What Is DeWalt's Powershift System & What Is The Voltage Of The Power Tools?

DeWalt has earned its place as a prominent brand in the world of power tools in multiple ways. The company has offered up lesser-known tools and more typical products, innovated its lineup to keep up with the competition, and fully embraced the cordless, battery-powered craze that has become the standard in the power tool world. Simultaneously, it has set its sights on some heavy-duty items designed for specialized work. Surprisingly, given their size, strength, and power, DeWalt has managed to make these items run on its cordless system, too.

Back in early 2024, DeWalt unveiled its Powershift line: power tools for concrete-related work that are entirely cordless. As one would imagine, the batteries to run these core drills, compactors, and other Powershift tools very much pack a punch in terms of voltage. Based on the advertising for the Powershift line, the 554Wh battery is what's recommended, first and foremost, packing 55 volts. To keep this battery powered up, there's the Powershift 550W charger that can fully charge it in just under an hour.

As it happens, DeWalt has offered users a bit of flexibility when it comes to its Powershift battery options. The 554Wh unit isn't the only one that can keep these tools running, albeit with the aid of some extra hardware.

A major selling point for battery-powered tools, aside from their cordless nature, is that there's a high level of compatibility and convenience. Batteries can be swapped around from tool to tool so long as they're the correct size and voltage. Though DeWalt did do away with its 18-volt batteries, there's still a lot of variety and interchangeability with its continuing units. In fact, even for DeWalt Powershift tools, which are typically paired with the specialized 554Wh battery, it's possible to pair them with another DeWalt battery type.

Odds are if you have a wide assortment of DeWalt tools, you probably have a few XR 20 and 60-volt batteries lying around. If this is the case and you want to get some use out of them with Powershift tools, you're in luck. Unlike some unreliable DeWalt-to-Makita battery adapters, the DeWalt Powershift XR Flexvolt adapter safely allows these smaller batteries to be added to Powershift tools for additional use time. Of course, it should be noted that this extra boost doesn't come cheap. The adapter tends to cost well over $200, so if money is tight, it might be wise to hold off and work with the 554Wh alone for now.

Even with the 554Wh battery on its own, you're still likely to get some good use out of your Powershift tools. At the very least, that's the hope of those at DeWalt, who see the line as a step toward revolutionizing the jobsite. 

DeWalt being in the cordless tool game is hardly news. The company has been involved in such endeavors since the 1990s, only expanding its catalog as the decades have continued. Therefore, one might wonder why it has made such a big deal about the Powershift system. Aside from the fact that it's a long-simmering project DeWalt has been hard at work at for some time, it's seen as a game-changer in the workplace. When the line was announced, both the Director of Product Development and General Manager for DeWalt Powershift, Ricky Cacchiotti, and Vice President of Product Development for Batteries and Chargers, Dave Veprek, said as much.

"We were out on the jobsite seeing users [work on concrete], and we would hear 'Couldn't you guys help us with this? There has to be something better you can do,'" Cacchiotti explained, so the DeWalt team did what it could to meet demand. Once the battery tech was where it needed to be, Powershift came into being and solved the cord problem. There's also the matter of energy sources, which Veprek hopes Powershift can also revolutionize: "With DeWalt Powershift, the company is looking to the next frontier — to eliminate gas as well." The hope is that the transition to battery power can lead to lower-cost and less frequent maintenance, less downtime, and other worksite advantages that gas simply doesn't provide.

Time will tell what the future holds for DeWalt Powershift and the job sites that adopt it. One can only hope that these battery-powered tools prove effective and help all parties meet their goals.