Black & Decker 20V MAX* POWERCONNECT 1.5 Ah Battery 2-Pack

Why I picked up this 20V pack

I’ve been building up a small stable of Black & Decker 20V MAX tools around the house—drill/driver, compact blower, a string trimmer, and a sander—so the need for extra batteries snuck up on me. Rather than a single high‑capacity pack, I opted for the two‑pack of 1.5Ah POWERCONNECT batteries. My thinking was simple: keep one on the tool and one on the charger, and rotate as I move between tasks. After several weeks of yard clean‑ups, odd repairs, and a small deck project, these compact batteries have proven exactly what they claim to be: lightweight, interchangeable power for light‑duty tools, with a few caveats for heavy users.

Design and platform integration

These are the compact sticks in the POWERCONNECT family. They lock onto every 20V MAX tool I own with the familiar slide‑on interface, and the fit is snug with no rattle. The housings feel sturdier than their size suggests—drop‑resistant plastic with a little extra ribbing around the corners. I tossed one onto the garage floor from waist height by mistake (twice, if I’m honest), and the case came away with only scuffs.

Black & Decker rates these at 20V MAX (18V nominal), 1.5Ah, or about 30Wh. In practice, that means they’re optimized for lighter, intermittent loads: drills, drivers, hand vacs, sanders, and the smaller yard tools. The platform benefits are real—being able to pop the same battery between a drill and a blower is the convenience that keeps you in a system.

There’s no built‑in fuel gauge on the pack, so you won’t get an exact readout on remaining charge. That’s not unusual at this size, but it’s something to note if you’re used to onboard indicators.

Performance and runtime

Battery capacity is the story here. At 1.5Ah, these deliver short bursts of work or steady light duty. A few real numbers from my use:

• Drill/driver: I drove roughly 120 2‑1/2 in. deck screws into SPF lumber on a single pack, mixing pilot drilling and driving. Power stayed consistent until the pack’s protection circuit cut off near empty.
• String trimmer: In moderate growth around fence lines, I averaged 12–15 minutes per battery at a medium throttle. Bumping up to full power in heavy patches shortened that noticeably.
• Compact blower: Clearing walkways and a small patio took 8–10 minutes at full blast per pack. Enough for quick cleanup, not enough for a full yard covered in leaves.

Power delivery is steady for the size. The packs don’t sag badly; they hold voltage until they’re done, then shut down cleanly. I did hit the overload protection once while trimming a dense corner—the tool stopped, I waited 30 seconds, and it picked back up. That’s the onboard electronics doing their job to protect the cells from heat or overcurrent.

For anyone expecting mower‑or‑chainsaw performance, this isn’t the right capacity. But paired with the right tool and task, these 1.5Ah packs are handy and efficient.

Charging and maintenance

These batteries ship without a charger, so plan accordingly. On the standard Black & Decker 20V charger, I saw about three hours from empty to full. A fast charger cut that to under an hour, which made the two‑pack rotation feel seamless on project days.

A few care notes from living with them:
- Lithium‑ion doesn’t have memory effect, so top‑offs are fine. I frequently charge between tasks without issue.
- They hold a charge well in storage. After two months on a shelf, both packs powered up tools without feeling sluggish.
- In hot summer weather, I had one heat‑related pause after a long trim session. Letting the pack cool for a minute got it charging normally again. If your charger light indicates a hot/cold delay, give it time—this is the temperature monitoring doing its job.

If you’re coming from older NiCd packs, the “shuts off suddenly at the end” behavior is normal for lithium. The pack protects itself rather than dragging the tool through a weak, dying final act.

Durability and build

The compact form factor is nice in the hand and on the tool. On smaller drills and sanders, that lighter weight helps balance and reduces wrist fatigue. The locking tab, rails, and contacts have held up to dozens of swaps with no visible wear beyond light polishing on the contacts.

I can’t simulate years of abuse in a few weeks, but between weather swings, a couple of drops, and dusty yard work, nothing has loosened or creaked. The impact‑resistant housing appears to be more than marketing copy—it’s a welcome bit of insurance in a busy garage.

Black & Decker backs these with a 2‑year limited warranty, which is standard for this tier and capacity.

Value math and who they’re for

At list price, the two‑pack sits in the “good but not spectacular” value bracket. You’re buying platform convenience and light weight over pure watt‑hours per dollar. If your tasks are brief and frequent—quick blow‑offs, short trim sessions, an afternoon hanging cabinets—having two compact packs to tag‑team is surprisingly productive. I rarely felt “stuck” waiting on a charge with the fast charger in play.

If your work skews heavy or continuous, the calculus changes. A single 3.0Ah or 4.0–5.0Ah POWERCONNECT battery is a smarter buy for leaf clearing, large lawns, or long sanding sessions, simply because swapping every 10 minutes gets old. The larger packs add weight, but the extra runtime reduces interruptions and minimizes charge cycles.

In short:
- Choose these 1.5Ah packs if you prioritize light weight, have multiple compact tools, and like the rhythm of rotating two batteries.
- Step up in capacity if you run high‑draw tools or need longer, uninterrupted runtime.

Practical tips

• Label your packs A and B and alternate to even out wear.
• Don’t leave them in a hot car or in direct sun on the charger; let them cool before charging.
• For seasonal tools, store around half‑charge in a cool, dry place; top up before the first use.
• If a charger ever refuses to start after a heavy session, remove the battery and give it a minute. Temperature checks are conservative by design.

The bottom line

As compact, everyday power sources for the 20V MAX system, these 1.5Ah POWERCONNECT batteries are exactly what they set out to be. They’re light, interchangeable, and protected by sensible electronics that favor pack longevity over squeezing out the last watt‑hour. In drills, drivers, sanders, and small yard tools, they deliver consistent performance and respectable runtime for their size. The two‑pack format makes them more useful than a single small battery—one works while the other rests or charges.

Would I recommend them? Yes—with context. If you’re already in the Black & Decker 20V ecosystem and want lightweight, ready‑to‑go spares for light‑ to medium‑duty tasks, this two‑pack is a smart, dependable addition. If your primary goal is long runtime on high‑draw tools, skip straight to a higher‑capacity POWERCONNECT pack and add one of these as a backup later. Either way, the platform flexibility and the 2‑year warranty make them an easy fit for a homeowner’s kit.