I use Dewalt cordless tools every day. The 2.0 battery is still my favorite for an impact driver or multitool. Larger packs for larger tools, yes. For tools that don't demand much, I'm reaching for the lightest option.
I use my impact with the smallest battery all day as a residential electrician and it does the trick for sure, but you’re right, bigger tools gotta have the bigger battery, my sawzall eats it up in a cut or 2
Just anecdotally regarding the little 2AH packs; we use these at work (think of it like a small 4-person cabinet factory.) We run dewalt impact drivers for 95% of our power tool work, which is pretty light duty (1/8th drills into ply, and 1" wood screws into the same) but basically all day, every day. These tiny packs don't keep up in the circ/recip/vac that we use from time to time, but they give us a good 2 days on the impacts doing the light, continuous work. Best part is they're cheap from being hucked out of kits so we can afford to have ten of them (basically one in each impact and one in each charger) and never worry about not having a charged battery. And they're just about* as small and light as an 18v battery gets which is the biggest boon of all when you're holding the thing out at arm's length all day.
@@WorkshopAddict Makita 18V@ 2Ah weight is 388 grams, and Bosch 4Ah compact pro core 2 with 21700 cells has 535 grams, 147 grams or 38% more. Dewalt DCD 791 reach 1.5 Kg with the 2Ah pack, and is wey to heavy with the 4Ah compact. On a Bosch GSR 18V-50/55 that has the same 28Nm soft torque as DCD 791, the 4Ah can be accepted as a compromise, but is heavy. On a Makita DDF 487/ XP15 with 25Nm soft torque, a 2Ah pack has plenty of power and is nicely lighter. But Makita does't have 4Ah compact, so for DDF 456 36Nm soft torque with 300W brushed motor I have to use 2Ah pack, and for DDF 480 36Nm soft torque 360W brushless motor I have to use 5Ah pack that is well balanced, a hair back heavy, but is wey to heavy for long use.
I use small batteries for low amperage rating tools like some drills, flash lights etc and for power hungry tools like grinders and so on, I use the biggest battery I can put my hands on. However, even for a drill, if I use large drill bits which require great torque, I still use the biggest battery I can find. It doesn't make any sense using a small battery for power hungry tools because you will put stress in both the machine and the battery. Some time ago I heard a guy saying that his 1.3Ah battery wasn't holding charge anymore, guess what, he was using it in an angle grinder.
I remodel for a living 5-6 days a week and run mostly Dewalt cordless tools and I have most of the batteries you have on that table. I use the 2ah BY FAR the most with my drills and impacts, it's light, more compact, and it gets the job done 98% of the time. It's very seldom I've had to resort to the 4ah....I've never had to use anything over the 4ah for a drill/impact. I only use the 8ah for Dewalt's more demanding tools (7¼ skill saw, saws all, etc.....) even then alot of the time I only need 4ah. I've been using DW's 20v Max tools since they hit the shelves.....It was the DW's 18v before that.
Oh man, sincerely THANK YOU for this. I have been so confused as to what batteries to get for my DeWalt stuff. I know i would like a couple of the new PowerStack ones for light use, but I also have the 60volt flex tools. Almost all my batteries are shot so I was just going to either replace or rebuild them with new cells. But to be honest, I still use Corded tools for the REALLY intensive stuff like hammer drilling concrete. Maybe I am outdated but always afraid to over tax my cordless.
Fantastic test. I use my 2ah battering on my 887's or light wood drilling. 5ah for sawing, drilling lag screws fastening & 9ah for serious mixing, drilling etc. I use my stack battery on my 850 for assembly.
The reason why bigger batteries don't dip that much in voltage is that they have multiple banks in parallel setup. That means a distributed current flow from the banx simultaneously, so less load on the cells in one bank compared to a single bank battery. 4Ah and 5Ah batteries have 5-piece series of 2Ah and 2.5Ah batteries in parallel setup. Same method goes for the Flexvolt where there are 3 banx of 5-series batteries in parallel.
Awesome video! Man Caver Tools recently did a couple videos “testing” a bunch of different brand tools and none of the drills passed his test. The drills were pushing a very large auger bit and most of the batteries were 3AH to 4AH. I found myself yelling at the screen, use a larger batter for that kind of job/ test! This video was way more informative!
I’ve always gone with the theory that big tool demand use a big battery. The 5ah are what I commonly use. For general work I like to use the 2ah batteries in my smaller drill and impact. So if I need the hammer drill or I’m using the impact to drive lags I go 5ah or larger. You can definitely tell the difference.
Great vid would like to see more of this type of info. Remember though that powerstack is a 1.7ah battery I believe, what would a 4 or 5 ah powerstack do? We will have to wait and see.
Light weight is more important on a drill than anything usually. I have 2-8 ah and 1-5 ah battery and I only put them on the drill if I forgot to charge my 2 ah batteries. I use my 8 ah batteries on a pole saw not because they last so long but because the weight added on the end help balance the head weight. The long life and power don't hurt for sure.
Love your channel, and this was very helpful, I have all the Dewalt batteries with the exception of the 15 ah will be getting it and the new 8 ah powerpack again will be getting it when it's released in Canada. Keep up the great content, between yourself and TTC we all learn a lot. Thanks
I bought a new house and wanted to buy some tools to do some work around the house and settled on the DCD796 and the DCF887. I need to keep money for new appliances etc. and the 5Ah kits were more expensive so I went for 2Ah kits thinking that if i buy a circular saw or something later on I can go for a 5Ah kit. The 2Ah batteries seem to make more sense for the small handheld tools. Excited to see how this turns out. I have seen the Project Farm vid comparing 2Ah and 5Ah and the 5Ah did have more power besides just capacity.
Awsome video Brian, I use the power stack for compact drills using smaller drill bits (pilot holes) and with my DCF850 impact driver. The other power hungry tools like circ saws, large drills shop vacs etc I use the 21700 6.0AH batteries. Lowes has a 2 pack of the 6.0AH 21700 batteries for $169, to me a no brainer, thanks
@@georgedavall9449 Hey George, actually I really like the power stacks so far, as long as you use them in the correct tools. I like them in the new DCF850 !! The 850 with the power stack battery is actually smaller than my Dewalt 12v xtreme. I also use them in my Dewalt speaker and flashlights, they last a long time. I even use the power stacks in my compact drill DCD791, works great as long as your not trying to drill 3” holes, I use that combination for pocket holes and pilot holes. Yes the 6AH 21700 are beasts!!! I hope this helps.
I use the 2ah batteries for my hand flashlight only, 4ah for my grease gun and smaller hand tools, 5ah for just about any tool, 6,8ah for big light stand and larger tools, and any flexvolt battery for the largest tools and flexvolt tools mostly in my flexvolt blower to rotate the batteries. I just got 2 power stack batteries and still figuring it out.... thanks for the video
My go to battery for most tools is the 5Ah power-stack for weight and run time. Right angle 5” grinder and 185mm circular saw on larger jobs I find the 6Ah flex volt a good compromise between power and run time. However the original 3Ah and 4Ah batteries which came in kits or specials deals years ago still get kept in the rotation. As I don’t have high demand tools I won’t be purchasing the heavy and bulky 9Ah flex volt battery opting for lighter batteries. I find it takes a lot to stop the DCD999 flex volt drill coupled with a 6Ah flex volt battery.
Good video, I like how you separated the batteries into groups. Regarding the DCB203 batteries I use them all the time in my drywall screwguns (dcf620) and they work great. I have at least 6 sets in my crews and the 2015 203's were getting a little short on run times. Bought new ones and all is good. Bigger batteries are just too heavy when holding 12's and 14's on ceilings. Larger batteries do make the gun run a little faster though.I have several 4ah that I use for my cutout tools (dcs551) and have gone to using the 3ah 230 as it has a larger base for standing up, the 203's are not powerful enough for the brushed cutout tools especially while cutting out windows and doors with a 1/4" bit. I just bought 2 of the new powerstacks and wow, they work great for the brush-less screwgun, definitely make the gun go faster with similar or longer run-times. 43 gram weight savings so not so much there. I don't know what else the powerstacks will work good for but they seem like they were made for the dcf620 to me, fantastic.
I built few 1p 18650 3ah packs using Sony high end vtc6 35 amp cells, holds very well and provides comparable power to 5ah packs while using lighter tools such as impact drivers!
Great video. I have all of those batteries except the power stack and I usually use the 5ah in my high draw 20v tools and the 2ah in my low draw tools. I would like to see the 3p 18650 6ah flexvolt voltage drop compared to the 2p 21700 6ah XR.
Pretty good testing thanks for sharing the info and perspective👍 I do have a slight disagreement with your comment about the original 2ah batts. I wouldn't say they're useless. They're smaller, more compact, and or cheaper then the compact 4 ah or power stack batts, and for those reasons and the fact that they come with many of the kits you buy they are imo quite useful for the light duty tasks where weight and compactness is the goal for all day use. I use my 2ah batts quite a bit for my lighter duty work while I step up to the original 4ah batts for all day heavier duty use work with my 885 impacts, saws and drills. I also have 6ah and 5ah batts but the get relegated to super heavy duty use only where I'm not handling the tool all day long.
@conspiraciesexposed7760 well respectfully I kinda disagree because it depends on what your doing. Some times now when my bad shoulder is feeling a bit sore I'll use 2 2ah batteries for the day instead of one 4ah to save the weight on my shoulder when using my impact all day continuously for 6 to 8 hours building outdoor structures with deck screws and lags. It really does make difference in arm fatigue imo. I also have 2 of the 1.7ah power stacks and use them as well sometimes because their light and powerful even though the extra power isnt really needed in my use case for the most part. But since the powerstack bats cost a whole lot more then the traditional 2ah bats and they don't last any longer, the traditional 2ah bats that I've got that came with kits serve me very well when I need a light bat to do work with.
Thank you! :-) You write off the tiny 2AH as "dead" but it's not - horses for courses, put it on your DCF850 or DCF887 depending on what you're doing, or on a DCD791 or DCD796 as those should almost never be that loaded up - good fit in terms of balance and feel and output IMO. I only have one of those 2AH packs and one 1.3AH pack and that's where they live - on the smaller drills. The powerstack is expensive and quite literally "punching above its weight" - I think the results there align with your previous empirical testing and the question of 4/5 vs powerstack is one of size and ergonomics not outright power. If you hit the low capacity packs hard they will be flat quickly so it's not a realistic combination. I run 4/5 packs on most of my smaller tools, flexvolt 6 packs on blowers and work lights and chainsaw and big impact and circular saw and not sure what else. I upgrade to flexvolt 6AH when I need longer run time as those smaller V drops also indicate higher discharge efficiency. All in all, good video, good results. 2Ah write-off is not warranted, 6AH flexvolt conspicuously absent, but that's all - nice job. :-)
@@WorkshopAddict Sure but for someone that has the 2Ah already and doesn't have the relatively expensive new-tech powerstack it's not pointless, right? It's fine on lighter duty tools, all of the ones that don't operate at high power or in some use cases don't operate at high power. That test in the video was a pretty extreme test for the second-to-smallest single row pack they ever made and it still managed, just :-) Fine for anything significantly lighter. :-)
Yes, in a lighter duty impact driver or either the DCD 791/ 796 the little 2.0 batteries are fine. I’m not disputing what Brian said, but for light usage, they work well in those drills. I have the DCD 796 and the 2.0 work well. If I’m going to be using it for heavier tasks, or I need the runtime, it’s the 5.0 that I grab. 👍
@@georgedavall9449 Exactly :-) Though I reach for the 996 when I want to do a heavier drilling task as it's the gearbox that worries me not the battery performance :-D I want to get one of those mixer drills at some point for some of my heavier tasks but haven't imported one yet - not available retail here.
Have been considering picking up the 6.5 brushless circular saw, would love to see it in this style of test Testing amp draw would be awesome to see also
I use a compact 4.0ah on my impact driver and either a 6.0 or 8.0ah on everything else ...the Power Stack battery really hasn't shown me much , I think they have a ways to go yet , but I do like the technology and the direction they are going in ....👍🖖
I'm eyeing up a pair of the 4AH compacts as we speak. Currently running just the 2x2AH that came with my kit but the 4AH compact seems like perhaps a better idea than the larger 5AH as they're very similar in price but the weight savings I think would be great. Has that been your experience?
@andrerenaud5203 The 6.0ah battery is one of DeWalts Best batteries . The 6.0 and 8.0 batteries are basically identical when looking at them , but you can feel that the 6.0 has a bit more power ...
Can you please do a short with just the 6AH flexvolt? And if you can get your hands on a 12AH flexvolt do that too? And maybe re-charge the 9AH arnd retest it just as a follow up to this video to make it more complete? Really good data. I'll comment again about what you saw and said.
I use the 2ah batteries for my drywall screw gun, light , all the power i need, way cheaper than the stack battery. Also use the on my impact wrench, and small drill. Oh, and i mix drywall mud with my 996, and 10ah battery, has never died in a full days use.
Love the content!.. Was wondering if your planing on re-visiting this since Dewalt dropped the new 5ah powerstack DCBP520... This would be awesome!....
I'm left curious if the 21700 3AH does better or worse than the Powerstack. I don't actually own one, but the 21700 4AH gets in the way with the new tiny impact driver and I feel like I would prefer the 3AHs.
@@trekmcdonald9608 Oh yeah, you're right. I spent entirely too long trying to gauge the difference in size between the two in a Lowe's from afar only to realize they were the exact same. What I was remembering was the 2AHers that they kept right next to them despite being such an old design. Really wish they had made a stubby 21700 pack.
What battery should I use on the 12" DCCS620B chainsaw for cutting the most fire wood on one charge like to know what battery to get I was thinking about the Flexvolt 6ah I have lots of 5ah XR and 4ah XR Nice video keep it up staysafe
Until Dewalt comes out with higher Ah PowerStacks, I'm using the current 1.7Ah version in my impact driver and oscillating tool, primarily for how light they are and the power they produce compared to 2Ah batteries. The 5Ah's and Flexvolts are still the kings of my battery toolbox.
A 1.7ah tiny battery preforming like a much larger 4ah… sounds pretty good to me. I wonder how much smaller a 4ah powerstack would be than the compact 4ah or a theoretical 5ah compact (its doable) vs. 5ah compact. A 5ah vs 5ah size comparison will show exactly how much smaller per ah these things really are.
Hello again Work Shop Addict Thank you for another Great Video. As they used to say on the TV show Laugh In. Very Interesting lol. But seriously, you have a very good tool for testing. Again thank you
✔ Seems like the 5ah is the way to go...Especially if you buy one of the 2@ 5ah battery + charger starter kits that give you the free tool pick...👍👍👍👍👍 The Power Stack just doesn't make sense at such low ah and high price...Maybe if it was the size of a 1.5 delivering 5 or 6 ah's....But that's still in the distant future...
Would have loved to see the issue with the 9ah corrected by charging it so jt was apples to apples with no asterisk- also would like to see a comparison between the 10ah xr vs 9ah flexvolt…
i currently have 3. 4's and 5's in my inventory. but looking on ebay the best bang for the buck. is 5's and 10's. about 7 $ dollars per amp hour. $70.00 for two 5's and $140 for one 10. they are a different cell. 21700 vs the 18650. and possibly better lithium coil in the cell, density. those power stack li/po cells are light but dont have the juice. cheers bro.
I guess I just use whichever is charged 🤣. I only have the newer slim 3.0, double row 4.0, 5.0, and flex volt 6.0. Flex volt is probably my first choice because they last FOREVER on my impact driver.
My understanding is that the power detect tools where marketed to be paired with the 8 amp hr battery to produce the most power possible? It should not necessarily change things, but what about using the 996. I use 5 amp hr on the job because of size vs weight longevity until I have to get another battery and cost, ( for drills and impacts, nail gun) bigger tools I jump up to 6 and or flx volt.
That is correct Tim. But I think the 6.0 work about as good, as illustrated here by Brian. Both the 8.0 and 6.0 are great batteries. Heavy, but great! 👍✌🏻
@@georgedavall9449 yeah the whole thing with the power detect, even though I'm a DeWalt guy it seems like the power detect line of tools is nothing more than a gimmick, it pains me to say that, but it just seems like another way to sell a different line of tools. The good news for me is the 8 Amp Hour batteries I bought work great in my lawn mower
@@timpearson4040 I’m not sure I’d go along with you on that Tim? I have and use my DCD998 with the 21700 8.0 Ah battery, and Flexvolt battery, and it is a brute! There is a difference when using the 8.0, and the 6.0. That has been borne out in previous videos by Brian. Of course, YMMV. I don’t have any experience with the other Power Detect tools, but I believe Brian has done videos on them? Peace!
Hello I got two pack 6ah dcb206. 199$. Was going after new power stack which I think is 2pack 5ah.199$Wonder which is better I know smaller footprint less weight that doesn’t bother me want more power longer run times mostly use bigger heavier battery for saw hammer drill grinder. Power vampires. Lol. If u know I would appreciate it. I know they have the promotion on power stack free tool but my Lowes has it on 6 ah now till they sell out had about 6 two packs left. Thanks love video’s keep up great job. From ur ole hillbilly buddy stay safe.
IMHO, if size if not an issue for you, 6AH batteries are probably putting out the same amps as the PS 5Ah but will last longer. Your two pack of 6Ah batteries is good.
@@WorkshopAddict thanks ur not going to believe what tool I got. Going after grinder. Cheap one with guard around trigger that’s in all free tool options. But since out of the power stack employee let me get the 199$ grinder. Cause I said you know them 6ah not as good as5ah. Idk just bsing. Lol he said ur supposed get this one as he unlocked case to one I pointed out. Lol no joke. They did mark through bar code after ring up so u don’t take back get free grinder. Paid 213-214$ all in had to pay one cent so grinder would ring up lol. Ok. My dad about 💩. He said never believed that. All I did was ask. DCG 415 brushless. Glad went to dr. With pops yesterday. Lowes beside his doctor so we went in there after his visit. Great day with pops and good tool score to boot. Stay safe thanks for info.
Wich elements are inside this 10A battery? I suppose 21700 10 pieces. If so, then why it is bigger then dcb208? Cant find disassembly video for dcb210.
The 996 drill can be burned up with high demand applications and large batteries. With that said, flexvolt for long term high power use, XR for normal use, and power stack for overhead use for light weight and power.
Im drilling screws in walls daily and my impact with a 2 amp atleast last me 7 hours out of a 8hr shift. . I love my 3's but my grinder needs a 5 also my sawzall so i bought 1
For the last 100 years, battery power (from car batteries to cordless tools) is predicated on size and weight. The bigger and heavier, the better. What a shocker.
What was surprising was that the 1.7 powerstack did better than the 2Ah and the powerstack is smaller, but the powerstack did not outperform the compact 4ah.
how about battery survive on a power hungry 6 1/2, -- 7 inch circular saw. or a miter saw? weight would not be a issue on a miter saw. i am just a me, not a contractor. so stopping for a charge up is not a issue. but i do have a number of varied batteries. to use. if i need major power i use 110 AC voltage tools. but not having cords in the way is good. have these in both AC and batt. circular saw, power drill, jig saw, sawzall. my power sanders, table saw and router are AC only. i do have one of those “buzz” saw’s in batt. no AC there. at 63 weight is a issue. so i do like and use the smaller battery's a lot.
Considering how much more affordable the older 5 amp battery is vs the power stack, I'd go with the older 5 amp. But the lighter 2 amp is just fine on an impact driver.
Thanks for the comparison. I'm looking to buy the 998 but there are so many choices when it comes to battery included kits. I have a cinder block basement and I'll need the hammer action to attach stuff to the wall. I think for me the 6 or 8 Ah is what I need. The kit I'm looking at comes with 6AH Flex battery. You didn't test that one but sounds like Flex is best if properly charged. Thoughts from anyone?
The best I can figure is that the flexvolt confuses the detect and I'm still not exactly certain why considering the detect still only has two contacts so I do not think that that PCB on the flexvolt is appropriately separated
Also I believe the 9ah flex volt uses 15 , 18660 batteries. And ten 21700 batteries are physically bigger and weigh more than 15, 18650 batteries. So the 6ah and 8ah battery is physically bigger than the 9ah flex volt battery.
Pretty accurate analysis. The 2ah batteries (some are only 1.5ah in the kits and industrial combos) are really only useful for the work light they have, or an emergency spare to jump your car with 🤣. Or to rob cells from to fix a dead battery.... but yes they should replace the 2ah with something. I love my 6ah and 10ah batteries, i also love my 9ah flexvolt batteries. I am excited for the power stack because it seems like a perfect replacement for the 2ah, just good enough for an impact driver but hopefully with a little longer life.
I bought a drill/hammer drill set and it came with 2 1.5ah batteries and a charger and bag. Haven't really put it to hard use, but now I'm going to really test it, I got some projects coming up
@@WorkshopAddict i work on batteries, i only measure to measure the amp draw on some tools i have so far shop vac draws 13.5 amp BMS on 18650 M18 are weak, failure rate is quite high, sometimes they won’t charge controller issue
so your just measuring voltage, instead of amps when running, or total capacity/ runtime in a real setting (repeated cuts with cooldowns instead of running a hot air gun) or torque increasse of the tool.....
@@WorkshopAddict Excellent, this was a very solid start IMO :-) The current side of it is just interesting, I think you simplified my idea and nailed it with just voltage and kept current close enough to consistent. Great work.
I use Dewalt cordless tools every day. The 2.0 battery is still my favorite for an impact driver or multitool. Larger packs for larger tools, yes. For tools that don't demand much, I'm reaching for the lightest option.
I use my impact with the smallest battery all day as a residential electrician and it does the trick for sure, but you’re right, bigger tools gotta have the bigger battery, my sawzall eats it up in a cut or 2
I use my Dewalt cordless all day 5-6 days a week (remodeling) and the 2.0 AH is DEFINITELY the battery to use for the drill/impact 98% of the time
Yes sir
Could've set better man 😎 👍🏽
Just anecdotally regarding the little 2AH packs; we use these at work (think of it like a small 4-person cabinet factory.) We run dewalt impact drivers for 95% of our power tool work, which is pretty light duty (1/8th drills into ply, and 1" wood screws into the same) but basically all day, every day.
These tiny packs don't keep up in the circ/recip/vac that we use from time to time, but they give us a good 2 days on the impacts doing the light, continuous work. Best part is they're cheap from being hucked out of kits so we can afford to have ten of them (basically one in each impact and one in each charger) and never worry about not having a charged battery. And they're just about* as small and light as an 18v battery gets which is the biggest boon of all when you're holding the thing out at arm's length all day.
I can see that. The powerstack would be smaller and lighter with more ability, but cost wise, it is not there yet.
@@WorkshopAddict Makita 18V@ 2Ah weight is 388 grams, and Bosch 4Ah compact pro core 2 with 21700 cells has 535 grams, 147 grams or 38% more. Dewalt DCD 791 reach 1.5 Kg with the 2Ah pack, and is wey to heavy with the 4Ah compact. On a Bosch GSR 18V-50/55 that has the same 28Nm soft torque as DCD 791, the 4Ah can be accepted as a compromise, but is heavy. On a Makita DDF 487/ XP15 with 25Nm soft torque, a 2Ah pack has plenty of power and is nicely lighter. But Makita does't have 4Ah compact, so for DDF 456 36Nm soft torque with 300W brushed motor I have to use 2Ah pack, and for DDF 480 36Nm soft torque 360W brushless motor I have to use 5Ah pack that is well balanced, a hair back heavy, but is wey to heavy for long use.
I have no idea what that second word means
@@jeradleal2238 In his experience
I use small batteries for low amperage rating tools like some drills, flash lights etc and for power hungry tools like grinders and so on, I use the biggest battery I can put my hands on. However, even for a drill, if I use large drill bits which require great torque, I still use the biggest battery I can find. It doesn't make any sense using a small battery for power hungry tools because you will put stress in both the machine and the battery. Some time ago I heard a guy saying that his 1.3Ah battery wasn't holding charge anymore, guess what, he was using it in an angle grinder.
I remodel for a living 5-6 days a week and run mostly Dewalt cordless tools and I have most of the batteries you have on that table. I use the 2ah BY FAR the most with my drills and impacts, it's light, more compact, and it gets the job done 98% of the time. It's very seldom I've had to resort to the 4ah....I've never had to use anything over the 4ah for a drill/impact.
I only use the 8ah for Dewalt's more demanding tools (7¼ skill saw, saws all, etc.....) even then alot of the time I only need 4ah. I've been using DW's 20v Max tools since they hit the shelves.....It was the DW's 18v before that.
Oh man, sincerely THANK YOU for this. I have been so confused as to what batteries to get for my DeWalt stuff. I know i would like a couple of the new PowerStack ones for light use, but I also have the 60volt flex tools. Almost all my batteries are shot so I was just going to either replace or rebuild them with new cells. But to be honest, I still use Corded tools for the REALLY intensive stuff like hammer drilling concrete. Maybe I am outdated but always afraid to over tax my cordless.
Fantastic test.
I use my 2ah battering on my 887's or light wood drilling.
5ah for sawing, drilling lag screws fastening & 9ah for serious mixing, drilling etc. I use my stack battery on my 850 for assembly.
The reason why bigger batteries don't dip that much in voltage is that they have multiple banks in parallel setup. That means a distributed current flow from the banx simultaneously, so less load on the cells in one bank compared to a single bank battery. 4Ah and 5Ah batteries have 5-piece series of 2Ah and 2.5Ah batteries in parallel setup. Same method goes for the Flexvolt where there are 3 banx of 5-series batteries in parallel.
Flexvolt supremacy. I knew they had atleast something over the goody two shoes powerstack
Awesome video! Man Caver Tools recently did a couple videos “testing” a bunch of different brand tools and none of the drills passed his test. The drills were pushing a very large auger bit and most of the batteries were 3AH to 4AH. I found myself yelling at the screen, use a larger batter for that kind of job/ test!
This video was way more informative!
I’ve always gone with the theory that big tool demand use a big battery. The 5ah are what I commonly use. For general work I like to use the 2ah batteries in my smaller drill and impact. So if I need the hammer drill or I’m using the impact to drive lags I go 5ah or larger. You can definitely tell the difference.
Great vid would like to see more of this type of info. Remember though that powerstack is a 1.7ah battery I believe, what would a 4 or 5 ah powerstack do? We will have to wait and see.
Light weight is more important on a drill than anything usually. I have 2-8 ah and 1-5 ah battery and I only put them on the drill if I forgot to charge my 2 ah batteries. I use my 8 ah batteries on a pole saw not because they last so long but because the weight added on the end help balance the head weight. The long life and power don't hurt for sure.
I just bought two 8ah batteries for my pole saw ,needed more power to cut through bigger limbs.
For the power and size I really think for tools like drills the best battery is the single row of five 21700cells , 4amp hour battery.
Great video. I’m a Dewalt guy and enjoy watching your channel.
Love your channel, and this was very helpful, I have all the Dewalt batteries with the exception of the 15 ah will be getting it and the new 8 ah powerpack again will be getting it when it's released in Canada. Keep up the great content, between yourself and TTC we all learn a lot. Thanks
I bought a new house and wanted to buy some tools to do some work around the house and settled on the DCD796 and the DCF887. I need to keep money for new appliances etc. and the 5Ah kits were more expensive so I went for 2Ah kits thinking that if i buy a circular saw or something later on I can go for a 5Ah kit. The 2Ah batteries seem to make more sense for the small handheld tools. Excited to see how this turns out. I have seen the Project Farm vid comparing 2Ah and 5Ah and the 5Ah did have more power besides just capacity.
Awsome video Brian, I use the power stack for compact drills using smaller drill bits (pilot holes) and with my DCF850 impact driver. The other power hungry tools like circ saws, large drills shop vacs etc I use the 21700 6.0AH batteries. Lowes has a 2 pack of the 6.0AH 21700 batteries for $169, to me a no brainer, thanks
How are the power stack working out for you Joey? Good comment and yeah, those 6.0 Ah 21700 are great batteries! $169 is a good deal! Peace ✌🏻
@@georgedavall9449 Hey George, actually I really like the power stacks so far, as long as you use them in the correct tools. I like them in the new DCF850 !! The 850 with the power stack battery is actually smaller than my Dewalt 12v xtreme. I also use them in my Dewalt speaker and flashlights, they last a long time. I even use the power stacks in my compact drill DCD791, works great as long as your not trying to drill 3” holes, I use that combination for pocket holes and pilot holes. Yes the 6AH 21700 are beasts!!! I hope this helps.
I use the 2ah batteries for my hand flashlight only, 4ah for my grease gun and smaller hand tools, 5ah for just about any tool, 6,8ah for big light stand and larger tools, and any flexvolt battery for the largest tools and flexvolt tools mostly in my flexvolt blower to rotate the batteries. I just got 2 power stack batteries and still figuring it out.... thanks for the video
My go to battery for most tools is the 5Ah power-stack for weight and run time. Right angle 5” grinder and 185mm circular saw on larger jobs I find the 6Ah flex volt a good compromise between power and run time. However the original 3Ah and 4Ah batteries which came in kits or specials deals years ago still get kept in the rotation. As I don’t have high demand tools I won’t be purchasing the heavy and bulky 9Ah flex volt battery opting for lighter batteries. I find it takes a lot to stop the DCD999 flex volt drill coupled with a 6Ah flex volt battery.
Interesting video, thanks. I thought the Powerstack would have performed a little better, but not bad considering it's only 1.7Ah.
I also expected more.
I want one
Good video, I like how you separated the batteries into groups. Regarding the DCB203 batteries I use them all the time in my drywall screwguns (dcf620) and they work great. I have at least 6 sets in my crews and the 2015 203's were getting a little short on run times. Bought new ones and all is good. Bigger batteries are just too heavy when holding 12's and 14's on ceilings. Larger batteries do make the gun run a little faster though.I have several 4ah that I use for my cutout tools (dcs551) and have gone to using the 3ah 230 as it has a larger base for standing up, the 203's are not powerful enough for the brushed cutout tools especially while cutting out windows and doors with a 1/4" bit.
I just bought 2 of the new powerstacks and wow, they work great for the brush-less screwgun, definitely make the gun go faster with similar or longer run-times. 43 gram weight savings so not so much there. I don't know what else the powerstacks will work good for but they seem like they were made for the dcf620 to me, fantastic.
Great video, I repair forklifts and I always use the 5 AMP and 8 AMP batteries.
The piece of wood looks like my floor joists after the plumbers come through 🤣
I built few 1p 18650 3ah packs using Sony high end vtc6 35 amp cells, holds very well and provides comparable power to 5ah packs while using lighter tools such as impact drivers!
I got a ancient black case 2ah and when it finally kicks the bucket I will order some of those and save my money.
Thanks
Great video. I have all of those batteries except the power stack and I usually use the 5ah in my high draw 20v tools and the 2ah in my low draw tools. I would like to see the 3p 18650 6ah flexvolt voltage drop compared to the 2p 21700 6ah XR.
Ima get the power stack next I only have 20v starter battery
My XR 6AH batteries provide much more power than my FlexVolt 6AH batteries while using my 20V tools
Pretty good testing thanks for sharing the info and perspective👍 I do have a slight disagreement with your comment about the original 2ah batts. I wouldn't say they're useless. They're smaller, more compact, and or cheaper then the compact 4 ah or power stack batts, and for those reasons and the fact that they come with many of the kits you buy they are imo quite useful for the light duty tasks where weight and compactness is the goal for all day use. I use my 2ah batts quite a bit for my lighter duty work while I step up to the original 4ah batts for all day heavier duty use work with my 885 impacts, saws and drills. I also have 6ah and 5ah batts but the get relegated to super heavy duty use only where I'm not handling the tool all day long.
He’s kinda right tho because on the job it does not last at all
@conspiraciesexposed7760 well respectfully I kinda disagree because it depends on what your doing. Some times now when my bad shoulder is feeling a bit sore I'll use 2 2ah batteries for the day instead of one 4ah to save the weight on my shoulder when using my impact all day continuously for 6 to 8 hours building outdoor structures with deck screws and lags. It really does make difference in arm fatigue imo. I also have 2 of the 1.7ah power stacks and use them as well sometimes because their light and powerful even though the extra power isnt really needed in my use case for the most part. But since the powerstack bats cost a whole lot more then the traditional 2ah bats and they don't last any longer, the traditional 2ah bats that I've got that came with kits serve me very well when I need a light bat to do work with.
I mostly use the 4AH compact and the standard 5AH batteries on most tools but use the 8AH for my Power Detect circ saw and grinder.
super cool vid and glad you dont drag the out for 30min like some might do. just the meat and potatoes. love it, new sub
Thank you! :-) You write off the tiny 2AH as "dead" but it's not - horses for courses, put it on your DCF850 or DCF887 depending on what you're doing, or on a DCD791 or DCD796 as those should almost never be that loaded up - good fit in terms of balance and feel and output IMO. I only have one of those 2AH packs and one 1.3AH pack and that's where they live - on the smaller drills. The powerstack is expensive and quite literally "punching above its weight" - I think the results there align with your previous empirical testing and the question of 4/5 vs powerstack is one of size and ergonomics not outright power. If you hit the low capacity packs hard they will be flat quickly so it's not a realistic combination. I run 4/5 packs on most of my smaller tools, flexvolt 6 packs on blowers and work lights and chainsaw and big impact and circular saw and not sure what else. I upgrade to flexvolt 6AH when I need longer run time as those smaller V drops also indicate higher discharge efficiency. All in all, good video, good results. 2Ah write-off is not warranted, 6AH flexvolt conspicuously absent, but that's all - nice job. :-)
Maybe because I have the powerstack, I feel the 2ah is pointless. I had to limit the batteries to a point because of time and interest.
@@WorkshopAddict Sure but for someone that has the 2Ah already and doesn't have the relatively expensive new-tech powerstack it's not pointless, right? It's fine on lighter duty tools, all of the ones that don't operate at high power or in some use cases don't operate at high power. That test in the video was a pretty extreme test for the second-to-smallest single row pack they ever made and it still managed, just :-) Fine for anything significantly lighter. :-)
Yes, in a lighter duty impact driver or either the DCD 791/ 796 the little 2.0 batteries are fine. I’m not disputing what Brian said, but for light usage, they work well in those drills. I have the DCD 796 and the 2.0 work well. If I’m going to be using it for heavier tasks, or I need the runtime, it’s the 5.0 that I grab. 👍
@@georgedavall9449 Exactly :-) Though I reach for the 996 when I want to do a heavier drilling task as it's the gearbox that worries me not the battery performance :-D I want to get one of those mixer drills at some point for some of my heavier tasks but haven't imported one yet - not available retail here.
Have been considering picking up the 6.5 brushless circular saw, would love to see it in this style of test Testing amp draw would be awesome to see also
Very Inormative thanks just picked up DCS577 .
Love these new voltage test.... try more brands.. Milwaukee m18 flex 24v makita 40v
I am working on it.
I use a compact 4.0ah on my impact driver and either a 6.0 or 8.0ah on everything else ...the Power Stack battery really hasn't shown me much , I think they have a ways to go yet , but I do like the technology and the direction they are going in ....👍🖖
I'm eyeing up a pair of the 4AH compacts as we speak. Currently running just the 2x2AH that came with my kit but the 4AH compact seems like perhaps a better idea than the larger 5AH as they're very similar in price but the weight savings I think would be great. Has that been your experience?
Betwen 6 and 8 whish one bether?
@andrerenaud5203 The 6.0ah battery is one of DeWalts Best batteries . The 6.0 and 8.0 batteries are basically identical when looking at them , but you can feel that the 6.0 has a bit more power ...
GREAT topic! Viewing with interest from the Canadian Westcoast!
Can you please do a short with just the 6AH flexvolt? And if you can get your hands on a 12AH flexvolt do that too? And maybe re-charge the 9AH arnd retest it just as a follow up to this video to make it more complete? Really good data. I'll comment again about what you saw and said.
Yeah! that would be great.
I use the 2ah batteries for my drywall screw gun, light , all the power i need, way cheaper than the stack battery. Also use the on my impact wrench, and small drill. Oh, and i mix drywall mud with my 996, and 10ah battery, has never died in a full days use.
I had bought a 2 pack of the 6ah 21700, I use them on most of my tools, I use the 3ah on my impact
Love the content!.. Was wondering if your planing on re-visiting this since Dewalt dropped the new 5ah powerstack DCBP520... This would be awesome!....
I will be
Awesome test, every battery test should use this method
I'm left curious if the 21700 3AH does better or worse than the Powerstack. I don't actually own one, but the 21700 4AH gets in the way with the new tiny impact driver and I feel like I would prefer the 3AHs.
Compact 3ah and compact 4ah are the same size
@@trekmcdonald9608 Oh yeah, you're right. I spent entirely too long trying to gauge the difference in size between the two in a Lowe's from afar only to realize they were the exact same. What I was remembering was the 2AHers that they kept right next to them despite being such an old design. Really wish they had made a stubby 21700 pack.
Get a power stack, same power as a 5AH, same weight as a 2AH ✍️ i use it on my drills and drivers super light and packs a punch 👊
1.7 powerstack is my goto for drills and drivers. Just takes the edge off having my hands above me all the time
What battery should I use on the 12" DCCS620B chainsaw for cutting the most fire wood on one charge like to know what battery to get
I was thinking about the Flexvolt 6ah
I have lots of 5ah XR and 4ah XR
Nice video keep it up staysafe
Good test. How about the same test with an impact wrench? I am curious.
Thank you. I have a drill and a reciprocating saw. Both with a 20 v 2 ah. What would be the best for the saw? Thanks and great video
Наконец-то правильное сравнение с цифрами где все понятно и объективно, спасибо вам ребята!
great video, any recommendations which battery amp 🔋 good for dewalt tire inflator ?
Until Dewalt comes out with higher Ah PowerStacks, I'm using the current 1.7Ah version in my impact driver and oscillating tool, primarily for how light they are and the power they produce compared to 2Ah batteries. The 5Ah's and Flexvolts are still the kings of my battery toolbox.
In my tool bag use a 2ah its in a multitool, a 3ah for hammer drill, and a 5ah for impact driver. Drill fit in bag better with compact batteries
A 1.7ah tiny battery preforming like a much larger 4ah… sounds pretty good to me. I wonder how much smaller a 4ah powerstack would be than the compact 4ah or a theoretical 5ah compact (its doable) vs. 5ah compact. A 5ah vs 5ah size comparison will show exactly how much smaller per ah these things really are.
Nice video would think the new powerpack would of done better your bench looks like one of my boxes with all the batteries nice work on the video 👍
I thought the 20v was always continuous. Thanks for the awesome video, size matters when you need power. Good lesson for me.
Yep, it's called voltage sag. The more current your tool demands, the greater the voltage will sag.
Hello again Work Shop Addict
Thank you for another Great Video. As they used to say on the TV show Laugh In. Very Interesting lol. But seriously, you have a very good tool for testing. Again thank you
Awesome review Brian. I haven’t seen the power stack in Canada. My go to for almost all my gear is the compact 4 amp.
✔ Seems like the 5ah is the way to go...Especially if you buy one of the 2@ 5ah battery + charger starter kits that give you the free tool pick...👍👍👍👍👍 The Power Stack just doesn't make sense at such low ah and high price...Maybe if it was the size of a 1.5 delivering 5 or 6 ah's....But that's still in the distant future...
Would have loved to see the issue with the 9ah corrected by charging it so jt was apples to apples with no asterisk- also would like to see a comparison between the 10ah xr vs 9ah flexvolt…
i currently have 3. 4's and 5's in my inventory. but looking on ebay the best bang for the buck. is 5's and 10's. about 7 $ dollars per amp hour. $70.00 for two 5's and $140 for one 10. they are a different cell. 21700 vs the 18650. and possibly better lithium coil in the cell, density. those power stack li/po cells are light but dont have the juice. cheers bro.
Don’t forget forget about 12v tools haha love these videos. I look forward to thrm
I guess I just use whichever is charged 🤣.
I only have the newer slim 3.0, double row 4.0, 5.0, and flex volt 6.0.
Flex volt is probably my first choice because they last FOREVER on my impact driver.
Fully Charged is the best option. LOL
Great video, really interesting. Be cool to see same test with the Milwaukee batteries, see how they perform with the H/O batteries.
My understanding is that the power detect tools where marketed to be paired with the 8 amp hr battery to produce the most power possible? It should not necessarily change things, but what about using the 996. I use 5 amp hr on the job because of size vs weight longevity until I have to get another battery and cost, ( for drills and impacts, nail gun) bigger tools I jump up to 6 and or flx volt.
998 did the best with the flexvolt
That is correct Tim. But I think the 6.0 work about as good, as illustrated here by Brian. Both the 8.0 and 6.0 are great batteries. Heavy, but great! 👍✌🏻
@@georgedavall9449 yeah the whole thing with the power detect, even though I'm a DeWalt guy it seems like the power detect line of tools is nothing more than a gimmick, it pains me to say that, but it just seems like another way to sell a different line of tools. The good news for me is the 8 Amp Hour batteries I bought work great in my lawn mower
@@timpearson4040 I’m not sure I’d go along with you on that Tim? I have and use my DCD998 with the 21700 8.0 Ah battery, and Flexvolt battery, and it is a brute! There is a difference when using the 8.0, and the 6.0. That has been borne out in previous videos by Brian. Of course, YMMV. I don’t have any experience with the other Power Detect tools, but I believe Brian has done videos on them? Peace!
Really intrested seeing this continued with circular saws, routers etc. as a DeWalt user
I like flexvolt more because i can handle the extra weight and its cheaper. Plus the 60v circular saw and angle grinder are the best
Nice. I would be interested in how you’re doing the wire connections for the voltage test during tool use
DeWalt 2.0 is a great battery for its size, excellent testing! 👍
What's about 12ah and power 🔋 stack 5ah n 15ah?
That be interesting to 👀
Nice 🎥
I like 5 amp xr batteries, on drills etc nice and light and last for ages
Hello I got two pack 6ah dcb206. 199$. Was going after new power stack which I think is 2pack 5ah.199$Wonder which is better I know smaller footprint less weight that doesn’t bother me want more power longer run times mostly use bigger heavier battery for saw hammer drill grinder. Power vampires. Lol. If u know I would appreciate it. I know they have the promotion on power stack free tool but my Lowes has it on 6 ah now till they sell out had about 6 two packs left. Thanks love video’s keep up great job. From ur ole hillbilly buddy stay safe.
IMHO, if size if not an issue for you, 6AH batteries are probably putting out the same amps as the PS 5Ah but will last longer. Your two pack of 6Ah batteries is good.
@@WorkshopAddict thanks ur not going to believe what tool I got. Going after grinder. Cheap one with guard around trigger that’s in all free tool options. But since out of the power stack employee let me get the 199$ grinder. Cause I said you know them 6ah not as good as5ah. Idk just bsing. Lol he said ur supposed get this one as he unlocked case to one I pointed out. Lol no joke. They did mark through bar code after ring up so u don’t take back get free grinder. Paid 213-214$ all in had to pay one cent so grinder would ring up lol. Ok. My dad about 💩.
He said never believed that. All I did was ask. DCG 415 brushless.
Glad went to dr. With pops yesterday. Lowes beside his doctor so we went in there after his visit. Great day with pops and good tool score to boot. Stay safe thanks for info.
Like to see the 5AH PowerStack added in an update of this
Where do you buy the batteries
Great work friend!
Wich elements are inside this 10A battery? I suppose 21700 10 pieces. If so, then why it is bigger then dcb208? Cant find disassembly video for dcb210.
Out of 3 kind of Dewalt battery, which is best for DCD996, Power, Flex or XR? Thanks!
The 996 drill can be burned up with high demand applications and large batteries. With that said, flexvolt for long term high power use, XR for normal use, and power stack for overhead use for light weight and power.
Im drilling screws in walls daily and my impact with a 2 amp atleast last me 7 hours out of a 8hr shift. . I love my 3's but my grinder needs a 5 also my sawzall so i bought 1
Dewalt vs Milwaukee which one is the better brand or which is number 1 ?
For the last 100 years, battery power (from car batteries to cordless tools) is predicated on size and weight. The bigger and heavier, the better. What a shocker.
What was surprising was that the 1.7 powerstack did better than the 2Ah and the powerstack is smaller, but the powerstack did not outperform the compact 4ah.
What cells do each use I can't seem to find that information on the batteries
how about battery survive on a power hungry 6 1/2, -- 7 inch circular saw. or a miter saw?
weight would not be a issue on a miter saw.
i am just a me, not a contractor. so stopping for a charge up is not a issue. but i do have a number of varied batteries. to use.
if i need major power i use 110 AC voltage tools. but not having cords in the way is good.
have these in both AC and batt. circular saw, power drill, jig saw, sawzall. my power sanders, table saw and router are AC only.
i do have one of those “buzz” saw’s in batt. no AC there.
at 63 weight is a issue. so i do like and use the smaller battery's a lot.
Considering how much more affordable the older 5 amp battery is vs the power stack, I'd go with the older 5 amp. But the lighter 2 amp is just fine on an impact driver.
I agree. The 4-5amp price range vs the power stacks. I just get the 4mp ones
Curious if power direct battery was used? Or could be tested.
Thanks for the comparison. I'm looking to buy the 998 but there are so many choices when it comes to battery included kits. I have a cinder block basement and I'll need the hammer action to attach stuff to the wall. I think for me the 6 or 8 Ah is what I need. The kit I'm looking at comes with 6AH Flex battery. You didn't test that one but sounds like Flex is best if properly charged. Thoughts from anyone?
I did just that, bought myself a 998, got a power stack and a 9AH Flex volt just in case. Great results + a free tool at lowes 🤷♂️✍️
Thanks Brian 😎🛠️😎🛠️😎
I use a 6amh in my drill usually and a 2amh in my impact driver because I use it over my head on a ladder all day and it stays charged
2ah is best on drywall guns and drywall cutters.
The best I can figure is that the flexvolt confuses the detect and I'm still not exactly certain why considering the detect still only has two contacts so I do not think that that PCB on the flexvolt is appropriately separated
Also I believe the 9ah flex volt uses 15 , 18660 batteries. And ten 21700 batteries are physically bigger and weigh more than 15, 18650 batteries. So the 6ah and 8ah battery is physically bigger than the 9ah flex volt battery.
For the average homeowner/diyer, the 2amp battery is ok.
They will probably eventually discontinue it & go with the 5 & 6.
The 9ah is a beast
Also do other tools like vacuum with a clogged filter vs without
How does the 20v 10ah battery hold up?
My 2ah battery last while in drill but no time at all in grinder is this normal
This a get video and thank you for your hard work
Power detect should pump up the Flex volt to 60V right? Just wondering why it kept 20V
No, All power Detect AND FlexVolt Advantage tools are 20-Volt. Only Flexvolt Tools are 60-Volt.
@@WorkshopAddict gotcha! Thanks for the clarification.
Pretty accurate analysis. The 2ah batteries (some are only 1.5ah in the kits and industrial combos) are really only useful for the work light they have, or an emergency spare to jump your car with 🤣. Or to rob cells from to fix a dead battery.... but yes they should replace the 2ah with something. I love my 6ah and 10ah batteries, i also love my 9ah flexvolt batteries. I am excited for the power stack because it seems like a perfect replacement for the 2ah, just good enough for an impact driver but hopefully with a little longer life.
I bought a drill/hammer drill set and it came with 2 1.5ah batteries and a charger and bag.
Haven't really put it to hard use, but now I'm going to really test it, I got some projects coming up
I woulf be interesting to see this test on m18 baterie vs m18 high outpout 😮
It is coming.
Awesome content
Would love to see the follow up video you mentioned with repetitive drilling for the top performers of each grouping.
If Dewalt could make a power stack 9 amp Flexvolt lightweight battery that wouod be good for my saw .
“That’s Austin, say hi to Austin!!”
have 6 4ah batteries, but when i need my angle grinder or router then i grab my one 5ah :)
Would love to see you test the 10Ah
That would be HUGE on a drill.
@@WorkshopAddict not really
just little bigger in case, different cells
Brian, will you do the same for Milwaukee ?
@@TranTek yes
@@WorkshopAddict i work on batteries, i only measure to measure the amp draw on some tools i have
so far shop vac draws 13.5 amp
BMS on 18650 M18 are weak, failure rate is quite high, sometimes they won’t charge
controller issue
so your just measuring voltage, instead of amps when running, or total capacity/ runtime in a real setting (repeated cuts with cooldowns instead of running a hot air gun) or torque increasse of the tool.....
Because of my lengthy suggestion on an earlier vid? :-)
I am not fully there, but working on it.
@@WorkshopAddict Excellent, this was a very solid start IMO :-) The current side of it is just interesting, I think you simplified my idea and nailed it with just voltage and kept current close enough to consistent. Great work.