If you are not quite ready to purchase some new DeWALT 18V tools but want to breathe some new life into what you have; then you need to check out the DeWalt DC9180C Lithium-Ion XRP battery pack and charger. The charger that is included will handle any DeWalt 7.2-18V battery pack including NiCd, NiMH and of course the new Lithium-Ion models.
DeWalt DC9180C Lithium-Ion XRP Battery Features
There are many benefits to upgrading your existing DeWalt 18V cordless tools to the new Lithium-Ion battery power. The new DeWalt DC9180 XRP Lithium-Ion battery weighs in about the same as the old 14.4V Ni-cad battery and actually is more compact then the XRP version. The XRP Lithium-Ion battery is completely compatible with all current or older model DeWalt 18V cordless tools. Some of the benefits of Lithium-Ion power is that there is virtually no memory effect which means that you can throw your battery on the charger at any time and it will not affect its ability to accept a full charge down the road. This was always an issue with NiCd because, if you charged it before it was really dead, over a period of charging cycles, the amount of capacity in the battery would be significantly affected. DeWALT claims that their Lithium-Ion batteries have a much better lifetime then then their previous battery types with up to 2,000 charging cycles. If you charged it once per day that would be over 7 years given a 5-day work week.
Another advantage that will be very evident, is that when using a tool that is powered by Lithium-ion, you can use the battery at its full power right up to the time it quits. Again, to compare this to NiCd, where typically you will see that initial power deplete as the battery is discharged by use and slowly, the speed of the tool will decrease. This occurs until the battery is drawn down to a point where the tool will still operate, but not at a reasonable level of power output. Another feature that is helpful with Lithium is that there is less battery drain when you store your tool for long periods of time. The biggest bummer we can find with the new DeWalt Lithium-ion batteries is the lack of a power level gauge or similar device on the battery to indicate how much charge is in reserve. No matter how great the battery technology, it still is a pain in the neck when you grab a drill thinking that there is enough juice in the power pack to drill a few holes only to get to the project and find out that the battery pack was just about done. Wouldn’t it be a novel idea to put some kind of LED indicators or something to say, “Hey buddy, I am running low on power, you might want to throw me on the charger and grab a different battery instead.” Thankfully some manufactures have heard our cries and are starting to implement power level gauges either on their batteries on on their tools.
So, just in case you do find that your new battery is running low, you can throw it on the included DC9310 Battery Charger for about an hour and you will be up and running again. If you are shopping for some new DeWalt Lithium-ion batteries, make sure you get one of the new chargers like the one included in this kit. It is important because the technology that is required to charge up Lithium-ion is more complex then what the older battery types require. Your old chargers will not charge the new Lithium-Ion batteries. As a matter of fact, just to make sure that you don’t damage your new batteries in an old charger, the new batteries will not even fit in them. The included charger will also support all the other 7.2V-18V battery types, bringing them back up to maximum capacity in around an hour’s time. This charger will not charge any of the DeWalt Univolt batteries or any of the ones with voltages over 18V.
DeWalt DC9180C Li-Ion XRP Battery Testing and Use
We actually have a few DeWalt Lithium-ion batteries in our testing facility and what we have found so far is that they have always provided constant power up until they are ready for a re-charge. It takes about an hour to recharge the XRP batteries and only half an hour to charge up the compact Lithium-Ion batteries. The 18V Lithium-Ion XRP batteries have been used in everything from hammer drills, to circular saws, reciprocating saws and flashlights and in all cases they have proved to provide consistent power.
Conclusion
DeWalt DC9180C Lithium-Ion XRP battery and charger is the best way to inject new life into your older DeWALT 18V cordless tools. Lithium-ion power is where you need to be if you use your cordless tools constantly. There are many benefits to the new battery technology that include consistent power delivery, lighter weight and more recharge cycles. For our Performance rating we gave this set a 7/10 since it does boost your existing tools’ potential and useful life. We would have given it a point or more if it had a power level gauge built in. For our Value rating, we gave the set a 6/10 since it does help the consumer get into lithium-ion power without having to buy new tools, but at about twice the cost of the older NiCd XRP batteries.
