Dewalt PowerStack is the cordless power tool brand’s compact high-performance battery built with stacked Lithium-ion cells.
PowerStack is Dewalt’s first 20V Max battery to feature anything other than traditional cylindrical-style Li-ion cells.
Before we get into the deals, I want to make sure everyone understands what you’re getting here.
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Dewalt has only released PowerStack in 1.7Ah sizing so far. A lot of people – reviewers included – misunderstand Dewalt’s claims of 5Ah battery-like power.
PowerStack batteries have the punch of a 5Ah battery, but the endurance (or gas tank) of a 1.7Ah battery. It’s best paired with tools where users want a compact and lightweight battery. Meaning, it will provide the power but not the runtime of a 5Ah battery.
There are an increasing number of PowerStack kits and combos, but if you want just the battery, it’ll usually cost you $129 each or $179 for two (on sale from $199).
Acme Tools Dewalt PowerStack Deals
Acme Tools has a new $25 off $199+ Labor Day promo for which PowerStack batteries are eligible for.
Note: there is a $199 threshold, which means you’ll need to buy more than just a battery 2-pack to get any discount. There are plenty of other tools and accessories to consider.
Ohio Power Tool Dewalt PowerStack Deals
Over at Ohio Power Tool, they’re running a new promo where you get a free Dewalt PowerStack starter kit with the purchase of select 20V Max tools.
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There is a broad selection of bare tool options, including jig saws, compact band saw, circular saw, sander, angle grinder, oscillating multi-tool, and even a FlexVolt Advantage 3-speed hammer drill.
There are some lighting solutions as well, such as Dewalt’s cordless tripod light.
If you look closely, most of the eligible tools are $199 and up, although there are some $149 and $159 options as well.
But there are a couple of even lower priced options as well:
- Dewalt DCL077B Task Light – $119
- Dewalt DCL043 Spotlight – $117
- Dewalt DCL040 LED Worklight – $69
- Dewalt DCL050 LED Handheld Area Light – $87
So, you could buy a PowerStack battery individually for $129, or get an LED worklight PowerStack battery and charger for less. Seems like a great deal to me!
Most of the lights are in stock now, but the DCL040 is labeled as special order, which suggests an extended lead time.
It seems that shipping is free on $99+ for these items. But, even with shipping, some of these are still better deals than buying a PowerStack battery by itself.
Amazon Dewalt PowerStack Battery Deal
Over at Amazon, a 3rd party seller has the PowerStack battery 2-pack for $150 with free shipping. They seem to have good ratings.
Personally, I prefer authorized dealers and not 3rd party sellers, but this seems like a good price for users who aren’t interested in jumping through hoops to get a bargain.
I’ll be posting about more Labor Day 2022 tool deals. If there’s something you’re on the lookout for, please let me know and I’ll keep an eye out for it as well!
TomD
As to *WHY* you would want this – various tests ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpnwBOefbvs is one ) have shown that the larger batteries make the tools perform *better* – not only longer – so this gets you the better performance without the added weight, if you don’t need to worry about runtime (assuming it performs as advertised).
Anthony
I have 2 of these as well as multiple 6ah &9ah flexvolt batteries. Why comes down to what you’re doing with them ..I use the power stacks probably the most but only with the impacts… For any heavy use I use the larger. Saws etc… But I love these little guys.. They perform…are light and small and change super fast. I would and have recommended them.
Chrisk1970
Much the same here. I use my flexvolts with my impact and smaller drill. Everything else gets the big guns.
John
I’m on the lookout for Milwaukee’s 18v Fuel OMT. Could be tool-only or kit. Thanks, Stuart.
Jeremiah D
Around sept 5/6 they may be releasing some new mke deals, read it on an online forum.
Also id recommend checking the home depot deal of the day every morning. About 3x monthly they have tools, usually milwaukee and ryobi deals. Sometimes MEH sometimes grrrreat. Its quick to bookmark it and just go to the page and check the three categories. Not a good idea if youve got less willpower than money.
TomD
If you go the HD sale route, the credit card 10% stacks with it (they often send you a new 10% coupon, too) and you may even be able to stack the 11% rebate if it’s near a Menards.
https://www.homedepotrebates11percent.com/
I *have* successfully received a rebate on a Milwaukee purchase, which seems a bit weird as Menards doesn’t sell Milwaukee, but HD will do what HD does.
Jeremiah D
Hey John, just looked and for the m18 fuel omt currently id suggest acme tool.
They have $25 off 199+ with code laborday all caps maybe. They have it for $229 with a 5.0 battery. If you dont want the battery they’re worth about $70 on the secondary market (fb marketplace)
Plus acme has free shipping over $199 so it should qualify after discount. The only better deal you’re likely to get soon from an authorized dealer is a bigger combo for more $$$, more/better batteries or a free tool deal.
Jon
Any idea when larger sizes may be released?
Stuart
No clue.
Dewalt and Craftsman haven’t been sharing a lot of tool news recently at all.
Jeffro4704
5Ah Power Stacks are coming out around October, November.
Stuart
Where did you see this?
There have been rumors of 5Ah since before the 1.7Ah batteries were announced.
Big Richard
It was leaked earlier this year, same time as a number of tools that have since been released (ratchets, biscuit joiner, DCD800/805 drills, etc.). So it is seemingly legit. I believe the expected release was to be Oct2022, though that likely has changed.
MM
I can’t remember where I saw it but I know I read the same thing that Jeffro4704 and Big Richard mentioned. I probably came across it when I went digging for info on the 23ga pinner, DCD800, DCF900, etc. October was what I had read, though that was months ago so who knows if that will still be true.
John
I saw it on reddit.
John
https://imgur.com/gallery/HzQ7mKA
Stuart
Thank you!!
That’s pretty definitive!
Kingsley
I saw this the other week. I can’t wait to get one.. perfect for the DCB094K and charging my laptop on the move
Nathan
I use the term current depth but I’m probably mixing it up a bit.
the idea here being that a 2 row or more battery pack as a parallel set of batteries that all them to provide more current for a bit more duration than a single row pack.
it’s why you might find your drill won’t spin an auger bit with the 2AH pack but will with the 3 or the 5. Or your circ saw won’t make that full depth cut with the 2AH pack but will with the 5.
It’s not capacity but rather a temporary throughput issue. the pouch batteries have higher current throughput than the single row cell pack counterpart. why – there is more than one pouch in parallel.
while I don’t personally have a need for one right now I suspect I’ll have one in a year or 2. Can’t wait to see what a flexvolt pouch battery might do.
Jack
If the Labor Day tool sales are indicative of the Black Friday sales, it’ll be disappointing.
Mike
I bought the SDS combo deal a while back. The battery is so small it looks like a toy, but it really does the work 👍
mike
keep in mind
the powerstack battery 5,0Ah is coming this year !! (unofficial)
Phil
Do u have more info.
Big Richard
Not a lot of info yet, there is this though: https://imgur.com/gallery/HzQ7mKA
Mike
Should be online tomorrow
I will post the link
In Europe pretty much every country has a bi- quarterly brochure ( flyer withe the new tools)
The post/ pic shows the one from Netherlands
(Nl)
Tomorrow a new release will also be
Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and a few more
Not every country real eases the same tools at the same time
Big Richard
Yup, you can go to the link in the QR code but it takes you to the old/current flyer. I was going to try again later this week once we are actually into September.
Phil
I have 2 and have used them enough to write about them here now. They are best for drills and impacts. When mated to the stubby compact impact gun it improves the ergonomics dramatically over a 5 amph battery. It’s not so forward facing wich can be huge for mechanical work. Similarly to most Milwaukee impacts mated larger than 5 amph battery … too much battery or weight is forward the center of gravity. Love the performance of power stack.
JoeM
I’m still waiting for Confirmed, Demonstrable, Non-Hearsay or Speculative, information about the PowerStack. Is it going to be just one battery? Are they waiting to see how many people buy it to decide if there will be more? Is it the start of something new for all of the Lithium-Ion lines?
I don’t want to see empty promises, I want proof, with verified links, product demos, and some sort of comprehensible path that the PowerStack technology will be going in. Will FlexVOLT, 12 Volt, and what-the-hell the 8V Max lines be getting more powerful batteries with their own PowerStacks? Is there a move to make more than just this one flash-in-the-pan, or are they going full-tilt?
Without knowing, I’m not buying in. I’d prefer XR and FlexVOLT batteries right now. I’m more behind on new batteries than I’ve been on anything else. Sure, I want to upgrade from my original release core tools, to their latest XR editions, plus a few FlexVOLT Advantage editions. But I can’t justify the upgrade of my tools, because I maintain them with every single use. They work perfectly 10+ years later. Sure, new batteries would be nice, but not a PowerStack when I know next to nothing about where PowerStack is going. These are investments for me. My budget is insanely low. I can’t afford to be wrong about what I buy from here on out.
MM
I’m curious how “buying in” applies here. Power Stack batteries use the same chargers as normal Dewalt batts and they work with the same tools, so it’s not like you’re risking overhead expenses that may not pay off if the platform doesn’t continue into the future. Does it matter where Power Stack is going if the current 1.7ah model suits your needs?
Of course nobody knows for sure what exactly they will do with powerstack technology going forward, but most likely it will be going into all their product lines. Pouch cells are the norm in all sorts of electronics these days, they will be the norm in power tools too and we can see it coming already. Flex has several sizes of pouch batts on the market right now. Dewalt has had their 1.7ah Powerstack for several months now and has announced more in the future though we don’t know any hard facts yet. Stuart recently reported that Milwaukee was working on their pouch cell batts during his trip to the new US factory.
JoeM
Sorry… Wrong use of “Buying In” in this case. Dialect difference, I think.
“Buying In” as in, “Buying The Story” or “Buying Into the Hype”… I have no real need for a PowerStack as of right now, so I don’t need to Buy One. Yes, it’s just a battery. But they keep pushing it. It’s in te E-Mail newsletters, it’s in the deals here… But… I’m not going to need this battery until, or unless depending on your dialect, I can see it as more than just that one battery. I believe Stuart is about to back you up when you say “buy another battery if you don’t want this one.” And I agree there. I have lots of options, I’m waiting for PowerStack to give me more reasons to favour it.
Does that make more sense? I know sometimes I use a slightly older fashioned dialect of English… a little more formal. My Grandmother was very strict on Language, so.. there’s some remnants of that that still get me in trouble, here included.
MM
Gotcha, I understand now. Yes, that makes total sense, if you don’t need any new batteries (or tools) then there’s no point in buying any, new technology or not.
I picked up two powerstacks months ago because I needed more small size batteries so I figured why not try them instead of the normal 2.0’s. At the time there was a good bundle deal as well so the price wasn’t bad either. But if I didn’t already need some new batteries I wouldn’t have considered buying them at all. Right now I don’t need any mid-size batteries, though I could use a couple larger Flexvolts. It seems like the new bigger Powerstacks might hit the market in the next few months but I doubt I will buy any until some of my older batteries start failing.
Stuart
I’m confused.
If you want a PowerStack 1.7Ah battery, buy a PowerStack 1.7Ah battery. If you don’t, buy a 2.0Ah battery or whatever, and reevaluate in the future.
If you’re waiting for a PowerStack 5.0Ah battery, a 1.7Ah probably isn’t what you’re looking for.
Or, in terms of hamburgers, you’re saying that you’re not going to buy a single cheeseburger unless you know for sure the restaurant is going to also carry double and triple cheeseburgers in the future. So instead of buying that single cheeseburger that’s available now, you’re going to buy a chicken sandwich.
If you want a single cheeseburger, and that’s what it’ll take to satisfy you, does it matter if a double or triple cheeseburger will be available in the future?
JoeM
Congratulations, Stuart… Now I’m hungry for A&W, where they do, actually, sell Single, Double, Triple, and Multi-Mini Cheeseburgers. :HaHa:
If the PowerStack is only one singular battery… I don’t really need it. Plus, I can get 5Ah batteries for the same price, if not better, when Atlas Tools has sales. A couple months ago, I bought my Mother the new HCV501B shop vac, and then the next month Atlas put XR class batteries on huge discount… The PowerStack was $250 CAD each, but a 2-pack of 5AH 20V XR batteries was $199 CAD. I got a great 12Amp Rapid Charger for $139 CAD on the same sale, and I didn’t need more than that. Yes, I said I bought my Mother a Vacuum from DeWALT, yes, the batteries and charger are also part of the gift. No, she and I are not as close as you might suspect we are, the reality is, I bought these things to shut her up from whining about not having a “Handheld Dust Buster” anymore. Spec for Spec, the DeWALT outshined every Hoover, Black & Decker, DirtDevil, and Shark I saw listed… and the overall price of the DeWALT, with batteries and charger, was still half the price of a semi-equivalent Dyson.
No… she didnt shut up… now she praises the DeWALT Vacuum as “Suzie” and spent almost 2 months showing it off to everyone, instead of using it.
What does this have to do with the PowerStack? Nada. I went with other batteries because they made sense. The PowerStack doesn’t make sense as a flash-in-the-pan product. One singular product? No oil-protected version, touting all these benefits and yet… none of the other lines can benefit from the tech? If it is so revolutionary… where’s the revolution and innovation? Where’s the PowerStack core FlexVolt batteries? Where’s the 10Ah Fan-Cooled 20 V XR flat pack battery?
The words they’re using are very misleading about this single battery. All this over one battery? It’s a head scratcher. If it’s suddenly going to integrate as the new standard within other systems? Okay, now I understand where PowerStack is going… Those Future Upgrades? I’d be happy to buy those, with a PowerStack Core. I’m just not seeing how this 1.7Ah/5Ah Burst Charge battery is of any use to anyone long-term. Long term, I expect to see more pocket-cell batteries in different roles. What roles? That will tell me whether I need one or not.
Stuart
It’s one size of battery for now…
MM
” I’m just not seeing how this 1.7Ah/5Ah Burst Charge battery is of any use to anyone long-term. ”
Clearly the current Powerstack battery might not be of use for everyone, but I like it a lot. Specifically I’ve found 2 common uses that I really like it for, and feel that it offers substantial advantages compared to standard batteries:
1) I live on a few acres rural property and there’s always fallen/dead branches to deal with. I try and cut up everything with my chainsaw before I feed it into my chipper but invariably there’s always some oddly bent or forked branch that needs to be cut again before it will fit into the chipper’s feed chute. So I keep a recip saw handy right next to the chipper so I can make those cuts as I’m working. I don’t need much runtime but I do need power. The powerstack batt is much more comfortable to use because it’s lighter than a full-size 5ah or similar pack but it cuts just as well with it. Picking up and putting down the saw one-handed over and over again is a lot more comfortable with the lighter battery.
2)Auto/machinery work. I use a 3/8 impact gun for most fasteners. Like the above situation, I don’t need much runtime but I do need power from the tool. The 1.7ah powerstack batt has enough oomph to take of truck lug nuts with that 3/8″ impact yet is also much more compact, making it easier to fit into tight spaces and to hold overhead or in strange positions. For anyone working on machinery, vehicles, heavy equipment, etc, that combination of power and compact size is a huge help. The also applies to the new DCS438 multi cutter when used for those kind of applications.
Franck B.
If you ever have a spare rebar cutter laying around… give it a try on those branches. I used to use a recip saw but you know how you have to hold the branch steady or it flops around. The rebar cutter just snaps it. Since I’m kind of not using it for rebar much…
Gordon
It’s just a battery. You make it sound like a whole system. Just buy a battery and slap it on the tools you have. If you like it, great. If not, then sell it and consider it a lesson.
I made a scarf joint in some 6×4 PT and the difference between a 2.0ah and 1.7ah Power Stack battery was insanely noticeable. Both the good and bad.
Luke H
I’m on the lookout for the following, they are for sure long shots.
DCS520 – 60v Track Saw (tool only or combo is fine)
DCB612 or DCB615 – 12 or 15ah 60v battery. the flexvolt string trimmer DCST972 is a beast, but seems to need a bigger battery)
DXSP1906981 – 20v Backpack Sprayer
DCL079 – Tripod light
Also, I already have 2 powerstack batteries and they live up to the hype with the advertised power but would prefer not to have any additional 20v batteries of any type until the new 5ah powerstacks come out whenever that is.
mike
this will be the link for September
https://www.dewalt.nl/DeWALT-Brochures.html
don´t click it today, it will take you to the brochre(flyer) that is still valid in August 2022
pretty exciting !
cheers
John+D
The Ohio Tools offer lists a standard 3AH battery, not the Powerstack…