Can You Charge A 60V DeWalt Battery On A 20V Charger?

The DeWalt hardware brand has a variety of different tool and battery systems under its proverbial belt to meet the equally varied needs of its users. Bigger and stronger tools demand bigger and stronger batteries to compensate, which is where DeWalt's beefier battery lines like Flexvolt come into play. DeWalt's Flexvolt batteries boast some of the brand's strongest voltages, delivering as much as 60V of power to power some exceptionally strong tools.

Of course, even powerful batteries need to be recharged when you're done using them. One of the main appeals of rechargeable batteries is that you don't typically need a dedicated, individual charger for every pack, but things can get a bit murky when you have different battery types in play. Thankfully, you can use the same charger for several of DeWalt's battery packs, including 60V Flexvolt batteries and smaller packs like the 20V Max or Max XR. This is thanks to the identical connector rails on both battery models, allowing them to hook up to the same receivers, chargers included.

If you place a DeWalt 60V Flexvolt battery pack next to one of the brand's 20V Max or Max XR battery packs, you'll notice that the tops of the batteries are identical. They both have six notches on the far sides of their panels, as well as similarly-shaped angular sides. These identical connectors mean that the 60V Flexvolt battery can plug into the same receptacles as the 20V battery, whether on tools or chargers. That's one of the selling points of Flexvolt batteries, after all; they can flip between 20V and 60V as necessary, which allows Flexvolt batteries to be used on 20V tools — though not the other way around.

As for chargers specifically, a 60V Flexvolt battery can be charged by a Flexvolt-compatible DeWalt charger. In the same vein as the batteries themselves, any charger with Flexvolt compatibility can also charge a 20V DeWalt battery. Some examples of compatible chargers include the DeWalt Lithium-Ion Fast Battery Charger, the Dual Port Jobsite Charging Station, the 12 Amp Fast Charger, and the 6 Amp Battery Charger.

It is worth noting, however, that due to their higher voltages, 60V Flexvolt batteries may take slightly longer to recharge in one of these all-purpose chargers. For example, the Lithium-Ion Fast Battery Charger can charge up a 20V battery pack in about 40 minutes, whereas a 60V Flexvolt pack would need to be left on the charger for at least 60 minutes.