I knew I wanted to buy something other than 14.4V NiCd–they performed OK, but it was clear that line played second fiddle to the main 18V line and I didn’t want to make that mistake again. Fast forward several years to around 2012 or so and I now found myself needing new cordless tools for my own business. It wasn’t great but it was adequate for my purposes. I liked the 18V Milwaukee and Dewalt a lot but I couldn’t afford those and ended up with 14.4V Dewalt for my personal use. I became familiar with many of the Ni-Cd lines which belonged to co-workers or the companies I worked for. When I started working I had only corded tools. I’m sure there is something of a marketing angle to it, as 20V max sounds more impressive than 18v, but speaking from personal experience I very much appreciate the name being clearly distinct from the old 18V Ni-Cd system: This seems like one of those questions that needs to be revisited every couple of years. 18V twice before:Ģ011: Dewalt 20V Max = Dewalt 18V XR Internationally However, occasional comments and questions, such as a recent reader statement that said “US batteries give you 2 more volts” make it clear that there is still some confusion or misunderstanding. I have found there to be far less confusion between 12V Max and 10.8V, or 20V Max and 18V than in earlier years. Most users should be accustomed to this by now. Others, such as Harbor Freight’s Hercules and Bauer brands, simply describe their cordless systems as 12V or 20V. Some brands, such as Dewalt, tend to be explicit and clear, requiring nominal voltage disclosures in all marketing materials. New cordless systems tend to be given “Max” voltage branding.įor example, Makita uses 18V to describe their core cordless system, and went with 40V Max to describe their new XGT cordless system. Today, there are 12V Max, 20V Max, 24V Max, 40V Max, 60V Max, 80V Max, 120V Max, and other such cordless power tool systems.ġ8V still remains popular, although mainly with legacy systems. Whether Dewalt “20V Max” was created for market distinction, user perception, or other reasons, it was in line with emerging standards. For instance, Bosch has renamed their compact cordless power tools as simply “12V” in Europe. In recent years, some brands have eliminated the “Max” part of their cordless system branding. It is also widely believed that “Max” branding is not widely used outside of North America due to other regions’ advertising and consumer protection regulations. The popular opinion is that “20V Max” sounds better than 18V, where consumers might perceive 20V Max as delivering higher voltage or more power than 18V. I should add that Dewalt eventually brought the XR – extreme runtime – branding to the USA to describe their premium 20V Max brushless cordless power tools and higher capacity batteries. In Europe and elsewhere, the new cordless lineup was given “18V XR” branding. However, “20V Max” was only in use in North America. With 12V Max already adopted in the USA by Bosch, Makita, and Dewalt, the plan for Dewalt to go with 20V Max for their new 18V-class Li-ion cordless system made perfect sense. The change to “12V max” is consistent with lithium-ion battery voltage ratings that have been adopted in the marketplace since Makita first launched 10.8V Lithium-Ion products in 2008.Ģ006 May: Bosch announced 10.8V PS20 Pocket DriverĢ007 October: Milwaukee announced a “12-Volt Sub-Compact driver” (2401-22)Ģ008 July: Bosch switches to 12V Max terminologyĢ008 July: Makita announces first 10.8V toolsĢ008 October: Milwaukee announced M12 Hackzall (2420-22)Ģ010 June: Dewalt announces 12V Max cordless power tool systemĢ010 November: Makita switches to 12V Max terminologyĢ011 June: Dewalt announces 20V Max cordless power tool system Makita launched their first 12V Max cordless power tools in late 2010, converting over from 10.8V as Bosch had done.įrom Makita’s November 2010 press release: The new terminology, which replaces 10.8V, is meant to reduce confusion in the marketplace by clearly identifying tools that are rated at maximum voltage (i.e. Dewalt was not the first brand to use such nomenclature.īosch switched over from 10.8V to 12V Max starting in mid-2008, with their second generation PS20 cordless Pocket Driver. One year earlier, in June 2010, Dewalt launched their 12V Max cordless power tool system.
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