I bought my nano batteries and chargers from a local supplier who had them on sale for $99 which included 1 battery & 1 charger. I bought 3 sets. Definitely worth the money.
These batteries definitely last about 75% longer than a ni-cad and lightens up my tool tray (especially when carrying 3 batteries).
When drilling or cutting overhead, there is a noticable lighter tool feel.
My 18V Dewalt impact driver now weighs the same as my Hitachi 9.6 ni-cad impact driver.
You don't have to keep track of which batteries are at what level of charge because you can always top these off during lunch and at the end of the day.
I'm a plumbing contractor and was able to rough in a steel framed house without dragging out any cords. This house has 7 bathrooms in it.
All I used was 2 drills, 1 recip saw, 1 impact driver, 3 nano batteries, and 1 nicad battery. I had to drill holes anywhere from 1 3/8" all the way up to 4 5/8".
Honestly, I don't give a rats a$$ about the fitment difference between the ni-cad and lithium-ion. Once you start using the tool, you don't even notice it. Talk about being prissy when you are worried about looks.
The different shaped batteries allow me to immediately differentiate between the lithium-ion and the ni-cads. Being that the lithium-ions are smaller, they take up less space in my tool tray also. DEWALT DC9180C 18-Volt Battery Pack/Charger
I got mine off the 'net at [...]. It works great! A good deal lighter and longer lasting with a interchangable charger that works with older batteries....but new battery will not charge in older chargers so make sure to get the charger.
However. The slight "form factor" dissonance mentioned in other review isn't to my eyes too much of a problem at least on the 6 and half inch circular saw. Or on the finish gun that got me into Dewalt in the first place. Some change of shape is needed to keep the batteries sorted. Considering the price though...that even a 36 volt battery is cheaper...now that's the rub! Glad, though that dewalt followed Ryobi's example and not changed the formfactor so much that new tools would have to purchased...although I heard that there are problems with ryobi's new line....well, it is ryobi! Now, Milwaukee might be as good ...but so damned ugly and hard to handle...who cares?
The most annoying problem with the NiCad batteries is their inability to hold their charge over an extended period of time.
The "Nano" battery does not seem to have that problem. Although quite expensive, it is worth the xtra expense to be able to use the tool after a couple weeks of "down time' with out having to recharge.
This battery pack lasts about 2-3x longer than my current XRP batteries do(and the XRP's last a long time), it is also a little more than one pound lighter than the old batteries which really helps on those long days and when drilling overhead or with your weak hand (for me its left). another nice feature is that the charger is backwards compatible, it works with the old Nicd bateries. The only minor complaint that I have is that the engineers at DeWalt did a horrible job designing the pack, I mean what is the purpose of beveling the bottom edges???? Its only for style and its contributes to the drill's willingness to tip when used with NANO batteries(the XRPs have NO bevel which equals better stability), and IF the beveled edges are a necessity, then they could have put on some rubber overmold or something to help stability. However, if you don't stand your drill up much then it works just fine, I now have a holster I carry mine in(when it won't stay put on the ladder/skylift), works so much better. Overall the performance exceeds the XRPs by quite a bit, if you do alot of overhead drilling then this is a must or if you just don't like charging batteries.
I have been using this battery interchangeably with the standard XRP batteries with my 18 volt DeWalt tools. I use it mostly in my impact driver and my 4-1/2" "cut off tool" (grinder). I appreciate the weight reduction and the slightly different profile doesn't bother me at all. If anything it is a positive feature because it makes it easy to identify what battery you are using at the moment. With the Lithium battery the tool works at full power and then when it runs out of juice it just stops and won't even attempt to start. You would think your tool broke if you were using a Ni Cad battery and that happened. The first time it did that I couldn't figure it out. It made no indication that it was running low, unlike a Ni-Cad. Being able to glance down and due to its different profile, determine that it is a Lithium battery relieves that moment of panic. I don't purchase tools or batteries based on their looks. I can't fault the way these things work. They are great.
Charger works well, charges batteries in under 1 hour. I was impressed with the performance of the lithium ion battery. I noticed an increase in power, exteded run time, and consistant power output. Very glad I switched to LI. Charger also charges my current nicads as well.
Imagine all the times you reach for your DeWalt drill/light/trimsaw to do a 5 minute job and realize you are a couple watts short and have to recharge. Now re-imagine those same situations where your battery is still about the same charge as when you left it and you have ample power and a few extra minutes of your life back.
Those minutes add up, and they certainly cover the premium of switching at least a few of these guys into your battery rotation.
Yes they fit any 18V DeWalt you have, and yes the ornamental tool lip mating to the battery will stick out a little bit over the smaller form factor 18V Lions. Purely cosmetic - and most owners won't even notice.
Extra Bonus: It is noticeably lighter!
I bought the battery at a big box store 2 years ago to replace older worn out ni-cad batteries. I could live with the slight mismatch in shape with my old tools. It's also lighter than the old ni-cads. At first it was a huge improvement on the old ni-cad's which had been slowly losing capacity for a long time. After 2 years of occasionally heavy use the capacity is getting very bad. I'm not a professional, but I have used it heavily on some projects. I'm so disappointed that I'm now considering ditching my considerable dewalt investment and going with makita. - Nano - Battery - 18v - Lithium Ion'
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