![]() ![]() I think that basically any tool junkie, long-time holder and user of DW cordless tools or just plain, old fanboy should be excited over the Dewalt 18v to 20v adapter. Essentially, it means that if you can’t directly swap-out for a larger battery and despite the scarcity of the original power pack, there is still some truly great news for you: A DeWalt battery adapter is available! However, some companies–such as DeWalt, the focus of this article–have responded in a way that allows for us to continue using some of those cordless tools we have grown attached to as if they are an extension of ourselves. Man….that kind of stuff is a HUGE bummer! ![]() This actually reminds me of the new game systems which roll out a new platform and don’t allow for the previous systems’ games to be played anymore. I’m sure you know that often times we aren’t quite ready to let go of our aging tools just yet, but future generations of tools from the same manufacturer don’t always plan easy solutions for us, and as their tech changes, our old favorites can get left in the dust. I did my best to locate some more, both online and locally, but after acquiring a couple of 24V replacements which basically had the same longevity problem, I was left holding my drill and wondering if I would ever be this happy again, because I truly believed that I wouldn’t. Suddenly, after a brief time period where I had gone back to school and wasn’t using my drill regularly anymore, the batteries just sort of gave up the ghost and couldn’t be recovered. Long-gone were the days of using my drill at the shop for a week at a time without needing a charge. Actually, I never thought I’d have to–until the dreaded day came when its Ni-Cd batteries played out. Love of our tools’ performance is a beautiful thing, and as I became more and more accustomed to my B&D drill, I was less and less interested in giving it up. ![]() All in all, I was quite proud of this cordless beast and it was one of the coolest purchases I ever made for myself. However, there were indeed times when my drill was the savior and shocked the other guys, and not only that, but I am also a big guy so I didn’t mind the heavier-than-normal weight of it. They commented often about the size and weight of the thing, as well as how ridiculously overpowered it was for the tasks we generally needed drills for. It not only slaughtered the performance of my colleagues’ older DeWalts, it even one-upped the new 18V Makita that was brought in. If you read some of my posts here on WG, then you’ll sometimes see my nostalgia leak through. I used to use a strong–quite strong, actually–Black & Decker 24v hammer drill for most of my day-to-day work in the cabinet shop and, truth be told, it was stronger and longer-lasting than anything I needed or ever had before. Last edited by Jim Becker 05-11-2019 at 10:51 AM.Is Upgrading Your DeWalt Power Tool As Easy As Picking Up a Battery Adapter? But as far as I could see from my searches, there's no physical adapter out there to buy. There was a followup post several years later that indicated success still held. He stated he had to hold it in place with a bungie cord, but that it worked. I did find a thread on a forum called "Garage Journal" from 2013 where someone physically modified a 14.4v tool to be able to insert the 18v battery. ![]() I like using the DeWalt for certain "heavier" construction tasks since if I destroy it, I'm only losing a nearly 15+ year old tool rather than something more current. I had rebuilt the previous ones myself but they gave up the ghost a number of years ago and I already was using my Festool drivers. Amazon also lists replacement batteries from more than one vendor that are supposed to be compatible with the DeWalt 14.4 devices. There appear to be some on "that auction site", but I didn't go look at them. I scored a couple of the 14.4v battery packs on the closeout table at Home Depot a few months ago. ![]()
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