Dewalt has added a cordless heat gun to their 20V Max cordless power tool system.
The new Dewalt cordless heat gun, DCE530, features a guarded nozzle, two temperature settings, and a lock-on button for hands-free operation if needed.
Details are a little sparse at the moment, but here’s what we know so far.
The Dewalt cordless heat gun looks to be operated by squeezing the trigger, with what appears to be a small safety interlock switch that could prevent unintentional operation during transport. There’s a lock-on button, and on top is the temperature selection switch.
You would be forgiven for mistaking the new Dewalt DCE530 heat gun for a cordless drill at first glance. Design-wise, it looks like a cordless drill, with respect to the overall appearance, but the switches and controls are also in all the right places where a drill’s switches are located.
See Also: Milwaukee M18 Cordless Heat Gun Review
Milwaukee M18 Cordless Heat Gun First-Look
- 990°F (532°C) max temperature*
- Can operate for up to 42 minutes (on low setting with 5.0Ah battery)
- 7 CFM airflow
- Lock-on button for hands-free usage
- Lock-off trigger to engage manual operation
- LED worklight (at the base of the tool)
- Includes 2 nozzles
*We asked Dewalt for official temperature setting and heat-up time specs, but they couldn’t provide us with this information yet. One of the product pages says the max temperature is 990°F, as measured after 340 seconds on high and 0.4 mm away from the nozzle, but also mentions a max temperature of 875°F. This would suggest a max temperature of 875°F, but that higher temperatures are still achievable. We don’t yet know what the low temperature setting is.
The curved reflector nozzle is typically used on pipes, heatshrink tubing, and similar-shaped materials, and the spreader is used to provide even heat over a wider area.
Price $119 for the bare tool (DCE530B), $199 for the kit (DCE530P1)
ETA: July 2019
The kit comes with a DCB115 charger, (1) 5.0Ah battery, and a carrying bag.
Buy Now(via Acme Tools)
Buy Now(via Tool Nut)
Buy Now(Kit via Tool Nut)
The DCE530 is available for pre-order now and looks to be shipping at the end of July 2019, but that might be subject to change.
Compare(Milwaukee M18 Heat Gun Bare Tool via Home Depot)
Compare(Milwaukee M18 Heat Gun Kit via Acme Tools)
First Impressions
I just picked up a Werner heat gun, and if this had been available, I would have given it a serious look. Granted it would be double the cost, but being cordless this makes the tool much more practical. The integrated LED lights are an expected feature on a drill and I’ve not seen them on any heat guns that I’ve looked at.
The max temperature of 990°F might be limiting, as most of the tools I’ve looked at are rated to +1300°F.
What might you want a cordless heat gun for? Would the new Dewalt tool check all your boxes?
Compared with Milwaukee
The Milwaukee M18 cordless heat gun was announced nearly two years ago, and Benjamen reviewed it here last year.
When Milwaukee’s M18 heat gun was first announced, they said it would deliver a max temperature of 1000°F. Later, its maximum temperature was specified as 875°F in press materials. In tests, Benjamen wasn’t quite seeing these temperatures.
This could also explain the two temperatures in the Dewalt cordless heat gun product pages. While the Dewalt is said to have a max temperature output of 990°F, to get that measurement requires 340 seconds of heating duration at high, and is measured very close to the nozzle (0.4 mm is ~1/64″). The 875°F spec that’s also mentioned in the spec sheet, assuming it’s correct, might be closer to the operating temperature, or maybe an “operating temperature under ideal conditions” specification.
From what we can tell so far, the new Dewalt cordless heat gun looks to be well-matched with Milwaukee’s. It is similarly featured, except for the absence of a ladder hook.
Price-wise, the new Dewalt cordless heat gun is less expensive, at $119 for the bare tool and $199 for the 5.0Ah kit. The Milwaukee M18 bare tool is $129 ($120 at Home Depot), and the kit is $299.
Thank you to Herb for the heads-up!
