Dewalt is revamping their line of 20V Max XR cordless power tools and batteries.
Most of the changes will impact Dewalt’s 20V Max cordless power tool batteries, although there will be some changes to tool classifications as well.
These changes are coinciding with the launch of the new Dewalt PowerPack battery, which features higher-performing tabless Li-ion cells.
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XR will now encompass Dewalt’s best performing batteries and power tools.
This is similar to how their XR branding was used in the past, but they are redrawing the line with respect to XR batteries.
Historically, “XR” branding was given to Dewalt’s higher capacity 20V Max batteries. Their 1.3Ah, 1.5Ah, and 3Ah batteries were “standard,” and their 2Ah, 4Ah, 5Ah batteries were XR. This goes back more than 10 years, where “XR” meant extended runtime.
When Dewalt launched higher capacity and higher power 20V Max batteries, such as 8Ah, those too were given XR branding.
In recent years, Dewalt launched PowerStack batteries with pouch cells, and they are now launching a PowerPack battery that can deliver high power and capacity.
Dewalt’s XR batteries now include the two sizes of PowerStack batteries – plus the oil-resistant models – and the new PowerPack battery, but not older batteries with “standard cylindrical cells.”
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Essentially, XR no longer means “extended runtime,” and is now used to denote power delivery potential, at least relative to standard Dewalt batteries.
As I understand it, the Dewalt 20V Max XR PowerStack 5Ah and PowerPack 8Ah batteries will enable certain power tools – such as the new DCD1007 3-speed hammer drill – to deliver their top performance.
Thus, for specific XR power tools, you’ll need one of the higher capacity XR batteries to achieve maximum performance.
XR batteries will feature a yellow-grey color scheme, along with a black overmolded base. Oil-resistant XR batteries have a different appearance.
Basically, the older 5Ah and 8Ah batteries will be “standard” batteries, and the same is true for all other higher and lower Dewalt 20V Max capacity batteries that utilize similar Li-ion cell technologies.
At this time, Dewalt 15-cell Flexvolt batteries don’t have XR branding, but they do have color differentiators for separating their 6Ah battery from their higher-powered 9Ah and 12Ah batteries. It’s unclear as to whether a hypothetical FlexVolt 12Ah battery will receive XR or PowerStack branding.
Cosmetic Updates to Non-XR Batteries
Dewalt is overhauling the appearances of their non-XR batteries. As you can see, Dewalt 20V Max batteries that lost their XR status will no longer feature XR branding.
As far as we can tell, the differences are only cosmetic.
Dewalt has updated the looks of their entire line of 20V Max batteries, including their 21700-based 8Ah and 10Ah batteries.
Dewalt updated some of their battery pack housings over the years, and at different times.
All of the 20V Max non-XR batteries look to have similar aesthetics, with improved consistency from 4Ah to 10Ah.
Dewalt’s 3Ah battery received an updated look late last year.
We have not seen any recent changes to Dewalt FlexVolt batteries.
20V Max FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect are Disappearing
On the cordless power tool side of things, Dewalt 20V Max FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect tools will be rebranded as XR.
New XR tools will include the DCS590 cordless circular saw, Dewalt’s most powerful yet, DCS384 cordless reciprocating saw, their fastest saw of its kind, and DCG410 cordless angle grinder.
As with the DCD1007 XR hammer drill, it is reasonable to expect that all of the new XR tools are compatible with all Dewalt 20V Max batteries, and that users can experience the best performance when pairing them with an XR battery.
This is similar to how Dewalt 20V Max FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect tools worked.
Judging from preorder listings and product images, the new 20V Max XR cordless power tool additions will be kitted with PowerStack or PowerPack batteries.
Summary
All Dewalt 20V Max batteries will lose their XR branding, except for PowerStack and PowerPack batteries.
The PowerStack batteries (compact 1.7Ah and 5Ah with pouch cells) and PowerPack (8Ah with tabless cells) are capable of delivering higher power, depending on the tool and application.
Dewalt 20V Max FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect product families will be absorbed into the XR cordless power tool line. Thus select XR tools will be capable of benefiting from the greater power delivery potential of XR batteries.
Questions?
I know this is a bit confusing – please let me know if you have any questions!
Kentucky fan
Do you think this is because flexvolt advantage and power detect failed or something else is at play? In my experience most people that buy dewalt don’t pay any attention to this stuff and buy whatever is on the endcap at Lowe’s or Home Depot
Stuart
FlexVolt Advantage was at Home Depot, and Power Detect at Lowe’s. Both were available at independent dealers.
We now have high-powered 20V Max XR batteries. For the new hammer drill, there’s just 1 version instead of 2 or 3. A Power Detect model might have been locked out of Home Depot, and a FlexVolt Advantage model might have implied the need for a larger and heavier FlexVolt battery to achieve a performance boost compared to using 20V Max XR PowerStack or PowerPack batteries.
I think that the FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect marketing constructs started to age poorly.
12V Xtreme
20V Max, Atomic, XR
FlexVolt
PowerShift
Is there a need for FlexVolt Advantage or Power Detect anymore? Yes for the tech and capabilities those product families represented, no for the additional sub-brand families for marketing purposes.
It doesn’t make sense for Dewalt to have 20V Max XR, 20V Max FlexVolt Advantage, 20V Max Power Detect, and FlexVolt versions of their latest circular saw, reciprocating saw, angle grinder, and other core tools.
This simplification, in my opinion, is a good idea.
I think perhaps they could have created new branding for PowerStack and PowerPack batteries, such as XP for Xtreme Performance, but I can see benefits to Dewalt reclassifying everything but those batteries as just being 20V Max and not XR.
Jared
Does that mean those tools won’t be differentiated from XR at all under the new naming convention? E.g. It’s not that Power Detect will become “Power Detect XR”, but that there won’t be Power Detect or Flexvolt Advantage tools anymore?
Are they updating the tools too?
I thought there was a difference with those lines – like Power Detect was higher performing with all high capacity packs, but Flexvolt Advantage got a boost only with Flexvolt packs. If they’re removing that naming convention completely, is that because tools from either line get performance boosts from high power packs and it doesn’t actually matter which ones you use?
Stuart
FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect will be rebranded as XR.
I imagine that current stock will sell through, after which only the new XR launches will remain.
I need to look deeper into what the new tools’ performance specs will look like for different batteries.
Goodie
This is a good thing. DeWalt’s marketing has been overly complex for a while. My feelings have been that the FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect sub-brands for the big box stores diluted one of the biggest advantages for DeWalt as a brand – You can find their tools anywhere. Independent hardware stores, Ace Hardware, True Value, local building centers, department stores, contractor supply stores, farm stores, and big box; you can always find DeWalt at those stores. This reason alone makes them a brand worth considering.
will
for those concerned, theres a youtube video of the xr/powerdetect/advantage tools. the xr battery if i remember right had best performance anyway. IF the are insitant on running an additional line, it should incorporate the Mac tools items 🙂
Kentucky fan
I agree the simplicity is gonna take them a long way.
Robert
Stuart, the obvious question to me is if “ Dewalt 20V Max FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect tools will be rebranded as XR,” does that mean no new 60V cordless tools (non-ope) will be forthcoming?
Stuart
It’s not clear to me what Dewalt will be doing with FlexVolt, but the line is in continued development.
Tools that might have needed to leverage FlexVolt a few years ago are now possible in the 20V Max line. We’ve seen some FlexVolt tools and tech relaunched under 20V Max, such as the FlexVolt Advantage air compressor.
There’s a FlexVolt adapter for the PowerShift line. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-powershift-launch-2024/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’m not sure what conclusions or speculations can be made about FlexVolt at this time.
Jared
I’m confused now too.
If they get rid of “Flexvolt Advantage” and “Power Detect” – rebranding both “XR”- that seems to imply there’s no need to differentiate them. XR can stand in as the mark for high-performance tools.
However, I was assuming up till now that Flexvolt would transition to Flexvolt Advantage (or whatever name they chose to apply), because its clearly better to have your tools and batteries all be compatible and only switch to 60v when needed.
If instead Dewalt erases that category in favor of “XR” branding, that seems to either imply Flexvolt will remain wholly distinct (because even if Power Stack can supply the needed energy, it’s the wrong voltage to work with Flexvolt tools), or that Flexvolt isn’t needed anymore…
Maybe I’m reading too much into this.
Stuart
FlexVolt Advantage tools delivered a performance boost when powered by FlexVolt batteries.
Power Detect tools delivered a performance boost when powered by batteries like the now non-XR 8Ah, and I believe also FlexVolt batteries.
FlexVolt batteries can still power 20V Max tools, and I assume there will be a performance boost for tools that also get a performance boost from XR batteries.
FlexVolt will still exist. FlexVolt Advantage tools are presumed to still exist, just without such branding.
FlexVolt tools were always completely separate from “20V Max with FlexVolt Advantage” tools. That part isn’t changing.
MM
According to what I’ve seen on Torque Test Channel, “Flexvolt Advantage” and “Power Detect” were more marketing than anything else. They did offer more power with the appropriate larger battery but not by much. Switching to a Flexvolt battery on a Flexvolt Advantage tool got you a little extra power, but it wasn’t anywhere near on the level of a proper Flexvolt tool running on the Flexvolt battery. Flexvolt was always wholly distinct when it came to performance even if “Flexvolt Advantage” implied that those tools could perform like them.
Jared
Ah! That makes more sense now.
I don’t own any Flexvolt Advantage tools. I was incorrectly assuming the tool actually did something with 60 volts. Kind a like a “best of both worlds” scenario where it could run in “Flexvolt mode” for maximum performance or 20v Max when you ran out of 60v batteries. Why not make everything that way?
Now that I say that out loud… That sounds like nonsense and I probably should have known better. 😄
That’s why I was worried about switching the names to “XR” though – i.e. consumers wouldn’t know a special power level was available with Flexvolt packs. Hence I was wondering if Dewalt was disguising something by labelling them all “XR”, possibly in preparation for phasing out Flexvolt…
I get it now. It’s completely unrelated.
Brian
I think it is time for Dewalt to lay out a chart showing what batteries to use on each certain tool. As a contractor I spend enough money on tools. There is no need for unused batteries and chargers laying around. I do appreciate their effort to making better performing tools. I also hope they can keep the cost down.
I also have an 20v max xr 8amp that only lasted a few uses. Not sure what to do with it. Any suggestions?
Thank for your breakdown.
Stuart
I agree – all tool brands should have a chart like that.
If you think your battery is defective, and it’s still under warranty, contact Dewalt customer service about a replacement.
Rog
Clear as mud, Dewalt. Thanks for trying, Stuart! 😛
Stuart
It’s… yeah.
Which part needs work?
Rog
Your recap is great, Dewalt’s the issue with so many different names and directions and lines
Luis
DeWalt being DeWalt
Saulac
Not a good system when you would to “redraw” each time you have something better . Why not simply call them something else? UR for Ultimate Runtime, then the next thing will be GR for God Runtime, then HR for Holly Runtime… Formerly Flexvolt Advantage tools will now be labeled as XR…Do they actually perform better with the new XR batteries, which are not Flexvolt?
Stuart
This is their first-ever “redraw,” following XR’s USA introduction more than 11 years ago. XR branding launched overseas earlier and had a different meaning outside the USA.
HighFlyer
Didn’t XR refer to just the brushless tools originally? The brushless motors gave you eXtended Runtime with the “20V Max” batteries. Somewhere along the way XR started appearing on the batteries also.
Stuart
The batteries came first. We didn’t see XR on tools in the USA until after the first couple of brushless models.
Saulac
You are technically correct. I remember it now. Back in the day of Ni-Cad / pod type batteries, the better stuffs were called XRP. I remembered the XRP were significantly stronger/longer. Most of the time we did not bother with the none XRP.
John
I am surprised a company this large can’t figure out a better naming scheme than this. Very confusing and that’s coming from a guy commenting on a tool enthusiast website lol. Can’t imagine the average person understands what is going on this with this branding.
Matt S
Getting rid of FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect – good. So for tools they actually simplified things and I think we can now just say XR denotes higher-end tools that may get a boost from higher output batteries.
Adding PowerPack to PowerStack – seems confusing and unnecessary. I’m not sure that users should care what specific technology is in the batteries vs what the batteries can do for them.
And along those lines, the XR renaming of batteries seems very confusing. So we now have batteries in use that are labeled XR but according to Dewalt are not XR and batteries that are not labeled XR but are, and it will be like this for years. And it doesn’t necessarily mean potential power output because a compact XR PowerStack is not really going to be better than a now-non-XR 8ah. It’s more like XR just means “uses newer battery technology”. To actually recommend what batteries to use with high draw tools I’d guess they’ll need to do like you said and recommend a 5ah+ PowerStack or PowerPack or FlexVolt or whatever next name they come up with. Kind of a mess.
It would be nice if power output were treated as a number along with amp-hours, but I guess that is not as enticing to market.
Chris
If I was in charge of marketing, I might have gone with new name like HP maybe. (Not sure if any other brands use this but you get my point) while leaving all the current XR batteries the same. Or just completely drop the current type of battery and just stick with the tabless cells and the power stack batteries.
As for power detect and flexvolt advantage, they should have just stayed with one or the other. Not sure why they had to go with 2 lines just because they were sold through diffferent retailers. Has any other company done this? I can’t think of any if there is.
It seems pointless to me to have so many different lineups of batteries. You have your 12v, now two different versions of your standard batteries, powerstack, flexvolt and whatever they announced to compete with the MX fuel batteries. Which I haven’t heard anything else about since it was announced. Why!? It’s more confusing to the typical customer to have so many options. I don’t understand. Do companies not follow the KISS method any more?
CA
It’s double super duper powered…just like the forge. and the beat goes on. Pay super duper prices to get in early!
Stuart
How would you market better batteries differently?
potato
I assume Lowes and HD will still get “different but practically the same” XR models in order to not price match each other?
Big Richard
Nope, both retailers are caring the exact same model numbers of these next gen XR tools. That was the whole point behind this shift, to simplify the line.
Michael F
These seem like the right marketing moves for DeWalt to make. The lineup immediately seems more intuitive and I feel like I’d understand better what I was actually buying as someone who isn’t intimately familiar with yellow tools.
PW
I think I follow, but this is very confusing. I think “rebranding” XR is a poor choice – there’s going to be a very substantial period of time where the old stuff is still winding it’s way through sales channels. That’s going to make it clear as mud what an “XR” battery is. It’s going to be even worse if there are tools that require higher power delivery from an XR battery, and then someone is disappointed when their “old XR” battery doesn’t perform.
This stuff already trips me up! I received (as a gift) the “Atomic” 4.5″ circular saw.
I was surprised to find that it doesn’t work any of my with my compact kit batteries. It just flat out does nothing, the computer controller just refuses to let it try to spin. I inspected the packaging and marketing blurbs carefully and could not find anything that should have tipped me off.
I shrugged, slapped a bigger battery in and moved on, but I can imagine a different user getting frustrated. I can only imagine how much worse it’s about to get, with future high power delivery tools.
They should have picked a new designation anyway, I think “XR” sounds dumb and dated. The consonant gobbledygook name thing feels like a passe marketing trend.
MM
I’ve been trying to post this for an entire day now but the spam filter seems to really hate the message for some reason. Maybe it will work now.
My question pertains to this comment in the article summary: Thus select XR tools will be capable of benefiting from the greater power delivery potential of XR batteries.
Does this mean that these new XR tools and batteries have some kind of switch, either in software or in hardware, that activates the extra power? If so, specifically what tools and what batteries have this feature? Or is this just summarizing the basic fact that high-power-draw tools perform poorly with low capacity batteries in general, like we can see with all brands?
Stuart
I haven’t looked closely enough to the technical part of the battery-tool handshake that makes this happen.
Years ago, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel drills benefited from an “XC effect” where you can get a boost in torque when using them with 10-cell batteries compared to compact 5-cell batteries.
FlexVolt Advantage and Power Detect worked similar, where batteries capable of delivering more power drive higher tool performance.
There are different benefits for different tools, and the same seems to be true across brands.
It’s not clear to me whether tools know to call for more power, or they’re simply responding to batteries that can deliver more power.
Dewalt’s latest Atomic drills can leverage the greater power delivery potential of larger batteries. One has specs that reflect what you can achieve when powering it with a compact battery, and the other has specs that reflect what you can achieve when powering it with the higher power battery it’s kitted with.
I don’t know how many tools have similar benefits or capabilities, and this applies across brands.
This seems to be the trend now with brushless power tools, where battery selection affects performance and not just runtime.
MM
Your point about how it’s not clear whether tools know to call for more power or if they’re simply responding to more capable batteries is exactly what I am wondering about.
For example, Flexvolt Advantage and Power Detect tools supposedly had a means of detecting the relevant batteries and then increasing power. But on the other hand I can take my old DCD990 drill–which dates to long before either of those technologies–and clearly observe that it drills big holes faster with a big battery like a 5ah Powerstack, 9ah Flexvolt, etc, compared to a compact battery. But the same thing is true for other platforms. My Makita bandfile does not perform well with a 2ah battery. My M12 5-1/2in Fuel circular saw is very weak with anything smaller than a 4ah pack unless it’s the 2.5 HO, and the 5.0 HO is noticeably better than the 6.0. I’m sure you could do this test for nearly any brand: pick a high power demand cordless tool like a router, circ saw, grinder, etc. Go test it with 2ah and then 8ah packs. I bet you’d see more power from the bigger pack the majority of the time. Torque Test Channel is a good example of this, when they show their dyno runs of different tools they always use a variety of different size packs and while sometimes changing the packs doesn’t matter much, most of the time there is a clear trend of bigger battery = better performance.
So is there really anything new here? Is Dewalt just telling us what we already know, which is that high demand tools perform better with larger and newer tech batteries and their performance suffers with smaller capacity packs? Or is there some kind of active technology which controls this?
Jared
That’s what was tripping me up earlier too. I assumed Flexvolt Advantage, for example, was actually detecting when you inserted a Flexvolt pack and doing something with it.
Now I’m also wondering whether Flexvolt Advantage, Power Detect or the NEW “XR” are really “doing ” anything at all – or if they’re just describing tools that benefit from rapid-discharge batteries and batteries that work with high-draw tools.
Matt
Honestly, this cleans Dewalt up a lot. As an owner of their tools and tool enthusiast on an enthusiast site .. I had no idea the differentiation between flexvolt, flexvolt advantage, and power detect, instead assuming they were all basically the same but for different retailers.
This does add confusion on the battery side of things, but not in a way that is seriously detrimental. Old XR has always been superseded by new XR, which seems to be the case here.
If XR used to mean ‘extra runtime’ on the batteries, what did it mean on the XR labeled tools? I always viewed XR as the premium, newest stuff (and most likely to be made in USA), but did not associate it with longer battery life. What did it mean on the tools themselves? And did the battery or tool labeling come first?
Ryan
I think they should of just got rid of the lower non XR batteries and left the XR branding on the Xr batteries. Less confusing and simplifies product catalog. All kits should come with a minimum of 2ah compact XR.
Powerstack should still be Powerstack since it needs to differentiated from cylindrical cells.
The new design tabless versions could be XR with the small Tabless underneath. Something that is accurately descriptive and gets someone who doesn’t know asking questions. XR Powerpack seems to me to add more confusion instead of taking it away.
Should have three easily distinctive series of 20v batteries
XR= normal 20v cylindrical batteries
Powerstack=pouch/non cylindrical
flexvolt=20v/60v
Stuart
I spoke to Dewalt – they will be looking at reducing redundancy.
JoeM
*Shrug* Makes sense to me. They just moved the goal post a bit, and are disposing with the pretense that the original 20V Max batteries are anything more than powerful batteries. They moved the line of where XR starts, that’s really all it is.
As to FlexVOLT Advantage and Power Detect… I’m glad they’re just going to be XR now. That means neither Home Depot, nor Lowes, can claim exclusivity over an entire lineup or sub-group within the Lithium Ion based tools. They’re all going to be the same standard going forward.
Now… Hopefully… They don’t forget that they did some weird things with the 12V line as well, and they’ll unify the 12V Max and XT (XR batteries and eXtreme Compact lines.) lineup. Taking away the exclusivity deals for specific retailers benefits the consumer more. Forcing all the lineups to actually, you know… Line up… It just makes everything more straightforward and direct.
Big Richard
“At this time, Dewalt 15-cell Flexvolt batteries don’t have XR branding, but they do have color differentiators for separating their 6Ah battery from their higher-powered 9Ah and 12Ah batteries.”
Not true, anymore at least. The 6Ah was updated to look like the 9Ah and 12Ah at least a couple years ago? They no longer have the grey top, but yellow like the 9Ah/12Ah.
eddiesky
Because of one of your affiliate links, I picked up a 5ah Flex in the past.
That pack is not small. I actually hate it. Its wider but flatter and while allows my saw to go all day on stud cuts, for my drill/driver, its like a clumsy foot.
Come on Dewalt! Give me a damn case that holds/stores your flooring nailer. And make it cordless. Until then… zzzzzz
Travis
Is there a full size cordless plunge router in that pic? Is that out and about in the world already? I must’ve missed that intro somewhere.
MM
Yes, that’s a full size plunge router. Model no DCW620. It’s been announced but it hasn’t hit the market yet. It should be available very soon as it’s starting to show up on some dealer’s websites:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-XR-2-1-4IN-HP-Plunge-Router-Bare/5015138873
Big Richard
Official press release – https://dewalt.mediaroom.com/2024-04-30-DEWALT-R-Announces-the-Worlds-First-20V-MAX-Cordless-2-1-4-Peak-HP-Dedicated-Plunge-Router
Philip
I sure hope that new recip saw has a rafter hook. I got rid of my dewalt ones and switched to Milwaukee sawzalls because I can’t work without a hook.
Kirk
Yeah I don’t get it. I’ve added my own to 20v osc multi tool, 60v gen2 recip saw, brushless compact recip saw, had to switch 20v framer belt hook cuz it’s no good
MP
When you say the new 20v circular saw is going to be the most powerful ever, does that include the 60v saw?
Stuart
They say it’s their most powerful 20V Max circular saw.
Kirk
That new DeWalt 20v plunge router is almost exact same model as a black and orange color 120v Black and Decker plunge router i own . Thats a Expensive toy I’ll have to justify it with the boss somehow
Jonathan
Thanks for the breakdown, Stuart! Do you have a post showing size comparisons of the batteries yet? I’ll admit I sometimes select batteries based on how they fit on the tool, since some tools are sized to fit a particular size, weight, and aspect ratio. The new batteries seem to be wider/longer and a little shorter in height, am I reading that right?
Stuart
You might be able to get a good sense of their sizes here: https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-xr-battery-comparison/%3C/a%3E , but I haven’t done size comparisons yet.
This post has examples of how they fit with the new XR tools: https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-xr-cordless-power-tools-review-2024/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E