DeWalt 20V MAX XR POWERSTACK 5Ah Lanyard Ready Battery (4 Pack)

Why I reached for the 5Ah PowerStack

I’ve been curious about pouch‑cell tool batteries since they started showing up on jobsites. After a few weeks rotating a four‑pack of DeWalt’s 5Ah PowerStack through drills, grinders, a circular saw, and a handheld blower, I have a pretty clear picture of where this pack shines and where a standard cylindrical‑cell 5Ah still makes sense.

What it is

The 5Ah PowerStack is a 20V MAX lithium‑ion battery built with pouch cells rather than the usual cylindrical cells. It’s compatible with all 20V MAX tools and chargers, includes a 3‑LED fuel gauge, and adds two practical upgrades: a rubber overmolded base that’s surprisingly kind to finished surfaces, and a lanyard‑ready point for tethering when you’re working at height. This particular configuration ships as a four‑pack with no charger, which is how I tested it—running a rotation so a fresh pack was always ready.

Each pack weighs about a pound and a half and has a slightly wider stance than an XR 5Ah. On paper the improvements are higher power delivery and longer cycle life compared with DeWalt’s previous 5Ah. In practice, the advantage depends on the tool and the task.

Build, fit, and ergonomics

The rubberized base is more than a cosmetic touch. On paint, cabinetry, and finished stair treads, it resisted sliding and didn’t scuff or leave marks. The broader footprint also makes tools feel more planted when you set them down vertically. That sounds minor until you’re swapping bits on an impact driver and aren’t chasing a wobbling tool.

Fit on a half‑dozen older and newer 20V MAX tools was snug with clean latch engagement. The lanyard anchor is properly recessed so it doesn’t snag on bags or cords. I used it with a rated tether on a scissor lift and from an extension ladder, and it did what it’s supposed to do—kept the battery attached to me or the lift without getting in the way.

Weight is the trade‑off. Compared with a compact 2Ah or even a 4Ah XR, the 5Ah PowerStack feels chunky on overhead work. On grinders, saws, and a high‑output blower, the mass is a non‑issue and actually helps balance. On a drill or driver above shoulder height for long stretches, I found myself swapping to a lighter pack.

Performance on real tools

• Grinder (4‑1/2 in. brushless): The PowerStack’s biggest advantage showed up here. Cutting rebar and scoring masonry, the grinder held RPM better in heavy pushes. There was less of that “bog then bounce back” behavior you get when voltage sags. Thermal shutdowns were rare; the pack finished cuts that my older XR 5Ah sometimes forced me to pause on.

• Circular saw (7‑1/4 in. brushless): Ripping 2x PT and cross‑cutting LVL, startup torque felt stronger and the saw kept pace through knots without dimming. It wasn’t transformational, but it was consistently smoother under load, especially on longer rips.

• Leaf blower (high‑output handheld): The PowerStack stayed in “turbo” longer before tapering. That sustained output made yard cleanups quicker because I wasn’t feathering the trigger to dodge sag.

• Hammer drill/impact driver: On medium‑duty fastening in SPF and tap‑cons in block, I didn’t see a dramatic difference versus a healthy XR 5Ah. The tools felt snappier at the start of drives, but runtime was similar unless I kept the tool pinned under continuous load.

• Die grinder: Like the angle grinder, the die grinder benefited from the pouch cells. Porting and deburring, I could lean on it harder without provoking thermal trips.

In terms of runtime, under high draw the PowerStack gave me a modest but noticeable edge—enough to finish a run without swapping or waiting out a cooldown. On light work, runtime landed in the same neighborhood as a standard 5Ah. The biggest improvement was the lack of mid‑cut sag and fewer heat‑related interruptions.

Charging and heat management

On the common 20V MAX chargers, my packs went from near empty to full in about an hour and a half. That lines up with the spec. After continuous grinding or ripping, the packs came off the tool warm, and letting them sit for a couple of minutes before charging made the cycle faster—standard practice with any lithium battery. Over several dozen cycles, I didn’t notice capacity drift or hot‑pack throttling beyond what I’d expect.

Cold mornings in the low 40s didn’t phase the packs. In true freezing temps, any lithium pack will lose punch; I didn’t have deep‑winter conditions to stress‑test, but keeping a spare in a warm cab is still the best practice.

The lanyard advantage

If you work from lifts, ladders, staging, or roofs, the lanyard‑ready design is a practical safety upgrade. Batteries bounce, and they’re heavy enough to injure when they drop. With the PowerStack, clipping a rated tether to the anchor point kept the pack where it belonged. That’s useful for the battery itself and for securing a tool by tacking the tether through the battery and the tool’s lanyard point. It’s a small feature, but it’s the first time I’ve felt a battery solved a jobsite problem beyond “more runtime.”

What I’d change

• Price-to-benefit ratio: This is a premium battery with a premium price tag. If your tools rarely see sustained high load, the practical gains over an XR 5Ah can be hard to justify. Buying in a multi‑pack helps, and sales make a difference, but the cost is still significant.

• Weight for overhead work: At roughly 1.5 lb, the PowerStack isn’t the pack I want on a drill while setting strut hangers above my head for hours. That’s not a knock against performance—just the reality that compact packs remain the better ergonomic choice for light, repetitive tasks.

• Coarse fuel gauge: A three‑LED readout is simple but vague. I’d like finer resolution when I’m trying to plan a cut list or a sequence of anchors on one battery.

• Version clarity: DeWalt has tweaked labels and SKUs, including a lanyard‑ready variant. If the tether point matters to you, double‑check the marking so you get the feature you expect.

It’s also worth touching on reliability. Out of the four I tested, all arrived with partial charge and took a full charge without drama. That said, batteries are the most failure‑prone component in a cordless ecosystem. The included 3‑year limited warranty, 1‑year free service, and 90‑day satisfaction policy take the edge off that risk.

Who benefits most

• Pros running high‑draw tools: Metal fab, demo, framing, and exterior trades that lean on grinders, circular saws, and high‑output blowers will notice the PowerStack’s stronger, steadier output and fewer heat trips.

• Finish carpenters and cabinet installers: The non‑marring base and stable stance are small but real quality‑of‑life improvements in finished spaces.

• Anyone working at height: The lanyard anchor is a meaningful safety feature and makes compliance easier.

If your cordless day looks more like mixing light drilling, driving, and occasional cuts, a standard XR 5Ah remains a solid, more economical choice. Keep a compact pack in the mix for overhead or tight‑space work, and you’ve got a versatile setup for less money.

The bottom line

The 5Ah PowerStack delivers what pouch cells promise: stronger sustained power and better composure under load, wrapped in a jobsite‑friendly package with a grippy, non‑marring base and a sensible tether point. I didn’t see runaway gains in every scenario, but in the tasks that push cordless tools hardest, these packs felt better and kept me working with fewer interruptions.

Recommendation: I recommend the 5Ah PowerStack to tradespeople and serious users who routinely run high‑draw tools or need a lanyard‑ready battery for at‑height work. You’ll appreciate the steadier output, cooler running, and small ergonomic touches. If you’re budget‑conscious or mostly doing light‑duty drilling and driving, the improvements won’t always justify the premium; a conventional 5Ah XR remains the better value there.