What Is DeWalt Tool Connect And How Does It Work?

While there are factors to consider before purchasing DeWalt power tools, the company has a well-earned reputation in the market for producing tough, powerful devices fit for use by professionals and DIYers alike. The company, which is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker, has also proven to be one of the more innovative outfits in the game, a fact, perhaps, best evinced by its Tool Connect inventory system.

DeWalt's Tool Connect is an asset management system devised by the company to help users monitor and track the brand's popular and interchangeable 20v Max devices when they're being used on a job site. It does so by closely monitoring an outfit's inventory and allowing users to track what tools are being used at which work sites by checking them in and out and tracking their whereabouts thereafter. 

Tool Connect devices achieve that tracking by using Bluetooth connectivity, with enabled tools being branded with a blue three-bar logo. That logo signifies that the Tool Connect-enabled tools can utilize the system when connected to a free DeWalt app. Once connected, they are added to DeWalt's web-based inventory management database, making it easy to track the movement and performance of each asset across job sites monitored by Tool Connect. You can bolster your tool monitoring game with additional DeWalt devices, including a tracking chip, a tracking tab for larger items, and a special adaptor for some 20v Max-powered devices with Tool Connect. There's also a subscription-based Site Manager function available with upgrades.    

DeWalt batteries equipped with Tool Connect can also help users monitor a device's performance on the job, with Bluetooth connectivity tracking certain diagnostic information and delivering real-time updates through the app. Some Tool Connect features even boast anti-theft measures that ensure a tool's battery is automatically disabled whenever it is out of range of the device it's connected to. DeWalt has also made it pretty easy for users to set up the Tool Connect tracking system with enabled devices. Follow these steps to connect a tool to DeWalt's Tool Connect system. 

1. Ensure your DeWalt tool is Tool Connect enabled through one of the approved methods.
2. Download the free DeWalt Tool Connect app from either the App Store or Google Play.
3. In the app, click My Tools. On the next screen, click +Tools, then name the device.
4. With the device selected, push and hold the Fuel Gauge button on the 20v Max battery to make it Bluetooth discoverable.
5. In the pop-up Bluetooth window, press the Pair button.

Pairing may take a few seconds, but registration of the DeWalt device is automatic once it's connected, giving you full use of the features included with the Tool Connect system. You'll even be able to receive alerts about the connected tool straight through the app. Tool Connect is only available for certain DeWalt tools powered by the brand's 20v Max power packs. However, some of the system's tracking and security functions may be viable through the use of the aforementioned Tool Connect chips and tags. Consult DeWalt if you have questions about the Tool Connect system's compatibility with your devices.