DeWalt battery question

[reb]

The batteries for my DeWalt 14.4v drill are dead. While searching for replacements, I found what appears to be an identical battery for a B&D drill. One reviewer on the website stated the B&D battery would fit the DeWalt drill. Since the B&D battery price is less than 1/2 the price of the DeWalt part, I am tempted. However, I am skeptical. Has anyone tried it? Is it a matter of cutting off a keying tab on a battery or drill?

It is interesting that the warranty on the B&D battery is 2 years, while the DeWalt warranty is only one.

 

[HGM]

Its been my understanding that Dewalt is mearly an industrial version of B&D, though I'm not certain of that... Sorry, havent tried it and cant tell you one way or the other..

Batteries Plus will rebuild your old batteries if you have one close by, it may be an alternative for you..

 

[Piedmont3]

I had the B&D 14.4 Quantum Pro (Green) Drill. My Batteries died about a year ago after 6 years. I could not find the Quantum Pro replacement Batteries. I bought Dewalt batteries and they fit and work fine. There is only one problem. The Buttons on each side of the batteries would not release very easy. I had to lay the drill down on the table and use a punch to get the button pushed far enough to allow the battery to release from the drill.
My daughter bought me a new drill for fathers day so I gave the old one to a single mother, friend of ours that needed it but couldn't afford one. She said she found a couple of little plastic bumps/tabs on the batteries that she filed off and they turn loose easier now. I never could find the problem.

 

[jwstewar]

When I first bought my 18v Dewalt Drill/Circular saw (1997) it came with 2 batteries. I found an 18 B&D Quantum Pro battery at Wally World for $39.99 and the DeWalts were $99.99 at the time. Cycling through each battery, the B&D one died in about 2 - 3years. I used the regular DeWalt ones up until last year when they would no longer hold a really good charge. I then bought 2 new ones from Lowes for $99. They are still going strong. Made me start using the circular saw again.

 

[TBrown]

I have a Dewalt 12v cordless drill and use both Dewalt and Firestorm batteries in it. The Firestorm batteries work fine but don't seem to last quite as long as the Dewalt ones. I also have one Dewalt 12v XR battery and that one blows all the others away in runtime.

They changed the 12v Firestorm design a few years ago so that the new-style batteries will not fit a 12v Dewalt drill. I imagine that this thread is indicative of the reason... people were buying the less expensive Firestorm batteries instead of the yellow and black ones.

 

[reb]

That is short-sighted. I have seen a second source for the DeWalt batteries that charges less than the OEM. I will buy from them before paying DeWalt's price.

I have a 12v DeWalt, also. The batteries for it are about gone. One of them is put together with screws, apparently not glued like the other. If I can dismantle it I will consider buying the less expensive of B&D or the second source and swapping the cells. I would do that with the 14.4v batteries, but they are glued and I haven't figured out how to take them apart without doing a lot of damage.