The DeWalt PowerStack 20V Max battery makes some big changes with its stacked pouch cell design instead of cylindrical cells. DeWalt claims the PowerStack battery and technology can deliver more power with less weight and smaller size. They used the first model, the DeWalt DCBP034 PowerStack 1.7Ah battery, as an example.
This may be the biggest announcement made since DeWalt Tool Connect went live. DeWalt also appears to be the first major power tool brand to use pouch batteries in the construction industry.
UPDATE: DeWalt PowerStack vs. DeWalt 2.0Ah Battery Test
We were able to test the DeWalt PowerStack battery against a standard 20V Max 2.0Ah battery and the results were telling.
We started with a DCF850 impact driver to install 8" GRK Fasteners RSS screws into the stacked OSB. We also tested a 5.0Ah battery to see how it compares. Here are the results:
| Maximum 20V PowerStack | 20V max 2.0Ah | 20V max 5.0Ah | |
| test 1 | 11.43 seconds | 15.46 seconds | 10.28 seconds |
| test 2 | 11.62 seconds | 16.24 seconds | 10.22 seconds |
| test 3 | 13.19 seconds | 11.42 seconds | 9.28 seconds |
| test 4 | 9.75 seconds | 11.70 seconds | 10.14 seconds |
| test 5 | 10.14 seconds | 12.22 seconds | 10.69 seconds |
| Average | 11.23 seconds | 13.41 seconds | 10.12 seconds |
Clearly, PowerStack has the edge in this test. It's not as strong as the larger 5.0Ah battery, though. We decided to take it a step further and switched to a DCD797 compact hammer drill with a 3/4" auger bit and double-deck 2×4 studs.
At high speeds, the PowerStack battery performed well, averaging 2.25 seconds. The 2.0Ah battery only finished one hole at high speed, and the other four failed. That's a solid result in itself, but we turned the drill down to low gear just to see what the jet lag was.
| Maximum 20V PowerStack | 20V max 2.0Ah | |
| test 1 | 4.68 seconds | 5.16 seconds |
| test 2 | 4.57 seconds | 5.44 seconds |
| test 3 | 4.61 seconds | 5.35 seconds |
| test 4 | 4.51 seconds | 5.11 seconds |
| test 5 | 4.59 seconds | 4.91 seconds |
| Average | 4.59 seconds | 5.19 seconds |
If there was any doubt, a final test seals the deal. You can obviously get better performance from a DeWalt PowerStack battery than a standard 2.0Ah compact battery pack. You give up a little ability. But then again, you can get things done much faster, which will most likely eat up the runtime.
One of the big things behind DeWalt's PowerStack batteries is the use of stacked Li-ion polymer pouches instead of cylindrical cells. Current 20V Max batteries use 18650 or 21700 cells, while the PowerStack uses a literal "stack" of 5 LiPo pouches.
When using stacking technology, you get the advantages of lower internal resistance, longer life, and better utilization of internal space.
This means you can make the battery pack smaller while delivering the same power. Of course, this high energy density also gives you the option to pack more power into the same space. Since you have the potential to achieve higher energy density and longer life cycles, stacked batteries have many advantages that cannot be ignored.
bold claim
According to DeWalt, their 1.7Ah DCBP034 Powerstack battery provides 50% more power than a 2.0Ah DCB203 battery in a 25% compact case. DeWalt also claims 2x the charge cycle compared to the DCB203 compact 20V Max battery based on the 18650 cell.
More power, more compactness and more charge cycles? You can bet we'll see a lot more stacked batteries in the near future.
DeWalt PowerStack DCBP034 and DCB203 Compact Battery Specifications
When comparing the 20V Max DeWalt PowerStack DCB034 vs DCB203 Compact batteries we look at weight, size and capacity. Here's what we know:
| DCBP034 | DCB203 | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Ah) | 1.7 ah | 2.0 ah |
| Capacity (Wh) | 30.6 Wh | 36 Wh |
| length | 4.1 inches | 4.625 inches |
| width | 2.5 inches | 2.95 inches |
| high | 1.7 inches | 1.875 inches |
| weight | 0.7 lbs. | 0.8 lbs. |
| Charge Cycle (Estimated) | 1000 | 500 |
| price | to be determined | $99 |
The first thing we noticed was that the battery pack had significantly lower Ah and Wh ratings. What baffles us is how the 1.7Ah pack is "50% stronger" than the 2.0Ah pack. We'll have to learn more about how those numbers translate to real world results after we get our hands on some of these new DeWalt PowerStack batteries.
size matters
The really big thing — besides energy output — has to be scale. These new battery packs offer higher power density, which means you get more power in less space. The above specifications make up some overall picture. Maybe these photos can help show the main difference in length and width:
-
DEWALT DCB203 -
DEWALT DCBP034 PowerStack -
DCB203 2.0Ah group -
DCBP034 1.7Ah battery pack
DeWalt PowerStack Battery Pricing and Availability
Luckily, DeWalt provided us with pricing for the new PowerStack battery pack, as well as some available configurations. Currently, DeWalt offers three options for its new battery with PowerStack technology:
- DCBP034 Compact Battery – $119
- DCBP034C Compact Battery Starter Kit with DCB112 Charger – $149
- DCBP034-2 (2-pack) – $179
The DeWalt PowerStack 20V Max Compact Battery (DCBP034) is available in North America beginning December 1, 2021. DeWalt then plans to continue to debut the technology globally in the spring of 2022. Look for DeWalt PowerStack batteries to arrive as a parallel advanced option for use with existing 20V compact batteries.
final thoughts
DeWalt framed their comments as canonical when talking about power, citing "not in application" when talking about power. We're really looking forward to seeing how the stacked polymer "pouch" cells perform in real-world testing. From our experience so far, these battery packs should deliver more power while reducing size and weight.
The limiting factor does seem to be the runtime. It remains to be seen when DeWalt will manage to release a battery pack with greater amp-hours — which will drain power and add extra runtime.
Traditionally, pouch batteries tend to expand with gas (up to 10% increase in volume) during charge and discharge cycles. Hopefully the engineering behind DeWalt PowerStack batteries will accommodate or address this expansion and contraction.
We were really impressed with the increase in the number of charge cycles. This cannot be emphasized enough, as it means your pack will last longer – and that translates into real savings.
Get more information from the DeWalt website.