A reader wrote in today with a tough question. They have Dewalt 18V cordless power tools that see casual use, and their batteries have aged and no longer hold a charge.
So here’s their question – do they spend $110 to get a new battery, or consider upgrading to Dewalt’s 20V Max cordless system. After all, Father’s Day is coming up, and there are typically some great deals on cordless combo kits.
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I cannot answer this definitively without learning more about the tools they use or the types of tasks they use them for. If user has to decide between spending $110 and $1000, that’s a tougher scenario for me to offer an opinion about.
Luckily, they also asked a very specific question that is much easier to answer:
Do you see [Dewalt] 18V as having some redeeming value?
If budget and costs aren’t a factor? No, I don’t see any reason to put any money into Dewalt’s 18V NiCad system.
The only reasons to extend the useful life of 18V tools is out of personal attachment, or to save money. I suppose reparability could be also a factor.
A couple of local contractors and tradesmen still use Dewalt 18V cordless power tools – mainly drills. One has a franken-drill with components they sourced from several different drills as parts failed. Another mentioned seeking repairs at a service center and being quoted for more than it would cost to replace their 18V tool with a new 20V Max option.
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I believe some users are also getting their battery packs rebuilt with fresh NiCad cells.
The 20V Max lineup is broader, and the tools are more advanced. You get more power, updated ergonomics, longer runtime, and improved capabilities.
The best Dewalt 18V XRP battery is rated at what, 2.6Ah?
It looks like the best Dewalt 18V 3-speed cordless drill (DCD940KX) has a 450 UWO rating (this relates to max torque and power performance) and tops out at 2000 RPM. Dewalt’s DCD791 and DCD796 compact drill and hammer drill respectively, with neither being 3-speed models, deliver 460 UWO power output and they also top out at 2000 RPM.
On paper, Dewalt’s 20V Max compact brushless drills out-perform their best 18V model. You’ll find Dewalt’s premium brushless drills and hammer drills to be so much more powerful and longer running, plus they’re more compact.
The results are similar across the board. Are there any 18V tools that out-match Dewalt’s 20V Max Li-ion offerings? I don’t think so.
If your 18V tools are still chugging along, and you don’t care to upgrade, that’s fine. But once those older tools or batteries start wearing, I don’t see any reason to put any more money into that system. Do you?
Dewalt has a 20V Max to 18V battery adapter, model DCA1820, which you can buy for $39 via Amazon. They also have starter kits that include a battery and charger.
This adapter lets you use select Dewalt 20V Max battery packs with most Dewalt 18V cordless drills.
If you have an extensive 18V cordless power tool collection that you’re not ready to upgrade from yet, this adapter is still a good option for gradual investment.
The adapter isn’t compatible with all 18V tools or all 20V Max batteries, but that’s still better than the alternative.
Each Dewalt 18V cordless power tool user will have to determine for themselves whether or not – or when – to retire their tools.
But if you ask me, I really don’t see any incentives or benefits in further 18V system investments.
Note: In the context of this post, Dewalt’s 18V system is their older NiCad-based cordless platform. Their 20V Max system is based off an 18V Li-ion battery. Overseas, the 20V Max system is 18V XR.
What do you guys think – is there any reason to stick with Dewalt 18V tools once they start needing new batteries, repairs, or replacing?
Doresoom
What’s funny is that NASA still uses a DeWalt 18V DCD940 drill and impact driver in the ISS IVA toolkit. They even designed a custom “Universal Battery Charger” that charges the 18V NiCads and various camera and random other batteries. There are also some older Makita 9.6V drills floating around up there too, but I don’t think they see much use.
They probably just don’t want to bother flight qualifying another drill and battery combo, especially with more volatile lithium ion cells.
Jared
That might even just be the expense of transporting additional weight. The old stuff is already there and probably cost thousands to get it up. The new stuff would be thousands more.
Doresoom
Very good point. Cargo upmass cost used to be estimated at $10K/lb, but SpaceX has lowered that quite a bit.
Stuart
That’s a good point.
Some items up on the space station seem to have Li-ion batteries (dSLR cameras?), but I can see why they’d want to stick with tried-and-true.
It used to be that NiCad tools handled colder temperatures better, but Li-ion batteries seem to have overcome this years ago.
Doresoom
Yes, lots of lithium ion camera batteries are up there, but nothing with the watt hour capacity of a power tool that I knew of when I worked there. The DeWalt was for internal volume use only though, so didn’t need to be rated for extreme temperatures. They use the Pistol Grip Tool for EVA. Those things are upwards of $1M each.
W00dy
Woah! Does toolguyd have a commenter that had been up to ISS? đ
JR3 Home Performance
Doesn’t surprise me. This site nerds out on power tools(in a good way).
Doresoom
I was a NASA flight controller for the ISS for 3 years. I sure wish I had gotten to visit though!
Mike (the other one)
Slightly off topic, but they have 4 or 5 Mag-Lite 4D flashlights and a handful of MiniMags. They have probably been up there since the early days of the ISS. There are a few float-through videos of the ISS, and if you look carefully, you can spot them. I’ve never seen a DeWalt drill, but those are probably stored out of site, whereas the flashlights are on or near bulkheads.
Doresoom
Yep, those MiniMags are generally deployed in Node 2 over the MWAs (maintenance workbench apparatus). You can see them if you zoom in here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sLsvBDc3fzdCo2F78
There was also a knot of Petzl headlamps in the Service Module when Thomas Pesquet mapped the ISS for Google Streetview a few years ago: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9W3ewLKu8QAJpMu18
AC
These are the best things I seen on the internet in a long time. Great hand tools to Google too.
zaw
https://www.ebay.com/itm/193519949775
Jared
Time to retire it.
The adapter could make sense if you have a few 18v tools – but it probably doesn’t to resuscitate an 18v drill. It’s way too cheap to upgrade to a whole new 20v tool and by the time you get the adapter, charger and a battery or two… you’re pretty much there.
20v tools are not only usually more powerful, but also lighter and more compact.
There’s just no good way to cheaply upgrade 18v tools unless you’re averaging the cost across several.
Now’s the time to have some fun with your outmoded NiCd drill. Take it apart and save the chuck for a project perhaps? Wire it up to a car battery and make a powered bicycle? Post it on Craigslist for $10 and suffer through 50 messages asking you how to get a battery?
Chris
I hate seeing the few 18v nicad tools just collecting dust every time I go into my tool cabinet. It just saddens me. Theyre my dads, but he just uses my 20v Max tools when he needs something. (Which Iâm alright with, Iâve always used his stuff)
Iâve considered getting that battery adapter, and may snag one some day. Itâs always handy having spare drills around, Iâve got like a dozen cordless drills (including a m12 screwdriver and a few dewalt cordless impacts, and even a m12 impact wrench if you want to include that) plus some corded drills and even a drill press. I donât need any more drills. I have plenty.
Ok I went off topic slightly. Point is, having a few extra drills around isnât the worst thing in the world. Iâd say the 18v tools (assuming the nicad batteries will hold their charge) are still great homeowner tools if you have them. Even if you have to go out and buy the lithium adapter kit with the batteries, there still worth holding onto in my opinion. I just wouldnât go out and buy 18v tools if your local hardware store still has any in stock. If youâre going to buy a tool anyway, might as well get something modern. And I wouldnât buy any nicad batteries anyway. I think my local ace hardware and Loweâs still sell nicad batteries. But oh my god theyâre pricey!!
Tom
I was glad that Ridgid kept the same connector when going from NiCad to Li. It made transitioning easier. When my batteries started going I bought one of the Drill/Impact Driver specials for the impact driver and new batteries. I still use the cir-saw that came with my old NiCad set, just with new batteries.
I think Ryobi/Craftsman C3 kept the same form factor too when switching battery types.
Glenn Underwood
That is a good point about the connector, but I hated Dewalts 18v connector. The 20v is much easier to disconnect.
PJ
So… I have a DeWalt 14.4v drill that I received as a gift a long time ago…. it works great. I am not a tradesman and it seems to me to work just fine. It is great shape. I have since converted to the “red” team and I still like to use that drill. I runs great for whatever I ask of it… I though am NOT a fan of NICAD technology… I have replaced the batteries and just waiting for my replacements to fail…. The attachment that you offer only works with 18v correct? Do I have any other options?
Thanks in advance.
MM
I ran into the same situation with a few 14.4v drills one of my corporate clients uses. From what I could tell DeWalt does not and has never made an adapter to use modern batteries on the 14.4 system. However, if all you need are batteries then most battery shops like “Batteries Plus” can put new cells in your existing housings. Or you can do it yourself if you’re handy with a soldering iron. You could upgrade to NiMH cells if you wanted.
PJ
MM! Thank you so much for this response. I have been watching this thread closely and see that I actually have several options at my disposal, from battery cell replacement, to “conversion” or hybrid techniques. That gives me confidence that the tool will not languish in my tool collection. I have a “dead” battery that I think I will convert to NiMH. Thanks again!
X lu
They are obsolete for all practical purposes. I hate to waste but the battery is an integral part of the device. I tossed old Dewalts as well as my Makita’s over battery failure. I suspect they keep the prices outrageously high despite the costs being fully amortized to drive you to buy new. Indeed the repeated failures of dewalt 18v batteries and extortionate replacement costs had me dip my toe into Milwaukee (figured I had nothing to lose) and I never looked back.
evadman
What about my 24v dewalt tools? Okay, it’s a joke. I tried selling them including the 24v car charger, and no one wants them for el-cheapo. I haven’t even found someone local who still uses them to donate them to.
Rx9
What’s said is that while Dewalt had supported the 18v NiCd line well past its prime, they utterly abandoned several other voltage lines, including the NiCd 9.6v, 14.4v, 24v, Lithium 36v and now 40v lines.
I can forgive them for doing this once, but the sheer number of orphan lines they have created is shameful.
Rx9
What’s *sad*
CraftsmanForever
I bought the adapter when they first came out because i did not want to buy any more nicad batteries. All of my nicad batteries were going bad (third batch). Move forward and donât look back. I bought another brushless hammer drill and impact driller for less than i paid for my original hammer drill. However, i have not thrown away any of the old stuff. All still being used with the adapter.
DavidG
I have a 4 piece 18V set (drill, circ saw, recip saw and light) in a hard case that I bought in 2009. I replaced the batteries with the $99 special buy 2x 5AH 20 Vmax set and one of the adapters back in 2016 or 17 and the tools are still going strong. I have since bought a variety of 20V tools and additional batteries but really like the hard case set when traveling away from the garage shop.
Iâve still got an old 9.6V Makita that Iâve considered buy some of the NiMH replacement available online. I really liked that old drill and put a lot of miles on it.
HG Forage
Yes
Lee
I have some of the older Bosch 24v tools. I bought a Shentec 3AH NI-MH battery for around ÂŁ35 and it’s a lot better than the original Bosch NiCads. No memory effect and a lot less self-discharge. Maybe there’s something similar for your DeWalt?
Roger
If the question is “if they should” then that means the possibility of jumping to an updated platform exists. It could be any flavor or voltage. 12,18, 20,40. There is no need for a limitation to one particular brand. The quick and dirty way is the adapter route. There are also several aftermarket versions. However, I would keep to OEM batteries higher than 2Ah.
Overall… They should just end the nicad line. Like the 40V; allow aftermarket to fill the gaps. SBD needs to put more resources in the DeWalt line *R&D. Not only *Rebranding, but actual Development. Old 18V and 18V/20V are the same thing. Just a different shape. They have a huge advantage with Flexvolt, but not putting much effort into the development. At this point in time, even HF is catching up…
Kenneth Stephens
They did have xrp lithium batteries. I havenât seen any for a long time though. Iâd just buy the adapter and if you buy any new tools like a sander or weed eater then youâll already have some batteries if you bought some to keep your old tools going
Diego
I sold all mine years ago and used that to buy another Ridgid 18v tool I needed. I loaded up everything in a large duffel bag and sold it to the first person to show up with a crisp Benjamin. I probably spent over $300 over the years replacing those crappy batteries.
JoeM
If I can be painfully obvious here… Upgrade or Stay Quiet. You don’t get to complain about support for the older systems at this point, you’ve had plenty of time already, you have options made available to you still.
Now… when I say Upgrade, I am not saying go 20 Volt system exclusively. If that 18 Volt XRP or type (insert version here) 18 Volt tool is still functioning fine, aside from the battery? Get the adapter. If you had the whole suite, or dozens of the tools, this is a costly venture, but having power tools is costly no matter what, so accept that this price is very much a necessary evil. Use the Adapter until the tools themselves break down. None of them were brushless, so when the brushes, switches, or external fasteners on the housing and accessories start to fail or fall out? Take them apart, recover the adapter (maybe for another functioning 18 Volt tool you didn’t get one for yet.) and either build something out of the parts, or recycle them whole.
Now, if you’ve done this, and you’ve now got a tool-shaped hole in your soul, where your old friend used to be… You have to give in to the inevitable, and invest in the new versions of the tools. Maybe take this time to diversify a little? Examine what tools you have, and start splitting them up into the tools you absolutely need in 20 Volt/XR/FlexVOLT mode, and which ones you could step down to the 12 or 8 Volt systems. The beauty of the new line is that it’s pretty continuous, with very little overlap. You have more options that will work together in a single tool menagerie than you ever had with the 18 Volt/XRP family of tools.
If you’re a tinkerer like myself… A dead switch and battery are no loss of a good set of parts. I admit, sometimes I resort to old K’Nex or Lego to visualize what I’m doing in real life materials. Cheap battery connectors, and alligator clips, soon turn old 18 volt tool motors, and rotating axles, into components of moving parts in things you can build. It’s probably best to hope this is the worst case scenario for where your older DeWALT tools end up, rather than complaining about DeWALT not supporting a 20+ year old system anymore.
The batteries desperately need to be properly, and safely, recycled. I worry about the original 20 Volt Max 1.5 and 3.0 Ah batteries I still own from my first purchases becoming dead as doornails. So I am not unsympathetic to the extreme investment costs involved here. The reality is… when you picked up that power tool, you were agreeing to take care of it as a responsible user. At some point, you have to be the adult, and know when it’s time to let go of the past tools. It hurts, I know. My first DeWALT drill was going to be My Livelihood as a computer tech. It was a step up from the ones my boss used to own for the shop, DeWALT 14.4 Volt system Standard Drill. The time was coming to an end for it, I didn’t know at the time, but it was. 3 years went by, one of two batteries it came with was dead. I killed one trigger switch. And lo-and-behold… DeWALT released this new 20 Volt Max system. The investment in another 14.4 would have been around $80… give or take… But I was turning 29 (ish) and the drill was not making me money. So I bit the bullet and got one of the early kits. DCD785 compact hammerdrill, with a DCF885 impact driver. I recycled my 14.4 volt batteries, and my old drill… and I moved on to the 20 Volt Max system… even though that hurt like hell.
So I get some of the rage people can feel with attachment to the older system. But to be blunt… The horse is not just dead… it’s just a hide that oozes disgusting stuff when you keep kicking it at this point. You’re only going to lose more by keeping the old going. It’s no longer valuable, it’s recyclable. And I’m sorry I am now on the side I am, but I know it’s the right side.
Mike (the other one)
Considering the cost to replace the battery, get a charger and adapter, you could have bought a new drill/battery/charger combo. The new drills are more powerful, are more efficient, and the batteries have better charge/run times.
I would just get a new one and either donate the old one to something like Habitat for Humanity, or take it apart and keep the chuck. Maybe use the motor for some project.
Kingsley
They don’t sell the adapters in Europe and never have, for some unknown reason. On ebay you can get fake ones, but I wouldn’t trust them not to short out or catch fire.
Luckily, a few years ago on a trip to the USA I picked up a few genuine adapters. On same trip I bought a DCD996 kit with two batteries, for a much lower price than here in the UK
If it wasn’t for the adapters and the 996 kit I would have been a lot later getting into the 20V system.
I still have an 18V angle grinder, angle drill and jigsaw (which I hardly use). (I still have a 18V drill too, but haven’t touched it since the 996 purchase)
I’ve actually just bought a new brushless 5″ grinder as I’m working on a big home project that needed lots of use out of it.
So it leaves the jigsaw and the angle drill and the angle drill is almost as big as my 12v drill and 20v impact driver.
So, the jigsaw…. which doesn’t get much use anyway.
Wilbur
Noticed about 18 months ago 18V DW batts were not just scarce in stores and online but damn near nonexistent. I stocked up on DW 18V batts over the years, so I have a stash of virgin batteries. Which is good, because I’m losing 1-2 18Vs a year as they age out.
I bought a couple 20-to-18 adapters from Amazon when they BlkFri saled them at $29 and started buying higher cap DW 20V batts when i found them on sale (also discovered on one of the forums that leaving an adapter connected to a 20V batt will slowly discharge the battery – I did not know that – so I always split the adapter from the 20V batt after use).
Beginning last year I started buying 20V DW tools when i found them at good to very good prices (Black Friday, post-Xmas clearouts, etc.), and am looking for upcoming FDay sales. I’m figuring about 12-24 months to replace all my 18V DWs with 20V, but as long as I’ve got 20-18V adapters I’ll keep the 18V tools as 2nd tier backups.
Also looking VERY closely at other brands, as in “is buying this 20V DW tool smart, or should I replace it with Milwaukee/Ryobi/Whatever?” Once the dam breaks on a manufacturer supporting its “tool infrastructure” there’s no reason to not shift to a completely different brand, because if old batts and chargers are useless, why not? Technology marches on, and maybe it marches faster and better at a different brand, and at a lower “effective use” pricing than DW.
Frank D
For very casual use, if the user has multiple powertools, and is not going to really buy more tools, besides what they have maybe get an adapter and one new battery starter kit or new promo tool that includes battery and charger ⌠something they donât have yet, so they have a new battery they can use on all their tools.
Otherwise: recycle and buy new.
Maybe switch to Ryobi if they foresee themselves buying something from the 175-200 tools to do some small projects, diy chores, gardening, âŚ
If they are only going to use a drill twice a year and thatâs it. Just get a new promo drill with battery and charger, any mainstream brand.
Wayne R.
The Post Apocalyptic Inventor just did a video of a bunch of old cordless drills (collected from his local industrial recycling facility in Cologne) he modified to the Makita 18v platform due to the ease of getting simple/cheap adapters. Certainly not what most would do, but it’s food for thought.
Flotsam
I think his approach is the best to reusing old NiCd tools. Select a modern battery system. I have done this with an old Milwaukee 18v NiCD circular saw 6 1/2 in. But i selected a Ridgid battery adapter since i have a bunch of those. Works great.
Ken
Slightly off topic but the fact that Dewalt came out with the the 20v adapter is what caused me to jump ship from Milwaukee when they obsoleted their V18 system. I was not going to reward Milwaukee for doing that by replacing all my V18 tools with M18 tools. Even though I didnât have any Dewalt 18v tools, the fact that they went out of their way not to screw 18v owners made me switch loyalty.
I think I had 7 of the old Milwaukee V18 tools. Now In have 23 Dewalt 20V tools and something like 14 batteries.
Bryan
Thank you for calling this out. Milwaukee absolutely abandoned their V18 lines that were sold right up until M18 was introduced. Sad and shameful.
There was no reason why they couldn’t make an adapter to M18 for perfectly good tools (many online have done this.) TTI loves to talk about how Ryobi has had the same battery since 1996, which is great, but they shafted Milwaukee users when they bought the company.
Mike
I still have Nano batteries that hold a charge and work well enough for me around the house. I’d re-cell them before I’d change to 20V + adaptors.
Joel Likes Tools
I had a similar conundrum. I had a 18v DeWalt drill in pristine condition, but the
batteries were not holding charge for longer projects. I was tempted by the
battery adapter. I could by a new drill for the price of batteries though. . . I have
M12 for work and around the house and just needed a bigger drill occasionally.
I opted for the Kobalt 24v hammer drill. I have really liked it so far. The tipping point was that Kobalt had the least expensive replacement batteries. Mixed and matched a couple deals and got the Kobalt grinder too.
Gene Pitrowski
I have about 4 of the 18 volt tools still. I found a better aftermarket adapter that lets the20 v batteries work in my two trim guns. The dewalt adapter wouldn’t. My trim guns are in good shape. And with the cost of the20v trim guns between $300 and $400. It doesn’t make sense to replace them yet.
Mike
I started with Milwaukee and then went to Dewalt and back at Milwaukee. But there are several 18v Dewalt tools that I like and got a great deal on. The duplicates I sold. So I bought a Milwaukee to Dewalt adapter. So I only charge Milwaukee batteries and use both Dewalt and Milwaukee now.
Kevin Denny
Im one of the many that was previously on the 18V platform but have been slowly transitioning to the 20V stuff. The daily tools like drill and impact are just no-brainers to switch over with all the benefits you discussed. What Im still holding on to (purely because my 18V li-ion batteries still work) are the tools that are much more expensive to replace like my 18V finish nailer and 1/2â impact wrench. The cost of moving on for tools like that is just too high, and those tools rarely go on sale. Just another option out there instead of a complete, wholesale changeover is the gradual shift. It balances the benefits of newer tools, but doesnt require a huge investment up front.
fred
For hundreds- perhaps even thousands – of years there was a tradition of passing down tools from generation to generation. The finer tools that were the mark of a tradesman’s profession were highly coveted possessions that were cared for and cherished. Those tools might have been a barber’s razors, a carpenter’s planes . a jeweler’s pliers etc. The advent of power tools and the advance of technology that came with them changed all of that. While I might collect a vintage B&D or Fein electric drill – I would not think to use it on any regular basis . Cordless tools started to be marketed at a time when consumerism was in its ascendancy and we came to think that obsolescence (which critics said was part of some malevolent plan) was part and parcel of the march of progress. Overall, I think this is a good thing as new tools often make our lives easier, safer, more capable and more productive. For businesses the trade off is that the costs of replacing the old with the new has to be built into the price we charge for our work. Externalities like the impact of trashing the old ) truly effective recycling is sometimes more a myth than reality) is still a downside. But that downside may be less impactful than what the typical homeowner faces when confronted with needing to replace something like a NiCad-battery tool. Unfortunately – at some point – it just becomes more effective to bite the bullet and move on – and hopefully appreciate that the new tool probably has more capability likely at a lower price (based on real dollars) compared to the old.
Josh
I would get the 20 volt for the most used tools and an adapter for the ones used very little.
Bob
Why is it that in England and Australia here are no 20 Volt Max* tools, just 18 Volt Max without the *? Why can companies not be truthful about their products. I dropped DeWalt back when the first 18V XRP Lithium batteries and tools hit and my new battery wouldnât fit in an existing light. The new batteries were touted as being compatible with all 18 Volt tools. They stated the light wasnât considered a âtoolâ despite it coming in a 3-tool combo kit. I did my research and sold all my tools and went to Milwaukee and never looked back. And of course an email bast DeWalt sent out a year later stating hat the 18 Volt line wasnât going anywhere and they were keeping it going for the long run, made me glad for my decision. The next year the 20 Volt Max* line came out with their 18 Volt outputting batteries, and all the old 18 volt products started goin disco.
Rog
Because, unfortunately, here in America we have a bad case of “bigger is better” syndrome.
Jon
I have switched sets because of bad batteries twice personally and many times at my old job. It was more cost effective to buy new kits instead of replacement batteries.
NiCad’s biggest con for me is not holding a charge while in storage. The adapter is a joke or a stopgap. It’s hardly practical due to the shape and if you want to use multiple tools at once? Forget about it.
There is absolutely nothing I miss about the Dewalt 18v when compared to Dewalt 20v brushless.
Allan
So I have a 18 V Dewalt flourescent light.
Adapter to 20volt battery does not light up bulb.
Just flickers a bit.
Put a 18 volt back on and works perfectly.
Love the light but I guess it will be garbage after my last 18 battery is useless?.
Rx9
I feel like NiCd batteries are to lithium what carburetors are to electronic fuel injection or to use another example, what black powder rifles are to modern cartridge rifles. I hold nothing against people who enjoy the older stuff, but I personally enjoy the newer tech. Waiting 4 hours for a NiCd battery to give you 2ah worth of energy in a package that weighs more just isn’t worth it to me, especially not when I could get 4ah in an hour from lithium.
That said, I can see people being attached to the old tools, but not the batteries, especially when adapters to the new lithium cells exist. I know carburetors can handle an EMP blast and from what I remember a black powder muzzleloader is far less complicated than a modern rifle, so what’s the nice advantage with NiCd cells? What am I missing here?
Fm2176
All things considered, yes, it is time to retire 18v tools, with a few exceptions. Others have posted about continuing to use the nailers, buying adapters (either the DCA1820 or third-party ones to include those that permit the use of other manufacturers’ batteries). I bought a few of the DCA1820s, despite only having one 18v tool (incidentally the recip saw they used to demonstrate the adapter, both were placed on the clearance rack at @$70). I learned early on that the adapter is not designed to be moved from tool to tool easily. Regardless, lesser used or more expensive tools make sense to keep and use with 20v Max batteries.
As lithium-ion technology has progressed, most tool brands have gone through transformative phases, some of which unfortunately led to short-lived platforms/offerings such as V18 and the 18v XRP Li-Ion packs. The two major brands that decided to keep their systems compatible between Ni-Cad and Li-Ion, Ridgid and Ryobi, made some compromises. Ridgid’s batteries have a fairly large form factor compared to M18 or 20v Max, while One+ is one of the last 18v systems to use pod-style batteries. DeWalt’s 18v system lived a long and productive life, but when it was time to evolve into Li-Ion technology, DeWalt decided that 18v pod batteries weren’t the way ahead despite having already introduced XRP lithium packs. Porter Cable did much the same with it’s 18v system: it started as Ni-Cad, Li-Ion batteries were developed and sold, and then just before its demise it was turned back to a Ni-Cad only system (probably to avoid competing with its own 20v Max system).
18v had a good run and some tools still have plenty of life, albeit with adapters and modern batteries. As a daily go-to cordless system, though, I’d say it deserves a retirement after twenty or so years of hard work.
Adam
I still use the XRP system, I am a DYI’er, scoutmaster, volunteer, helpful neighbor. When the original NiCad batteries started fading out, I replaced the cells with NiMH. They last longer, have little to none of the memory issues and I could rebuild a pack for $20 or less. It will still use the same charger.
I will likely replace the tools at some point with lithium sets, but for the type and frequency of the usage, I could spend that money on other projects.
Adam
*DIY’er.
No coffee yet.
philip s john
Retire the ni cad 18v tools. Just pull out the brushes … you will need them for the new 20v brushess tools.
JML
Time to buy new tools. I had two Panasonic drills I loved, but when the batteries died it was time to make a change to a new platform. (Too bad they no longer import the Panasonic drills to the USA, as the ones I had were ergonomic, beautifully made, and powerful for that time period.)
DRT42
Oh yeah. I still have a couple of Panasonic tools. Ironically, I “rebatteried” the 15.6v ones with cells that I got from flea-bay, and the off-brand cells have lasted WAY longer than the originals. Actually, they are still perfectly good. But, I don’t use the Panasonics much anymore because I have more modern tools in the arsenal. Kind of a shame, because I agree with you that Panasonic made rather nice drills. The saw was OK, but used an oddball 20mm arbor, forcing you to buy Panasonic blades.
Bob
Probably time to upgrade to 20V. Like other said any specialty/seldom used tool in 18v I would keep and run the 20 to 18v adapter.
I keep a set of 18v tools in the truck under the seat with the adapter and a few 4ah hour batteries. Recip, drill, impact, flexi head flash light. If they get stolen they paid for themselves years ago so no real loss there. Nice to have them in a pinch.
Ps the flex head flash light says made in USA. Probably bought around 1998. Added bonus 20v batteries are heavier so makes the flashlight base more stable.
Lynyrd
Almost time to retire – make the change and decision on your next battery platform this Christmas season. As you know there is no better time to buy larger combo kits.
I went to Milwaukee 18/12 for Automotive, HVAC Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing work but continued to use Bosch 18/12 for Carpentry/Woodworking.
I will make the change this coming season to; DeWalt 18, or Makita 18 or 40, or Milwaukee 18/12.
I haven’t found an issue having multiple battery platforms…
Alan Pedisich
Dewalt did the conversion to stem to slide on batteries right. They offered a battery adaptor to allow users to buy new batteries and still use their old tools. If i was a 18v dewalt user i would have kept using those old tools with the adaptor and phased them out as they broke down or i was able to score deals on newer versions. Many brands just changed their connector and left their customers deal with it.
Nathan
short of just getting a new drill – which I would highly consider a dril and driver combo kit of some form.
I would also consider the dewalt adapter kit with battery – issue is you need the new charger too and I don’t know if it comes with.
Thus cost wise that’s a plan – the other idea would be to buy a rebuilt or knockoff battery. being NI-CAD I wouldn’t worry one bit about that. LI battery I have a little hesitation but NI-CAD no worries.
If you do retire it though – I bet you could get decent money on e-bay for the drill and charger as there are people still using them.
Jayne Erin Defranco
There’s is a secondary market for these tools, I gave mine away years ago. PLEASE don’t put em in the trash. Now I like Milwaukee 12 volt and Ryobi with a touch of the new Hart line, from yep Walmart. I don’t need pro tools.
zaw
Those are really hard to remove. I end up salvaging release clips from old 18v battery to replace the springs on release clip.
I have two of those purchased 1 year apart. 1st one was a kit with two batts and charger. That one drains battery if left on the adapter. Another one is single unit and that one doesn’t seems to drain power.
Sam
Dewalt should set a timeline and move to retire the 18 volt line…. sometime by next spring. The battery adapter is useful for existing users but it’s best works to help transition into the newer product line as one already builds a 20v battery reserve.
The 20v line is superior in every way…just saying….
MM
I agree with you, generally speaking, but I think there are probably some industrial users who will continue to demand support for the system. Like others mentioned above some companies have to certify tools for a given application and it can be an enormous headache to get a new tool–not because the tool itself is expensive, but because that certification process is.
I worked for a company in the early 2000s that was still using early 1980’s HP Laserjet II printers on one of their pieces of lab equipment. When I asked why they were doing that–after all the printers were slow, loud, fragile, and a hassle to maintain. they explained that the reports generated by that machine were a vital part of the company’s ISO 9001 QC process. Switching to a different printer would have required vetting the new software and printer, and redoing the ISO paperwork which management estimated to cost a couple hundred K, whereas it was nowhere near that costly to keep a few Laserjet II’s on hand and send them out for repair when one broke. I had another situation with the same company which had an ancient PC running another piece of test equipment. I suggested upgrading it as it was having major reliability concerns. That got shut down because the company didn’t have any more money allocated for “new equipment purchases”, but they had a fat budget for “equipment upgrade and maintenance”, so they were happy to pay insane prices for obsolete parts to maintain that computer but were unwilling to simply buy a modern replacement for a fraction of the cost.
I’d be willing to guess there are at least a few big corporate or government customers who might be in similar situations, where paperwork hassles are keeping them stuck on the old 18V system.
Matt
Obsolescence is a tough pill to swallow but at some point you’ve got to hang them up. Funny thing is, once you do it, you’ll wonder why you waited (at least that’s been my experience). For a very infrequent user who needs to upgrade but can’t justify the expense of moving to DeWalt or Milwaukee it seems like Craftsman, Skill, and even HF could be good options to get some modern batteries and a D/D combo at a reasonable price. But yeah, I think the sun has set on the 18v stuff.
Big Richard
They is:
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/us/dewalt-usa/pressreleases/dewalt-r-to-discontinue-18v-nicad-battery-users-encouraged-to-upgrade-to-the-dewalt-20v-max-star-system-3125951
Don Apgar
I have at least a dozen 18v DeWalt tools and they work great! My only complaint was the cost and limited run capacity of NiCad batteries, the 20v platform is lithium which gives you much better usability in the field.
I found these Powilling batteries on Amazon, basically the DeWalt 18v form factor made with lithium cells to give to 6.0 a/h capacity, better than the DeWalt 20v!!
Plus, they have charge gauges and will charge in the DeWalt 18v chargers!
I’ve had 4 of these batteries for about 2 yrs now and no complaints, they have been a game changer to keep my 18v tools useful. Not saying that upgrading isn’t worth it, the new 20v tools are better and have more selection, but if you’re on a budget and need to keep your 18v stuff alive a while longer, look into these batteries.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RBMG4WP/