11 High-Tech DeWalt Tools & Products You Didn't Realize Existed

Nov 04, 2024

Anyone in the DIY game or working in a professional shop or trade environment (mechanics, carpenters and woodworkers, and metal fabricators, for instance) is likely to at least have considered picking up a DeWalt tool at some point. And no matter your preferred cordless system (like Makita or Milwaukee, for example), accessories from DeWalt are sure to creep into your toolbox. There's lots to get excited about in the DeWalt lineup, and with some of the industry's most trusted power tools rolling out to consumers in the company's telltale yellow and black color combination, plenty of knowledgeable users will be hip to much of the brand's overall catalog.

Even so, this company makes such a wide range of tools that it's unlikely anyone outside the company's own branding and R&D departments knows about everything it offers. Some of DeWalt's most impressive tools, accessories, and other products fall outside the purview of the average user. They feature incredible technical details and pack monumental functionality into surprisingly compact or seemingly basic packages.

Whether it's a new take on an old favorite or something completely novel that brings a high-tech edge to your workflow, these DeWalt tools feature some of the brand's most innovative technologies.

Larger angle grinders are a staple of professional workplaces. With larger cutting discs available, a grinder can handle deeper cuts and often perform for longer between changes, improving efficiency. DeWalt's 60V Max 7-inch to 9-inch Large Angle Grinder performs admirably in this role, but simply adding cut depth isn't the only feat it accomplishes. DeWalt's example features a unique design that places the user's hand within a trigger guard, rather than wrapped around a hulking grinder body. This gives you better control over the tool while using it, and protects your fingers from potential debris.

The grinder features a kickback brake to prevent continued operation when it binds up — another crucial safety feature — and it adds an e-clutch into the frame, as well. This technology stalls the motor when the cutting disc is placed under too heavy a load and is at risk of breaking or otherwise sending debris flying into the air. A no-volt feature also prevents unwanted startup after a power loss, and the grinder features DeWalt's WTC technology to enable automated startup of a connected vacuum to collect waste from a cutting or shaping task.

DeWalt's immense power output is often a hallmark of its tools, but the brand also trends the other way when the occasion calls for it. With DeWalt's 8V Max Gyroscopic Screwdriver Kit, with two batteries and a charger included, those looking to tackle home improvement projects and light fastening duties can amplify their workflow tremendously with a lightly powered solution that stands far taller than its power rating might suggest.

The tool isn't an impact driver or drill, but rather a powered, intuitive screwdriver. By twisting the tool you activate the gyroscopic control and it responds with turning power corresponding to the amount you've move the handle. More power and speed can be wrung out of the screwdriver simply by turning its body a little farther. A reverse gear is also included, and it features 15 clutch settings to dial in the power output needed for any particular task. The screwdriver can also be used in a pistol grip layout (creating a roughly L-shaped tool body), or in an inline configuration that contorts the tool around to provide a straight body that can reach directly into recesses.

Demolition work is sometimes thought to be rough and imprecise. Banging away at concrete, masonry, or timber structures sometimes involves relentless power and little regard for what that impacts. But other demolition needs call for targeted strikes, careful carve outs, and a light hand. The DeWalt 60V Max Cordless Brushless 1⅛-Inch, 15-kilo Rotary Hammer might appear as a blunt instrument of destruction at first glance, but it's capable of incredible precision too.

The breaker is heavy and powerful, certainly. It delivers 41 joules of impact energy to chip away concrete at a rapid pace. A 1⅛-inch hex connection allows for easy swaps among breaking bits, as well. The SHOCKS Active Vibration Control system is perhaps its most important feature, however. This minimizes the vibration directed specifically at your hands, allowing for more considerate gripping and usage, even in delicate areas that demand precision. As a cordless tool, the massive power output is also untethered, allowing users to take the unit anywhere they need to remove large swaths of hardened material.

Screwdrivers don't always offer technical inclusions and added features, but when they do, they can seriously elevate your work pace and the enjoyment level experienced throughout a project. The DeWalt MaxFit Telescoping and Ratcheting Multi Bit Screwdriver is a joy to work with in every sense. The screwdriver features an ergonomic body that's easy to handle, applying either full-hand pressure or a finger tightening grip. The screwdriver offers a ratcheting effect, too, providing both tightening and loosening directionality so that you don't have to turn your hand all the way around or fiddle with the end of the tool when working in a tight space.

The ratchet gear in the screwdriver makes it immensely useful and provides a tool that's far more valuable to any kind of work requirement than a typical option. But this isn't the only technology found in the screwdriver. The MaxFit tip provides an improved hold on the bits when inserted into the end, reducing slippage and fastener stripping issues. The bit holder also features a telescoping head that allows you to reach farther into tight areas or shrink the body's overall geometry to access difficult corners. The tool includes just about every screwdriver improvement and enhancement conceivable, making it a weapon of a tool, even though it takes on the jobs of a straightforward implement. And don't forget the ten bits that come with it!

Even as a corded tool, the DeWalt 6-inch High Performance Tuck Point/Cutting Grinder is certainly no slouch in the technology department. The grinder provides a 9,000 rpm ceiling with a 13-amp motor, delivering intense cutting speeds and featuring DeWalt's E-clutch technology that stops the motor in less than a tenth of a second, halting the cutting disc's rotation when a pinch or stall is detected.

Unlike a typical angle grinder, this specialized tool is built to handle concrete applications along with the delicate and precision-laid mortar gaps found in brickwork. The power tool eliminates the physically demanding scraping and body contorting actions of hand tool tuck pointing, allowing a bricklayer to perform the finishing touches in record time. Whether you're a pro who frequently performs finish work on masonry applications or a DIYer engaging in the construction of a brick wall or feature for the first time, the tuck point/cutting grinder from DeWalt is a huge productivity booster.

A standard orbital sander is a quality starting point when finishing off surfaces, but it's far from the only tool in this realm. It's actually a pretty basic option compared to some of the more technically advanced and application-specific alternatives that exist out there in the market. The DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drywall Sander is a terrific example of what sanding can accomplish at its most technically precise. The tool features a telescoping shaft that pushes the sanding head out away from its user rather than requiring it to be held closely for surface finishing tasks. The articulating head conforms to the angle the tool is being held at and can help smooth out imperfections in the wall while flattening itself against the surface naturally.

The sander features a brushless motor to deliver the best in longevity and powerful output, and airlock dust extraction technology draws out the dust created while sanding to prevent it from spewing absolutely everywhere around a room. If you need to sand down your walls after removing old wallpaper or tackle expansive surface smoothing after performing repair work, this tool allows you to sand from top to bottom without having to climb up a ladder or even reach much to get the sanding head wherever you need it.

Milwaukee may have created the first heavy duty right angle drills, but others, including Milwaukee itself, have improved upon the design immensely in the decades that have followed. DeWalt's offering, the 60V Max Stud and Joist Drill with Quick Change E-Clutch is a fantastic option. The tool delivers incredible power with the touch of a button and provides enough grit to power through 6¼-inch hole saw cuts in wooden workpieces. The tool delivers the mobility of cordless power while replicating the relentless drilling output of corded power options. With two speed settings (up to 400 rpm and zero to 1,320 rpm), the drill is capable of low speed, high torque drilling or faster cuts that zip through softer material like butter.

DeWalt's high-powered right-angle stud and joist drill runs on its 60V max power platform, delivering incredible output and featuring technology like a magnesium gear case to help reduce the tool's overall weight without sacrificing durability and functionality. The drill is also compatible with DeWalt's Tool Connect tags, allowing for easy tracking of jobsite gear.

The hammer often gets overlooked when people think of high-tech tools. They're meant for basic striking, and sometimes feature rip claws and other rudimentary functional adaptations — this is just as true of the average framing hammers or claw hammers as it is of high-end luxury hammers from a brand like Stiletto. Even so, plenty of hammers have been designed for specific tasks.

An auto hammer is a tool you might wish you'd had sooner, if you're tired of having to swing your arm every time you want to sink a nail. Lump hammers are also common sights in many toolboxes, and they deliver blunt striking capabilities in a heavy and often compact package. However, the DeWalt 3-Pound, 1-Piece Drilling Hammer is a different story.

Delivering two times the impact force, the concentrated strike face created far more impact power than its weight should naturally carry. The result is a three pound lump hammer that delivers the force of a far less compact, six pound sledge. More importantly, this difference in striking force bridges the divide between what can functionally be swung with a single hand versus a hefty sledge that requires two. A one piece steel construction, DeWalt's drilling hammer is a hulking demolition tool you can confidently use with a single hand, freeing up your other arm for all manner of tasks.

Cutting tasks are sometimes straightforward: slicing through a 2x4 is just as simple with a typical table saw from DeWalt or Milwaukee (but likely not the comically small Harbor Freight variety!). Cutting with a circular saw similarly doesn't take much planning or a particularly skilled hand. Completing a cut inside the dimensions of a pipe requires a different kind of thinking, however. Inside-pipe cutters are tool accessories that feature prominently in all manner of skilled professionals' toolboxes.

DeWalt's Impact Connect Inside Pipe Cutter is fitted with a standard ¼-inch hex shank for use in a wide range of power tool options. With a permanently fixed blade, there's no need to worry about the accessory coming loose and potentially damaging the workpiece (or your body, for that matter). The pipe cutter features a diamond grit blade that's rated for ten times the life span of a traditional inside cutter and delivers cuts with twice the speed. The cutting tool's body also includes distance marks, assisting in the task of dialing in the correct cut depth as you move your cutter into the body of your work to make an incision.

Welding gear is often underpinned by the latest in technological advancements, especially where multi-process welding capabilities are offered. DeWalt is known for its power tools, and potentially even its heavy duty worksite gear (like generators and concrete equipment), but many people won't be familiar with its unique welder. Unlike most welding equipment, the ESAB Renegade Volt ES2001 Stick/Live TIG Welder from DeWalt can run on hybrid power solutions, capable of welding with DeWalt's FlexVolt battery system or while connected to a main line power source at the wall.

The welder offers up to 200 amp max output when connected to an AC main power source and 150 amps on battery power. The tool can accommodate both Stick and Live TIG welding, allowing you to take it on the go to accomplish all manner of metal joinery tasks. It's perhaps a great option to add into a mobile welding kit since it can be brought anywhere and run solely on battery power. It features hot start settings and an adjustable arc force, as well as 10 programmable settings to dial in and save your particular welding parameters for repeat jobs.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, DeWalt has thrown its hat into the home EV charging ring, too. The DeWalt 240V Level 2 Home Charging Station features a 25-foot, high-grade UL certified cable to provide fast charging and reliable power whenever you need it. The unit features an IP66 waterproof rating and can be mounted for use indoors or out in the elements, making it a great option for those who don't have a garage or frequently find themselves parking out on the driveway.

The charger delivers up to 48 amps and can be adjusted down to 12 amps when slower settings or a leisurely top up is required. The unit provides up to 46 miles per hour of charging connection, and features an LCD screen that lays out charging data and important settings information in an easy to read format. Level 2 charging is the fastest option in the residential charging marketplace (Level 3 chargers are their own unique beast). The product can be found at typical home improvement stores like Ace Hardware and The Home Depot (priced at $700 at Ace, for example), making it an available option that any EV driver can bring into their home, featuring DeWalt's highly regarded build quality and all the hallmarks of a superb Level 2 charger that drivers expect.