# DeWalt Flexvolt



## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

I just picked up the grinder with 2 6 AH batteries for 299. Anyone use it before?


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## zac (May 11, 2009)

TRurak said:


> I just picked up the grinder with 2 6 AH batteries for 299. Anyone use it before?


I'm sorry sir but this is milwaukee country! Going to have to ask you to saddle back up and head on out. (courtesy bump).




TRurak said:


> I just picked up the grinder with 2 6 AH batteries for 299. Anyone use it before?



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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

We prefer Chinese owned Chinese made round these parts.


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

I thought this was Electrician talk not Plumber talk. Only ********** use Milwaukee!


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I have one DimWit tool. It works okay but I feel kind of dirty when I use it. I store it in a cardboard box so people won't point fingers and laugh at me. I'm kind of sensitive that way.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

I have a DeWalt 18v angle grinder and like it a lot. Yeah I'd like to change over to red for battery parity but can see spending the money to do so.


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

I was kidding about that last comment. I have quite a few m12 tools. All my bigger stuff is 20v DeWalt. I've had good luck with them. The brushless drills are great. We abuse them daily and haven't had a failure in 3 years. I'm doing some demo and thought I'd give the flexvolt a try.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

TRurak said:


> I was kidding about that last comment. I have quite a few m12 tools. All my bigger stuff is 20v DeWalt. I've had good luck with them. The brushless drills are great. We abuse them daily and haven't had a failure in 3 years. I'm doing some demo and thought I'd give the flexvolt a try.


I'm really surprised. DeWalt hasn't held up well at any place I've worked. I use some of their stuff for my own but I almost baby it and some things are still beat up. But there wasn't 20v or better when before I retired.


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## DesignerMan (Jun 13, 2008)

I've heard a lot people complain about DeWalt and will only use Milwaukee. I for one have been using DeWalt tools what seems like forever and have never had any issues. I still think they're great...


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

I have to say I really like DeWalt's grips better than milwaukee, they feel a lot more comfortable. Milwaukees are kinda oval shaped.

That being said, I was strongly considering selling my milwaukee stuff for Makita's 18v sub-compact drill and impact. They're even smaller than their 10v stuff, but as powerful as 18v. Drills have gotten ridiculously powerful that I see more advantage in them being less powerful and just more compact and light weight.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

DesignerMan said:


> I've heard a lot people complain about DeWalt and will only use Milwaukee. I for one have been using DeWalt tools what seems like forever and have never had any issues. I still think they're great...


How many guys are using them? They all start out well but when abused a little they break, I've seen that in the shops I've worked in. Not to mention the returns at at Grainger's I'd seen when they were a steady customer.


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## nbb (Jul 12, 2014)

I have liked any DeWalt tool I have ever borrowed or used well enough. I got Milwaukee back when I started for the Hackzall. Which I don't even use anymore, but now with all the batteries.

Speaking of, I got tired of explaining the difference between nominal and charging voltage of a battery, and just let the misguided carpenters and drywallers gloat that there tools are 2 volts better.

Have you put a meter on it yet? I'm assuming that it needs a tool to tell it to go to series mode, and that it is using the same 18650 INR cells, so 54 volts.

Don't get me wrong, all the tool manufacturers use smoke and mirrors to hock their tools. I feel like DeWalt is a bit more sleazy about it with the "max" voltage and their put some rubber over molds and screws in it here and call it assembled in USA.


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## DesignerMan (Jun 13, 2008)

MechanicalDVR said:


> How many guys are using them? They all start out well but when abused a little they break, I've seen that in the shops I've worked in. Not to mention the returns at at Grainger's I'd seen when they were a steady customer.


Just me using them and while I don't baby them I certainly don't abuse them...perhaps that's why mine last.


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## MCasey (Dec 7, 2016)

DesignerMan said:


> Just me using them and while I don't baby them I certainly don't abuse them...perhaps that's why mine last.


In our shop the guys that like whatever brand they are given do well with the Dewalt tools. The guys that are tool afficionados want Hilti or Ingersol Rand which we have had great luck with. Issues we have had with Hilti show up immeadiately and tools are exchanged on the spot. Bosch and AEG that we have used for offshore work also tends to last well.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

DesignerMan said:


> Just me using them and while I don't baby them I certainly don't abuse them...perhaps that's why mine last.


Definitely so, mine are all well used and holding up but that wasn't the case where they were used by a crew.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

DesignerMan said:


> I've heard a lot people complain about DeWalt and will only use Milwaukee. I for one have been using DeWalt tools what seems like forever and have never had any issues. I still think they're great...


Are you a carpenter?

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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

wendon said:


> Are you a carpenter?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


That is the type of work I do most often with my DeWalt tools for, but the angle grinder, sheetmetal shears, 3/8"dr impact, and 1/2" dr impact are the tools I get the most use out of and hate to think of the dollars to replace them with M18 tools.


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## DesignerMan (Jun 13, 2008)

wendon said:


> Are you a carpenter?


No, I do industrial electrical work.


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

It is 54 volts. There is a chop saw and table saw that take 2 batteries. The cells are out in series making "120" volts. They are also corded.


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

After 2 days of demo, cutting rod, conduit and strut here's what I think. It definitely has the power of a corded grinder. It's heavy and the batteries don't last nearly long enough. Were talking an hour maybe an hour and a half. I'm returning it tomorrow and buying the regular 20v grinder. I wouldn't recommend the DeWalt flexvolt line of tools. This is coming from someone who has been dewalt his whole life.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

We all make mistakes. Now you won't have to deal with the immense personal shame and humiliation of owning DeWalt.


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## nbb (Jul 12, 2014)

TRurak said:


> After 2 days of demo, cutting rod, conduit and strut here's what I think. It definitely has the power of a corded grinder. It's heavy and the batteries don't last nearly long enough. Were talking an hour maybe an hour and a half. I'm returning it tomorrow and buying the regular 20v grinder. I wouldn't recommend the DeWalt flexvolt line of tools. This is coming from someone who has been dewalt his whole life.


In my opinion, and limited battery pack knowledge, it makes more sense to focus on making the motor more efficient at high amperage and run the cells in parallel. As we all know, power is power, so you can fluff Voltage and Amp-hours however you want, there is a basic agreed upon formula that says they are all intertwined. That is where we get our Joule, Watt, and Horsepower from.

Yeah it is cool to have a universal motor that can run on a cord or a battery, but I would rather have a brushless that doesn't waste some of the power as heat in the commutator.


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

nbb said:


> I have liked any DeWalt tool I have ever borrowed or used well enough. I got Milwaukee back when I started for the Hackzall. Which I don't even use anymore, but now with all the batteries.
> 
> Speaking of, I got tired of explaining the difference between nominal and charging voltage of a battery, and just let the misguided carpenters and drywallers gloat that there tools are 2 volts better.
> 
> ...


Milwaukee was the first one to start the whole max voltage thing. Your m12 tools are 10.8v


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

TRurak said:


> After 2 days of demo, cutting rod, conduit and strut here's what I think. It definitely has the power of a corded grinder. It's heavy and the batteries don't last nearly long enough. Were talking an hour maybe an hour and a half. I'm returning it tomorrow and buying the regular 20v grinder. I wouldn't recommend the DeWalt flexvolt line of tools. This is coming from someone who has been dewalt his whole life.


I would try the regular one before returning it. I don't know how much cutting you were doing but grinders draw a huge amount of power and eat through batteries pretty fast. There's a good chance you'll get a little more than half the runtime of the 60v grinder.

Also I don't think I've ever seen any one go for a grinder to demo out electrical.


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

I had the normal 20v grinder but dropped it and broke it. It would run as long as the flexvolt grinder on a 5 AH battery. A grinder is by far the fastest way to cut rods for dropping strut and conduit.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

TRurak said:


> I had the normal 20v grinder but dropped it and broke it. It would run as long as the flexvolt grinder on a 5 AH battery. A grinder is by far the fastest way to cut rods for dropping strut and conduit.


Faster than the M12 bandsaw?


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## TRurak (Apr 10, 2016)

Not faster than the band saw but it's hard to fit into Some spots above this ceiling. Hard to explain without a pic


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