I have been reporting on a couple of new promos featuring Dewalt 20V Max cordless power tool and PowerStack battery batteries, and there have been some questions about the battery’s size.
Officially, the Dewalt 20V Max PowerStack battery is 25% more compact than their 2.0Ah battery, and it weighs 15% less.
While 25% might not seem like a lot, this is only referring to its top-down footprint.
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In-hand and when attached to compact tools, the PowerStack battery feels strikingly smaller.
The PowerStack battery is so much smaller than Dewalt’s compact 20V Max battery that it’s almost closer in size to their compact 12V Max battery.
Despite its smaller size, the PowerStack battery is more powerful than Dewalt’s compact 20V Max batteries. I ran into a local rep over the holiday season, and they touted that the PowerStack battery delivers the power of a 5Ah battery. I believe it – the PowerStack absolutely punches above its weight class.
It is reasonable to expect that Dewalt has higher capacity (and larger) PowerStack batteries on the way as well, and that this 1.7Ah battery is only the first.
Expired PowerStack Promos
Lowe’s: Buy a battery 2-pack, get a free bare tool
Home Depot: Buy a bare tool, get a free PowerStack starter kit
Ohio Power Tool: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
Acme Tools: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
Tool Nut: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
CPO: Buy a bare tool, get a free starter kit
Lowe’s has what looks to be an exclusive 2-battery “buy one get one” offer where you can choose a free tool, while other retailers offer a free starter kit with the purchase of a select bare tool.
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Inventory is backed up a bit at many retailers, and so you might want to take availability into account. (I bought a jig saw bundle early last month and the latest shipping ETA is for mid-February.) The tool selection also varies a little between retailers.
Bill
In paragraph five, line two you write, …..”Dewalt’s compact 10v Max batteries.” I think you meant 20v Max batteries.
Stuart
Thank you! *fixed*
MM
A totally unrelated head’s up: Max Tool (and perhaps others, I haven’t looked) is now offering a “buy more, save more” promo on many Milwaukee M12 and M18 tools. Spend $299 get $30 off, spend $399 get $80 off, spend $499 get $150 off.
Now hopefully someone will offer this on Dewalt….
Nathan
so the power stack 12V will be even smaller. Which might make standing the tool on it’s end unstable. might be interesting.
Big Richard
It would be the same length and width as the 20v, just not as tall as it would be 3 stacked pouch cells instead of 5.
I don’t think the benefit is there to make a 12v Powerstack, but I could be wrong.
Stuart
I don’t think there will be a 12V Max PowerStack battery, at least not in the immediate future.
As Big Richard mentioned, such a battery pack would be shorter in height than the 20V Max version. It *could* be smaller, but not if 1.7Ah charge capacity is to be maintained.
Each of the cells in the 20V Max PowerStack battery has 1.7Ah charge capacity. They’re stacked in series to produce the 18V/20V Max voltage. A 12V Max battery would have fewer cells connected in series, but they would have the same length and width dimensions, dictating the length and width of the battery pack housing.
12V Max cordless power tools have two main appeals – smaller size and lower cost than 18V/20V Max tools. There are some premium-priced options in all brands’ lineups, but it would be very hard to produce a compelling 12V Max PowerStack battery at proportional pricing to the 20V Max battery.
Additionally, consider the PowerStack promotions going on right now. This is a massive marketing initiative to spread awareness and early adoption. A similar campaign for a 12V Max PowerStack would lose Home Depot’s participation at the start, since Xtreme 12V is Lowe’s exclusive among home centers (similar to Atomic being available at Home Depot but not Lowe’s). That, coupled with lower demand/interest in 12V Max tools compared to 18V/20V Max, would work against things.
All this is to say that there are numerous factors working against the potential for a 12V Max PowerStack battery.
Matt the Hoople
I agree that there likely is not enough potential sales to justify a 12v version. This is too bad because every now and again, I wish my 12v extreme drill had just a little more oomph. Usually when driving long screws with it. I have the impact driver but I live in a neighborhood and work in my driveway a lot and the impact is too noisy early or late in the day when I don’t want to disturb the neighbors.
Big Richard
You lose some compactness, but the 12v 5Ah battery should give the extra oomph that you seek.
Lyle
I don’t see them sticking with the 1.7Ah pouches for other capacities of this battery. For example, if they used 10 pouches, that would only make this a 3.4Ah battery and it would double the size. Sure it would have the same or maybe a little bit more power than the current 5Ah, but it still wouldn’t run as long. Even tripling the number of cells would only give you a 5.1Ah battery. I think the current design is good to replace all of the smaller capacity (1.5Ah, 2Ah, and 3Ah) batteries, and some of the larger (4Ah and 5Ah) but nothing larger.
I think the larger capacity will use a higher density pouch and maybe will be a FlexVolt battery. In that way it could provide more power, be larger and also offer some size and weight benefits. I currently use a few 2Ah for my drills and impact drivers, and 5Ah for everything else. I also have a handful of 6Ah and 9Ah FlexVolt batteries. It would be great to have a PowerStack version of a FlexVolt and replace all of my 5Ah and FlexVolt batteries with a single large form factor battery.
Stuart
The thing about pouch-style batteries is that you can custom-specify the size you want.
Let’s say that for the 1.7Ah battery Dewalt went with a pouch size that’s 1 unit long x 1 unit wide. The cell has an area of 1 square unit.
Design a pouch that is 1.5 units long x 1.5 units wide, and you have a unit that is 2.25 square units in area. That’s more than double the surface area with just 50% increase in length and width.
I would expect to see one battery in each class. Compact, mid-size, and FlexVolt.
Maybe the mid-size *will* have 10 cells in a stack, but they will also be larger. A FlexVolt battery would have to have 15 cells to deliver the necessary 54V/60V Max.
Increasing the charge density is not necessarily a good way to go. There’s a reason why only a few brands offer 6Ah battery packs built with (10) 18650 cells. Even the best 18650-sized 3Ah cells available have higher charge densities coupled with reduced power output capabilities.
Lyle
I just saw a video on YouTube where it looks like some Dewalt stuff leaked. There was a picture of a 5Ah PowerStack battery. It showed the price as $179. So it looks like we know what is next. I’m not sure how appealing that is for me right now. Certainly it will be smaller and lighter than the current 5Ah battery, but I’m wondering what other benefits. The existing PowerStack seems to perform about the same as the existing 5Ah so will the new one perform like a larger (maybe like the 8Ah battery) or will it just be smaller and lighter with the same performance. I think I’d rather wait for the FlexVolt version.
Philip
With the Powerstack out now, it seems like 12v doesn’t have much purpose anymore. At least not for pros. Why have a separate line of 12v tools when you can use more powerful 20v tools with a battery almost as small as 12v. Interesting to see where the 12v line goes from here. I have some 12v tools and I love them but now I think I might just get rid of them and buy powerstacks.
Does anyone have any news as to any larger, powerstack batteries coming out? I don’t know batteries very well but it makes sense to me that if they release a Flexvolt powerstack it should be either a compact 5.1ah or a 10.2ah. I’m curious if it’s in the works or not. Or even just some bigger 20v powerstacks would be awesome.
Big Richard
5Ah seems to be the size floating around the rumor mill. The only confirmation I was able to get from Dewalt was “look for more Ah options to the Powerstack later this year.”
So they are coming for sure, I just don’t know what size(s).
MM
That’s basically what I’ve been told by a couple different Dewalt reps. They both said the larger PowerStacks were on the way, but they did not specify the size (capacity) or when they would come out.
Lyle
There’s a YouTube video from Jeff Ostroff that shows the leaked 5Ah Dewalt PowerStack battery.
OhioHead
I would suggest DW needs the 12v line to compete against the MKE 12v line……the ergonomics of DW 12v line is better then the MKE 12v line (yes MKE could move from a 1 up stick to slide like DW).
I wanted new 12v tools fall of 2021, I looked at DW & MKE, I purchased MKE Fuel Hammer/Impact combo (subsequently purchased the circular & hackzall), I don’t trust DW to keep pumping out new 12 volt tools.
Powestack is a nice advancement in battery technology (size, weight & output).
Stuart
12V Max tools are still smaller and lighter than 20V Max.
Additional PowerStack batteries are rumored to be on the way, but there has been no official word or comments yet.
Scott
Don’t. Sorry but the small footprint of the 12v makes it nice where areas are extremely tight.
If you’re working wide open spaces then you didn’t a 12v platform anyway.
I own an auto repair facility and we use them both but the 12″s definitely run more. You can fit them almost anywhere with some swivel sockets.
Good luck
Craig J
I agree completely. I’m into the 12v system because I don’t have a need for the bigger size tools and batteries and the Atomics from just a few years ago gave the same power as the Xtreme for more money. Now with PowerStack and the 850 and 921/923 I would go that route instead of Xtreme. I’m not too deep in but enough where it doesn’t make sense money wise
rob
I’ve been trying out a few Dewalt tools just for fun. The powerstack makes their new impact hella lighter than with a 5ah battery. That said, their 12v drills and impacts are hella smaller and lighter than an 18v with the powerstack. The 12v ball detent bit driver (also available in MAC red with some upgrades) is lighter than a feather. There are some things like the 12v and 20v “atomic” sds rotary hammers being pretty indistinguishable unless they’re side by side. So.. yes and no.
Big Richard
FAO/Max Tool has the same 2-pk Powerstack w/free tool as Lowes, but it is only $179 vs Lowes $199. Looks like it sold out already. Terms say it is good through 5/2/2022, so it should be back.
Big Richard
Farm and Fleet also has the “buy a PowerStack 2-pk get a free bare tool” deal (you can also buy a 5Ah starter kit instead of the PowerStack 2pk). They have a few tools that others don’t. Good for shipping only, doesn’t work for in store purchases.
https://www.farmandfleet.com/promo-deal/?offerID=5634
Wayne
Got my new 3/8 impact and batteries today.
Steve
What’s the height comparison? Looks to be about the same as the 2Ah.
Stuart
The PowerStack battery is ~1/8″ taller than 2.0Ah.
Steve
Playing with them in store in the packaging I kinda thought so.
Gordon
Another detail is that the PowerStack battery has a rubber overmold on the bottom. It definitely helps keep a drill in place on non-flat surfaces.
But the smaller footprint of the battery also makes it a little less stable if you have a large drill bit in.
eddie sky
Will we see large capacity versions other than the 2ah?
Kingsley
I’d like to see a 12v powerstack with a 12v headtorch. Other smaller 12v tools could be made with a smaller footprint battery.
Julian Tracy
So why aren’t they labeled as to amp hour? Vague-ass equivalents do us no good in deciding whether to purchase.
Matthew Hoffman
Believe its 1.7 amp hour, the early 20v dewalt batterys weren’t marked/ ether since there isn’t another size of power stack battery or just not worth the tooling for the stickers
it’s_jake
how much cutting y’all reckon one could do with a 1.7 in a 6.5” circ saw? say in 3/4 ply
John E
The question you should ask is can a spare 1.7 Powerstack recharge fast enough to keep up with 3/4″ ply in a 6 1/2 circular saw.
Honestly, unless you are cutting vertically or overhead, 5.0ah batteries are perfect for cordless circular saws
skfarmer
thanks for the pics stuart. looks like i need to figure out what tool i need.
not talked about yet but they may be just the ticket in my heated jacket.
Saulac
I take that you meant there is no need to label it since it is the only one so far. But IMO, Dewalt let’s marketing get in the way, and drive me away, by not label it. And why would Stuart believes the Dewalt sale man that it “has the power” of 5Ah? What would that even mean? Does this new battery has certain specs that there is not yet a measuring unit to measure? Stuart also said it is 1.7 Ah, so smaller and lighter than a 2.0 Ah is a bit of expectation. Don’t get me wrong. I am excited about new techs as much as anyone. I just want to be able to learn new techs quickly.
MM
I agree it’s silly they didn’t label it. Sure, perhaps some people will remember that the original Powerstack is 1.7ah but I suspect many won’t, and it will only cause more confusion in the future when larger Powerstack sizes come out.
As for the “has the power of 5ah” I assume they are talking about the peak current (amps) the battery can supply in the short-term.
Jerry
Some guys are missing the bigger advantage to the new batteries which is the polymer lithium which is not susceptible to heat damage and will last longer.
Just wish Dewalt would use better plastic for their battery cases. I got so tired of breaking batteries I went to Milwaukee and haven’t had a broken one yet.
I see the polymer battery taking cordless tools up the level of A/C tools or small 120V inverters that will handle 20 amps.
MM
I just happened to take a look at one of my original DCB204 packs from 2013. And funnily enough, they don’t have the capacity marked in an obvious way. They just have a huge Dewalt logo and say “20V Max XR Lithium Ion”. If you read the fine print on the bottom of the pack it says 4ah but otherwise you wouldn’t know. So it appears there is some precedent for this curious decision not to label the capacity on the pack in an obvious manner.
BalderoGonwevo
If only dewalt would make a 20v compact screwdriver like their 12v
Tommy
I haven’t seen anybody talking about runtime? These powerstack batteries are only 1.7 amp hours. That seems low to me.
Flotsam
the only thing i have not really seen explained is whether the chargers for powerstack batteries are different from those of the normal 20v batteries?
Stuart
All Dewalt 20V Max chargers will work with PowetStack batteries.
Mark G
I noticed that you have jacked up the price of power stack batteries they should be a lot cheaper than they are if you want me to buy them sell them for a fair amount.
Stuart
*I/TooolGuyd* have nothing to do with PowerStack battery prices.
These batteries *just* launched a few weeks ago, and so the price will likely be stable where it is for a while.
The only “price jacking” I have noticed has been at Lowe’s, where the price of a 2-battery pack is higher, presumably because it’s tied to a free tool promo. https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-powerstack-battery-free-20v-tool-deal-lowes-2022/
dave
Can we keep the same size, give more capacity at the same price? I don’t like smaller, lighter for something who’s capacity is a function of mass.