Right now, you can get the latest and greatest Dewalt 20V Max compact Li-ion battery 2-pack, for $99. So that’s (2) 3.0Ah batteries, for 6.0Ah total, for $99.
When the new higher capacity (and physically larger) compact batteries came out (Dewalt DCB230 battery preview), the 2-pack was $129. So, with this price, you’re saving $30.
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Dewalt’s 2.0Ah battery 2-pack is also on sale, for $79. That’s a great price, seeing as how it was $119 a few months ago.
The other deal gives you more amp-hour per dollar, but these batteries are slightly more compact. You have to choose what’s more important to you – size or bang per buck.
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The high capacity (10 cell) battery packs aren’t specially priced at the moment, nor are the FlexVolt batteries (that I can tell), but we’ll keep our eyes open. Deal tips are of course always appreciated.
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John
Dewalt makes their batteries confusing. Some say XR and some don’t for what appears to be the same 2ah batteries. I see it with the higher amp-hour batts too. What’s also strange is that the design and graphics are different for each different amp-hour series, because it looks as the footprints change in size up the line. Some of their batteries just look fake which makes purchasing with some hesitation.
Some Flexvolt batteries are all black plastic and some have more yellow plastic at the top. Dewalt just isn’t helping themselves or us with a lack of design consistency.
I only have the Dewalt brushless recip saw DCS367B and a newer Graco handheld sprayer which came with the 2ah batteries. I would like to add batteries and over time add other tools as needed.
John
So to continue this.
I’m looking online at DCB203 2ah batteries which have 2 different product stickers on the sides of the batteries yet the same model number. The 2ah and 3ah batteries actually say the ah on the side. The 3ah batts look like Chinese fake knockoffs, odd design, less professional than the 2ah. 3ah doesn’t say XR yet the 2ah that says XR. There’s a DCB204 4ah battery 2 pack which doesn’t even say the ah on the side but says XR. Then the single pack DCB204 battery has the 4ah on the side with XR and Dewalt letter sizing changed . The same battery which different stickers. Crazy.
This needs some sorting out. Someone doing Dewalt product graphics is less than qualified for the job. And the person above them is approving it which is even scarier. Consistency pays dividends with consumer products.
Stuart
Designs sometimes change over time, but product images are sometimes slow to be updated.
They’re not hard to interpret. If it’s a compact battery, is it black? 1.5Ah. Bundled with a special buy? 1.3Ah. Yellow? 2.0Ah. Large and yellow? 3.0Ah.
If it’s a 10-cell pack, is it black? 3.0Ah. Yellow? 4.0Ah or 5.0Ah. Larger? 6.0Ah.
If it’s a FlexVolt 15-cell pack, is it black? 6.0Ah. Yellow? 9.0Ah. Larger? 12.0Ah.
Framer joe
Exactly
Logan
Milwaukee is worse with respect to this!
Their batteries are an alphabet soup.
HDHO, HD, HO, XC
Like, what’s the difference between high demand and high output,or high output xc? What makes that different from extended capacity?
I have Milwacky and Makitachu, and man is Makita easier with the nomenclature. Amp hour and compact if compact. That’s it!
skfarmer
really? it’s black and yellow and says dewalt on it. who cares if they look slightly different?
i actually use the smaller packs more often than the larger ones unless it is something with a high load for long periods of time such as with a grinder or saw. drills and impact drivers are often better suited for smaller packs when drilling a few holes or driving a few screws intermittently. smaller packs just make the tool that much lighter and who cares if you have to change the pack slightly more often. if wasn’t battery poor i would be picking up pair of the 3 amp packs.
RobTR8
What you can’t see (what I didn’t see until I was in the store checking them out) is the “Lithium Ion” label molded into the yellow plastic. I agree it’s a bit of a marketing miss.
I really like the wider battery for some of my tools but prefer the “regular” ones for others. Just depends on whether I want them to stand up or lay down.
Julian Tracy
Quit making excuses for poor brand design. That’s all it is. The result is a slightly confusing situation for the end user for no good reason.
Stuart
Nearly all of the batteries have their capacities written on the side now.
Going by the latest Home Depot bonus bundle promo images, the 4Ah is now clearly marked as such too.
Whereas one needed to pay a little more attention before, things are clearer now. So what’s the problem?
The only confusing aspect, for me at least, is differentiating 1.3Ah special buy batteries from the older standard 1.5Ah batteries.
XR? That’s just their “extended runtime” branding that applies to the yellow-topped batteries and brushless tools.
There was a black version of the 3.0Ah compact battery a few months ago – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-dcd778l1-brushless-hammer-drill-kit-deal/%3C/a%3E . That was confusing, but they went back to the yellow color scheme.
John
Stuart,
Go to Dewalt.com’s own battery webpage and view all the batteries. Huge lack of consistency. I’m not using retailer photos or Amazon links, I’m looking square at Dewalt’s own website, own photos of their batteries. It’s confusing as hell. Poor design, poor graphics inconsistent within the SAME battery models. No they are NOT all clearly marked ah on the side.
DCB204 4ah battery model number has 2 completely different labels. Same for the DCB203 2ah batts. It’s just stupid! They appear to have different battery labels solely on whether they are sold as single or in pairs. That’s nuts.
And while we’re at it, how about the stupid model numbers lack of any order:
DCB203 2ah
DCB230 3ah
DCB204 4ah
Dr Evil must have been the genius behind this numbskullery.
Stuart
With the model numbers, what would you have them do instead? Keep in mind that the DCB230 came out years after the nomenclature was created, meaning years before they knew they’d come out with a compact 3Ah battery.
I can’t think of a better model number scheme that doesn’t involve changing old model numbers. Can you?
Regarding the imagery for the 4Ah battery 2-pack, yes, that should probably be updated.
Corey
The change in labels is for folks like yourself who claim confusion. All the new labels explicitly list the ah on them. Prior to that, per generation it was simply black was the lower rating (1.3 originally &1.5 slim/3 fat) and yellow for the higher (2 &3 slim and 4 fat). Starting with 5ah they just printed it on the side in big letters. These second designs you’re talking about are all clear labels of the ah on the smaller packs, and the flexvolts have always displayed it on the side so who cares about color, even though it follows the same: black is 2/6ah, yellow is 3/9ah and 4/12ah respectively. With 2 minutes of consideration it’s all very understandable.
Eric
Lowes has a holiday pack of 2x2ah and 2x4ah batteries for $179. I think I am all set on batteries besides more FlexVolt monsters but it seemed like a nice entry to the platform.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-4-Pack-20-volt-Max-2-Amp-Hours-Lithium-Power-Tool-Battery/1000665147
Ray Browne
It is showing $299 for me at that link right now, seems a great deal at $179.
Stuart
Perhaps try another zip code, or select a different store
Fm2176
I can understand why some people may be confused, and even upset, by the use of different labels, but remember that only a few short years ago batteries were fairly limited capacity-wise. I’ve always viewed the XR branding as DeWalt’s “high capacity” nomenclature, though rapid advances in technology quickly made the original XR packs lower capacity compared to what came soon after. The two posts linked show Stuart discussing the soon-to-be released DeWalt and Milwaukee 2.0Ah and 4.0Ah batteries. Note the dates, little over six years ago.
I was reading about FlexVolt on ToolGuyd four years after those posts were made, and now battery capacities have been doubled again. Given the slow development of battery capacity up to that time, I believe DeWalt intended to stick with regular and XR batteries before realizing they could design even more capable batteries. After all, we were stuck with 1.3Ah slim packs for years before the slight upgrade to 1.5. High capacity packs simply doubled those Ah’s. In the past six years we’ve gone from 1.5/3.0Ah packs to gargantuan 12Ah packs capable of powering tools few thought possible as the then-sitting President was reelected.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/milwaukee-higher-capacity-m12-m18-batteries/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/next-generation-higher-capacity-lithium-ion-batteries/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
JoeP
These have been $99 in my local depot for about 2 months now. They have a new lower price sticker on them. Marked down from $129. On the shelf right above them is the 2 ah battery 2 packs for the same $99. I don’t need anymore dewalt batteries but it seems like a no brainer which ones to buy. Nobody has been buying the 3 ah packs since I’ve noticed the markdown. The 2 ah packs have still been selling though. I’ve been mystified as to why. I make a trip to the depot about 4 to 6 times a week and always take notice of the sales and price trends of tools and materials, mainly electrical material.
Brian M
I’m a Milwaukee guy that just dipped his toe into Dewalt. The batteries are both confusing from an outsider, model numbers on tools is even worse…but look at all the changes going on, it’s virtually impossible to create a good numbering system without 10 digits when technology is changing soo fast. When 20V Max and M18 came out, who would have predicted Flexvolt and 12Ah packs, packs with different cells…I think they’re doing a decent job, but like most things, you have to do your research.
Milwaukee is the worst because of the XC 3Ah packs.
Stuart
To be fair, a lot of brands are trying to improve the differentiation between different battery sizes.
Milwaukee now has CP, XC, and HD labeling for 5-cell, 10-cell, and 15-cell batteries, and High Output categories in XC and HD levels to identify the slightly larger battery packs based on 21700 cells.