“Where can I buy bare Dewalt 20V tools?” This is one of the most frequent questions I’ve seen and been asked about the new cordless tool platform. Until now, the first-wave drills, drivers, and saws, could only be purchased as part of in a 1-, 2-, or 4-piece kit.

Well, here’s a bit of good news – we spotted new Amazon.com listings for bare-tool versions of many of Dewalt’s first-wave of 20V Max tools.

New Dewal 20V bare-tool options:

• Premium circular saw - DCS391B
• Premium reciprocating saw - DCS380B
• Compact drill/driver - DCD780B
• Premium hammer drill/driver - DCD985B
• Impact driver - DCF885B
• Brushless impact driver - DCF895B
• Right angle drill - DCD740B

There are a couple of missing models, but we have reason to believe they’re on the way as well. And most of the second-wave tools that were announced in February, such as the jig saw, are already available as bare-tools or in kits.

It will be interesting to see if big-box retailers will continue to carry 18V bare-tools once the 20V equivalents are more readily available. Our guess is that they will seek to clearance the  18V tools to make room for the 20V ones. We’ve already seen discounts on the 18V combo kits, so it may only be a matter of time before the 18V tools are completely pushed out.

One question still remains – why wait so long to release the bare-tools? We’ve got some wild theories about that one.

In my opinion, brushless technology is worth waiting for, if you can mind the wait. If not, go out and buy yourself a current-gen model and rest assured that it won’t be rendered obsolete the day a brushless model is announced.

Of course, several brands already came out with their brushless drill/drivers – Milwaukee and Hitachi models are already on the scene. Both brands came out with brushless hammer drills at the same time, and Makita’s is also on the way.

But what about Dewalt and Bosch? And will Milwaukee and Makita release more compact and lightweight versions of their brushless drills?

It is unclear what’s on the horizon for Dewalt and Bosch. Dewalt just released their new brushless impact driver, but there’s no word yet whether a drill/driver or two are on the way. Bosch has kept mum about brushless, but if such tools are almost ready for market, Bosch may introduce them at their June media event.

If you bought into the Dewalt 20V Max lineup, there are plenty of great brushed drills to choose from. The same goes for Bosch’s 18V lineup of drills. You can wait, but if you need a new drill, buy one now. Even if both brands announce new brushless drills in June, it’ll be months before they appear on store shelves. Or you can go ahead and buy one of the other brands’ brushless kits. There’s nothing wrong with having a rainbow of colors in your cordless toolbox.

Remember – aside from Makita – most of the major brands are only now releasing their first generation of brushless tools. I guarantee that the second generation of tools will be even better. Oh, and the third? The third generation will make the first generation of tools look like play things.

There will always be better tools on the horizon. And be sure not to forget the risks of being an early adopter.

What’s so great about cordless tools with brushless motors? Here’s a quick intro to get you up to speed.

We’re pretty excited about the cordless tool industry’s push towards brushless motors, at least in pistol-grip drill and driver-type tools. So when we were given the chance to grill Dewalt about their new brushless impact driver and other brushless-related matters, how could we say no?

(Here’s our primer on brushed motors vs. brushless if you’d like a refresher.)

A note about the format – there are 7 questions (bolded) with each followed by an answer from the Dewalt product development team. The answers are a bit markety in tone, but they do offer some nice insight.

1. Why is this the right time for DEWALT to introduce a brushless impact driver?

A: Great question! In recent years, impact drivers have become one of the fastest growing tool categories in the industry. Many of our users find themselves reaching a bit less for their drill/driver – and more and more for their impact driver. Impact drivers offer several advantages over a traditional drill/driver, most notably being a smaller size/weight, faster speed of application (RPM) & non-reactionary torque output (tool will not try and “spin your wrist”).

Our cordless fastening team has spent the better part of the last five years researching and developing this new Brushless (BL) impact driver. The DEWALT designed and built BL motor works more efficiently compared to brushed motors, and provides our users with 57% longer run-time* (vs. the leading competitor).

That being said, this impact driver is more than just a motor upgrade. The tool is packed with innovative features that make it our best impact driver to date.

*Compared to standard DEWALT and competitive impact drivers with brushed motors.

2. Are there any other tools in the pipeline slated for redesign around brushless motors?

Yes, we are always interested in researching, developing and ultimately providing our users with a tool that delivers one of their most important requirements; run-time.

[Ed. Note: we didn't really expect an answer here, but had to try. It also doesn't help that we asked this as a yes-no question.]

3. Will we see brushless motors in tools other than drills and drivers?

Although I can’t be specific, I can say that we are looking at all options. Brushless motor technology provides the largest run-time improvements in drilling and fastening tools – and I think that is where most users will really want it.

4. Can you tell us more about the design work that went into the new push-button hex chuck lock?

Sure, one of the most common requests we began receiving from users in the field, was for a quicker and easier way to change their accessory bits. Our goal was to create a chuck that would allow contractors to complete one handed accessory changes – with the push of a button. It’s definitely one of the standout features of this tool and will be something that surely saves our users time and frustration.

5. The new brushless impact driver is 5-1/4″ long. Were there any significant hurdles in making the driver such a compact size?

There are always challenges to making tools shorter. Luckily, this project was a complete ground-up design – so we determined very early on that the tool’s overall length had to be a priority.

[Ed. Note: during a new product intro a year ago, it was quite enthusiastically shared that the product development team was thrilled that they were able to shave a fraction of an inch off of the length when redesigning the 18V impact driver for the 20V Max platform.]

6. The 3 speed and torque settings appears to provide clutch-like maximum-torque control. Does this feature provide any other less obvious benefits?

As impact drivers have gotten more and more powerful – and faster and faster in recent years – it became clear that users needed a way to “dial-back” the speed and torque for smaller and more delicate (ex. Brass hinges) fasteners. Although significantly different from a mechanical clutch, it does provide users with more control when performing a variety of fastening applications.

7. Are there any aspects of the brushless impact driver that you hope to improve or upgrade in the next revision?

We are constantly searching for new ways to innovate all of our tools. At this point, we have not yet identified any opportunities for improvement.

[Ed. Note: we didn't really expect them to highlight any perceived flaws in their brand new driver, but thought it was worth a shot.]

Made it this far? Great, we hope you enjoyed this Q&A session! We love chatting it up with product managers and development teams. If this is something you’d like to see more of, comment below or email us with your requests.

Harold wrote in to share that Amazon’s evening lightning deal is for a Dewalt 12V Max wireless inspection camera. The final price until 9pm ET or when supplies run out is $208 with free shipping. Amazon says that this price reflects a “61%” discount, which is exaggerated. Still $208 is a great price and reflects a savings of about $60-80.

We have one of these on our test bench, and it has proven to be a versatile diagnostic tool. The display separates from the rest of the unit, hence the wireless part, and while this seems a bit gimmicky at first, it comes in handy almost every time we use the camera.

Dewalt 12V Camera via Amazon

Amazon’s regular price is listed as $272. Other vendors are charging $272-290.

Thanks to Harold for the heads-up!

The guys over at Tools in Action have been busy testing Makita’s new brushless hammer drill. But they’re not just testing the drill, they’re pushing it to its limits as they usually do. After doing so, they found that if you push the Makita drill too far, it will cry plumes of grey smoke.

Seriously, check out that screenshot (and the video below)! They were using the LXPH05 with a 1″ auger bit to drill holes in framing lumber. Some cordless tools have too-sensitive overload protection, but Makita’s new hammer drill appears to have the opposite problem.

Yes, they were using a high-speed gear, and yes they probably should have stopped pushing the drill as soon as it started smoking. But tools with proper overload protection usually turn off on their own.

The last drill I smoked was a Dewalt 12V drill/driver. I was using it to drive in a long lag bolt and it shut off on me. So I pulled the trigger again. Almost immediately, it shut off. I kept doing this a couple more times to finishing sinking the lag. After a few times it released a small puff of smoke and I took a break.

Most users won’t keep pushing a drill/driver after it starts to smoke. Still, no drill should be smoking up like that. The guys from TIA sent over a few thermal images that show a temperature of 175-235° at the air vents. That can NOT be good for the drill’s electronic and mechanical systems.

Important Considerations

• this is not recommended or proper tool use
• the model TIA tested might have been defective

We’ve heard a lot of complaints about many brands’ cordless tools shutting off during use. I complain about the same every now and then. But this is a great example of why tools have overload protection.

My suspicion is that either TIA tested a defective model, or the tool was designed with under-sensitive overload protection. We’ll see if we can reproduce this and will report back as soon as we can.

Any idea on what parts were being heated and releasing the smoke?

Porter Cable currently has two oscillating multi-tools on the market – a corded multi-tool, which we reviewed a year ago, and a 12V model. The corded model has been quite popular with its tool-free blade change and affordable price point (it’s currently $100 via Amazon).

The 12V version, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have been too popular. Cordless multi-tools usually suffer from lack of power and lack of endurance, but their versatility can sometimes make up for this.

Well, Porter Cable got the message and designed a new 18V oscillating multi-tool, which they say offers double the runtime with a compact battery pack and triple the runtime with an extended capacity battery pack.

Makita also announced a new 18V cordless oscillating tool recently, and rated its runtime at up to 15-minutes. We doubt that the new Porter Cable model delivers substantially more runtime, and if it does it would be at the expense of power. This is probably why the runtime claims found in the press release (bolded above) are relative to the 12V model.

Specifications

• 2.8° oscillating angle
• 7,500-15,000 OPM
• 2.8 lbs with [compact] battery

The new 18V oscillating tool will be available in a $169 kit (PCCK510LA) that includes one lithium-ion battery, a multi-chemistry charger, 32 accessories, and a kit bag plus accessory box, and as a $90 bare tool (PCC510B) that also comes with 32 accessories.

Expect to see both the kit and bare-tool in stores June 2012.

Metabo has just announced their new MAG 28 LTX, a cordless magnetic drill press that will be powered by their 25.2V lithium-ion battery packs. The drill is held to ferrous surfaces via permanent rare earth magnets, as opposed to electromagnets which would draw power from the battery.

Features:

• 2,500 lbs of holding force
• prism-shaped base for working on pipes
• safety strap for when working on overheard or vertical surfaces
• max drilling diameter of 1-1/4″ with annular cutter and 1/2″ with spiral cutter
• max drilling depth of 2″
• max stroke of 6-5/16″
• 2-speed motor – 380 and 680 no-load RPM
• dual-level permanently lubricated gearbox
• electronic thermal overload protection
• jam protection
• integrated gravity coolant container
• 25.2V 3.0Ah battery charges in 15-minutes
• on-board storage space for spare battery

Included Accessories:

• Weldon 3/4″ tool holder
• ejector pin
• chuck adapter and geared chuck
• chuck key
• MT 2 drift key
• safety strap
• allen key
• 2x 25.2V 3.0Ah battery packs

Pricing and availability is not yet available. We believe the drill also comes with a carrying case. There’s also no word on how much the tool weighs, but we’re guessing a lot.

Dremel’s Multi-Max oscillating multi-tool lineup has been expanding, and the new MM40 tool is proving to be a very capable and user-friendly machine. Cordless multi-tools are useful, but their battery life can be disappointing. Dremel’s cordless model is not immune to this and is also less powerful than their corded multi-tools. Even so, there are times when a cordless model is much handier than a corded one.

The cordless Dremel multi-tool is currently on sale for just $62 shipped. This may signal that a new model is on its way, or perhaps Dremel just didn’t see enough sales when the tool was priced above $100. The cordless Multi-Max MSRP was $150 when it first came out one and a half years ago.

Buy Now(via Amazon)

If you’re set on a cordless model, Craftsman’s newer G2 multi-tool features a tool-free blade change, although it doesn’t hold much of a runtime or power advantage.

Yesterday I previewed a couple of new Makita 18V brushless tools - an impact driver, hammer drill, and rotary hammer. In doing a bit of research for the post, I found a For Construction Pros video from World of Concrete 2012 where, at the beginning of the post, a Makita rep says “this is the first brushless rotary hammer.” While this may be Makita’s first brushless hammer, it’s not true industry-wide since Bosch came out with an 18V brushless rotary hammer in 2011.

The Bosch brushless rotary hammer kit (3/4″ SDS-Plus), model RHH180-01, is fairly compact and lightweight at 5.7 lbs. Due to the brushless motor’s greater efficiency, the hammer is said to have up to 25% greater runtime than competing models. Bosch says that you can drill up to 100 1/4″ x 1-1/2″ holes in masonry on a single battery charge. Max-torque is rated at 360 in-lbs, and the hammer operates at 0-1400 RPM and 0-4550 BPM.

It features an electro-pneumatic SDS-Plus impactor mechanism, which [sound fancy yet vague and] contributes to a boost in drilling performance. Electronic motor protection prevents the tool from overheating and electronic cell protection helps prevent battery overloading, overheating, and deep discharging. Additional features include an LED work light, auxiliary handle, and depth rod.

The kit includes two 18V FatPack batteries, a 30-minute charger, and a carrying bag.

Buy Now(via Amazon)

Also available is the bare-tool RHH180B, at huge savings over the kit.

If 5.7 lbs is still a bit too weighty, don’t forget that Bosch recently came out with an even more compact 4.6 lb rotary hammer. No, it’s not brushless, but it’s also more affordable than the RHH180 previewed here.

(Check out our brushless motors 101 post to read more about the merits of brushless cordless tools vs. tools with brushed motors.)

Meanwhile, Makita’s competitors have been busy releasing a couple of exciting new brushless cordless tools that either just hit the market or are coming down the pipeline in the near future. Dewalt’s impact driver; Milwaukee’s FUEL drill, hammer drill, and impact driver; and Hitachi’s (new to the US market) brushless drill and hammer drill are the most notable new designs.

Don’t worry, although there’s been little buzz so far, Makita’s engineers haven’t been sleeping – they’ve been working on a few new brushless tools, including a rotary hammer with built-in HEPA dust collection.

Makita LXDT08 18V Impact Driver

The new impact driver doesn’t look to replace the current model (LXDT01), as it does not feature a similar 3-speed setting torque-control. What it does feature is a 5-7/8″ overall length, 0-2500 RPM and 0-3200 IPM motor, 1420 in-lbs max torque delivery, 3.4 lb weight with 18V LXT battery, and the kit comes with a 30-minute rapid charger.

Makita says that the new impact is further optimized for up to 50% longer runtime per charge. [vs...?]

ETA is Spring 2012, and MSRP is estimated to be $319.

Makita LXPH05 18V Hammer Drill

The new hammer drill is 7-5/8″ long and weighs 3.8 lbs, making it a fairly compact model. Its small size doesn’t come for free, as the torque ratings show. Still 400 in-lbs of max torque is fairly respectable, and should be suitable for many users. The 2-setting gearbox is rated at 0-400 RPM/0-6000 BPM and 0-1500 RPM/0-22500 BPM, and there are 16 clutch settings.

Like the impact driver, the hammer drill kit appears to come with a new 30-minute rapid charger.

ETA is Spring 2012, and MSRP is estimated to be $319.

Makita LXT239 Combo Kit

This 2-piece combo includes both the impact driver and hammer drill/driver, 2 18V LXT batteries and a 30-minute rapid charger.

ETA is Spring 2012, MSRP appears to be $329 via Home Depot.

Makita LXRH01 18V Rotary Hammer

All we know about the new brushless rotary hammer thus far is that it accepts SDS-Plus bits, weighs 11.1 lbs, and is designed with a built-in HEPA dust collection kit. It has a no-load speed of 0-950 RPM and 0-4700 BPM. ETA is Summer 2012.

All tools will also be available as bare-tool add-on models.

Thanks to K for the heads-up about the hammer drill!

Rudy sent us a note that Hitachi’s new 18V cordless brushless hammer drill is due to be released this week. The new drill, model DV18DBL, features a max torque delivery of 654 in-lbs, tool length of 8.7-inches, 4.8lb weight, 1800 max RPM, 27000 BPM impactor, keyless 1/2″ chuck, 22 clutch settings, and a base-mounted LED work light.

Compared to Milwaukee’s new FUEL M18 brushless hammer drill, the Hitachi is longer and the motor delivers a bit less oomph.

Like the new brushless drill/driver, the new hammer drill features 2 mechanical gear settings and 4 electronic power settings. The power-limiting settings seems redundant in the presence of an adjustable clutch and different speed gearbox settings, but maybe such a feature will come in handy.

The kit includes 2x 3.0 Ah lithium-ion batteries that recharge in 45-minutes. Also included is a side handle, metal belt hook, and carrying case.

MSRP is $299.

Buy Now(via Lowes)

Thanks to Rudy for the heads-up!

Amazon is currently offering free gift cards as incentives to draw you towards Bosch’s cordless tool platforms. Buy select 12V tools (including PS21 and PS31 drill/drivers for $99 each) and receive a free $15 gift card, select 12V combos or 18V tools for a free $25 gift card, or select 18V combos for a free $50 gift card.

You must add the gift card to your order with the tools, and the discount will appear during checkout. Deal expires April 30th, 2012.

Bosch 12V and Free $15 Selection
Bosch 12V and 18V and Free $25 Selection
Bosch 18V and Free $50 Selection

Makita is soon coming out with new oscillating multi-tools in both corded (TM3000CX5) and cordless (LXMT025) packages. We’re a bit excited over this, not because there aren’t enough oscillating multi-tools already on the market, but because competition ensures a steady string of improvements.

Details are scarce at the moment, but we wanted to break this news in case it changed anyone’s Spring upgrade plans. We’ll bring you more details as they’re made available.

The corded model will feature a 3A motor with soft-start, variable speed dial, and electronic speed control. A 3.2° oscillating angle allows for more aggressive cutting and sanding. Weight is 3.1 lbs.

The 18V LXT cordless model will be available bare-tool or as part of a kit. It’s compact, delivers 6000-20000 oscillations per minute, and has the same faster-cutting 3.2° oscillating angle. It weighs in at 4.5 lbs and is said to provide the same power and cutting speed as the corded version. Up to 15-minutes of runtime per charge, full charge in 30-minutes.

Adapters are included, which we’re thinking ensures compatibility with Bosch’s OIS accessory and attachment platform. Since there’s no mention of a tool-free blade change, we’re going to assume the worst for now.

Dewalt has just announced a new addition to their 12V Max cordless tool lineup, an infrared imaging thermometer kit, model DCT416S1. With a thermal imager, users can more easily pinpoint insulation flaws, overloaded circuits, and other types of issues.

The new Dewalt thermal imager can measure from 14°-480°F. It has a 2.2-inch color display that can be toggled to thermal imaging, visual imaging, or blended image modes. The blended image combines a thermal image map with its corresponding visual image, allowing for quicker real-time diagnostics.

A micro SD card allows for convenient transfer of bitmap formatted images to other devices or computers. Report-writing software is included.

Like their non-contact infrared thermometer, the emissivity is adjustable to improve accuracy across a range of material types. A tracking feature shows the hottest point of an image as red, and the coldest as blue.

The thermal imager will be available in June 2012 through industrial distributors, and MSRP for the kit is $999. The kit includes the DCT416 imaging thermometer, one micro SD card, one 12V Max lithium ion battery pack, a fast charger, and kit box.

We’re pretty excited about this news for a couple of reasons. For one, the ability to blend images in real-time can be quite useful. Execution of this can be tricky, and so we’re eager to see if Dewalt’s got it right. There’s also the fact that Dewalt managed to design and package an infrared thermal imager for under $1000. The next most inexpensive thermal imager is the newly revised $1200 FLIR i3.

It will be curious to see if the Dewalt version sells better than Milwaukee’s new M12 thermal imager. Although the M12 version has better specs, the Dewalt emissivity adjustment and ability to blend images in real-time are desirable features. There’s also a whopping $1500 difference in price.

Amazon is currently holding a Porter Cable spring sale where cordless and cordless power tools, pneumatic tools, and power tool accessories are eligible for a $20 off $100 discount.

Listing of all eligible Porter Cable tools.

Take a look at our Porter Cable post archive for past tool previews and reviews.

Coupon is applied automatically at checkout, and expires April 30th.