5 Of The Most Common Problems With DeWalt Power Tool Batteries

DeWalt is a go-to choice for both DIY enthusiasts and professionals in search of reliable well-built power tools, hand tools, and equipment. The company officially entered the industry in 1924, and since its founding by Raymond DeWalt, it has come to rank well among other top power tool brands. DeWalt's founding invention, the radial arm saw, certainly made waves when it was first introduced, but it has since been surpassed by the company's innovative FlexVolt battery system.

A DeWalt FlexVolt battery can automatically change voltage with different power tools, switching between the benefits of extra runtime for low-voltage jobs and boosted power for jobs requiring higher voltage. While this battery system generally has more positive features than negative ones, it's not immune to some of the most common problems plaguing power tool batteries. From minor issues like not fully charging to major concerns like an overheating battery, here are the most common problems you'll find with DeWalt batteries.

There's nothing more frustrating than going to use your fully charged battery in a power tool only to realize it isn't actually charged at all. Some users on Reddit have raised that issue with DeWalt's 20-volt XR batteries, in particular, finding that the batteries can fail to charge completely, no matter how long the battery stays on the charger.

One common suggestion in response to those Redditors is to make sure the battery is fully seated in the charger. Sometimes, a battery can appear to be charging when it hasn't actually snapped into place yet. Alternatively, it might require reaching out to see if you can get a replacement battery from DeWalt, provided it's still under warranty. If you're struggling to fully charge your DeWalt battery, it's worth seeing whether a DeWalt service center can help you or swap it out for a new battery.

The only problem worse than a DeWalt battery not fully charging is when it refuses to charge at all. Post across multiple forums online have expressed annoyance with their DeWalt battery failing to charge, even when properly hooked up to a compatible charger.

If it's within the warranty window, you can reach out to DeWalt to get a replacement battery for free. If the battery's warranty has elapsed, you might be out of luck, but there's still a fix you can try before throwing out your batteries. A few comments on Reddit suggest that the batteries may simply be sleeping instead of actually dead. In this case, you can jump the dead DeWalt battery with another battery to bring it back to life with this recommended YouTube tutorial. If they are actually dead, be sure to properly recycle your lithium-ion batteries.

Some Redditors have also expressed issues with their DeWalt battery immediately going into hot/cold delay when it connects to the charger. Briefly defined, a hot/cold delay is a safety measure in place to ensure the battery doesn't charge unsafely when it's outside of the recommended temperature range. If the battery is incorrectly detecting an unsafe temperature, it simply won't charge. Frequent comments suggest trying a different charger, clearing out any dust or dirt from vents and charging contacts, or reaching out to DeWalt for a replacement.

One of the most common and dangerous problems you may encounter with a DeWalt power tool battery is overheating. If the overheating issue is bad enough, it could lead to the battery bursting or catching fire, whether it's in the charging dock or actively in use in a power tool.

Toward the end of 2000, DeWalt had to recall multiple battery charger models because they weren't automatically shutting off like they were supposed to after the battery was fully charged. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were actually two incident reports that involved the batteries bursting as a direct result of overheating, but luckily no customers suffered any major injuries. Affecting roughly 1.7 million battery chargers, this DeWalt recall is one of the biggest power tool recalls in U.S. history.

Most overheating issues with batteries won't be nearly this severe. DeWalt batteries have a built-in protective measure that, when it works properly, prevents the battery from overheating while it's in use or charging by forcing it to shut off. In most cases, the battery simply needs to cool off a bit before it can be used again or you might need a more powerful battery for the project at hand.

If you're one of the unlucky customers who purchased one of about 755,000 DeWalt 18-volt battery packs (model DW9095) around early 2000, you may have faced an issue with the battery pack falling out of the power tool it's supposed to be secured in. This issue may not be as common as the rest of the problems on this list, but it certainly can happen, and that's why the CPSC issued a recall for the battery packs in March 2000.

This was one of the biggest DeWalt recalls in U.S. history, behind only three other recalls involving fiberglass sledgehammers, sliding compound miter saws, and battery chargers. According to the recall information, the clips used to fasten the battery packs in place can come loose and ultimately cause the pack to fall out, which can be extremely dangerous depending on the height the 2.2-pound battery pack falls from and if there's anyone standing below it. The CPSC received five reports of injuries due to the pack falling, one of which involved "striking a consumer on the head." Customers who purchased these faulty battery packs could get a repair kit from DeWalt free of charge to fix the issue.

If you've had a DeWalt power tool for multiple years, the battery may naturally not be able to keep a charge as well as it did when you first bought the tool. However, if the tool's battery is still relatively new, that's cause for concern.

If you find you're running out of power too fast using freshly purchased batteries, it could indicate you've bought the wrong size battery for the kind of work you're doing. A 1.7Ah PowerStack battery won't be able to keep a drill going for nearly as much work as a 5Ah PowerStack will, no matter how power it can generate. It's not hard to find Reddit threads of people getting tripped up by this.

However, if you're using what seems like the proper battery for the job, and your DeWalt battery still refuses to stay charged, there's a chance you could be using a FlexVolt battery. Many customers have had issues with DeWalt FlexVolt batteries keeping a charge, but the potential solutions are relatively simple. It's recommended that customers ensure the battery and charger are properly making contact, with the battery fully seated in the charger, and that the battery is being stored correctly at the right temperature and the right charge, if storing for long periods of time.

To find the most common battery problems troubling DeWalt power tool users, we started with what we already know by way of common knowledge. Any kind of battery, designed for power tools, smartphones, or otherwise, can be prone to overheating or general issues with charging.

With that knowledge in mind, we browsed recent Reddit posts and other forums to find personal stories dealing with these common issues, and read through the comments to find a few potential solutions to explore. Past this anecdotal experience, we made sure to check with the CPSC to see if there were any major battery-related recalls from DeWalt outlining more common issues customers may have run into.