DeWalt 6 Amp Fast Charger

Why I added this charger to my bench

My cordless lineup spans 12V MAX for compact tasks, 20V MAX for everyday work, and a couple of FLEXVOLT packs for heavier tools. I wanted a single, reliable station that could feed all of them without juggling different chargers. That’s exactly where the DeWalt 6A charger fit in. I’ve been using it for several weeks as my primary single-bay unit, mounted near my bench and power strip, and it’s become the “park it and forget it” charger I reach for.

Design and setup

The 6A charger is a straightforward, jobsite-friendly brick. The battery slides in with a positive, mechanical latch that actually locks the pack to the base—no wiggling, no half-seated surprises. That latch sounds like a small thing, but it’s the difference between a pack that migrates loose with vibration and one that stays put until you press the release.

It’s powered by a standard 120V cord and is double-insulated, so the plug is two-prong and there’s no ground connection to worry about. The 6-foot cord is long enough to reach a bench-height outlet without needing an extension cord. If you prefer a fixed station, the through-holes in the base make wall mounting easy; I hung mine vertically on two screws next to a power strip. There are no screws included, so pick fasteners that match your wall material and span.

The interface is minimal by design. You get a two-stage LED indicator that signals charging progress: Stage 1 takes a pack to roughly 80%, then Stage 2 finishes it to full. That split is practical; many jobs don’t need the last 20%, so you can pop the battery back into a tool early and keep moving.

Compatibility that actually simplifies things

This unit charges 12V MAX, 20V MAX, and FLEXVOLT 20V/60V packs. I tested a mix of compact 12V and 20V packs, standard 4Ah–5Ah 20V packs, and FLEXVOLT packs used on a 60V grinder. The charger recognized everything I threw at it without drama. The battery latch geometry is consistent across the families, so the connection is always confident and consistent.

If you’ve ever kept multiple chargers around just for the sake of compatibility, consolidating to one bay that truly handles the entire DeWalt lineup is a nice quality-of-life upgrade. Just remember it’s single-port. If you regularly rotate through a fleet of packs all day, this is a great “main” or “desk” charger, but crews may still want a multi-bay solution in the charging corner.

Charging performance

Six amps is the sweet spot for a single-bay unit: meaningfully faster than the common 4A chargers without the bulk and fan noise that can come with higher-output bricks. Charging times in my shop have been consistent and predictable. Real-world numbers will vary with pack temperature and age, but here’s what I observed as typical, rounded ranges:

• 12V MAX 3Ah: about 35–45 minutes to full
• 20V MAX 2Ah: roughly 25–35 minutes to full
• 20V MAX 5Ah: about 55–70 minutes to full
• FLEXVOLT 9Ah: around 100–130 minutes to full

What matters more than the total time is the Stage 1 behavior. Hitting ~80% happens noticeably sooner than a full charge, because that last 20% is where the charger tapers current to balance the pack. If I’m mid-project and I drop a 5Ah pack on an empty indicator, I can usually get back to work in under an hour with enough charge to finish most tasks. If I need the pack absolutely topped off for storage or a long runtime day, I let it sit through Stage 2.

Thermally, the unit gets warm but not uncomfortable to touch during heavy cycles. I didn’t notice any fan noise from the charger itself; in my space it’s effectively silent. I haven’t observed throttling on repeated back-to-back charges, though—like any lithium charging system—you’ll see charge rates slow if a just-used, hot battery needs a few minutes to cool before it accepts full current. That’s normal pack protection working as it should.

Everyday workflow

The biggest thing I appreciate day to day is the predictability. The LED scheme is simple: Stage 1 means “I can use this soon,” Stage 2 means “leave it until it’s truly full.” That clarity keeps me from hover-checking. The latch gives me confidence to stick a pack on, tidy up, and not wonder if a bumped cable will knock it loose. Wall mounting keeps my bench clear and the 6-foot cord routes neatly out of the way.

Because the charger is single-port, I’ve built a routine around it: tools get their packs swapped as soon as they come off the bench, and anything that needs a guaranteed full charge for the next day gets parked early in the evening. If your workflow involves lots of back-to-back swaps for multiple people, a dual- or quad-bay station would still be a better fit. For solo or small-shop use, one 6A bay does a lot of heavy lifting.

Build quality and safety

The housing feels robust and stable, and the pack slides in on well-molded rails without binding. Being UL Listed and double-insulated adds confidence that it meets common safety standards. There’s adequate ventilation built into the enclosure; I’d avoid mounting it in a cubby that restricts airflow, but in open air on a wall or bench it stays in its comfort zone. Fit and finish on my unit were clean, and the base sits flat without wobble.

What I’d change

• Single bay only: That’s the design, but an optional second port would make this the obvious default charger for more users.
• 120V-only: It’s tailored for North American power. If you travel or work on 230V, this isn’t a universal-input charger.
• No auxiliary ports: There’s no USB or accessory charging. Personally, I don’t need that on a battery charger, but some people like the convenience.
• LED vocabulary: The two-stage indicator is helpful once you know what it means, but it’s less granular than a percentage readout. A small icon or label explaining Stage 1 vs. Stage 2 on the face would help new users.

None of these are dealbreakers for me; they’re just the tradeoffs that keep the unit simple, compact, and focused on its core job.

Alternatives and where this fits

If you only use 20V MAX compact packs and don’t need speed, the common 4A chargers are cheaper and adequate. On the other end, DeWalt’s higher-output fast chargers can shave more minutes off big FLEXVOLT packs, but they’re bulkier, noisier, and overkill for many users. Dual- and multi-bay chargers are invaluable on a dedicated charging wall but take up more space and usually share current between ports.

The 6A charger sits right in the middle: fast enough to noticeably improve turnaround, compact enough to keep handy, broadly compatible, and quiet.

Warranty and support

DeWalt backs the unit with a 3-year limited warranty, 1 year of free service, and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee. That’s in line with the brand’s ecosystem and provides reasonable coverage for a charger that may see daily use.

The bottom line

After living with it, I consider the 6A charger the “default” bay I recommend for most DeWalt users. It hits a practical balance of speed, simplicity, and compatibility. The secure latch and wall-mount option make it easy to integrate into a shop, the two-stage indicator supports real-world workflows, and the 6A output noticeably shortens charge times without introducing noise or bulk.

Recommendation: I recommend this charger to anyone running a mix of 12V MAX, 20V MAX, and occasional FLEXVOLT packs who wants a dependable, faster-than-basic single bay. If you routinely charge multiple batteries in parallel or you need global voltage input, look at a multi-bay or travel-friendly alternative. For everyone else, this is the one I’d put on the wall and use every day.