Short answer: 20V MAX is DeWalt’s core cordless battery platform. FlexVolt is a special battery line — rated 20V/60V MAX — that automatically switches voltage depending on which tool it’s inserted into. Every FlexVolt battery works in every 20V MAX tool, and FlexVolt batteries are also what power DeWalt’s separate 60V MAX tools. A plain 20V MAX battery, however, is not confirmed by DeWalt to run 60V-MAX-only tools — if you own or plan to buy 60V MAX tools, FlexVolt is the battery line to standardize on.
DeWalt sells three battery-related labels that get mixed up constantly: 20V MAX, 60V MAX, and FlexVolt. They aren’t three competing systems — FlexVolt is the bridge between the other two. This guide lays out exactly how the bridge works, using only DeWalt’s own published pages.
Do FlexVolt batteries work in regular 20V MAX tools?
Yes. DeWalt states directly that FlexVolt batteries are compatible with DeWalt 20V MAX power tools. A FlexVolt pack slides onto the same rail as a standard 20V MAX pack and simply runs the tool at 20V — you lose nothing by using a FlexVolt battery in an ordinary 20V MAX drill, driver or saw.
Do FlexVolt batteries also power 60V MAX tools?
Yes — that’s the point of the system. DeWalt describes 60V MAX tools as running on “20V/60V MAX FLEXVOLT batteries,” and the battery uses what DeWalt calls patented technology that automatically switches voltage when you change tools. Put a FlexVolt battery in a 20V MAX tool and it delivers 20V; put the same battery in a 60V MAX tool and it delivers 60V. One battery, two platforms.
Can a standard 20V MAX battery run a 60V MAX tool?
This is the one point DeWalt’s own pages reviewed for this guide do not spell out. The 60V MAX system page describes 60V MAX tools as paired with FlexVolt batteries, but it doesn’t explicitly confirm or rule out whether a plain 20V MAX battery is compatible with a 60V-only tool. Until that’s confirmed from an official source, treat 60V MAX tools as FlexVolt-only in practice — don’t assume a standard 20V MAX pack will run one.
What is FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE, and is it a different thing?
FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE is a feature built into specific 20V MAX tools — DeWalt names the Circular Saw, Angle Grinder, Reciprocating Saw and Hammer Drill lines as using it. These tools are “compatible with all DEWALT 20V MAX and 20V/60V MAX FLEXVOLT batteries,” meaning you can run them on an ordinary 20V MAX battery or a FlexVolt battery either way. DeWalt describes the technology as making these specific tools “more powerful than ever before,” but the pages reviewed don’t spell out the exact mechanism by which a FlexVolt battery changes the tool’s output versus a standard battery in the same tool.
Editorial note: FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE is a tool-side feature, not a battery-side one — it’s a property of which tool you buy (four specific models), separate from the general FlexVolt-battery-works-everywhere rule above.
What FlexVolt battery capacities exist?
DeWalt’s own 60V MAX system page lists FlexVolt batteries as “available in 6AH, 9AH, 12AH and 15AH.” The DCB606 product page confirms a “6ah capacity” rating and describes the battery as compatible with “20V MAX and 60V MAX tools,” switching voltage automatically. DeWalt’s pages reviewed don’t break out a separate Ah figure for 60V-mode operation versus 20V-mode operation on the same battery — this guide doesn’t invent one.
| Standard 20V MAX battery | FlexVolt (20V/60V MAX) battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Works in 20V MAX tools | Yes | Yes |
| Works in 60V MAX tools | Not confirmed by sources reviewed | Yes — auto-switches to 60V |
| Available capacities (per DeWalt) | Varies by SKU, not covered in this guide | 6Ah, 9Ah, 12Ah, 15Ah |
| Fits FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE tools | Yes | Yes |
So which battery should you actually buy?
Editorial conclusion, not an official DeWalt recommendation: if every tool you own or plan to buy is a standard 20V MAX tool, a plain 20V MAX battery does the job and there’s no need to pay for FlexVolt’s extra cell count. If you have, or plan to add, any 60V MAX tool (larger saws and outdoor equipment tend to live on this platform), standardize on FlexVolt batteries instead — they cover both platforms with one battery pool, at a higher price per pack than a standard 20V MAX battery of similar 20V-mode capacity.
How this was checked
This guide is based only on DeWalt’s own published pages: the FlexVolt Battery System page, the FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE page, the 60V MAX System page, and the DCB606 FlexVolt battery product page. Where a source didn’t state a number or a direction of compatibility, this guide says so explicitly rather than filling the gap with an assumption.
Sources checked: 2026-08-05. A new review date will only be set after the linked pages are re-checked.