3 DeWalt 20V Tools Worth Buying (And 2 To Avoid)

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Looking for a new tool to bring into your collection can be a simple process at times. In some circumstances, you'll just look to buy the tool you need from the brand your cordless gear hails from. Staying within a single battery and brand ecosystem takes nearly all of the guesswork out of shopping for a new tool to add functionality to your collection. 

Whether it's a work light you're looking for or a new cutting tool that can handle specific material needs, the first port of call is often your existing brand loyalties. Some will shop around, however, and plenty of DIYers and even professional users will strategically add new brands into their collection whenever sale pricing is offered or when bundle packs are made available for a reasonable price. 

Diversifying your collection is valuable because it opens up possibilities and allows you to shop sales more efficiently. It also helps you avoid some tools that users have reported bad experiences with in the past. All brands have their strong points and a few duds they've brought out to the market, and DeWalt, a professional-grade power tool maker, is no exception. There are lots of great pieces of DeWalt gear to consider, but some of the brand's equipment misses the mark. These are three of DeWalt's more niche products in the 20V lineup that stand out for buyers and two others that might be worth passing over for a different brand. They're all highlighted for their strong points (or weaknesses) by user reviews at Amazon, Home Depot, and on professional tool review outlets.

The hand plane is a traditional solution for flattening and perfecting board sides and edges. Hand planes have been around in their most recognizable, metal-bodied format since Stanley standardized the tool in the late 1800s. Vintage Stanley hand planes are a great find at garage sales and elsewhere to this day. 

But the hand plane isn't the only way to shave a board. Powered alternatives have become a key resource for those who work with wood material on a regular basis. The 20V Max XR Planer is a great example of a quality powered solution in this area. 

Amazon buyers give the tool a 4.7-star average rating across 4,500-plus reviews with a $190 price tag. It's a similar story at Home Depot ($258) with 408 reviewers giving it a 4.7 star average rating, too. The tool is capable of making 30,000 cuts per minute and features a pair of precision-machined aluminum shoes to provide a flat, parallel cut. The depth adjustment knob moves in 1/256-inch increments for immensely precise material removal, and the unit can take a 5/64-inch maximum cut depth (2 millimeters). It also has the ability to chamfer an edge thanks to a groove machined into the front shoe.

The 20V Max LED Work Light is another tool in the brand's cordless lineup that receives high praise from users. A 4.8-star average rating can be found on its Amazon product page ($74), alongside the "Amazon's Choice" badge. Strikingly, over 20,000 buyers have provided feedback on the tool, lending significant credence to its high rating. It's also available at Home Depot for $119, and has received a 4.8 star average rating from 424 buyers there. ToolGuyd noted that this unit is less "capable" than its equivalent Milwaukee product, but that "the DeWalt is a quicker and more comfortable grab and go worklight," thanks in part to its pistol-style grip.

In addition to a drill-shaped body, it operates with four LED lights and utilizes two brightness settings. The head pivots with a 90-degree rotational angle to create ample coverage across numerous lighting requirements. These features place it alongside some of the best work lights that mechanics might consider.

This tool also features an overmolded lens cover that helps sustain functionality even when dropped from a height. It can be used in hands-free operating modes and features an integrated hook to allow you to hang it in your workspace. It also introduces a belt hook to the tool body to make transportation and temporary storage easier. The light offers intense spot illumination, and it can be seen over a distance of up to 1,525 feet, or just over 500 yards.

One tool that DeWalt buyers might consider adding to their collection shouldn't come as a surprise. DeWalt makes many excellent power tools, and its oscillating multitools are frequently found within this group. At the time of writing, the 20V Max XR Oscillating Multitool sports over 17,000 reviews on Amazon with a 4.8-star average rating and a $201 price. Amazon also lists it as a Best Seller in Oscillating Power Tools. It can also be found at Home Depot for $199 in a similar kit setup. Here, 32 buyers have given it a 4.7 average. This kit comes with a quick blade change accessory, three blades, sandpaper pads, a sanding attachment, a charger, and a battery. Our own Ron Baker, from House Digest, noted that "the DeWalt 20-volt XR multi-tool was a pleasure to use." However, he did note that this unit eats through blades, a common issue in this tool regardless of brand.

The multitool features three speed selections with a dual-grip variable speed trigger to lock in the exact cutting or sanding pace you require. It operates with a universal accessory adapter that allows the tool to make use of most brands' accessory products. It also features an LED light to boost visibility in the workspace you're targeting. 

Using DeWalt's cordless oscillating multitool in your home improvement projects can maximize productivity. This is a tool that provides a unique cutting approach that no other power tool can replicate. As a result, it provides significantly more depth to the tasks you can take on when looking to install trim around a door or window, add a new socket to your wall, or even deliver high-velocity sanding to a tight corner.

In theory an electric caulking gun offers a significant productivity boost, and it can also ease the physical toll a user experiences with a standard model. Anyone who's applied caulk to windows or doors around their home knows that this burst of gripping pressure on the trigger across just one section can create a burning sensation in the forearms. Multiply this to accommodate the full size of the job you are looking to tackle, and an otherwise simple task might just become a full day of work with the physical energy you'll expend sealing up gaps. 

Caulking guns aren't just for applying this edge sealer, however. You might use the applicator tool to lay down a bead of silicone along a surface or leverage it to apply adhesive to the backside of something you're installing. This tool gets a lot of use, and so an electric alternative seems like a great idea. The 20V Max Caulking Gun offers a variable speed trigger, a speed dial to help lock in the flow rate you require, and an anti-drip feature that retracts the plunging rod when you release the trigger to slow the rate of leakage down to a crawl.

Unfortunately, all of these features appear to be sticking points for buyers with experience holding the tool. Over 1,800 Amazon ($142) reviewers have given it a 4.4-star average rating. It's also available from Home Depot for $198, and here it also receives underwhelming reviews: a 4.1-star average with 125 reviewer offerings. Plenty suggest good experiences with the unit, but a sizable volume of reviews suggests that speed dial doesn't work at all. Not to mention the anti-drip feature is often reported to be a useless addition that is equally incapable of performing its responsibility. Reviewers have also noted that their tube has popped when placed inside the applicator gun.

The 20V Max Hand Vacuum for Wet and Dry Surfaces is a tool that promises big things. It offers a 1/2-gallon tank as well as a dual cleanup mode hose that can be removed from the integrated nozzle for more nuanced cleaning requirements. It features a HEPA filter that can handle both wet and dry materials while also delivering reusability with a construction that can be washed and reinserted into the tool. This is a handheld unit that can easily make its way into your collection as a tool for cleaning up spills on the go or for tidying around the house, workshop, or cleaning inside vehicles.

However, buyers frequently report bad suction in the tool's actual usage. It doesn't have the ability to pick up debris like it should, and many note that it features a weird ergonomic balance and weight distribution issue that makes the tool somewhat difficult to manage. As a result, this is yet another DeWalt tool that comes in with an average review notably lower than the typical item in the brand's catalog. That said, over 8,600 viewers at Amazon have given it a 4.4-star average rating, and it is priced at $112. At Home Depot, you'll pay $169, and reviewers are similarly unkind to the tool. It gets a 4.3-star average treatment from 616 buyers.

These tools were selected based on user reviews from Amazon and Home Depot. The three to consider all have heaps of praise from buyers, with the lowest receiving a 4.7-star average rating and thousands of reviews. The tools to avoid have lower ratings than most, with both sporting lots of reviews and a 4.4-star rating, at best. There are also some issues involved with both that users have highlighted. Additional user feedback was gathered from reputable review sites.

These tools were also chosen because they're all outside the main point of focus that often dominates tool buying needs. They're a little more niche in their operation, and tool users will likely already have a few saws, fastening tools, and other pieces of equipment. These aren't the most prominent tools in the garage, so plenty of tool owners will likely lack one or more of these options in their collections.