Why People Think This Popular Power Tool Battery Brand Is Worth Buying

Battery platforms are a big deal. Marrying your hobbies and DIY efforts to one particular brand of batteries — or, more likely, two or three brands — also weds you to that company's tools. When you invest in power tool batteries and chargers, you really increase the escape velocity you'll need to ever switch to another tool company because a full kit of batteries, charger(s), and tools is painfully expensive. And when your job is involved, there's simply no room to play around.

Consumer opinion research about tool brands, like Lifestory's 6,861-consumer surveys, consistently shows that DeWalt has been the best and most trusted brand of power tools for years. But what about batteries? After all, anyone's impact driver is gonna impact; it's the batteries that are likely to leave someone bitter about performance and hundreds, if not thousands, of wasted dollars. DeWalt's recent battery platforms are interchangeable (with a small catch) but, like most, can be a little bewildering. But it's pretty clear that the company has thrown itself into producing batteries that are expensive but well-built. And, maybe more importantly, when the lineup changes, it's typically an improvement like more compact batteries, not a phase of planned obsolescence as we've occasionally seen with other brands.

We took a careful look at the batteries of 15 power tool manufacturers and their reception by reviewers at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Amazon, and found that DeWalt batteries are generally rated higher than just about any others, with the possible exception of Milwaukee. Even at retailers where DeWalt batteries have mediocre reviews, like Lowe's, the average rating is still very high (4.37 stars in the case of Lowe's).

What we found in the reviews are batteries that are considered not only worth buying, but also worth a fairly high price. DeWalt batteries mostly get three types of reviews. The first, which can mostly be discounted, is the rose-colored glasses reviewer. One Lowes reviewer who spent $160 on two 4 amp-hour batteries seemed determined to praise them, proclaiming that they would last the entire day of work in a finish nailer or sheetrock router. However good the batteries are, none are that good. But it's important to appreciate the things you spend a lot of money on. The second type of reviewer talks about price a lot, and this is where many of the negative comments came from. It's true that DeWalt batteries are pricey, but you don't need a reviewer to tell you that. However, they also seem to know that there's a cost to buying cheap power tools. As one reviewer put it: "The batteries are expensive no matter where you go so just be prepared to shop for the best offers."

The remaining reviews were more well-rounded and useful, and while they still often addressed price, there tended to be more context. Interestingly, of the products we zoomed in to examine thoroughly, all were noted for providing good value for money and for battery quality. Reviewers who bought chargers or battery/charger combos were also usually very positive about the quality of DeWalt's chargers, including charging speed, though some models were described as unusually noisy.

To see the actual value of the batteries, you have to dig into the specifics. For example, one Amazon customer described a DeWalt charger as the "Fastest charger I have ever used especially for hot batteries." That's information you can use to make a purchasing decision if you often find your batteries can't keep up. Others addressed the knockoff battery industry that has taken hold on Amazon. "Have not had luck with the fake dewalt batteries," one said. "These are real and work as they should. Watch for sales price."

Some customers were drawn to DeWalt's compact batteries, and usually found them appreciably smaller. Some pointed out that the compact batteries are shorter but wider, which can interfere with tool accessories like belt clips. Many reviewers were very practical, but a review like Leonard Logsdon's five-star rating has hidden utility. "Besides being my favorite Metallica song, it also powers my impact driver quite nicely," he said. You can be sure that wasn't written by an AI bot.

The best comment was the unrepentant realism of the reviewer who said he struggled with coughing up the money for actual DeWalt batteries, but found they paid off in terms of performance. "So far, I'm extremely happy with this purchase," he added. "I might still consider 3rd party batteries for things like work lights, where I just need high capacity and maybe not so much on high performance or reliability." When someone threatens to buy something else in the middle of a five-star review, you know they really like your product and just wish it were a little cheaper.