Cordless tool gift checker: match their battery first
Cordless tools only work with their own battery system. Buy the right system and almost anything fits; buy the wrong one and the gift goes back. Three steps, no tool knowledge needed.
1. Find one of their batteries and read the big print
Look at the battery clipped to any of their tools, or the spare on the charger. The system name is printed on the pack. Match it below.
| Printed on the pack | Maker | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| 20V MAX | DEWALT | DEWALT 20V MAX gifts. Yellow and black slide-on pack. Model numbers start DCB2 (for example DCB205). The XR and ATOMIC tool lines use these packs. |
| FLEXVOLT 20V/60V MAX | DEWALT | DEWALT 20V MAX gifts. A larger DEWALT pack (DCB6xx) that also runs 20V MAX tools. A gift from the 20V MAX list fits. |
| POWERSTACK | DEWALT | DEWALT 20V MAX gifts. DEWALT's newer compact 20V MAX pack (DCBP034, DCBP520). Same 20V MAX system. |
| 12V MAX | DEWALT | A smaller DEWALT system. 20V MAX gifts will not fit it; we do not cover 12V MAX yet. |
| M18 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee M18 gifts. Red slide-on pack marked M18 (and usually REDLITHIUM). Model numbers start 48-11-18. FUEL and Compact Brushless M18 tools use these. |
| M12 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee M12 gifts. Smaller red pack that slides up into the tool's handle, marked M12. Model numbers start 48-11-24. M18 gifts will not fit it. |
2. Bare tool or kit?
A model number ending in B (DEWALT) or -20 (Milwaukee) is a bare tool: no battery, no charger. It is the right gift for someone who already owns the system. A kit (DEWALT P1, D2, E2...; Milwaukee -21, -22) adds batteries and a charger, so it is the safe choice when you are not sure they own any, or they are starting out. Each tool page on this site says exactly what is in the box.
3. The gifts that cannot be wrong
Once you know the system, a battery, a charger or a starter kit from that system fits every tool they own. Extra batteries are the gift tradespeople never return.
DEWALT 20V MAX gifts that fit every DEWALT 20V MAX tool
Links open each model's page: what is in the box, the maker's specs and where to buy.
Batteries
Chargers
- DCB118 20V MAX / FLEXVOLT 60V MAX
Milwaukee M18 gifts that fit every Milwaukee M18 tool
Links open each model's page: what is in the box, the maker's specs and where to buy.
Batteries
- 48-11-1813 12.0 Ah
- 48-11-1820 2.0 Ah
- 48-11-1835 3.0 Ah
- 48-11-1850 5.0 Ah
- 48-11-1855 5.0 Ah
- 48-11-1865 6.0 Ah
- 48-11-1880 8.0 Ah
- 48-11-1881 8.0 Ah
Chargers
- 48-59-1802 M18
- 48-59-1808 M18 / M12
- 48-59-1812 M18 / M12
- 48-59-1815 M18
Starter kits (battery + charger)
- 48-59-1850 M18 REDLITHIUM XC5.0 Extended Capacity Battery Pack [48-11-1850], M18 & M12 Multi-Voltage Charger [48-59-1812]
- 48-59-1881
Milwaukee M12 gifts that fit every Milwaukee M12 tool
Links open each model's page: what is in the box, the maker's specs and where to buy.
Batteries
- 48-11-2420 2.0 Ah
- 48-11-2425 2.5 Ah
- 48-11-2440 4.0 Ah
- 48-11-2450 5.0 Ah
- 48-11-2460 6.0 Ah
Starter kits (battery + charger)
- 48-59-2420 M12 Lithium-ion Battery Charger [48-59-2401], M12 REDLITHIUM CP2.0 Battery [48-11-2420]
What to avoid
- Mixing systems: an M12 pack does not fit M18 tools, 12V MAX does not fit 20V MAX, and DEWALT and Milwaukee do not interchange at all.
- A bare tool for someone who owns nothing yet: it will not run without a battery and charger.
- Guessing the line: the maker's own line name on their current tool (XR, ATOMIC, FUEL, Compact Brushless) tells you what they chose. Each page here shows the line in the title.
Researched by Rob, licensed electrician (Australia). System and line names are as the makers print them; check the box list on each model's page before you buy. Found an error? Tell us.
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