Dewalt is quietly launching a new 20V Max PowerStack battery. Shown above, this is the DCBP034G – basically the PowerStack compact 1.7Ah battery but with an oil-resistant casing.
As with Dewalt’s existing yellow-and-grey PowerStack battery, this one should deliver “50% more power” and with a “25% smaller footprint” compared to their 2Ah battery.
The popularly repeated claim is that PowerStack batteries deliver 5Ah battery-level power. So, as with the other currently available PowerStack battery, this one should deliver 5Ah-level power/performance, with the endurance and runtime of a 1.7Ah battery.
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In other words, 5Ah-equivalent power, 1.7Ah gas tank, and oil-resistant.
The housing is made from glass-filled nylon for improved chemical resistance, and it also features a non-marring overmolded rubber base to protect it from drops and collisions.
This better protects the battery in the types of environments Dewalt’s 20V Max cordless ratchet and similar tools might be used in.
As you might know, Dewalt PowerStack batteries feature stacked Li-ion pouch-style battery cells, instead of cylindrical-style Li-ion battery cells traditional cordless power tool batteries are built with.
Learn More: Next-Gen Dewalt POWERSTACK Cordless Power Tool Battery
The new PowerStack battery should be compatible with all Dewalt 20V Max cordless power tools and chargers.
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The DCBP034G will be priced at $139 individually, compared to $129 for the standard version.
Price: $139
If you don’t need the oil-resistant housing, you can save a bit of money on the standard compact PowerStack battery this week:
Robert
Not dissing you, but that’s some underwhelming news from Dewalt.
In that it didn’t take much design and test teams’ effort to come up with that oil-resistant version. Much of the work would have been already done for the oil-resistant tool cell batteries. About the only unique work I can think of for this pouch cell 1.7 AH battery is protective calculations and proofing qualifying test for the pouch batteries. Shock, vibe, heat dissipation, maybe some electro-magnetic interference. Where’s the real innovation in pouch batteries? The 5AH or greater, the 60V Flexpower, the built -in USB-C connection, the commitment to an universal battery platform (like the European CAS strategy)?
Stuart
There’s no other battery news (yet?), but for this, I saw it at Acme and consider it a “I didn’t know they came out with that!” type of quiet release some readers would want to know about.
Small expansions or introductions like this might not impact broad users, but most users are impacted by different minor launches that are interesting-to-them.
TomD
It amazes me how many tools and accessories are launched with absolutely ZERO fanfare!
Milwaukee keeps sending me emails about tools that have been out for years (did you know they have a storage system called PACKOUT?) and yet when I go to their website I find tools *available and for sale* that I knew nothing about (the QUIKLOC system has a ton of new additions).
Micah
No kidding! I betcha if DeWALT increased their marketing and thus new product visibility even a smidge more they would increase their revenue. Simple awareness is all I ask! They already have an email listserve and social media pages…not hard to post new release launches!
Glad we have Stuart bringing us the latest!
John+Fal
Dewalt is asleep. Slow to make new stuff too. Many of their customers getting Ego and going red. I’d like to see more 60v tools and equipment from dewalt. Still love my Flexvolt power tools and yard equipment though, they do the job.
Robert
Stuart, like I said, I wasn’t dissing you. I realize you want to out out a variety of news for the very reasons you gave. Just it’s disappointing how little innovation after over a year Dewalt is displaying. I’ve seen in comments Team Red folks teasing Team Yellow folks over lack of innovation at Dewalt, starting to see why.
Stuart
I took your comment as well-intended, but it still seemed worthwhile for me to explain why I gave this launch what might seem like undue attention.
Franck B.
They also “quietly” launched a large size ToughCase+ which is larger, and fixes the “unlatching the attached boxes also opens the lid”. The downside is that the large boxes only latch together using the Tstak latches. The other upside is that if you but the ToughCase+ on the bottom of a Tstak (if you use an open top hard or soft tote, or an older long-handle box with more compartments on top), then the stack isn’t all wobbly due to the case being smaller.
It might have been a while ago. DT70839QZ is the box alone.
https://www.klium.com/dewalt-dt70763-qz-85-piece-set-with-speed-drills-metal-sds-concrete-845981
Rog
I thought this was going to be about the 5ah Powerstack that I’ve heard rumors about.
Big Richard
You mean this? – https://imgur.com/gallery/HzQ7mKA
Jim
18V
Stuart
18V and 20V Max are the same thing.
The cordless system is only marketed as 20V Max in North America, and 18V XR everywhere else.
Jeffro4704
supposed to be released by October, November.
Stuart
🤐
Jared
😄
Rog
Ah, say no more 😬
Jeffro4704
What I don’t get is how come nobody is talking about the release of Dewalts new half inch high torque the DCF900! TTC tested it and it’s currently the most powerful half inch high torque he’s ever tested. Romper stomping everything else by a substantial margin. Him and I are the only ones who have released any videos on it. Check out my quick look at the different speeds. I’m working on a full review video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev_MhfMg3tw.
MM
I’ve been waiting for that one for over a year, I know that myself, Big Richard, and a few others have discussed it from time to time whenever new Dewalt releases come up.
I will certainly be buying one later this year, it will be a couple of months before I’ll really need it so I’m holding off on my purchase until either then or if some deal happens to pop up first. I’m also expecting they’ll make an otherwise identical but 3/4″ drive version, and there’s also the rumored DCF961 “project ludicrous” which is supposedly a Flexvolt Advantage heavy-duty impact wrench, though I haven’t heard much about that other than rumors.
Nathan
I’m glad this exists as that’s the battery the ratchet needs to come with. For the guy that wants to wrench automotive. I use my basic dewalt batteries with my auto work but I also only DIY it. and I’m fairly gentle with my tools or I seem to think I am.
anyway – one thing the glass filled housing give is a bit more impact protection as it’s also thicker from what I can tell. IE if the bottom if the battery is 0.50 inch thick abs then the fibre filled one seems to be like 0.70. I’ve of course not cut one apart but they feel more substantial – knowing that the cell inside is the same between the 2.
anyway – glad to see they are keeping that battery line afloat.
Shame al the new dewalt cordless tools seem to come from china – where are the new made in USA models? (yes sorry but a little bitter about that)
Steve
Still waiting for them to release it in an actual capacity. 1.7Ah is more like a “trial size.”
Franck B.
Agreed… I trialed the 1.7Ah and gave them away. I’m sure they’re great for some people but the 5.0Ah is the sweet spot in weight, size, and ability to drive enough lags to install a number of large Strong-Tie holddowns without having to change batteries too often. Or to be able to outfit a house with Strong-Tie URFPs every 32″ with five lags each.
Compared to the 5.0Ah, the 6.0Ah is larger (21700), and the 4.0Ah compact is also larger X/Y (21700) and about the same weight.
A 5.0Ah PowerStack would be great (and we know it’s coming) but why so long. I don’t want it to catch on fire or anything but it seems like this could have been out a lot earlier.
Lyle
Oh that’s sad that you gave them away. I find that the 1.7Ah size PowerStack is just right. I was using the old 2.0Ah batteries for all of my small drills and impact drivers. I sold them all and went all in on the 1.7Ah PowerStacks. However, I do agree that for everything else, the 5.0Ah is the perfect size. I have the most batteries in that size. What I’m hoping is that there will eventually be a FlexVolt version of the PowerStack, maybe in the 6Ah capacity, and then I’ll sell all of my 5.0Ah batteries and convert over to the FlexVolt version. That way I’ll just have 2 battery sizes, both in PowerStack. The FlexVolt for the larger and longer runtime necessary stuff, and the smaller one for the smaller hand tools. That would be ideal for me.
Franck B.
If they already haven’t thought of that, I hope you keep posting that everywhere because a FlexVolt PowerStack would be awesome. You can get a hernia hoisting that 15A battery around.
Bonnie
Perfect for general DIY/homeowner impact and drilling tasks, but yeah I wouldn’t rely on these for anything larger. But they’re coming out with a 5ah so you’ll soon have that option.
TomD
Strange – the default image I see on the lists of posts is blurry.
https://i0.wp.com/toolguyd.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Dewalt-PowerStack-Battery-Oil-Resistant-DCBP034G-Blurred-Teaser.jpg?resize=380%2C300&ssl=1
(removing the ? stuff is still blurry, it’s not the resizer).
Feel free to delete this comment.
Stuart
That was intentional. =)
To be candid, I did that on purpose (see the filename!) to troll our friends at Dewalt a little (long story).
I don’t normally like teasing readers like this, but I figured most of you will forgive me once in a while.
TomD
Aha! I should have noticed the filename, nice one.
Maybe you can do more of those in the future, the pixelated face kind of things you see on TV when interviewing a source, etc.
Stuart
Once in a while, for good reason, maybe. Too often, and it’s click bait.
JoeM
Now, about that comment I made about PowerStack… This is some progress at least. They do intend for it to be a lineup to choose from. This just happens to be the Oil Resistant edition. I would have liked it better if they were launched simultaneously so I could see they had some sort of expanded intention for it.
I’m glad to see they at least realized the Oil Resistance may be necessary. I would imagine this would make something like a Torque Wrench a very happy tool, and make the grip of said tool much easier due to less weight? Sure, it doesn’t last as long, but you can trust the fastener was well, and truly, slammed on with full power. If it didn’t move, time for WD-40 or possibly Thermite to get it out. (Just a joke… don’t use Thermite anywhere near Combustion engines… It’s pretty, but extremely dangerous!)
Franck B.
Mac Tools used to have oil resistant batteries to go with their tools (mostly exactly the same as DeWalts, but they did have a few items which were not duplicated from the DeWalt catalog). I guess SBD realized that the market would be bigger if they just labeled them all as DeWalt, and here we are. All the newer ones are DeWalt-only. And I don’t have to buy from a truck to get them.
At least they still have Mac-labeled battery chargers.
Kevin
The idea of pouch cells pique my interest, but i’m not quite sold yet for two major reasons. One is simple, and exclusive to power stack and it’s that I have no interest in battery packs that only have 1.7 Ah of runtime. It’s absolutely laughable. It’s also counterproductive; they market the cells as compact cells that can sustain power delivery under relatively high loads. Well anything they will subject the pack to a high load will drain it proportionally faster, so why would I care about a compact battery that can keep up with tool demand if it’s only equipped with 1.7 Ah of capacity? Short answer is I don’t.
Second, I’m skeptical of these first generation pouch cells. Sure the footprint is smaller, but I questing their reliability over time given the applications they’re designed for. Conventional 18650/21700 cells are steel cased, if they go bad they don’t swell. Pouch cells are not. I just question their rigidity over time. Because they use larger contacts I suppose it’s possible that they could have reduced resistance to mitigate heat but I’d be hard pressed to believe they did it to the degree necessary to make an appreciable difference over time.
That being said, I’m not opposed to the technology, just holding off on buying into it until two things happen. They’ve established a proven track record, and make them energy dense enough so they’re actually useful.
Stairman
I use a lot of DeWalt tools as a custom stair builder. But I have to admit the prices of their battery is astronomical. Therefore I have been ordering knock-off batteries off Amazon. I love them. They last longer than the DeWalt and are 1/5 the price.
Chris
So, we have new oil resistant batteries from DeWalt (near clones of the Mac batteries that came before the) and New PS oil resistant batteries, DeWalt automotive tools (impacts/ratchets/underhood light).
What we haven’t seen in a while is any new Mac cordless tools since the 12v stuff launched a hike ago. We are also seeing the yellow and black a lot more in the Mac flyers.
Any news if Mac is still going to be making automotive cordless tools or if DeWalt is just taking over the reigns for SBD entirely?
Chris
Well if it’s that good roll it out to all the Dewalt ranges of battery power tools
Stuart
They have been.
Len
Here’s what kills me. I used to be the biggest Dewalt fanboy out there. Whole garage was black and yellow. I needed a new 18ga nailer. The ramp up on the antiquated Dewalt drove me nuts plus it didn’t last very long. I decided to try Milwaukee. At first I felt like I was having an affair but after realizing the quality difference. Plus needing a 23ga nailer. Milwaukee beat Dewalt to market with that too. Now I’m all about Milwaukee. DEWALT STOP LOSING CUSTOMERS due to bad marketing decisions and laziness. The ceo should have been fired years ago. Upgrade your nail guns and get with the times. It’s too late for me but you might keep the next fanboy.