Part to answer the earlier reviews , when I researched this battery when DeWalt announced it, the FAQ at that time stated " these batteries have the same amp hour rating as our Ni-Cad XRP packs, they will NOT give you longer run time in the tool vs. a new XRP ni-cad battery. The advantages they offer are increased lifespan (2000 charge cycles for lithium ion vs. ~800 for ni-cad or less if you abuse them, lighter weight, and longer "hold" time - if you charge this battery and not use it for a month it will still be charged, ni-cad will be near dead from internal losses which is common to all ni-cad batteries.
When I first got these batteries I was a little dismayed at the mismatch at the old tools bases, as I used them more over the last year I started to appreciate the different shape as a quick way to identify the "good batteries", one year and hundreds of charges later I love these batteries, in the drill you won't notice a huge difference, but in the higher draw tools like the circular saw and angle grinder the Lithium batteries give you full performance from the full charge of the battery, with ni-cad you get a few good cuts with the saw and then you have to slow down because the saw is slowing down, with the lithium you get full rpms throughout the charge of the battery until at the very end the battery protection kicks in and shuts the tool down. This is to prevent the user from discharging the battery to the point that it damages the battery (idiot proofing), which would seriously reduce the life span. DEWALT DC9180 18 -Volt Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
I'm a sheet metal worker, (tin knocker)if you will and I've got no regrets about this batteries. Yeah it doesn't match the shape at the bottom of the old batteries but it is lighter an actually last me longer than my old ones . Now if how it looks is what worries you and not how it works,then maybe this isn't for you. Lets face it , is a tool not fashion... I personally bought the impact driver cause my job requires a lot of screwing of sheet metal screws on 24 to 18 gauge steel and these batteries last me about four days without the need for another charge...compare that to maybe two full days with the regular ones, that's a long time if you count that we hold almost everything with screws... so we screw all day basically and, yeah, the don't warn you when they are about to "die" but that is a good thing cause you always work with the full power of the tool or no power at all. I know I killed an old battery just trying to get the last little juice off of it and when I tried to charge it again, it wouldn't. So this feature actually doesn't let me burn it to death. It works with all my 18v tools; my recip. saw, my spot light, my fluorescent light, my hammer drill driver, my jigsaw, and my double cut shears... hope this helps in your decision...
I love this battery and the fact that DeWalt made it compatible with nearly all of their other 18v tools. That alone should earn it a place in the power-tool hall of fame, if there is such a place.
The price gave me sticker shock, but I also know a bit about what goes in a lithium battery - it's not cheap, not to mention that it needs active electronics for care & feeding of the cells if I'm not mistaken.
Speaking of which:
BATTERY-SAVING TIP: Keep your Forward/Reverse switch in the middle OFF position to prevent accidentally draining the battery if the trigger presses something in your toolbox.
If you already have DeWalt 18v tools (and you got out of the stock market before it tanked), this addition is a no-brainer. Yes, the aesthetics of the old/new socket-battery-mating aren't perfect, but then, the lithium batteries are totally different batteries. What's important to me is that it works - and in that, it excels (so far... I haven't had 'em long enough for any of 'em to fail)
I've posted a few reveiws about batteries from Dewalt and other manufacturers, so after having a couple of these new 'nano' batteries for a while now, I think I can post an honest review.
They are very good batteries, but you have to know what you expect out of them.
Runtime between charges is about the same as the XRP dewalt nicad battery. When we use this battery on the same job as an xrp nicad, they hold a charge for 'about' the same time.
The strength of this battery is the longevity of it. An average xrp nicad dewalt battery will last us almost a year before we have to buy a new one (used almost every day). Our crew bought a set of Makita Lithium batteries and tools, and they only lasted us 4-6 months before needing to get replaced. However, these new dewalt batteries are almost 1 and a half years old and still running strong.
So from our experience, you won't get any more 'run time' before needing to charge this battery than you do out of the old fashioned XRP batteries, but you will more than make up the extra money on these batteris in overall 'long term' battery life over the XRP nicads, and they last a LOT longer before needing to be replaced compare the the Makita lxt batteries.
I almost never review products, but this battery from DeWALT inspired me. I have used their products for years and loved the longevity and reliability... however their batteries have never impressed me.
The battery runs at full power and lasts until the last drop.
You can swap it between almost any of their 18v tools.
With the old NiCad batteries if you left it sitting for a few days between uses you would have to recharge the batter before use. This is not true with their lithium battery you can leave it sitting for weeks and it will still be as fully charged as it was when you left it.
I have been using these with my other DeWALT tools for months now only had to recharge the battery 3 times
I am able to use my impact hammer 6hrs without stopping.
I would defiantly recommend this battery to anyone who uses a DeWALT product. - Battery - 18v Battery - Lithium-ion - 18v'
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