10 DeWalt Tools You Should Buy Brushless

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Brushless tools have many advantages over brushed motors, but for occasional users, they only became a real option in recent years, as prices went down and tool stores started stocking more of them. DeWalt seems to be trying to make some of its brushless tools the norm, at least on its website. However, if some old, brushed tools still hold relevance, that doesn’t seem to be the case for the brand’s newest products. You can see for yourself by visiting the power tool page on DeWalt’s website and browsing by newest: Pretty much all those tools are brushless. And while it’s not just this brand (there are a lot of Ryobi tools you should buy brushless), DeWalt seems to have made the jump before the other major power tool makers.

Whichever brand you get them from, more often than not, brushed tools are still a little cheaper. Why spend extra on a different kind of engine if the first can do the job just as well? Well, maybe you don’t. If you never use a tool to the maximum of its ability and aren’t planning to wear it down, a brushless motor offers only marginal advantages. If, however, you need a stronger motor in a smaller, lighter tool, and you’re worried about running through batteries fast, brushless might be the way to go. While much depends on your needs, some tools benefit more from a brushless motor than others. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Circular saws require a lot of energy, which is why many users don’t bother trying to go cordless. However, depending on the use case, having a cord around might be too much of a distraction, or there might not be a place to plug it in. In cases where a cordless circular saw, like the 20V Max XR Cordless Brushless 7.25-Inch Circular Saw (DCS570B), is the only solution, you might want to consider a brushless version. This type of motor tends to use energy more efficiently than the brushless variety. Hopefully, that will be enough to do a whole day of work without needing to get the biggest battery you can get your hands on, plus bring a spare.

Alternatively, if you need something more powerful that can also last a little longer, you might want to look at the DeWalt line of cordless circular saws. DeWalt is one of the best major brands of circular saws, so whichever your pick is, it will be a decent choice. However, if this is an important tool for you, you might want to spend a little more and go with the Flexvolt 60V Max Brushless Cordless 7.25-Inch Circular Saw (DCS578B). This model promises to deliver almost 50% more power than the non-brushless 54V DCS575 saw from Dewalt, and comes with a fast-braking system for increased safety.

If you don’t have a lot of power tools, you might think that you don’t have need for a brushless motor, but that’s not necessarily true, especially if you only use one multi-purpose tool. For many DIYers and homeowners, at whom the DeWalt 12V line seems to be aimed, a drill/driver is the only power tool they absolutely need. If that’s the case, it makes sense to cram as much use as possible out of that tool. That’s easy to achieve by buying a tool with a brushless motor, but it could also mean getting a multi-tool that can take care of multiple jobs. A tool like the Dewalt Xtreme 12V Max Brushless 5-in-1 Drill/Driver.

At $199, this multi-function drill/driver doesn’t come cheap, but if you need a lightweight, cordless option, this is a solid choice that you’re sure to find a use for. Of course, the speed and torque can’t really compare to the most powerful drills available from any brand. However, the 12V Max Brushless 5-in-1 Drill/Driver will be just fine for most domestic use, with 15 clutch settings and a maximum speed of 1,500 RPM. This tool’s strong suit is, of course, its four-attachment system. Three are 1/4-inch hex heads, one straight, one 90° angle, and one slightly offset for hard-to-reach areas. The last attachment is a simple 3/8-inch ratcheting chuck for drilling.

Depending on how you plan to use a reciprocating saw, compactness could be the most important characteristic. You should probably have a good reason for deciding to go cordless with your reciprocating saw, considering that the most powerful of those can output as much as 15 amps. For these reasons, portability and high power requirements, a brushless motor is the best option for a reciprocating saw. If you’re looking for something lightweight that can be used with one hand, DeWalt’s Xtreme 12V Max Brushless One-Handed Reciprocating Saw might be the ticket. For $89.99, it’s quite affordable, especially considering it’s one of the best brands of cordless reciprocating saws.

The brushless motor of the DeWalt 12V One-Handed Reciprocating Saw cuts the machine’s weight to just 48 ounces, significantly less than the 123 ounces of the brand’s bigger 20V XR Brushless Cordless Reciprocating Saw. The two saws aren’t equally powerful, but they’re quite close, with the smaller one reaching 2,800 SPM while the 20V can go as fast as 3,000 SPM. The real difference is in how long you can expect the small 12V reciprocating saw to work. DeWalt promises over 100 cuts per charge for the bigger tool, but makes no similar claims about the hand tool. Since the batteries of the 12V line tend to be much smaller than DeWalt’s 20V models, it’s easy to imagine the number would be much lower.

Impact drivers are the sort of tool that gets used a lot, and brushless tools tend to have a longer life span than brushed ones. That makes a brushless motor an excellent upgrade for any kind of impact driver. At the same time, this type of tool benefits greatly from the improved strength that can be found in a brushless motor. However, some tools manage to take greater advantage of this potential; For example, the 20V Max XR Brushless High Torque Impact Driver, which promises 66% more torque than its regular 20V Brushless equivalent. Of course, this makes it more powerful than the non-brushed equivalent, as well.

According to the toolmaker, DeWalt’s high-torque impact driver is over 60% faster and has much more torque than the DCF787 driver. That gives the High Torque Impact Driver a maximum speed of 3,800 RPM per minute and a torque rating of 2,500 in-lbs, as well as three selectable speed levels, all while being available for a price comparable to the $149 20V Max Brushless Impact Driver. All things considered, this is one of DeWalt’s more affordable power tools, even though it’s certainly not cheap. The standard asking price of $199, which is not unreasonable, is often slashed down even further to about $130. At the time of writing, this tool is available on Amazon for $124.95.

If you don’t need extreme levels of torque on your impact driver but you still want the benefits of a brushless motor, you have two options. One is the regular 20V Brushless Impact Driver, which has three speeds like the high-torque version and a not insignificant torque rating of 1,825 in-lb, and uses 20V DeWalt batteries. The other option is the less powerful (and significantly cheaper) Xtreme 12V Max 1/4-Inch Brushless Impact Driver. This brushless tool is part of DeWalt’s line of 12V cordless tools, so it’s not as powerful as its direct competitors that we just looked at, with just 1,450 in-lb of torque and a rotation speed of 2,850 RPM.

However, at just 28 ounces and a length of 5 inches, it’s a lightweight and portable solution to most DIYers’ needs. Almost 1,500 in-lb is still a lot of torque, even if it’s nowhere close to the most powerful of DeWalt’s impact drivers. We should point out that this driver isn’t just good on paper or for the price; It’s well-liked by its users as well, who appreciate the portability of this version more than anything else. The brushless 12V is also cheaper, at about $75 against the $100-plus 20V, which earns it a spot among DeWalt’s tools that are a no-brainer for their price.

Angle grinders are quite power hungry, as far as small tools go. As with other tools of a similar intensity, the easiest solution is a corded one. There’s a reason why one of the few corded tools still sold by Milwaukee is an angle grinder. However, when compared to hammer drills and circular saws, an angle grinder is a relatively nimble thing. And what’s the best solution for a power-hungry tool that isn’t big enough to balance a massive battery? It’s a brushless motor, like the one that powers the 20V Max XR Angle Grinder. Users find that this tool strikes a good balance between power and battery autonomy, and the stats on the product’s page support their reports.

With up to 1,590 MWO (max watts out), the 20V cordless angle grinder can compete with some corded equivalents, albeit much cheaper ones. Plus, the paddle switch adds a little extra safety to the tool, too, even though not everyone is a fan of this feature. At just 4.8 pounds (battery not included), the 4.5-inch DeWalt angle grinder is not too heavy, and a 20V/8Ah battery only adds about 2 pounds. The large 8Ah battery is what DeWalt includes in a kit with the tool and a charger, and some users recommend it as well, since the grinder consumes so much energy. It seems natural to recommend you pick one up, but we can’t do so without pointing out that those batteries cost up to $179, exactly as much as the bare tool.

Hammer drills are another tool that not everyone will use extensively, but which is likely to see a lot of used from those who need it. They’re also big, heavy objects with demanding jobs that run through batteries very fast. A brushless motor seems almost a requirement for them, and that doesn’t stop users from pointing to the weight as one of the few drawbacks of the 20V Max XR Brushless 1/2 Inch 3-Speed Hammer Drill. This is a pretty lightweight hammer drill, weighing only 4 pounds. The battery adds another pound, and the 3-inch length difference can impact how it feels in the hand.

The 20V Max XR hammer drill isn’t marketed as a compact tool, but according to its product page, it’s the “shortest length DEWALT premium 3-speed drill”. That definition has so many qualifiers that it might only include this drill, but at just 7.6 inches, this tool is shorter than some of DeWalt’s drivers. Of course, this isn’t the only brushless hammer drill made by this brand. Among the many alternatives, the DeWalt 20V Max SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Drill sticks out as one of DeWalt’s most underrated tools. It might not be the same familiar shape as the 20V Max XR, but this rotary hammer drill is quite a bit cheaper, at $199 against the $249 of the model we looked at before.

The main difference between a pruning saw and a regular chainsaw is the size, which is why the best cordless mini-chainsaws are the ones that you can use in tight spaces. That’s the case of DeWalt’s 20V Max 8-inch Brushless Pruning Chainsaw, which has a bar length of just 8 inches and a weight of 4.6 pounds, or about 7 pounds with a small battery attached. That won’t feel like carrying nothing, but it’s certainly more lightweight than a full-size chainsaw. Those tools are often used by landscapers who use them to prune trees, meaning they are raised towards tall branches for long stretches of time. That’s why even a small decrease in weight makes for a much more comfortable work experience.

Obviously, this tool isn’t just for professional landscapers. This mini-chainsaw, as well as other DeWalt tools, can help you, too, whip your yard back into shape. However, you need to have a pretty large yard or a great love for your garden to justify buying a specialized tool like this. At $239, the 20V Max 8-inch Pruning Saw may not be aimed at regular homeowners. That said, we should point out that this is the price of the kit that includes a 20V/3Ah battery and a charger, as well as a couple of tools necessary to maintain the chainsaw correctly. While this compact tool is neither cheap nor especially powerful, it seems to be quite energy-efficient, as the company promises up to 70 cuts per charge (measured on 4×4 inches of pressure-treated pine).

According to DeWalt, the 60V 2-inch Brushless Combination Rotary Hammer is made for “the toughest job”, delivering up to 19.4 Joules of impact. It’s not lightweight like the other tools we looked at, coming in at 21 pounds (batteries not included), nor is it an affordable middle-of-the-line tool that serves professionals well while being in reach of most DIYers. The only reason this product exists is to offer a strength comparable to that of a corded rotary hammer; Clearly, neither weight nor price is considered much of a constraint. The cheapest price we could find for the DeWalt 60V 2-Inch Brushless SDS Max Combination Rotary Hammer Kit was $1,133.07. Perhaps that’s why the product appears to be in the process of being phased out, and not many stores carry it anymore.

The bundle that includes this cordless rotary hammer comes with a fast charger, two Flexvolt DCB612 batteries, and a container for the whole kit. Those batteries come in at over $250 each, and they’re a big part of what makes the whole kit so expensive. However, even if you’re unlikely to use a 60V tool from this brand in the future, you can think of those as an investment. They might have a big 60V painted on them, but when inserted in a 20V tool, those batteries’ internal voltage switches to 20V. You can even use the DeWalt Flexvolt battery on XR tools.

The 60V Brushless Rotary Hammer is strong, but most people don’t need one of the most powerful cordless tools that money can buy in their toolbox. It’s not even going to fit in your toolbox, unless you have one of DeWalt’s toolboxes with the most storage. For every user that isn’t a professional, the 20V Max SDS Plus D-Handle Rotary Hammer is almost certainly the better choice, at least among DeWalt’s most powerful rotary hammers. This tool carries enough of a punch to allow for fast drilling through concrete, and thanks to the brushless motor, it isn’t nearly as heavy as some of the alternatives: just 5 pounds without the batteries.

The 2.6 Joules of energy aren’t really comparable to the 19.4 of the 60V rotary hammer, but the 20V more than makes up for it with a price of $249. It is one of the most expensive tools in this article, but a drop in the bucket compared to the over $1,100 of its bigger brother. This tool isn’t exactly what you would call underpowered, either, with a max power output of 300 Watts and a rotation speed of 5,550 RPM. The 20V Max 1-Inch SDS Plus hammer is compatible with SDS Plus drill bits, the most common type of bit for a drill of this size, which should make it easy to find one to fit your needs.