DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter Review – Best Portable Adapter Out?

Some tool users have built up a collection of DeWalt power tools over time but are continuing to purchase new tools. The DeWalt DCA1820 18V to 20V Adapter allows use of 20-volt (20V) batteries with the older tools, which typically run on 18-volt (18V) batteries.

The adapter prevents tool owner from having to purchase both 18V batteries for older tools and 20V batteries for newer tools. It also means there’s no need to replace functional older tools. The adapter allows tool owners to use both types with a 20V battery.

The product is intended to bridge the gap between these two types of DeWalt battery-operated tools. The adapter will therefore be of interest to those who have been using DeWalt power tools over the years.

While some brands of tools are sticking with 18V batteries, DeWalt has been making new tools that use the 20V MAX batteries since 2011. The company further expanded the line in 2017.

Before the adapter came out in 2015, there were a couple of options. Tool owners could replace older tools even if they still worked, which was not ideal. They could also continue buying 18V batteries for the older tools and the 20V batteries (and chargers) for newer tools.

Whether you’re a DeWalt tool owner for your hobbies or occupation, you’ll want to know more about the DCA1820 Adapter.

Read on to find out the adapter’s specifications, its positive and negative points and where and why to buy it.

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DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter Specs

• Product Height: 7 inches
• Product Length: 3 inches
• Product Width: 3.187 inches
• Battery Power Type: Lithium Ion
• Charge Time: 60 Minutes
• Color: Yellow
• Cordless/Corded: Cordless
• Number of Batteries Included: 0
• Rechargeable: Yes
• Voltage (volts): 20

DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter Options Available

Note that the purchase options include just the adapter, or the adapter with two 20-volt batteries and a 20V charger.

DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter Features

The main feature of the DeWalt DCA1820 is simple. It allows longtime customers of DeWalt cordless power tools to gradually upgrade the tools they use for their jobs or projects.

Compatible with 18V Tools and 20V Batteries: Again, this product allows you to modernize your set of tools without purchasing all new ones at one time. It makes it possible for consumers to use a 20V MAX lithium ion battery in a tool originally intended for 18V batteries.

What Makes DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter So Awesome

Most consumers looking into this adapter have been a DeWalt portable power tools customer for some time. Below are some of the advantages of the DCA1820.

• Economical Modernization of a Tool Collection: Some consumers choose DeWalt tools because they last. This adapter bridges the gap between older 18V tools and newer 20V tools. This means tools do not have to be replaced until it’s really necessary, and only one type of battery is needed.
• Balanced Feel: When you combine the adapter with a smaller and lighter 20V battery, it mimics the size and weight of the old 18V batteries in the tool. It also provides a slightly more ergonomic angle.
• Three-Year Warranty: No matter where you buy it from, a three-year warranty and one-year service plan are available for the adapter.

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How to Use DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter

• DeWalt representatives state that 95% of the 18V tools work with the 20V adapter. The notable exceptions are DeWalt nailers. Users will need a charger for the 20V lithium ion batteries.
• If you leave the battery in the adapter, it will drain it.

User Feedback and Reviews: What People Said About the DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter

It is worthwhile to peruse tool-related blogs as well as customer reviews on Amazon and home and hardware store sites. This will inform any consumer’s expectations about the product, as well as purchasing decision.

Most Common Complaints

• Not Compatible With Every 18V Tool: This adapter is not meant to be used with DeWalt 18V nail guns. The company says it is not compatible with a few DeWalt products that use an 18V battery. User reviews, however, indicated that it still worked sufficiently.
• Drains Battery: If a user leaves the 20V MAX battery on the adapter, it will drain it.
• Is Not a Charger: The DCA1820 adapter is just that and will not charge a DeWalt 20V lithium ion battery.
• Not Better Than 18V: Twenty maximum volts must be better than 18, correct? Not necessarily. Careful research reveals that these 20V MAX batteries have the same power level as the 18V ones. Again, however, the adapter allows you to use DeWalt’s 20V Max batteries in cordless power tools made for use with 18V batteries.

Most Common Praises

• Feel and Weight: The adapter combined with the 20V battery is similar in size and weight to an 18V battery in the same tools, but slightly more ergonomic.
• Economical Way Forward: If you have a longstanding DeWalt power tool collection, this is probably the most economical way to gradually contemporize it.
• Keep What Works: If you have loved and use your DeWalt 18V cordless power tools for a reason, there is no need to give them up. This adapter allows you to use them until the end of their utility.
• DeWalt Commitment: Reviewers said DeWalt demonstrates customer loyalty by not just forcing their customers to update longstanding tools in their arsenal. Though that would bring a profit, this product allows DeWalt customers to hold on to perfectly good 18V tools. They can then upgrade their set of cordless power tools at their own pace.

How Much Does the DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter Cost?

You can order the DCA1820 adapter for as low as about $20, though the mid-30-dollar range is more common. To put this in perspective, a package of two 18V batteries costs about $34.

One DeWalt 20V MAX lithium ion battery costs about $22, maximum. Within a relatively short period of time, the customer has made up the financial difference compared to buying two different types of batteries.

The DeWalt DCA2203C adapter kit can be found for between $75 and $150. Again, it includes the adapter, two 20V batteries and a 20V battery charge. As an added benefit, the customer has gradually begun to update their DeWalt cordless tools. Tool owners can reduce financial output in order to eventually benefit from the latest tools while keeping older working ones.

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Why Buy the DeWalt 18V to 20V Adapter?

Those who are even looking into the DeWalt 18V to 20V adapter are probably already cordless power tool users at work or home as well as DeWalt customers. Perhaps you bought and used DeWalt cordless power tools because of their longevity and quality.

Fortunately, unlike a mobile phone, DeWalt power tools do not have to be constantly upgraded if the older model still works well. This adapter bridges the gap between DeWalt’s cordless power tools that use the 18V batteries and the newer ones that use the 20V MAX.

Once you have begun investing in DeWalt cordless battery-operated tools, the company is demonstrating with this product that they value your commitment. While it is not intended to work with every DeWalt product that previously used an 18V battery, it works with most. Tool owners can also count on the company taking loyal customers into account as they continue to modernize.

Perhaps you have stuck with DeWalt cordless power tools for home or business needs since 18V tools were the latest. If so, you probably have an incentive to purchase this adapter. The company has allowed consumers to continue to stick with the brand, without redundant expenses. The adapter even allows a similar experience to what 18V tool owners had before. They can also buy just what they need and upgrade, going forward.