Dewalt launched a new 20V Max XR cordless drill and hammer drill, DCD801 and DCD806 respectively.
There are a couple of interesting things to go over, but what surprised me the most is that the new XR drill kit is the only way to get your hands on the new PowerPack 4Ah battery. Dewalt has confirmed that – at least for now – the new battery will not be available separately.
Details are scarce, but I think it’s fair to presume that the new Dewalt PowerPack battery, DCB2104, features the same tabless Li-ion cells as in their higher capacity 8Ah PowerPack battery.
The new DCD801 cordless drill and DCD806 hammer drill look identical to the earlier DCD800 and DCD805 models that they’re replacing.
However, there is a bump-up in specs, with the new model XR brushless motor drills being rated at 1050 MWO (max watts out) of power delivery, compared to 900 MWO for the older models.
Dewalt has in the past rated their cordless drill power output based on the type of battery the tools are kitted with. This suggests that the 1050 MWO rating is for the new cordless drills when paired with the new PowerPack 4Ah battery.
Dewalt also says that the DCD801 is “up to 109% more powerful,” and upon checking their fine print, this is compared to their DCD777 cordless drill (see also: New Dewalt DCD777 20V Max Brushless Drill Looks Budget-Friendly from 9 years ago).
The DCD777 is rated at 340 UWO (unit watts out).
The older model DCD800 and DCD805 cordless drills are said to deliver “up to 40% more UWO vs the DCD791” when used with specific batteries.
Basically, the new DCD801 and DCD806 cordless drills look the same but are rated as more powerful on paper, and it could be a function of battery selection.
Dewalt also has something to say about the new drill’s competitiveness. They say:
Competitive Advantage – Up To 25% More Powerful Vs. Milwaukee
According to the fine print, this is:
Based on MWO, using DCB2104 battery vs. Milwaukee M18 2903-20 1/2in. drill driver using 48-11-1840 4AH battery
That’s a bit unfair, in my opinion. Dewalt is comparing their new XR brushless drill with the new battery it’s kitted with, and is comparing it to the Milwaukee M18 FUEL model with a battery that the M18 is not kitted with. Milwaukee’s drill is often bundled with an XC 5Ah battery. Does it make a difference? Maybe, maybe not.
For the tool-only SKUs:
Based on MWO, using DCB2104 battery (sold separately) vs. Milwaukee M18 2904-20 1/2in. hammer drill using 48-11-1840 4AH battery.
However, as Dewalt has confirmed, the DCB2104 battery is not sold separately at this time. And so if you’re buying the tool-only versions of the DCD801 and DCD806, the comparison is faulty.
MWO also says nothing about applications speeds or torque. “Up to 25% more powerful.” It’s noteworthy that the Milwaukee M18 Fuel model delivers high enough torque that it must be bundled with an auxiliary handle. The new Dewalt XR cordless drills do not have this requirement.
We have an older post about drill torque and side handle requirements: Why Powerful Drills MUST Have Auxiliary Handles.
All that talk about an exclusive battery and on-paper specs boost aside, Dewalt also built an Anti-Rotation System into both new drills.
The Anti-Rotation System senses the rotational motion of the tool and shuts it down if the motion is excessive. From the sounds of it, there’s a gyro sensor built into the tool. If the tool rotates quickly such as in response to a large bit jamming in a hole, the anti-kickback measure goes into effect to help avoid user injury.
We typically see anti-rotation and kickback protection in larger high-torque drills.
- 1/2″ chuck
- 1050 MWO
- 0-650/0-2000 RPM (no-load)
- 15 position torque clutch
- 6.47″ length
- 70 lumen LED worklight
- Anti-Rotation System
The kit, DCD801QQ2 ($269), comes with 2x 4Ah PowerPack batteries, a charger and tool bag. Tool-only versions of the drill, DCD801B ($179) and hammer drill, DCD806B ($199) are also available.
Discussion
The new DCD801 looks identical to the DCD800. It’s the same length and has the same speed specs, but higher “max watts out” spec and an anti-rotation sensor.
Dewalt also says the new model is “up to 25% more powerful vs Milwaukee [M18 FUEL].”
It all sounds a bit messy.
Home Depot has the older model DCD800D2 cordless drill kit for around $203 right now, and the DCD800B tool-only for $159. There aren’t too many sources for the older DCD805B hammer drill, but Lowe’s has it for $179.
The new model tool-only drill and hammer drill are each $20 more than their predecessors.
We have seen that Dewalt’s cordless drills have at times had different specs depending on the battery they’re kitted with.
So here’s my question. What’s different about these new drills aside from the anti-rotation system, higher pricing, and kit batteries?
It seems to me that we’ve reached a point where cordless drills are about as good as they’re going to get.
Dewalt’s compact drills have been quite good over the years, and I have high expectations for this one. That it looks like little has changed compared to the predecessor models isn’t a bad thing.
I do find some of the marketing claims a bit strange, such as how this model is being compared to the power output of a the non-XR entry-priced DCD777 model that launched around 9 years ago. Why not compare it to say the Atomic or brushless models that launched more recently?
How much of the higher MWO rating is solely dependent on the new PowerPack 4Ah battery that you can’t buy separately? When you can buy the battery by itself, will it deliver an instant upgrade of higher power to Dewalt’s older model drills such as the DCD800?
