Can anyone give the difference between a Dewalt dc720 and a dc 720ka?
also, are all the 18v batteries interchangeable
Are you sure there is such a thing as a DC720 (no KA)?
I couldn’t find it.
It looks like all the Dewalt tools have a suffix:
http://www.dewalt.com/tool-categories/cordless-drills-drilldrivers.aspx
AFAIK, all of their battery packs of a given voltage and cell type (nicad vs Li-ion, for example) are interchangeable. Also, the chargers are generally universal, again, for a cell type. My nicad charger can charge 7.2 through 18 volt packs.
I just looked up DC720KA, and it uses the DC9096 XR nicad pack. There’s probably half a million of those in use today, and I have five of them. I exaggerate but only very slightly as they’ve been making that pack for years, from their site, confirmation of how universal they are:
“Powers entire DEWALT® line of 18V tools allowing users to run multiple tools off of the same battery pack”
I’ve been trying to work out exactly what the suffixes mean in the model numbers. It’s a confusing mess. But they generally seem to have to do with the accessories the tool comes with.
One rule that seems to hold mostly true is that drills with M2 L2 C2 D2 suffixes are sold with long life battery packs. KA suffixes come with a kit (charger, batteries, etc.) and single letter suffixed tools come as the tool only meaning no batteries or anything else. There seems to be exceptions to these rules, however.
This page lists DeWalt’s current line of cordless drills. When you click on the link for the DCD760B the model than the link opens is called the DCD820KA. Which confused me because the KA suffix generally seems to be suggestive that the tool comes with a kit - meaning batteries and accessories. Whereas a single letter suffix (such as “b”) meant that the drill is sold alone without any accessories. But the single-letter suffix sold without a kit rule doesn’t hold true either because if you click on the link for the DCD980L2 the page you get is for model number DC550B which includes two batteries, a charger, box and side handle. W.T.F.
The DCD720KA and the DCD820KA (formerly DCD760B) appear to be the same tool w/the 820 sold without a kit. You’d think it’d be the other way around, or at least they’d stay consistent and use a single letter to denote “tool sold without kit”.
Here’s a link that attempts to explain DeWalt’s model numbers. But it’s a British website and the model numbers don’t seem to correspond to US model numbers.
What a mess. I blame DeWalt’s marketing department.
???
DC720 and DCD720 are both drills.
Is the DCD720 may be world compatible package,whereas the DC720 is for North America ?
What is the DCD820 ? The DC820 is a wrench not a drill.
However, market may be the factor here too… maybe in some market there is a DC820 or DCD820 as a drill.
I own a DC720KA, it is the kit with a charger, drill, two battery packs and all packaged neatly in the hardshell case. The drill itself has the DC720 model number only on it, the charger is a DW9116, the batteries are DW9099, and the case has a nice bright sticker showing DW720KA, so I can partially confirm the previous posts about the number breakdown.
Before I left the nest to set out on my own, my pops had another DeWalt drill set very similar but a different model on the same battery platform. We interchanged the 4 battery packs all the time and I may have ended up with his set. This also attests to the interchangeability of the batteries. Just make sure you don’t mix up your lithium and NiCD batteries cause the chargers won’t be the same.
Regarding battery compatibility, yesterday at Home Depot, I saw that they now have a conversion kit that allows the small 20V Max Li-Ion batteries to be used on “most” of their 18 V tools. Does anyone have experience with this?
Hi,
I have a 720DC with NO suffix. It uses a DC9099 18V battery. I’d post a pic if I could.
I’m hesitant because all I can find is DC9096 that some people say works
Funny thing is, my drill came in a kit with battery and charger yet there is no KA suffix.
This is frustrating
Bugsey
I can’t directly speak to these drill models, but I think I have an idea what’s going on. I have past experience with similar “slightly different” DeWalt Drill Model numbers.
I purchased a similar drill set at HD few years ago that was a “special offer” kit for maybe $100 less than the separate items (maybe a Father’s day gift bundle?). I was really disappointed in the chuck, the bits kept dropping out. I phoned DeWalt and they said there is nothing they could / would do, that’s just the way the chuck was. I could buy a high end chuck for $100 if I wanted.
I was at HD later and the local DeWalt rep was there showing their new tools. I mentioned to him that I’d never buy another DeWalt products after my disappointment with this drill.
He explained that they were under price pressure from HD and internal pressure to sell more so they’d developed a line of “de-spec’d” tools which had the core of their top line tools and lower specifications in other areas.
In the case of my drill, it was identical except for two things: the chuck was a lower quality one, from a low end Black and Decker drill plus the handle was painted differently, so they could visually identify it. BUT there was absolutely nothing on the product or packaging to indicate that it differed or how it differed from the model without the letter “D” after the number.
He did mention there was lots of controversy about doing this: That they were being deceptive by not identifying the differences. I said he should also mention to their marketing team that they’re undoing years of brand building and their name is no longer synonymous with high quality and as an example they’ve lost me forever as a customer.
FYI - I only buy Milwaukee these days.
There is not a difference between the drills, the bare drill is a 720, the kit (bits, box, battery) is 720KA.
https://www.alphachooser.com/drill_drivers–dewalt_dc720–drill_driver-specs-and-profile
As an aside, usually different stores will have model numbers with extra letters with minimal to no difference in the actual drill. The stores will all price match on identical products, if it has a different suffix etc it covers the store from having to price match if they do not want to. For example sometimes the difference is very minor, during black Friday sales the product might be made of slightly less durable components to lower production costs so the bargain you are getting does not cost as much to produce as the standard model.
The DC9099 and DC9096 are interchangeable - the 9099 is a 1.7 amp-hour battery, and the 9096 is the “XRP” version with a 2.4 amp-hour capacity, so it will run longer on a charge.
NiCd batteries have improved since the 909x series came out, so you can readily find non-branded batteries with more capacity - 3.6 amp-hours is not uncommon.
I believe all the manufacturers sell despec’ed tools at Home Depot etc. If you want real tools go to your local pro store. I get excellent prices where I shop.
Milwaukee tools are no better, they are made by the same guys that make Ryobi and Rigid. Like everyone else their flagship tools are still good but there are plenty of cheaper junk tools.
Fein and Makita are the only independent major premium tool makers left as far as I understand. Maybe Hilti? Hitachi tool recently broke off from the parent company and bought Metabo. They are trying to rebuild their brand as Metabo now as Hitachi was once very good.
I heard about this and yes it was a big deal. I saw youtube a teardown of that drill compared to the real deal and yes there are some quality differences that the youtuber was very disappointed with and sorry he got it, also would not be going back to buy Dewalt anymore.
I disagree with this, But to be clear - I didn’t intend to imply that every Milwaukee tool is great without question. They also make a range of tools because not everyone needs a high end high-powered drill etc.
AFAIK Milwaukee and most others makes it clear which tools are lower-end vs higher end. They don’t just slap the suffix KA on the cheaper (different) model drill to intentionally deceive consumers like Dewalt does.
I agree completely with this but also, I’m not saying I have a problem with DeWalt’s flagship tools, they’re high quality. The problem I have with DeWalt is exactly what the OP is experiencing, you can’t tell their tools apart because they’re deliberately deceptive
As far as the PerkinsNursery’s question, regardless of other are posters saying about the drills being “identical”: unless I got it directly from DeWalt that the entire drill and every sub-component is physically identical, I wouldn’t reco. buying it unless your retailer had a 100% satisfaction return policy.
Fool me once…