Short answer: DeWalt’s own Adapters page lists exactly two products — an 18V-to-20V adapter for using new batteries in older tools, and a FlexVolt-to-POWERSHIFT adapter for powering DeWalt’s outdoor equipment line with FlexVolt batteries. Both stay entirely within DeWalt’s own ecosystem. DeWalt does not sell, and no DeWalt page describes, an adapter that bridges to a different tool brand.
The two adapters DeWalt actually makes
| Adapter | Bridges | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| DCA1820 (18V to 20V Adapter) | Older 18V-era DeWalt tools ↔ new 20V MAX batteries | Lets a 20V MAX battery power an 18V tool |
| DCAFVPS (FlexVolt to POWERSHIFT Adapter) | FlexVolt batteries ↔ POWERSHIFT outdoor equipment system | Lets a FlexVolt battery power POWERSHIFT equipment |
Neither one bridges to a non-DeWalt brand. Both exist to reuse a DeWalt battery across two different DeWalt tool generations or systems, not across manufacturers.
DCA1820: what it does and does not cover
DeWalt states the DCA1820 “allows for use of 20V MAX* lithium ion batteries in most 18V DEWALT* tools” — the adapter lets a newer battery power an older tool, not the other way around. It requires a 20V MAX charger. DeWalt also states two real, specific limitations: it should not be used “with premium DEWALT batteries in dc970 or dc759 tools,” and it “will not work with 20V/60V flexvolt batteries.” It’s compatible only with XR batteries at 1.5Ah, 2.0Ah, 3.0Ah, 4.0Ah and 5.0Ah — not the full battery lineup covered in this site’s DeWalt battery capacity guide.
DCAFVPS: bridging FlexVolt to outdoor equipment
DeWalt’s POWERSHIFT line is a separate cordless equipment system (outdoor power equipment), and DCAFVPS is the official way to run it on a FlexVolt battery instead of buying POWERSHIFT-specific batteries. DeWalt states it’s “compatible with all DEWALT FLEXVOLT batteries” and recommends the DCB615 15Ah FlexVolt battery “for peak performance and runtime.” The adapter’s housing is rated “drop resistant up to 2 meters, dust, water, and oil resistant,” and it carries a 2-year limited warranty.
Does this settle the 20V-to-60V adapter question?
Yes. This site’s FlexVolt guide flagged an open question: none of DeWalt’s FlexVolt pages state outright whether a standard (non-FlexVolt) 20V MAX battery works in a 60V-MAX-only tool. Checking DeWalt’s Adapters page directly answers a related question at least: DeWalt doesn’t sell a 20V-to-60V adapter of any kind. The 20V/60V compatibility that does exist runs through FlexVolt’s own auto-voltage-switching battery design, not through a separate adapter product.
What about third-party adapters?
Independent sellers do make adapters claiming to bridge DeWalt batteries to other brands’ tools, or vice versa. This guide doesn’t name, link to, or evaluate any of them — verifying the electrical safety and build quality of a specific third-party product is outside what this site can responsibly claim. What can be stated directly: DeWalt’s own warranty terms exclude “damage resulting from the installation or use of any accessory or part not approved by DEWALT for use with the Product,” and neither adapter covered above, nor any DeWalt page reviewed for this guide, extends approval to a non-DeWalt device.
What this guide does not claim
DCA1820’s compatibility statement says “most 18V DEWALT tools,” not “all” — this guide keeps that qualifier rather than rounding it up. The two named tool exclusions (dc970, dc759) and the FlexVolt exclusion are stated exactly as DeWalt states them. No maximum current or charge-rate figure is stated for either adapter in the sources checked, so none is estimated here.
How this was checked
Facts on this page are drawn from DeWalt’s own Adapters landing page, the DCA1820 product page, the DCAFVPS product page, and DeWalt’s published warranty terms.
Sources checked: 2026-08-06. A new review date will only be set after the linked pages are re-checked.