possibly, as “18V XR” sounds a lot better and would help ToolGuyd’s Dewalt cordless tool coverage reach a more international audience. But what I can do is try spread awareness.
It’s the shopper or buyer’s due diligence to learn what 20V Max means. Wouldn’t 20V Max* stand out to you, when the other tools on the shelf say 18V? I’m pretty sure I’d want to know what that Max and asterisk meant.
20V Max* = 18V.
I sometimes take this information for granted. How many of you did NOT already know that 20V Max is just a fancier way of describing an 18V power tool?
Chrisk
I really could care lease as far as the marketing hype goes. I have a couple of Dewalt 20v tools but they are not the largest representation in my shop. The only real problem I have is when I do a query for 18v tools. The 20v line is left out of the search. Maybe this hurts Dewalt? Regardless, Dewalt makes great tools and as far as power goes? They are 18v under load. Just like my Makitas and Bosch tools.
fred
I seem to recall similar advertising hype when it was NiCad (maybe NiMH too ?) batteries that we were talking about, When you added up number of cells times the individual voltages – you may have gotten a different number than the “nominal voltage” claimed by the manufacturer. Maybe that was just rounding up error.
I feel a bit sad that good toolmaker’s like Dewalt think they need to resort to this sort of marketing gimmick – sort of what carmakers used to do when quoting horsepower – but maybe their marketing gurus studied under PT Barnum
will
yeah but Milwaukee started all of this nonsense when they went with the M12 rather than M10.8 lineup. I imagine they went this way because M12 sounds better but they still took that step and others followed.
dave
Not so much, no. Dewalt had 12V tools that were really 10 cell NiCd packs for 12.0V nominal voltage, and 14.4V tools that really had 12 cell packs for 14.4V nominal.
Elsewhere on the site it has been recommended to make the jump to the pseudo-20V series and I can’t necessarily agree, still owning one of those 14.4V Dewalts that runs great on the 2nd battery pack rebuild. Sure I have to recharge the pack before use, or just use my other drill instead, or (gasp) a corded one, but seldom do I find use of a drill an emergency where I didn’t have an hour’s notice to recharge it. It’s a bit of the opposite that no matter the job if I just start charging the battery while I proceed to gather other tools and materials, it’s topped off and ready to go.
Tom Edison
All I have to say is P=IE. Ohms law, bitches. Voltage tells you nothing about the power unless you know the current.
SteveR
Tom–Speaking for myself, please watch your language. The emphasis is on sharing information, not making fun of people’s opinions or perceived lack of knowledge. If you have information to share, please do so in a respectful manner. Thanks.
Peter Fox
Also P=IE is Watts law. Ohms law is E=IR
dave
While that is true, we’re also talking about motor winding gauge and variable speed controller, charger circuitry, all of which hit practical current limits at some point, or perhaps I should write cost and weight trade-offs instead.
It depends a lot on where the weakest link is, whether you can make up for less voltage with more current, AND given battery packs with the same sized (and all else equal, same current capacity too), the higher voltage packs can do more work, though at higher weight and pack size (volume) as the penalty.
Having written that much, sure the difference can go either way when it’s a small single digit voltage change.
Nathan
I see why the did it, and yes the MAX behind it should be a clue to some. meh – wasn’t a factor when I shopped.
Meanwhile this is used quite a few times but with less explaniation in many cases.
you mention your computer processor. ok sure you bought a intel I whatever something that’s runs at 3.6 ghz . Well no it only runs at that when demand requires, and that demand isn’t there when you’re typing a post on the internets.
your car doesn’t make 300Hp either, well it does if the throttle is maxes out and you’re in the right gear . . . . . . . .
how technical do you want them to get? meh. I hope to hell they don’t go back and re-market to 18V. For no other reason than I think it would just expand the confusion.
Eric
Clock speed has very little to do with a CPU’s performance these days. It’s all about cores, threads, and lanes.
A cars horsepower output has nothing to do with which gear the transmission is in. And most manufacturers actually measure that at the crankshaft before it even hits the transmission. It’s actually really similar to the way Dewalt is calling this line 20v max. The power at the crank is worthless until you put a load on it, in the case of a car the transmission, driveshaft, gears, axles, tires, etc. The numbers that really matter are the horsepower and torque at the wheels. Or for the tools it’s the torque and rpms at the business end where it’s actually doing some work.
dave
Not quite true, clock speed has everything to do with CPU performance if you merely hold that all else is equal, which with power drills, all else is often quite a bit closer to equal than if you deliberately pick vastly different CPUs to stretch a point.
Additionally, torque and RPM are two very over glorified performance parameters. One important to some people is runtime – a variable speed control is not nearly as good at preserving battery life as having a drill suited to the type of work being done. Further, some Li-Ion battery designs are optimized more for current and others more for capacity.
You can get more effective runtime from a tool with a motor that can’t exceed “X” current, by then paring it with higher capacity batteries never meant to support more than “X” current. You can’t practically pair the same batteries with a higher current motor, or wouldn’t anyway because then your sales brochure specs don’t look as good and the higher current motor was a waste of money.
Another performance parameter is power to weight ratio, particularly for those working with a tool at arm’s length or overhead. Another is cost, what’s the highest work:dollar ratio.
I hope they do go back to marketing based on real battery nominal voltage. That is the industry standard (meaning entire Li-Ion consumer product market, not just tool manufacturers) and using excuses to stray from standards isn’t a good idea in the long run.
Instead of all that XR nonsense, the tool sets could have been called 18V Li-Ion and the fine print reading “Not compatible with NiCd tools and batteries”. Imagine that, the truth instead of obscurity.
Stuart
The fine print on 20V Max packaging mentions 18V nominal voltage.
Toolfreak
It’s not just power tools. This maximum/nominal stuff comes up all the time in home and mobile audio. That 1000 watt amplifier really only puts out 1000 watts at half an ohm and only when driving a certain number of channels. In reality, it puts out around 200 watts continuously and 400 watts maximum when connected to a usual number of speakers at 4 or 8 ohms, and of course the power cord and source is a limiting factor as well.
I think the 12V Max / 20V Max stuff SOUNDS cool, just like it sounds cool to have a “1000 Watt” amplifier even though you’re really only ever getting 200 or 400, but it exploits public ignorance of science, and math and physics in particular. A great deal of people don’t even know what voltage IS, let alone the difference between nominal and maximum voltage.
If the consumer protection laws were working for people in the United States the way they are working for other countries in the world, this 12V Max/20V Max labelling wouldn’t even be an issue, but politics and money have done away with many of the protections we would otherwise have. So, money and corruption wins out over education and consumer protection.
At least they aren’t selling UNSAFE cordless tools, I can live with the voltage branding if that’s the worst thing these companies are doing.
mnoswad
Seriously……………we’re still talking about this?
Anyone who doesn’t know this already should be banned from this site.
G
I mean, I only found this site a few weeks ago. Does that mean I should be banned?
mnoswad
if you haven’t realized the 18v 20v issue yet……then yep.
jk
Michael
Play nice. Everyone has to learn. Negatively stifles the process.
JaseP
I facepalm on the inside a little when im selling a powertool to someone and they want to buy amaerican dewalt because it’s “more powerful” than our 18v dewalt. Its one of the most frustrating things you have to deal with selling tools.
BikerDad
Except that it almost certainly IS more powerful. Not because of the illusory voltage difference, but because of the superior battery tech of li-ion cells. Toss the brushless motors in for good measure and a 20v Max XR Whatchmajigg is 99% likely to be more powerful than an 18v XRP Ni-Cad Whatchamajigg.
Sadly, many of your customer’s eyes will simply glaze over when you get into the weeds like this, so simply nod, smile, and make the sale.
Stuart
JaceP is writing in from outside North America. He means 18V XR Li-ion, not 18V XRP NiCd.
What he’s saying is that his customers think 20V Max is more powerful than 18V XR, same as what a lot of North American users assume.
JaseP
what stuart said…. Hahahah
Michael Quinlan
“Users would try to connect the 20V Max batteries to the 18V tools and vice versa.”
Really? Who are these people? They belong on the recent series of Allstate’s “mayhem” commercials, and should have their tools taken away for their own safety, considering that they’re CLEARLY physically incompatible.
I think you’re right about Bosch being the first to go with the 12V Max marketing – I remember when they were marketed as 10.8V.
mike aka Fazzman
Gotta love markleting in the US. Even quick net searches will show you that a 20V “MAX” max being the key word is 18v.
As far as being more powerful,alot of new tools are but that isnt because of the battery tech of todays lineups,more efficient motors and such. I agree with ToolFreak above,it does make it sound cool. I love my Bosch 12v line. tools.
John
I feel like Steve Harvey was apart of this descion.
Steve
I Remember Stuart when we discussed this a few days ago when I had no idea about the 20v max thing (which actually was 18v nominally) but after that I understood it a little better but this post really cleared things up thanks Stuart!
Jerry
I can’t say I really care one way or the other, but I wish there was some consistency in labeling, and not just in power tools. I can buy a 2 HP ( running) air compressor that moves more air than a 2 1\2 HP (peak) compressor and I have no idea if a drill driver will run in deck screws that require 800 inch pounds to set completely because now some are rated in UWO. To top it off I don’t even know which replacement t engine to get for my 3 HP lawn mower because now they are rated in lb\ft instead of HP! I wish they could pick a standard, and stick with it.
John
Well then it should make you even more frustrated that lawn care and small engines are now starting to be labeled in CC’ss instead of horsepower (and most of thr time not telling the hp at all) which means even less to me. Go to Homedepot and see now how they’re 140cc, 144cc, 159cc, 163cc etc for push mowers. Now THAT will drive ya batty. At least to me in small engines I can’t relate with this change to hp measurement. I have no idea who started this, probably some law for specs but I don’t like it.
Jason
A bunch of companies got sued via class action lawsuit because they were over stating the HP the engines really had. https://www.google.com/search?q=small+engine+class+action+lawsuit&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
John
Yeah I looked into it and read that. It just seems this shift to CC doesn’t fix any of that and in fact confuses the customer even more and hides real performance/power. It still doesn’t address the fact that cc displacement does not necessarily correlate to horse power or “power”. My Mazda RX-8 had a rotary engine at 1.3 liters displacemane and made 230 horsepower for example. At worst give me kilowatts for goodness sakes. Or better yet address those who falsely published and have a real verified measuring institution who can verify their claims and pick a standard bhp/hp.
Jerry
So it seems that someone bought a 5 HP e fine that only put out 4.9 HP or whatever so they were so had ed they had to sue so now manufacturers go with a rating system so ambiguous as to almost ha e no meaning. A few years ago I was lookin to get a new engine for a generator. It originally had a 10 HP engine and I found that 8, 10, and 12 HP engines by one manufacturer all were the same size in CCS. According to the salesman, the carburetors were different somehow, and possibly some of the internals. He also told me a different brands 8 and10 HP engines were identical except that the 8 HP one had a stop so the throttle butterfly wouldn’t open as far (and was $40 or so cheaper).
What’s next? Rating them by how much they weigh?
Drew M
But they’re actually 21v hot off the charger! Dewalt could have marketed them as 21v MAX.
Adam
Pfft! My home garage/workshop is a mix of UK-sourced 18v XR kits plus a host of 20V Max bare tools and 5Ah batteries picked up much cheaper on my travels to US.
18V XR must be better. It’s so much more expensive than the 20V Max version!!
Adam
Also, I haven’t seen anyone post on the new Dewalt Planer:
http://youtu.be/ZIpCW6kRG44
And HD have the new 20V Max Hedge Trimmer posted:
http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hedge-Trimmer-DCHT820B/206596787
Stuart
Thanks! I don’t think I saw that planer yet.
Adam
Dewalt’s marketing vid:
http://d.pr/v/1jXBP
Stuart
Thanks, I also saw it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8hvKFtIVpo .
Post is already scheduled for tomorrow morning. =)
Vladimir
Please confirm that my US 20v XR batteries can be charged by 18v UK/Australian charger. I would rather get a 220/240v charger instead of carrying a 220 to 110 v converter with me when I travel overseas. Thanks!
Chad
I knew about the 20v was actually 18v from the beginning. I had owned Bosch’s 12v line for awhile and they did the same thing in the US.
It’s not a big issue for me.
Ed christie
Are the 20volt battery’s comparable with 18 volt tools in United Kingdom !?
Anyone know!?
Stuart
They should be interchangeable.
In an above comment (https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-20v-max-18v/#comment-774160%3C/a%3E), Adam mentions owning a mix of USA and EU-sourced 20V Max and 18V XR tools and batteries.
will
all the other companies label their 10.8 V tools as 12V. They have laws against labeling these tools “falsely” that is the only reason they are labeled as 18V and 10.8 in Europe.
John Blair
I understand the DeWalt logic. I make a product which comes in two colors based on the generation. The black one uses a li-ion pack and the blue one uses a ni-cad pack. People still order the wrong one all of the time.
Dale
What about the 18V XRP Li-ion “nano” phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries that were compatible with the 18V nicad tools? They were actually 19.8V nominal (6 x 3.3V) when originally using A123 cells and then 19.2V nominal (6 x 3.2V) when Sony cells were used.
Andrew
I always thought it was funny that because of this, the 18V nano batteries are actually higher voltage than the 20V max batteries.
Steve J
“The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and…”
The internal 18650 cells typically come off the charger at 4 to 4.2 volts but are rated are rated at 3.7 volts. Guess 18.5v didn’t sound as good.
Stuart
No, the 18650 cells are rated at 3.6V.
Jon
You’re both right. Lithium cells can be anywhere between 3.6 to 3.7 volts nominal depending on slight differences in chemistry and manufacturing.
The typical lithium cell is reading 3.2 to 3.3 volts when empty and 4.0 to 4.2 volts when full. The voltage under load entirely depends on the size of the load. If you apply a very small load to a fully charged lithium cell the voltage will remain near 4 volts. If you apply a really heavy load to a lithium cell you can draw the voltage down to 2.5 volts or even lower (this is damaging the cell and most devices have protection circuits to prevent it).
Tool batteries and chargers are designed to charge only to 4 volts maximum per cell (instead of 4.2 which they are capable of) to protect the battery.
End users can’t be expected to understand or comply with the fact that batteries are best stored half full. Most people want a tool battery stored at full capacity so it’s ready to use when needed.
Lithium batteries don’t like to be in a full state of charge, and they get really damaged by getting hot (sitting in the sun or in a vehicle) while fully charged. To mitigate this the tool engineers make the chargers cut off at 4 volts per cell and this leaves the “headroom” needed so the pack isn’t stressing from sitting at max voltage in a hot truck.
Stuart
The battery cells that tool brands sell are rated at 3.6V. There are some variances. For instance, certain Samsung INR cells are rated at 3.6V nominally but measured to have 3.64V nominal voltage.
There are other battery cells rated at 3.7V, such as Lithium Polymer. There needs to be a distinction because Li-ion cells in 18650 form factor has different properties than the 3.7V LiPo cells sold and used for other purposes.
Jon
Actually yes some tool makers are using 3.6V cells like the samsung INR cells (dewalt, bosch) however other makers are using 3.7 volt sony SE US18650vt or sanyo UR18650SAX cells (makita, hitachi, hilti) and some packs like milwaukee v28 and some ridgid packs are filled with moli IMR-18650E 3.8 volt cells. This nominal voltage number has no bearing on the quality or capacity of the cells, I am just pointing this out for clarity.
Lithium polymer is a different beast altogether than 18650 cells I agree with that, however there are slightly different voltages for differences in that technology as well – you cannot describe the whole category as 3.7V nominal either.
Stuart
I stand corrected – sorry Steve J!!
I just looked at Sanyo datasheets for other UR18650 cells, and do see 3.7V nominal ratings. I’m also seeing typical capacity of 2.6Ah, vs. nominal of 2.5Ah, which could be how at least one brand (Metabo) markets a 5.2Ah battery pack.
John Sitton
I use 18v and 20 v tools for work and home. I personally like the square pack design. Smaller packs for small jobs and larger ah for larger jobs. My 18v hammer drill/driver is the one I use for hole saws and larger bits. The point is, no matter the job or voltage I have an extra battery and quick charger on hand. No Dewalt tool has let me down yet. Typically I upgrade to the best supported platform . So far so good.
Steve J
Stuart, Jon,
Thanks for the clarification on voltages. My initial quote from spinal tap was just meant as a jab to the power tool companies for the obvious marketing maneuver with the 20v name. Didn’t mean to quibble over a 0.1v difference.
As a point of reference, the protected 18650 Li-ion cells we use for high performance flashlights at work are 3.7v, 3400 mah. These come off the charger at 4.2v. Most of these are rebranded Panasonic cells that have a protection circuit added ( Orbtronic, Nitecore, AW, Eagletac, etc. ). The lights have a protection circuit as well so the batteries tend to stay in good health.
Stuart
I wasn’t looking to argue, sorry if it came across that way. You could be right, but 3.6V vs. 3.7V is a question that I’ve run into a couple of times, and all the datasheets I remember seeing explicitly give 3.6V nominal ratings for the 18650 cells used in power tool battery packs.
Looking at Sanyo datasheets as Jon suggested, I see that you are correct – there are some 18650 power tool pack cells that are officially rated at 3.7V.
I stand corrected, thanks!!
ben
I.knew about it the very first day i got my.hands on 20v max tools. The tools themselves, jigsaw, sawsall, drill. Etc. Were exactly the same weight, girth, design, no.difference but the slot tu feed the battery. Till this day im still suspicious about the 36v lineup as they have the same power, design as the 18v nicad tools!
Andrew
Dewalt does have a bald faced lie on their 20V MAX batteries: The WH rating.
Terje Karlsen
If I were to purchase a Dewalt cordless kit in the US and bring it home to Europe, will a European charger fit, and charge, the US (20V) battery?
Stuart
I cannot guarantee it, bit it should work.
20V Max = 18V XR. So as long as you have a region-specific charger, it shouldn’t care where you bought the battery pack.
I haven’t tried this though, hence the “I cannot guarantee it” part.
Paul Smith
With regard to US battery charger and corded tool input voltage (110-120V) this is the same as the UK building trade uses on “site”. A simple swap from the US 2-pin plug to our 16A yellow 3-pin (NOT the same as the UK 13A 3-pin household plug) makes them useable with a site transformer. The smaller / cheaper “plug in to the wall” voltage converters can give problems and I would say that you use them at your own peril.
Paul Smith
I am a UK-based independent supplier that deals exclusively in DeWALT power tools.
I can confirm that UK 18V & US 20V tools, batteries and chargers and are all fully compatible with each other. By that I mean that regardless of what specs you hear being quoted they will interchange and will work fine. This also applies to UK 10.8V & US 12V equipment.
Paul Smith
ADDENDUM: The same rules apply to FlexVolt equipment ( UK 18/54V & US 20/60V ) as the 60 volt battery is nominally 54V (see disclaimer here: https://www.dewalt.com/products/accessories/batteries-and-chargers/batteries/20v60v-max-flexvolt-90ah-battery/dcb609 ).
The DCB118 charger is fine with both of these battery ranges.
Possibly worth starting another thread Stuart?
Donald
Will the 20v Flex battery or a 20v XR battery work in a 20v drill?
Stuart
If I am understanding your question correctly, yes – they should.
John Callan
So as a 18V XR user in Australia could I use the DCE150B cable cutter tool with the batteries I have. Or would I have to have a 20V max battery?
Stuart
18V XR and 20V Max are the same system. I cannot make any guarantees, but we have not heard any difficulties regarding interchangeability of 18V XR tools and batteries with 20V Max. The difference seems to only be in branding and marketing.
Vedat Macastena
I live in Europe I recently acquired Dewalt battery powered tools from US. Batteries are 20V and 110AC charger and as we know in Europe Dewalt uses 18V chargers. My question is:
Can I use Europe Charger (220AC charging 18V DC) to charge me 20V batteries?
Stuart
Dewalt 20V Max and 18V XR tools and batteries are usually only different in name/branding only. We cannot guarantee it, but I have never heard of any compatibility differences between 18V XR and 20V Max Li-ion cordless power tools and batteries.
Dusts
They should have called it still 18v Max not 20v. Here in our country its 18v branding not 20v max.
Freddy Panes
I bought an 18v XR Li-ion Dewalt Blower (Tool only!) and it shipped from Seoul, SK. Now I cannot find an 18v XR battery but all I see online are 18v/20v XR Li-ion. Can I use them? Will it fit into the slider at the base of the tool. Likewise, on the charger I see 12v-20v XR Charger. Can I buy this to charge them?. Please let me know and thanks for sharing this info on your website.
Stuart
Dewalt 20V Max and 18V XR are the same. Yes, the 12V/20V Max charger will recharge the 18V XR/20V Max battery as long as oyu buy the charger that’s compatible with your local AC standards.
Freddy Panes
Thanks for your help.
Freddy Panes
I just did thanks for your explanation or else I will forever be in limbo about 18v and 20v
Mark
So to clarify, the new 18v tools that are sold outside of the USA, are they compatible with batteries that are badged as 20v max? Or the alternative, does a new 18V XR battery fit an american 20V max tool?
Stuart
Yes, they should be compatible. I have not yet heard of any exceptions to this.
If you’re ever in doubt, an email to Dewalt customer service will give you iron-clad confirmation.