What's inside
- DeWalt Charger Lineup Compared: Specs and Charge Times
- Compatibility: Not Every Charger Fits Every Battery
- Speed Is About Amps and Cooling, Not Just Marketing
- Portability vs. Multi-Battery Capacity
- Decision Matrix: Which Charger Fits Your Situation?
- Durability and Ownership Realities
- Bottom Line for Buyers
- DeWalt Charger Lineup Compared: Specs and Charge Times
- Compatibility: Not Every Charger Fits Every Battery
- Speed Is About Amps and Cooling, Not Just Marketing
- Portability vs. Multi-Battery Capacity
- Decision Matrix: Which Charger Fits Your Situation?
- Durability and Ownership Realities
- Bottom Line for Buyers
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The best dewalt battery charger for most users is the DCB115 or DCB1104 for balanced speed and full 12V/20V MAX compatibility, while the DCB118 is the fastest option for 20V and 60V FLEXVOLT batteries and the DCB104 is best if you need to charge four batteries at once.
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DeWalt Charger Lineup Compared: Specs and Charge Times
DeWalt does not make one universal charger. Each model trades charge speed, cooling, ports, and FLEXVOLT support differently. Use this table to match a charger to the batteries you actually own.
| Charger Model | Compatibility | Charge Output | Charge Time: DCB205 5.0Ah 20V MAX | Charge Time: DCB606 6.0Ah FLEXVOLT | Weight / Dimensions | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCB107 | 12V MAX / 20V MAX | 1.25A | ~90 minutes | Not compatible | 0.8 lbs / 6.5 x 4.0 x 2.5 in | Compact, entry-level |
| DCB115 | 12V MAX / 20V MAX | 4A | ~70 minutes | Not compatible | 1.1 lbs / 6.8 x 4.2 x 2.7 in | Balanced standard charger |
| DCB1104 | 12V MAX / 20V MAX | 4A | ~65 minutes | Not compatible | 1.0 lbs / 6.2 x 4.0 x 2.6 in | Newer 4A compact design |
| DCB118 | 20V MAX / 60V MAX FLEXVOLT | 8A, fan-cooled | ~35 minutes | ~60 minutes | 2.1 lbs / 9.5 x 5.5 x 3.5 in | Fastest single-port |
| DCB132 Dual Port | 12V MAX / 20V MAX / 60V MAX FLEXVOLT | 4A per port (simultaneous) | ~70 min per battery | ~90 minutes | 2.4 lbs / 10.2 x 6.0 x 3.2 in | Two batteries at once |
| DCB104 4-Port | 12V MAX / 20V MAX / 60V MAX FLEXVOLT | 8A simultaneous | ~40 min per battery | ~60 minutes | 6.2 lbs / 14.5 x 7.5 x 3.5 in | Four batteries simultaneously |
Times are based on DeWalt’s published charge rates from depleted to full at room temperature. Cold batteries, hot batteries, and batteries over 2 years old will charge 10-20% slower as the charger throttles to protect cell health.
Compatibility: Not Every Charger Fits Every Battery
The most common buying mistake is assuming any dewalt battery charger will handle any DeWalt battery. It will not.
- 12V MAX and 20V MAX (10.8V/18V nominal): All current DeWalt chargers except the DCB118 will charge these. If you only own 1.5Ah, 2.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, or 6.0Ah 20V MAX packs (DCB201, DCB203, DCB204, DCB205, DCB206), any DCB107, DCB115, DCB1104, DCB132, or DCB104 will work.
- 60V MAX FLEXVOLT (DCB606, DCB609, DCB612): You must use a FLEXVOLT-compatible charger. That means DCB118, DCB132, or DCB104. The DCB107, DCB115, and DCB1104 will not charge a 60V battery at all – the pack physically fits but will not initiate charging.
- Backwards compatibility: FLEXVOLT chargers do charge 20V MAX and 12V MAX batteries, so a DCB118 or DCB104 can serve as your only charger if you own a mixed fleet. Standard 20V chargers cannot go the other way.
If you are shopping for a dewalt battery and charger set or dewalt battery and charger kit, check the kit code. A DCB205 + DCB115 kit (often sold as DCB205C) is fine for drills and drivers. A FLEXVOLT tool kit with a DCB609 will typically include a DCB118 – if it includes a DCB115, that is an error or a non-FLEXVOLT bundle and you will need a separate FLEXVOLT charger.
Speed Is About Amps and Cooling, Not Just Marketing
Charge rate is measured in amps. A 4A charger delivers roughly twice the current of a 2A unit, and an 8A fan-cooled charger doubles it again. The fan matters because lithium-ion charging generates heat, and heat is what forces a charger to slow down.
The DCB107 at 1.25A is a trickle-style charger. It is light and cheap but will take over an hour and a half for a 5.0Ah pack. The DCB115 and DCB1104 both run at 4A and cut that to about 65-70 minutes without active cooling, which is sufficient for most 20V tools.
The DCB118 and DCB104 run at 8A with an internal fan. On a 5.0Ah battery that halves charge time to 35-40 minutes. On a 9.0Ah FLEXVOLT pack, the difference is even larger: roughly 135 minutes on a DCB132 versus 75 minutes on a DCB118/DCB104. If you run high-draw tools like a table saw, miter saw, or grinder on FLEXVOLT, that fan-cooled speed prevents downtime.
Worked Example: How Many Batteries Do You Need to Work Non-Stop?
Take a common setup: a DeWalt DCS570 circular saw drawing about 400W average under load on a 5.0Ah 20V battery. A 5.0Ah pack holds about 90 watt-hours (18V nominal x 5Ah). Usable runtime is roughly 13-15 minutes of continuous cutting.
If your charger takes 70 minutes (DCB115) to refill that pack, you need at least 5 batteries in rotation to cut continuously (70 / 14 = 5). With a DCB118 at 35 minutes, you need only 3 batteries (35 / 14 = 2.5, round up to 3). This is why contractors pairing a dewalt battery and charger kit for framing crews often choose an 8A charger – it reduces the number of $100+ batteries needed to stay productive by $200-$300 in battery costs.
Portability vs. Multi-Battery Capacity
Single-port chargers win for jobsite portability. The DCB115, DCB1104, and DCB107 all fit in a tool bag pouch and weigh about a pound. They mount to a wall with two screws and run off any 120V outlet without blocking adjacent plugs.
Dual and quad chargers trade portability for throughput. The DCB132 weighs more than twice a single charger but lets you charge two packs overnight without swapping. The DCB104 is a bench charger at 6.2 lbs. It is designed to be wall-mounted in a shop and left plugged in, charging four packs simultaneously at full 8A each – not sequentially. Sequential chargers that charge one battery after another are cheaper but leave you with one ready battery in the morning instead of four.
If you work from a truck or small shop with limited outlet space, note that the DCB104 draws more current. It should be on a dedicated 15A circuit and not daisy-chained on an extension cord with other high-draw tools.
Decision Matrix: Which Charger Fits Your Situation?
| Your Situation | Recommended Charger | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner with 1-2 x 20V MAX 4.0-5.0Ah batteries, drill/driver use | DCB115 or DCB1104 | Lowest cost for full 20V compatibility and reasonable 4A speed. No need for FLEXVOLT or fans. |
| DIYer buying first dewalt battery and charger kit | Kit with DCB205 + DCB115 (DCB205C) | Covers most cordless tools; upgrade later if adding FLEXVOLT. |
| FLEXVOLT owner (60V saw, mower, table saw) | DCB118 | Only 8A fan-cooled single-port gives practical charge times for 6.0Ah-12.0Ah packs. |
| Two-battery user, small shop, wants overnight convenience | DCB132 Dual Port | Charges two mixed 20V/60V packs at once without shop footprint of DCB104. |
| Crew or heavy user with 4+ batteries daily | DCB104 4-Port | Simultaneous 8A on all ports eliminates morning swaps; wall-mount keeps bench clear. |
| Ultra-compact / go-bag for service techs with 2.0Ah packs | DCB107 | Lightest and smallest; acceptable because 2.0Ah charges in ~35 min even at 1.25A. |
For a dewalt battery and charger set, match the kit to this matrix rather than buying the largest battery you can afford. A 6.0Ah battery on a DCB107 still takes 100+ minutes – you pay for capacity you cannot quickly refill.
Durability and Ownership Realities
DeWalt chargers are generally durable, but failures follow patterns that affect long-term cost.
- What wears first: The battery contacts and spring-loaded latch. Dust and drywall debris build up on the contacts and create high resistance, which the charger reads as a fault (blinking red). The slide rails crack if batteries are slammed in at an angle.
- Fan maintenance: On DCB118 and DCB104, the cooling fan draws sawdust through the housing. Vacuum the vents monthly and blow out with low-pressure air. A clogged fan forces the charger to derate to 2A, doubling charge time, and is the most common cause of premature thermal shutdown.
- Common mistakes: Charging frozen batteries (below 32F/0C) damages cells – bring packs indoors to warm before charging. Leaving batteries on the charger for weeks in a hot garage degrades capacity; remove when the green light goes solid. Using a modified sine-wave inverter in a truck can cause the charger to error or buzz – use a pure sine-wave inverter rated at least 500W for an 8A charger.
- Consumables: Chargers have no user-serviceable parts. The LED board and fan are the only failure points. Expect 5-7 years of regular use before fan bearing noise signals replacement. Keep the charger wall-mounted off the floor to avoid water, concrete dust, and being stepped on.
General market ranges in 2026: single-port 4A chargers run about $40-$65 bare, the DCB118 fan-cooled unit around $70-$95, dual-port around $90-$120, and the 4-port DCB104 around $170-$220. A dewalt battery and charger kit with one 5.0Ah battery typically adds $40-$60 over the cost of the battery alone, which is usually better value than buying charger and battery separately.
Bottom Line for Buyers
Buy compatibility first, speed second, and ports third. If you own or plan to own any 60V FLEXVOLT battery, skip the DCB107/DCB115/DCB1104 and go straight to DCB118 or DCB104. If you will stay on 20V MAX, the DCB115 or DCB1104 gives the best speed-per-dollar. Only step up to dual or quad ports if you routinely rotate three or more batteries per day – otherwise the lighter single-port charger is more practical to carry, store, and replace.