Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Dewalt). This thread is read-only.
First Post:
Hi everyone,
I’ve recently moved to the US from the UK and have brought my Dewalt tools with me. I’m having real difficultly deciphering how I’m going to be able to charge my batteries now that I’m here. I’ve had a lot of conflicting advice from several people so thought I’d turn to the real experts. I’ve attached two images of my current batteries and charger.
The options I’ve been suggested so far are:
1) Just use a USA to UK adapter with my current setup, it might charge slower but it’ll still work. (My concerns with this is that the charger states it wants a 230V input which it isn’t going to get so might not work)
2) Buy a DEWALT DCB112 charger (photograph attached). Charger states it charges ’12v/20v’ which to my UK brain says it will charge either 12v OR 20V and not my 18V batteries. I’ve also read that the US 20V batteries are essentially the same as the 18V batteries, can someone shed some light on this for me please?
3) Buy some USA 20V batteries and they’ll work fine in my 18V UK tools. (Seems a very expensive solution to me!)
4) Find a Dewalt charger with a US plug that charges 18V batteries however I don’t think such a thing exists! (Unless it is the DCB112?!?)
Naturally option 1 is the cheapest and I’m not too concerned by an increased charge time as I can rotate batteries easily but don’t want to risk damage to the batteries (both short and long term).
Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Will
Welcome to the forum.
The best option would have been to fully charge the batteries prior to leaving the UK.
Select the US charger with the desired current output for maintaining your batteries.
The DCB112 has a 2.0ADC output, good for the small 2.0Ah batteries. There is also a DCB115 with the 4.0ADC output, good for the medium sized 4.0Ah and 5.0Ah batteries. These chargers are 120VAC 60Hz only.
The US 20V MAX XR batteries are the same as the 18V ROW batteries. The US is still selling 18V XRP tools, so a distinction is required to decrease confusion.
Bin the UK charger.
Buy a US charger of whatever flavour you desire.
Job done.
US 20V Max = UK 18V XR.
Enjoy!
Will L wrote:
6 hours ago, Will L said:First Post:
Hi everyone,
I’ve recently moved to the US from the UK and have brought my Dewalt tools with me. I’m having real difficultly deciphering how I’m going to be able to charge my batteries now that I’m here. I’ve had a lot of conflicting advice from several people so thought I’d turn to the real experts. I’ve attached two images of my current batteries and charger.
The options I’ve been suggested so far are:
1) Just use a USA to UK adapter with my current setup, it might charge slower but it’ll still work. (My concerns with this is that the charger states it wants a 230V input which it isn’t going to get so might not work)
2) Buy a DEWALT DCB112 charger (photograph attached). Charger states it charges ’12v/20v’ which to my UK brain says it will charge either 12v OR 20V and not my 18V batteries. I’ve also read that the US 20V batteries are essentially the same as the 18V batteries, can someone shed some light on this for me please?
3) Buy some USA 20V batteries and they’ll work fine in my 18V UK tools. (Seems a very expensive solution to me!)
4) Find a Dewalt charger with a US plug that charges 18V batteries however I don’t think such a thing exists! (Unless it is the DCB112?!?)
Naturally option 1 is the cheapest and I’m not too concerned by an increased charge time as I can rotate batteries easily but don’t want to risk damage to the batteries (both short and long term).
Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Will
Welcome to the forums bro and ditto @Big Adam
Adam is correct. The only thing different about your batteries is the stickers. They only call them 20v in the USA because of marketing.
Thanks guys. Problem solved!
You can buy a US battery charger or buy a transformer type converter. They take 120 in and put out 230. Some are reversable and can be fed from the other side, being fed 230 and putting out 120. Stepping AC up and down is done all the time. The difference in frequency should make little difference in this application. A ways back met someone from a 230 country with a device he brought with him. He had been sold a transformer intended for Americans traveling abroad, It stepped the voltage down instead of up. I opened it up and reversed the cord and socket connections to the transformer and his 230 device ran perfectly. Your charger draws 1 amp at 230. That means that the smallest transformer should have no problem. It would only draw around 2 amps from the 120 receptacle. We are talking about a transformer rated at alittle over 230 watts.
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