attn. dewalt: how to keep and make your cordless users happy

[Farmall450]

********, ******** and ********. yup 3 times

if that theory held true then 1/4, 3/8,1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch drive should be obsolete. they are all over 10 years old and pushing 100. #1,2,3 and 4 phillips, all of the robertson bits, most of the torx bits and a bunch of other drives. they should all be abandoned also.

how about 115/120volt ac? that is way over 100 years old. lets not support that either, it is an obsolete platform. other than f....cking the end user there is no reason not to make tools with compatable platforms.,

why don't we come up with some new, made up fasteners sizes and thread counts while we are at it? the old ones are obsolete you know.

I could say the same.
We aren't talking about steel hardware, we're talking about power tools which have shown to be CONSTANTLY changing in the event of new technology and competitive demand. Eventually using that same stem design and only being able to produce batteries that fit all their tools will stifle them.

 

[Farmall450]

********, ******** and ********. yup 3 times

why don't we come up with some new, made up fasteners sizes and thread counts while we are at it? the old ones are obsolete you know.

You mean metric?

 

[kythri]

You mean metric?

Nope. Metric is more than 10+ years old, so there's obviously a problem.

 

[Kirbot]

That's fine and you certainly have to buy what you are happy with...

As for your last statement, we'll just have to agree to disagree

It's not easy to justify 130ft lbs over 200ft lbs

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200617038_200617038

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200589360_200589360

The same goes for the Hackzall, which doesn't even exist in Dewalt's lineup.
And unfortunately, those are the only two tools I really need/want right now...


Although, reading this thread, I'm actually getting really temped to pick up a Ryobi kit to fill in some lesser used tools....

 

[Kirbot]

Eventually using that same stem design and only being able to produce batteries that fit all their tools will stifle them.

Like I said before, I really don't see what the problem with the stem is....
A slide mount does what... Allow a thinner grip? What if you like thick grips?

I can't see what else it changes, from looking at my dad's 18v Dewalt, and my M18 impact.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

You have to grind or cut something on the battery. I think there was a thread on it

Right, I sorta recall reading that the Porter-Cable/Black & Decker stuff has a plastic blocker in the locations where the Dewalt has the shut-off circuits. Otherwise, it's the same interface.

So in short, what I'm saying is that it's easier/cheaper to make the adapter for use with the B&D 20V Max batteries, as they have the shut-off circuitry in the battery, just like the 18V LiON Dewalt batteries. i.e. No shut-off circuitry would be required in the adapter if it already exists in the battery.

 

[stage20]

what are these going to sell for? id be in for a couple for sure. not trying to pin down on an exact price. 10 20 30 40 ???

 

[kythri]

Like I said before, I really don't see what the problem with the stem is....
A slide mount does what... Allow a thinner grip? What if you like thick grips?

I can't see what else it changes, from looking at my dad's 18v Dewalt, and my M18 impact.

I'd say that a slide-mount would allow more flexible battery placement, depending on the tool. Not having to design around the stem is likely easier.

That said, it's obviously not an insurmountable task, given the vast number of tools out there that have the stem-style batteries. I certainly wouldn't call the stem a problem.

The slide-mount battery is a refinement, but it's not some bold new evolution of anything, and if a tool manufacturer wanted to maintain backwards compatibility when migrating from stem-to-slide batteries, well, adapters wouldn't exactly be a difficult or high-tech design.

 

[Beemer533]

It's not easy to justify 130ft lbs over 200ft lbs

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200617038_200617038

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200589360_200589360

The same goes for the Hackzall, which doesn't even exist in Dewalt's lineup.
And unfortunately, those are the only two tools I really need/want right now...


Although, reading this thread, I'm actually getting really temped to pick up a Ryobi kit to fill in some lesser used tools....

That's fine, I didn't realize you were referring to a specific tool.

Overall, I prefer Dewalt but sure, there will be some tools in any manufacturers lineup that won't be as good as others.. That's called competition.

And Dewalt does have a "hackzall" style tool, albeit only in 12v...

http://www.dewalt.com/tools/cordless-saws-reciprocating-saws-dcs310s1.aspx

This post edited by the NSA

 

[Kirbot]

That's fine, I didn't realize you were referring to a specific tool.

Overall, I prefer Dewalt but sure, there will be some tools in any manufacturers lineup that won't be as good as others.. That's called competition.

And Dewalt does have a "hackzall" style tool, albeit only in 12v...

http://www.dewalt.com/tools/cordless-saws-reciprocating-saws-dcs310s1.aspx

This post edited by the NSA

Well, like I said, I'm just talking about the tools that I want.
I know Dewalt still makes plenty of great stuff, but I don't know that they make anything that blows the Milwaukee alternative away.

The 3/8" impact was by far my top priority (and so far, the only one I bought)
An M12 ratchet is another one I'd like eventually, and Dewalt doesn't offer one.

I actually watched a comparison between the M12 hackzall, and that Dewalt the other day and the Dewalt really seemed to come up short...

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

So in short, what I'm saying is that it's easier/cheaper to make the adapter for use with the B&D 20V Max batteries, as they have the shut-off circuitry in the battery, just like the 18V LiON Dewalt batteries. i.e. No shut-off circuitry would be required in the adapter if it already exists in the battery.

So did anyone get anywhere with this? The 18V-Dewalt to 20V-Dewalt seems too involved given the shut-off circuitry I mentioned above.

18V-Dewalt to 20V Max (Black&Decker, Porter-Cable, Craftsman) seems like the most sensible solution.

BTW, from what I've read (pasted below), the Stanley 20V FatMax line seems to have the same interface, but with the polarity reversed to purposely make them incompatible with their other lines. Seems dumb.



Brian says

March 15, 2015 at 1:24 pm

If you look at the 20 Volt Max B&D battery where it slides into the charger/drill, it has one little spot of plastic removed.

This is to keep the B&D battery from fitting into the 20 Volt Max FatMax FMC-620.

For sh!t’s & giggles, i removed some of the plastic from the B&D 20v battery to see if it will fit in the FatMax 20 Volt Max charger.

It does fit…. however, The Stanely/B&D company must have wired the polarity different on either the battery or the charger. Because when the B&D battery is put into the FatMax charger, You get a red blinking light.

I assume this is a safety light that is blinking,

 

[stage20]

There are used 20v stuff flooding the market and I could really use lighter weight batteries for my 18v. I have too many tools to switch, im sticking with it.

 

[sk farmer]

it's here and dewalt did it!

check out stuarts toolguyd post from today.

who still thinks it is impossible to do?

i hope in some small way i had a hand in making this happen.

dewalt reps lurking on the board? send me a pm and i will put my money where my mouth is. let me know how i can get one asap

 

[Stuey]

it's here and dewalt did it!

check out stuarts toolguyd post from today.

who still thinks it is impossible to do?

i hope in some small way i had a hand in making this happen.

dewalt reps lurking on the board? send me a pm and i will put my money where my mouth is. let me know how i can get one asap

http://toolguyd.com/dewalt-20v-max-18v-battery-adapter/

Yep! As mentioned in the other post, I didn't think we'd ever see an adapter like this, but here it is!

 

[stage20]

its a little bigger than i had hoped but the 39 dollar price tag is where it needs to be to sell to the masses. im in! sign me up!

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Wow, good timing! I was getting very close to "rolling my own" and making an adapter to use B&D 20V Max batteries. I guess I'll give up on that idea and wait for Dewalt to come out with this adapter.

Well done Dewalt!

 

[tonydanzah]

So Im still happily using my Dewalt 14.4v tools as i got a hold of some NOS batteries. Will they be making an adapter for this as well?

 

[Beowulf]

I'll definitely be going this route when I need to buy new batteries for my 18v line. I had 7 batteries and now I'm down to two working units. The adapter and the biggest 20v they have is in my near future.

 

[General Geoff]

Way to go Dewalt!

 

[Chadwilliam1]

So Im still happily using my Dewalt 14.4v tools as i got a hold of some NOS batteries. Will they be making an adapter for this as well?

I doubt it. 20 volt tool line is really 18 volt.

 

[naic98]

the easiest way to get rid of voltage without adding resistors and thus generating heat, is to insert silicon diodes in series with the power source, each diode drop is about 0.7 volts. For currents less then 1 amp use a 1n4001, for upto 2.5 amps use 1N5000 series. To drop 2.1 volts wire 3 diodes in series

 

[naic98]

Lithium cells are completely different technology then NiCads. The nominal voltage on a nicad is 1.2 volts, lithium is 3.7. The biggest problem with lihtium is that if you overcharge them , they short and catch fire (ask Boeing) . You are charging 5 series connected cells with 20 volts, one cell overcharges and short circuits NOW you have 20 volts on 4 cells, fire smoke , destruction. They way a lithium charger works, it monitors each of the series cells for overvoltage. If any cell over volts, then the battery charger automatically discharges the cell or group of cells. The problem with lithium power sources is the charger, not the batteries. Think of this why do cheap chinese laptop batteries catch on fire, while the same 18650 cells in the Prius do not

 

[sk farmer]

they are in stock at acme and selling like hotcakes according to the rep. i wanted to pick one up in store but the kits were already sold out so i made the order and have an adaptor and an adaptor kit on the way! i was able to use the 15% off one item leap day promo.

thanks becky from acme!

 

[stage20]

Any good codes to use today? Also. Not sure if the 2 batteries and charger with adapter is a better deal. I haven't seen any 20v batteries or charfers for sale used local so it's hard to gauge.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

So in short, what I'm saying is that it's easier/cheaper to make the adapter for use with the B&D 20V Max batteries, as they have the shut-off circuitry in the battery, just like the 18V LiON Dewalt batteries. i.e. No shut-off circuitry would be required in the adapter if it already exists in the battery.

I'm re-visiting this thread as I never went ahead with the DeWalt adapter purchase. After thinking it through, I really felt like being able to use the B&D 20V Max batteries with my Dewalt 18v tools was the best solution.

I've got an adapter on the way to me which will allow just that. I'll be testing it with my arsenal of DeWalt 18v tools.

Details to follow shortly....

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I've got an adapter on the way to me which will allow just that. I'll be testing it with my arsenal of DeWalt 18v tools.

Details to follow shortly....

As promised...

DeWalt 18V donor battery required along with purchase of the adapter (available on eBay or PM me for the direct contact e-mail). Directions are provided with the adapter, with this one important caveat! Currently he's got the polarity reversed in the directions. I think this is because the 20V Max DeWalt battery is reversed from the Black & Decker/Craftsman 20V Max. You will make smoke if the polarity is wrong, so make sure you've got it right. Conveniently, the B&D batteries have + and - indicated right on the battery. The positive side on the Dewalt 18V tool/battery faces forward.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I only got this completed yesterday so no heavy duty testing yet, but so far, so good. I used plastic epoxy to fasten the contact assembly back into the shell once the wires were all de-soldered. I still have the original + wire attached in the pic above - that gets removed as well and replaced with a longer one.

I was a little concerned about the plastic epoxy holding up long-term, so after that cured, I pumped a bunch of urethane caulk down the hole to fill up the void formerly occupied by the lead battery. That presses up against the adapter to provide a more positive stop should the epoxy ever fail. You can see that peeking through in picture #3 above.

I'm glad I held out for this adapter rather than going with the DeWalt one. Going forward, I'm now standardized on the Black & Decker 20V Max batteries, with a full breadth of consumer (B&D) and commercial (DeWalt 18V) tools available.

 

[sk farmer]

glad it turned out for you. the dewalt adapter i have works fine but as it is but i can't say that i would have made it with that goofy angle. i was envisioning something closer to the look of yours.

 

[pstemari]

the easiest way to get rid of voltage without adding resistors and thus generating heat, is to insert silicon diodes ...

Uh, no. The diodes will generate exactly the same amount of heat as resistors would. The only difference is that the voltage drop is not strongly dependent on current.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[stage20]

glad it turned out for you. the dewalt adapter i have works fine but as it is but i can't say that i would have made it with that goofy angle. i was envisioning something closer to the look of yours.

dewalt says the angle is to mimic the feel of a regular 18v battery.
i personally dont like my adapter. its hard to get on and off of tools. have to remove the battery, then the adapter. id prefer to be able to change it from tool to tool with the adapter and battery left together.

works in any of my tools except my fluorescent light. for whatever reason the light flickers and feels like its gonna give me a seizure. lol. and the light is my most used 18v tool go figure......

 

[dale500]

The wait is over. Available at a Lowes near you.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20V-Max-Battery-Adapter-Kit-for-18V-Tools/999981802

 

[etrain]

Dale500
these have been around for 6 months....but they do not work with the brad nailer, adhesive dispenser and one more but i can't remember that one

 

[donpauli2]

simple. build an adapter that accepts the new slide on 20 volt max batteries and will snap into the old standby 18 volt tools. offer it up at a reasonable price and old users with a drawer of misc. tools will jump right on the bandwagon and encourage the sales of new 20 volt max tools.



dewalt has always said they won't abandon the old 18 volt line and i doubt that the slight increase of a couple volts will destroy the old workhorses. something could also be built in to limit the voltage to 18 if needed but i doubt it would.



if this is a stupid idea i am sure someone will tell me but i think many will agree with me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I have now tested the B&D 20V Battery adapter with all of my 18V DeWalt tools and everything works.

I suspect the directions will be updated by the time I'm writing this, but just make sure you get the polarity right.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Just to make sure you get the polarity right, I've attached a couple pics that show more clearly the correct configuration. In these pics there is no adapter, so the battery isn't secured to the tool, just powered. In a bind you could throw some rubber bands around things to sorta secure the battery to the tool. I'm sure that approach would get old in a hurry though.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Just to add an update to my comments.... There is now a more commercialized version of the DIY adapter kit I built 3 years ago. This one works out of the box and allows use of the B&D, Craftsman, Stanley, or Porter-Cable 20V Max batteries with the Dewalt 18V tools. The part# is BPS18D. Just plug that in on eBay and you'll find them as cheap as $10.95 shipped!

I just got mine today and it works as it should. In fact, it works better than the $30 DIY kit I bought 3 years ago which has marginal clips.