Dewalt recently launched another new next-gen 20V Max XR cordless power tool battery, and also revamped the entire XR line up.
The new Dewalt 20V Max XR PowerPack 8Ah battery features tabless 21700-sized Li-ion cell technology, and is designed to “power through tough jobs, day in and day out.”
This battery is part of Dewalt’s best-performing line of 20V Max batteries and is compatible with most 20V Max cordless power tools.
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Including the 8Ah battery, there are now 3 batteries in the 20V Max XR line.
- Compact Powerstack
- PowerStack 5Ah
- PowerPack 8Ah
Dewalt – a ToolGuyd sponsor – supplied us with test samples of all 3 batteries.
In this post, we’ll discuss the main differences between them.
Dewalt 20V Max XR Compact PowerStack Battery
Battery Technology: Stacked pouch cells
Charge Capacity: 1.7Ah
We Prefer this Battery for: Smaller and light-demand tools where size and weight are a greater priority rather than power or runtime.
The compact PowerStack battery has been around for several years. Engineered with Li-ion pouch cells, it approaches the performance levels of larger and heavier batteries.
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I feel it’s a great fit for cordless ratchets, smaller worklights, impact drivers, compact drills, and other such tools.
Downsides: This is not the best choice for power-hungry tools such as full-size circular saws, reciprocating saws, or miter saws, or high-endurance applications, such as longer sessions with an angle grinder.
Dewalt 20V Max XR PowerPack 8Ah Battery
Battery Technology: Tabless 21700 cylindrical cells
Charge Capacity: 8Ah
We Prefer this Battery for: Demanding tools and applications where extended runtime is a high priority.
This is high-performing 20V Max XR cordless power tool battery. In my testing, it powered the latest generation of XR tools without any hiccups or slowdowns, which was exactly as I had expected.
The new PowerPack 8Ah battery is said to deliver 50% more power than their previous 8Ah battery (not in application), as well as longer life based on charge cycles (not in application).
Thanks to the tabless cells, the battery should run cooler in high-power applications.
Downsides: Dewalt’s latest and greatest tabless Li-ion cell architecture comes at a premium.
Dewalt 20V Max XR PowerStack 5Ah Battery
Battery Technology: Stacked pouch cells
Charge Capacity: 5Ah
We Prefer this Battery for: Balanced performance where size, weight, power, and runtime are all a priority.
In my testing, the PowerStack 5Ah battery consistently performed about as well as the PowerPack 8Ah battery. In the most demanding continuous applications, the PowerPack seemed to have a slight edge.
The PowerStack 5Ah battery seemed to be a perfect fit for most tools I tested it with.
Downsides: The XR PowerStack 5Ah battery is larger than the compact battery.
Why Choose XR Batteries?
These batteries are Dewalt’s best-performing 20V Max cordless power tool batteries.
The selection comes down to your top priorities. Size and weight? Go with the Compact PowerStack battery. Power and runtime? Go with the PowerPack 8Ah. Balanced performance and ergonomics? The PowerStack 5Ah is right in the middle.
If cost is a higher priority, Dewalt’s non-XR 20V Max batteries are still very capable, albeit with some compromises.
In my testing, the Compact PowerStack battery performed slightly lower than the Dewalt cylindrical cell 5Ah battery, while that same 5Ah battery performed much lower than the PowerStack 5Ah and PowerPack 8Ah batteries.
The tabless cells within the PowerPack 8Ah battery should contribute to cooler operation, with benefits in the form of greater endurance during continuous high-drain applications.
If price is a top factor for you, Dewalt has other battery options in the 20V Max lineup – such as a compact 3Ah battery, 5Ah battery, and 6Ah and 8Ah batteries, all with traditional cylindrical cells.
Thank you to Dewalt for sponsoring this exploration, and for providing the tool and battery test samples.
MM
All these new batteries are a major improvement from the older style packs. They deliver higher current from a smaller/lighter pack, the packs themselves are more robust and have a great feel in the hand thanks to the rubber at the base, and they seem to charge faster. I’d have guessed the opposite when I first read about these new packs, but it turns out the 1.7ah compact powerstack is my favorite, it is surprisingly powerful in tight spots, I really like it with the DCS438 cut-off tool. It has enough grunt to run remarkably power-hungry tools as well, just not for very long.
I can’t wait to see Flexvolt batteries with either pouch or tabless construction. Also, I understand there is a mid-size PowerStack in the works as well, something in the ballpark of 3ah?
Big Richard
3.5Ah. It is available across the pond as the DCBP318. It will be the DCBP320 in the NA market.
https://www.misterworker.com/en/dewalt/18v-xr-lithium-powerstack-35ah-battery-with-pouch-cells-dcbp318-xj/112273.html
There is also a 4Ah PowerPack, the DCB2104.
Lyle
Any idea in the size and weight if the 3.5Ah PowerStack? I was a bit disappointed when the 5Ah came out and it was bigger and heavier than the standard 5Ah. It looks like the 3.5Ah has a similar footprint as the 1.7Ah rather and that would be great.
Big Richard
Yes, we discussed it a bit more in this reddit post – https://www.reddit.com/r/Dewalt/comments/1fdkl84/new_35ah_powerstack_size_comparison_vs_17ah_and/
But it is right in the middle between the 1.7Ah and 5Ah in terms of width and length, but very close in height to the 1.7Ah, only 2mm taller. Weight also is sort of right in the middle.
DuhWalter
Glad they made 8ah tabless batteries, I don’t want anything else. Except reliable FlexVolt batteries, if they could make a smaller, lighter, 15-20ah 60v battery that’d be a dream. I wonder if they are testing sodium ion batteries yet.
JohnBCS
The 5.0Ah powerstack is my current fave, but once the 3.5 powerstack releases I’ll switch to those for my drills. I did try the 1.7s, but the runtime on those is a bit too short for my preference.
Goodie
Stuart, great article on this. I rely on your articles to understand battery line-ups for DeWalt and Milwaukee. They have some pretty complicated product lines these days.
Quick edit suggestion: Just delete the *ago*.
The compact PowerStack battery has been around for several years *ago.*”
Josh
Would Flexvolt batteries benefit from a tabless design or does the 60v architecture eliminate some of the benefits of tabless that the 20v benefits from? Are there any coming down the pipeline?
Jared
I have similar questions. E.g. I realize the 8ah pack is lighter and smaller, but is there a performance gain between it and the 9ah Flexvolt pack?
Like Josh I wondered if the voltage and number of cells (even in 20v use) the Flexvolt pack draws from reduces the benefits of a tabless design in the larger battery sizes.
Outside of weight, is there a significant reason to prefer the 8ah over a 9ah Flexvolt pack? Well, I suppose they’re purported to be longer-lasting too…
Just last week I bought another Flexvolt pack – it probably could have been a Powerstack instead, but I figured: “Why buy a big pack I can’t use with my biggest angle grinder or chainsaw?”
Stuart
Thanks! *fixed*
@Josh – yes, FlexVolt batteries could also benefit from tabless Li-ion cells. I have not heard about any new FlexVolt batteries yet.
@Jared – I haven’t tested 8Ah PowerPack vs 9Ah FlexVolt yet. When testing the cordless snowblower last year, I over-temped 12Ah FlexVolt batteries in a single session. FlexVolt batteries have 3 rows of cells, and it’s possible that the Powerpack battery with 2 rows of tabless cells could run cooler over time compared to the FlexVolt 9Ah or 12Ah batteries.
With respect to battery choices, a competitor advertises their 10-cell 8Ah tabless battery as delivering the same power as their 15-cell 12Ah battery.
9Ah and 12Ah FlexVolt batteries deliver longer runtime compared to PowerPack, but the PowerPack is smaller and lighter.
If we assume power levels are about even, that’s what it would come down to – size, weight, runtime, and cost.
Jared
Thanks for the insight Stuart!
JTieman
Is DeWalt going to make any Flexvolt tables batteries? Sometimes I feel like the 60v line is the red headed step child.
Jared
It seems to me like Flexvolt was introduced because Dewalt was bumping into a power ceiling. If they wanted to make ever more power-hungry cordless tools, they needed batteries that could keep up without melting into a puddle. However, advances in brushless motors and batteries, including tabless and pouch cells, raised the 20v ceiling. Now we’re seeing 20v tools do what used to require Flexvolt.
If Dewalt can make a 20v version of a tool competitive with what it could be as a 60v tool, I think the 20v version will be inherently more popular. That’s going to erode how many tools are released in the Flexvolt line (since they’ll only use that when it’s absolutely necessary).
I don’t think it’s dead or dying though. It’s still Dewalt’s absolute peak performance tier. Even with tabless packs, 60v has an advantage for some applications. Maybe I’m wrong, and next we’ll see a 20v snow blower for use with powerpack batteries or a new blower that out-blows the axial 60v version.
I’m guessing, for the time being though, we’re going to see less hand-sized cordless Flexvolt tools because tabless batteries let Dewalt push the limits for 20v tools. New Flexvolts tools will be things like mowers, blowers, table saws, etc.
it’s_jake
Haha! my time to shine!
“ The compact PowerStack battery has been around for several years ago.”
It either was released several years ago or has been around for several years now.
Thanks as always for your thoughtful write ups!
Kevin
Woot has the 8ah PowerPack batteries on sale for $98 for the rest of the week or until sold out. They’ve got a bunch of other Dewalt 20v tools on sale, too, though the deals on the tools tend to be just ok. They’ve had great prices on the 5ah PowerStack and the 9 & 12ah FlexVolt batteries in the past.
https://tools.woot.com/offers/dewalt-dcb2108-20v-max-xr-powerpack-8-ah-battery-1
Joachim Osmundsen
There’s also a 3,5ah powerstack being released very soon
Big Richard
Just an fyi the 3.5Ah DCBP320 PowerStack batteries are officially on DeWalt’s website – https://www.dewalt.com/product/dcbp320/20v-max-xr-powerstack-35ah-battery?tid=577811
Ryan C
What does the caveat mean “not in application”? I’m disliking all the marketing talk of “50% more power” while talking about batteries with the same or similar amp-hour rating. To my understanding, the amp-hour rating is the actual amount of power available. Am I misinformed? If not, then what do they actually mean by “50% more power”? Are they talking about the peak wattage that can be delivered when demand is high? I’ve already got several of the PowerStack batteries, and plan to buy more once the 3.5Ah battery is available, I’m just trying to translate the marketing speak into engineer speak. 🙂
Stuart
It means your experiences might vary depending on the tool, application, usage environment, etc.
Shawn
Improvement of any kind are good, but the case is the thing needing upgrade the most. I have more busted 20v batteries than I did the entire time using 18V. I have two busted cases on 60v also, the plastic is to brittle. These are tools and they will fall, so if they need to be able to drop from short distances without damage or sell replacement cases cheap.