DeWalt 18V (Ni-Cd / XRP) Battery Adapters
Give your classic DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd or XRP tools a second life with our dual-direction battery adapters. These adapters let you power your old DeWalt 18V tools using modern 18V or 20V lithium-ion batteries — or use your DeWalt 18V batteries on tools from other brands. It’s the perfect solution to keep your trusted tools running without replacing your entire setup.
Pick a tool to run from your DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd battery
DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd questions
Why do some batteries say 18V and others 20V?
They are the same class of battery, measured at two different moments. Five lithium cells in series read about 20V fresh off the charger with nothing drawing from them, and settle to about 18V once a tool is running. A brand that prints 20V is quoting the first figure and one that prints 18V is quoting the second. That is why an adapter between an "18V" platform and a "20V" platform works: there is no conversion to do.
Will this fit my other DeWalt batteries?
Only DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd batteries. DeWalt also sells DeWalt 12V MAX, DeWalt 20V MAX, and those use a different socket — same brand, different rail and terminals, so they need their own adapter. Compare the sliding rail on your battery against the photos before ordering.
How do I find the right adapter on this page?
Use the selector at the top: pick the platform on the other side of the pair and it takes you straight to the one adapter that joins them. Every combination in that list is one we actually make, so if it is there, it exists.
Can I use a DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd battery on another brand’s tool?
Not with an adapter from us. DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd works as the tool side only here — we make adapters that let other brands’ batteries run DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd tools, not the reverse.
Can I charge a DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd battery through the adapter?
No. The adapter carries current from the battery to the tool and does nothing else — there is no charging circuit inside it. Keep charging DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd batteries on their usual DeWalt charger.
Will an adapter damage my DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd battery or my tool?
Treat it the way you would on its own tool. DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd batteries have no electronic protection built in, so nothing can warn you when the battery is empty. Stop when it slows down rather than running it flat, and stop using the adapter if it becomes unusually hot or the contacts look damaged.
Does it work with third-party DeWalt batteries?
Usually. What matters is the socket, not the badge: if the battery slides onto a DeWalt 18V Ni-Cd tool and locks the way an original does, the adapter will take it. Aftermarket batteries do vary in moulding, so if yours looks unusual send us a photo and we will check before you order.