The Dewalt 1800 Watt Portable Power Station, briefly mentioned in our Dewalt FlexVolt introduction, and then again mentioned in our 5 Hot Tools from the Dewalt 2016 Media Event post, is quite possibly the BEST cordless tool I have ever used.
If not the best, it’s most certainly my favorite.
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Why? Because the Dewalt DCB1800 Portable Power Station can power nearly any corded power tool I have ever used, meaning any of them could be used in an almost-cordless manner. I say almost because you still need to connect the tool to the Portable Power Station.
My favorite corded jig saw? Festool sander? Dust extractor vac? Hammer drill? 10″ table saw? Drill press? Woodworking router? Worm drive circular saw? Yep, this handy tool (accessory?) lets me power any corded tool (up to 15A) without having to find an AC outlet.
It’s kind of like a gasoline generator, but without the gasoline engine. Bosch makes a massive (and pricey) mobile battery bank, and there are smaller consumer models as well, such as this one from Anker.
You do have to charge up 4 Dewalt 20V Max or FlexVolt battery packs, but the Portable Power Station can do that for you, so you don’t even need additional chargers.
The charging time is 2.0 amps per hour, which means a 20V Max 4.0Ah battery pack will charge in 2 hours, a 5.0Ah in 2.5, and a 6.0Ah FlexVolt battery pack in 3 hours. While not as fast as a regular charger or fast charger, keep in mind that this thing has 4 parallel charging circuits built in.
I remember asking and being told that higher capacity battery packs are recommended, so that means 3Ah and up. The kit option comes with 3x 4.0Ah battery packs and a single 6.0Ah FlexVolt battery pack.
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The Dewalt Portable Power Station delivers a modified sine wave output, and the manual warns that this might not be compatible with certain tools or devices. I have yet to find something that cannot be powered with the Power Station, and will continue to search.
The operating temperature range is said to be 32-104 °F.
It’s operation is pretty simple. It charges via a standard extension cord, which you supply yourself, and has a single 3-prong output that’s activated via on/off power button.
Each battery bag has an LED light that lets you know when each attached battery is finished charging.
Dewalt designed the Portable Power Station to charge up to 4 batteries in parallel, meaning it’ll recharge your packs simultaneously. This makes it an excellent jobsite companion to support your 20V Max and FlexVolt cordless tools.
It’s a bit weighty – which is usually good whenever talking about electronics – but is easily managed thanks to its multiple handle options. It can be latched on top of Dewalt ToughSystem tool boxes, for easy transport or off-the-ground access when in use.
Maybe a carrying strap would have been nice, but that’s something I can buy or build myself. I’d say a cord wrap would be nice too, but I haven’t really been wanting one. If need be, there are multiple ways I could wrap a cord around the unit.
It can deliver up to 1800 watts continuously, meaning a full 15 amps. Corded power tools can create current spikes at startup, but the Dewalt Portable Power Station can shrug them off without issue. It can handle peaks of up to 3600 watts.
Part of the beauty is that you can use the Dewat Portable Power Station to power any brand’s corded power tools.
Heck, you could even use it to power a pancake air compressor, or other portable air compressor, although very high powered tools will drain the battery packs faster than something like an oscillating multi-tool or jig saw.
Another thing I like about the Power Station is how it opens up Dewalt’s cordless power tool lineup to users who bought into other brands’ cordless platforms. If you plan on using it to power corded power tools regularly, you’d need dedicated batteries for it anyways, and so the Power Station and 4 battery packs won’t cost you anything extra. You then have the opportunity to buy a Dewalt cordless tool or two, at just the bare tool expense.
The kit option is also well thought out, bundling the Portable Power Station with 3x 4.0Ah battery packs and a single FlexVolt battery pack. While one could complain that it should have been bundled with 5.0Ah battery packs, or all FlexVolt battery packs, the bundled battery configuration is smart.
You get 3 high capacity but not highest capacity battery packs, keeping the cost controllably low, and a FlexVolt battery pack that opens the door to using any of the new Dewalt FlexVolt power tools, or longer runtime with Dewalt 20V Max power tools.
It’ll take some more time for me to explore the full capabilities and limits of the Dewalt 1800 Watt Portable Power Station, but I don’t really expect for my impression to change.
I am extremely pleased with the capabilities and functionality of the Dewalt Portable Power Station. I do have one request, and it’s something that Dewalt couldn’t possibly help with: I very much want to see something like this in Milwaukee Red.
While it won’t make corded tools “cordless” in a literal sense, it’s the best way to “cut the cord” for corded tools.
Price: $399 for the Portable Power station (DCB1800B), $599 for the kit (DCB1800M3T1)
Update: At the start of 2018, Amazon has much lower pricing on the bare too.
Buy Now(Bare Tool via Acme)
Buy Now(Bare Tool via Amazon)
Buy Now(Kit Bundle via Acme)
Buy Now(Kit Bundle via Amazon)
Hmm. I now also kind of wish there was a built-in USB charging port, but that might be asking too much. Where would the wishlist end? With a jobsite radio? LED worklight?
Thank you to Dewalt for providing the review sample unconditionally!
James C
Seems like a game changer for certain applications. Don’t forget about the non-tool uses, e.g. camping, power outages, tailgating, etc.
Hopefully not, but are there any patents Dewalt has on this that would prevent other manufacturers from developing a similar product? I may end up investing in a different color of 18v tools but this is something I’d love to have.
firefly
Battery powerbank with a build in inverter is nothing new. The only different is this use dewalt 20v battery. They aren’t so prevalent in the tool market for the simple reason… run time…
The inverter will always result in some power lost. So if all thing are created equal an AC tool using the powerbank will have less run time than using the same battery to feed an equivalent battery power tool. So far high current draw… I don’t see this as a viable option unless you only need to use that one corded tool in a pinch. For low current such as a cordless drill which is likely whoever is buying already own one, the cordless tool that they already own is a much better option.
I think asking $400 for what amount to a bundle of a multi charger and an inverter is too much. Plus this only accept dewalt battery… So unless you are already heavily invested into the dewalt cordless batteries and need something that can be used to power your corded tool in a pinch this is a horrible idea. Again I don’t see a good use case for this. Not for $400 but I would love to hear some different opinions on this.
Corey
The 4 batteries easily account for over half that price tag
firefly
$400 is the bare tool without any battery. $400 with 4 battery is definitely a more reasonable price.
Corey
I stand corrected, I could have sworn I saw coverage of it cheaper. I’ll be surprised if it keeps that price point in the coming year. I’ve been heavily invested in Dewalt for years, and I don’t feel any temptation right now lol
JJ
I wouldn’t say the best cordless tool ever because there’s so many out there to choose from but with 20 amps on tap would definitely put it up in the top 5 most definitely food for thought dewalt!!
Travis
The more I see about this and the more I think about the portable power station the more I see endless uses for this. A very exciting…errr…tool it is.
I can’t wait to run times from the testers.
I know I have plenty of high capacity batteries to operate this and I will be building my FlexVolt battery lineup. This could very well be in my future.
Adam
Such a silly question, but what do you think the loss is, if you were trying to charge another battery pack, as in connecting a M18 charger. I suppose the best way to judge is if you had four 5ah dewalt batteries on, trying to charge other 5ah.
I have to agree this is an outstanding idea, just wish it was in another color, but contemplating it for the utility of it nonetheless. I would think about the Flex-Volt line up more, but they felt like beasts when I picked them up in HD. for as much as I love power, I love still using my arms at the end of the day
Stuart
It’s hard to say, but there will be some losses to efficiency and heat. Chargers are not designed with energy conservation in mind.
BonPacific
The inverter will chew up a lot of power as well.
ca
Could you give us an idea of how long this thing will power a tool?
Jon
You need to do some maths to figure that out but I can help you with a basic calculation. Say you have the batteries that came with it – you add together the Wh ratings (watt hours) – so that would be 3×80 and 1×120 for a total of 360 watt hours.
Now you calculate the draw of the tool, and add about 10% for conversion losses. To figure out roughly how many watts a corded tool draws you multiply the listed amperage rating by 120 volts. A typical circular saw under load will consume 15 amps * 120 volts = 1800 watts. That’s under maximum load and the average consumption will be much less than that in regular use.
1800 watts + 10% for conversion = 1980 watts. Divided by 360 watt hours means you could run that circular saw for just about 11 minutes under full load. Depending on what you are doing or cutting, that could be a lot of little cuts or that could be a few long rips or whatever.
Dacan
LOL if thats true and you could run a 15a tool for 11 mins then its a joke. Why would anyone choose this over a $500 1800w 20a Generac or Honda small portable generator that can run 2-5hrs based on load on 1 gallon of gas.
BonPacific
Because the Honda generators are noisy, unpleasant, and require venting? There are plenty of locations you don’t want to have a gasoline engine running.
Jon
First of all you probably wouldn’t run a 15 amp corded circular saw from this unit as described because you would be far better off to use an actual cordless saw.
Keep in mind that currently the run-time numbers are not overwhelming, but a couple years from now you could easily be populating this unit with four 9 amp batteries bringing up the total run time significantly.
davida1
The real number of wh should be 270, because of max/nominal voltage.
Stuart
Working on it. It’s tough because load and no-load conditions have to be considered.
ca
Thanks. Perhaps the most interesting metric would be, say, how many cuts you can make in a 2×4 with a circular saw. This would allow easy comparison with cordless tools which usually publish such statistics.
Handy Mann
It can do 459 cuts in 2×4 pine with a 7 1/4 saw. See this site for a chart on its runtime on different tools (https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCB1800B-Portable-Station-Batteries/dp/B07H9PXBRP)
Dacan
Have you received one and just not tested it yet? Interested on the run time too for something like a 15a miter saw, compressor, table saw, or router. Interesting that on Dewalts site they dont give any estimates or run time. I am skeptical it will have enough runtime to meet everyones expectations.
Stuart
I’m trying to find a good standardized way to do this.
It’s been taking a lot of time, and I didn’t want that holding things up.
BonPacific
Seems like you’d want some best and worst-case scenarios. Like how long you could run a Tablesaw ripping down 2x stock (seems like a common enough scenario).
@toolaholic
i have one and was able to manage almost 34 complete cycles using a makita mac 2400 compressor and 4 (6.0) batteries. the makita compressor pulls 12.5 amps and likely spikes much higher on start. im impressed so far but this is just scratching the surface. like most are saying, it makes more sense to use a dedicated cordless tool like a paslode framer instead of powering a compressor to shoot nails, but it starts to make sense if you only need cordless power infrequently. i made the comparison that an HVAC tech could easily power his threader in a remote location to pipe in a house for gas. This type of “generator” shines in infrequent use, where a normal generator would be in idle most of the day just wasting fuel.
Nathan
so to your comment about what you can’t run off of it – I would not run a desktop computer or some modern TV’s off of it. the whole modified sine wave bit.
also some test equipment or anything with delicate electronics. emphasis on delicate. who would do that anyway? for camping purposely alone I think I want one and a toughsystem trolly and case.
I know this – make my old mitre saw cordless. I wonder how long that would run honestly.
Bruce
Most modern desktop computers would be happy with a square wave inverter. Switch mode power supplies aren’t picky. They are basicly just taking the high and low and making a dc bank to divide out into the various power lines.
Joshua Rafael
Just for reference, I can run my MSI laptop(a large draw for a laptop) for about 1.5 days. A large UV bugZapper for 3-4 days when camping. I’m still looking for what runtime people have experienced running at near 1800w.
Joshua Rafael
More precisely, I’m looking for the duration of accumulated runtime of a 1650W inductive load.
abnormalist
“Math is hard… Lets go shopping!”
Although in this case its really really easy
4*20 (4 amph batteries 20v) 80wh
80×4 (80wh by 4 batteries) 320wh
So in a perfect environment you can run a 320w load for one hour. Or more likely a 1000w for about 15 minutes sustained.
Reality is a bit more complicated, as tools rarely run at 100% load, inverters are never 100% efficient, etc etc. So figure you can probably run your jobsite table saw for 15-30 minutes real world use
Jon
It’s too bad that the charge rate is only 2 amps per battery. The regular single battery rapid charger has an 8 amp charge rate, so basically all the banks added together equals the charge rate of ONE charger!
That’s only SLIGHTLY better than the multi units that charge batteries sequentially. I would have much preferred if there was an 8 amp charge rate PER battery!
Phi Nguyen
32 amps?
Jon
Yes ideally the total charge ability would be 32 amps at 20 volts, it should require about 12 amps of wall power (based on single chargers using 3 amps of wall power to produce 8 amps at 20 volts DC).
@toolaholic
i agree i wish the per bank charge rate was higher, but you cant win ’em all. it would have likely pushed the price higher. I dont recommend it as your primary charger but its been working well for me as an overnight charger
John
I’m a little unclear, are all 4 banks required to be populated before it outputs AC power through the plug? I would think just 2 60v flexvolt batteries would be enough but it doesn’t specifically say. How also does the amp protection work, is there a breaker switch to flip when over 15 amps or do you have to do a full reset (remove batteries for a few seconds to recycle)?
Stuart
Yes, 4 batteries are required.
I still have more testing to do, over-current conditions are on the list.
Jon
The voltage of the batteries you attach has nothing to do with the output voltage. The inverter is taking a 20 volts (18 volts) input from all the batteries no matter what you attach. They are connected in parallel, not in series, so even with all four batteries the input voltage to the inverter is 20 volts (18 volts).
The unit takes that 20 volts (18 volts) DC from the batteries and inverts it into 120 volts AC (rms). The protection works the same as a GFCI plug with a reset button. If there is a fault then the circuit is disconnected until you press the reset button.
Lance
If it uses the batteries in parallel, why do all four batteries need to be present to use it?
Jon
I could be wrong and it could be that the batteries connect in series to provide 80 volts DC input.
Either way the reason you need 4 batteries is to spread out the load otherwise they would get too hot and shut off.
John Blair
I was just going to offer to review one for you (insert smile here). I would be interested in how long it powers your refrigerator in real world operation.
That’s something I could sell the wife on.
Cj
Yes me also would like to see them come out with one that could power your house like a generator I would definitely be able to sell my wife on that
Nathan
you’d want a better battery packaging for that. IE not an individualized tool pack system.
A few companies make something like that and they use a nearly 100 volt battery constant for it’s use.
jason swan
Hmmmm. Initially, it’s like “this is cool-awesome and could be really useful…”
Then rational guy kicks in and asks, well, this thing is 360 watt hours with the 4 battery bundle. What are the watt hours of a typical car battery? Around 1200.
Ummmmm….car battery and inverter is not gonna be $600, assuming you don’t already have batteries for the thing – which I do not.
Can’t really see the use case for this thing except for those fully invested in dewalt ecosystem and with money to burn on toys.
Tim
Kind of want to buy one just to use as a battery powered battery charger.
Jon
Not a great idea because battery chargers don’t typically enjoy power from a modified sine wave inverter – you will have a much reduced battery life span charging that way, although in a pinch it’s OK.
Barri
As some have said start up current is what will drain this thing very fast. As an example using a chop saw to cut miters on crown or baseboard. It wouldnt take a lot of cuts to drain all 4 of them battery’s completely and as some have said some tools with advanced speed controls are affected by modified sine waves.
I set up a 400AH 12v inverter bank with 2 200 AGM battery’s and it was pretty pathetic. I ended up returning the inverter and battery’s and bought the Honda eu2000 and it will run my whole house. Not including AC but heat works great and it’s a pure sinewave too so works good on sensitive electronics.
Roger
For $399… Wouldn’t it be cheap (or about the same) and much more portable to buy ACTUAL cordless tools? You’d still need to buy the batteries. You’d still have to get chargers; and they would take up about the same space; and charge faster.
As a comparison; a 1800W generator with 2 outlets and 12V outlet, 5 gallons of gas, and an extension cord is about $230-$250… I already compared the fully cordless above.
What I want to know is: IF it could and how long it could run a jobsite tablesaw (eg. DWE7491rs) or miter saw (eg DWS780)? Then it would be worth it.
BigDan
regarding the modified sine-wave – I’ve only seen this be an issue with computer power supplies when hooked up to cheaper vs. more expensive UPS battery backups. Computers using higher wattage power supplies now require at least a simulated sine wave if it not a pure sine wave. Modified to me sounds like “stepped” which is what it sounds and means the current isn’t flowing like a pure since wave looks like. My desktop computers have 800 and 1200w power supplies and are platinum rated for efficiency so I have some more expensive APC UPS backups with pure sine wave output.
As to how this applies to power tools I couldn’t imagine. They’d have to be designed with unreliable power sources in mind. Assuming they say that for people using higher end computerized equipment like Fluke? or even those who would use them for their computers.
FYI laptops aren’t impacted by such things, I wouldn’t expect any devices with their own batteries would be.
Some of you engineers might have better explanations as to why the waves matter, this is my uneducated understanding of that topic.
Benjamen
We’re taking a look at the ramifications of the modified sine wave output.
I’ve been seeing a small speed difference on some tools when they are plugged into the Portable Power Supply, not a lot, but noticeable. We’re investigating why right now.
It’s really hard to quantify what the power difference is between a modified sine wave and a pure sine wave, just by measuring the voltage and current output, because it is more involved. So I’ll be working on looking at the loaded and unloaded waveforms and trying to find a way to quantify the differences that makes sense.
Nathan
have you guys hooked it to a O-scope to see what it does look like? I’m more curious than concerned.
When under load what is the actual line out voltage – does it really maintain 115Vac or does it dip closer to say 108?
Stuart
Yes, and we’re working on getting my scopes connected too. I’d need some kind of isolation for my benchtop scopes, and am looking to see if I can borrow a handheld scope.
The waveform we’ve seen so far (thanks, Benjamen!) shows a sort of truncated sine wave, as I guess you’d expect for a modified sine wave source (https://www.google.com/search?q=modified+sine+wave&tbm=isch), but there’s some damped rippling. It looks to be minor, but throws off my frequency measurements unless I override the auto range to above 750V or so.
Jay
“The operating temperature range is said to be 32-104 °F.”
Such a limited temp range is a weakness.
Andrew
Dewalt has some funny math with their watt-hours. Included batteries total 324 watt-hours. If this is 80% efficient, I’ll be very impressed. Down to 260 watt hours out. Probably uses power even when the tool is off, but we can ignore that.
I know that whenever I’m using my job site table saw, I’m averaging 1500 watts between cutting and it running with no load while lining up the cut. Ripping is always up around 2000. Pancake air compressor or good one like rolair jc10 is about 1000.
This works out to about 15 minutes on the air compressor, or about 10 on the table saw or a worm drive circular saw. It doesn’t sound like much but it’s a decent amount.
ca
This thing isn’t very appealing to me. I mean, I’d rather just drag a cord around or, if I’m truly in an area with no power, use a gas generator.
JMG
I don’t know about you, but I used to have to drag upwards of seven hundred feet of heavy gauge cord around with me to power my tools on new job sites. That is a lot of weight and space in the truck that I would rather do without. Not to mention the amount of time it takes to load and unload and string out for work, or shop storage space when not on the truck. Much of this was simply to power three to four tools, and not all at the same time.
This item would eliminate much of that process for me saving both time and space. It is an incredibly appealing tool to me on so many levels. Granted, it won’t completely remove power cords from my tool kit, but for a majority of situations it will greatly reduce the need for them along with the amount of footage required.
Jason Holowicki
Not sure why there are so many negative vibes for this tool. This is a great tool. I am a plumber and there are tons of amazing and time saving uses for this. First, being able to use any tool when dealing with a property/room/ or vacant rental that has no power is great! Second, being able to power a shop vac anywhere is the greatest!! Third, being able to go onto a rooftop and not have to bring extension cords up is great! Fourth, having to use a larger AC drain cleaning machine from an outdoor clean-out (or rooftop vent) to clear a drain stoppage without having to try to find a power source or bring long extension cords is great! Fifth, installing galvanized gas lines on roofs or when far away from buildings i can run my power threader! The list can go on and on for other personal uses too! Ordered mine weeks ago!! Can’t wait til they finally ship!!
fred
Jason
Your absolutely right. This has the potential to be a great tool. No – it can not power your welder (our Miller had a diesel engine for that) – and we would not have plugged the Unisaw’s we brought to some big jobsites into it – but like you – I can see it bridging the gap where a corded tool is the best option available – but running a cord is impossible or impractical.
abnormalist
I dont think people are being down on it, just realizing its limitations. Right now its really trying to compete with our existing supply of cordless tools, and its limited options for bringing real corded power around.
I will say, if you can run a generator at the jobsite, this will never compete with that. If you can’t, IE indoors, noise concerns, etc then yeah this is a winner. Its limitations though are significant when you start looking at its real work cases.
Sorta like a recent thing for me, I had to run a dremel at a remote boat launch (had to cut the inner bearing sleave off the axle of my boat trailer, yeah fun way to spend saturday rather than fishing…. stupid bearings) and I used an inverter, a corded dremel, and the boats 12v group 29 battery. A lot of luggage and bulk for a limited runtime “cordless” tool… And with that setup I had about 1000WH usable power. Three times what this offers
firefly
FWIW similar vibe exist on the Bosch model as well. Do we see the potential? Absolutely. Is similar device already exist on the market? Yes. Does this device offer anything new in comparison to existing device on the market? No.
I think negative vibe on this post is a response to the title. I failed to see how this is the best ever for a few reasons. First this is nothing new or innovative, battery power bank that have a build in charger/inverter have already existed long ago on the market. Second this kind of device suffer from the inherent problem that all device like this suffer is that there is that the conversion from dc to ac is not efficient. Conveniently I see no mention of the efficiently of the inverter. Third it require all four batteries to be present. This is a major limitation because to add more run time you would need 4 more batteries which can be a huge operating/storage cost. Forth, it lock the users into a proprietary platform but doesn’t subsidize the cost for it. So how is that the best ever?
This is a first from Dewalt. It lock the users onto a proprietary battery platform which is understandable but there is nothing great or innovative about it. For the very reason that this lock a user into Dewalt platform the cost should be subsidize by Dewalt. It’s not, $400 for the bare tool is too much. Because there is always some efficiency lost with the inverter a dedicated battery operated tool would always operate much more efficient. For example if a user need to operate a miter saw the flexvolt from Dewalt for example would be a much better choice IMO vs using this along with an existing corded miter saw. The new FlexVolt miter saw also ac/dc capable. Now that would require the user to invest in a new tool, this would also require the investment in a new tool… Since it require all four battery the user would need to get the kit to make good use of it which is $600. For tool investment depend on what the user does, it might or might not be significant investment. Regardless it’s significant enough to be thinking about the long term trade off of whether to get this or just invest in the dedicated battery operated tool. Whichever way we put it, solution like this (not just the Dewalt) are band-aid solution where dedicated dc tool not yet exist. For $600 it’s a very expensive band-aid.
Lastly what this device need a breakthrough in battery technology. But once that happen doesn’t that also mean we would no longer need this short of device anymore?
Personally I think it would be neat if Dewalt and other company produce a device that allow the user to team up the battery and feed that into our own inverter of choice. Now that would be nice complimentary device that I can stand behind.
Stuart
Maybe I let my enthusiasm take control of the title, but it’s how I feel.
I have a lot of corded tools, and there were times when there weren’t enough outlets, or not enough capacity left on a line.
At the house I grew up in, my parents were having work done on something and I had trouble finding the workers an outlet that could power their saw without tripping a breaker.
If I want to take photos off-site, I need a really long extension cord and available power.
Portable battery packs for AC photo or video lights and equipment is very expensive, and when the battery needs to be replaced you’ve got to buy a proprietary pack that cannot be used for anything else.
Of course this thing has limitations.
In a few months, Dewalt’s 9Ah FlexVolt battery packs will be out, boosting the runtime capacity on these things by 50%.
I’m not going to buy cordless versions of all my corded tools. I like my Fein MultiMaster a LOT, and while there’s a cordless version, I don’t want to invest in another battery platform, or spend the premium on a tool I don’t always need or want cordless capabilities for.
pete
Pretty cool for what it is, i really want to be critical of this but i can’t really because it really is a cool product. How long can the unit sustain the 3600 watts? Usually cheap inverters will say they can hold the peak watts for 0.1 seconds where as a GOOD inverter can hold up to 10seconds.
pete
while reading some of these comments i will say where i find this useful- When your doing some work in a room where you CANNOT trip a breaker such as a computer/server room/print room or something that has medical equipment in it. Yes anyone with a brain would make sure their computers are on a battery backup but that actually not as common as it should be so if your doing some work in and or around those rooms and you don’t want to wait
(30minutes) for maintenance to come up and verify(guess) that the line your plugging into is dedicated/not shared you can just haul this up there on your toughbox- whip out your hammer drill out of said rolling tough box plug it in and drill the couple lags you need and vacuum them out real quick then be on your way!
I know and deal with power on a daily basis-both ac and dc. I do want to suggest that you could build a larger+better battery bank for cheaper but it couldn’t do what this could do with all it’s functionality.
julian
I think at $400 bare tool, I’d be enthusiastic about a free one too. At $400 purchased though, that tempers my enthusiasm for this product and I’d only consider it if I had a very specific or frequent need for it.
But these days, there are very few jobs that cannot be handled with cordless. I’ve used my corded circ saw maybe twice in the last year, corded fein tool and recip saw about the same… That’s speaking from the viewpoint a remodeler that does a fair amount of demos and new building within the confines of kitchens basements and bath projects.
JT
pete
I think when you consider that it is ALSO a 4-bay charger ALONG with a mobile battery bank it kind of makes the price ALOT easier to justify. I don’t disagree that it’s not NEEDED but it’s two tools in one and pretty cool at that. Still expensive though… i’d be itching at the bit to “justify” the expense lol might even take a job just to buy this tool…. which i’ve done in the past for specialty/cool tools lol…. like that t-shirt gun……. lol http://www.tshirtgun.com/ i certainly didn’t make enough money to cover that cost but it sure was fun!
Lance
At $600 for the kit, that’s an awefully expensive way to get roughly 260 Wh of portable AC power on a jobsite.
(18v x 4Ah = 72Wh x 4 = 288 Wh x 90% efficiency = ~260 Wh AC)
And homeowners/tailgaters will be disappointed when some of their electronics either won’t run properly or are damaged by the modified AC power signal. C’mon DeWalt, not even a pure sine wave inverter for that price???
Pete
I agree….. BUT you are also getting a 4-bay charger AND 3-4ah tool batteries and a 60v battery. I though it was lame too untill you factor in those values as well…
I bet nearly ALL people who would buy this are guarantied to either already have 4 dewalt batteries OR want/need 4 dewalt batteries meaning they could use this as a 4 bay charger the ENTIRE time its NOT being used as a inverter thus increasing its value as being MORE than just an inverter.
Im not even a dewalt guy but this is cool.
Lance
It’s definitely a cool option to have, no doubt. I just question the value, and the modified sine wave.
Chargers in general are way too expensive, and this one takes it to another level, even considering the inverter function. It almost seems like an experiment to see how much they can get their customers to pay!
I put radios and work lights in the same category… make no mistake, these items are the highest margin items in a company’s lineup. Look at how expensive some of Milwaukee’s new lights are. Are you kidding me?
Hats off to these companies if people actually buy the stuff, a real marketing win!
Nathan
the modified sine wave is as much for cost as for effeciency. full sine wave inverters are not that efficient and have to have significant capacitor storage capability.
Running a basic radio probably won’t phase it. Running your modern TV- hard to say.
using it to run a mini-fridge – should be fine. or a set of fans for your tent – also fine.
don’t however use it to run your home theater setup.
Rick
You Guys should check out this from workshop addicts.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDTw95y8-4c
jmc
Silly silly comments from some. If your a hater than hate. If your a dewalt platform guy then you may get it..Noone says run a chop saw or table saw all day on this “tool”..
If you dont want it ,dont buy it you Milwaukee fans…It is not an all day solution..it is for temp use…You tube has videos of runtime on it…
Like run a sump pump all night in a rain storm with the power out..
Use a spot welder in a pinch…
Do a quick punch list on a job site ..
RUNTIME WILL INCREASE WITH DEWALTS NEW FLEXVOLT 9 AH…AND EVAN MORE IN THE FUTURE……..if you want to carry a generator, gas,oil,spare spark plug,and deal with all that to do a quick job,Then do it !!!…if not Get This !! ….Not all tools are CORDLESS…BTW the flexvolt TABLESAW and CIRCULAR SAW are hands down the BEST on the market,noone matches the power
Dan Weldon
I think this would be great as a portable power setup for musicians!!!
Travis
This may be a dumb question but does it act as a capacitor so I could plug it in to a small generator and have the reserve power and start power? So I can run a Honda 2000 and still power 2 or three saws through this?
Stuart
No. You can plug it in to charge, or plug a tool into it. With both plugged in, it’ll remain in charging mode.
ken
I just invested in one and at $399 you would think it would have some type of power cord that came with it. What is up with that Dewalt?
Mark Boudreau
If I want to charge the my dewalt portable power station from my truck what size inverter should I get to charge it. Any sinewave form issues I should know about?
Wes Dustin
I just bought 1 today and I can’t believe how good it works. I already have battries so I got the bare tool version. I have only tries it on a few power tools it works great.
Wes
jim
I am 67 years old. Had a heart transplant 7 years ago. I need to use medical devices during the day and night. When the power goes out I am out of luck. I have a generator but it is hard to get out and get running. A product like this is the ticket/ NO gas, no noise, no cords. just plug it into my devices and I should be good for at lease 8 hours. I can put it next to my bed, kitchen table, all most any where. In my case I think I might sell the gas monster and took very hard at this item. Plus I would have extra chargers to charge mine and my sons batteries. Very versitle.
David H
Pulling out what little hair I have left trying to get the inverter standby current draw specification when the power button is on and illuminated. Want to run a trickle charger in my Transit 250 van with the DCB1800 because the van is too big to park close to an outdoor receptacle. Need to know when I have to swap the batteries. Not impressed with how long it sits it must draw pretty good current, but don’t want to sit there with a stopwatch for hours or days.